In Singapore, we are blessed to have warm humid weather as it is mostly gentle on the skin. However, there is a big drawback as the high temperatures and humidity cause a lot of perspiration and excess sebum production. This is why most people in Singapore would say they have oily skin. This also applies to the makeup tools that you use. Without proper care of these tools, using them might affect your skin too. For most people, good skin is not always a given but it does not have to be hard. Here are 6 tips you’ll absolutely need for skincare in Singapore!
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Wash makeup sponges with antibacterial soap before use
Ladies, we understand that looking fabulous isn’t easy. It takes time, effort and finesse but the right tools like a set of beauty blending sponges will go a long way. However, at times, there might simply not be enough time for you to achieve the look you desire. You may be rushing for work during rush hour for a meeting or you might want to just sleep a little more and you might just leave your makeup sponge out without washing. This is more common than you think and not washing the makeup sponge is actually quite bad for your skin as the bacteria will accumulate. Here’s how you should do it.
Washing with liquid soap/solid soap.
- Make your makeup sponge damp, just a bit of water will do.
- Apply liquid soap/bar soap to the reusable sponge.
- Massage the soap with your fingers until the sponge has absorbed all the soap.
- Rinse it under warm water and squeeze out the excess water.
- Dry your makeup sponge
- You could grab a towel and squeeze the excess water out.
- You could air dry it too.
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Wash makeup brushes at least once a week
Makeup brushes are something you’ll be using on your face. No matter how much care and effort you put into making your face flawless, it’ll all go away if you don’t wash your brushes. There are many gross things hidden in the brush when you skip washing those bristles. You might just find bugs in there.
Therefore, we’d recommend you to wash your brushes at least once a week. We’ll teach you how to do it below!
- Wet the bristles. (Do not allow any water to be above the handle of the brush as it’ll loosen the glue over time.)
- Gentle massage in soap to your hands
- Apply antibiotic soap and gently swipe your brush across your palm.
- Rinse the brush again being careful not to allow any water to be above the handle of the brush.
- Use your fingers to squeeze the excess water out.
- Lastly, air dry it by laying the brush flat on a towel overnight and it’ll be ready to use the next morning!
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All makeup has an expiry date
Some may think that it is normal to keep the same lipstick for years or keeping a pencil eyeliner as long as it can still be sharpened. Also, how you handle your makeup, in general, does affect its shelf life. For example, not sharing or diluting your makeup with water will increase its longevity. However, no matter how great you are at maintaining your makeup products, it will still expire. Some warning signs include the change of smell in the product has changed, has been exposed to heat, noticeable change in color or textual or mold has formed.
When one or more such signs are presents, the makeup product will expose us to harmful toxins and may cause health problems. This is why we’ve compiled a guide of when to throw away your beauty products!
Foundation & Concealer Expiry Date
When to thaw away: Both foundation and concealer are similar in terms of their shelf life. A water-based foundation will last up to 12 months while oil-based foundations will last up to 18 months. Concealers will last up to 12-18 months.
Expiry warning signs: Foundation will show signs of oils rising to the top and consistency thickens. While concealer will show cracks as concealer are thicker than formula.
Proper storage: Keeping these 2 products in a cool area is the proper storage. At the same time, make sure that your makeup tools are clean to avoid bacterias to your foundation and concealer when touching it.
Blusher, Bronzer & Face Powder Expiry Date
When to throw away: These powders will last up to 18 months. As these products do not contain water, making it less prone to bacteria.
Expiry warning signs: Overtime, the minerals in your blusher, bronzer or face powder will mix with oil and will form hard rims. That is the warning sign. The other sign is that your powder might have a change in color.
Proper storage: A change in color of your powder means that your powder is exposed to oxygen, oxidation. Thus make sure you close/twist it to avoid oxidation. At the same time, ensure that your brushes or beauty blenders are clean before using it with the powders.
Mascara Expiry Date
When to throw away: With frequent use, the mascara will last up to 3 months. If not it’ll last up to 6 months. This most-loved beauty product is more prone to bacterias as bacteria naturally exist on our eyelashes and it will transfer to the mascara.
Expiry warning signs: If your mascara has a wonky smell, it has expired.
Proper storage: You can use a few drops of baby oil on your mascara it has dried up.
Eyeliner Expiry Date
When to throw away: Liquid eyeliners are more prone to bacterias than pencil eyeliners, thus pencil eyeliners last longer than liquid eyeliners. As when you sharpen the pencil, bacterias are removed. Eyeliners last up to 3 months to 3 years.
Expiry warning signs: For liquid eyeliners, over time the liquid will dry up. For pencil eyeliner, white spots will develop on the top and it can’t be sharpened off.
Proper storage: For liquid eyeliners, regularly clean the tip after each use to limit the germs. While for pencil eyeliners, regularly sanitise your sharpener with cotton wool and rubbing alcohol.
Lipstick & Lipgloss Expiry Date
When to throw away: Although both lipstick and lipgloss are packed with preservatives to ward off germs, those preservatives will go off after a year time. Thus making these 2 products last between 12 – 18 months.
Expiry warning signs: Beading moisture, wonky smell or chalky texture.
Proper storage: Do not apply lipstick right after you finish your meal as it attracts bacteria.
Makeup Brushes
When to throw away: Shelf life of makeup brushes can last a long time. However, it depends on how you take care of it.
Expiry warning signs: Bristles start to fall out.
Proper storage: Wash your brushes once a week.
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Do not store your brushes/tools in the open air.
Makeup tools such as Makeup Brushes, Beautyblender, and etc are products you use on your face often, some daily, which make them sensitive tools. Leaving these sensitive tools in the open air will attract bacteria. Keeping these tools in the bathroom are worse, bacterias reproduce faster in a warm and wet environment, which not only make your tools more prone to bacteria but will worsen the quality of your tools.
The solution to this is to keep your makeup tools out of the open air and bathroom. You might ask, “then where else can we keep it so that we have both the convenience and maintenance for our tools?”. Not to worry, IUIGA is here to provide you with organisers for your makeup tool which solves both of your problems! Check it out below!
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Double-cleanse your face to ensure you remove all the makeup residue
Imagine all the fine dust, dirt, and oil left on your skin after a very long day and the only cleansing you do is using just one wipe. If only all that dirt could be removed so easily. After some time, these would result in accumulated dirt in our pores and aggravate your skin. Eventually, these would lead to every girl’s nightmare – PIMPLES and clogged skin!
With that said, always ensure your skin is thoroughly cleaned after every long day. First, start with an oil cleanser to remove makeup. Next, follow through with a facial foam cleanser to remove oils and fine dirt. Caring for your skin is much more important than getting that eyebrow on fleek, as a good base would help your makeup stand out better.
A hack that I found effective to ensure my skin is thoroughly cleansed is using a facial brush like the Eva Mini Facial Cleansing Device. The Eva Mini has many fine bristles do not irritate your skin but deeply cleanse your pores by reaching in. These brushes reach areas that our bare hands can’t.
Results are almost instant as after patting dry your face, you can feel the difference in the softness of your skin. In fact, this has become a holy grail to my skincare routine.
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Skincare before makeup
Makeup products often contain chemicals that are drying on the skin and stresses your skin. More than doing a night skincare routine, it is also important to do a daily skincare routine whereby you prep your skin for the makeup you are about to do. It can be as simple as putting on some sunblock and moisturizer but the difference is immense.
Sunblock protects your skin from the UV Rays and reduces the chances of freckles and pigmentations. Whereas moisturizer ensures your skin does not lose it moisture and keep it hydrated despite the weather and the makeup. Or if you have the extra 15 minutes to spare, doing a mask before putting on makeup.
In the end, you’ll want to have the best quality for anything that is gonna touch your precious skin, especially the face. With the tips above, you’d know how to maintain your facial products at the highest quality possible. At IUIGA, we are deeply obsessed with good quality. We asked questions about things we use every day. We found gems, we fell in love with them, and we want to share them with you.