The thorough guide to makeup and clogged pores

Wearing makeup is often blamed as being one of the main causes of clogged pores.

Blackheads and the other types of clogged pores can be one of those skin problems that stick around for years unless they’re treated properly. Even worse, clogged pores are usually the forerunners of breakouts and acne, skin dryness and early ageing.

Does makeup cause clogged pores?

But is it really true that makeup causes clogged pores—or is it a sort of sweeping statement, part fact, part mythology?

We don’t believe that makeup itself blocks pores. This isn’t an article advising you to wear makeup only occasionally, or to completely give it up.

That would be disheartening to the many women who rely on applying makeup to either enhance their skin or cover up skin problems.

Makeup contains skin congesting ingredients

However we do believe that makeup contains skin congesting ingredients, so unless makeup is removed correctly, skin can easily become studded with blackheads, whiteheads and any other types of congested pores you can think of.

There really is no point in searching for makeup that won’t clog pores—they all do if they’re not removed thoroughly. Ingredients such as silicones, zinc oxide, beeswax, and shea butter stick on top of the skin and in the skin. So your cleansing routine must be able to remove these efficiently —yet without stripping skin.

So it all depends on what you do to your face before you go to bed at night.

A certain way of cleansing

Obviously that will be to clean off the makeup. However, to keep pores clear requires a certain way of cleansing. It doesn’t take more time—well, a couple more minutes than simply using a makeup wipe—but we believe the end results for good, clear skin are worth it.

Introducing our three rules of skin cleansing:

1. It must be gentle.
   A makeup cleanser must leave your skin feeling soft and comfortable, never stripped and dry. Any stripped feeling means the cleanser is too harsh. Cleansers that contain glycolic acid, salicylic acid or any other synthetic acids are too severe for skin.
2. It must be efficient.
   Cleansing should leave the skin surface clean with no makeup residue.
3. It has to be thorough.
   Any cleansing routine is useless if it only deals with the surface of the skin. Because makeup foundations contain congesting ingredients, cleansing must clear out pores as well as clean the surface of skin.

The gentle—and effective— cleansing routine

We recommend the Simplicité cleansing routine for gently and efficiently clearing makeup from skin surface as well as pores.

1. Precleanse to loosen makeup foundation, blush and eye makeup.
   Rub wet hands together with a couple of pumps of either Rosewood or Sage Face Oil, massage over face and neck, also over and around eyes. Gently rub oil over eyelashes with fingertips, avoiding getting oil in the eyes. Don’t wash off.
2. Follow with Plant Gel Cleanser or Sundew Cleansing Milk to clean skin.
3. Exfoliate and deeply cleanse pores with One Step Exfoliating Cleanser – massage for one minute over face, neck and décolletage.

*If time poor or tired, combine steps 2 and 3.