Wearing makeup can be a wonderful way to show off color, enhance our features, and express ourselves. On the flip side, going a few days without makeup allows the skin to breathe, balance, and decongest from any build up caused by foundation and other makeup applied daily.
It is a good idea to give your face a break from makeup so that your skin can take a good deep breath! Even high quality makeup contains chemicals, preservatives and fillers, all of which can clog pores if worn in excess, says White Tea Med Spa‘s esthetician, Rivka Veder. “This break doesn’t need to be forever. We advise our clients to try going makeup free on weekend mornings or remove it right after you get home from work at night. We also love the idea of #MakeUpFreeMondays!” says Veder.
Still not sold on why you should take a break from makeup? Below are seven reasons you should consider some time off from cosmetics.
Protect Your skin
Face makeup, especially when it contains SPF, can congest skin and block oxygen from flowing in and out of our pores. The more you use, the worse the case. Plus, depending on your makeup’s ingredients, overuse can lead to acne and dehydration.
Get More Out of Your Products
“By removing bronzer, blush, and highlighter for a few days, skin can breathe and oxygen doesn’t have to worry about finding its way through all of the layers. Less is sometimes more in the long run!” says Annie Tevelin of Skin Owl. Taking the weekend off from foundation can decongest the pores and minimize pore size, then when you go back to makeup, it’ll look even better on fresh skin.
Let Your Eyes Breathe
Too much mascara can lead to thinner looking lashes. Going a few days without mascara can actually strengthen your lashes due to the lack of product buildup and the daily putting on and removing of mascara, says Tevelin.
Maintain Your Skin Tone
Lena Sgambati, founder of Australian online skincare brand Just Good Skincare: without the bullsh*t, says taking just two days a week off from wearing makeup creates a huge difference in the overall color and tone your skin. Foundations and face powders clog the pores and cause dull, blotchy, and dehydrated skin and the thicker the foundation, the worse the culprit.
Protect Animals
It’s not as popular as it used to be, but some cosmetics companies still test on animals. Take a break from makeup, take a break from supporting this act. If you don’t take a break from makeup, you can look into the many compassionate companies out there that aren’t testing on animals!
Save Money
The reality of our makeup love? It’s an expensive habit. Take a break and save some cash!
Saving Time
Lets face it, our makeup routine takes time. We wake up sometimes an hour or more before we have to leave in the morning just to “put on our face.” Take a break from makeup, spend less time in front of the mirror and you may have time for a proper breakfast or a bit more sleep!
