When it comes down to it, the better your skin looks, the better your makeup will look. Spend some time prepping your skin and creating a flawless makeup base and not only will your makeup be so much easier to apply, but the products you use will stick around for so much longer rather than wearing off after just a few hours.
What does this prep work involve? Join Introstem as we share eight game-changing pre-makeup skincare steps:
Step 1: Cleanse for a Blank Canvas
The very first stage of a pre-makeup skincare routine is also what many would say is the most important step; cleansing. This clears away the dirt, sebum, dead skin cells, and other impurities that settle onto the skin’s surface, enabling your makeup to glide on evenly and smoothly. Try applying makeup to un-cleansed skin and you’ll end up with a finish that looks rough and lacks precision.
Of course, in order for your skin to look refreshed rather than ravaged after your cleanse, you need to pick your cleanser wisely. Mainly, it should be formulated with your skin type in mind. Even better, it should contain ingredients designed to smooth and brighten the complexion, which will save you from having to use quite as much makeup in the end.
If your skin type is oily, our top choice would be the Introstem VitisCell Foaming Bliss Purifier. It’s a foaming cleanser that’s packed with peptides, antioxidants, and complexion-soothing ingredients. Meanwhile, dry and sensitive skin types would benefit from the Introstem VitisCell Fresh Cleansing Mousse. With a blend of hydrating plant oils, including argan, hemp seed, and moringa, your freshly cleansed skin will feel beautifully supple.
Step 2: Exfoliate to Polish Up Your Complexion
If you wear makeup daily, then this isn’t a step that you should be following every day. Over-exfoliating your skin will only lead to more harm than good. However, exfoliate your skin a couple of times a week before applying your makeup and you’ll be able to create even more of a blank canvas. Like cleansing, exfoliating will remove makeup-hindering impurities, but to a deeper extent.
Of course, you don’t want to use an overly potent exfoliator that’s going to dry your skin out. This will only cause your makeup to look dull and flaky. Instead, find one that exfoliates gently while also bestowing the skin with ingredients that contribute to a smooth and soft finish.
This is where the Introstem VitisCell Fresh Revive Peeling shines. Can’t decide between a chemical or physical exfoliant? This one provides the best of both worlds. With a blend of mandelic acid, bamboo powder, and walnut shell powder, it efficiently removes dead skin and other impurities while vitamins A, C, and E, along with green tea extract and grape stem cells, give the skin a radiant glow.
Step 3: Boost With a Mask
Again, just like exfoliating, you shouldn’t use a face mask daily. Plus, chances are that you wouldn’t even have the time to mask every morning before applying makeup! However, save your weekly masking session for a morning when you need your makeup to look particularly flawless and you’ll be surprised at what a difference a simple face mask can make.
What type of mask should you use? This depends on your skin’s needs…
If your skin type is oily and your pores look clogged and enlarged, even after exfoliating, a clay mask is what you need. Clay will absorb excess sebum to give your skin a tighter and clearer finish. A thermal clay mask, like the Introstem ThermoStem Mask, takes this even further. Thanks to how it heats up on the skin, the pores feel more relaxed and elastic. This allows the clay to do an even better job of pulling out excess sebum.
On the other hand, if your skin type is dry, you need to hold on to whatever sebum your skin has while also adding more moisture. A hydrating sheet mask, like the Stem Cell Rejuvenation Facial & Eye Mask, will do this well! We even have a version for the neck and chest, ensuring that your skin looks plump and smooth all the way down to your décolletage.
Step 4: Hydrate With a Toner
If you want your makeup to look fresh and luminescent, hydrated skin is a must. No matter how skilled you may be at makeup application, you’ll struggle to replicate the plump and dewy look that naturally hydrated skin sports.
When it comes to boosting skin hydration levels as much as possible, layering is key. Sure, a single hydrating skincare product is better than not using any at all but, for the best results, try layering a few different hydrating products. This will give your skin a much fuller and more volumized appearance.
The first hydrating product to use is a toner. Not only will this add a splash of moisture to your skin but it will also help to balance out the pH level on your skin’s surface. Remember that not all toners are hydrating, so make sure that you pick a formula that is. The Introstem VitisCell Hydra Fresh Toner would be an excellent choice! In addition to using it after cleansing/exfoliating/masking, it can also be spritzed onto the skin in between the other products that you apply.
Step 5: Hydrate Again With a Serum
The next step in hydrating your skin and plumping up your complexion for a flawless makeup finish is to use a hydrating serum. Even if you decide not to use a toner, a hydrating serum is a step that you really shouldn’t skip. Serums are capable of holding high concentrations of hydrating ingredients. This makes them a very effective way to bump up skin moisture levels.
How can you tell if a serum is hydrating? By checking the ingredient list for humectants. These are ingredients that have moisture-binding properties, making them hydrating superstars. Sodium hyaluronate, or hyaluronic acid, is known for being one of the best humectants around. Meanwhile, glycerin, peptides, aloe vera, collagen, and certain plant oils also boast powerful humectant properties.
If you’re on the hunt for a hydrating serum that you can use daily, the Introstem ThermoStem Serum won’t disappoint. It combines multiple humectants with potent botanical extracts, ensuring skin that looks bright and revitalized.
Meanwhile, when you have some extra time before applying your makeup, try the String Lift Sculpting System. It contains six different forms of hyaluronic acid, ensuring maximum hydration!
Step 6: Revive the Look of Tired Eyes
The eyes are often the focus when it comes to makeup, so you’ll want this area to look as good as possible before you begin. Unfortunately, with the skin around the eyes being so thin and delicate, it doesn’t take much for this area to end up puffy, discolored, and creased.
This is why it’s worth paying some extra attention to your eye area before you start masking those visible skin concerns with makeup. Use the right skincare products and you’ll be able to restore a smooth, firm, and bouncy finish to your skin, meaning that there’ll be no more issues to hide!
Again, pick your eye care products based on what your skin needs. If dark circles are your nemesis, look for a product that specializes in lightening the look of dark circles, like the Introstem VitisCell Radiance Dark Circle Eye Cream. On the other hand, if your eye area is looking dull, puffy, or wrinkled, try the Introstem VitisCell Luminous Firming Eye Serum. Better yet, use those two products together, starting with the serum and finishing with the cream, and your eye area will look tighter and more radiant than ever!
Step 7: Moisturize and Protect
It’s now time to turn your attention to smoothing your skin’s surface, which a good moisturizer excels at. In addition to providing a boost of moisture to plump up your complexion even more, a moisturizer will also fill in any tiny cracks in your skin’s natural barrier, giving your skin a texture that feels softer and more even.
With that said, you need to ensure that you pick a lightweight moisturizer. You want a formula that will disappear into your skin quickly, as opposed to lingering on the surface and interfering with your makeup application. This is why it can be helpful to use an SPF moisturizer. It means that you’ll only need to apply one cream, instead of having to use a moisturizer and then a separate sunscreen over the top. And yes, SPF is essential. Even if your makeup products contain SPF, this is usually minimal. A full coverage of SPF 30 is what your skin needs to remain protected.
For this, we would recommend the Introstem VitisCell Facial Shield Cream SPF 30. It’s a lightweight moisturizer that doesn’t leave a white cast on the skin in the way that many SPF products do. Instead, it melts into the skin quickly, leaving it looking full and dewy while feeling ultra-protected.
Step 8: Prime
Once you’ve moisturized and protected your skin, the final step for a flawless makeup base is to use a primer. The purpose of this product is to smooth over any noticeable pores, even out the look of small blemishes, and provide a ‘grip’ for your makeup to latch on to, ensuring that it lasts for hours.
Once again, choose a primer that suits your skin’s needs. Oily skin may benefit from a thicker yet non-comedogenic primer that makes pores look invisible while sensitive and rosacea-prone skin would do well with a color-correcting primer to even out the look of redness and blotchiness.
Creating a Flawless Makeup Base With Introstem
Whether you’re planning on wearing a full face of makeup or keeping it subtle with just a couple of products, a good base is everything. Spend some time on your skin before turning to your makeup and not only will you achieve a much more vibrant look but your makeup will also last for so much longer!
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