As if a woman’s skin care routine was not complicated and
cluttered enough, now there is the question of whether you need to use a
separate eye makeup remover in addition to your facial cleanser. But the truth
is, some of the facial cleansers you use may not be able to remove all eye makeup,
especially stubborn waterproof mascara. Removing all that cakey eye makeup is
an essential part of a skin care routine, so maybe you should listen to this
information.
Facial cleansers are either soap-based (this includes
synthetic detergents) or oil-based. Soap-based cleansers will remove
powder-based makeup, but it will leave behind waterproof mascara because it
contains water-resistant waxes and polymers. Thus you need a special cleanser
to remove waterproof mascara.
If you don’t want to purchase a separate eye makeup remover,
you may consider switching your facial cleanser to an oil-based cleanser.
Before you balk at the idea of rubbing oil all over your face, consider the
fact oil is an excellent makeup solvent. While soap and water won’t bind to waterproof
mascara, oil will dissolve even the toughest mascara- and all other makeup,
too. Remember Ponds cold cream? The stuff your grandmother used to use? That is
a mineral oil-based cleanser.
However, many fear introducing more oil onto skin.
Therefore, you may be comforted to hear there are products called cleansing
oils. For those who are concerned, many cleansing oils do not use mineral oil
but instead use olive, avocado, or many other natural oils. You slather the
facial cleanser over your face, which will feel a little greasy at first. But
then you add water and- voila! Suddenly the cleanser foams! This is due to the
emulsifiers that have been added into the mix. The emulsifiers allow the cleanser
to be rinsed away cleanly with water. So eye makeup gets removed, dirt and
grime are removed, and any traces of oil cleanser are rinsed away. How is that
for an all-in-one facial cleanser?
Alas, cleansing oils seem to come with a price. But with some
searching, you might find a good cleansing oil to try at a price youre willing
to pay. Give it some time; cleansing oils are already a hit throughout Asia, so
hopefully it will crossover to the States soon.
If you decide you want to use a separate eye makeup remover,
some of the best products are dual phase eye makeup removers. Some contain oil
and others are oil-free. You need to shake the bottle to mix up the two layers.
One is an aqueous phase which helps control the pH; the second phase either has
oil-based or silicone-based eye makeup removing solvent. Silicone-based
ingredients work, as the name sounds, by making waterproof mascara (and other
makeup) more slippery and thus easier to remove with water. However, nothing
beats oil in removing all traces of makeup.
Do you need a separate eye makeup remover? It depends if you
don’t mind washing your face twice. The only facial cleanser that is guaranteed
to remove all traces of makeup is an oil-based cleanser. Or if you are worried
about harming the delicate skin around the eyes, then you could consider using
an eye makeup remover separately. In either case, be sure to remove all makeup
as part of your skin care rou tine.
