Changing our makeup routines in the ever changing climate

2020 started with our party modes being on. But it did not take much time to turn the tables. From believing that we would conquer this year to being a couch potato,we had seen it all. But one thing sure did not change. Our love for makeup. So what if we were quarantined? We did not push our favourite lipstick away,did we? Instead,we all are guilty of wearing it beneath our masks! But why doesn't our T-zones co-operate? Am I the only one who soon turns to a grease ball even after packing powder on my face? Speaking of T-zones, does your foundation crack up in winters too? Well,we are all on the same page. Let 's understand the science behind it maybe?

Our skin produces sebum(duh!). The amount and time process for everyone is different. But what does it always melt our foundation no matter what and how much we use? Or why does "baking" doesn't help it? For a very simple reason. The sebum contains oil. Oil breaks down foundation and other liquid/cream products(reason why makeup removers have oil in them). And our skin lets out sebum from beneath the skin. Packing on powder on top of the foundation won't stop it from mixing with the oil being produced from beneath it(if that makes sense!) So how do we control it? Again a simple rule. Skincare. The better you take care of your skin, the better sebum control your skin will have. Since we are busting myths, let us bust another. OILY SKIN NEEDS MOISTURIZATION. Oily skin people will deprive their skin of moisture thinking it will make it more greasy is one of the major mistakes. Infact, the more you deprive your skin of moisture, the more it will tend to produce sebum to self nourish itself. So the days you skipped on moisturization thinking you will turn to a grease ball, the days you ended up producing more sebum. So the best way to have less sebum is to feed moisture to your skin before it feels the need to produce any. Coming back to the foundation-sebum concoction, what can we do to better the situation? Two steps have worked for the person sitting behind the laptop writing this(beside skincare). One, priming the T-zone(only) with a mattifying primer. Two, to set the oily parts of my face very lightly with a loose powder before I go in with the foundation. CAUTION:If you end up using too much powder, you will make your skin too dry for the foundation to glide on smoothly. Well,try these and let me know!

And what about the winters? What about the dry patches of foundation all over our skin? Well,that also implies lack of a good skincare. Foundation(specially mattifying ones) tend to cling on the dry patches on our skin, hence emphasizing on the texture and making us look cakey. So what can we do to improve the situation(other than skincare)? Avoid mattifying foundations in winter. And if you have one in your hand which has multiple uses left, mix it with a moisturizer. This will change the consistency and help in smooth application. Also use a setting spray instead of a setting powder. This will give more hydration while setting your face.