How To Hydrate Skin With Makeup On

Keeping your skin hydrated is so important for EVERY aspect of beauty. For proper makeup application, wrinkle prevention, a clear complexion, and a seriously gorgeous glow, you’ve got to have hydrated skin. 

You’re probably doing daily moisturizing in the morning and the evening (at least we hope so lol) . . . but is that enough??? Honestly, no! 

There are so many things that we're exposed to throughout the day that dry our skin out–the sun, certain cosmetics, and even the weather can take our once-hydrated skin and turn it into a total desert wasteland. 

So . . . what are you supposed to do??? Like, if you apply makeup after moisturizing in the morning and don’t moisturize again until that makeup comes off–what do you do in the middle? That’s what we’re going over today! 

Below are some essential tips for hydrating your skin while wearing makeup. Here’s what to do:

 How To Hydrate Skin With Makeup On

Use face oil or an oil-based moisturizer. 

Face oils are your best friend. Seriously! No matter your skin type, face oil can help keep your skin healthy, hydrated, and SNATCHED. 

You can put face oil on after your makeup to give yourself that amazzzinng dewy glow we're all striving for. (Though, for best results, apply it before makeup with the HOT MESS ICE ROLLER or even mix the oil in with your makeup products.)

For oil, we recommend our very own ICE QUEEN FACE OIL, because it’s so fucking good for your skin. It’s made with pomegranate seed oil, raspberry seed oil, and blueberry seed oil, which together help hydrate your skin, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, AND even protect your skin from some UV damage. ICE QUEEN FACE OIL is seriously the shit. 

P.S. If you prefer oil-free products, you could grab this moisturizer from Dr. Dennis Gross! We LOVE Dr. Dennis Gross. It's made with vitamin C along with other hydrating ingredients. And, if you didn't know–vitamin C is fucking great for your skin. 

Use hydrating makeup products. 

There’s this assumption that cosmetics are always bad for your skin. This is totally not true!!! You just need the right stuff. 

Quality makeup worn correctly won’t dry out your skin AND it won’t worsen your acne. 

You just need to keep your eye out for hydrating ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, mineral oil, petroleum jelly, isopropyl palmitate, and lanolin. These are just a few moisturizing ingredients you can find in your makeup. 

For hydrating product alternatives, try this tinted moisturizer, this color-correcting cream, this lipstick, and this lip balm. And, if you need more quality products, you can find more recommendations on The Skinny Confidential blog or just browse quality cosmetic brands like BeautyCounter! 

Go with liquid makeup instead of powder. 

Powder skincare products naturally absorb oil. If you feel dry after applying makeup or you get that dreaded cakey look, it’s probably because you need to hydrate your skin. Powders won’t help with that!

Instead, opt for liquid makeup products. Then, as you reapply, make sure you’re touching up AND moisturizing. That’s right, despite what that girl in middle school said, applying foundation (liquid OR powder) won’t give you acne.

Use a hydrating setting spray.

Setting spray is just smart. I mean, you work hard on the makeup look, you want it to last all day. So . . . why not get more out of your setting spray?

Get a setting spray that’ll also help with adding moisture to your face like this one from Pacifica. Oh, and if you want even more skincare benefits, grab this hydrating setting spray that ALSO has sunscreen. There’s no better way to get that dewy glow. 

Don’t forget sunscreen. 

Speaking of sunscreen . . . you’ve got to wear it. All. The. Time. It'll help protect your skin and keep it looking moist and youthful. Make sure sunscreen is part of your morning, evening, and HOURLY skincare routine. 

You actually can reapply sunscreen without fucking up your makeup. There are lots of ways to do it, but the easiest by far is using this re-setting spray and sunscreen. Just spray it right on your face every couple of hours to keep yourself hydrated and protected!

Deep cleanse each night. 

Okay, so remember what we said about makeup and products not causing acne??? Well, that’s only true if you don’t sleep with your makeup on. Take that shit off every night, ladies!

Do a deep cleanse on your face with gentle exfoliation (we recommend baby washcloths or maybe a quick face shave) and then deep hydrate for the magic finish. (Ahem, get that face oil back out.) 

Doing this will help get rid of dead skin cells and dry patches that are preventing your skin from absorbing products (including oils and moisturizers) and even making your skin textured. 

Over time, a nightly deep cleanse routine will feed your skin the moisture it needs and keep it looking Instagram-filter perfect. 

Be mindful of your skincare before makeup, too. 

If you really want to keep your skin hydrated all day long, make sure you’ve got a solid skincare routine. You should NEVER apply makeup on dry skin. Ensure you’ve got serums, oils, and moisturizers to keep that smooth supple skin makeup-ready. 

You can totally keep moisturizing after you put on your makeup. 

Having makeup on is not an excuse to get lax on your hydration goals. You’ve gotta get after it if you want that perfect glow. Follow these tips and make sure you grab yourself a TSC Skincare Planner that'll help you keep track of your products and routine. With the planner, you’ll never miss a hydrating moment! 

For more products and skincare tips, check out The Skinny Confidential Shop. We have all the need-to-know info on skincare and beauty, and you know we’ll always tell it to you straight. Girl, we want you to have the snatched skin of your dreams. No excuses. Let’s get hydrated!