In this article:
Skin care for sensitive skin makeup prep
Cleansing sensitive skin
Tone and exfoliate sensitive skin for makeup
Serums and treatments for sensitive skin
Eye creams for sensitive eyes
How to moisturise sensitive skin for makeup
Soothing face masks for makeup prep
Best makeup tips for sensitive skin
Makeup ingredients to avoid for sensitive skin
Apply hydrating makeup primer for sensitive skin
Look for gentle, lightweight foundations for sensitive skin
Eye makeup tips for sensitive eyes
Choose gentle bronzers and blushes
How to set makeup on sensitive skin
Always thoroughly remove makeup
Additional sensitive skin makeup tips
From redness and reactivity to watery eyes and dryness, having sensitive skin and eyes presents challenges when you’re shopping for and applying makeup. Furthermore, inadvertently putting irritating or sensitising makeup products on sensitive skin can make the issue worse.
To keep this from happening and to help you achieve a flawless makeup application, we’re arming you with a skin care routine for sensitive skin that preps skin for makeup - as well as info that makes it much easier to find the best makeup for sensitive skin and sensitive eyes. Ready to get started?
Skin care for sensitive skin makeup prep
Whether used just for fun or to enhance one’s features (or both!), makeup is artistry and the canvas you start with (your skin) is important. For sensitive skin that’s even more important, since unwanted tenderness, dryness and redness can impact how makeup looks and feels on skin.
The best way to set your makeup application up for success is to adopt an effective sensitive skin care routine. Gentle, fragrance-free products are a must, since fragrance (whether natural or synthetic) can lead to allergic contact dermatitis (1). It’s also crucial to avoid sensitising ingredients, which increase skin’s chances of reactivity.
Many people don’t just have sensitive skin but find that their eyes and the skin around them are prone to reaction as well (2). The same general rules apply here – strongly fragranced or volatile irritating ingredients can waft into eyes, causing them to become red and watery, which only increases the temptation to rub them just to get some relief! This eye rubbing pulls and stretches at delicate skin, can trigger puffiness and may even result in an eye infection.
Cleansing sensitive skin
The first step in your sensitive skin care routine is cleansing. Those with sensitive skin should seek out nourishing cream and lotion formulas that leave skin feeling plumped and hydrated, instead of dry and tight, after washing your face.
The best ingredients in sensitive skin cleansers include moisture-restoring humectants, barrier-protecting ceramides and soothing ingredients to tamp down redness and reactivity. A debris-free face is essential to start your makeup routine on the right foot and a gentle cleanser for sensitive skin is the best way to get it! If your sensitive skin feels extremely tight and painfully dry, you can choose to skip cleansing (if there’s no SPF or makeup on your skin) and move right into toning.
Tone and exfoliate sensitive skin for makeup
After cleansing, the next steps in your sensitive skin care routine to prep for makeup are toning and exfoliating. Again, when doing this part of your skin prep, gentle products are key!
You might be tempted to skip toning, but well formulated traditional hydrating toners are a vital tool for sensitive skin. Think of toners as liquid moisturisers, providing skin with hydration and vital skin-type specific ingredients. Use a calming toner for sensitive skin that’s free of irritants and full of hydrating and soothing ingredients like allantoin, hyaluronic acid and sodium PCA.
You can select a skin care exfoliant for sensitive skin that uses a gentle 1% concentration of salicylic acid (BHA) that exfoliates deep into pores and is front-loaded with soothing ingredients. If you’re looking to fight uneven skin tone or signs of sun damage, you can select an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) mandelic acid exfoliating toner for sensitive skin that resurfaces skin effectively without causing reactivity.
Toning and exfoliating nourishes and smooths skin, resulting in the ultimate canvas for flawless makeup application.
Serums and treatments for sensitive skin
If your sensitivity involves redness-prone skin, you might want to consider adding a sensitive skin serum to your routine. A formula with soothing plant extracts that immediately go to work to lessen the appearance of redness means you’ll spend less time trying to cover that ruddiness or darkness with foundation, concealer or colour correctors.
If your sensitive skin is parched and in need of moisture, consider a skin booster for dry skin. A gentle blend of non-fragrant plant oils can banish flakiness, leading to a smoother makeup application. This type of product may be too much for a daytime routine, so experiment and try adding a few drops to your nighttime moisturiser.
Eye creams for sensitive eyes
Unfortunately, skin sensitivity can lead to dry skin around the eyes. If you’re looking for eye creams that pack an extra punch when it comes to soothing sensitivity and eye-area dryness, seek out ones with ultra-hydrating and restoring ingredients, like hyaluronic acid, ceramides and rich emollients.
We also can’t emphasise enough that especially in the eye area, it’s critical to avoid skin care with fragrance or alcohol – which not only can irritate your skin, but could migrate into eyes, creating additional sensitivity.
How to moisturise sensitive skin for makeup
Sensitive skin moisturisers contain ingredients to soothe, improve the look of redness and plump skin for a nourished appearance. Remember, moisturisers for sensitive skin must skip on harsh, irritating ingredients (essential oils, fragrance, drying alcohols) and be packed with skin-beneficial ingredients to shore up skin’s barrier and reduce any dryness-induced flaking so it looks and acts healthier.
When selecting your sensitive skin moisturiser, be cognisant of your skin type when making your pick. If your skin is dry and flaky, you’ll want to choose a luxurious cream texture to drench skin. If you have oily or combination skin, a more lightweight lotion is the option for you.
It’s essential that your daytime moisturiser contains SPF. The best sunscreen for sensitive skin contains the mineral sunscreen actives titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide. These ingredients are exceedingly gentle, even when applied near the eyes. Even though synthetic sunscreen actives are effective and wonderful ingredients, those with sensitive skin can experience irritation when using them. A soothing mineral sunscreen is the way to go!
One important note: using sunscreen during the day doesn’t just offer the host of benefits we all know and love – fighting the early signs of ageing, improving skin tone and when used as directed, preventing skin cancer. Sun exposure has been shown to be a set off skin sensitivity, so anything you can do to protect yourself from it is a must (3)!
Soothing face masks for makeup prep
What else can you do to make sure your sensitive skin is as ready as it can be for makeup application? If it needs a little extra TLC, incorporating skin care face masks can give your skin an extra advantage. A hydrating face mask can help alleviate some of the dryness associated with sensitivity so the blank slate you start with is as smooth as possible!
Best makeup tips for sensitive skin
When it comes down to the best makeup tips for sensitive skin and eyes, you might be happy to learn that they’re not that different from those for a sensitive skin care routine. On a high level, it comes down to knowing which ingredients to choose and which to avoid, finding textures that play nice with your skin type and employing some good old fashioned common sense when it comes to babying your skin.
Makeup ingredients to avoid for sensitive skin
Having reactive skin means you must be a sleuth and double- and triple-check those ingredient labels or lists online when choosing makeup products. Unfortunately, quite a few makeup products have sensitising, irritating ingredients in them. Among the ones you might encounter:
- Fragrance, both natural and synthetic (sometimes appearing on ingredient lists as “parfum,” “aroma” or “flavour”)
- Mint or any of its derivatives, including menthol
- Drying alcohols
- Essential oils
- Capsaicin, a compound found in chili pepper that gives them their burning effect and is sometimes used in lip plumpers (4)
Applying hydrating makeup primer for sensitive skin
Here’s a surprising fact that might shorten your makeup routine: When it comes to getting skin ready for makeup application, you might not need a primer at all. In fact, a well-formulated moisturiser can do double duty as a primer and make for an excellent canvas.
If you have redness that goes beyond what you feel your favourite concealer or foundation can cover, it’s worth checking out a colour-correcting primer to see if it helps. Green face makeup for sensitive skin can help neutralise redness. The only two caveats are that a) your green primer is free of irritants and b) you don’t overapply it so the green comes through your flesh-toned foundation (with these products, less is more!).
Look for gentle, lightweight foundations for sensitive skin
When it comes to finding the best foundation for sensitive skin, two things matter more than anything else: the ingredients (in other words, making sure it’s free of any of the bad stuff) and the texture.
For many people with sensitive skin, dryness and flakiness are factors that have to be taken into account. Skip mattifying foundations (whether they’re liquid or powder) and stick to creamy, hydrating formulas. While a matte finish might last longer, it’s also more likely to emphasise any dry patches you have.
If you have oily sensitive skin, powders will help absorb any excess oiliness. A mattifying foundation might be the answer if your skin is sensitive and prone to acne – just make sure that the way it mattifies skin isn’t through alcohol-based ingredients, which can eventually start a domino effect that makes oily, sensitive skin even worse.
Eye makeup tips for sensitive eyes
The eyes are a tricky area when it comes to applying makeup. The best makeup for sensitive eyes – as with all other forms of makeup – is irritant-free. This also means that if you’re using any SPF-infused makeup (including foundation and concealer) around your eye area you should stick with mineral sunscreen active ingredients to keep eyes from getting red, itchy or weepy. Check those ingredient lists!
If your eyes are prone to watering no matter how hard you try to avoid it, check out waterproof mascara and eyeliner formulas that will stay put even when the corners of your eyes get wet.
When choosing eyeshadows, be cautious about heavily pigmented formulas that can stain eyelids (causing tugging and pulling when you try to remove them) and super glittery formulas that can have fallout that goes directly into eyes. It’s worth investing in a well-formulated eyeshadow primer that can act as a buffer for some of these issues. Also, be gentle with application, as a soft touch is especially important for sensitive eyes.
For watery eyes, it’s also not a bad idea to pack cotton swabs so you can gently dab at the area throughout the day without disturbing your makeup.
Choose gentle bronzers and blushes
If your skin is sensitive and dry, liquid bronzers, blushes and highlighters applied gently with a sponge can give skin a luminous glow that doesn’t look irritated or emphasise dry, flaky patches. Cream formulas can also provide smoothness and be applied in the same way.
On the other hand, if skin is acne-prone or very oily and sensitive, soft powders (pressed or loose) are the way to go. Creamy formulas can clog pores and exacerbate oiliness, so they’re generally to be avoided. If you want to skip powders, sheer gel products are also an option as they’re lightweight enough not to cause problems with oiliness.
How to set makeup on sensitive skin
Once you’ve applied your makeup, you’ll want to set it to make sure it stays put all day, but finding a good sensitive skin setting product can be a bit of a challenge. Many setting sprays contain alcohol – which yes, does help such formulas dry quickly, but also irritates skin. The good news is that there are a growing number of alcohol-free setting sprays available. If you want to check out which one works best for you, you can consider getting a sample from your favorite makeup or beauty store to test at home before committing to a full bottle.
Can you set sensitive, dry skin with powder? The answer is yes but do so strategically. Only use as much powder as you need to set your makeup (which honestly isn’t that much!). Don’t over powder skin since it will accentuate dryness. If your skin is oily, powder is a great way to make sure makeup stays put and breakthrough shine is controlled, too.
Always thoroughly remove makeup
A critical step in taking care of your sensitive skin and eyes comes at the end of the day. Always remove your makeup completely to make sure your eyes aren’t at greater risk for puffiness or redness the next day. Mascara and eyeliner tend to find their way into eyes if you have them on while you’re asleep, pushing them further into skin and the eyes themselves as you toss and turn.
Since many people with sensitive eyes prone to watering tend to use waterproof formulas, make sure you have a gentle, fragrance-free makeup remover that’s strong enough to remove waterproof makeup without the need for rubbing or pulling at the eyes and eyelashes. You might also consider a double cleansing makeup routine involving a soothing cleansing balm that will “melt” makeup off for less tugging at skin.
Additional sensitive skin makeup tips
Here are a few more tips for tending to sensitive skin as part of your makeup routine:
- Try makeup before you buy – if you happen upon a gentle, non-irritating makeup formula you think might work for you, purchase a trial size or ask for samples at your favorite cosmetics store so you can patch test just to be sure your skin loves it.
- Make sure your makeup application tools are clean; bacteria and mold that aggravate sensitive skin can grow in brushes and sponges, so make sure to clean them regularly (thank goodness you don’t have to wash them as often as you might think).
- Toss makeup when it expires, since old, rancid makeup can lead to irritation.
- If you need additional moisture throughout the day after you apply makeup, a face mist featuring light hydrators like hyaluronic acid can soothe skin in a pinch.
- One last tip: keep in mind that labels like “natural,” “clean” and “hypoallergenic” are marketing terms, nothing more. They aren’t a guarantee that a product won’t trigger a reaction in your skin. Instead, armed with the knowledge you have, you can be your own consumer advocate and check the label to make sure what you’re getting is friendly for your skin!
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References for this information:
- Contact Dermatitis, June 2021, pages 385-394
- Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, May 2022, pages 148-155
- Skin Research & Technology, January 2022, pages 187-199
- Molecules, July 2016, page 844
