If you’re a Halloween enthusiast, you’ve likely already started planning your costume (or costumes!) for the holiday. There are so many fun, creative looks you can achieve just through makeup, but sometimes Halloween makeup can irritate the skin and cause breakouts. To find out how to prevent breakouts and keep your skin clear post-Halloween, we spoke to Kat Sketch, a special effects makeup artist based in Houston, Texas, and Dr. Dhaval G. Bhanusali, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City.  

How Halloween Makeup Can Affect Skin 

Party store makeup is often pretty inexpensive, which is great when you’re only using it once in a blue moon. However, the cheap formulations can also be heavier than normal makeup and more likely to clog your pores, according to Dr. Bhanusali. 

The next time you’re shopping for or wearing Halloween makeup, keep these tips in mind.

 

• Check the ingredients list. “Some ingredients I tend to avoid or be careful with are perfumes, fragrances, talc and some preservatives like formaldehyde,” says Sketch. 
• Make sure you’re using eye-safe glitter, rather than craft glitter. Eye-safe glitter is more finely milled — chunky pieces of glitter can scratch your pupils.
• Check the expiration date of the makeup. “Since Halloween is once a year, some companies keep putting out leftover makeup on their shelves they didn’t sell the year before without looking at expiration dates,” says Sketch.
• Protect your skin’s barrier by prepping it with a gentle moisturizer before applying makeup. We like the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream. 
• “Remove the Hallowen makeup as soon as your fun activities are over with,” Sketch says. You may need to double-cleanse or use a toner, such as the Thayers Natural Remedies Rose Petal Facial Toner, to wipe away all the excess product. 

Safe Alternatives to Halloween Makeup

If you’re worried about Halloween makeup making you break out, Sketch recommends using colorful multi-use beauty products formulated for everyday wear instead, “like cream eyeshadow sticks, eyeshadows and cream paints.” The NYX Professional Makeup Jumbo Eye Pencils are only $4.50 and come in a variety of vivid hues, and the NYX Professional Makeup SFX Face and Body Paint Palette is perfect for high-drama looks. 

Photo: Chaunte Vaughn

Read More: 

The Best Cleansers to Remove Stubborn Halloween Makeup

Post-Halloween Skincare Survival Guide

A 5-Step Skincare Routine for Sensitive Skin