MAKE-UP AS SKINCARE

Caring for your face shouldn’t stop once you put your slap on. We get under the skin of the next-generation multi-tasking formulas that nourish while they cover

Introducing the slap that nourishes while it covers

Picture the scene: you smash an egg-white omelette for breakfast, wash it down with a turmeric latte, then hit the gym for a 30-minute HIIT sesh – all before you get to work. Would you then sit at your desk and gorge on a bag of Wotsits, two Snickers bars and a can of Coke? Of course not. But all this putting-in-thehard-work-followed-by-a-quite-dramaticundoing is basically what’s happening with your skin. You meticulously cleanse, tone and moisturise, then smother it with make-up that – most likely – isn’t caring for your face. ‘In the past, foundation didn’t let skin function normally,’ says Debbie Thomas, celebrity skin and laser expert. ‘Skin needs to breathe, and old formulations suffocated it. Most foundations contained inflammatory and comedogenic ingredients, which caused congestion, blockages and blackheads. On the surface, skin looked healthy, but underneath it was suffering.’ However, before you swear off base make-up and go barefaced for good, know this: the number of beauty products that claim to care for your skin has rocketed in the past two years. Formulations are now lighter and less comedogenic than ever. In fact, half of foundation sales growth last year came from those with moisturising benefits, and a further 22% from oil-control foundations; products with anti-ageing promises were up 6.5% and Spf-enriched formulas were up 53%*. So the figures look pretty good. But is this simply a fad? Not if Jamie Kern Lima, founder of skin-loving make-up brand IT Cosmetics, has anything to do with it. She suffers from rosacea and hyperpigmentation, and found it hard to locate products that made her skin look more healthy. So she assembled a team of dermatologists and surgeons to create a skincare/make-up fusion range that today is worth around £960 million. ‘I wanted to provide formulations that start their life as skincare – with clinically tested ingredients like hydrolysed collagen, niacin, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, peptides and antioxidants – then infuse them with quality colour or coverage,’ says Kern Lima. And it’s not just the future of science-backed formulations that’s looking bright. Holistic lifestyle brand Dr Hauschka launched a colour line earlier this year that’s 100% natural and infused with skin-loving plant oils. ‘People are concerned about the chemicals found in traditional make-up getting into their systems through their skin,’ says Tara O’rourke, a master skin therapist for Dr Hauschka. ‘Research suggests that they are harmful for skin and general health, and consumers are starting to listen.’ Want your make-up to love your skin as much as you do? Read on for your personalised skin prescription.