COME CLEAN

HOLIDAYS ARE HERE AND IT’S TIME TO GIVE YOUR FACE A WELL-EARNED BREAK

When it comes to beauty, everyone has their own routine, and often there’s no right or wrong way to do things.

But one thing nobody disputes is the importance of always removing make-up ... no excuses!

It’s a crucial part of your skincare schedule as excess make-up can clog pores and cause breakouts, as well as contributing to more serious skin problems (plus it stains your pillowcase — so annoying).

Long-time friends Lizzy Pike and Rebecca Williamson had a light-bulb moment one day when Rebecca confessed to regularly skipping make-up removal before bedtime because the process was so tedious.

Lizzy’s 15-year background in microfibres steered the conversation toward finding a solution, and led to the development of Face Halo. The handy product is engineered to lift and trap impurities while providing a gentle exfoliation.

“It’s important to remove make-up as at the same time it removes oils and impurities from the skin that if left on can build up over time causing breakouts or even premature ageing,” Lizzy says. Face Halo is quite unique on the market and at $10 each and with more than 200 uses for each one it’s extremely cost efficient, but even if you’re not looking to invest you should still be removing your make-up nightly.

There are plenty of wipes, washes and cleansers on the market, choose which is best for you depending on your skin type and sensitivity.

If hydration is your issue, try applying a cleansing oil in gentle sweeps with a flat, square cotton pad.

Mascara and liner are the hardest to get off and may need a specialist remover if you don’t want to wake up with raccoon eyes. To avoid rubbing that can damage your lashes, soak a pad with remover and press down softly for a few seconds.

Heard of the baby wipes hack? It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

These wipes may be designed for sensitive baby skin, but they won’t get the job done on tougher-to-budge make-up.

As much as we love make-up, if there’s any time you can give your face a break from it, it’s important to let your skin breathe and do its own, uninterrupted thing for a while.

Just warn your friends and family beforehand so you don’t give them a scare.