The Care And Keeping Of Hotline Skin
Hello and welcome to the third issue of Hotline Skin!
As you may have seen me share on Instagram, I started esthetician school this week and I should be getting my license in early 2022. Yahoo!
As part of the requirements for esthetician licensing in New York State, you are required to take two modules (approx. 84 hours) of makeup theory and practice, which are the modules I’m currently taking. While the training is by no means as comprehensive as cosmetology training, my mind is already completely blown. By the end of the first day, I was texting my friends, “why don’t they teach this in school?" Throughout the first day I had a running joke with myself (the best kind) that they didn't cover this in The Care and Keeping of You. For the uninitiated, The Care and Keeping of You is a book from American Girl aimed for ages 8-10 about puberty and all of the things you don’t want to ask your parents about. It is how my peers and I learned about training bras and deodorant. They have since published a sequel for 10-12 year olds that covers periods, tampons, peer pressure, body image and other horrors of being alive.
But where?! Is?! The Makeup?! Tutorial?! JK. But really, beyond basic makeup, there is so much skincare advice that I didn’t learn until my twenties. I asked some friends what they wish they knew and the responses were illuminating. From sunscreen to foundation, there are just so many fundamental concepts about skincare and beauty that most people are never taught.
So today I’m going to focus on a few key things that I think everyone should know from the get go.
Don’t wash your face in the shower: Haha! I know. You’re already screaming. Caroline Hirons even says to “stand with your back to the shower and your chin raised – like the shower has greatly offended you.” The steam in your shower can be great to open your pores and prepare your skin for a better wash post-shower, but unless you are taking a super quick shower (we all have those mornings) or shower in cold water, try your best to wash your face after the shower with lukewarm water. The water you shower in is way, way too hot for your face and will dehydrate your skin, which disrupts your skin barrier. Which, btw,
What the heck is your skin barrier, why is everyone saying we have to protect and repair it and what does it have to do with St. Ives Apricot Scrub?: Without getting too deep into science, your skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin. It is also commonly referred to as your moisture barrier. It acts as a barrier between your skin and environmental stressors like sun and wind and enables your skin to retain moisture and stay hydrated. If you want dewy, soft, plump skin, you want a hydrated, intact skin barrier. A damaged skin barrier will be dry, red, flaky, tight or itchy. It might sting when you apply products. It will eat up your makeup. It could be damaged all over, or concentrated on a particular area. There are multiple ways to damage your skin barrier, a main culprit being over-exfoliation, especially the use of physical scrubs (so yes, we all ruined our skin barrier at some point with St. Ives, welcome to the support group). Exfoliating can do a lot of good: remove dead skin cells, stimulate the skin, produce the ever-elusive “glow,” but over-exfoliating does more harm than good. Not everyone needs to exfoliate every day. Sometimes not even every week. Also, wearing a mask is also greatly irritating to your skin barrier, so everyone is probably experiencing a little bit of barrier damage right now. Make sure you are cleansing with a creamy, non-foaming cleanser, cutting back on actives, moisturizing and drinking water.
Buy a humidifier immediately. Add moisture to the air around you! Every esthetician I know recommends getting a humidifier. I have this one from Canopy, which I have found very easy to clean, but any will do. If you are fancy, go Dyson.
Keep at least one of these products on hand:
Hydrating, reparative cleansers:
Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser (for really sensitive skin)
Actual sun sense: I wish I had known the importance of wearing sunscreen earlier. They should have taught it during D.A.R.E. Dare to resist sun damage. Dare to prevent premature aging. Dare to prevent skin cancer. All of those things would have stuck with me. All I remember about D.A.R.E. is that I didn’t win the essay contest and my sister did her year. A comprehensive spf issue is coming soon. But a few key points:
Don’t mix your SPF with anything, it will dilute and destabilize it. However, you can layer spf products on top of one another for added protection.
SPF 30+ for daily use.
SPF is the last step in your skincare routine, before makeup. After moisturizer and before a primer, if you’re using one.
The reason why it is generally said that moisturizers/foundation/makeup with spf aren’t sufficient is not because they aren’t effective, but because you are rarely applying enough of the product. If you are applying as much foundation as is necessary for adequate sun protection, then go for it, but you will also probably look...not good. Also the same reason that powders and mists aren’t going to provide enough protection. Once again, you can layer multiple spf products on top of one another for added protection.
You can find a lot of different guidelines about how much sunscreen you need to apply because the actual recommendation is 2 milligrams per square centimeter of skin, which is laughably unhelpful and why there are varying recommendations about how much that equates to. The approximate amount is ¼ teaspoon sunscreen on your face or approx 2 finger lengths. Another ¼ teaspoon for your neck. Actually measure it out one time just to see what that looks like. (There are measurement guidelines for other body parts, just Google!)
If you are going to be outside, yes you need to reapply every 2 hours. If you are indoors (like most of us are these days), once a day is enough if you aren’t sitting directly in front of the window. But if there is sunlight coming through your windows, you can still be exposed to UV rays.
Sebaceous filaments: I believe that Biore pore strips are to blame for why no one learns about sebaceous filaments. If you have been unsuccessfully trying to extract the blackheads from your nose and cheeks since your teens, it is very possible that your blackheads aren’t blackheads at all, but actually sebaceous filaments. Are they more greyish/yellow than black? I have sebaceous filaments all over my nose. Everyone has sebaceous filaments, but not everyone’s are visible. Sebaceous filaments are actually vital to properly functioning skin as they line the walls of your pores and help direct oil flow. However, for the unlucky among us, they can become visible as your pores fill up with oil and...they always come back. You can extract and clear them up, but they will always fill up again, usually in around 30 days. Regular exfoliation and clay masks can help. I personally really like this method from skincare blogger Fiddy Snails. You’ll need a liquid BHA exfoliant, a clay mask and a cleansing oil. Here are my recs for each, but you can use what you have at home:
BHA: Cosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid (the one and only, truly best in class imo)
Mask: Caudalie, Origins
Cleansing Oil: One Love Organics, Tatcha
Why is my skincare/makeup pilling?: Pilling happens. It can happen because of your skincare products, your makeup, the state of your skin or a combination of all three. It can happen on just the left side of your face or maybe on your jawline or possibly after 30 minutes when you thought you were in the clear. We’ve all been there. Pilling happens when products are not absorbed and you are just layering them on top of each other. If it isn’t absorbing and instead sitting on top of your skin (like a heavy moisturizer or makeup), it is going to pile up and pill. It can also happen when you are using products with incompatible ingredients.
While I do think that the only sure way to figure out what is causing your pilling is to do some experimentation (we’re all home, you might as well!), here are some tips:
Layer properly: When applying skincare products, thinner and water-based first, then oil-based products. Pat in, don’t rub, which will literally just move the product around. The less you touch your face, the less likely it will pill. Use less product or opt for a lightweight moisturizer if you are going to be wearing makeup. I let my sunscreen absorb for a bit before I apply any makeup. Some sunscreens are better applied in layers or you can use more than one on top of the other to prevent pilling. Just remember to never mix them with another product. If using a primer, that goes after spf.
Apply makeup properly: Lightly, lightly, lightly! Apply products with a light hand and don’t rub. Use a brush or a sponge to very gently press makeup into the skin when spot concealing or going over an area that needs denser coverage. Make sure all cream products are applied before powder products. The further back on the handle you are holding your brush, the less pressure you are going to apply and the lighter the application will be. A soft, fluffy brush is going to apply softer, gentler, more airbrushed looking makeup. Dense brushes will lead to heavier application. And make sure you are washing them. The very first thing I learned in school is that skin care is the most important part of makeup prep. The state of your skin is going to impact how your makeup looks and how long it lasts.
Exfoliate enough: Another potential cause of pilling is lack of exfoliation (this still doesn’t mean you need to exfoliate a lot!) If you have a build up of dead skin cells on the surface of your skin, your products are going to adhere to them and not absorb properly and pill. I know, I’m giving a lot of confusing information about exfoliating- a dedicated exfoliating issue is coming!
Ingredients: This is where it starts to get complicated. Experimentation & a little detective work will help. Anything that feels silky, smooth (like a primer or foundation) feels that way because of silicone. Silicone sits on top of the skin and provides that nice finished base. If a product does contain silicone, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is in a large concentration, but many products like moisturizers, sunscreens and foundations contain silicone, even if they aren’t marketed as “silicone-based.” If you apply too many products with silicone on top of each other, they are going to pile up and pill. Apply thinner layers or use products with less amount of silicone.
Oil and water don’t like each other. You know this from chemistry! Applying oil-based makeup over water-based products can result in pilling. Talc, mica and other ingredients found in makeup (often powders and primers) can also cause pilling when overused. Make sure you are applying powder products last.
A product marketed as “based” in one ingredient does not always mean it is “free of” another—it just may be in smaller concentrations. Some products contain combinations of water, silicone and oil-based ingredients. You can generally tell if something is water-based if the first ingredient is water, but it can still have silicone or emollient ingredients in smaller concentrations (instead of traditional oils). Look for labels like “water-free,” “oil-free,” or “silicone-free”. To identify silicone, look for ingredients that end in -cone. Dimethicone is a common one. Paula's Choice has a helpful ingredient dictionary.
Again, the best non-pilling combination for you will depend on your skin type, skin condition and the other products you are using. But considering this is Gee Thanks, Just Bought It! Here are some recommendations if you realize you need to swap something out.
Lightweight moisturizers for under makeup:
Tatcha The Water Cream (Oil-free, has silicone)
Embryollise Lait Creme Concentrate (a makeup artist favorite, but I prefer to use for nighttime looks, without sunscreen)
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream (comes in mini size)
Avene Aqua Gel (more gel consistency that others)
Youth to the People Superfood Airwhip Cream (Water-based, silicone free, has sunflower seed oil & vitamin C)
Farmacy Honey Drop (Water-based, silicone free, very very lightweight, may not be enough hydration for some)
Lightweight sunscreen to apply under makeup:
Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen and Glow Screen are both oil-free and marketed as spf primers. I have found that using too much Glow Screen pills on my face, so my current go-to combo is applying a smaller amount on top of the Superscreen Moisturizer (which for the record, is the only spf moisturizer I have found I can apply an actual sunscreen amount of without feeling heavy/looking greasy).
Tatcha Silken Pore Perfecting Sunscreen (water-based)
Fenty Hydra Vizor (I haven’t tried, but formulated to wear under makeup and I trust Rihanna)
Tinted SPF options to layer on top (or use the correct amount of spf alone):
Saie Slip Tint (light coverage, silicone-free, mineral spf)
ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint (oil-free, silicone-free, sheer, mineral spf)
IT Cosmetics CC Cream (cream full coverage, water-based, has silicone)
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer (light coverage, water-based, has silicone, available in mini-size)
Primers:
Tatcha The Silk Canvas Liquid or Balm (oil-free, has silicone)
Laura Mercier Pure Canvas - Hydrating (water-based) LM has many primers with different effects for different skin types, including silicone-free
Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer (silicone-free)
Now, I’ve had 14 hours of formal training, so I’ve just barely scratched the surface of the makeup world, but just imagine your 16 year old self in the aisles of CVS.
The crease of your eye is above the eyelid, not the fold of the lid: My jaw dropped when my teacher said this, as did many of my classmates. She said that this is one of the most common misconceptions in makeup because we equate seeing creasing of product on the lid to that area being the crease. Ever follow a makeup tutorial where you’re told to take the product up to the crease? Those convenient eyeshadow palettes that have a crease color? Yeah, you are probably not doing the right thing either. Don’t worry, I only started doing so on Monday. The shape of your eye and thus, how to best apply product, is largely determined by your orbital bone. You can have more than one eye shape and your eyes can have different shapes. I now know that I have close-set, deep-set, almond-roundish eyes. Who knew?!
Foundation should match your neck: Again, jaw drop. Your foundation is meant to create a base on your face that matches your neck. Looking at your neck will also make it easier to determine your undertones. While a part of me thinks everyone should experience the trauma of Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse, we’re all adults now and deserve the right to know better. When you are swatching foundation, stripe on the jawline and bring it down into the neck. The color that disappears is the correct one. If you are having trouble determining your undertones (I’m with you, I finally started to understand it this week), it is helpful to look at a few different foundations in your intensity range (which can be fair, light, medium or deep). Does the color look too pink? That means it is too cool. Too orange/yellow? Too warm. A color that is too light will have a chalky/ghostly appearance and a color that is too dark will look dirty/artificial (like a bad fake tan/likely what you achieved using Dream Matte Mousse). Your perfect match may also vary from brand to brand.
I hope I’ve radically rocked your world in some way. Pay it forward by helping out a teen you know and love (and also by literally forwarding this to an adult friend and encouraging them to subscribe).
Xoxo,
Jolie
Irina Shayk’s Morning Routine: I have no comments except that this is iconic, I need a 24k gold lip mask and if Mimi Luzon’s PR person is reading this, please get in touch.
Saving my hands from hell: I recently shared my discovery that putting a litttttle bit of pure hyaluronic acid serum on the back of my hands at night before moisturizer will bless you with a new set of hands come sunrise. I save my fancy stuff for my face and use this on my hands.
Pat McGrath Labs Lip Fetish Sheer Color Balm in Wild Cherry: The most hydrating, buildable lip color I’ve ever tried. Swipe once for a wash of color, a few times for a more vibrant hue or layer under another lipstick.
Vlada’s Mitty Pout Reusable Lip Cleanser: Related to the above, one of the most annoying things about wearing lipstick is taking it off. I’ve become obsessed with this brilliantly shaped mitt that takes off lipstick in 2 seconds without smudging it all over your face, has detailing corners so you can really get every part of your lip and provides the gentlest exfoliation. If you wear lipstick, you should have this.