Makeup trend and social media craze, “baking” has been around for years now and doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. In case you aren’t familiar, baking is a makeup application technique for setting under eye concealer and all-over face foundation. The process entails letting a face powder (typically a translucent powder) sit on skin for 5 to 10 minutes after application to allow heat from your face to set your foundation and concealer. While this beloved technique used religiously by renowned makeup artists produces flawless results, what’s underneath the makeup is just as important, if not more – healthy, hydrated skin.
Many of us love using makeup as a form of expression or as a quick fix to hide imperfections, like those blemishes that pop up at the worst possible time. But makeup shouldn’t be used as a mask. Instead, it should highlight the features that make each of us unique and more importantly, show off our beautiful, healthy-looking skin. In fact, keeping skin healthy helps you achieve a more even-looking makeup application with baking or any other technique. But how do we keep skin looking and feeling healthy? It all comes down to consistency and the ingredients and products we select to use in our skincare routine.
Build Your Skincare Routine + Stick To it
Similar to keeping our body healthy, achieving healthy-looking skin requires consistent effort. Select a skincare routine that specifically targets your skin concern. That could be anything from the visible signs of aging, acne, skin discoloration or sensitive skin, to name a few. A typical multi-step routine consists of a cleanser, a toner, an AM moisture with SPF and a PM moisturizer. When selecting a skincare routine, look for products that are clinically tested to work together and are formulated with efficacious ingredients proven to deliver visible results. Looking to target visible signs of aging? Choose a product featuring Retinol or Retinoids, considered the gold standard in anti-aging skincare to target fine lines and wrinkles. Brighter-looking skin? Look for a serum or moisturizer that features Vitamin C. If you’re in your 20s or early 30s, you may be wanting to take a preventative skincare approach. In that case, look out for products rich in Antioxidants to protect skin from environmental aggressors, like blue light and pollution.
Must Haves for Any Skincare Routine
Regardless of skin concern, there are two key steps that should be in every skincare routine no matter what – SPF and hydration. Protecting skin from the harmful sun rays is an essential step in keeping skin looking healthy and youthful. Apply SPF every day, regardless of the weather because every day is a “sun day”. We are also bombarded by light, directly and indirectly, from the sun and our devices, making skin protection more important than ever. Try a double-duty SPF like RECHARGE Protect + Blur Broad Spectrum SPF 30. It’s a 2-in-1 primer and sunscreen virtually disappears into skin to defend and perfect, leaving skin with a visibly poreless matte finish.
Baking’s #1 Necessity: Skin + Under-Eye Hydration
Hydrated skin not only looks younger, it acts younger. Hydration helps to keep skin looking supple, brighter and more firm. It also helps boost the efficacy of products layered on top, helping you achieve even better visible results. If skin is not hydrated before applying concealer or foundation, it’s impossible to achieve a smooth, flawless finish. With the baking technique that adds in layers of powder, which is drying by nature, creases and dry patches are even more highlighted.
So, it’s important to take steps to boost skin hydration around the clock to help achieve that flawless, creasless look. In the morning, apply a hydrating facial serum, like Active Hydration Serum, formulated with Hyaluronic Acid and Glycerin, after your cleanser and toner. After applying your serum, layer a moisturizer on top to give your skin that extra boost to stay hydrated throughout the day.
Keep the Under-Eye Area Hydrated
When it comes to the delicate area around the eyes, keeping skin hydrated helps combat dark circles, puffiness, dullness and the visible signs of aging. Applying concealer over dry areas of the skin often further highlight creases or fine lines and wrinkles. Adding in powder from the baking process to that and you could be left with a flaky, dry, dull look.
Apply a hydrating eye cream morning and night to keep the under-eye area moisturized. Eye creams help plump up the under-eye area, helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Look for an eye cream with hydrating ingredients like Glycerin, like Active Hydration Bright Eye Complex. This brightening gel eye cream targets signs of stress and fatigue by illuminating and soothing the thin, fragile skin around the eyes. We recommend waiting a few minutes after applying eye cream to start layering makeup to allow for better absorption.
It’s important to use an eye cream during in both your morning and night routines. At night, use the same eye cream as in your AM routine or choose one that targets your skin concern. If you are hoping to address skin firmness, sagging, fine lines and wrinkles, or crow’s feet, try an anti-aging eye cream, like REDEFINE Multi-Function Eye Cream. This eye cream is formulated with Grape Extract to minimize the appearance of fine line and wrinkles, Daisy Flower Extract to nourish and brighten the eye area, and Vitamin C + F to help strengthen skin’s barrier and visibly firm.
Adding in products to keep your face and under-eye area hydrated around the clock will help you prep your skin for any makeup application, including baking.
Keep It Consistent
As with any routine, consistency is critical in order to achieve the visible results we crave. In this case, healthy-looking skin that is primed and prepped for makeup application. Make sure to use your skincare routine every morning and night. Also, it’s important to always remove your makeup before going to bed. We all have those exhausted nights when we just want to hit the pillow, but take those extra few minutes to remove your makeup and complete your routine – your skin will thank you in the morning.
