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By Sophie Joaman • August 2, 2022 • 7 mins read
When you apply your foundation, you want it to look dewy and flawless all day. So when it starts to flake and dry patches become more noticeable, it is understandably, quite frustrating.
Especially when you put the time into your makeup… The last thing you want is for your makeup to just end up looking cakey, dehydrated and even lacklustre.
Luckily, you can say a not-so-fond farewell to the dried-out foundation once you know why it is happening and the steps to take to fix it.
Stopping your foundation from looking dry is pretty much 90% about skincare and prep and the other 10% about the products you are using based on your skin type.
If your skin is naturally dry in texture and you’re not giving yourself a proper skincare routine, then you’re likely to have problems with dry, cakey foundation.
Likewise choosing a matte foundation when you have dry skin for example can contribute to this problem. A drying formula is not going to benefit you in any way, it is instead going to cling to your dry skin and enhance the texture of your skin.
With the know-how on how to banish the dry, the dull and the flaky though, your foundation can start to look better than ever before. Want to know how? Great, we’ve got everything you need to know.
One of the top reasons why your foundation is looking dry is because your skin is dry or dehydrated. If you are not putting in the time to give yourself the skincare TLC you deserve, then you are ultimately just exacerbating the issue.
With dry skin that has not been through a skincare routine, you are literally masking the problem and are simply placing foundation on top of flaky skin. Skincare + prep = flawless foundation.
Observing a skincare routine and prepping your skin is going to leave your skin feeling in a much better state, make you feel better about your makeup and give the makeup a much smoother base to sit on. Which of course, will help it go the distance and stop it from drying out.
Another reason people have dried out foundation is down to the products that they use. Choosing foundations that are meant for oily skin, such as those with a matte finish, is only going to make your dry skin look more dried out than it is.
Knowing which textures and finishes you should be buying instead can stop dried foundation from becoming a problem and save you money in the long run.
Now you know the why it’s time to learn about the how. How do you hydrate your foundation? How do you ensure that your skin is hydrated enough for your foundation to sit well?
How do you keep it hydrated throughout the day? By following a step-by-step process when prepping your skin and applying product, you can get the best results out of your foundation and ultimately, that dewy finish that you want.
This is without a doubt one of the most important, if not the most important thing in makeup application. Making sure that the surface of your skin is free from impurities and dead skin build-up, is the no.1 way to ensure that your foundation will look better on your skin.
Not getting rid of impurities means that they just end up sitting underneath your foundation, which in turn enhances dry skin and patches.
It can even cause skin problems later down the road- So always make sure that your skin’s surface is clean, can breathe underneath the foundation and stays nicely hydrated.
The very first step of your skincare routine is to make sure you give your face a good cleanse with warm water and a cleanser to get rid of that dead skin.
If you need a double to cleanse, apply a little more product and wash your face again. You can then exfoliate your face to get rid of any old makeup and dead skin that has built up, which will leave your skin feeling much fresher.
Once you’ve dried your face thoroughly, you can then begin to prep your face with daily moisturiser. A good moisturiser can help to keep your skin looking and feeling smoother and hydrated for much longer, especially when you put your foundation on.
Apply a few dabs of a hydrating moisturiser to your face and massage it well to the skin so that it fully absorbs.
If you find that your skin is dry or that your foundation is looking dry, a good skincare routine as well as using a primer to prep your base is going to be key here.
A primer is going to act as a second skin, which will give your foundation a good base to work with. This, in turn, will keep all that good hydration locked on the skin’s surface and stop it from drying out.
With this in mind, Use a hydrating primer and apply it evenly to your entire face, creating that smooth, silky base for your foundation to glide on.
You also want to allow the product to seep into the skin for a few moments before moving on to your foundation as this is guaranteed to get you the best results.
Once your skin is prep and primed, it is time to apply your foundation. Here is where the product you are using for your skin type becomes important. Looking at your foundation bottle, does it promise a dewy or a matte texture? Is it hydrating? Nourishing for the skin?
These are just some of the questions to ask yourself when you buy your next foundation because the outcome will determine whether your foundation will become dried out or not.
If you choose a matte finish, this will likely cling to any dry patches and show off the flaky bits of skin that you really don’t want on display.
Matte textures are more for people with oily or combination skin, so if dryness and dehydration are a problem- go for a hydrating ‘dewy’ formula.
At this point of your makeup routine, take your foundation and add a few pumps to your face. Using your beauty blender or brush you then want to buff and blend the product into the skin, making sure that your face is evenly covered.
One of the reasons that you don’t want to go in with too much product, to begin with, is because you may end up with an unnecessary build-up of foundation on your face that then becomes cakey and draws attention to those dry areas.
Starting off with a little product and then adding in any more if you see fit/ want fuller coverage, is the best way to apply your foundation.
Of course, one step after applying your foundation/at the end of your makeup routine that you likely don’t want to be missing out on is setting spray. Setting spray helps to keep your makeup in place and hydrated for much longer.
It also helps to banish dryness within the foundation. You’ll look much more refreshed and hydrated throughout the day, which ultimately is your main goal here.
To use your setting spray for flawless results, spritz enough onto your face and allow the product to work its magic. Once it is set in place, your foundation will stay put and will look much more glowy.
Foundation becomes dry and can even look powdery due to a few factors. For one thing, if your skin is naturally dry and you are not prepping it before you apply foundation you are only going to exaggerate any flaky and dried-out areas.
It could also be that perhaps you’re using a foundation with a formula that is unsuitable for your skin type. Whatever the reason, dry foundation can be completely avoided with some skin TLC and the right products for your skin.
Once you’ve mastered the tips and tricks, your foundation will stay looking gorgeous, refreshed and healthy. Give these tips a go and be on your way to glowing skin in no time.
