Congrats! You’ve finally found your perfect foundation. You love the coverage and the finish, and the colour is a dead-set match.bBut wait … You looked in the mirror an hour later, and suddenly the colour seems darker! Yep, it happens, and it means you’ve fallen victim to the dreaded foundation oxidation.
Today, I’m going to explain exactly what foundation oxidation is, how to stop foundations from oxidising, and round up some foundation that doesn’t oxidise. After reading this article, you’ll be confident that your foundation stays the same colour from the moment you put it on to the moment you take it off.
What Is Foundation Oxidation?
You know how avocados and apples turn brown soon after you’ve cut them? This colour change is the result of oxidation. If you want to get sciency about oxidisation, it occurs when a chemical (in the case of makeup, normally one of the ingredients in your foundation) reacts with another molecule and then the process of oxidation occurs. You’ll notice that your makeup looks perfectly matched to your complexion in the morning, but after a few hours, you see your foundation oxidising orange.
Once oxidation happens, there’s not a whole lot you can do to fix it; all you can do is learn how to prevent it. The important thing to remember about foundation oxidising is that it doesn’t always happen immediately. It can happen slowly throughout the day, giving you a surprise during your 4:00 p.m. mirror check.
Why Does Foundation Oxidise?
Now that you know *what* oxidation is when it comes to foundation, I’m sure you’re wondering now *why* it occurs. The primary culprit in makeup oxidation is the interaction between the foundation’s ingredients and the oils in your skin. This is why it’s not always immediately obvious that your foundation is going to oxidise when you apply it. It’s only going to happen as the day goes on and your natural oils start to break through. Additionally, foundations that aren’t stabilised with antioxidants may oxidise over time after you’ve opened the bottle. So about a year or so after you purchase your foundation, you may notice that the colour doesn’t look as good on you as it did when you first bought it. Hey, it’s a good excuse to treat yourself to some new makeup!
How to Stop Foundation Oxidising
Thankfully, there are a few tricks that’ll help stop foundation oxidising. First, be sure to always start the day with clean skin. A gentle cleanser suited to your skin type is perfect for this. Removing excess oil and debris from the surface of your skin can help stop foundation from oxidising.
If you have oily skin, a mattifying primer will work wonders at keeping your foundation the same colour all day. The primer does this by blocking the oil coming to the surface.
So now that you’re equipped with answers, let’s round up some foundation that doesn’t oxidise.
The Makeup Artist’s Secret Foundation That Doesn’t Oxidise
What it is: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk FoundationA liquid foundation inspired by the finest silks and trusted by makeup artists around the world for red carpet events. Armani’s Micro-fil technology micronises each pigment and ingredient before the final blending and milling. This process helps prevent oxidation and keeps your makeup looking flawless.
Why it’s so good: This completely weightless foundation gives you a flawless, lit-from-within complexion. Again, the special blending process helps ensure that each ingredient is perfectly coated and won’t oxidise on the skin.
