Choosing the best makeup foundation for yourself can be challenging ~ even for skincare experts! Especially when you look at all of the zillions of different brands, formulas and types!
Everything from powder, liquid, stick, crème, and even air-brushed in a spray-on bottle! Adding to the mix are the many different skin condition formulas: dry, aging, oily, combination, sensitive and normal. And of course, there is the coverage factor to consider: sheer, light, medium, full, and even camouflage! It is enough to make you say yikes!
With so many choices – how can you choose wisely and healthy? Believe it or not, just a little bit of research is all you need to reveal the perfect foundation for your skin.
First – You need to determine your skin condition. For the very best skin condition analysis, I recommend a consultation with an Esthetician near you. The Esthetician will look at your skin under a “loop” which is a lighted magnifying glass to see your skin up close and personal. Also sometimes a “Woods Lamp” is used showing the skin surface via a black light and magnifying glass.
In the meantime, while waiting for your appointment with your Esthetician, here is a quick- although less scientific method, to determine your skin’s condition:
Tonight after your evening beauty regime of cleansing, and treating your skin, as you are getting ready for your nightly ‘beauty sleep’ – place three clean tissues on your nightstand. 
First thing the next morning before getting out of bed, take the tissues, one at a time, and gently rub one across your forehead, one across your nose and cheeks, and the last one across your chin. Remove the tissues and review them.
- Normal skin Tissue will show little to no oil on it. Skin does not feel tight or flaky.
- Dry Skin: Tissue will show no oil on it, but skin feels dry and taut after tissue removal.
- Oil Skin: Tissue shows oily areas and skin’s surface could still remain oily to the touch.
- Combo Skin: Some tissues reflect oily areas such as forehead and nose areas, while cheeks/chin feel dry/tight.
- Sensitive Skin: Skin feels irritated and possibly looks red and/or blotchy after removing tissue.
Secondly – Decide which type of foundation you like. Is it crème, liquid, powder, stick, mineral, etc.? Next decide what coverage you prefer. These are truly a matter of personal preference – based on what you like, and what feels best on your skin.
Thirdly – But without a doubt - the most important step is to check the label for ingredients! For the healthiest foundation, make sure that your foundation choice is free of:
- Parabens
- Mineral Oil
- Petrolatum
- Phthalates
- Sodium lauryl sulfate
- Synthetic dyes
- Synthetic Fragrance
- Not Tested on Animals
- And is Dermatologist and clinically tested
As for SPF (Sun Protection Factor) – The best place to have SPF is on your face – either in your foundation, or topically applied after your skincare regime, if you are sans makeup. In order to work, a SPF cannot be IN your skincare products – as skincare products are meant to go into the skin! SPF doesn’t do any good – inside your skin – to work SPF needs to be up, front, and center, shielding and protecting the skin!
And Lastly, if your skin could use a little extra age-defying ingredients, look for foundation formulas with multi-mineral complex of Magnesium, Zinc, Copper, and Lysine as well as vitamins like A and E that protect the skin against free radical damage while moisturizing and protecting the skin.
Surround yourself with beauty ~ healthy beauty!
Susie Galvez