Hay fever season is in full swing, and it can be a pain for people who suffer from it.
As well as causing sneezing, coughing, and an itchy throat, hay fever can cause your eyes to water and your skin to dry out, leading to streaming mascara and rubbed off foundation.
Aruj Javid, who is a Group Pharmacist at LOOKFANTASTIC, has shared top makeup tips and tricks for long-lasting makeup during hay fever season.
Take a look:
Calm your base with anti-inflammatory skincare ingredients
Prepping and cleaning your skin before you put makeup on is key no matter the season. But when it comes to hay fever, which can cause blotchy and inflamed skin, it’s so important to calm it down before you put anything on top of it.
Choose a skin-care routine packed with anti-inflammatory skincare ingredients such as witch hazel, chamomile, aloe vera, vitamin C, vitamin D, turmeric or CBD and incorporate them into a three-step cleanse, tone and moisturise routine during hay fever season.
Cleanse your skin with a nourishing ceramide cleanser, then use an alcohol-free toner with witch hazel to clarify, soothe and exfoliate the skin.
Aloe vera is also present in many toners and is a great ingredient to combat dehydrated skin caused by antihistamine medication and hay fever symptoms. It will create a protective barrier to seal in moisture in the skin.
Then apply a fragrance-free moisturiser with soothing properties such as chamomile, an anti-inflammatory herb that will block prostaglandin (which causes inflammation) whilst hydrating and softening the skin.
Adding this moisture before makeup will reduce how dry it gets when those pesky symptoms have you rubbing your nose all day.
Beat the stream and use eye dropsÂ
Using over the counter pharmacy antihistamine eye drops, with 2% w/v sodium cromoglicate, will help reduce the release of histamine; thereby reducing inflammation that can cause an eye reaction, red eye symptoms and a mascara stream.
Apply these drops to hydrate your eyes before makeup and make sure to wait 15 minutes after application before wearing any contact lenses.
Use a waterproof mascaraÂ
There is nothing worse than rubbing your eyes from irritation caused by high pollen count and being left with smudgy raccoon eyes.
Opt for a waterproof fragrance-free mascara to help prevent this smudging, such as the Yves Saint Laurent Luxurious Mascara for False Lash Effect in Waterproof.
It’s also important to check that the formula of your mascara is hypoallergenic; formulated with fewer allergens and chemicals which cause less irritation.
Or, you can even ditch the mascara all together and add individual false lashes to the outer corners of your eyes to create the lift and drama of mascara without ever having to apply it.
Opt for hypoallergenic foundations and concealersÂ
Hay fever can really make your skin flare up with blotches and itches.
Choosing fragrance-free and hypoallergenic foundations and concealers will help create a more radiant complexion. They are full of antioxidant ingredients that will improve your skin texture and help minimise hay-fever reactions.
Using a non-comedogenic formula is an added bonus that will prevent breakouts and flare ups.
Invest in a good CC cream
Excessive sneezing and watery eyes can have you touching your face a lot in hay fever season.
If you prefer to wear less foundation, choose a green-toned CC (colour corrector) cream for a quick fresh-looking and balanced complexion. The creams are professionally developed to reduce redness as well as adding brightness to the natural tone of your skin.
We love the La Roche-Posay Rosaliac CC Cream, which you can buy for €19.45 here.
Do a dramatic lipÂ
Distract attention away from any redness in the eyes caused by high pollen with a sophisticated bold lip.
Use a long-wear formulation that will keep your lips perfected all day long.
Handbag musts: Vaseline and Facial Mist
To help with any itching or irritation caused from hay fever, carry a facial mist spray to help calm and soothe the skin.
A facial mist is much better than applying powders in the warm weather, and for hay fever sufferers it is a great way to freshen and hydrate your skin and prevent makeup from sliding off.
We love using the Dermalogica’s Hyaluronic Cermaide Mist to give our skin a boost of hydration throughout the day. You can buy it for €55 here.
Another great thing to carry is Vaseline. It’s been a saviour for many hay fever sufferers and is even recommended by the NHS to help alleviate symptoms.
Applying a layer inside your nostrils as high as you can, will create a barrier for trapping pollen and keeping it at bay. Applying this around the nostrils throughout the day will also prevent dryness and hydrate the skin, preventing it from getting crusty.
The small pot can easily fit into your handbag and can be applied after each tissue use.
