Multitasking makeup is suddenly everywhere, and I, for one, am here for it. I find mixing makeup and skincare to be extremely annoying. If I layer on too many serums and creams under my makeup, I’m left with a bunch of pilling, and if I skip the skincare, my skin feels dry and tight, and I feel like I’m missing out on anti-aging benefits that help my skin look better in the long run.
When I first got wind of anti-aging makeup, my ears perked up immediately. Makeup that doubles as my anti-aging routine? Color me intrigued. I was a little suspicious, though, since we know that many makeup products with skincare benefits aren’t as potent. (Think tinted moisturizer with sunscreen—you’ll likely still need sunscreen underneath to be fully protected from the sun’s harmful rays.)
I’ll give you the bad news first: Anti-aging makeup won’t replace an anti-aging routine. “Using these ingredients in makeup products may have an additive benefit but won’t replace a typical skincare routine,” says Marisa Garshick, board-certified dermatologist. “For example, with some of these ingredients, the amount applied through makeup may either be too little to have any benefit or too much and may contribute to irritation. Additionally, the concentration of the specific ingredient may impact the degree of benefit it can have.” She notes sunscreen as something to look out for. While a makeup product with sunscreen may supply an extra boost of SPF, you should still apply sunscreen underneath for even more protection.
There are still benefits, however, to mixing anti-aging ingredients into your makeup routine. “It can be helpful, especially for those who prefer a simplified routine or are looking for a multitasking product,” says Garshick. Key ingredients to consider are sunscreen, retinol, antioxidants such as vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid.
Even if they don’t replace their skincare counterparts, you can consider them boosters or something to at least give you minimal protection and anti-aging benefits on a lazy day. It also depends on which products you pick. Certain makeup products touting anti-aging benefits are much better than others. Garshick gave me her recommendations, and I used her advice to find others that do tons of work for your skin.
Foundation is likely the most obvious way to give your face a dose of anti-aging ingredients since it goes all over. Garshick has tons of recommendations on this front, and many of them have an extra boost of SPF to give you more protection from the sun, hydrating ingredients, and antioxidants.
Chances are you don’t think as much about your lips when it comes to anti-aging as you do about the rest of your face. Lips, however, need just as much protection as the rest of your body. These lip products are blended with heavy-hitting ingredients like sunscreen, peptides, and hyaluronic acid.
Concealer is the perfect product to whip anti-aging ingredients into since it’s typically put in a targeted area. For concealers made for under-eyes, anti-aging ingredients that help mitigate dark circles, fine lines, and dullness are good to look out for.
Extend the benefits of anti-aging ingredients to your whole makeup routine with amped-up blushes, highlighters, and bronzers.