{"id":19486,"date":"2026-01-14T11:45:59","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T10:45:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/?post_type=encyclopedia&#038;p=19486"},"modified":"2026-01-14T11:45:59","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T10:45:59","slug":"removing-makeup","status":"publish","type":"encyclopedia","link":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/","title":{"rendered":"Removing makeup"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Removing makeup \u2013 the basis for healthy skin<\/h2>\n<p>Removing makeup is part of your daily skincare routine. Not only dirt and environmental particles, but also makeup from your face, eyes, and lips should be thoroughly removed in the evening. This is the only way your skin can regenerate overnight and look fresh and radiant in the morning.<\/p>\n<p>Since different skin types and areas have different requirements and makeup can be water- or oil-soluble, long-lasting, or even waterproof, choosing the right cleansing product is crucial.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Why daily makeup removal is so important<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Removes dirt, sebum, and makeup residue<\/li>\n<li>Prepares the skin for subsequent care<\/li>\n<li>Prevents clogged pores and skin irritation<\/li>\n<li>Supports the skin&#8217;s natural regeneration process<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Inadequate or inappropriate makeup removal can lead to irritation, blemishes, or premature skin aging.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Removing makeup from the face \u2013 according to skin type<\/h2>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3>Normal skin<\/h3>\n<p>Even normal skin should not be overstrained when removing makeup. It is relatively robust, but reacts sensitively to aggressive cleansing products.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Recommended products:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Cleansing milk \/ cleansing emulsion:<\/b> mild, well tolerated by the skin<\/li>\n<li><b>Cleansing foam:<\/b> pleasant when used wet<\/li>\n<li><b>Cleansing gel:<\/b> reliably clarifies<\/li>\n<li><b>Facial soap:<\/b> prefer mild, moisturizing varieties<\/li>\n<li><b>Cleansing wipes:<\/b> for quick care in between<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\ud83d\udca1 <i>Tip:<\/i> Micellar water alone is often not enough for heavy or long-lasting makeup \u2013 additional cleansing with facial toner may be necessary.<\/p>\n<p><b>Avoid:<\/b> alcohol-based products that can dry out the skin.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Oily skin<\/h3>\n<p>Oily skin needs thorough cleansing to remove excess sebum and oil-based residues.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Suitable methods:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Cleansing gel<\/b> with mild surfactants<\/li>\n<li><strong>Syndets \/ cleansing foam<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Products with mild exfoliating fruit acids<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Double cleansing<\/b> is particularly effective here:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>First remove makeup with an <b>oil-dissolving balm<\/b> that removes long-lasting or waterproof makeup<\/li>\n<li>Second cleanse with a <b>gel cleanser<\/b><\/li>\n<li>Optional toner to replenish lipids and regulate pH<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Dry skin<\/h3>\n<p>Dry skin should be cleansed with particularly mild, lipid-replenishing products so as not to disturb the natural moisture balance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Recommended products:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Cleansing cream:<\/b> gentle and nourishing<\/li>\n<li><b>Cleansing oil:<\/b> ideal for dissolving oil-based makeup<\/li>\n<li><b>Very mild soaps:<\/b> only if followed by a soothing toner<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\ud83c\udf3f Care oils such as <b>jojoba oil, almond oil, or olive oil<\/b> also strengthen the skin barrier.<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3>Sensitive skin<\/h3>\n<p>Sensitive skin needs particularly mild, non-irritating products with few ingredients.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dry, sensitive skin: Cleansing milk or oil specifically for sensitive skin<\/li>\n<li>Oily, sensitive skin: mild cleansing gel, balm, or foam<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Thermal water<\/b> or a moisturizing facial toner with soothing ingredients (e.g., bisabolol) is ideal for aftercare.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Remove makeup from the eye area \u2013 especially gently<\/h2>\n<p>The skin around the eyes is thin and sensitive. Special care is required here:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Remove eye makeup <b>before you<\/b> remove the rest of your face makeup<\/li>\n<li>Use specially designated <b>eye makeup removers<\/b> (lotion, cream, oil, or pads)<\/li>\n<li>Dab the remover onto a cotton pad, place it briefly on your closed eyelid, and gently wipe from the inside to the outside<\/li>\n<li>Then rinse with lukewarm water<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cotton swabs help to precisely remove kajal or eyeliner<\/li>\n<li>An oil-based product is most effective for waterproof mascara<\/li>\n<li>Wearers of soft contact lenses should remove them before removing makeup<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Removing lip makeup \u2013 gently and thoroughly<\/h2>\n<p>The skin on the lips is particularly thin and has no sebaceous glands, making it sensitive.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Here&#8217;s how to do it right:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Soak a cotton pad with skin care oil or eye makeup remover<\/li>\n<li>Gently wipe from the corners of the mouth to the center of the lips<\/li>\n<li>Do not rub \u2013 this protects the sensitive skin<\/li>\n<li>Small flakes of skin can be removed with your fingertips<\/li>\n<li>Then apply <b>lip balm or lip care<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Occasionally, a gentle <b>lip scrub<\/b> can help to smooth the lips.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Active ingredients in makeup removers \u2013 surfactants explained<\/h2>\n<p>Surfactants are cleansing molecules that dissolve dirt and makeup by emulsifying oily particles and making them washable.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Main types:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Anionic surfactants:<\/b> strong cleansing, but potentially irritating<\/li>\n<li><b>Cationic surfactants:<\/b> positively charged, often used in hair care, less mild<\/li>\n<li><b>Amphoteric surfactants:<\/b> milder, help to soften aggressive surfactants<\/li>\n<li><b>Nonionic surfactants:<\/b> neutral, particularly mild (e.g., <i>coco glucoside<\/i>, <i>decyl glucoside<\/i>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Mild surfactants are often derived from <b>plant-based raw materials<\/b> and are skin-friendly.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Ingredients you should avoid when removing makeup<\/h2>\n<p>High cleaning power does not always mean \u201cbetter.\u201d Some ingredients can disrupt the skin barrier and skin health:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Acrylates:<\/b> film formers, some of which are classified as microplastics<\/li>\n<li><b>PEGs:<\/b> emulsifiers that can increase skin permeability<\/li>\n<li><b>Sulfates \/ SLS:<\/b> strong cleansing power, can dry out the skin<\/li>\n<li><b>Polyquaternium:<\/b> suspected microplastics<\/li>\n<li><b>Paraffins \/ mineral oils:<\/b> can dry out the skin over time<\/li>\n<li><b>Silicones:<\/b> difficult to break down, can seal the skin<\/li>\n<li><b>Formaldehyde &amp; release agents:<\/b> allergenic, irritating<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u2192 <i>Clean Beauty Orientation recommends avoiding these groups of substances.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Summary \u2013 Systematic makeup removal<\/h2>\n<p>Makeup removal is more than \u201cjust cleansing.\u201d It is an important step to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>maintain a healthy skin barrier<\/li>\n<li>prevent skin impurities<\/li>\n<li>protect sensitive skin<\/li>\n<li>support anti-aging effects<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>With the right product for your skin type and makeup type, you can cleanse your skin gently, efficiently, and in a skin-friendly way.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Cosmacon is happy to <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/contact\/enquiry\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">advise you<\/a> on the selection and formulation of skin-friendly, effective cleansing products \u2013 with a few select ingredients and a clear skincare philosophy.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ms-outlook-mobile-reference-message skipProofing\" dir=\"ltr\"><strong>When products are needed quickly:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"ms-outlook-mobile-reference-message skipProofing\" dir=\"ltr\">\u2728 Our partner<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tojocosmetics.de\/en\/produkte\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Tojo Cosmetics<\/a> offers innovative, active ingredient-rich private label products \u2013 quickly available, high quality and perfect for brands that want to impress with passion and quality.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Removing makeup \u2013 the basis for healthy skin Removing makeup is part of your daily skincare routine. Not only dirt and environmental particles, but also makeup from your face, eyes, and lips should be thoroughly removed in the evening. This is the only way your skin can regenerate overnight and look fresh and radiant in&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19487,"template":"","class_list":["post-19486","encyclopedia","type-encyclopedia","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Makeup Removal \u2013 Gentle Cleansing for Healthy Skin<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how proper makeup removal supports skin health. Discover the best cleansing products for different skin types, eyes, and lips.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Makeup Removal \u2013 Gentle Cleansing for Healthy Skin\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn how proper makeup removal supports skin health. Discover the best cleansing products for different skin types, eyes, and lips.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cosmacon\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Reinigung.jpg.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"591\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"393\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/\",\"name\":\"Makeup Removal \u2013 Gentle Cleansing for Healthy Skin\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Reinigung.jpg.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-14T10:45:59+00:00\",\"description\":\"Learn how proper makeup removal supports skin health. Discover the best cleansing products for different skin types, eyes, and lips.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Reinigung.jpg.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Reinigung.jpg.webp\",\"width\":591,\"height\":393},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"glossary\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/glossary\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Removing makeup\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/\",\"name\":\"Cosmacon\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Makeup Removal \u2013 Gentle Cleansing for Healthy Skin","description":"Learn how proper makeup removal supports skin health. Discover the best cleansing products for different skin types, eyes, and lips.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Makeup Removal \u2013 Gentle Cleansing for Healthy Skin","og_description":"Learn how proper makeup removal supports skin health. Discover the best cleansing products for different skin types, eyes, and lips.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/","og_site_name":"Cosmacon","og_image":[{"width":591,"height":393,"url":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Reinigung.jpg.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/","url":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/","name":"Makeup Removal \u2013 Gentle Cleansing for Healthy Skin","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Reinigung.jpg.webp","datePublished":"2026-01-14T10:45:59+00:00","description":"Learn how proper makeup removal supports skin health. Discover the best cleansing products for different skin types, eyes, and lips.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Reinigung.jpg.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Reinigung.jpg.webp","width":591,"height":393},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/removing-makeup\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"glossary","item":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/glossary\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Removing makeup"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/","name":"Cosmacon","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/encyclopedia\/19486","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/encyclopedia"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/encyclopedia"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19486"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}