How To Stop Cream Shadows and Gel Liners from Drying Out
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Do you love the look and feel of gel/cream products, but hate how they always seem to dry up and get streaky and cakey after awhile?
Well, instead of avoiding or throwing them out or avoiding them altogether, here are a simple tricks I use to restore them, but more importantly, keep them fresh longer.
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1. ALWAYS screw your jars on as tight as they will go, and then store your pots away from as much heat, light and air as possible.
I organize my eye makeup in Smiggle tins, pop the lid on, and then store them away from the light. This keeps them fresh for much longer than if you left them out on the counter day in and day out.
“But Candice - I need to use them every day, and the constant opening and closing exposes them to air!” you say. Or else your product is like a MAC Cream Color Base and doesn’t come in an airtight container. What then?
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Well, here’s the BIGGER tip.
2. Add back the lost emollients/moisture.
If you’re able, get yourself a small bottle of silicone* oil or even dimethicone from any cosmetic wholesaler (I get mine from Coastalscents.com). Silicone oil is thicker, like honey, and dimethicone is thinner and more runny. I personally prefer silicone oil because it’s a longer-lasting and less slippery protectant but either would work.
Alternatives:
*If you have allergies or sensitivities to silicone, glycerin will work the same way, but it’s not my preferred product to use simply because it is biodegradable and can end up breeding bacteria after a few weeks of exposure.
I would recommend 100% jojoba oil if you don’t want silicone OR glycerin. It’s more expensive, but as long as you use a very little amount, it will work pretty well. Jojoba is actually a plant wax, so it has a MUCH longer shelf life than glycerin, while being more gentle and natural than silicone.
What I do is decant it into a small eye dropper bottle (below) so I can add controlled amounts (drop by drop) to my makeup. Applying too much won’t spoil your makeup. You’d just need to give it a few hours for the excess silicone to dry out before using the product.
The way I protect my paints, creams and liners:
1. Every once in awhile, I will pull out my cream products and then add 1-2 drops of silicone oil to the surface. (If it’s a large exposed surface, I will use about 2 drops. For gel liner, 1 will do.)
2. Then using a clean finger, I gently spread the silicone oil all over the surface, and then screw the lids back on tight.
Tip: Gel liners don’t tend to dry out as fast if you store them properly and only use a single spot (as opposed to digging into the entire surface). The top surface is usually sealed and protected until you break it and expose the insides to air.
3. To refresh and protect gel liners, apply a bit of silicone just to the “broken” areas of the surface. Then leave it to sink in for at least a few hours** or overnight before using.
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**The reason I let them sit for awhile is because the silicone acts like a solvent. When just applied, the product will go on very slippery and sheer. Only after the silicone has sunk in or evaporated a little will the product return to its original consistency.
One More Tip: If you are in a hurry and need to use a product instantly, then don’t add the silicone directly into your makeup. Dip the very tip of your brush into a little silicone, dab any excess off on the back of your hand, and that tiny amount on the brush should be enough to soften and reactivate your product.
