How To Tell If A Makeup Product Is Waterproof

What Makes Makeup Waterproof? A Pharmacist Weighs In

Nov 18, 2020

Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
Re-create

Our Beauty P.I. serial is where Makeup.com editor Alanna delves into the history and behind-the-scenes science of various makeup products — where they originated and how they've evolved. Next upwards on the list is waterproof makeup.

Nosotros've heard information technology before and we'll hear information technology again: If you're a beauty lover who has difficulty maintaining a full beat for hours due to sweat or physical action, waterproof makeup is fabricated for you. These anti-H2o formulas do an splendid chore of keeping your mascara in place and making sure your foundation doesn't slip. Nosotros tapped L'Oréal Associate Master Chemist Roselin Rosario to find out exactly how they work. Hither'south what she had to say.

Waterproof Makeup Is Formulated Differently

Co-ordinate to Rosario, waterproof and regular makeup formulas are very different, merely they may comprise some of the same ingredients, depending on what the product is. "Waterproof formulas are especially formulated to resist and stay put when exposed to water — so they contain adhesive materials that make the product stick to the peel," she says, calculation that the only thing that tin remove them are oil-based removers.

What Ingredients Make Makeup Waterproof?

Every bit far as the actual ingredients that assistance impart waterproof properties, fill formers are the golden ticket. "A moving-picture show quondam is typically a large molecule that, when spread, forms a film that covers the substance'south surface continuously," says Rosario. "There are many adhesive film formers that give waterproof properties, and most are silicone- or acrylate-based polymers." Additionally, these film formers are carefully called to create the germination of lightweight and breathable films, in order to ensure a comfortable wear on the peel. "Other water-soluble ingredients are besides used to reinforce the system and give even stronger h2o resistance."

How Waterproof Makeup Is Tested

Before a waterproof product leaves the lab, every formula is thoroughly tested to make sure that it volition actually withstand h2o. According to Rosario, the water resistance of a formula is outset tested in vitro by applying the product onto a fabric that resembles the intended area of application (like a faux eyelash), and water is and so practical to see if the product gets removed. "Formulas that do not pass the in vitro tests are either abased or reformulated," she notes. "And then the formulas are tested on humans to bank check their performance and ensure that they are indeed waterproof." That's right, every product from the L'Oréal Paris Air Volume Mega Mascara Waterproof t o the Maybelline New York Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick goes through a round of IRL testing on people earlier it hits the marketplace.

Why Waterproof Makeup Is Beneficial

"Waterproof makeup can aid the overall look last longer, especially when in that location is more than humidity or sweat due to high temperatures," says Rosario. Information technology can last through outdoor sports or physical activities all twelvemonth round — and for that, information technology'southward an MVP in our collections.

Photography and Makeup past Fine art Director: Melissa San Vicente-Landestoy