Asia Ciaravino in full costume and makeup as the Wicked Witch in The Playhouse-San Antonio production of “The Wizard of Oz.” (Courtesy photo)
Planning to go ghoul or Dia de los Muertos for Halloween? That means serious, industrial makeup and face paint. But after a few hours on Halloween covered in grease paint and fake blood, how do you remove it all without wrecking your skin even more?
To get rid of face paint, you always can use the classic Noxzema and Sea Breeze astringent combo, but that can leave sensitive skin red and irritated for days.
The perfect guide for this process if Asia Ciaravino, who plays the Wicked Witch in The Playhouse-San Antonio production of “The Wizard of Oz.” Night after night, she is coated in layer after layer of green makeup and glitter.
Ciaravino is blond and has very sensitive, freckled skin that gets irritated and dry easily. And and the show’s makeup designer Zack Smith, owner of Kaz Creations Special Effects Studios, and Ciaravino went through several products and routines to find the one that worked for her.
“Honestly, we tried like 10 different things, from Noxzema to expensive cleansers” before finding what works, she said. “Noxzema was horrible, and it leaves a really bad film on your skin and it doesn’t feel like it’s ever clean.”
(Emily Spicer/San Antonio Express-News)
She starts by prepping her skin before the makeup is applied with products that will act as a shield to keep the makeup from going down deep into her pores. Her daily moisturizer is Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF 30, and before the makeup goes on, she spritzes her face with Heritage Store Rosewater & Glycerin spray and then Urban Decay B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray.
To remove the makeup, she wipes with Acure Unscented Argan Oil Cleansing Towelettes, then really cleanses with Simple Foaming Cleanser. Then she spritzes more of the Rosewater & Glycerin to calm any irritation and refresh the skin and finishes with either Simple Ultra-Light Gel Moisturizer or Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief. “Sometimes I use both, depending on how scaly I am that day.
“The Clinique Moisture Surge is the best because it really absorbs into your skin,” Ciaravino said.
(Emily Spicer/San Antonio Express-News)
She also makes sure that she drinks tons of water throughout the week, and especially on show days. When she’s dehydrated, the makeup gets sucked into her pores more deeply, making it harder to remove and leaving her skin scaly dry.
“So much has to do with how hydrated you are, so I drink copious amounts of water,” she said.
Want to make a quick makeup change Halloween night? Smith recommends making your own super-duper wipes.
First, take out several cleansing towelettes from the cheapest pack you can buy and set them into a container with a lid. Add equal parts water and rubbing alcohol (start with a ¼ cup for a few wipes and maybe ¾ cup for the whole pack) and several drops of the essential oil of your choice. Close the lid and shake it up, and you have an industrial-strength makeup remover.
Note: if you have sensitive skin, use only if you have to and be sure to follow up with a moisturizer.
Readers, what are you dressing up as for Halloween? Email me photos of you in costume and I will share them here on my blog and maybe in my next column. Be sure to include your name and daytime contact number. Happy Halloween!
