It is Halloween season, the favorite time of year for many people. Along with munching on candy, binge watching horror movies, and getting a Blood Facial to get into the scary spirit, dressing up in costumes is one of the staple traditions of this holiday. The use of Halloween makeup can be a great way to amplify your costume and make it stand out! Applying Halloween makeup is an art, and there are countless articles and videos available that can help you get your Halloween look to the next level – however, taking care of your skin during Halloween is just as important, and starts before you even open the new pack of face paints.

Year after year, many people apply Halloween makeup on their night out only to wake up November 1 with dried out skin, acne breakouts, allergic reactions, or other side effects that can be scarier than the actual costume they wore. To help prevent this situation from happening to you, here are 5 tips that can help you with applying your Halloween makeup:

Tip #1: Get creative with your costume

Halloween is a time of high creativity, as people come up with all kinds of extravagant ideas for costumes. Figuring out how to implement your intended costume is a whole extra skill on its own, too. Once you’ve settled on a look, don’t forget to experiment with ways to implement your costume, and consider alternative ways you can achieve your imagined look that can limit the use of full-faced Halloween makeup.

For instance, if you plan on wearing a costume more than once this season, or will be wearing it for an entire day, perhaps masks, hats, and accessories can obtain your same look without needing to wear as much heavy paints and makeup as you initially planned for a full day.

Some other examples include:

• Wearing fancy shades instead of adding and removing makeup around the eyes, which has thinner, more delicate skin compared to the rest of the face
• Adding Halloween makeup to only a small portion of your face or around the outside edges of your face, which can amplify the effect of certain looks
• Using a different shade of your regular routinely used makeup instead of applying brand new face paint you’ve never tried out before
• Sometimes less is more. Maybe adding bright neon lipstick or just drawing a small design can create a noticeable contrast without the need to paint the whole face
• Adding adhesives and scarring effects to an external masquerade mask rather than needing to apply them directly on the skin can limit the risk of having an allergic reaction to the ingredients, and is also not aggressive on the epidermis. It also allows you to freely add and remove the look to your face at will

There is no limit to how creative you can get with your design. You might even come up with a brand new idea altogether once you start to think outside of the box a little bit!

Tip #2: Do not reuse old makeup

While it may be tempting to re-use makeup and paints left over from the year before, it is good practice to resist the urge and TOSS IT OUT. For your skin’s safety, you will want to be sure that the products you are using are new, fresh, and uncontaminated. Used makeup that has been closed for a long period of time and stored in an overtly warm or cold location can serve as a breeding ground for all kinds of various germs and bacteria – which you definitely do not want to add to your face! These seasonal products usually come with an expiration date for this very reason, and disregarding these labels just to save a couple of dollars is not worth the risk.

Additionally, older products tend to work less efficiently than new ones. The ingredients may harden over time and become clunkier, while others can get separated and dry out. When this happens, this usually requires you to add on even more makeup than you would have used otherwise, which can not only increase the risk of an unfavorable reaction, but can negatively impact the look of your costume as well. The last thing you want to do is compromise the look of your skin and your costume with old products.

Tip #3: Thoroughly research products before purchase

Part of the preparation process should be not only researching what designs you want, but also researching exactly what products you’re going to be applying to your skin. When selecting what products you use, this is not the time to skimp out on the pricing. You will frequently see tons of low-priced paints and makeup by the registers at different stores, but these are often leftover products from years before that were stored and placed back on the shelves this year. Additionally, the ingredients in these products are often not FDA approved or contain metal impurities. These are not items you will want to leave on for long periods of time, if at all.

You will want to check the ingredients of prospective items carefully to ensure you aren’t allergic to anything contained within. If you sweat a lot, you may have heard that oil-based paint works better so that you don’t sweat off your makeup – which is fine, but some of these can contain waxes and oils that can clog pores and lead to breakouts. Be sure that the products are noncomedogenic to prevent clogged pores. If possible, be sure to check reviews for the products you are considering to get a sense of what you can expect before purchasing them. Some items may have minor side effects that you will want to be prepared for, such as drying out skin or requiring an additional item for removal. It is best to know this information ahead of time so that you can make the appropriate preparations required.

Tip #4: Plan out your removal routine ahead of time

Many people spend a lot of time carefully crafting their Halloween makeup and taking the time to ensure that everything looks just right – only to rush through the removal process and not take the time to take address their skin afterwards. A well planned Halloween makeup routine continues even after you’ve removed all the paint and fake blood from your face, and the removal process of your makeup requires just as much consideration as applying them. Some products may require additional items for removal in order to ensure that you aren’t abrasively rubbing away at your face in order to get all the paint and makeup off. While makeup remover can work for most products, it doesn’t work with everything. Oil-based products for instance will require other methods for removal. Certain products may dry out your face, which should be followed up with moisturizer. Toner and cleanser are also recommended to be included in your aftercare routine.

And finally, do be sure that at the end of your festivities, you wash your makeup off COMPLETELY and that you do not sleep with any on. This tip may seem like a common sense one that most people already know – however, the number of celebrators who still do this is surprisingly high. Halloween makeup can be a bit stubborn to remove, and after a long night when you are tired and worn out, the last thing you may want to do is spend time removing every last bit.

But it needs to be done. It is *very* important to make sure that you remove it all thoroughly, and take the time to properly maintain your face afterwards. If you are purchasing new moisturizers or toners, be sure to read the directions and get comfortable with them ahead of time before the big evening. Having your removal items lined up, easily accessible, and ready to go before you head out can limit the amount of time you spend looking for things, and makes the removal process more efficient.

Tip #5: Stay hydrated!

One of the perks of the Halloween season is the abundance of all kinds of sugary snacks and various seasonal beverages that make their appearance only at this time of the year. It can be a joy for many people to indulge in these sugary goodies before they disappear for another year – but overindulging in these can mean bad news for your skin.

When sugar enters the bloodstream, the sugar depletes the water from the rest of your cells, which can lead to dehydration. In addition, both sugar and alcohol can cause diuretic effects as the body attempts to remove these products from the body, which can contribute to dehydration even more.

Dehydrated skin appears dry, itchy, and can have an uneven skin tone/complexion that can last all day and leave you looking tired and weary. Fine lines and wrinkles that you may have never noticed otherwise become exaggerated, and can become visible all of a sudden. Overconsumption of sugary snacks and beverages can also cause water retention, which results in swollen eyelids and dark circles under the eyes. In addition, dehydration can also cause other bodily side effects such as headaches, muscle cramps, and a lack of energy.

The good news is that combatting dehydration is very simple. First, setting limits on the amount of sugary snacks and beverages you consume is a great start. Keeping limits on your sugar intake is beneficial not only for your skin, but for your body overall. Even though there is a wide availability of candy everywhere, and hearing drinks with all kinds of spooky names can get your taste buds excited, don’t forget to keep an eye on your consumption of these items and know when to stop. Drinking plenty of water is another great habit to follow as well. Drinking adequate amounts of water consistently not only ensures that your body and skin are well hydrated, but the water can also help you feel fuller. This can assist you with limiting your candy consumption, and controlling the dehydrating effects of alcoholic beverages.

As mentioned in Tip #3, also be sure to keep your face hydrated by regular use of a moisturizer as well. This is especially important during this time of the year as the weather begins to cool down, which can contribute to the drying out of skin even faster.