Do the skincare ingredients in your makeup actually do anything?

We can all agree that an extravagant amount of new makeup launches every year (we’re not complaining, though). The innovation in aspects like texture, packaging, and ingredients makes navigating through new releases all the more exciting. Amongst the many ways that makeup is marketed today, one trend stands out: the inclusion of ingredients typically found in skincare are now added to makeup.

You’ll find cream blushes with hydrating hyaluronic acid, mascaras with lash-strengthening castor oil, and foundations with anti-aging vitamin C—all promising to actually be “good for your skin.” But is this ingredient-led marketing speak just that—marketing? We spoke to industry experts to find out whether you should look for skincare in your cosmetics.

Why do brands include skincare in makeup?

While cosmetic manufacturers are tasked with making sure the ingredients in products are safe for your skin, the newest trend from companies is including ingredients that they claim actively benefit for your skin.

“Skincare-infused makeup started gaining prominence in 2017 with products like the IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF 50+ that provided the functionality and performance of high-quality makeup and addressed skincare concerns,” says Lipika Hegde, a product developer and cosmetic chemist. “This was definitely a game changer, as makeup was traditionally presumed to do more harm than good. With the popularity of skincare ingredients, thanks to brands like The Ordinary, makeup brands began to pivot into hybrid products.”

As we see an industry shift toward a less-is-more approach to beauty, skincare-infused makeup moves even further to center stage, promising to do more for you with the one product.

Does the concentration of skincare matter?

Just because makeup has skincare ingredients in it, doesn’t mean they’re necessarily effective at bringing the claimed results to your skin. Here’s why: “Each ingredient has its clinical level or ‘sweet spot’ at which it is mostly likely to help enhance skin and show results,” says Hegde. This means that, if an ineffective percentage of an ingredient is included in makeup, it is likely not making any difference, positive or negative, to your skin.

Dr. Madhuri Agarwal, a Mumbai-based dermatologist and the founder and medical director of Yavana Aesthetics Clinic, is not convinced that skincare in makeup is worthwhile: “In makeup, it is not possible to have the desired concentrations or formulation that would be effective for skincare at the same time function as a good makeup product.”

Agarwal says some active ingredients, like ceramides that moisturize and protect the skin barrier, may work fine in a makeup formulation, but others may have no effect or may even irritate the skin. “Ingredients like AHAs and BHAs need a low pH that may not go along with the makeup formulation,” Agarwal explains. “Niacinamide needs a higher concentration and doing so in makeup can lead to reactions. Vitamin C and retinol are extremely unstable and difficult to formulate with makeup.”

Do the skincare ingredients absorb into the skin?

According to Dr. Dennis Gross, celebrity dermatologist and founder of his eponymous skincare line, the delivery of said ingredients is a cause for concern. “Makeup doesn’t penetrate skin, so the skin ingredients in these formulations don’t actually reach the epidermis or dermis where they would be effective. [...] Instead, they sit on top of your skin,” Gross says.

Gross also echoes Agarwal’s sentiment that an effective amount of a skincare ingredient would likely not make for a great makeup product: “The concentration is not anywhere near what you would find in a clinical skincare product. This is because there are limitations to what is possible with a formula when you start using higher concentrations of active ingredients. I would be intrigued to see clinical testing that supports a makeup product that improves dark spots or firmness.”

Is there any benefit to skincare-infused makeup?

Simply put, you won’t see remarkably better skin if you use a blush with hydrating properties, but these ingredients can help the product perform better. “The benefit is that they allow makeup to be easy to use, skin-friendly, and ensure it doesn’t block pores,” Agarwal says.

Celebrity makeup artist Elaina Badro is pro using products with skincare ingredients, as long as they’re tailored to the person’s skin type. “For instance, using a hydrating foundation would not be a good fit if your skin is already super oily” she says. Plus, Badro is a fan of makeup-skincare hybrid products, such as a tinted moisturizer, and she cites the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Oil Free Natural Skin Perfector as an example of one she enjoys using.

If you decide to pick up a makeup item that contains skincare ingredients, a word of caution: "Avoid using the same ingredients, especially in high concentrations, in both your skincare and makeup products, as too much of the active [ingredient] can lead to problems like irritated skin,” Agarwal says.

The verdict: A makeup item claiming to provide more than the obvious benefit of color or coverage may intrigue you, but your decision to purchase a product or not should come down to how well it performs the function you need it to. It doesn't matter if a concealer claims to get rid of dark spots if it doesn't actually conceal those dark spots. Opt for makeup products that make you look and feel your best, and let the skincare heroes do their job.

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