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These 9 tricks for removing caked-on Halloween makeup are so easy, it's scary
Washing up doesn't need to be spooky — nix a ghoulish face with gentle, safe products from Garnier, Pond's, Burt's Bees and more.
It's the end of the night on Oct. 31. The tricks have been treated, you've had all the Hallows' Eve fun. After a long day, you're ready to crash. But there's just one problem: Your face (or your kid's face) is slathered in scary-clown makeup. You know no one should go to bed looking like a ghoul, but you also know a washcloth and bar soap are no match for this cleansing task. Looking for the best ways to remove Halloween makeup? Read on.
Best for glues/adhesives
Vaseline Pure Petroleum Jelly Original
Best for fake lashes
Viva Naturals Organic Coconut Oil
Best for surface glitter
Scotch-Brite Lint Roller
The product you'll use all year
Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm
The old standby
Pond's Cold Cream
The fan favorite
Albolene Moisturizing Cleanser
Best for waterproof makeup
Garnier SkinActive Micellar Water For Waterproof Makeup
The original
Bioderma Micellar Water Sensitive Skin
The all-natural pick
Burt's Bees Micellar Cleansing Water
Step 1: Remove glitter and/or adhesives
OK, so you really went for it this year — fake lashes, rock-star glitter, glued-on jewels, faux wounds, the works. Whatever your embellishments, you'll want to be careful taking them off to avoid damaging your skin and, potentially, leaving long-term marks. The key here is to go slow and be gentle — no ripping or tugging. As it is in so much of life, when removing Halloween makeup, patience is a virtue.
An oil-based product like classic Vaseline is ideal for loosening adhesives and removing lingering glue from brows and cheeks. Just dab it around the stuck-on area, let it sit for a minute or two and gently — gently — peel it all off. No-duh advice: Avoid getting it in your (or your loved one's) eyes.
From cooking to body care, coconut oil's uses are seemingly endless, and this all-natural emollient can aid in removing lash glue too. Apply it with a cotton swab for the most precise results (and to avoid it leaking directly into your eyes). Feel free to use coconut oil in place of Vaseline, if that's what you happen to have on hand.
Follow any Reddit thread on the "best way to get rid of glitter" and you'll come away thinking tape is the only way to remove this spreadable makeup beast. But the same tape that works well on gift wrap can actually — little surprise — irritate your face. Before you tackle the glues and makeup underneath, carefully roll a clean lint roller over the sparkly area. Repeat until the roller's surface comes up clean.
Step 2: Wash face with a cleansing balm
Don't let the fancy "balm" in the name fool you. What you need here is simple: a moisturizing cleaner that will tenderly lift all the greasy, cheap makeup pigments without you having to rub your face raw. Any of the following high-quality products will work — and fast.
This ultra-nourishing salve is a favorite of professional makeup artists who often need to remove serious face paint without damaging their (often high-profile) clients' skin. It's filled to the brim with soothing ingredients like chamomile and lavender and as the (many!) TikTok videos attest, it really works. Bonus: The high quality of this 3-in-1 cleanser will make you want to use it year-round.
Your grandmother's drugstore skin-care secret is a spookily effective Halloween makeup remover. Just slather on an ample amount (it should look like a mask on top of whatever you already have on) and use a soft, damp cloth to gently wipe it off. Rinse and repeat until your goblin face looks like a normal face.
Listen, people love this makeup remover. It has more than 20,000 Amazon reviews, most of which are some version of: "Best makeup remover ever!"
Step 3: The final wash
You know how when you were a kid and your mom managed to get most of your Halloween makeup off, you still somehow walked around with raccoon eyes for a week no matter how much you washed your face? Or how you'd find weird red-devil residue on your earlobe while sitting in class on Nov. 3? Well, I'm here to tell you two things: 1. Face cleaners have advanced since 1986 and 2. Micellar water is the answer to your lingering Halloween-makeup woes.
Micellar water is not a scammy way to make you pay more for water, but actually a combination of water plus skin-moisturizing ingredients like glycerin and something called "surfactants" that are like magnets for dirt. Micellar water is super lightweight and mild enough to use on any kind of skin; you apply it with a cotton ball or pad, which makes it perfect for removing makeup from hard-to-reach places like ear crevices and the corners of your eyes. After you've finished, swipe one last round across the entire face with a clean cotton ball for a bonus post-Halloween glow.
Garnier offers several versions of its popular (30,000-plus five-star reviews!) micellar water, but this "waterproof makeup" option is best for removing Halloween debris.
You can't really talk about micellar water without talking about Bioderma, "the original inventor of micellar technology," according to the brand. Can 44,000 five-star reviews (including "Quite literally a FREAKING GODSEND!") be wrong? I suspect not!
I like Burt's Bees products. Maybe you do too. This version of micellar water is dermatologist- and ophthalmologist-tested, contains lotus flower and coconut and is 99.5% natural and formulated without parabens, phthalates, petrolatum or SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, a surfactant).
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The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
