Ever get those annoying tiny balls of product build-up when you try to apply your makeup? It's called pilling and here within this blog, we discuss the most common causes and exactly how to prevent them.

Do You Suffer From Makeup Pilling?

It's annoying but makeup pilling can happen to the best of us, even the most experienced makeup artists. It appears like tiny little balls on the surface of the skin that only gets worse the more that you try and blend. It has a similar appearance to an old, well-loved, and well-worn knitted jumper which has formed tiny wool bobbles over many years of wear. Luckily, unlike your jumper, product pilling is very easy to prevent and fix!

So it's first thing early in the morning; you've applied your whole skincare routine which you have slowly perfected to your skin type. You've thoroughly cleansed your face, applied your vitamin c serum, then moisturizer, and finally layered on your sunscreen generously. You begin to move onto your makeup and apply some of your favourite blurring primer and buff in a little lightweight foundation with your foundation brush where you feel that you need it but then suddenly those troublesome little bobbles seem to be emerging on your face for no apparent reason... so, what did you do wrong?

What Are The Bobbles?

The small balls you see on your complexion are exactly what 'makeup pilling' or 'skincare pilling' is. It is tiny layers of product coming away from the skin and can happen for a number of reasons.

What Can Cause It?

There are a number of reasons why makeup pilling occurs but some reasons are a lot more common than others. After reading, you may know straight away from the list below which one is your cause. In order to prevent makeup pilling, you must get to the root of the problem in order to fix it.

• Applying products in the wrong order - This may be an obvious one but equally very important. Pilling would usually become apparent in your skin care routine prior to any makeup being applied here. The general rule for skin care is to apply products from thinnest to thickest (however, product textures such as facial oil and occlusive ingredients may differ). So: cleanse, antioxidant, mist, treatment serum, moisturiser, and sunscreen would usually be the correct skincare layering routine.

• Not exfoliating regularly - Not exfoliating your skin regularly or enough will cause dead skin cells to build up on your complexion. Not only will this cause irregular skin texture, uneven skin tone, flakiness, and dullness but it will also cause your skincare to not absorb properly and prevents them from working to their full potential (not what you want and a waste of your hard-earned money)!

• Not cleansing properly or regularly enough - Maybe an obvious one for some however, not cleansing your skin twice a day - morning and evening - allows a film of dead skin cells, oil, debris, grime (the list is endless...) to build up on your skin. The oily film may repel any skincare products or makeup products that are applied over the top causing pilling.

• Not allowing your products enough time to absorb (or applying too much) - You should allow your products enough time to absorb on their own, they shouldn't take any longer than around 30-60 seconds otherwise, your skin can get overloaded. If you find that after a few minutes the product is still sitting on top of your skin then you may have applied either too much product or you are layering too many products in a single routine. If your skin is overloaded with product then it is bound to pill when it comes to makeup over the top as well.

• Products not being compatible with one another - This usually happens when silicone-based products and water-based products are applied together; they repel each other like magnets immediately if they touch!

If you are not sure whether your formula contains silicone then take a look at the ingredient list - anything with 'cone' at the end of it high up on the ingredients list will likely be silicone or silicone derivative. The typical culprits for silicone-based products are usually primers that claim to be smoothing, blurring, or pore minimising.

How Do I Stop It From Happening?

The solution: Now that you are well equipped with the right information in order to tackle makeup pilling head-on, here are some important takeaways:

• Ensure that you are applying products in the right order - When it comes to consistency, thinnest to thickest is a good rule to follow. Although there are a few products that break the rule usually, a typical daytime routine would go like this: cleanse, antioxidant, mist, serum of choice, moisturiser, and a generous helping of sunscreen.

• Remember to reguarly exfoliate - This can vary from person to person and whether you have any sensitivities or skin concerns such as Rosacea. Typically, exfoliating a couple of times a week is perfect for the average person.

• Cleanse daily or thoroughly - Daily cleansing, twice a day, is imperative. A splash of water isn't enough! Failure to do so will result in a film of oil, bacteria, and dirt forming on your complexion. Not only will it cause breakouts but it will also cause the dreaded pilling.

• Allow your product(s) time to absorb between layers - Applying too many layers and/or applying too quickly is a recipe for makeup pilling. Light, thin layers with chance to absorb is best.

• Keep to solely water-based or silicone-based products - If you find that your products are pilling after applying your primer, then it is probably heavy in silicones.

So previously, what did I do wrong that morning?

The foundation was likely to be hydrating and water-based whereas the blurring primer likely contains silicones so they immediately repelled one another.

Hopefully, we have answered your questions and prevent pilling, making it a thing of the past for you.

Still struggling? If you need some further help regarding applying makeup, makeup tips and tricks, or anything else remotely similar then feel free to ask us! All the products featured above are available to purchase at Dermacare Direct with free tracked delivery via Royal Mail. We can help with our expert advice and top tips making your makeup shopping stress-free. You can contact us by live chat, email via [email protected], or pick up the phone now and call us on phone number 0116 251 4848 to speak directly with a friendly advisor.