Face Time: A Celebrity Makeup Artist’s Top 10 Tips for Women of Color With Eczema

If you have eczema, you know what a challenge it can be to find the right beauty products. And if you’re a woman of color with eczema, the hunt for makeup that comes in the perfect shade – and doesn’t irritate your skin – can be especially tricky. Now the good news: Neil Scibelli, a celebrity makeup artist, will steer you to products that meet both of those criteria and tell you how to use them. “For women of color with eczema, the most important things to do for your skin are to hydrate, calm, and soothe,” says Scibelli, who has worked with John Legend, Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child, and Elle MacPherson. But that’s not all you need to do. Here, the New York-based beauty expert shares his Top 10 tips.

“Start with a gentle cleanser that can be used morning and night and offers calming, hydrating, and soothing properties. For this, I love the entire CeraVe line. Each product contains three essential ceramides to help restore the skin’s natural protective barrier. CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser is my go-to for sensitive, dry, or eczema-prone skin, thanks to hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid as well as ceramides. It was developed with dermatologists to cleanse and refresh the skin without stripping it of moisture.”

“When it comes to daily moisturizing, I’m a longtime fan of First Aid Beauty's Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer. It contains colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, and meadowfoam seed oil, all of which are calming, soothing, and hydrating. This one can be used morning and night.”

“Certain makeup removers can irritate sensitive skin. One of my favorite makeup removers that also calms [the skin] is OLOS Biphasic Micellar Water. It’s an amazing cleanser/toner that gently removes makeup and impurities.”

“When it comes to makeup, I would suggest looking for a clean brand that offers skin care benefits. Tarte’s Maracuja Tinted Moisturizer is a great option for everyday wear, to even the skin tone [and] hydrate … with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, turmeric, and aloe.”

“I suggest incorporating a facial mask into your regimen up to two times a week. My absolute favorite for sensitive skin is the Kantic Brightening Moisture Mask from Alchimie-Forever, a line developed by a Swiss dermatologist. This mask soothes and calms the skin with ingredients like blueberries – blueberries contain antioxidants like resveratrol – as well as oats and vitamin E.”

“Great makeup starts with great skin prep. One way to reduce irritation during the makeup process is to make sure you’ve applied a quality moisturizer prior to makeup, to act as a barrier for the skin.”

“If your skin is dry, avoid using powders, which will only worsen the problem. Instead, go for cream products that contain hydrating and soothing ingredients.”

“Mineral oil can be clogging, so that is one I always tend to avoid in cosmetics. When it comes to eczema and sensitive skin specifically, I would avoid daytime retinoids or moisturizers with chemical exfoliants in them like glycolic acid, which can irritate sensitive skin … especially if you’re in the sun.”

“Since medium to deeper skin tones can be more prone to hyperpigmentation, sunscreen is really key to protect and prevent that."

“Keep your makeup brushes clean and toss any old sponges or products like mascara that may be contaminated.”