EVELYSS / Guides / Beauty

How to Stop Foundation Oxidising (Why It Turns Orange and What Fixes It)

“If your foundation matches in the bathroom and betrays you by the first coffee, it isn't your shade, it's your chemistry. Test it for an hour, not a minute, and you'll stop buying the same mistake twice.”Her take

What is foundation oxidising?

Oxidising is when foundation looks right as you apply it, then shifts darker, warmer or more orange as it sits on your skin, usually within 30 minutes to an hour. Some of the ingredients and pigments react with air, and they also mix with the oil your skin produces through the day.

It's more noticeable on oily skin, with long-wear and full-coverage formulas, and when foundation is layered over skincare that hasn't absorbed. It isn't a sign the product has gone off, though old, opened foundation can change colour too.

How to test if a foundation oxidises before you buy

Swatch two or three shades in stripes along your jawline, where face meets neck. Take a photo straight away in daylight, then leave the swatches for at least an hour while you go about your day. Take another photo in the same light and compare.

The shade that matches after an hour is your real shade, even if it looked slightly pale at first. If a foundation keeps darkening on you whatever the shade, it's that formula, and a different one will serve you better.

How to prep your skin so foundation stays true

Excess oil is the main thing you can control. Cleanse, then use a moisturiser suited to your skin type and give it several minutes to sink in. If you wear sunscreen, which you should in the daytime, let that settle too before foundation goes on.

On oily areas such as the forehead, nose and chin, a mattifying or oil-controlling primer creates a layer between your skin's oil and the foundation. Use only a thin layer, and only where you need it.

• Cleanse and pat dry.
• Moisturiser, then wait several minutes.
• Sunscreen, then wait again until it no longer feels wet.
• Mattifying primer on the T-zone only.
• Foundation in thin layers.

How to apply foundation to reduce oxidising

Apply less. Thin layers pressed in with a damp sponge or a dense brush oxidise less visibly than a thick coat. Start in the centre of the face and blend out, building a second thin layer only where you need coverage.

Set with a light dusting of translucent powder, focusing on the T-zone. It absorbs oil as the day goes on, which slows the colour change. During the day, blot with blotting papers rather than adding more powder or foundation.

What to do if your foundation has already oxidised

If you already own a foundation that turns orange, try a shade half or one lighter so it ends the day where you want it. You can also mix in a drop of a lighter or cooler-toned foundation, or a white mixing drop, to pull the shade back.

Check how long it's been open. Foundation has a small open-jar symbol on the pack with a number of months. Past that point, colour and texture can change, and it's time to replace it.

Questions people ask

The takeaway

Test on the jaw for an hour, let every skincare layer settle, prime only the oily areas, apply thin layers, set with translucent powder and blot through the day.

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