Nothing can deflate a great day of clowning like struggling to remove your clown makeup. But the truth is clown makeup isn’t actually that difficult to remove once you understand the process and have the right remover. So whether you’re a member of our alley, a guest clown with us for the day, or just a stranger passing through with a face full of greasepaint that sadly must be removed, here is the secret to removing your makeup easily.
Supplies
First, you’re going to need a proper makeup remover. Fortunately there are a lot of options and you may even have one of these around the house:
- Professional Makeup Remover (Mehron or Ben Nye)
- J&J Baby Shampoo
- J&J Baby Oil
- Ponds Cold Cream
- Coconut Oil
- Just about Any Kind of Oil*
* Make sure it’s something safe to use on your face.
Personally, cold cream works the best on my skin, but your milage may vary. Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Shampoo is popular with many clowns because it won’t irritate your eyes, but for me it’s a little harsh on my skin so I use cold cream.
Next you’ll want a soft washcloth you won’t mind getting stained. You may also want some makeup remover wipes, although, I usually prefer baby wipes. Paper towels may also work, but they may be rough on your face.
Finally, you’ll want a gentle facial cleanser.
Makeup Removal
Prep
It’s a good idea to prep a few things before you get to work and can’t open your eyes because of the state your makeup is in during the removal. Pull out a couple of wipes and have them ready to go. Then wet your washcloth with warm water. You don’t want it dripping with water, but you will want it damp. Place everything where you’ll be able to grab it with your eyes closed.
Step 1 – Liquify the Makeup
Take a small amount of your makeup remover of choice and rub it in to your makeup. Spread the remover all over your face massaging it in until all your makeup is completely wet to the touch. If you run out of remover and feel rough or dry patches of makeup under your fingers, get some more remover and continue rubbing it into your makeup. Be careful around your eyes as not all makeup removers are eye-friendly.
Your goal at this point is to have ALL of your makeup completely wet. You should not be scrubbing. Just gently massage the remover in until your makeup is wet. When you’re first getting the hang of this you may wish to work on patches of your face at a time.
Allow the remover to soak in for a bit as you do this so it can soak through the entire layer of makeup on your face to liquify it. Heavier applications of makeup may require more time for the remover to get down to your pores.
Step 2 – Wipe It Off
Take your wet washcloth and gently wipe your makeup off. You may also wish to use a baby wipe or makeup remover wipe for this. Some clowns also use towels or paper towels for this. Use whatever you prefer, but we recommend using something gentle on your face.
It is that simple. You shouldn’t need to rub or scrub. If you completely re-liquefied your makeup, it should wipe right off.
Sometimes a small amount of makeup may still be left on the face after this. A baby wipe or makeup remover wipe should easily wipe any lingering bits off.
Trying to get makeup out of your ears? I put a baby-wipe over my hand, and then I grab my ear through the wipe and run my fingertips through every crease to wipe all the wet makeup off.
Finish up by washing your face with a gentle facial cleanser. That should get any last bits of oil off. That’s really all there is to it. My skin feels like it’s 25 again after the whole process.
Now, I know not all skin types are the same and not everyone uses the same brand of makeup, and I’m sure these are things that will play into the effectiveness of this. But I think the principle of the technique should work for just about anyone. So figure out what works best to re-liquify the makeup on your face without irritating your skin, and then wipe it all off.