These little papers are extremely practical and have a couple of surprising uses. I recommend them to everyone with oily or combination skin!
Facial blotting tissues used to puzzle me for a long time, I thought they were like tissue papers to mop up oily skin. Actually these are very thin squares of highly-absorbent paper, often coated with the lightest dusting of a mattifying powder. They absorb the oil from the skin and deposit the powder on it. The powder makes the skin look matte and continues to absorb the skin oils. So the great thing abot the blotting papers is that they
pick up the facial oils, unlike just piling more powder on top.
The most obvious use for the oil-control blotting papers is to mattify oily skin on the go. The take up very little space in your purse and you don't even need a mirror to use them. I always have oil-control papers in my bag, since at the moment my T-zone doesn't stay matte all day. Also, if I have overslept and end up dashing out of the house without doing anything with my face, dabbing my oily zones with a square of oil-control paper and applying lip balm makes me look more presentable.
To use facial blotting papers, lightly dab the oily skin with the sheet. Don't press hard,
as that might press the oils in the pores to compact and sink deeper
into the pores.
- Another use for blotting sheets is to fix concealer under the eyes or anywhere else. Use it to press down on the undereye area after applying concealer.
- If your eyelids get greasy and your eyeshadow gathers in the creases, a dab with a paper prevents this.
- To prevent the eyeliner from leaving an imprint on the lid.
- For men! Blotting papers are a practical and discreet way of getting rid of oiliness on the face, and many come in neutral packaging (for example those from Muji).
Facial blotting papers used to be really pricey, but recently lower-priced alternatives are also available. The ingredients and quality does vary a lot. Some contain ingredients like hialuronon, which makes them less drying but also less mattifying - - ideal for those of you with only lightly oily skin. Some have a cocktail of chemicals and even mineral powder, which might not be ideal. If you are looking for blotting papers without powder, I highly recommend those from Muji. Sephora and Oriflame also have blotting papers without powder.
Shiseido blotting papers are very popular among girls with really oily skin, they are not really cheap though. It is not easy to find the ingredient list for facial blotting papers online, so I couldn't prepare a bigger list of recommendations.
The packaging can also be a hit-or-miss, in the worst case it's hard to get out a single paper without all of them slipping out.
Obviously facial blotting papers are just temporary quick-fixes. If you are struggling with very oily in you need to look into your diet and how much water you drink, and your hormones. Cosmetically, switch your aggressive cleanser for a gentle one and keep your face moisturised. The oil-cleansing method can work wonders.
Do you use facial blotting papers? Which brand would you recommend?
Do you use facial blotting papers? Which brand would you recommend?