As skin matures, finding the right foundation can be tricky—what once worked may now settle into fine lines, creases, or emphasize texture. The good news? With the right techniques and hacks, you can achieve a smooth, flawless finish without worrying about caking or clogged pores.
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Kat James, a beauty expert who has over 1M followers on TikTok, recently shared five simple foundation hacks that will give your skin back that youthful glow and won’t “crease, cake,” or clog your pores. Read on to get all her insights.
1. Hydrating Foundation
The number one thing that happens to aging skin is it starts to lose moisture and hydration.
“We want this makeup to hydrate,” she says. It's essential to choose a hydrating foundation over 50, as it helps to nourish, plump, and smooth the skin while providing coverage.
A hydrating foundation is typically infused with moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, or squalene, which help retain moisture, prevent flakiness, and create a dewy, youthful glow. Additionally, these formulas prevent foundation from settling into fine lines and wrinkles.
2. Buildable Coverage
“You want to be able to start with a little bit of a light medium coverage and then build it up where you need it,” she explains.
As mature skin changes, a heavy foundation can settle into creases, making imperfections more noticeable. A buildable formula lets you start with a light layer and gradually add more where needed, ensuring a natural, youthful finish.
3. Non-Creasing/Non-Caking Foundation
"As a pro makeup artist, I look for foundation to be long-wearing. Once I put it on you, I want it to last you a good 12 hours. You should be looking for that too," Kat says.
As skin matures, it tends to become drier and lose elasticity, making it more prone to foundation creasing and emphasizing texture. A well-formulated, crease-resistant foundation will provide a hydrating, flexible finish that moves with the skin rather than settling into expression lines.
A non-caking foundation is crucial for over 50 skin because skin tends to be drier and more textured, making heavy or cakey makeup settle into fine lines, wrinkles, and pores, exaggerating signs of aging.
4. Transfer-Proof
Besides getting on your clothes and on other people, a transfer-proof foundation is important because it helps maintain a flawless, long-lasting look without settling into fine lines, wrinkles, or creases.
Mature skin can be more prone to makeup movement due to natural changes in elasticity and hydration levels.
“I don’t want to see my foundation all over my shirt, on my sleeve, and all on my boyfriend’s shirt,” Kat says.
5. Non-Clogging Foundation
Last but not least, a non-clogging foundation is a smart choice for wrinkled skin because it allows the skin to breathe while providing a smooth, natural finish. As skin matures, it tends to become drier and more delicate, making it more susceptible to clogged pores, irritation, and breakouts from heavy or occlusive formulas.
Kat says it should “wash off cleanly, smoothly, and leave my skin looking great.”
Kat acknowledges that you might be skeptical, thinking no foundation can truly do it all, but she insists she has found one that has genuinely worked for her.
She suggests MAC’s serum-powered foundation. While applying the foundation, she notes the “beautiful coverage” it gives. “What I love about this is it's not so super glossy and shiny because sometimes on mature skin, that really shows all your imperfections."
