Liquid foundation is usually the biggest culprit for staining clothes. Maybe it’s from the deadly drip of foundation that slowly spills from your chin on to your clothes while you haphazardly apply your base, or perhaps that white top is a little harder to get over your head than you originally anticipated. However the foundation stain appears, it’s a disaster that can have makeup wearers in a frenzy to fix.
The good news is that whether you’re rushing out of the door to make your bottomless brunch, or you’ve slept through your alarm and don’t have time to rethink you’re outfit choice for an important meeting, there are some simple tricks that can have that foundation stain out in no time.
Speedy fixes to get oil-free foundation out of clothes
If the worst happens it’s important to act fast. The longer you leave the foundation stain to absorb into your clothes the harder it will be to get out. Instead of just whacking your t shirt into the laundry basket and forgetting about it you need to get to work quickly on erasing the makeup mishap.
So, here’s the magic product – shaving foam. I was sceptical at first too, but this bizarre hack actually works. Simple apply a spray of foam onto the foundation stain, allow it to sit for three to five minutes before rinsing away with water. If needed, repeat the process until the stain has vanished.
The beauty of this quick hash means that you can even blast the wet patch with a hairdryer to dry off the dampness if you’re still wanting to wear the clothing item. This method usually worked best on oil-free foundation stains, if you foundation contains oil then you may not find this technique quite as magical.
How to banish oil-based foundation stains
Oil-based foundation stains may require a little more elbow grease, but the good news is they can be removed just as easily.
For oil-based foundations we’re going to swap out our shaving foam for dish soap. First dampen the stain with a little water before squirting on a pea sized amount of dish soap (if you’ve managed to create a big stain then you may need to add a little more accordingly.)
Gently rub the washing up liquid into the stain with a cloth or the bristles of a soft toothbrush on more robust materials. You should soon see the stain begin to vanish. Washing up liquid is created to remove oil from surfaces and makes a great product to bust away oily makeup stains.
Once you’ve gently rubbed the stain away from you clothing, blot away the dish soap with a dry cloth before rinsing away any extra residue left behind. Then, miraculously, you’re previously foundation-stained clothing should be looking as-good-as-new.
The final step
In most instances the simple hacks discussed above will be all you need to visibly remove a foundation stain. However, to really ensure the foundation stain is fully banished from your clothing your last resort is simple, place into the washing machine with laundry detergent to fully lift the dirt from you’re clothing.