8 Reasons Your Makeup Is Pilling—And What You Can Do About It

You've Got Build-Up

Whether it's layers of dead skin cells or remnants of previous products (perhaps you wore an extra-thick hydrating mask to bed last night or did a less-than-stellar job fully removing the previous day's makeup), any built-up residue is bound to compromise your look and increase the chances of pilling. According to Tilbury, it can also prevent those pre-makeup layers of hydrating serums and creams from properly soaking into the skin, which will ultimately emphasize texture and dry patches.

To be sure you're starting with a clean, smooth base, Tariq suggests double cleansing before makeup with a balm cleanser and traditional face wash. She's quick to point out that if you use a balm or oil cleanser pre-makeup, you must follow up with a face wash—otherwise, it may leave a thin film or residue on the face. For the second cleanse, Tariq recommends using some sort of exfoliating cleanser to kill two birds with one stone (proverbially, of course.)

Tilbury suggests exfoliating once a week with a nonirritating acid resurfacer and incorporating a daily, acid-free essence or toner to keep skin looking—and feeling—fresh, smooth, and ready for your routine.

You Aren't Letting Your Skincare Sink In

"The way you should think of applying makeup is like layering frosting on a cake," Beautyblender founder and professional makeup artist Rea Ann Silva explains. "If your cake is open, dry, and willing to absorb the frosting you put on top of it, you won't experience pilling." In other words, your skincare needs the time to fully set before you apply makeup, the same way a cake needs to cool down before you apply frosting.

According to celebrity makeup artist Dillon Pena, when skincare isn't given the time to fully absorb, it tends to stack up on the skin and create a film-like residue that sits on top of, rather than sinking into, the skin. When foundation or concealer is layered on top of that, it will likely coagulate into tiny beads of rolled-up product that lift off the skin during the blending process.

This can largely be solved by slowing down your application process and giving your skin enough time to fully absorb the products, Dr. Hirsch explains.

Give Your Sunscreen Time To Absorb & Dry

Using sunscreen on your face everyday is incredibly important to prevent skin cancer, sun damage, and premature aging. But it's also particularly important to give your sunscreen adequate time to absorb into the skin. Tilbury explains, "Some SPFs need a little time to dry down and form a layer on the skin." Otherwise, she says, they interact with makeup formulas and pill up. "Allowing every layer of skincare to properly settle, especially your sunscreen, can help significantly reduce the chance of pilling."

She also suggests opting for lightweight, hydrating SPF formulas, particularly those meant to layer under makeup. When you use a sunscreen-primer hybrid, you can skip the traditional primer step, further reducing the chances of pilling (more on that later).

Your Skincare Routine Needs Some Order (Literally)

Giving yourself some time in between each layer of skincare will only work if you're applying those layers in the correct order: Water-based products like serums and toners first, followed by your oil-based eye creams and moisturizers. As a general rule of thumb, to decrease the chances of pilling, skincare products should be applied from lightest to thickest consistency.

You're Using Too Many Skincare Products

Alright, so you've exfoliated, given your skin adequate time to absorb each step, and confirmed you're applying your skincare products in the correct order, but you're still dealing with pilling. What gives? In this case, it's time to consider how many products you're using.

As Dr. Hirsch explains, piling too many products on top of one another only increases the likelihood of pilling. Layering product over product can make things slippery and unable to fully sink into the skin. This is especially true when it comes to heavier oil- and silicone-based products, which can ultimately start to repel each other and cause makeup layered on top to roll off, Silva explains.

To avoid the dreaded tiny balls of doom, Pena suggests paring down your routine—perhaps you can limit that thick, peptide-filled serum to nighttime use only. You can also swap out a few steps for a hybrid product, like a sunscreen and moisturizer in one.

Your Products Are Incompatible

If none of the above causes seem to fit your particular case of pilling, there's a good chance you're using products that aren't compatible. According to Dr. Hirsch, layering products that don't play nicely ingredient-wise is one of the most common causes of pilling. After all, some ingredients just don't interact well with others.

"I find that most often, [pilling] seems to happen when makeup is layered over several serums or gel-type products," Surratt shares. "Many of these types of formulas tend to leave a thin film on the skin that often dramatically enhances the overall texture and appearance, but may not 'play nicely in the sandbox' with other cosmetic products when layered, resulting in grains of balled product around the eyes or on the face."

Skip (Or Cut Down) On Silicones

According to Silva, it's also important to consider how many silicone-based skincare products you use and the order in which you use them. More specifically, she says that layering silicone on top of itself—or applying several silicone-based products in close succession—prevents the skin from fully absorbing the moisture coming through. This causes the silicone to build up on the skin, likely leading to pilling.

Identifying silicone-based products is a bit more involved than figuring out which products are water- or oil-based, but it's still fairly simple. Silicone-based products usually contain ingredients ending in -cone, -siloxane, or -methicone within the first two to three ingredients listed. It's important to note that the first ingredient will likely still be water—but if one of the first several ingredients has one of the above endings, the product is silicone-based, not water-based.

Consider Using Products From The Same Line

Using products that complement one another is a great way to avoid pilling which is why Surratt suggests just sticking to one brand or range of products. Most often, they'll be developed to work in tandem. "By sticking to one brand or range, you can save yourself a lot of the hassle and headache," he says.

You'll also want to consider product texture—lightweight formulas sit under makeup far better than thick emollients and heavy layers—and the foundation you're using. Your prep steps should complement not only each other but also your makeup. A water-based foundation often works best with a water-based primer, while a silicone-based foundation works best with a silicone-based primer.