Credits: Social Media
Cosmetic chemist reveals secret sauce that keeps makeup set for Olympic swimmers
Athletics fans have been questioning what setting spray Olympic swimmers use to keep their makeup perfect, but as it turns out, it’s not a setting spray at all.
Though the 2024 Paris Olympics might now be over, the world is still digesting the overload of information we received during the athletics competition. New foods were created for the event, a hilarious TikTok trend was birthed, and some singletons were even lucky enough to match with Olympians on Tinder.
How did the artistic swimmers keep their makeup fresh?
During the artistic swimming portion of the 2024 Paris Olympics, fans were enthralled by both the magnetic movements of the swimmers and the fact their makeup seemed unmoving.
While there are, of course, methods for reducing sweat’s impact on your makeup, including some routine changes, the athletes were literally submerging their makeup underwater. Still, it dazzled.
This led many to take to social media with the question, which was picked up by cosmetic chemist Javon Ford (@javonford16). The content creator is known for delving into skincare science for consumers to know more about the products they use.
“They’re probably not using setting spray, but oil. Yes, oil as in grease paint,” he revealed. “Most setting sprays are not waterproof, in fact, they are water-based and the main ingredients are water and alcohol.”
Not only that, but most settings sprays employ Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the main film former, which is soluble in hot water. This allows the setting spray to give some protection from sweat without completely sealing your face.
Javon continued to explain that water-proof makeup was used in the 1940s, though with a heavy cream and oil foundation and not modern-day silicon. Demonstrating the process, Javon created a super oily cream and then packed it full of powder.
He then explained that shower steam was used to fuse the layers together, essentially melting them into one medium instead of a so-called “waterproof” layer.
The cosmetic chemist further illustrated his point by putting his arm underwater, with the blue cream still visibly present and without imperfection.
There’s more than one way to waterproof your makeup
In Javon’s comment section, makeup fans continued to share their biggest tips and tricks for keeping your making firm and waterproof.
One person said: “I use cream concealer, just powder it really well and spray my face with fine mister with water. Lasts in rain and all day& nobody believed me and now I know science is on my side.”
“Ages ago I heard some of them use lip balm/chapstick to seal their makeup, not sure if that is still common,” another said, while a third simply added, “The science behind makeup is really fascinating.”
While you might not be heading out for an artistic swimming lesson, these tips could come in handy on your next sunny vacation.
