Can a Woman Wear Makeup on Shabbat?

Is it permissible for a woman to apply makeup on Shabbat?

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The Jerusalem Talmud teaches that a person who applies red color (blush) to the face on Shabbat transgresses the prohibition of “coloring” (tzove’a), one of the 39 categories of labor forbidden on Shabbat by Torah law.

The Prohibition of Coloring the Face on Shabbat

However, Maimonides (Rambam) rules that this is not a Torah-level prohibition but a rabbinic one. The accepted halachic ruling is that a woman who applies color to her face or lips on Shabbat — in the normal way women use makeup, violates the rabbinic prohibition of coloring.

Furthermore, if she uses a cream or ointment, she may also transgress the additional prohibition of “smoothing” (memare’ach), which involves spreading or leveling a substance. Therefore, one must be careful and only use cosmetics that are permitted, as will be explained below.

Talmudic Source

The Talmud (Shabbat 95a) records: “Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Eliezer: A woman may not apply rouge (sarak) to her face on Shabbat, because she is coloring.”

Rashi explains that sarak refers to a red pigment used to give the cheeks a reddish glow. Thus, since coloring is prohibited on Shabbat, the same applies to any cosmetic coloring of the face or lips.

The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 303:25) rules accordingly: “A woman may not apply sarak (makeup) to her face on Shabbat because of coloring, and for the same reason, she may not apply kohl to her eyes.”

Therefore, using lipstick (lip color) on Shabbat is clearly forbidden, as it is a direct form of coloring. By this reasoning, even face powder may be prohibited, since it too changes the color of the skin.

Using Dry Powder on Shabbat

Later halachic authorities discussed this issue at length.

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef wrote (Yabia Omer vol. 6, Orach Chaim 37) that there is room for leniency with dry face powder, because the Talmudic prohibition referred specifically to actual coloring of the skin.

In contrast, powder does not adhere permanently to the skin; it merely rests on the surface temporarily and therefore does not qualify as true coloring. Accordingly, it is permitted to use completely dry powder makeup on Shabbat.

Powder Mixed with Cream or Moisture

This leniency applies only to dry powder. If the powder is mixed with cream, lotion, or oil, it becomes forbidden, since it effectively colors the face and may also involve the prohibition of smoothing (memare’ach). Therefore, products such as lipstick, liquid foundation, mascara, or creamy blush are completely prohibited on Shabbat.

Dry products such as pure loose powder, dry blush, or dry eyeshadow (if truly powdery and free of any oily base) may be used, provided they contain no cream or binding agent.

Applying Powder Over Foundation

It is also forbidden to apply powder over foundation (make-up) on Shabbat, even if the foundation was applied before Shabbat.
This is because the powder adheres to the skin with the help of the underlying cream, which makes it equivalent to using powder mixed with cream, and is therefore prohibited.

One must also note that many modern cosmetic powders including blushes, eyeshadows, and even some “dry” powders, contain small amounts of oil or cream, making them forbidden for Shabbat use unless verified otherwise.

Based on the rulings of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef