Skin MPLS’ Complete Guide to Acne-Safe Makeup

We love makeup. It can be a fun hobby, a way to enhance your favorite features, and make occasions special. However, makeup can also be a major contributor to your never-ending skin congestion, texture, and breakouts.

We often see makeup targeted to cover and disguise acne. We don’t want that – we want you to love your skin without makeup, but to wear makeup every day if that makes you feel good. You don’t have to sacrifice makeup for clear skin, but you need to follow some guidelines and toss out makeup that contains ingredients that just won’t work with your skin.

If you’ve ever wondered if your makeup is to blame for blackheads, bumps, pimples, or cysts, then follow these simple rules to put your mind at ease. We’ve spent a lot of time putting acne-safe makeup options together for you, so you have no excuse not to make the switch!

*A LARGE DISCLAIMER (OR TWO): We used to be VERY strict and minimal in the makeup options we’d recommend and allow our acne clients to use. We would only recommend makeup products that contained only 100% acne-safe ingredients AND had been tested by several people for several months. We did this for you and your skin. Because so many of our clients have struggled with acne for so many years, we did not want makeup to get in the way of getting them clearer faster. BUT, as we said, we love makeup – and we want our acne-prone clients to have more makeup options. So please know that all of the following makeup items have a 100% acne-safe ingredient list (at least as of the time of this blog being published, however, product formulations do change and we won’t be able to regularly check to ensure all of these formulas remain acne-safe), but THEY HAVE NOT BEEN TESTED like our original tried and true recommendations. So proceed at your own risk. And always remember, with great power comes great responsibility. ;)

First, here are the general rules when it comes to makeup and breakouts.

  1. THOROUGHLY CLEANSE, TONE, AND MOISTURIZE YOUR FACE

  2. WASH YOUR MAKEUP BRUSHES ONCE A WEEK

  3. AVOID CONTAMINATING YOUR MAKEUP PRODUCTS

  4. WHEN IN DOUBT, TOSS IT OUT

  5. LESS CAN BE MORE, ONLY USE PRIMERS AND SETTING SPRAYS IF YOU MUST

Now that you’ve agreed to the basics, here is our list of makeup products that are unlikely to contribute to acne texture and breakouts.

Primer:

Benfit The Porefessional

Chanel La Base Matifiante- Matte Makeup Primer

ColorPop Pretty Fresh Set it Up Airbrush Primer

Dibs Love Beam

Dior Forever Glow Veil

Dior Forever Perfect Fix

ELF Acne Fighting Putty Primer 1.8% Salicylic Acid

ELF Brightening Lavender Face Primer

ELF C-Brightening Putty Primer

ELF Illuminating Face Primer

ELF Luminous Putty Primer/ Matte Putty Primer

ELF Mineral Infused Face Primer

ELF Poreless Face Primer

ELF Tone Adjusting Face Primer

Fenty Pro Filt’r Mattifying Primer

Fenty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Primer

Fenty Eaze Drop’Lit All-Over Glow Enhancer

Hourglass Vanish Airbursh Primer

IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Makeup Primer+ Oil-Free

Lancome Le Base

Makeup Forever Pore Minimizer 

Milk Cloud Glow Foam Brightening Primer

Nars Radiance Primer SPF 35

Priia Cosmetics Foundation Primer

Rare Beauty Always an Optimist 4-in-1 Mist

Revlon ColorStay Grip Matte Primer

Revlon PhotoReady Prime Plus Makeup and Skincare Primers

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer

Tatcha The Liquid Silk Canvas Primer

Tinted SPF / Tinted Moisturizer / BB Cream: 

ColorScience Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield Flex

Lune+Aster CC Cream

SkinBetter SunBetter Tone Smart 

Foundation:

BareMinerals Original Loose Powder Mineral Foundation SPF15

Chanel Sublimage L’essense de Teint 

Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua 

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation Hydration and Longwear 

ColorPop Pretty Fresh Hyaluronic Hydrating Foundation

ELF Flawless Satin Foundation

IT Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow Lightweight Foundation + Glow Serum with SPF 40

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear Care & Glow Foundation with Hyaluronic Acid

L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Liquid Longwear Foundation

L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation 

Maybelline Fit Me Matte 

Merit The Minimalist Perfecting Stick

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

NYX Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Foundation 

Priia Cosmetics Loose Mineral Foundation

Revlon ColorStay Light Cover Foundation

Rare Beauty Weightless Foundation 

Rare Beauty Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20

Concealer: 

BareMinerals Loose Powder Concealer (not liquid!)

Dior Forever Skin Correct

ELF Flawless Brightening Concealer

Kaja Don’t Settle Concealer 

Priia Cosmetics Conceal and Correct Powder 

Saie Hydrabeam Brightening  

Powder: 

Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre (Natural Finish Loose Powder)

Dior Forever Cushion Powder

Dior Forever Natural Velvet

ELF Halo Glow Setting Powder

ELF High Definition Powder

ELF Perfect Finish HD Powder

HausLabs Bio-Blurring Loose Setting Powder

Hourglass Veil Transculet Setting Powder

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Talc-Free Setting Powder Ultra-Blur

Laura Mercier Divinely Flawless Translucent Loose Setting Powder Ultra-Blur & Puff

Nars Light Reflecting Loose Powder

Pat McGrath Setting Loose Powder 

Priia Cosmetics Smoothing Finishing Powder

Priia Cosmetics HydraControl HD Powder

Blush: 

Benefit Benetint (Benetint only)

Chanel Enchanted Night Eyeshadow and Blush Palette

ColorPop Cheek Dew Serum Blush

ELF Putty Blush/ Luminous Putty Blush

Fenty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush

Fenty Match Stix Color Adaptive Cheek + Lip Stick

Kosas Blush is Life

Nars The Multiple

Nars AfterGlow Liquid Blush

Priia Cosmetics Loose Mineral Blush

Revlon Illumance Gel Serum Blush

Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Melting Blush

Tom Ford Shade & Illuminate Blush Duo

Bronzer:

BareMinerals Warmth All-Over Face Color Loose Bronzer

Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Sun Kissed Bronzer 

ColorPop SOL Liquid Sun Glow Drops

ELF Putty Bronzer/ Luminous Putty Bronzer

Fenty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Bronzer

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Bronzer

Revlon Skinlights Bronzer

Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Stick

Priia Cosmetics Vacation in a Jar Mineral Bronzer

Highlighter:

Benefit Dandelion Twinkle

Chanel Diamond Dust Oversize Illuminating Powder

Chanel Lumiere De L’Ocean

Chanel Poudre Lumiere Highlighting Powder

Chanel Les Symboles De Chanel La Comète

Dior Backstage Face Glow Palette

HausLabs Bio-Radiant Gel-Powder Highlighter

Laura Mercier Face Illuminating Highlighting Powder

Merit Beauty Day Glow Highlighting Balm

Revlon Skinlights Prismatic Highlighter

Saie Glowy Super Gel Lightweight Dewy Highlighter

Setting Spray:

Dibs Setting Spray

ELF Stay All Night Blue Light Micro Setting Mist/ Stay All Night Micro-Fine Setting Mist

Laura Mercier Translucent Pure Setting Spray 16Hr

Milk Pore Eclipse Matte Setting Spray

Revlon ColorStay Lock Setting Mist

Saie Airset


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