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.
THOROUGHLY CLEANSE, TONE, AND MOISTURIZE YOUR FACE
WASH YOUR MAKEUP BRUSHES ONCE A WEEK
AVOID CONTAMINATING YOUR MAKEUP PRODUCTS
WHEN IN DOUBT, TOSS IT OUT
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