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. 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 do have to follow some guidelines and toss out makeup that has ingredients that just won’t work.

So if you have ever once wondered, if your makeup is to blame for blackheads, bumps, pimples, or cysts – then follow these simple rules to put your mind to ease. We’ve spent a lot of time putting 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. So many of our clients have struggled with acne for so many years and 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 a100% 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 AND TONE YOUR FACE

  2. WASH YOUR MAKEUP BRUSHES ONCE A WEEK

  3. AVOID CONTAMINATING YOUR MAKEUP PRODUCTS

  4. WHEN IN DOUBT, TOSS IT OUT

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

Foundations

  • Armani Designer Lift Foundation

  • Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

  • BareMinerals Loose Original

  • Becca Evermatte Shineproof Foundation

  • Bite Changemaker

  • Chanel Sublimage L'essence De Teint

  • Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Sunscreen Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF15 Hybrid

  • Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation

  • Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Longwear Foundation

  • Dior Forever Matte Skin Care Foundation SPF 15

  • Dior Forever Skin Glow Hydrating Foundation SPF 15

  • Dior Forever Undercover Foundation

  • Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Pro Filt'r Hydrating Longwear Foundation

  • Guerlain Lingerie De Peau Natural Perfecting Foundation

  • Kat Von D True Portrait Medium Coverage Shake Foundation

  • L'Oréal Infallible Fresh Wear 24HR Foundation

  • L'Oréal Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation

  • L'Oréal Infallible Pro-Matte Liquid Longwear Foundation

  • Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Liquid 24H Longwear Broad Spectrum SPF 15 Liquid Foundation

  • Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless Liquid Foundation

  • Nars Light Reflecting Advanced Skincare Foundation

  • Nars Natural Radiant Longwear

  • Nars Sheer Glow

  • Nars Velvet Matte Skin Tint SPF30

  • Pat McGrath Labs Sublime Perfection FoundationSephora 10 Hour Wear Perfection Foundation

  • Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat All-In-One Glow Liquid Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 23

  • Yves Saint Laurent Nu Bare Look Tint

Tinted Moisturizers / BB Creams / CC Creams

  • Bobbi Brown Nude Finish Tinted Moisturizer

  • Chanel CC Cream

  • Coola Rōsilliance™ Organic BB+ Cream SPF 30

  • Lumene Nordic Chic CC Color Correcting Cream

  • Lune+Aster CC Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 50/PA+++

  • Supergoop! CC Screen 100% Mineral CC Cream SPF 50 PA++++

  • Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen

Blushes

  • Bare Minerals Loose Original Blush

  • BareMinerals Gen Nude Powder Blush

  • Benefit Cosmetics Benefit Cheek & Lip Stain

  • Benetint Cheek and Lip Stain

  • Christian Louboutin Abracadabra La Palette Blush & Highlighter Palette

  • Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush

  • KVD Vegan Beauty Everlasting Blush

  • Lancome Blush Subtil Oil Free Powder Blush

  • Laura Mercier Blush Color Infusion

  • Melt Cosmetic Blush/Blushlight

  • Tom Ford Shade & Illuminate Blush Duo

    Bronzers

  • Alima Pure Bronzer

  • BareMinerals Endless Summer Bronzer

  • BareMinerals Faux Tan All Over Face Color Bronzer

  • Buxom Staycation Vibes Primer-Infused Bronzer

  • By Terry Tea to Tan Face & Body

  • Chantecaille Real Bronze Gel-Powder Bronzer

  • Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Powder Bronzer

  • Juvia's Place Bronzed Duo

  • Kylie Cosmetics Pressed Bronzing Powder

  • L'Oréal True Match Lumi Bronze It Bronzer

  • Tarte Amazonian Clay Matte Waterproof Bronzer

  • Tarte Sugar Rush - Sun & Fun Baked Bronzer

Highlighters

  • Fenty Fairy Bomb Shimmer Powder

  • Hourglass Ambient Metallic Strobe Lighting Palette

  • Lancome Le Monochromatique Eyeshadow and Highlighter

  • Melt Cosmetic Blush/Blushlight

  • Nars Orgasm Illuminating Highlighter

  • Shiseido Inner Glow

  • Smashbox x Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Highlighter

    Setting Powders

  • Hourglass Translucent Setting Powder

  • Koh Gen Do Natural Lightening Powder

  • Pat McGrath Sublime Setting Powder

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