Don’t “Fake ‘til You Make It” With Your Skin

How to stop wearing extra makeup and start wearing your skin.

We’ve written about how to set a good foundation for your skin. In recent blogs, we’ve focused on acne-safe makeup and makeup hygiene. Many clients share a skin goal of not having to rely on makeup everyday to cover skin flaws. They only wear makeup because they feel like they have to cover breakouts and other skin concerns.

Fresh, natural, and glowing skin is all in. But why are so many faking that natural look with makeup that can clog pores and lead to more breakouts and uneven skin tone? Is it because they don’t have the right skin routine? 

The truth is that makeup and active acne breakouts don’t really mix. The more stuff you put on your pores, the more likely they will clog up. Yes, there is acne-safe makeup, and proper face washing can keep you in a good spot, but we think you’d be happy to ditch some of those acne-covering products for skin-loving products that will make your skin look better in the long run. 

If you don’t know the freedom of comfortably leaving your house without makeup but want to, here are four product switches that can bring you one step closer. 

Swap your concealer for Sulfur Clay Mask

Since “naked” skin is in, people often rely on concealer to hide their blemishes. This makes you think you are wearing no makeup but then confused when you keep breaking out. 

Instead of concealer, start using Sulfur Clay Mask all over the face 1-3x per week for thirty minutes and spot treat daily on any active breakouts. This will do three things that concealers cannot: It will reduce redness, shorten the life of your pimple, and using the mask proactively before you break out can prevent pimples. Plus, it has a blurring, tightening, and pore-reducing effect. 

Swap your highlighter for Rejuvenating Ampoule

This dreamy antioxidant serum gives your skin natural highlights that make it so bright and healthy, especially when the light hits it just right. Most highlighters we see contain waxes and more that are highly pore clogging. You can find some acne-safe options, but we recommend saving those for a special occasion and reaching for something rejuvenating instead. 

You will see instant shine to your skin, and it contains bee propolis which is a potent healing ingredient similar to honey with antimicrobial properties. It also has salmon DNA that tells your skin to repair itself and can heal wounds and scars. Not only will you look brighter, but you can resurface acne scars and help combat flaking from your active products. 

Swap your primer for Normalizing Tonic

Primers are used to smooth the skin, fill in creases, and help your makeup stay put. You won't need the primer when you have balanced skin and the proper regimen. Primers, especially silicone-based primers, can cause breakouts and suffocate the skin. While we prefer more radiant primers, we prefer relying on your skin for radiance.

A better option than primer is to use a toner after cleansing and before applying serums, moisture, and makeup. A toner will remove dead skin that flakes your makeup up, control oil production, and keep pores clear to give that blurring effect that a primer supposably does.

Normalizing tonic is a great universal option. It contains some glycolic acid to brighten and help reduce the appearance of sun damage and pigmentation people are working to cover with makeup. 

Swap your foundation for tinted SPF

Finally, let's talk about foundation. Even with all your skin goals met, you may still want to wear face makeup to fully even everything out and give that polished look. Though tinted moisturizers and SPFs are still technically makeup, they can be an easier hybrid option to provide similar results. Also, it means fewer products on your face, so less chance of additional pore-clogging ingredients.

For a tinted moisturizer with SPF, we recommend Image Prevention+ Daily Tinted Moisturizer SPF30, and for just a tinted SPF (not a moisturizer), we recommend SkinBetter SunBetter Tone Smart SPF75 – both are tone-adapting and can read your skin tone and match it. Otherwise, if you're looking for just more coverage, we are happy to see you in an acne-safe foundation suitable for daily use. Our favorites are Nars Sheer Glow and BareMinerals Loose Original Foundation.