The best foundations for acne-prone skin

The bases that won’t irritate breakouts or bail after, like, one hour
Wearing foundation when you have acne can be a bit of a conundrum. While you want to cover-up your blemishes and hide redness, using the wrong foundation can clog up your pores even more, meaning more glorious pimples.
The worst offenders? Foundations that contain oil. Sydney dermatologist Dr Natasha Cook says, “When choosing makeup that will not cause or exacerbate acne breakouts, [you] should look for packaging that indicates the product will not clog pores and is oil-free, non-comedogenic, and/or non-acnegenic. Avoid makeup that contain oils like coconut oil, coco butter, vegetable oils, almond oil and mineral oils.”
“Additional cosmetic ingredients that can affect the mechanisms of acne pathogenesis and may contribute to a decrease in acne lesions, include lactic acid, triethyl acetate/ethyllineolate, and prebiotic plant extracts.”
Translated: If you don’t want to inflame any current breakouts and want to reduce the chances of future ones, look for the ingredients above.
Dr Cook also suggests looking for makeup products that are specifically formulated to help camouflage redness and pimples. “Anti-inflammatory ingredients and antioxidants are also used in some makeup products to reduce skin irritation and promote barrier repair, for example niacinamide.”
“Mineral-based cosmetics containing powdered formulas of titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide can be used to absorb oil, camouflage redness, and prevent irritation,” she says.
A tall order, maybe, but we’ve got you covered! No more pore-clogging, face-drying, skin-irritating formulas - these guys will give you clear, shine-free skin all day long. Huzzah!











Erin Docherty is a Beauty Writer for BEAUTYcrew, Beauty Editor for Women's Health magazine and a Grooming Writer for Men's Health magazine. She has a keen interest in cosmeceutical skin care and is currently working on minimising her 9-step skin care routine – because ain’t nobody got time for that. When she’s not writing about the latest beauty news, or applying copious amounts of serum, you can find her spending all her money in Sephora.