You’ve been looking forward to a special event for weeks. You’ve been shopping and bought your outfit. You found a pair of killer heels to match. The handbag you’ve chosen is to die for.
Then it happens! A couple of days before the event your acne that’s not bothered you for weeks flares up. There’s no way it’s going clear beforehand so what do you do? Turn to the makeup counter for help.
You know that your usual foundation is not going to help, but which one do you choose?
Let’s have a look and see if we can help.
What Is Acne?
Acne tends to be more prevalent in teenagers due to hormonal changes during puberty. It can however affect people of all ages.
Acne is a skin condition that happens when your hair follicles become blocked with oil and dead skin cells. It can appear as pimples, blackheads or whiteheads. It tends to affect the face, forehead, chest, upper back and shoulders. These are areas where we tend to have more sebaceous (oil) glands.
Feeling we look less than perfect can cause emotional stress. Severe acne can cause scarring, and this particularly affects adults, as our skin doesn’t heal as quickly as we get older.
What Causes Acne?
The cause of acne is excess oil production. The hair follicles become clogged by oil and dead skin cells. This blockage may have bacteria in it. It can also be caused by excess activity of a type of hormones called androgens.
There are a few risk factors that may make you more prone to getting acne. They include:
- Hormonal changes caused by puberty, pregnancy or menstrual cycle.
- Certain medications, such as certain birth control pills or corticosteroids.
- A diet high in refined sugars or carbohydrates, such as bread and chips and chocolate.
- Genetic makeup.
- Stress.
What Can Be Used to Treat Acne?
Severe acne may need medical intervention, however there are a number of over the counter treatments for acne. Some of the main ingredients of these treatments are:
- Benzoyl Peroxide—can dry out existing pimples and prevent new ones, it also kills bacteria that can cause acne.
- Salicylic Acid—can help the pores from becoming blocked.
- Aloe Vera—antiseptic, soothing, tightens pores, anti-acne effects.
- Tea Tree Oil—can kill bacteria and reduce allergic reactions.
- Marine Algae—can fight oxidative stress and help with skin aging.
Things to Remember When Choosing the Best Foundation for Acne
Ideally you want a foundation that’s oil free. You’ll want it to give smooth, natural coverage, and it’d be a bonus if it could also provide relief from symptoms of acne and help prevent acne breakouts.
Avoid silicones, which may block pores, or mica which can cause irritation.
You should also check that it’s non-comedogenic, this means they don’t contain ingredients that can block the pores.
Consider a product that dispenses via a pump. This will prevent contamination that may happen if you dip your fingers in it after touching your face.
What Is the Best Foundation for Acne?
With these guidelines in mind, I’ve researched the many foundations that are out there. I’ve found what, in our opinion, are the best five foundations for acne-prone skin. Whether it’s an occasional breakout or a long-term problem.
Our Choice
The range of makeup available for acne-prone skin has increased over the years. You no longer have to rely on thick pasty pan sticks to cover your breakouts.
There are many products available, both medicated and non-medicated, which can help cover the occasional breakout, or help deal with the long term issues.
We reviewed many good products with lots of positive feedback from customers. Of them all, our recommendation of Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup was just ahead of the others. The Acne Solutions range won an award at the CEW Beauty Insider Awards in 2017 as the best for dealing with blemishes.
It contains ingredients that can help fight your acne and prevent further breakouts. Customers find it easy to apply and say it covers well without feeling heavy. The price isn’t prohibitive and it appears to be good value for money.
It’s one of the newer products to the market and appears to be making a positive impact.
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