If you have acne-prone skin it can be very difficult to find a full coverage foundation that will cover up your blemishes and spots and not clog your pores in the process. The good news is you can get the best foundation for acne-prone combination skin that is non-comedogenic and oil-free for any skin tone.
When you have acne-prone skin, makeup isn’t the main culprit but rather you’re failure to wash it off completely from your face every evening. This will clog your pores and cause more breakouts the next day. Using a soft face towel and a cleanser every evening will make a huge difference on your face. However, there are certain types of makeup products whose formulas and ingredients that aren’t good for your skin.
How to choose the right foundation for acne-prone skin
Understand your skin type
This is the most important step that will help you choose the right foundation for your skin, you should understand your skin’s needs.
For oily skin: You should use an oil-free liquid or powder foundation that contains ingredients that will absorb the oil leaving your skin with a smooth matte finish. Mineral foundations are also good because the dry particles absorb the oil and prevent shine.
Dry skin: Go for a hydrating powder, liquid, or stick foundation that has a creamy consistency that will provide moisture to your skin and good coverage.
Combination skin: This means your skin is both oily and dry which means you will need to try mix and match formulas but avoid foundations that are oil-rich or formulated to be emollient.
Sensitive skin: If you have acne-prone and sensitive skin you should avoid foundations with ingredients that will irritate your skin like fragrance, alcohol, talc, silicone, and minerals.
Get the right shade for your skin tone
The best place to test whether the foundation matches your skin is at your neck or jawline. If it’s the right shade it will blend well into your skin color without leaving you with an ashy or ghastly look. You can also mix 2 different colors for summer and winter because your skin tone will vary through the year and in different areas of your face. If you’re not sure going for a slightly darker shade.
Identify your undertone
If your bare skin has a golden or is yellow toned, you have a warm undertone and if you have a rosy or pink tone, you’re probably cool-toned. However, if you have a combination of both, you have a neutral undertone. Another way is to check the color of your veins, if they appear more bluish or purple, you fall in the cool tone spectrum, but if they’re greenish, you’re warm-toned.
Choose your finish
This is the kind of sheen or not that a foundation formula leaves on your skin. Some of the finishes you will find include matte, semi-matte, dewy, and luminizing but the one you choose will depend on the look that’s best for you and your skin type. A matte finish is great for oily and combination skin that will give you a flawless look with a poreless finish. A dewy and luminizing finish means the rest of your makeup should be subtle with no shimmering eyeshadow or high-shine lipstick.
Application
How you apply your makeup affects your skin, so if you have sensitive or acne-prone skin, use a light hand and apply your foundation gently. If you have large pores, apply a mattifying primer gel before your foundation, but use one that is clear and water-based to avoid clogging your pores and keeping your face shine-free. Don’t wear too much makeup because it won’t fatter you’re your skin type.
Table for the best foundation for acne-prone combination skin
Foundation | Coverage | Check on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
Buildable to full coverage | ||
Natural-looking coverage | ||
Buildable full coverage | ||
Full coverage | ||
Medium coverage | ||
Full coverage | ||
Buildable full coverage | ||
Long-wearing coverage | ||
Buildable medium coverage | ||
Medium to full buildable coverage |
Revlon colorstay liquid foundation makeup
This is one of the best foundations for acne-prone skin because it works well on combination or oily skin. It’s waterproof liquid makeup that has buildable medium coverage with a matte finish which prevents midday shine. It has a lightweight formula that blends well into your skin and doesn’t settle in your wrinkles and fine lines. It contains salicylic acid that helps to control the oil on your skin while providing a poreless finish. It’s available in normal to dry version and has a wide range of shades for every skin from light, medium, and deep. This liquid foundation has a comfortable feel on your skin so you can wear it for up to 24 hours. You can use it alone to give you a more natural look or wear it with your eye shadow, mascara, eyeliner, and lipstick to give you a more dramatic look.
Pros
- Doesn’t clog your pores
- Very smooth to apply and doesn’t feel sticky
- Has awesome coverage
- It looks very natural on your skin
- You can wear it all day and it won’t break down or get shiny
Cons
- May not get absorbed very easily
Verdict
A full-coverage foundation that does a great job staying on your face all day without making your face shiny and doesn’t sit in your wrinkles and fine lines.
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Neutrogena skin clearing liquid foundation
This is an oil-free liquid foundation that contains micro clear technology which includes a unique blend of salicylic acid to help unclog your pores and dissolve oils, treat blemishes, and prevent acne breakouts. It provides natural-looking coverage for oily, combination, and even sensitive skin types. This foundation does a great job of controlling the shine of your face all day. It’s both hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic and doesn’t clog your pores. It has been clinically tested and all the women who used it had improved skin with time which makes it quite impressive. It’s available in 14 shades for different tones and its breathable feel makes it perfect as a makeup.
Pros
- A good choice for break out prone skin
- Very easy to apply without streaking
- It’s oil-free so it doesn’t clog your pores
- It’s lightweight and controls shine
- Provides a natural-looking coverage
Cons
- Can cause some irritation on sensitive skin
- May not cover any redness on your face very well
Verdict
An oil-free liquid makeup foundation that contains salicylic acid that will not clog your pores and help in treating and preventing blemishes. It will give you natural coverage to give you a beautiful, flawless look.
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Bareminerals SPF 15 matte foundation
This is a long-lasting loose powder foundation with a 100% vegan formula that only contains 6 ingredients. This loose powder is smooth on your skin which makes your complexion appear poreless while its SPF 15 offers daily protection. It leaves your skin naturally flawless and keeps your skin matte without layering which can irritate acne. It provides you with a buildable coverage with a silky matte finish to give you the perfect complexion. This lightweight powder contains a mineral formula that will help in controlling oil and shine so you don’t have to worry about acne breakouts and clogged pores. It’s available in 30 shades.
Pros
- Provides good coverage and is very light
- It hides the imperfections on your skin very well
- Doesn’t clog your pores
- Contains minerals
- Very good for sensitive skin
Cons
- It has a strong scent
- The shades can be confusing
- Small quantity
Verdict
A loose powder foundation that is lightweight, gives you a natural look, doesn’t clog your pores, and has an SPF of 15.
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Burt’s bees liquid makeup foundation
A natural foundation that is very effective and contains natural ingredients like meadowfoam seed oil that is known for its natural moisturizing properties to give you radiant results. It gives you a natural feel when applying it on your face to give you a smooth complexion and an even-toned skin without drying out your skin. The best thing about this foundation is that it doesn’t feel heavy or look cakey on your skin. You can wear this full-coverage mineral makeup all day and even in the evening. It will perfectly hide your imperfection while at the same time nourishing your skin. It’s a buildable liquid foundation that is available in 18 shades for different skin tones.
Pros
- It goes on smoothly and evenly on your skin
- You can wear it all-day
- It’s a full coverage foundation
- Moisturizes your skin
- It’s great for dry skin
Cons
- It’s not waterproof
- May have an uneven coverage
Verdict
A natural foundation that contains ingredients with natural moisturizing properties that prevents it from drying out your skin while providing nourishment to your skin.
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Clinique anti-blemish solutions liquid makeup
This is a natural lightweight foundation that looks and feels natural. It has an oil-free formula that contains salicylic acid that helps to treat existing breakouts and prevent your skin from any further breakouts. It also helps to improve your blemishes and provide natural-looking coverage. This is a wonderful foundation if you have extremely oily skin that is prone to acne since it’s free of fragrance, paraben, and phthalates. It’s loaded with sea algae extract that helps to purify your skin and caffeine to help reduce redness and irritation. You can use this foundation to conceal, treat, and prevent acne all in one go. It’s available in 16 shades you can choose from.
Pros
- It’s not oily
- Covers your spots, redness, and blemishes very well
- Very smooth to apply with a great coverage
- Gives you a natural and flawless look
Cons
- May cause breakouts
- It’s expensive
Verdict
A light foundation with an oil-free formula that contains salicylic acid, caffeine, and sea algae extracts that help to clear and prevent breakouts while purifying your skin and reducing redness and irritation.
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e.l.f. acne-fighting foundation
e.l.f. stands for eyes, lips, and face which makes it the perfect beauty product for a flawless face. This foundation has an SPF of 15 and a lightweight formula that is infused with wholesome ingredients like witch hazel, tea tree for treating your troubled skin while salicylic acid helps to fight acne and remove blemishes as camphor calms down your irritated skin and aloe soothes it. This full-coverage foundation is vegan and cruelty-free and is free of parabens and phthalates. It has a long-lasting formula that will help balance out an uneven skin tone to give you a natural-looking complexion. It’s available in 10 different shades.
Pros
- Has a lightweight formula that is 100% vegan and cruelty-free
- Offers good coverage
- Very affordable
- Great for different skin types
Cons
- Has very few shades
- May not cover the blemishes very well
Verdict
A great foundation with an SPF of 15 and a full-coverage formula that will soothe your skin and help fight future breakouts giving you natural even-toned skin.
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This powder foundation has a lightweight and silky smooth formula that will glide on your skin for a buildable to full coverage and a natural matte finish. It will cover all your blemishes without irritating your skin. This powder is ultra-fine so you don’t feel like you’re wearing anything, absorbs excess oil on your skin, and reduces the appearance on your pores without making you look cakey. The formula is infused with skin-loving ingredients like hyaluronic acid, aloe leaf, hibiscus flower, jojoba esters, honeysucker, and safflower extracts that help to keep your skin hydrated and stay put for longer.
Pros
- Has good coverage and yet it feels light
- Perfect for all types of skin
- It’s talc and mineral oil-free
- Contains ingredients that keep your skin moisturized
Cons
- The shades are confusing
- The powder disintegrates
Verdict
Lightweight powder with ingredients that will keep your skin moisturized and still give you full coverage with a natural matte finish.
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A long-wear weightless foundation that will make you look and feel comfortable in your skin while doing a good job in adding life back into your skin. Just a small amount of this foundation will go a long way in covering up all your existing flaws and blemishes. It will also cover the redness on your face beautifully. It’s formulated to cater to all types of skin and skin tones, up to 42 shades and it has an SPF of 15 so you’re well protected throughout the day. Its formula contains natural mineral powders and algae extract that helps to absorb excel oil while keeping your skin looking youthful.
Pros
- Doesn’t clog your pores
- Has a smooth texture that isn’t oily
- Very easy to apply and gives you a natural look
- Lightweight on your skin
Cons
- It’s expensive
- Sometimes it’s watery
Verdict
A water-based, oil-free foundation that you can easily apply to give you full coverage with a beautiful glow and a natural-looking finish.
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Makeup forever ultra HD liquid foundation
This is a long-wearing liquid HD foundation that has a lightweight texture to give you a naturally flawless complexion. It’s formulated with an exclusive 4K complex for a comfortable and invisible makeup that will hide all your imperfections for an even-toned skin. It also contains hyaluronic acid that will keep your skin moisturized and smart pigments that will adapt and adjust well to your complexion to create a flawless effect and provide a medium to buildable coverage.
Pros
- It’s light and covers wonderfully
- It can last all-day
- Gives you a natural look
- Has a nice matte finish
- Nice buildable coverage
Cons
- It’s expensive
- May not be effective on very oily skin
Verdict
A lightweight and long-wearing foundation that has buildable coverage that will conceal your imperfections and still moisturize your skin to give you a flawless natural look.
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MAC studio fix fluid foundation
A long-wearing foundation that blends easily and evenly while helping to hide your pores and imperfections to give you a smoother more flawless look and finish. It has an SPF of 15 that will protect your skin throughout the day and it’s suitable for every type of skin if you’re looking for a medium to full buildable coverage and a matte finish. It’s formulated to spread easily and smoothly and help control oil and shine without drying out your skin.
Pros
- Provides full buildable coverage
- Gives you a natural look and doesn’t dry out your skin
- Perfect for wearing the whole day
- Helps to control the oil and shine on your face
Cons
- Has a strong smell
- It’s expensive
Verdict
A great foundation you can wear all day without having to feel like you’re wearing any makeup. It will help to control shine and provides full buildable coverage for that flawless natural look.
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Conclusion
Having acne-prone skin is not easy especially when you want to cover up all your blemishes while on the other hand, you want to let your skin breathe so that you don’t aggravate the situation. Revlon colorstay liquid foundation makeup is one of the best foundations for combination and acne-prone skin. It has a lightweight formula that is waterproof so you don’t have to worry about shine and it contains salicylic acid that will control the oil on your skin for that naturally flawless look.
Maria Martinez
Maria Martinez has been working in the beauty industry for the better part of her life and has a vast knowledge of the constitution of various makeup products with a focus on foundation. Maria is a wife and a mother of two and when not researching the various cosmetic products, she loves to read.
