The 15 Best Foundations for Acne-Prone Skin That Won’t Break You Out
Acne and foundation are kind of like oil and water. While some acne-prone skin types layer on foundation to cover up blemishes, redness, and breakouts, the wrong foundation can do more harm to the skin than good. Finding the best foundations for acne-prone skin takes a lot of trial and error, especially since so many formulations are loaded with pore-clogging ingredients that can exacerbate acne. Thankfully, dozens of foundations explicitly made for acne-prone skin won't clog the pores and do a good job of covering up what you don't want the rest of the world to see.
So, which foundations are a perfect fit for skin that tends to break out more often than not? We paired it down to the 15 best foundations for acne-prone skin that offer good coverage, a weightless feel, and a skin-safe ingredient deck, and there's surely something that fits the bill for you.
Our Top Picks
Best Powder: jane iredale PurePressed Base Mineral Foundation Refill SPF 20 Best for Multi-Use: Glo Skin Beauty Pressed Base Powder Foundation Best Lightweight: bareMinerals COMPLEXION RESCUE® Tinted Moisturizer Mineral SPF 30 Best Long-Lasting: Anastasia Beverly Hills Impeccable Blurring Second Skin Matte Foundation Best Full-Coverage: Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup Best Non-Pore Clogging: RMS Beauty ReEvolve Natural Finish Foundation Best Matte: bareMinerals BAREPRO® 24 Hour Matte Liquid Foundation Mineral SPF 20 Best Crease-Free: tarte Amazonian Clay 16-hour Full Coverage Foundation Best with SPF: Estée Lauder Futurist SkinTint Serum Best Dewy: Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Aqua Foundation Best Tinted Moisturizer: RMS Beauty SunCoverup Super Tint Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen Best for Hydration: Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Skincaring Foundation with Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin C & E Best Skin Tint: U Beauty The Super Tinted Hydrator Best Treatment-Based: Oxygenetix Oxygenating Acne Control Foundation Best Oil-Free: Dermablend Flawless Creator Multi-Use Liquid Foundation
Key Ingredients in Foundations for Acne-Prone Skin
When finding the best foundation for acne-prone skin, don't gloss over the ingredients and the consistency of the makeup. To ensure that the foundation you wear won't aggravate it, clog the pores, and lead to pimples and breakouts, opt for lighter-weight foundations over thick, heavy ones, and always choose noncomedogenic, oil-free ones, too.
Some, but not every, foundation that's a good fit for acne-prone skin may contain anti-acne ingredients commonly found in skincare products, such as salicylic acid, green tea, witch hazel, or niacinamide to help keep the skin and pores clear. While your foundation doesn't need to contain these ingredients, it is key to avoid anything with known pore cloggers or acne-causing ingredients, which can include artificial dyes, synthetic fragrances, silica, mica, talc, and bismuth oxychloride. Others to stay clear of include silicone, mineral oil, shea butter, coconut oil, heavy waxes, and petroleum, which can easily clog the pores and cause a pimple to form.
Shop the Best Foundations for Acne-Prone Skin
Best Foundation Powder for Acne-Prone Skin: jane iredale PurePressed Base Mineral Foundation Refill SPF 20
632 reviews
$46.00
This lightweight vegan powder doesn't feel heavy on the skin or look cakey, but it covers up redness, lingering acne scars, and breakouts. The buildable foundation also doubles as a concealer and sunscreen (thanks to SPF 20) so that the skin is perfectly protected from potential sun damage and always boasts a filter-like finish.
Key Ingredients: Sea mineral extracts, pure mineral pigments, antioxidants, titanium oxide, zinc oxide, pomegranate extract, pine bark extract
Coverage: Full
Finish: Semi-matte
Shade Range: 26
Beauty Insider Tip: The powder foundation pairs with the brand's Refillable Compact for less waste and an eco-friendly approach to makeup.
Best Multi-Use Foundation For Acne-Prone Skin: Glo Skin Beauty Pressed Base Powder Foundation
315 reviews
$52.00
Although this triple-milled foundation powder is designed for full-face makeup, it can also be used as a setting powder to lock in liquid and cream foundations for a flawless finish. The mineral-based makeup gives a lightweight, radiant finish and buildable coverage that works for all skin types, even super sensitive skin, breakout-prone skin, and post-procedure skin.
Key Ingredients: Vitamins A, C, E, green tea extract, mineral pigments
Coverage: Buildable
Finish: Semi-matte
Shade Range: 24
Beauty Insider Tip: Apply the powder with a makeup sponge or brush depending on how you wish to use it and the look you want to achieve.
Best Lightweight Foundation for Acne-Prone Skin: bareMinerals COMPLEXION RESCUE® Tinted Moisturizer Mineral SPF 30
$39.00
Lighter in weight and coverage than your typical liquid foundation, this tinted moisturizer variation provides ample coverage without clogging the pores and always leaves the skin looking healthy and glowy. Offering sheer to light coverage and packed with SPF 30, it also provides long-lasting hydration so the skin remains well moisturized all day.
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, squalene, titanium dioxide
Coverage: Light
Finish: Sheer
Shade Range: 20
Beauty Insider Tip: Dot the makeup onto your cheeks, chin, forehead, and nose and blend outward for a seamless finish.
Related Article: BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer Lives Up to the Hype: Our Beauty Editor’s Candid Review
Best Long-Lasting Coverage Foundation: Anastasia Beverly Hills Impeccable Blurring Second Skin Matte Foundation
$46.00
You know those days when you need serious coverage that has to last? That's what this foundation was made for. Offering medium to full coverage depending on how much product you apply, this noncomedogenic, dermatologist-tested foundation blurs away pores, imperfections, blemishes, fine lines, and wrinkles, so all you see is smooth, flawless skin for hours on end.
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, bixa orellana seed extract, titanium dioxide
Coverage: Medium to full
Finish: Velvet matte
Shade Range: 25
Beauty Insider Tip: The non-cakey formula pairs well with all other types of makeup without melting, separating, or settling into lines.
Best Full-Coverage Foundation for Acne-Prone Skin: Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup
147 reviews
$52.00
The wrong type of foundation can slip and slide right off acne-prone skin, but this formulation doesn't do a disappearing act. The full coverage, oil-free makeup not only improves the appearance of uneven skin tone while concealing imperfections, but it is also designed to withstand heat and humidity so it doesn't smudge, rub off, or transfer off the skin.
Key Ingredients: Color true pigments
Coverage: Medium to full
Finish: Matte
Shade Range: 55
Beauty Insider Tip: For the most accurate color match, always test the foundation on your face rather than the arm or wrist.
Best Non-Pore Clogging Foundation for Acne-Prone Skin: RMS Beauty ReEvolve Natural Finish Foundation
2 reviews
$52.00
Formulated with good-for-your-skin ingredients to improve the skin's health and appearance, this silicone-free liquid foundation blurs imperfections, evens skin tone, and conceals redness while providing even coverage and a dose of hydration.
Key Ingredients: Tightenyl, vegetable squalane, organic aloe, adaptogenic herbal blend
Coverage: Medium
Finish: Natural
Shade Range: 16
Beauty Insider Tip: Start by applying one pump of makeup to the back of your hand and add a second for additional coverage.
Best Matte Finish Foundation for Acne-Prone Skin: bareMinerals BAREPRO® 24 Hour Matte Liquid Foundation Mineral SPF 20
$44.00
This clean, skin-improving liquid foundation provides a matte finish that is weightless and comfortable. It also absorbs excess oil from the skin's surface so that your face never looks shiny or greasy but fresh and radiant.
Key Ingredients: Mineral pigments, oil-absorbing minerals, pomegranate peel extract, mineral-based powders, zinc oxide
Coverage: Medium
Finish: Natural
Shade Range: 40
Beauty Insider Tip: The glass bottle is fully recyclable–just remove the pump and rinse the bottle clean.
Best Crease-Free Foundation for Acne-Prone Skin: tarte Amazonian Clay 16-hour Full Coverage Foundation
3 reviews
$42.00
Reach for this foundation, which boasts a mousse-like texture, for a matte finish that won't crease or budge no matter what the day brings. The full-coverage formula works overtime to blur imperfections and smooth out the skin for an airbrushed effect that lasts for up to 16 hours.
Key Ingredients: Amazonian clay, vitamin E, mineral pigments
Coverage: Full
Finish: Matte
Shade Range: 46
Beauty Insider Tip: The whipped mousse texture allows the foundation to glide onto the skin and feel light all day and night.
Best SPF-Infused Foundation for Acne-Prone Skin: Estée Lauder Futurist SkinTint Serum
$55.00
Part makeup and part skincare, this lightweight foundation offers sun protection while improving the appearance of the skin for a glow finish. Packed with skincare ingredients, too, the formula helps nourish the skin so that it's smoother, more refined, and softer with each use.
Key Ingredients: Meadowfoam seed, calendula and rosehip oil, clay, glucosamine, trametes versicolor extract, glycerin, saccharides
Coverage: Light
Finish: Natural
Shade Range: 29
Beauty Insider Tip: The foundation is created using ethically sourced meadowfoam seed oil from bee-friendly farms.
Best Dewy Foundation for Acne-Prone Skin: Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Aqua Foundation
42 reviews
$106.00
This ultra-lightweight foundation disguises the look of breakouts and blemishes and leaves behind the most natural-looking glow and dewy finish. Rich in sea minerals, the long-wear formula helps to keep the skin well hydrated while improving its tone and minimizing the appearance of enlarged pores. You'll wonder where this foundation has been all your life, but you will be happy you found it.
Key Ingredients: Powders, sea minerals, T3 oil
Coverage: Medium
Finish: Glowy
Shade Range: 5
Beauty Insider Tip: To tone down the makeup's glow factor, set it with powder.
Best Tinted Moisturizer for Acne-Prone Skin: RMS Beauty SunCoverup Super Tint Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen
$49.00
Infused with SPF 50, this silicone-free daily-use tinted moisturizer provides an even wash of radiant coverage so that skin looks more evenly toned. Perfect for those who like multitasking makeup formulas, this one also provides blue light protection while hydrating, almost acting like skincare.
Key Ingredients: GlowPlex, zinc oxide, adaptogenic herbal blend, squalane, bisabolol
Coverage: Sheer
Finish: Radiant
Shade Range: 13
Beauty Insider Tip: To build up the coverage, let each layer of the makeup sit for 30 seconds to dry down before applying another layer.
Related Article: An Honest RMS Beauty Review, Tested and Approved By Our Esthetician
Best Hydrating Foundation for Acne-Prone Skin: Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Skincaring Foundation with Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin C & E
$45.00
Anti-acne medications and products can sometimes leave the skin dry, which is why a hydrating foundation is essential in your makeup rotation. This buildable formula contains hyaluronic acid and vitamin E to flood the skin with moisture and comfort, all without settling into fine lines and wrinkles or accentuating the pores or shine.
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, vitamins C & E
Coverage: Buildable
Finish: Natural
Shade Range: 4o
Beauty Insider Tip: The dermatologist-tested foundation lasts up to 24 hours on the skin and never breaks down while wearing it.
Best Skin Tint for Acne-Prone Skin: U Beauty The Super Tinted Hydrator
1 reviews
$108.00
Skin tints, which are heavier than tinted moisturizers but lighter than traditional liquid foundations, are having a major moment, and for good reason. This safe makeup for acne-prone skin offers hydrating benefits and sheer coverage while instantly providing a perfect color match to the skin without the heavy, pore-clogging feeling and side effects that other foundations offer.
Key Ingredients: Purified oat extract, peptides, organic Argan oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, pure mineral pigments
Coverage: Sheer
Finish: Natural
Shade Range: 1o
Beauty Insider Tip: This unique formula keeps working to improve the skin and nourish the moisture barrier even after washing it off at the end of the day.
Best Treatment Foundation for Acne-Prone Skin: Oxygenetix Oxygenating Acne Control Foundation
26 reviews
$66.00
When active breakouts have you want to swear off makeup altogether but still crave coverage to conceal the skin, give this light foundation a try. It's perfect for camouflaging acne without aggravating it since the formula contains salicylic acid to decongest the pores and help heal breakouts while calming redness and inflammation for a flawless complexion.
Key Ingredients: Salicylic acid, aloe vera
Coverage: Buildable
Finish: Semi-Matte
Shade Range: 18
Beauty Insider Tip: The foundation is often recommended by doctors to be used on the skin post-procedure because it is gentle and soothing.
Best Oil-Free Foundation for Acne-Prone Skin: Dermablend Flawless Creator Multi-Use Liquid Foundation
61 reviews
$42.00
This oil-free liquid foundation is perfect for skin that tends to break out from makeup. Offering instant results and a flawless finish, this never-cakey formula contains just 10 ingredients that help to disguise the look of redness, dry skin, pimples, uneven skin tones, and hyperpigmentation without every smudging or budging.
Key Ingredients: Silica, titanium dioxide
Coverage: Light
Finish: Natural
Shade Range: 20
Beauty Insider Tip: Add a drop or two to your favorite foundation to amp up its coverage, or wear the foundation on its own for more of a skin tint.
FAQs
How Can Wearing Makeup Impact Acne?
Some foundations can make acne-prone skin act up and lead to breakouts simply if the formula contains pore-clogging ingredients that trap dirt, oil, bacteria, and dead skin cells under the makeup. No matter if you have an active breakout or are more sensitive to wearing makeup because it tends to break you out, any foundation that isn't oil-free and is comedogenic can also irritate and inflame the skin, worsening acne. The thicker the foundation, the more likely it is to get pushed deep within the pores and exacerbate pimples and breakouts by trapping pimple-causing materials.
What Makeup Do Dermatologists Recommend for Acne?
Dermatologists tend to recommend noncomedogenic and oil-free foundations for acneic skin. They also lean towards clean formulations void of heavy waxes, oils, and silicones, which can easily clog pores. Mineral-based makeup and those that contain anti-acne ingredients, like salicylic acid, are also at the top of most dermatologists' recommendation lists.
What is the Best Foundation for Not Clogging Pores?
The best foundation for acne-prone skin is a personal choice, but we have to say that any formula that's lightweight and more of a serum consistently without comedogenic ingredients is best. You'll also want to look for oil-free foundations. This way, the skin is less likely to be bombarded with a host of pore-clogging ingredients that can lead to clogged pores and, therefore, unwanted breakouts.
The Bottom Line
Just because you struggle with acneic skin doesn't mean you must avoid wearing makeup altogether. Foundations are safe–and some are beneficial–for this skin type as long as you use the correct formulations. Avoid applying anything too heavy to the skin, and always go for oil-free, noncomedogenic, lightweight formulations to safeguard against clogged pores and breakouts. Beyond finding the best foundations for acne-prone skin, it is also imperative to always remove the makeup at the end of the day or night before going to sleep and follow a well-rounded anti-acne skincare routine to keep your skin clean, clear, and glowing!
Elise Minton Tabin is an award-winning beauty journalist, editor, and beauty expert with more than 16 years of experience. She previously held the title of Executive Beauty Editor at NewBeauty magazine, where she reported on beauty, plastic surgery, anti-aging, health and wellness. She was also instrumental in the launch of the beauty supplement brand Hush & Hush. A self-professed beauty junkie and retinol and sunscreen pusher, Elise knows what’s new, what works and who’s the best to go for every procedure under the sun. Follow Elise on Facebook, Instagram, and on her beauty blog, elisetabin.com
Related Posts
What Causes Oily Skin? (Plus, 8 Products that Will Get Rid of Excess Shine)
