How to Cover Up Acne With Makeup

Covering up acne with makeup can be tricky. But if you keep your skin clear of pimple-irritating ingredients like lanolin, artificial fragrances and colors, formaldehyde (a preservative) and mineral oil, and you use products that contain skin-healing elements like salicylic acid, botanical oils and antioxidants, makeup can actually help your acne.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Oil-free lotion
• Acne-medicated concealer
• Makeup sponge
• Noncomedogenic foundation
• Face powder

1. Prep clean skin with an oil-free lotion.

2. Cover up any pesky red spots with an acne-medicated concealer. Green-tinted concealers help neutralize red blemishes, making them easier to disguise. Put it only on your red spots, though, or you may end up looking seasick.

3. Using a clean makeup sponge, apply a noncomedogenic (acne-friendly) oil-controlling foundation to your entire face. Choose a foundation that comes in an airtight tube. Open-mouthed bottles collect bacteria, and that is the last thing acne-prone skin needs.

4. To keep makeup from sliding off, set foundation with loose face powder.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep oil-absorbing sheets handy to soak up any excess shine throughout the day.