However, with acne, you may want to cover up your blemishes with concealer, foundation, or other acne cover-up techniques. Let’s look at what works, and what doesn’t, to cover up your acne with makeup, as well as some pros and cons to wearing cover-up or choosing to forego it.

What are my cover-up options?

With some forms of acne, it may take more makeup to cover up the blemishes you have. Light pink blemishes from acne vulgaris may be easily concealed by using foundation to diminish the contrast between the pimples and the rest of your skin. Larger blemishes with more texture, more surface area, more height, or a scab in the middle will be harder to cover up.

There are a number of facial products you can use to help improve the appearance of your skin. These include:

• Concealer: Thick kind of like paint – intended for hiding specific spots

• Liquid foundation / Base: Intended to smooth out / cover a whole area of skin

• Powder foundation (Skin-toned power, compressed or applied with a brush to soften the skin’s appearance and further even out the tone.)

Do they work? – IMPORTANT!

While covering up acne can make it look better for the short term, you may also be making it worse overall by contributing to the clogging of your own pores. In general, the more you want to hide your acne, the more makeup products you are likely to use; and the more makeup products you use (and the more frequently you use them), the more likely you are to clog your pores.

To minimize the negative effects of cover-up, keep these things in mind:

1. Less is better. If you use liquid foundation, try to transition to an oil-free powder foundation instead. Don’t wear makeup every day. Choose your battles.

2. Always read the labels!! Many facial products are engineered with non-pore-clogging ingredients. Use only products designed for teenagers and specifically for acne.

3. Some cover-up products even contain acne-fighting ingredients.

Other helpful skin care body products

Other products that, if you buy the right one, you can be taking better care of your skin and acne, include:

Sun screens: Choose special “oil free” face-specific sunscreens. These will protect your skin without harming your complexion.

Moisturizers: When you wash your face with a medicinal face wash, it may get dried out, especially during the winter or if you live in a dry climate. Get a facial moisturizer with an acne-fighting ingredient such as salicylic acid to keep your skin in great condition.

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