Acne.org Products
I am about to start the regimen and need help choosing a high end foundation. Drug store foundations often lead to bad break outs for me. I have narrowed it down to several options that are specified for sensitive skin. I have read that you should avoid foundations including a high amount of alcohol, do you agree? Some of foundations include dior skin nude and lancome tient miracle. Even though I'd like to try these foundations I've found some alternatives such as tarte amazonian clay, hourglass immaculate liquid to powder, smashbox halo and makeup forever HD. I'd like to hear any opinions on foundations mentioned as well as other recommendations. Thanks!
I had horrible luck with makeup forever products, to the point where I broke out during my accutane course, I have tried smash box and thought it was pretty good. I also tried Clinique and desided to stick with that. It is inexpensive and works Great and can cover all the nasty marks we all know acne causes. If your interested I can tell you more about it. I use the only full coverage makeup line they carry. I am now clear thanks to spironolactone and I just use it to cover any spots I have left from Hyperpigmentaion. So it's a very flexible makeup. Goes from full coverage makeup I used full face to just being a concealer. I love it. I use a tube every 8 months. $24.00
You can check cosdna.com for the safety of ingredients in each foundation.
Smashbox foundations never break me out, but unfortunately I can never match my shade and they tend to oxidize on my skin.
Right now, I'm using Urban Decay which is supposed to be free of anything that might cause acne, yet for some reason I think it might be clogging my pores.
The new hourglass foundation sounds really good, but again I couldn't find my shade. It seems ideal for oily, acne-prone skin.
It is definitely hard trying to find a foundation that works- personally I need a pale foundation with no orange undertones and I buy only cruelty free products so it adds another layer to tackle.
I use Cargo liquid foundation because it is oil free, does not test on animals, eco packing friendly, is great for sensitive skin, and also allows your skin to breathe under the foundation. It feels really natural to me.
Sometimes with the flakiness though I wonder if I should switch to the mineral kind and have definitely looked at faerie organics and alima pure minerals. Bare Minerals made me super itchy in the past but I think the bismuth oxychloride was the problem.
Good luck finding your perfect kind!
Everyone is different, and many foundations that other people with acne prone skin love break me out, so it's really a trial and error thing, unfortunately. But, you can do a little research to try and limit your failures!
I also recommend checking COSDNA, it is very informative. There are a lot of 'non-comedogenic' products that contain high amounts of comedogenic ingredients. The testing for comedogenicity is very vague - most companies just do a small sample with a few normal skinned people as there are no regulations. The ratings from COSDNA are based on peer reviewed journal articles (good sources), most of which use the bunny ear test for individual ingredients. Apply something to a bunny ear and see if it gets little bunny zits. Some of these tests have been re-done on people (the backs of people with acne) to see if the theory holds, and it usually does. However, some of the ingredients it says to fear are not actually that bad for people (like cetyl alcohol), so you have to take it with a grain of salt and do a little extra research if there is something that seems concerning.
However, some well known non-comedogenic products, like La Roche (not the specific item mentioned, the brand), actually contain high amounts of comedogenic substances (in the first 3 ingredients). Check effalclar duo or toleriane ultra - not makeup but they both have highly comedogenic ingredients in the first few from a company that claims ALL its products are safe. The duo is the most ironic, because it is supposed to fight acne, but the second ingredient is incredibly comedogenic in all the research I have read. I found this to be true.
Back to foundation. Lancome foundations are loaded with alcohol. The ingredients from the website for teint idole are NOT the ones it actually contains, at least I have never been able to find one without alcohol at the top of the list. Many of them (teint miracle) also contain bismuth oxychloride which can be an irritant for many people. However, it is one of the main ingredients in bare minerals which many people like - hence the idea that you never know what will work for you.
It is virtually impossible to find a foundation that is free of all comedogenic ingredients, so your best bet is to look for one where, if it has some, they are all pretty far down on the list. Although, I also avoid the ones with ingredient lists that are super long because I like to have some idea about what the things in it are.
Of the ones you have mentioned I have tried the lancome and it was not a good choice for me, although I did like the feel and coverage. I also tried the hourglass which I found was a super weird colour, and I normally do not have problems finding a match for my skin tone. It also had very little coverage, and the primer I tried with it (also hourglass) gave me clogged pores around my nose, so I stopped using it before that started elsewhere. It's too bad because I loved the primer, and see why others like it so much. Another one that works well for a lot of people, but just not for some (me!).
Personally I am using Estee Lauder Double Wear Camouflage. It does have one ingredient I don't like, but it is FAR down the list after quite a few ingredients that are actually nice for skin, like vitamin C, E, and linoleic acid. So far so good. This is some serious cover, though, and I wouldn't recommend it unless, like me, you are looking to HIDE EVERYTHING. I am hoping to switch to something lighter when I get a little clearer (currently on accutane).
So, let me know how it goes as I am also hoping to find something new eventually . . .
Purple123- Thanks for the nail polish recommendation- always looking for slightly more natural products.
I usually buy it off the cargo website because they have coupons sometimes, however, Ulta carries it (just not in the lightest color F-10) and so does Amazon.
Even after trying tons of more "natural" or non-comedogenic products at Sephora and Ulta, I keep coming back to the Cargo.
i really like mac studio tech liquid foundation or mac studio fix powder/foundation but lately I have just been wearing dermablend concealer as my all over makeup. it covers really well and it wont break you out but what i like to do is to buy a few different foundations from sephora or ulta and then go home and try them out and whatever i dont like i return.
An often overlooked brand is Merle Norman products. They have a wonderful full coverage foundation called Aqua Balance. It is fragrance free, oil free, non-acnegenic and non-comedogenic.
You can't order their products online, unfortunately, so you will have to find a Merle Norman boutique. They're usually all over the place. You could go to their website and type in your city or zip code and it will give you the nearest location.
The above foundation is any where from $22 to $29, depending on how much the local boutique wishes to sell it for.
This company also does not test on animals, if that is one of your concerns. Good luck!
I have been using the new Flower About Face foundation by Drew Barrimore...so cheap at walmart compared to high end brands and, in my opinion, just as good if not better. I was surprised. The liquid foundation includes a primer, so it literally only takes a few minutes to prep your face for it. It's more suitable for dry-normal skin. The ingredients are pretty good too...and no animal testing.
I would like to try merle norman too, but right now I'm alternating between smashbox (sparingly to save $) and flower. I also only use mineral powder 3-4 times a week, and sometimes even only concealer (maybeline fit me concealer).
Are you warm (yellow undertone) or more cool (pink undertone)? I have trouble with foundations because most, even high-end ones like MAC, only come with yellow undertones (even if they look pink in the bottle...)
Flower looks interesting, though I decided not to try it for my cool skin because of this review:
Many, many trips and 6-different-shades-purchased later, I couldn't find a color remotely fit for a cool (Irish) complexion. Before I had purchased so many, I contacted Flower but did not receive a reply, then just decided to buy everything from LF1-LF6.
If you've used the shades Fair or Light (and have pink/blue undertones) in any other foundation line, you won't find a match in this line and you can spend a lot of time purchasing online or in-person and just end up frustrated.I love that this product is CRUELTY-FREE and paraben-free! The quality and packaging were very good/excellent. I only wish it were a line that offered options to people without a yellow undertone! I would recommend this to anyone I know who has the right skin tone, but offering nothing for the cool-skinned sure leaves a lot of people out. Hopefully Flower will expand its color offerings - I'd love to be a loyal customer!
Makeup Forever HD caused clogged pores and Tarte Amazonian clay BB cream, though it provided a sheer, glowy, and beautiful finish, made me breakout pretty quickly.
I would also stay away from STILA illuminating tinted moisturizer. (It made my skin look INCREDIBLE for two days, and then gave me a horrific breakout.)
On another note, since these failures, I've been using COSDNA and similar websites like the several users mentioned above. I'm about to begin using Lancome Teint Ultra 24 HRS, so I'll let you know how that goes. I checked each ingredient, and it none of the ingredients were too high on the comedogenic list.
Good luck!
I use the Estee Lauder Double Wear Light foundation. I've never tried the normal Double Wear, but I like this light version. It's meant to be non-comodogenic and hypoallergenic, and I find it doesn't break me out or irritate my skin. Negatives would be the limited range of shades and coverage is a light-medium. I am currently on the hunt for a fuller coverage foundation for those special occasions though, and I'm contemplating on the Stila Stay All Day Foundation.
I think I'm more golden/peachy undertones, but F4 matches me better than the other foundation Ihave, and it doesn't oxidize. They have a decent color range, and some colors match various undertones because I've seen girls with neutral undertones look good in the F4 too when they review the product online. I was going to say you should ask for a sample, but it's only sold at walmart currently and unless there's an open foundation there as a tester, you won't know for sure until you buy it. Luckily, my local walmart always has opened cosmetics (not deliberately lol) so I was able to try it before deciding to buy.
Are you warm (yellow undertone) or more cool (pink undertone)? I have trouble with foundations because most, even high-end ones like MAC, only come with yellow undertones (even if they look pink in the bottle...)
Flower looks interesting, though I decided not to try it for my cool skin because of this review:
Many, many trips and 6-different-shades-purchased later, I couldn't find a color remotely fit for a cool (Irish) complexion. Before I had purchased so many, I contacted Flower but did not receive a reply, then just decided to buy everything from LF1-LF6.
If you've used the shades Fair or Light (and have pink/blue undertones) in any other foundation line, you won't find a match in this line and you can spend a lot of time purchasing online or in-person and just end up frustrated.I love that this product is CRUELTY-FREE and paraben-free! The quality and packaging were very good/excellent. I only wish it were a line that offered options to people without a yellow undertone! I would recommend this to anyone I know who has the right skin tone, but offering nothing for the cool-skinned sure leaves a lot of people out. Hopefully Flower will expand its color offerings - I'd love to be a loyal customer!
The only foundations that have matched my skin tone perfectly are Loreal TrueMatch (they have cool, neutral, and warm lines) and Revlon ColorStay.
I have tried Hourglass Immaculate foundation. It does not clog pores or causes breakouts. However, my dry patches show up and acne that has dried up shows up as well. Not a good look in general. But very nice foundation if you have oily skin. I will come back to this if my skin is ever pimple free again and they have more shade. The current shade is slightly brown on my skin.
MUFE HD foundation doesn't break me out but the duo mat powder has magnesium stearate which my skin reacts to. I will try their new pro powder when they have my shade. MUFE matches my skins tone the most and gives me very nice full coverage in real light settings and photos!
The Smashbox HALO powder is very nice. Doesn't break me out or clogs my pores but the cover is not as good as the duo mat and it's too dark for my skin. I have to use MUFE HD in a lighter shade to wear the smashbox on top. If the Smashbox came in my colour, this would be my go to powder
Others that I have tried that has not broken me out:
Chanel mat foundation - the 30 was too dark for my skin and if I go a shade lighter then it's too light for my skin.
Chantecille Future Skin foundation and compact make up. Light to medium coverage only.
By Terry Teint delectation - plumping fluid foundation (very nice but too oily for my skin).
By Terry cover expert Perfecting fluid Foundation - nothing wrong except for the price. I'd rather stick to MUFE as it does the same thing on skin
Est©e Lauder double wear - I can't find my shade.
Jane Iredale pure pressed powder and Meow cosmetics. They do not have my colour and I simply can't mix the meow to get my shade...I tired and failed so many times that I gave up.
Hello,
I can recommend the Silk Creme Foundation from Laura Mercier for dry, acne prone skin.
After using it for nearly 2 months now it hasn't caused a breakout for me, also it is medium to full coverage and it does a good job of covering the bulk of my reddness.
Concerning the ingredients, the foundation is water-based and only few silicones.
Hope this helps
