Acne and Makeup: Don't Let Cosmetics Create Breakouts

While acne is generally caused by hormones, unhealthy diets, lifestyles and genetics, there is such a thing as acne caused by makeup. The condition is called Acne Cosmetica. Acne Cosmetica can be the primary cause of your blemishes and breakouts, or it can simply be something that aggravates and accentuates breakouts. Whatever roll makeup and cosmetics play in your acne breakouts, you can minimize the effect that makeup has on your skin's health by following these simple rules.

Always, Always Wash Your Makeup Off
If you are prone to blemishes, then there is absolutely no reason that you should ever, ever sleep with your makeup on. Always wash your makeup off fully. We recommend using a specific makeup remover followed by a normal cleansing of your skin to remove any last residue. This includes eye makeup as well! Just because you don't break out around your eyes, it doesn't mean it's good for your skin to sleep with mascara on.

Use a Primer Beneath Your Makeup
You can minimize the impact that makeup has directly on your skin by wearing a skin conditioning or pore minimizing primer beneath your makeup. Many skin care companies and even cosmetic companies are offering primers that focus on skin care rather than concealing imperfections these days.

Test Your Makeup Before You Use It
If you're using new makeup, test it on a small (and not visible) patch of skin before you apply it directly to your face in order to ensure that you won't have a reaction to it or it won't make you break out. We recommend testing on your neck or the inside of your wrist.

Be Aware of Ingredients
In general, the more chemicals a makeup has in its ingredient list, the less likely it is to be good for your skin. Opt for gentle makeup brands that, ideally, use predominantly natural ingredients. We know that it's not possible with every piece of makeup to buy natural products, but use as many as you can so as to not stress out your skin.

Look for Products Specifically for Acne-Prone Skin
Many makeup companies now produce makeup that includes acne fighting ingredients or that is designed for acne prone skin. Of course, if you're prone to breakouts, you always want to buy oil-free foundations and makeup, but these days you can take that one step farther and actually buy makeup that fights acne while you wear it.

Makeup should make you look beautiful, not cause your skin to break out so that you feel like you need to wear more makeup! Do your research and be responsible with your makeup and you'll look beautiful whether you're wearing cosmetics or not!

Jocelyn Saurini is a freelance writer. She herself has battled with finding the best acne treatment products for her own needs and has tried dozens of skin care products and written hundreds of skin care product reviews. These days, she's happy to report that she's acne-free.

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