I know how it goes…
You wake up in the morning from a good night’s sleep, stumble to the kitchen to start your coffee machine, and hop in the shower to freshen up. Life is good…
That is until the steam from your shower dissipates revealing your mirror, and you’re left looking at an acne filled face that you were not expecting nor welcoming.
You’re now left with two options:
1. To apply your prescribed topical acne medication from your dermatologist or skin care physician
2. To cover up the breakout with makeup that may include pore clogging ingredients
Although option 1 is the better option, if you are being honest with yourself, option 2 is the option you often end up resorting to. After all, don’t you have to look “presentable” for your peers at school, work, or in the office?
Despite the positive shift in the beauty industry, reminding us that we are all beautiful no matter what, a lot of teens and young adults still confide in makeup to enhance their natural beauty. For young adults suffering with acne breakouts, makeup is what they turn to with the hopes of creating a “flawless”, acne-free finish. This is because young adults still find acne to be burdensome, hindering their self-confidence, reminding them of their pubescent years1.
Since makeup wearing amongst young women is almost inevitable whether they have acne or not, it’s important to understand what makeup and skin care steps should be used/followed to ensure that acne and breakouts don’t worsen.
If makeup is part of your daily routine, which most likely is since you are reading this post, here are three important tips you should note to promote healthy skin, and avoid further breakouts:
1. Prep your skin
2. Avoid makeup with pore clogging ingredients (comedogenic ingredients)
3. Start a skin care routine for acne
Prep your skin
A lot of people suffering with acne, specifically those with oily skin, tend to think that due to the excess moisture on their skin (oil), that skincare products, more specifically moisturizer, should be avoided. In reality, no matter your skin type and level of acne, using skincare before makeup application is extremely important as it soothes the skin by locking in moisture, and also helps to alleviate skin irritation2. Furthermore, other skincare products such as SPF helps protect your skin from environmental factors like the sun. Such products are also crucial to minimizing irritants to the skin2. To read more on the importance of skincare products such as SPF click here.
Now that you understand that moisturizing and protecting your skin is crucial for skin health, it’s important to note what kinds of makeup you should/shouldn’t use to minimize further breakouts. Because yes–Breakouts caused by makeup is a thing!
This next tip can change the game for your makeup routine, so read carefully!
Avoid makeup with pore clogging ingredients (comedogenic ingredients)
Before we dive into products that have “pore clogging” ingredients, let me explain how acne is formed in the first place!
Acne is caused by the accumulation of oils and dead skin cells clogging a hair follicle, which lead to whiteheads, blackheads, red spots, lumps, and pimples. Therefore, if you are looking to avoid further acne breakouts, you want to avoid ingredients that clog the hair follicles on your face, chest, and back3.
As a result, when it comes to makeup, it is important to stay away from makeup brands that use pore clogging ingredients, AKA, comedogenic ingredients. This is because they are known to clog pores (the hair follicle), thus leading to acne3. And believe it or not, not all comedogenic ingredients are chemically created. In fact, although “all natural” products may sound more appealing to you, ingredients such as cocoa butter and coconut oil are also considered comedogenic4, therefore blocking the hair follicle and increasing the likelihood of acne on your face. So don’t be fooled!
A good way to ensure that you are not putting yourself at a greater risk of developing more acne, is to research a chart of comedogenic ingredients.
Great! You now understand what makeup you should avoid while filling up your makeup bag, but what about your skin care routine following a day of wearing makeup?
Start a skincare routine for acne
As previously mentioned, skin care, no matter your skin type, is super important to lock in moisture, and soothe skin irritation (aka acne). But how do you ensure that your skin care routine is suitable for you and your fight against acne?
Let me answer that for you!
Studies have shown that it is important for individuals with acne prone skin to choose the most suitable topical dermocosmetics for their unique skin type5. While over the counter skin care can go a long way, and be a great start to your skin care journey6, it’s important to sit down with your dermatologist or skin care physician to understand what type of skin you have, so that you can find the right products for you5.
Let’s recap!
You made it this far and now you want to treat your acne, all while amplifying your natural beauty with makeup. To do so I urge you to remember the importance of
- Skin prep
- The ingredients in your makeup (avoid comedogenic ingredients)
- Finding a unique solution for your acne through prescribed topical acne medication and skin care
Now, if you want to get a head start on clearing your skin, and don’t want to waste money on over the counter products that may not be a good solution for you, click here to Take the Skin Diagnostic. When you complete the skin diagnostic, you will be connected with an award winning skin care physician, Dr. Shehla Ebrahim, based in Vancouver, BC, who also runs a tele dermatology clinic for her national and international patients.
If you would like to regain your confidence through personalized care, click here to schedule a virtual consultation at Dr. Shehla Ebrahim’s tele dermatology clinic!