Am I Making My Acne Worse by Applying MakeUp?

Hello Sunshine! I just want to share that few days ago I had a pimple! Me, the girl who NEVER gets a pimple had one... on her chin... it was soooo annoying! I may sound like I'm exaggerating but promise, in that moment, I truly felt the frustration of those who actually experience acne more regularly.

Today, I want to address the question: "Am I Making My Acne Worse by Applying MakeUp?" See, the concept of skincare today is massively different to what we thought of it back then. In the recent past, skincare routine was composed of alcohol-based cleansers (which we also mistakenly called toners), stringy astringents, and Chinese whitening creams. Today, beauty and beauty and skincare has become complicated, somehow forcing consumers to spend thousands both in skincare and makeup lines.

Today, as more people are getting and investing in their skincare products, and more products are being released even for problems we did not know we had, more questions are being put into light. To women of today, one bad trial routine of skincare products could result in a massive and irreversible breakout. With our increasing awareness and knowledge of how our skin works, we are being very, very careful–sometimes, even too much– with what we digest and put into on our skin. One of the questions most–if not all–of us had was, “Can I put on makeup if I have severe acne? Won’t it worsen my skin?”.

The short answer is yes, you can, and maybe it won’t. The more interesting version is you can, and it probably won’t–with the use of right products.

Some makeup lines are made for superficiality: to color, brighten, and conceal; while some are indeed formulated to fix and protect your skin. In fact, a good show of that are sunblock being integrated into BB creams and foundation and moisturizers being put into lipsticks. More interestingly, to cater some of us who want not just to conceal acne and its dreadful marks, but also fix and heal them, there are makeup lines that have been produced for us. Some are more popular products such as Neutrogena and Clinique, and some are somehow new to our ears, such as Medicube.

So, if you are acne-prone and consider yourself a makeup junkie, it’s time for you to exercise your patience, and find time to actually read a product’s label, and research. But generally, here are some things that you should be on the lookout for:

Hypoallergenic

When products say that they are hypoallergenic, what does this really mean? Hypoallergenic products were formulated to less likely cause an allergic reaction, due to the lack of irritating agents. If you are looking into various products–from makeup to cleansers–, hypoallergenic products could be one your safest bets. Having that label on most baby-related products speaks highly of it. If it’s safe enough for a baby, we can say that it’s generally safe for us as well.

Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic Acid

You might have encountered this term if you have been struggling with acne for a long time. Benzoyl peroxide is used to treat mild to moderate acne topically. It makes the skin not prone to bacteria and helps in removing dead skin cells. Most users have reported amazing results with using benzoyl peroxide topically, so it is great to see that makeup lines are trying to incorporate this in their formulation.

Salicylic acid is of the same nature, as it also removes dead skin cells that are clogging pores. It is, however, best for whiteheads and blackheads. It is also milder than benzoyl peroxide, so if you have sensitive skin and minimal breakouts, you are better with having makeup products that contain salicylic acid.

Oil-based Products

Some people report that their makeup actually caused their acne. The cause of acne is usually clogged and irritated pores and oil is sometimes one of the culprits of that. So, if you are acne-prone and is using oil-based makeup, you might be actually worsening your acne. Your best option is to veer away from any oil-based foundation (even if you love it!), and go for the oil-free option.

“Non-comedogenic”

More often than not, we see a lot of products that have “non-comedogenic” on their labels, without actually any explanation on what it stands for. Comedo (or comedones) are what we usually call our whiteheads and blackheads, which are clogged pores. Whiteheads are closed comedones, and blackheads are the open ones, which is black due to melanin. In essence, non-comedogenic products refer to products that were specially formulated to avoid clogging pores.

Acne has been a problem for us since the beginning of time. As to makeup junkies, this can bum us out, as we also spend different products for both makeup and skincare. With the proper products and usage, we can actually take care of our skin by doing what we love: putting on and trying out makeup. For inspiration, here's a selfie I took that time before I experience my first painful chin pimple!!
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