There’s been a lot of talk lately about ditching makeup, but from the sounds of your responses to this video, many of us are not ready to give it up. And that is perfectly understandable!
If you are going to wear makeup though, you might as well try and find something that isn’t going to irritate or make your acne worse, so here is a guest article from a Québécois reader named Noémie who finally found something that worked for her after years of searching.
Hiding a problem is never a solution. I know that. But sometimes, hiding your acne can be really helpful to lower your stress levels and make you feel more confidant.
There’s a lot of different view points about it, but for me, the most important thing in the process of getting rid of acne is to try to be less self conscious about it. And sometimes, the best way to do that is to hide it with a little bit of makeup.
However, you don’t want to make it worse by piling tons of products on your face. It will only irritate your skin because makeup products are often made with lots of chemicals, like BHA and BHT, PEG compounds and Parabens. Those products are used as preservatives in almost every foundation and concealer, in addition to silicones which clog your pores. That’s why I don’t recommend using those products.
So What is My Makeup Trick?
You are probably asking yourself what you can use to cover your pimples if both concealer and foundation are not recommended, right?
Let me introduce you to BB cream – also known as blemish balm or beauty balm. That was the only thing I could use on top of my acne without breaking out from it.
BB creams were first used in Korea to help hide and heal marks left from a laser surgery. That means it’s very gentle on the skin, more than every foundation in your local drugstore. And the coverage is simply amazing.
But we have to be realistic – BB creams also contain chemicals. It’s very hard to find products that are completely free of it these days. However, in my personal opinion and experience, I could tell you that it’s at least much better than regular makeup products. And because the coverage is so great, you have to use less of it.
How to Use BB Cream
So now you know what BB cream is, but let me explain how to use it.
You don’t have to cover your entire face with it – I would recommend to use it only where you need it. For example, if you have a bad breakout on your forehead, but your cheeks are pretty clear, try to just put it on your forehead. In fact, BB cream, if applied in a thin layer, will take the exact color of your skin. But when we apply it only on the spots we want to hide, we tend to put it on way too thickly, and the colour will not match your skin.
So remember, use a thin layer only were you need it. With BB cream, less is more. Oh and the most important thing about it is that you will get ultimate result by applying it with CLEAN fingers. It will warm up the product and make the application smoother. I really want to insist on the CLEAN word, cause you don’t want to transfer bacteria onto your face.
Which Brand to Choose?
There’s a brand in particular that I highly recommend. I have used it for years now and it works wonders. It’s the Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream, and I used it in both of the shades 21 and 23. I order mine online from this website www.yesstyle.com. I also recommend the BRTC Blemish Recover Balm and Skin79 Super Beblesh Balm.
Now, if you don’t want to buy BB cream, there a little trick you can do with concealer. But as I said before, I don’t recommend it because concealer is highly comedogenic. But if you only cover your spots, it shouldn’t be that bad.
You can apply a bit of green pigmented concealer on top of a pimple with a small concealer brush. The green will neutralize the red of your pimple and make it less visible. Green concealer could be found on makeup stores like Sephora or you can sometimes find some in your local drugstore.
So that’s pretty much it!
I hope this was helpful in letting you know how to cover your acne the right way!! And remember, don’t try to hide your entire face with makeup. Simply use the least amount that is possible to make you feel comfortable, without covering every tiny imperfection on your complexion.
Which type and brand of makeup has worked for you?
I’ve been DYING to try BB Cream because I’ve heard rave reviews about it from so many people, but I’ve had a very hard time finding one without parabens or fragrance (Missha unfortunately is an offender on both counts). I’d love it if anyone could recommend a brand that they know to have more wholesome ingredients.
I use a combination of Larenim and Silk Naturals mineral makeup right now. It doesn’t irritate my acne and I’m pretty happy with the coverage, except my skin tends to flake and it shows up a lot under powdered makeup.
The BRTC blemish recover balm is unsented, but I’m not sure about the parabens…
My problem is flaky skin too! Wearing makeup makes it look so much worse. So I usually opt out of it. :/
I’m wondering…has anyone tried to make their own makeup before?
I’ve heard you can turn mineral makeup into something like a liquid foundation by mixing it with moisturizer (you could probably use aloe or oil too… I don’t like commercial moisturizers). I haven’t tried it though.
Yes! I make mineral makeup and it is actually quite cheap and wonderful quality. Talking High end mineral foundation quality. I get my minerals from TKB trading! Let me know if you are interested!
After many years of trying make up, I definitly adopt the mineral make up, which contains only minerals. Bacterias cannot develop in these products. You have great product “Everyday Mineral Makeup” from US, it’s absolutely fabulous! No break out, great cover for acne… I found nothing better!
It lets breathe the skin, so perfect for us!
It’s natural and efficient, just try it and you will love it.
I am not a merchant^^ just a french woman who cares for her skin!
I, too, after many year of wearing heavy and poisonous drugstore make up discovered some alternatives such as the bb creams. What you failed to mention in your article is that both of the bb creams you recommend are very siliconey. As far as i’m concerned, only swanicoco, the face shop and innisfree(among the cheaper asian brands) carry more natural and silicone-free bb creams. I’m not saying that the other brands make terrible products, but they are not so different than the make up you’re used to.
I’d suggest purchasing make up from etsy and other clean brands. If you’re someone that is hesitant to use cosmetics made by hand, Nomoredirtylooks.com have amazing(yet pricey) recommendations of healthy cosmetics manufactured by bigger brands.
what about bare essentials? does anyone know if they contain harmful chemicals?
It has bismuth oxychloride in it, which I read can be irritating when I was researching mineral makeups. I really recommend Silk Naturals. I started with another brand and it ended up being too dark even though I went to the store and got color matched, so I bought some plain white Silk Naturals to mix with it and it feels nice and improved the coverage a lot.
bare essentials/minerals is an option if you get the matte formula. Matte doesn’t contain the evil bismuth oxychloride.
I think that Bare Essentials is too expensive for what it is. You pay the brand and not the real cost of the product. Everyday Minerals has no bad ingredients in iy and is cheaper. I tried Bare Essentials but I had pimples after that.
i’ve never tried em, but my acne was terrible after i used bare minerals and ive been afraid to ever try mineral makeup since. i use a really bad liquid makeup and have tried others and nothing broke me out terribly like bare minerals so i would never recommend it.
I will go on the look out for BB cream, I had never heard of it before!
If anyone is looking for a nice bismuth free mineral makeup, they should check out http://www.lilylolo.co.uk
I’m unsure if they deliver worldwide but they don’t contain anything except pigmentation. You can get concealers etc. Thing is, it’s much better to use in the summer as it can be quite powdery. I’m not too sure how good its coverage is eiother, as my acne wasn’t that bad (one or two spots) when I started to use it. Who knows though, I’ve gone off the pill now which was the only thing that really cleared me up so I could be testing its coverage in the coming months – although I must be positive and try not to think like that!
The great thing about LilyLolo is that they will send you samples for free, so you can test out what colur works for you and if it suits your skin.
* either
*colour
wow, I should not type in the morning!
Thank you for this post! I will most certainly be ordering some BB cream!:) I am a professional make-up artist for a living so it is my job to wear make-up. But recently I have been using Inika Minerals, they do not contain typical make-up irritants. I have got on very well with the product and I find it does not cause me to break out.
How to cure pimples HQ
I use faerie organic makeup. It’s perfect 🙂
I use Almay and their powder is awesome. They also have this foundation that is a stick and on the other side liquid medicine for acne..I love that because sometimes I’m gone all day and need that. I also bring medicine wipes and clean my skin once a day and reapply my makeup. Also I use Azetec Secret Indian Helaing Clay..omigod an amazing clay mask..you can get that a health store OR on Amazon. It works and I use it every morning.
Oh darn I have a typo..it’s Azetec Secret Indian Healing Clay. One needs to try it and use it every morning. It works!!! It dries up acne and the face get’s a wake-up call.
BB cream is not necessarily as good as you write about here. BB creams have a long list of chemicals and it’s primarily used as a 1 step cream for foundation, sunscreen and moisturizer. Also, the coverage is too light and does not cover up acne or hyper pigmentation very well unless you layer it on (which would accentuate the acne). Since it’s a cream you may also need to use a powder over it to give a matte finish. From my personal experience, the best makeup for acne is mineral makeup. It’s natural, chemical free, has great coverage and best of all feels light on the skin. I use the Korres brand of mineral makeup and it has never caused acne or irritation. I think those with acne should skip the unnecessary chemicals and cover up areas with mineral makeup which also lasts longer and does not need to be reapplied.
I’ve tried many mineral make-up brands, and honestly none of them cover up my dark spots…so yeah. I find cream-based foundations work the best, but am having trouble finding a natural brand…
BB creams have only a few shades. I believe Missha’s comes in only two shades. On the other hand, you can find an array of shades with mineral makeup. I don’t recommend Bare Minerals, however. I had a terrible itchy irritation from that brand. But check out Korres; their mineral powders are finely milled and super soft on the skin with great coverage. 🙂
Hi girls… I’ve been using uncover up by RMS beauty! It’s about as pure as you can get, made out of coconut oil it won’t clog. Thought I’d share. love it.
Hey! I just wanted to drop by and comment because I’m an avid user of BB creams. =] I often put up my own reviews of BB creams that I’ve tried over the years that I’ve been using them (I think I’ve used them for almost 5 years now!?? Maybe I’m just that old haha). I would recommend that people purchase small sample sizes to swatch though because their downfall is that they do only come in one shade. I also want to make a comment that BB creams aren’t exactly “chemical free” – most of them contain silicones as their top ingredients. They have extremely long lists of ingredients that also include parabens, so it’s not ideal for people who are 100% against chemicals (mmu might be better for those that are).
I’ve seen Sephora finally start carrying western BB creams but I haven’t tried them. I’m an “asian skincare fanatic” though, so I haven’t ever spent much time experimenting with products sold in the US or in Western countries. =]
I found that Missha BB Cream broke me out… or at least I felt like I had a lot of tiny black- and whiteheads afterwards and just guessed they were from that cream. I use Vichy Normaderm Make up (only on the spot) and am happy with it, plus, the Clinique Stay Matte pressed powder’s great for me.
TRACY!! can you PLEASE do a post on pcos acne?? I am desperate. Recently been diagnosed with pcos and have been following everything you say on your blog for months but my acne has only gotten worse. I know its more than just a good diet for me, and I suspect it’s that way for many other girls.
I SECOND THIS!!
.. what is pcos?
Okay, I know I’ve put that off for a long time… I will put it on my high priority list to write about
I bought Misha Real BB cream and I can tell that I prefer the Derma Blend cosmetic corrective from VICHY. My imperfections are better hidden with that corrector.
i like the Vichy, too!
I use Jane Iredale… it is by far the best out on the market.
It contains no chemicals, is non-comodogenic, is actually an anti-inflammatory itself (it will reduce inflammation..aka pimples), contains zinc oxide(a natural sunscreen), no fillers and nothing bad for you. It is actually recommended to wear this makeup daily to help heal your acne and protect your skin from sun/weather damage. The only drawback is that it is not the cheapest on the market. You are paying for the quality. However, since it has no fillers, you use a whole lot less to cover up, and therefore it ends up lasting you a whole lot longer. I’ve had my one compact since September 2011 and I use it every single day, sometimes multiple times a day if I go to the gym. I paid about $40 for it. In my opinion, it was totally worth it. It is a mineral makeup but not a loose mineral (not like bare minerals). At least check it out.. it’s worth it. I promise! 🙂
http://www.janeiredale.com/ourdiff.html
Hello Carli,
Thank you for the feed back on Jane Iredale makeup. I’m gonna try it !
Yeah, totally – this makeup sounds really good!
Oh that sounds good to me!
I can really recommend Lilly Lolo (mentioned above, British brand, they send worldwide, the foundation has just 2 ingredients plus colouring – up to 5 altogether, it’s free of so many things I don’t even remember) or if you prefer US – Lucy Minerals are equally good. Both products provide mineral sun protection of around 15SPF.
Hi Tracy! I find your website and videos really inspiring.
I have a question – have you heard of Aleppo soap? I’ve just been given a bar as a present, and I’m considering using it. My problem is a very resistant strain of staphyloccoccus aureus that looks like acne on my skin. Interestingly, I only get the outbreaks on my face! So far nothing has cured it, and we’ve been together for almost three years now.
When I found your website and your videos I decided to go more natural – I bought some jojoba oil and manuka lotion to put on my face instead of prescription drugs that contain lots of alcohol or hydrogen peroxide that left my skin dry as sand! I’m not giving up on make-up though – I would venture outside with my red and blotchy face 🙁
Looking forward to hear your opinion on Aleppo soap! Have a great day everyone!
Hi Sophia,
I wouldn’t recommend using any kind of bar soap on your skin because bar soap is always very alkaline due to to the lye or whatever is in it that holds it in bar form. explanation of the acid mantle —> https://thelovevitamin.com/3135/caveman-regimen/
I’m guessing that no matter what you wash your face with, it’s not going to cure it – I’d recommend the caveman for you, but I understand that you don’t want to give up makeup. Have you tried diet and lifestyle changes in order to strengthen your immune system to fight the infection?
I’ve used Aubrey organics silken earth powder foundation for years and absolutely love it. It’s BETTER than mineral by far (no weird shinyness). It’s very light coverage but sticks well to moisturizer. I also use Mario Badescu’s drying cream (sulfur and aloe based, a little drying as the name implies and pale yellowish white if you don’t blend it much, so best for fair skin) as concealer underneath the Aubrey’s.
I use the “Everyday Minerals” brand of mineral make-up. It’s vegan, organic and chemical free! My skin has finally stopped breaking out so much and if for whatever reason I am in a situation where I can’t wash off my make-up at night (God forbid, haha) my skin doesn’t break out in a rage the next morning. It’s nice because it has a ton of shades and they make tones for olive skin, which is so hard to find these days! They have a matte, semi-matte, or one that uses shiny minerals. My skin is still flakey, but I have yet to find a make-up that doesn’t do that to my skin. Regardless, I absolutely love it and would not go back to another brand :).
Here’s the link to their site:
http://www.everydayminerals.com/
Just a thought, since this is the makeup thread 🙂
I think putting only healthy things on and in our bodies is of concern to most people reading The Love Vitamin regularly. My skin is pretty good now but I try to be really careful what I use. Ava Anderson Non-Toxic is a newer brand that promises (and provides full disclosure of ingredients) to only use things that rate a 0% on the 1-10 toxicity scale for humans–they even check to make sure that combinations of ingredients don’t create more than a 0%, which I think is really admirable. They make some basic makeup (foundation, blush, some eye makeup) and skin care line. My friend with very bad sun spots on her face uses the makeup daily–you can’t even see them and it’s not too heavy either.
Anyway, you can Google it–it’s a great brand!
I unfortunately still wear makeup, even though it’s not as heavy as some time before it’s still laden with chemicals, i.e, the tinted moisturizer I made (a darker foundation and some neutrogena moisturizer is still loaded with preservatives) but it’s light. I made some powder that I love to stay matte, I used some cornstarch, little bit of zinc oxide, pink clay and ground ginger. It’s really great, and I love that it’s all natural, though I’d love to create my own foundation. That’s going to be tough I think, maybe mix that powder with aloe vera gel straight from the plant and maybe some oils like jojoba or coconut and a vitamin e cap as a natural preservative. I have to experiment! I’m going try that tinted lip and cheek balm using beets and glycerin, can’t wait!
I’ve been using mineral foundation by MICA beauty. its ingredients are Mica,sericite, black iron, red iron oxide, yellow iron oxide, spf-15. I was told that all the mica beauty products are just mica stones grounded up. I’m not sure how i feel about the foundation though. i think it is just making my break outs worse, or maybe it is the cheap brush im using. Either way i want to try something else.
BB cream has only just come to South Africa! and its the Garnier make only. i’v just bought it and excited to try it out!! i’v had acne since about the age of 14 and i am now 21…and the last 3 months seems to be the worst my skin has ever been! i have terrible acne on my cheeks and neck and it just keeps coming, it doesnt even seem to calm down at any point. and i have terrible acne scars too so i need to cover up my acne and the scars. i’ve been really self conscious about my skin lately.
Hi Tan
How was the Garnier BB creams? Did it help for your acne. I also live in SA and looking for something that’s good for acne. Have horrible spots around my chin and jaw line…
Thanks
Is that websight the only place i can get BB cream? Do drug stores or normal stores have it as well?
also does it only come in one color? so i just order a regular BB cream? cause when I clicked on the websight a bunch of BB things came up not sure which you’re referring to in this article.. would you be able to give me the link to the exact product I need to buy.. would amazon have it perhaps??
Thank you!!
Could this BB cream be purchased at drugstores or other normal stores… or only on that websight?
I’m just confused on which product we are supposed to get exactly? when I clicked on the link it had a few BB creams.. does it only come in one color and kind? so any BB cream should be fine?
would you be able to please send me the link of the exact one I’m supposed to get.. ?
Thank you so much
Hi!
I’m an avid user of Pur Minerals makeup. Has anyone else used this makeup before? It’s sold in Canada at Shopper’s Drugmart. It’s decent but certainly not the best. My skin is very congested as well as flaky and while it conceals my acne fairly well it certainly doesn’t help with the flakiness. I’m positive there are better products out there, I’m just not willing to pay for something and then have it irritate my skin. :/.
First off, I am SO happy I found your blog/site. Your posts have really helped my emotional distress due to acne.
On the BB creams, I recently started using one and LOVE it. Yes, it has chemicals, but it’s far better than the concealer/foundation/powder routine I was previously using. And I don’t break out from the makeup, which has often happened to me. In the past month, my skin has drastically improved. I realize the heavy makeup wasn’t helping, but it’s hard to go out of the house w/out trying to somewhat mask the complexion issues.
http://tartecosmetics.com/tarte-item-BB-tinted-primer#
On Bare Minerals, I feel like their hefty advertising budget has made us think this is awesome/healthy makeup; I don’t buy it. I tried it once, and it basically swooped into my pores and made me look a total MESS.
OMG, I totally believe bare Minerals is what has made my skin look like a hot mess! My skin was doing SO well I switched to Bare Minerals liquid foundation and my skin has been breaking otu daily! Its disgusting!
Hi
I have oily sensitive and acne prone skin. I bought Givenchy foundation which is just perfect tone and constitution for my face. I have used it just one though. I wanted to know how good is that? The lady at sephora suggested me this. I know it is a stupid question to ask when I have already splurged on it but would still want to know your thought.