Makeup and Acne Part 2

October 16, 2020

After our last Makeup and Acne post, we received several follow up questions from clients:

1/ Should people with acne prone skin stay away from makeup altogether?

2/ Is it a myth that makeup causes acne?  Like the chocolate causing acne myth?

3/ What are some specific ingredients to avoid in over the counter makeup?

4/ Why doesn’t Ninja makeup cause acne breakouts?

So let’s tackle these questions and some other ones while we are at it.

1. Should people with acne prone skin wear makeup?

It depends. When your self confidence is tanking because of active breakouts, It’s really hard not to cover them up. The key is to use makeup that won’t make your acne problem worse by clogging your skin more. Unfortunately, the majority of makeup over the counter WILL clog and lead to future breakouts. So for people who suffer from acne it’s best to avoid wearing makeup altogether or to use a non comedogenic (non acne aggravating) makeup. 

2. Is it a myth that makeup causes acne?

Nope. This one is not a myth. Sadly, we know. All those great commercials that show covergirls with flawless skin (photoshop anyone?!) and boast a low $9.99 price tag at the local drug store or Target? Yup – those will surely clog your skin and cause future breakouts. Every single one. There are those lucky people who don’t ever have breakouts despite caking that stuff all over their face. But for people who breakout, using any old makeup just won’t work and they will definitely see pimples popping up after using that type of makeup.

3. What are some specific ingredients to avoid in over-the-counter makeup?

When we asked Pamela this question, she started laughing. There are just so many clogging ingredients in OTC makeup, it’s impossible to list them all. Her specific words were “Omg – there are like 7,000!”

4. Why doesn’t Ninja’s makeup cause acne breakouts?

To put it simply – we don’t use clogging oils in our makeup products.  It’s really that simple. Other than giving the makeup ‘slip,’ added oils serve to stabilize the product to maintain a long shelf life.

If you do chose to wear makeup AND you are using our topical medications to prevent future breakouts, there is an additional issue to consider. Over the counter makeup has oils that will block our medication from penetrating deep into the hair follicle, and therefore, leaving our medications less effective. That is why we always stress to clients not to use other products with ours – the oils and fillers in other products counteract the effectiveness of our ingredients.

Are there any other “good” makeups out there other than ours?  Yes! Not a ton – in fact, the one we mainly recommend to people is Bare Minerals ORIGINAL Formula Loose Mineral Powder.  If you have a favorite makeup that you just can’t bear to stop using, send us the ingredient list and we will be happy to check it out for you  

And as always – CHECK IN! If your skin isn’t flaking and you are still breaking out… we need to strengthen your routine. From experience, 99% of our clients will need to strengthen their routines at some point as their skin gradually gets accustomed to their current treatment.  This is a service we give free of charge – check in often and we will make sure your skin stay on the right track!