According to Insider, prep is key. One of the easiest ways you could be making your acne issues even worse is by applying makeup to skin that is not clean. “To avoid breaking out from your makeup, make sure to prep the skin using a salicylic acid-based cleanser to remove excess oil, dirt, and dead cells from the surface,” advised Dr. Joshua Zeichner, director of Cosmetic & Clinical Research in Dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital.
There is also a not-entirely-true assumption that wearing makeup for long periods of time will cause breakouts. David Lortscher, a board-certified dermatologist sets the record straight to Byrdie:Â “If your makeup is not pore-clogging, wearing it for a longer period of time should not be a problem, in theory.” He adds, “Although it’s not a guarantee, it’s best to use only products labeled with terms such as ‘noncomedogenic,’ ‘non-acnegenic,’ ‘does not clog pores,’ or ‘won’t cause breakouts.”