This necessary step in your skin care routine should not be skipped, even (and especially) in the event that you have a breakout. "If you have flaky, dead skin cells and crusting around a pimple—from both the stages of the pimple itself and acne medications—your makeup will look like a flaky, uneven mess," says King. It's important to use a gentle exfoliating cleanser, like Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser, $42, or Clarins One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser With Orange Extract, $38, and a moisturizer, like Avene Skin Recovery Cream, $35, before covering your blemish so that you can get a natural finish.
If you're suffering from breakouts on the regular, you might want to take a close look at the makeup you're selecting at the beauty counter. King recommends choosing oil-free, non-comedogenic makeup whenever possible. Additionally, she recommends using combination products, like Neutrogena SkinClearing Blemish Concealer, $10, which allow you to cover your pimple and treat it at the same time. "Clearasil Stubborn Acne Control 5-in-1 Concealing Treatment Cream, $5.99, is another good choice—it includes benzoyl peroxide in a tinted concealer," she adds.
Your overarching goal when it comes to covering up breakouts should be to treat them so that they don't continuously happen. "If you find yourself looking for more concealers, makeup and coverage options, then it's time to take a step back and see a dermatologist," Ilyas says. "Why keep concealing when you can treat?" Schedule a visit with your dermatologist so that you can address the underlying issue and potential cause of your repeated breakouts so that you'll have less to cover up in the first place.
Image via Imaxtree