Is makeup bad for acne?

This morning, you woke up to a mountainous zit on your face. As much as you might like to, you can't stay home and hide in bed. Fear not! You can hide the volcanic nightmare with some thoughtfully applied makeup.

When camouflaging acne, you want to make sure you conceal unsightly bumps and scars without growing new ones. To that end, here are some tips to get the most out of your makeup routine:

Now that you know the rules for hiding breakouts, continue reading to learn how to get additional benefit out of your makeup by using products with acne-fighting ingredients.

If you're covering up your pimples, you might as well get the most out of what you're using to conceal them. Many cosmetics are taking the value-added approach by adding acne-fighting ingredients to their formulas. Good acne fighters include salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, tea tree oil and alpha-hydroxy acid [source: WebMD]. Topical retinoids, as opposed to oral retinoids like Accutane, also help treat acne [source: Cleveland Clinic]. Look for makeup containing these ingredients if you want to use your makeup as an acne fighter.

Before you run out and buy a large stock of medicated makeup, you should take a few facts into consideration. Many acne-fighting ingredients cite dryness as a side effect, so using too many acne-fighting products at the same time can dry out your skin [source: Monroe]. Overly dry skin will try to repair itself by making new oil, and the last thing you need is more oil clogging your pores [source: Syrett].

As an alternative to makeup with added acne-fighting ingredients, you might want to try mineral-based cosmetics. Mineral makeup products not only are noncomedogenic but also use titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, which have anti-inflammatory properties that reduce the irritation associated with acne breakouts. However, you should be wary of products that contain bismuth oxychloride, because it can increase irritation and trigger cystic acne, a painful form of acne in which pus-filled cysts form on the surface of the skin [source: Bouchez].

Another alternative to acne-fighting makeup is tinted acne medication. Instead of using makeup to treat acne, you're using medicine to treat and cover up pimples and other blemishes. The medication provides the camouflage [source: American Academy of Dermatology].

No matter what type of makeup you choose, one of the more challenging aspects of makeup application comes with trying to cover acne scars. Keep reading to learn some ways to hide scars resulting from acne.

Acne is like having a bad houseguest; even after it leaves, you're stuck dealing with the wreckage left behind. Acne scars are the unfortunate souvenirs of acne's visit. Although you can seek dermatological procedures and surgical options to treat your acne scars, you might want to try using makeup to cover the scars first.

Acne scars come in two basic types -- depressed and raised [source: American Academy of Dermatology]. Scars also present in different colors, including red, purple, pink, brown and white, depending on their age and type [sources: HealthNews.org, The Patient's Guide].

Unfortunately, makeup can't fill in depressions or flatten raised scars, but it can balance colors so scars blend in better with the rest of your skin. Your best bet for covering red scars is to use a green concealer that counteracts the color [source: Cleveland Clinic]. Then, you can apply foundation on top of the concealer and blend. With pink and white scars, try camouflaging them with natural toned cover-up or foundation so that they match the rest of your skin.

If makeup fails to adequately cover your scars, consider talking to your doctor about other options. A dermatologist should consider the severity of your scars as well as their impact on your mental and emotional state when recommending treatment options. Possible options to discuss with your dermatologist include dermabrasion, chemical peels and photodynamic therapy. Dermabrasion techniques remove the top layer of skin while chemical peels unclog pores and surgery removes actual pimples, such as whitehead and blackheads [source: American Academy of Dermatology]. Photodynamic therapy uses a special type of light combined with a drug that together destroy certain skin cells, enabling doctors to remove blemishes [source: Alai].

Makeup is just one tool for dealing with the challenges of acne. If you use makeup wisely, you can throw away your paper bag for good.

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