I tossed my expensive makeup to get rid of my acne. Here are the noncomedogenic products I use now
Noncomedogenic makeup quick picks Skin tint: Make Beauty Diffusion Dew Radiant Skin Tint Highlighter: Haus Labs by Lady Gaga Bio-Radiant Gel-Powder Illuminating Highlighter Setting powder: RMS Beauty Un Powder Brow gel: Kimiko The Brow Sensei
Leave it to Lady Gaga to create the best highlighter on the market. This pressed-powder formula is packed with glow-boosting ingredients that make my cheekbones truly shine.
Summer Fridays, who? This under-$10, buildable vegan lip butter balm is infused with acne-safe botanicals and leaves my lips looking and feeling hydrated and plump.
Good news: Not all Charlotte Tilbury products include pore-clogging ingredients! That includes the brand’s ultra-viral setting spray, which locks in makeup all day long.
Formulated with silica, this nontoxic setting powder instantly absorbs oil and minimizes the appearance of pores. Best of all, it’s never drying, so it’s great for all skin types.
Not only does this clear gel style and keep my brows in place but it’s made with growth- and hair-enhancing peptides. I swear, my brows have never looked fuller!
Associate deals editor Elena Matarazzo said she stocks up on these sensitive skin-friendly multisticks for friends and family. They're made with natural oils and waxes but none that are flagged as pore cloggers. "The clear one is great for chapped hands, cheeks and other areas that need a bit of hydration, while the tinted version doubles as a lip balm and blush," she said.
How to choose the best noncomedogenic makeup
Know how pore cloggers work
Your first step to putting your best face forward? Staying up to date on what might actually be clogging your pores in the first place. Danielle Gronich, co-founder and CEO of Clearstem, suggests “thinking of pore cloggers as ingredients that create a sticky, occlusive film on your skin. This film traps dead skin cells, oil and bacteria inside your pores, leading to congestion, blackheads, whiteheads and, ultimately, pimples.”
Look for the right products
When sourcing the right noncomedogenic products for your skin, it helps to know which ingredients are worth prioritizing. “We want ingredients that are both skin-loving and noncomedogenic,” Gronich said. “Look for hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, zinc oxide, green tea extract and kaolin clay.”
While sourcing the best noncomedogenic ingredients is a solid place to start, it’s only part of the equation. Consider steering clear of what our experts deem pore-clogging ingredients as well. “Some ingredients that may be considered pore clogging include cocoa butter, isopropyl myristate, coconut oil and ethylhexyl palmitate,” Dr. Marisa Garshick, a board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology, said.
Learn more about your own skin
What works for one person’s skin might yield a breakout in another, so it helps to track patterns in your own skin or book a consultation with a skin specialist or dermatologist to gain tangible insights into what might fare best for you. “Just because ingredients may be pore clogging, it doesn’t mean everyone who uses them will necessarily experience breakouts,” Garshick said.
FAQs
The following FAQs have been answered by Dr. Marisa Garshick and Clearstem co-founder and CEO Danielle Gronich.
What is noncomedogenic makeup?
How do I check for pore-clogging ingredients in makeup?
Besides impacting acne-prone skin, how else do pore-clogging ingredients negatively affect skin?
Meet our experts
For this article, we consulted the following experts to gain their professional insights.
- Dr. Marisa Garshick, board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in New York and New Jersey
- Danielle Gronich, co-founder and CEO of Clearstem
Why trust CNN Underscored
Here at CNN Underscored, we make it our job to stay up to date on all the latest products, but we don’t just find them; we also rigorously test products from hundreds of brands to make sure every product we recommend is worthy of your money. In addition to hands-on testing many of the products we feature, we also consult top experts to understand what qualities, benefits and possible downsides each item offers. We also seek out important considerations and advice from our experts to help give you the information you need to make smarter shopping decisions. For this article, our director of social, Stephanie Griffin, shared her favorite noncomedogenic makeup and tips for finding products that won’t clog your pores.
Stephanie Griffin first joined CNN Underscored in 2020 as a seasoned digital content strategist tasked with launching and growing the brand’s social presence. Prior to joining CNN, Griffin was a part of the social teams at Condé Nast and New York Magazine.
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