We Tested 22 Foundations for Acne-Prone Skin, These 12 Performed the Best

Best Overall

Oxygenetix Oxygenating Foundation

$66 at Amazon $66 at Dermstore View on Oxygenetix.com

Coverage: Full | Finish: Natural/radiant | Shades: 13 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Out of all the foundations for acne-prone skin we tested, this one is our favorite from a formulation perspective and based on how it looked on the skin. It was formulated specifically for those dealing with acne, so you can rest assured that the ingredients won't exacerbate breakouts. It contains salicylic acid, which Dr. Jeffy recommends for acne-prone skin since it helps to clear pores and dissolve dead skin cells and excess oil. It’s also free from potentially irritating ingredients, like synthetic fragrance and talc. Something that sets it apart from other options on the market is that it has an aloe base rather than oil or water, which helps to calm the skin without clogging pores.

Just one pump worked to fully conceal redness and blemishes, giving the skin an overall more even appearance. We loved that, despite having full coverage, it felt comfortable and lightweight and looked natural on the skin. It has a natural finish with a hint of radiance that looks nice whether you have dry, oily, or balanced skin, and we appreciate that it’s formulated with all skin types (even sensitive skin) in mind. We also found that it only had minimal transfer and wore well throughout the day. 

While we wish the shade range was more extensive (there are currently only 13 shades available), if you do find a shade that works for you, we think you’ll be seriously impressed with this option. 

Best Overall, Runner-Up

Giorgio Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation

$48 at Sephora $58 at Walmart $48 at Nordstrom

Coverage: Medium | Finish: Natural/radiant | Shades: 40 | Cruelty-Free: No

We crowned this pick best overall in our round-up of the best foundations on the market, so it’s no surprise that we love it for acne-prone skin, too. It’s oil-free, which Dr. Jeffy recommends since specific oils like mineral oil can be pore-clogging and lead to breakouts, and we appreciate that the texture is lightweight and breathable. It offers medium coverage that’s buildable, so it covers breakouts and redness without looking mask-like. 

It has a natural finish with some luminosity that gives the skin a healthy-looking glow, and it never looks heavy, cakey, or dry, which is especially important when using it on textured breakouts. We found that the finish helped to smooth the appearance of texture, and we were impressed by how well it wore without transferring, creasing, or fading. 

Our one con with this formula is that it does contain synthetic fragrance, although it doesn’t smell very strong during application or once it dries down. However, if you’re not sensitive to fragrance and you’re looking for a buildable, medium-coverage foundation that looks natural, we highly recommend this popular pick. 

Best Drugstore

L'Oréal Infallible Powder Foundation

$17 at Ulta $13 at Target $10 at Walmart

Coverage: Full | Finish: Matte | Shades: 20 | Cruelty-Free: No

If you’re looking for an option you can pick up at your local drugstore, we recommend this one from L’Oréal Paris. It’s a powder formula that can be applied on its own as a foundation or on top of a liquid foundation to set it and add additional coverage, making it quite versatile. The powder has an ultra-fine, smooth consistency that blends across the face seamlessly, and we love that it offers full coverage that’s buildable. It doesn’t feel heavy or cakey like some powder foundations do, rather it feels almost weightless and comfortable all day. 

It covered breakouts and hyperpigmentation beautifully and once applied, we found that it was totally transfer-resistant and didn’t settle into lines. We did find that it looked a bit dry and powdery on those with dry skin, so if that applies to you, we recommend exfoliating and applying a rich moisturizer before using this one. If you have balanced or oily skin and you’re looking for a matte option, we think it’s a great choice for you. 

Best Budget

Neutrogena SkinClearing Liquid Makeup

$14 at Amazon $14 at Target $14 at Walmart

Coverage: Medium | Finish: Natural | Shades: 12 | Cruelty-Free: No

Another budget-friendly foundation we love for acne-prone skin is this popular option from Neutrogena. Formulated with salicylic acid and without fragrance and oils, it was created specifically with acne-prone skin in mind. It offers medium coverage that can be built up, and we loved that it didn’t look cakey even after applying several layers where we wanted extra coverage. It has a natural finish that works well on all skin types—think not too matte and dry for dry skin, and not too dewy for oily skin. It blends in easily, looks smooth even on textured areas, and is fairly transfer-resistant. 

One downfall of this product is that the shade range is very limited. We wish the brand would expand the offering to include more options for deep and dark skin tones and more varied undertones. But if you can find a shade that matches you, it’s an excellent pick that will give your complexion an even appearance that doesn’t look too makeup-y.  

Best with SPF

It Cosmetics CC+ Cream With SPF 50+

$47 at Amazon $22 at Sephora $33 at Ulta

Coverage: Full | Finish: Natural | Shades: 22 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Although we recommend applying a separate sunscreen underneath your makeup, opting for a foundation with SPF protection is an added bonus. Keep in mind though that sunscreen ingredients can cause breakouts in some people because they can be pore-clogging, but if you’re not sensitive to chemical SPF, we highly recommend trying this foundation from IT Cosmetics. 

The texture feels like a thick mousse, but it’s easy to blend and feels comfortable and hydrating all day. It contains hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and vitamin E to help support a healthy skin barrier, which Dr. Jeffy says can help reduce acne breakouts. 

We loved that just one pump covered the face and offered full coverage that camouflaged breakouts and discoloration. While we did experience some transfer, we think setting it with powder would help minimize this. Other than that, it wore beautifully without creasing or fading. We also appreciate that while there isn’t an outstanding number of shades, the range is well-dispersed from fair to dark.  

Best for Oily Skin

bareMinerals BarePro Powder Foundation

$42 at Amazon $42 at Sephora $42 at Ulta

Coverage: Full | Finish: Matte | Shades: 35 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This matte powder foundation is great for people with oily and acne-prone skin—it has a smooth, matte finish and it’s formulated without talc and synthetic fragrances. Available in 35 shades that range in depth and undertone, it provides full coverage that can be layered for your desired look. 

During testing, we were impressed by how smoothly it applied and how soft and blurring it looked on the skin. It worked to cover redness and dark under-eye circles beautifully, and it felt lightweight and comfortable to wear. We also appreciate that it can be used on its own for significant coverage, or layered on top of a liquid foundation. It balanced oily skin nicely—it didn’t contribute to excess oil, but it also wasn’t cakey or drying. 

While not necessarily a big concern for those with oily skin, it’s worth noting that it did cling to some dry patches during our test. We recommend exfoliating and moisturizing before applying this one. 

Best for Dry Skin

LYS Beauty Triple Foundation

$24 at Sephora View on Credo Beauty View on Lysbeauty.com

Coverage: Medium | Finish: Luminous | Shades: 35 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you have dry skin that’s acne-prone, we recommend opting for a foundation that offers buildable coverage and a luminous finish, like this one from LYS Beauty. The serum-like consistency feels incredibly lightweight and breathable, and it blends effortlessly to create a smooth, even finish. One layer provides light coverage that minimizes the appearance of redness, while another layer yields medium coverage that covers most redness and discoloration. This is ideal if you want your foundation to even your skin tone without looking like you’re wearing a lot of makeup. 

We enjoyed that the luminous finish gave dry, dull skin a healthy-looking glow. We also love that it’s fragrance-free and comes in a wide range of shades that range from very fair to very dark. And while we appreciate that it’s formulated with hyaluronic acid and avocado oil to provide hydration, we found that it looked more hydrating than it felt. It certainly wasn’t drying, but we didn’t notice that it improved the skin’s moisture. 

Best Powder

Jane Iredale PurePressed Base Mineral Foundation Refillable Compact Set

$46 at Amazon View on Janeiredale.com

Coverage: Medium | Finish: Soft matte | Shades: 26 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Those who enjoy using powder foundation formulas should check out this one from Jane Iredale. It earned high marks during our test across all the attributes we tested for—coverage, feel on the skin, wear, transfer resistance, and finish. We found the formula felt soft and utterly weightless on the skin, and the coverage was very buildable, yet still natural-looking. We used a dense foundation brush to buff it into the skin, and it did a great job of covering redness, hyperpigmentation, and dark circles. Once applied, it looked smooth and non-cakey (it even helped to blur the appearance of texture), and it provided a matte finish that didn’t look too flat. It applied easily, looked gorgeous on the skin, and didn’t transfer or settle into fine lines.

In addition to how well it performed, we like that it contains mineral SPF and is free from talc and fragrance which can be potential irritants for those with acne-prone skin. While we do wish it came with a sponge applicator like a lot of other powder foundations do (they’re great for when you’re on the go), it’s certainly not a dealbreaker considering how much we love the formula. It’s nice for all skin types and can be used on its own or layered on top of a liquid or cream foundation, a huge plus in our book.

Best Blurring

Wander Beauty Powder Foundation

$42 at Amazon $40 at Sephora $40 at Nordstrom

Coverage: Medium | Finish: Matte | Shades: 12 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This powder foundation seriously impressed us during our test thanks to the super-lightweight formula, the way it effortlessly meshed with our skin while blending, and how nicely it blurred the appearance of texture and discoloration. It comes with a sponge applicator which helps press the product into the skin, but we also found that the formula blended beautifully with a brush. The formula is extremely buildable, allowing you to customize your coverage and add more in areas you might want to conceal. We loved that the finish is matte but not flat, and it didn’t emphasize texture, rather it did an incredible job of blurring the skin to create a smooth, airbrushed, finish. 

It’s formulated without talc, synthetic fragrances, and mineral oil, and contains hydrating and soothing ingredients, like hyaluronic acid, allantoin, vitamin E, and more. These hydrating ingredients also lend to a powder that doesn’t feel dry or chalky, we loved how soft, smooth, and lightweight it felt on our skin. 

We loved everything about this foundation except for the shade range—it’s quite limited with just 12 options available. But if you can find a shade that works for you, we think this is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a lightweight powder foundation with impressive blurring capabilities. 

Best Multipurpose

Patrick Ta Crème Contour + Powder Bronze Duo

$40 at Sephora View on Patrickta.com $40 at Kohls.com

Coverage: Medium | Finish: Luminous, matte | Shades: 24 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Perfect for makeup minimalists or those on the go, this duo comes with a cream foundation and a pressed powder in one convenient compact. The cream formula is emollient and easy to blend with your fingers, a brush, or a damp sponge, and we loved that we could easily build up the coverage where needed. It has a luminous finish that looks and feels hydrating on the skin, and we noticed that it didn’t emphasize dry patches—it even worked to subtly blur the appearance of texture. As for the powder formula, it’s lightweight and does a nice job of setting the skin. It’s tinted, so you’ll get a small amount of additional coverage, though it’s not as pigmented as a classic powder foundation. 

We love that the two formulas can be applied alone or paired together, making this a versatile product to have in your makeup bag. Note that we did find the cream formula transferred a bit, so we recommend setting it with the powder if you’re concerned about transfer. 

Best Shade Range

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Foundation SPF 15

$18 at Sephora $42 at Ulta View on Dermstore

Coverage: Full | Finish: Matte | Shades: 46 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This foundation is a bit polarizing—some people adore it, and others not so much. But hear us out—if used on exfoliated and moisturized skin, we think those with oily or balanced skin types will truly enjoy it. During testing, we were impressed by how easily it blended out and how buildable the coverage was. One layer offered medium coverage while an additional layer provided full coverage that concealed all redness, blemishes, and discoloration. It’s on the thicker side in the sense that it’s creamy and not runny like a lot of liquid foundations are but we found that it still felt comfortable and not heavy on the skin. It did cling to dry patches, which is why we recommend properly exfoliating and moisturizing before using it, but despite this, it didn’t look overly matte or dry. 

In addition to the impressive coverage and ease of blending, we love that it’s fragrance-free and oil-free, making it a nice choice for those with acne-prone skin that are on the oilier side. We also appreciate that it’s available in 46 shades that range from fair to dark and come in lots of different undertones. 

Best Lightweight

Dermablend Flawless Creator Lightweight Foundation

$42 at Amazon View on Dermablend.com

Coverage: Full | Finish: Natural | Shades: 20 | Cruelty-Free: No

Those who dislike the feeling of foundation sitting on their skin will love this weightless, serum-like formula from Dermablend. With just a few drops of the liquid product, you’ll be able to achieve a smooth, full-coverage look. We loved that it melted into the skin beautifully with our fingertips, and worked to cover blemishes and redness while remaining undetectable on the skin. 

It did transfer a bit so we recommend setting it with powder, but we were impressed that it didn’t settle into lines or emphasize dry patches or skin texture. It’s oil-free and fragrance-free, making it a nice option for acne-prone and sensitive skin types. We think the serum consistency, buildable coverage, and natural finish make it a great choice for anyone looking for a lightweight product that offers great coverage—regardless of your skin type.