We have all been there, whether we admit it or not…standing in the drugstore, slavishly eyeing the newest acne fighting makeup product. Hoping somehow to find salvation in the little tube of tinted goodness that will somehow miraculously clear up our suddenly (or not so suddenly) erupted skin and make us look like a supermodel after 10 hours of sleep and a massage. But how real are these products? Can they truly fight acne? And if they can, why are there so many of them out there proposing to solve the problem when we all still HAVE it?

Let’s start with the basics…acne develops beneath the skin, in the deep depths of your pores, either due to irritation, infection, clogging from foreign substances, or sometimes it seems like your skin is just in a bad mood. Most acne fighting products contain some form of exfoliant or anti-bacterial agent in varying concentrations, depending on whether or not the product is prescription strength.

Most products sold over the counter contain small but effective quantities of these acne fighters, but the big question is, when combined with the chemical ingredients used to create makeup, how effective are these products and how much do they just keep the oils, tints, and toxins in the makeup itself from creating more trouble?

Unfortunately, it is often very difficult to determine the concentration of an active ingredient in a makeup product. More often than not the manufacturers are able to get away with merely listing the ingredients but not explaining how much of them are in the product. One thing you can do as a consumer is be aware of which substances will indeed help fight the war on acne and which ones will just perpetuate the conflict.

Two high quality active ingredients to look for are salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. You can almost be sure that any product containing salicylic acid as one of its main ingredients (like Neutrogena Skin Clearing foundation) will at the very least halt acne in its tracks if not completely eradicate it. Salicylic acid works as an exfoliant to gently remove the things blocking your pores and allow the eruption to clear out and heal.

Benzoyl peroxide, while less prevalent in makeup products, this is the drying ingredient found in such products as Oxy-10 and it works to dry out any oil or sebaceous collections on the skin. The downside of makeup products containing this ingredient is that they are often very drying and should only be used on oily or very young skin. Older consumers may find the drying ingredient outweighs the age reducing effect of their favorite foundation.

Items to avoid are include any oil products except tea tree oil. Mineral oils are exactly what they sound like and are almost guaranteed to block your pores. Also, talc, although drying, is a block to healthy exfoliation and can be an irritant to skin. Beware powders that carry large amounts of talc, although in smaller amounts it can be all right for people with milder cases of acne or just the occasional pimple.

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