In my early 20s, my skin decided to have a year of doing whatever it felt like. Those ‘adventures’ included some super-red (and sore) acne breakouts.
I followed the rules and did NOT pick at my acne. Still, I was left with some scarring that I like to hide when I’m vibing a flawless complexion.
In the same boat? You’re not alone. Up to 85% of teenagers get acne. And 40% to 55% of adults are diagnosed with low-grade acne and oily skin.
When you experience a breakout, it can be tempting to camouflage it with the first cover-up you find.
But the wrong skincare products can contribute to acne by clogging your pores, irritating existing breakouts, and even allowing bacteria to fester into a full-fledged infection.
If you feel comfortable rocking your acne scars without makeup, we totally applaud you. Keep doing you. But if you’re feeling called to explore some makeup options, we rounded up products specifically formulated to help conceal those acne scars when you wish they would disappear.
Primer: your skin’s trusty sidekick
When covering acne scars, you might be tempted to head straight to foundation and concealer. But prepping your skin with a primer can improve your results.
After you apply your serum(s) and moisturiser, reach for your primer. Priming products are mostly used to help makeup last longer, smooth the skin's surface, and even out skin tone. This means the primer does some of the heavy lifting to hide acne scars—neutralising any redness and evening out the dips to pave the way for your foundation and concealer.
When it comes to choosing a primer, a great option is one specifically formulated to target redness and correct colour. A green-tinted product might look strange at first! But by cancelling out redness, it helps you conceal pimples and scarring.