We’ve Tested Hundreds of Makeup Brands—These Help Cover Zits Without Causing Them

You can use all of the best acne products in the world, but if you’re dabbing on makeup that clogs your pores every day, your dreams of clear skin might not be a reality. Makeup makes a huge difference for acne, far beyond how well it covers up your breakouts. Some formulas are filled with emollients that make the product creamy and dewy, which is great for dry skin, but can potentially clog your pores if you’re prone to breakouts.A few years ago, I ran every single one of my makeup products through the pore-clogger checker from Acne Clinic NYC. And to my dismay, many of my favorites just weren’t right for my skin. Since then, I’ve vowed to only ever put non-acnegenic products on my face, which has come with a lot of trial and error to find the best makeup brands for acne.A lot of brands have one or two products that work well for my skin, but only a few really take the cake for their entire lines. If one of the below brands launches a complexion product, I can (usually) safely assume that it won’t break me out. Many of the below brands also make high-performing formulas for covering up your acne without exacerbating texture or redness. From lightweight foundations to smoothing blushes to high-coverage concealers, the below brands have makeup for acne down pat.1. Ciele Cosmetics​Cofounded by makeup artist Nikki DeRoest, Ciele was founded with two missions: acne-friendly formulas that put sun protection at the forefront. While everything is rid of pore-clogging ingredients, they do contain SPF 50+. None of these are a replacement for your daily sunscreen, but added protection doesn’t hurt. In fact, sun exposure can irritate skin, potentially trigger breakouts, and even prolong or worsen hyperpigmentation. The brand has a full assortment of skincare-infused products, including the serum foundation, a Cosmo editor favorite.2. Tower 28​Many with acne and eczema-prone skin have sworn off makeup entirely, assuming that even formula’s suited to their skin type will feel too heavy or make flaking and texture look worse. That is precisely why Amy Liu founded Tower 28, a makeup line infused with skincare that won’t make your skin look worse when you wear it. They’re the first brand to get the National Eczema Association’s seal on a makeup product ever with their Swipe Serum Non-Acnegenic Foundation (which Cosmo editors gave rave reviews).3. bareMinerals​Since their launch in 1995, the ethos of Bare Minerals has always been natural and skin-forward. The brand’s original tagline was “makeup so pure, you could sleep in it.” Thirty years later, the brand is still one of our favorites for covering zits. Obviously, the iconic powder foundation is a go-to. The formula builds up for coverage and sets with a skin-like finish. But they’ve also launched quite a few liquid and cream products that are equally as lightweight with a mix of light to medium coverage.4. Benefit Cosmetics​Although Benefit became known in later years for their mascaras and Benetint lip stain, the makeup and skincare brand is pretty invested in pores. In 2010, Benefit launched the POREfessional Primer, a velvety, silicone-based smoothing makeup primer to help reduce the look of texture and pores. They’ve expanded into skincare with the same pore-treating philosophy, but their newest makeup launches have cemented the brand as acne-friendly. The POREfessional Foundation, a Cosmo Acne Awards winner in 2025, and POREfessional Concealer both offer full-coverage without aggravating acne.5. Urban Decay​Beyond offering formulas that are suitable for acne, Urban Decay’s complexion assortment keeps oily skin in mind. You might know the brand from your Naked Palette days (never forget), but they’ve really cornered the market on long-wearing, mattifying base products. There’s a mattifying setting spray, primer, and even an innovative powder spray (!).6. Rhode​Although all of Rhode’s skincare isn’t exactly the best for acne-prone skin (it’s suited well for dry and sensitive skin types, because the formulas are all very hydrating, but some of them contain common pore-cloggers), the makeup is surprisingly fantastic. Both the cream blush and bronzer are not only made with acne-friendly ingredients, but they also blend out evenly and make textured skin look smooth. We also love the brand’s mist, which is technically a skincare product, but it melts down your makeup for a dewy finish that won’t clog pores.Why trust Cosmopolitan? Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with eight years of experience researching, writing, and editing skin, hair, makeup, nail, and fragrance stories. She’s been professionally testing beauty products on her acne-prone skin for more than a decade, especially considering products for Cosmo’s annual Acne Awards.Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.