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If you have oily skin like me you probably find that wearing makeup can be more problematic than beneficial. Oily skin can make wearing makeup an unpleasant experience.
I find most makeup makes my skin feel heavy and suffocated. I can feel my pores clogging up and irritation brewing underneath. I find foundation and blush especially hard to wear.
Oily skin produces more oil then it needs. Your pores tend to become easily clogged, leading to pimples. Adding a layer of makeup to your face doesn’t help. Over the course of the day, your skin can start to look shiny, and your makeup looks like it is melting.
When you wear the wrong makeup – meaning makeup that clogs pores, your skin can’t breathe – it feels heavy and it gets congested.
Oily-skinned gals can’t just wear any makeup. They need makeup that is light, makeup that won’t irritate and congest their skin. They need to choose makeup that will reduce shine.
Primers are very helpful in preparing the skin for makeup and matte finishes are going to keep the shine down.
Finding Makeup That Doesn’t Clog Your Pores
You don’t want pimples, so it is important to find makeup that won’t clog your pores. Look for water/aloe-vera based makeup rather than oil-based one (if it does contain oils, stick to non-comedogenic oils). You can see a list of them here.
Just because a product says it is non-comedogenic, doesn’t mean it actually is. You have to actually inspect the ingredients’ list. You need to avoid ingredients high on the comedogenic scale (how much they clog pores). These include:
Click to Enlarge the List
Why Organic Makeup is Best
The above list contains a large amount of toxic chemicals and preservatives used in personal care products. You will cut out 80% of that list if you stick to high-quality organic ingredients.
The best organic and natural makeup won’t contain harsh chemicals that can irritate your skin and lead to more oil production. This makeup will actually nourish your skin, and is often formulated to help specific skin problems.
Still, just because it is organic, doesn’t mean it won’t clog your pores. I recently bought an organic foundation thinking it would be good, but it wasn’t. It made me break out. The culprit? Coconut oil and Carrageenan. (If only I had researched for this article before buying that foundation.)
The Best Makeup for Oily Skin
- Primer: Vapour Organic Beauty: Stratus Soft Focus Instant Skin Perfector
- Concealer: Vapour Organic Beauty: Illusionist Concealer
- Foundation: Alima Pure: Satin Matte Foundation (loose mineral powder)
- Blush: Alima Pure: Satin Matte Blush (loose mineral powder)
- Bronzer: W3LL People Bio Bronzer
- Finishing Powder: W3ll People: Realist Mineral Setting Powder
- Eye shadow: Alima Pure Matte Eye Shadow
Makeup Tips for Oily Skin
- Cleanse your skin with an oil-free cleanser.
- Use a toner, then wait 5 minutes before applying makeup.
- Prime your skin first with a matte primer.
- Use an oil-free foundation with a matte finish – stay away from glow or luminous finishes (or find a foundation using a non-comedogenic oil).
- Use a powder blush.
- Set your makeup with a light dust of finishing powder.
- Facial blotting papers can help control shine throughout the day.
- If you have acne, read the ingredients lists to make sure your product won’t clog your pores.
- Make sure you wash your makeup off before going to bed.
Best Organic Makeup Products for Oily Skin
I have searched the big wide web for you and have found a list of organic makeup products that will work well on oily skin and do not contain ingredients that will clog your pores.
The best organic makeup products for oily skin are:
- Primer: Vapour Organic Beauty: Stratus Soft Focus Instant Skin Perfector
- Concealer: Vapour Organic Beauty: Illusionist Concealer
- Foundation: Alima Pure: Satin Matte Foundation (loose mineral powder)
- Blush: Alima Pure: Satin Matte Blush (loose mineral powder)
- Bronzer: W3LL People Bio Bronzer
- Finishing Powder: W3ll People: Realist Mineral Setting Powder
- Eye shadow: Alima Pure Matte Eye Shadow
Conclusion
The best makeup for oily skin will not contain pore-clogging ingredients and will offer a lightweight, matte finish.
The products we recommend have been selected for their excellent effectiveness on oily skin, be sure to check them out by clicking in the links above.
I hope this answers your questions about choosing makeup for oily skin, let me know in the comments below if you have any questions. I am here to answer them!
Yours In Beauty,
Andrea
*post contains affiliate links to amazing products
Hi -thank you for your article! I have oily skin as well and I’m trying to focus on organic foundation. I’m not really fond of powder foundations but have you tried any noteworthy liquid foundations for oily skin?
Thanks for your question Faye, Yes I do know of an organic liquid foundation that is made for oily skin. Vapour Organic Beauty Atmosphere Soft Focus Foundation doesn’t clog pores or appear mask-like. You can get it at Amazon.
some of the concealers that I researched in your list contain mica which is toxic according to David Suzuki
That is interesting. I have looked into it and the EWG Skin Deep database gives Mica a low toxicity rating of 2. It looks like there can be danger if the mica particles are inhaled. It is best to avoid anything that contains nano-particles of minerals such as Mica and Titanium Dioxide.
I couldn’t find anything about David Suzuki talking about Mica but I did find some other information. Powdered Mica can irritate the skin and lungs. The best things to do are: avoid nano particles, use liquid makeup, and produce as little dust as possible when using powdered makeup. Here is an excellent article about Mica in mineral makeup.
Why can’t they use non nano if they really want to go organic.. Ieam they are putting lot of effect but why not go all the way through?
Hi Jeno,
Vapour, Alima Pure, and W3ll People do not use nano-particles in their products 🙂
Guys kindly use non Nano minerals is your really talking of organic because it’s rather sensitive for one to imagine he/she is avoiding (Chemical) & yet risking with something that can be avoided.. What not consider & implement that as your clients concern
The makeup brands we recommend above do not use nano-particles.