Best foundations for acne-prone skin, tried and tested by a beauty expert

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Acne-prone skin requires more than just coverage alone when it comes to a foundation. The wrong one can trigger more breakouts, cling to dry spots or side off cysts, and highlight texture.

However, the right one can be an instant confidence booster, conceal areas of redness, blur texture and support your skin as it heals.

You may think acne-prone skin should prioritise full coverage formulas, in a bid to cover up painful, pesky and recurring breakouts, but that’s not the case. Some offer medium, even sheer, payoff that can even out your skin tone, mattify oily areas or give your skin a beautiful base glow. You can then use concealer to pinpoint areas that need more coverage, without adding thick layers of foundation that can gather in fine lines, cling to dryness or leave you looking cakey.

It’s also very common for acne to go hand-in-hand with excessive oil production, in which case it’s always worth looking out for terms such as “oil-free” and “non-comedogenic” – AKA doesn’t clog pores – on complexion products, alongside inflammation soothing ingredients found in skincare, like niacinamide, which can regulate oily skin types.

Don’t forget about finish either; a dewy glow may be tempting, but can sometimes accentuate texture, too. Matte textures can often feel a little drying; the best solution is a happy medium between the two, but it also comes down to personal preference.

I’ve incorporated all of the above criteria over the past six weeks spent testing foundations across the board to find the very best for acne-prone skin like mine. Here’s what came out on top.

I tested a range of formulas for all budgets (Louise Whitbread/The Independent)

The best foundations for acne-prone skin for 2024 are:

Best overall – Jones Road your skin foundation stick: £36, Jonesroadbeauty.com
Best budget buy – L'Oréal Paris infallible 32hr matte cover foundation: £7.29, Amazon.co.uk
Best for concealing redness – Erborian CC red correct: £38, Sephora.co.uk
Best buildable formula – Merit the minimalist perfecting complexion stick: £34, Meritbeauty.com
Best long-wearing option – Vieve Skin Nova Complexion Balm: £34, Spacenk.com