11 Foundations That Won't Clog Your Pores or Cause Breakouts

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Dealing with clogged pores and acne flare-ups are among my biggest beauty issues. I go to great lengths to prevent them, which means exercising ~extreme~ caution when adding new products to my daily routine. This is especially true for foundation. And since you've landed on this article, I'm guessing you share my wariness and are also on a quest for the perfect foundation that won't leave you with breakouts galore. DW: I've got you. Call me obsessive, but I've studied ingredient lists like my life depends on it to find the best non-comedogenic foundations—aka the ones less likely to clog your pores and cause breakouts, including blackheads, whiteheads, and cystic acne—and then rounded up them up below. Here's a quick peek:

Read on for the complete list of the 11 best non-comedogenic foundations—from sheer, dewy foundations to full-coverage foundations—featuring the pros and cons of each and first-person reviews. There's also answers to some of your biggest questions about non-comedogenic foundations and how to choose the best one for your skin type, according to board-certified dermatologists Lauren Penzi, MD, and Jessie Cheung, MD.

Fit Me Matte + Poreless Liquid Foundation

I can't stress enough how much I adore this drugstore foundation from Maybelline. It's non-comedogenic (duh), offers up medium coverage, and creates a natural, your-skin-but-better effect where my pores are subtly blurred, like a TikTok beauty filter. And the best part? It never looks cakey, probably because it's spiked with a little bit of vitamin E for added moisture

• Size: 1 fl oz

• Format: Liquid

• Finish: Matte

• Shades: 40

• Key ingredients: Oil-absorbing micro powders, vitamin E
  

Glowing customer review: “I'm so happy I took a chance on this one because it is my new favorite foundation. It does a really good job providing nice and smooth coverage without clogging pores and it does not make your skin oily AT ALL! I highly recommend this foundation for anyone looking to have full coverage that is oil-free and hides pores without clogging them.”

Real Flawless Weightless Perfecting Foundation

Need a non-comedogenic foundation that lasts for hours—whether it's pouring rain or hot and humid? Say hello to this waterproof foundation from Laura Mercier, which is fade-proof, transfer-proof, and promises 12 hours for weartime. While I haven't personally wear-tested it for that long, hundreds of shoppers say it lives up to that claim. What I can assure you, though, from my own experience, is that it delivers a full-coverage, lightweight finish that feels anything but heavy on my skin and pores.

• Size: 1 fl oz

• Format: Liquid

• Finish: Natural

• Shades:

• Key ingredients: Bamboo silk powders, priming powders, camelia seed, vitamin E

Glowing customer review: “I need a foundation that covers blemishes without causing more. FINALLY I found Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation. I have used this product for over eight months and it still provides great coverage with no sensitive skin issues.”

Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation

If you love a weightless foundation with a natural, skin-like finish, Selena Gomez made this breathable foundation with you in mind. It has a serum-like texture that blends in quickly—plus it's easy to build too. I prefer a pump or two for a lightweight layer of coverage—just enough to even out redness—but you can easily apply multiple layers for a more full-coverage, airbrushed effect. But no matter how much you apply, it'll feel like you're wearing nothing at all.

• Size: 0.94 fl oz

• Format: Liquid

• Finish: Natural

• Shades: 48

• Key ingredients: Lotus extract, gardenia extract, water lily extract

Glowing customer review: “The super fluid, serum-like texture makes it easy to build and blend your coverage just how you like it while evening out skin tone and smoothing the look of pores — no clogging or caking. Plus, the mess-free, doe-foot applicator lets you apply 1 dot at a time—all you need to cover your entire face!”

Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15

With over 10,000 five-star ratings and countless industry awards, it’s clear that this loose powder foundation is worthy of its spot on this list. It features just five ingredients—all mineral-based and non-comedogenic, making it a great choice for oily and acne-prone skin. And unlike typical powders, it formula leaves my skin with a soft, radiant finish thanks to light-reflecting mica.

• Size: 0.28 oz

• Format: Powder

• Finish: Radiant

• Shades: 30

• Key ingredients: Zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, iron oxides

Glowing customer review: “I've been using this product for over 10 years. Nice and light but enough coverage for the face. Plus it has built in SPF. I get compliments all the time and my face never breaks out from it.”

Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint with Hyaluronic Acid

I have dry skin that's also prone to breakouts, so I’m always searching for foundations and skin tints made with hydrating ingredients that won't break me about, like this one from Neutrogena. It contains hyaluronic acid to draw moisture to the skin and minimize any dry, flaky patches but without clogging pores or suffocating skin.

• Size: 1 fl oz

• Format: Liquid

• Finish: Dewy

• Shades: 10

• Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, glycerin

Glowing customer review: “I had been struggling with dry and patchy red skin for months, but I switched to the Hydro Boost version of Neutrogena's foundation and within a week, my skin was looking dewy and the redness had almost fully faded. As someone with sensitive skin that is prone to dryness, this product was a game-changer since it both covered my irritated skin and helped heal it while doing so.”

Teint Idole Ultra 24H Long Wear Matte Foundation

This non-comedogenic foundation from Lancôme is regularly used by celebs for red carpet events for a few good reasons. First, it's ultra long-wearing (in fact, the liquid formula is designed to stay put on skin for a full 24 hours) so you don't need to worry about it melting off your face or getting patchy. And second, it's full-coverage. Just a few pumps will easily cover up any and all skin issues—from angry breakouts to dark circles—without having to load on a ton of product. The effect? A matte, airbrushed finish that looks ultra glam and perfect for photos.

• Size: 1 fl oz

• Format: Liquid

• Finish: Matte

• Shades: 50

• Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, prebiotics, moringa extract, vitamin E

Glowing customer review: “I was having the hardest time finding a foundation that provided full coverage without feeling heavy. Everytime I thought I found a product they either stopped making it or it made me look ashy. Went to Ulta looking for another line (they didn't carry the darker shades) and the Lancôme rep tried this on me. I was hooked.”

Turn Up the Base Blurring Foundation

Your oily skin has legit nothing on this mattifying non-comedogenic foundation. Before testing, I wrongfully assumed this foundation would be thick and hard to work into my skin, but it was the total opposite. The whipped mousse texture easily spreads across skin (whether you use your fingers, makeup sponge, or makeup brush) to minimize the look of large pores and improve skin texture and tone. And the best part? By the end of the day not a trace of grease or excess oil was to be found on my face.

• Size: 1 fl oz

• Format: Liquid

• Finish: Matte

• Shades: 18

• Key ingredients: Japanese white rose stem cell (oil control), avocado oil, mango seed butter

Glowing customer review: “I am very picky about my foundation, and use only full coverage. I have large pores, acne scars, starting to get wrinkles, freckles, this is so lightweight but the coverage is amazing. The finish is smooth and matte. My face doesn’t get oily at the end of the day like with a lot of foundations. Highly recommend.”

SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation

You've likely seen Tower 28's viral SOS Spray on TikTok—and now it's due time you discover the brand's foundation with SPF 30 too. Like all Tower 28 products, it's safe for sensitive and acne-prone skin so you don't need to worry about the formula causing irritation, breaking you out, or clogging your pores. I personally love how the creamy, non-greasy texture feels breathable on my skin and leaves me with light-to-medium coverage a dewy finish.

• Size: 1 fl oz

• Format: Liquid

• Finish: Radiant

• Shades: 17

• Key ingredients: Zinc oxide, prickly pear extract, white sage extract

Glowing customer review: “I have extremely sensitive and acne prone skin. Almost every foundation or skin tint I have tried has given me a breakout. I haven’t broken out after using this and has a beautiful natural skin like finish.”

Revealer Skin-Improving Foundation SPF 25

This non-comedogenic foundation from Kosas has an ingredient list that honestly reads more like that of a face serum than a face makeup product. It's contains a slew of brighteners, plumpers, and hydrators including niacinamide, caffeine, peptides, hyaluronic acid, and squalane. It's an excellent 2-in-1 choice for anyone who wants a foundation that not only covers dark spots, dullness, and uneven texture, but helps improve them with continued use too.

• Size: 1 fl oz

• Format: Liquid

• Finish: Natural

• Shades: 36

• Key ingredients: Niacinamide, caffeine, peptides, squalane, hyaluronic acid

Glowing customer review: “I have fine lines and visible pores and this is the first foundation that doesn’t settle into my lines and doesn’t enhance my pores. Feels like I’m wearing nothing!”

Satin Cream Foundation

Cream foundations usually don't use mineral pigments (they are more common in powders), but this bb is a rare gem from one of my favorite sensitive skin-friendly brands. All Glo Skin products—including this non-comedogenic foundation—are formulated without potential skin irritants (including synthetic fragrance and dyes). I've used this for years and it's never aggravated my sensitive skin or triggered breakouts. And I love that you only need the smallest bit to create a full-coverage effect.

• Size: 1.4 fl oz

• Format: Cream

• Finish: Natural

• Shades: 14

• Key ingredients: Green tea extract, vitamin C, vitamin E, mineral pigments

Glowing customer review: "I'd just about given up finding a foundation that would hide my rosacea without upsetting my sensitive skin and without looking like a mask. But this is the one! I make a point of applying it with a foundation brush, starting at my nose and working out, right after applying moisturizer. As hard as it is for me to believe, looking into a lighted makeup mirror: the red spots disappear and it doesn't look like I'm wearing foundation. Even hours later it feels light on my face.”

Camo Powder Foundation

If you're a powder foundation devotee through and through, you're in luck with this lil compact from e.l.f. It's buildable, non-cakey, and free of any potentially pore-clogging ingredients. Plus, as someone known to hastily apply makeup in the back of a cab, I'm grateful the compact has a built-in mirror so I see what I'm doing on-the-go.

• Size: 0.28 oz

• Format: Powder

• Finish: Matte

• Shades: 16

• Key ingredients: Built-in primer, iron oxides

Glowing customer review: “This beats ALL of the ‘bargains’ as well as the more expensive ones. It's very light, yet has incredible coverage. More impressive is the duration in which it lasts. ALL DAY, into the evening. When removing my makeup, my face looks & feels smoother.”

What foundations are non-comedogenic?

Foundations that are non-comedogenic are free of pore-clogging ingredients, like certain oils and occlusive ingredients, says Dr. Penzi. The expert cites mineral oil and coconut oil as two common comedogenic ingredients to avoid. Many non-comedogenic foundations are lightweight and breathable and use naturally occurring mineral pigments, such as zinc and titanium oxide which provide “natural coverage without clogging pores,” explains Dr. Penzi.

How do you know if a foundation is non-comedogenic?

Sadly, determining if a foundation is non-comedogenic isn’t super straightforward. While many retailers and brands will disclose so directly on the product packaging or via the website, not all of them do. That's where online resources like Acne Clinic NYC’s Ingredient Checker, Biba de Sousa's Pore Clogger Checker, and Sofie Pavitt's Pore-Clogging Ingredients Check come in handy.

You just copy and paste the product’s ingredient list onto the site, and it will flag any pore-clogging ingredients. Just remember there's no one-size-fits-all definition for comedogenic, so your dermatologist might have a different view than Sephora or Acne Clinic. Ultimately, we recommend consulting with your derm, who’s familiar with your skin and can offer personalized advice about what ingredients to steer clear of and which to prioritize.

How to choose a non-comedogenic foundation:

Consider your skin type.

Are you dry? Oily? A bit of both? Zeroing in on your skin type will help you narrow down your options so you're not overwhelmed with choosing a non-comedogenic foundation.

Decide on your ideal level of coverage.

Coverage ultimately comes down to personal preferences. It depends on what you’re trying to cover up. For those looking to even out their skin tone, lightweight coverage might do the trick, whereas you might need medium to full-coverage to conceal blemishes or scarring.

Meet the experts:

• Lauren Penzi, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist with MDCS Dermatology in New York, NY. Dr. Penzi specializes in medical and cosmetic dermatology and has a special interest in acne, rosacea, skin cancer, eczema, psoriasis, and hair loss.

• Jessie Cheung, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Cheung Aesthetics & Wellness in Chicago, IL. Dr. Cheung specializes in cosmetic dermatologist and is a member of several esteemed associations, including the American Society for Laser Medicine & Surgery.

Why trust Cosmopolitan?

Marisa Petrarca is a contributing beauty writer for Cosmopolitan with over five years of experience researching and writing about makeup, skin, and hair, ranging from from skin-tightening cream to face fillers. She discussed non-comedogenic foundation with the two dermatologists makeup artists featured in this story and dove into reviews, research, and her makeup stockpile to recommend the best products.

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