If you have acne-prone skin, concealer is the makeup product you’ll want to keep closeby. But finding one that actually conceals breakouts without looking cakey or clogging pores takes a lot of trial and error — and a lot of patience.
Fortunately, we did the hard work for you; NBC Select editors tested over 30 concealers to narrow down the best ones that actually camouflage acne, redness and scars without causing further breakouts or irritation. I also spoke to board-certified dermatologists, cosmetic chemists and celebrity makeup artists about what to look for in a concealer for acne-prone skin.
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How I picked the best concealers for acne-prone skin
When selecting concealers that’ll blur away your breakouts, experts recommend considering the following factors:
- Ingredients and labels: Look for concealers labeled noncomedogenic (meaning they’re less likely to clog pores), and ideally oil-free, which means they won’t cause excess oil on your skin. Consider concealers with acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid, niacinamide (anti-inflammatory) and aloe vera (soothing), which can act as a spot treatment in addition to a cover-up, says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Robyn Gmyrek.
- Formulation: Make sure you’re looking for a lightweight, serum-like formula; heavy, thick cream concealers (especially with thicker, more occlusive ingredients that create a barrier on the skin, like coconut oil and waxes) can clog pores and lead to acne, says Gmyrek. Matte creams in pots or tubes are great since they don’t have a wand, which helps prevent bacteria from spreading (as long as you’re using a clean brush or sponge).
- Buildable coverage: Look for a concealer that you can apply in thin layers to conceal more prominent redness and bumps without looking cakey. But make sure you can easily remove it at the end of the day to prevent product buildup and further irritation from cleansing, says cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos.
How we tested the best concealers for acne-prone skin
Eight NBC Select editors, many of whom have sensitive, acne-prone skin, tested over 30 concealers for two months to find the best ones that cover up breakouts, don’t look cakey and won’t cause more acne or inflammation. Here’s what our editors kept in mind as they tested each concealer:
- Coverage: We considered how well each concealer covered individual pimples, general redness and inflammation, both day and night. We weighed the degree of coverage against the comfort and feel of the concealer throughout the day.
- Formulation: We considered lightweight liquid, cream and stick concealers, per my experts’ guidance. Each concealer is oil-free and noncomedogenic.
- Comfort and feel: We kept in mind how the concealer generally felt on our skin upon initial application and after at least a few hours. Did it cake up and flake off over time? Did it feel heavy or uncomfortable on our breakouts?
- Shades: We tested concealers on multiple skin tones, so we paid attention to the brand’s available shades. We noted whether shade ranges were limited, or if they didn’t quite match up to our individual skin tones.
- Longevity: Most editors applied each concealer at the start of the day, either on its own or on top of a foundation or skin tint, and kept in mind how long coverage lasted on their skin throughout the day. Like a foundation, a good concealer should last for at least eight hours before it starts flaking off or looking cakey, experts say. We made note of how many hours we were able to wear each concealer, as well as factors that could affect longevity, including sun exposure and sweat.
- Activity: Editors put these concealers through a range of activities and environments to test coverage and longevity, including a full eight-hour work day, while walking 10K+ steps in New York City, out dancing at nightclubs and while working out.
- Packaging: We considered how comfortable the concealer is to apply and how packaging played a role. Most of the concealers we tested had wands, while others came in pots to dip your finger or a brush. Most of our testers used either a brush or makeup sponge to blend out their concealer, while a select few used their fingers.
- Price: We kept in mind whether each concealer was a good value based on its longevity, coverage and size, and whether we would repurchase.
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Best concealers for acne-prone skin
Best overall
Haus Labs makes one of our favorite foundations for rosacea and redness, and the brand’s concealer is a favorite, too. It not only covers up acne and hyperpigmentation, but it’s extremely lightweight, doesn’t cling to dry patches (which comes in handy if you’re using an acne medication) and has dermatologist-recommended, acne-safe ingredients like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. Plus, it has a great shade range, so it matches all of the skin tones among our editors.
“This concealer feels light and creamy; it’s not too thick or too watery — it’s perfectly in the middle,” says NBC Select associate social media editor Caitlin Cusack, who has oily, acne-prone skin. She wore this concealer to cover up her redness, spots and dark circles at a photoshoot, and she says it looked just as good almost eight hours later as it did when she first applied it in the morning. “The best part is I didn’t feel like I needed to reapply throughout the day,” says Cusack.
This concealer is a favorite of NBC Select editorial operations associate Jem Alabi, who says it’s the best one she’s ever tried. “It’s definitely medium to full coverage, so it covered up my dark spots shockingly well, plus it revived my under eyes without drying them out,” she says.
Best budget-friendly
I grew up with Maybelline’s Fit Me line, and the concealer is a drugstore mainstay in my routine. It’s a great combination of lightweight and blendable, while still covering up a decently-sized pimple. Plus, it’s only $9, which our editors think is a great price for the quality (and matches up to some higher-end concealers).
“This concealer felt so good on my skin. It wasn’t too thick or too watery, and it was the perfect consistency,” says Cusack. Our reviewers also noted there’s not much creasing throughout the day, which is great if you want to cover up under-eye darkness in addition to breakouts. However, since it is lighter coverage, it’s meant to even out your skin, but don’t expect it to completely cover up pimples. “This looked great under my eyes, but I could still notice some of the pimples I had in my chin area,” says Cusack.
The Maybelline Fit Me concealer is the best drugstore option for dark spots and blemishes, according to Alabi. “It works super well, even without foundation,” she says. “I recommend letting it dry for a bit before spreading on the skin.”
Best lightweight
If you want a concealer that has a lightweight, serum-like consistency without sacrificing coverage, this one fits the bill. It’s my favorite concealer to use alone on hotter days when I want to cover up my blemishes and redness without having to wear a full face of makeup. I also love how easy it is to blend with either a makeup sponge or brush, which is especially nice for my dry skin that’s prone to flakiness.
“I’ve never been loyal to a concealer before I used Tower 28’s, but now it’s the one I keep coming back to no matter how many other options I’ve tested,” says NBC Select reporter Zoe Malin. “I’ve been using it daily for about a year because it reliably covers acne, dark spots, broken blood vessels and scars. I love that it’s buildable — I use one layer to hide minor imperfections, and two to three to hide very red spots.” Also, a little goes a very long way, so one tube lasts a while, says Malin.
Best full coverage
I have very dry skin due to my rosacea, and this concealer was my favorite of the ones I tested — it has a thick consistency that provides a great amount of coverage, but it manages to hydrate any typical dry spots on my face, like under my eyes and around my nose. It has more coverage than most concealers I’ve tried, so it covers up my pimples and redness without looking cakey or unnatural on my skin. I also loved the wand applicator since it was flexible and let me target specific areas of my face without creating a mess.
Best travel-friendly
This Clinique concealer is great to apply on the go thanks to its dual-ended applicator, which includes a wand on one side to target specific areas on your face, and a built-in sponge on the other end to blend out the concealer. This especially helps when you don’t have a makeup sponge or brush on hand as you apply or reapply the concealer throughout the day.
This concealer was one of my favorites from testing, mostly because of how lightweight the texture felt on my skin, to the point where I forgot it was on. I especially loved how easy it was to blend out — I tried using both a beauty sponge and my fingers, and both worked well for spreading and patting in the product without too much transfer or waste,” says NBC Select associate SEO reporter Ashley Morris. “Plus, the coverage is pretty buildable, so although it has light coverage to begin with, I can work it up to more medium coverage.”
NBC Select commerce editor Cory Fernandez, who has combination skin, uses this concealer on its own to cover up his dark circles and blemishes. “It isn’t too thick or watery, it’s easy to apply and blend into my skin, and it provides a good amount of coverage,” he says. “It was a perfect match for my skin tone and the applicator made it so easy to apply. It also lasted hours after I first applied it and held up during the day.” The concealer also has vitamin C to brighten the skin and help reduce discoloration, plus hyaluronic acid to hydrate and draw in moisture.
Best for dry skin
This Neutrogena concealer stood out as the most moisturizing option we tested. It has peptides and vitamin E to help soothe and moisturize your skin and address fine lines. Plus, it’s very easy to blend and feels lightweight, so you don’t have to worry about it feeling heavy or uncomfortable on your skin throughout the day, according to our reviewers.
“I love the feel of this concealer — it’s so light that I forget I have it on, and it didn’t irritate my sensitive skin or eyes after long wear times,” says Morris. “It’s creamy, but not overly thick, which makes it really easy to blend out. It has light coverage, but it’s also buildable enough that you can get a medium coverage when you need it.”
Best brightening
Rare Beauty’s brightening concealer was one of the most popular concealers we tested, and fortunately, it lived up to the hype — each of our testers noted how well this concealer blended out on the skin and covered up blemishes and redness. It has a slightly thicker consistency than most concealers I tested, but it still managed to sit comfortably on my skin without feeling heavy or patchy. The brightening element lived up to its name, in my experience: It managed to liven up my under eyes (which are generally very dark), and it covered up the small pimples on my chin and forehead without looking cakey or dull. It also has the largest number of shades on this list, so finding the perfect color match for our editors was easy and stress-free.
“Famously, with Rare Beauty products, you only need a little dab of product for a full face and this was no different. I’d say beware of what color you choose and how much you put on, because sometimes the spots I concealed were a little too bright,” says Alabi.
Best splurge
With its whopping $58 price tag, this concealer had a lot to live up to — and it definitely did. This is one of the most hydrating and blendable concealers I’ve ever tried, and it’s one of the only ones that actually stood up to my horribly dry under eyes. The formula is smooth, creamy and lightweight, and I only need a small dab to cover up most of my redness and bumps. As someone who struggles with dry patches, I noticed this one was extremely hydrating and managed to brighten up some dull spots, too.
NBC Select commerce editor Lindsay Schneider, who has combination skin, says this concealer went on smoothly and felt hydrating on her skin. “When I prepped my base properly and was already hydrated, it seemingly stayed on really well and I didn’t notice any flaking,” she says. However, she was not a fan of the packaging: “I struggled to get the cap off — it’s a really difficult cap that I was about to give up on,” says Schneider. It also has one of the lowest shade variations of all the concealers we tested, which made matching our staff’s various skin tones very difficult.
Best for oily skin
Nars is one of the brands that has stayed consistent in my makeup routine for years (in fact, I’ve used the brand’s Radiant Creamy Concealer for over a decade). This full-coverage concealer, which comes in a travel-friendly and mess-free pot, has a matte finish, which means it’s a great option for those with oily skin, according to my experts. I apply this one using a flat concealer brush specifically to conceal large pimples. Not only is it extremely easy to blend, but it’s also more sanitary than a concealer with a wand since I can clean the brush before dipping it back into the pot. Plus, it has several acne-friendly ingredients, including peptides to reduce the appearance of pores, hyaluronic acid to hydrate and vitamins A, C and E to brighten and soothe the skin.
Best medium coverage
The Saie Slip Tint concealer is a favorite of Alabi, who likes that she can wear it on its own without any foundation. “It blends easily, so much so that it’s kind of sheer and looks incredibly natural. The orange in the tint kind of acts like a color corrector too which I love,” says Alabi. The concealer also has several expert-recommended ingredients, including niacinamide (to soothe inflammation) and hyaluronic acid (to hydrate the skin). However, Alabi says it does crease a lot, so using a good setting powder is a must.
Best buildable
This is one of our favorite drugstore concealers because it has a thicker consistency that offers a great amount of coverage, yet it doesn’t feel cakey or heavy when you apply two or three layers. It’s great for those who have hyperpigmentation and scars due to acne since it combines caffeine and kojic acid to brighten and even out your skin tone (the caffeine helps depuff your under eyes, too).
Fernandez, who used this concealer to cover up blemishes and under-eye darkness, says this concealer provided a great amount of coverage and lasted well over six hours on his skin. “It has a super smooth application and was easy to dab on my dark spots with a brush,” says Fernandez. Though shades are limited, the concealer lists its shades based on your skin’s natural undertones — each one is labeled under cool, neutral or warm undertones to help you better match your skin. “It was the best match for me of all the options I tried — my skin tone is both cool and warm in certain areas, so it’s ideal for people with a combination [of undertones],” says Fernandez.
Frequently asked questions
Can concealer make your acne worse?
Yes, concealers may clog pores or trap bacteria if you use the wrong formula. Avoid heavy textures, fragrances and heavy silicones, as well as comedogenic ingredients like coconut oil and isopropyl myristate because they can irritate already inflamed acne, says celebrity makeup artist Dominique Della Maggiore.
“I would also avoid powdery textures since they tend to make the breakouts look worse,” says cosmetic chemist Krupa Koestline. However, when you have acne-prone skin, it’s more about how the product behaves on your skin and how you remove it than avoiding concealer entirely, says Koestline.
Can you pair your concealer with an acne spot treatment?
Generally, it’s fine to use a concealer with or over top of an acne spot treatment, including acne creams and pimple patches. However, keep in mind that most spot treatments, particularly those with benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, can dry out your skin, so there may be some flaking or dry spots in the area that you apply concealer, experts say. “I’d recommend looking for a two-in-one multitasking product to avoid needing to layer multiple things,” says Dr. Hadley King, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City.
How do you cover up acne with concealer?
Below, experts share how they recommend people with acne-prone skin use a concealer:
- Prep your skin and use clean tools. This is the most important thing when it comes to acne-prone skin to avoid spreading bacteria, says Della Maggiore. Cleanse and moisturize your skin first, then use a clean brush or sponge to apply.
- Use a green-tinted corrector to neutralize redness before applying concealer, says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Naana Boakye.
- Apply your concealer in thin layers to avoid caking, and don’t rub or drag it on your skin.
- Dot or gently tap the concealer directly on blemishes with a small brush or damp sponge.
- Set with a light, talc-free powder to reduce shine and extend the wear of your concealer, says Boakye.
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Dr. Robyn Gmyrek is a board-certified dermatologist at Unionderm in New York City.
- Kelly Dobos is a cosmetic chemist with expertise in skin care and personal care product formulation.
- Dominique Della Maggiore is a celebrity makeup artist based in Los Angeles.
- Krupa Koestline is a cosmetic chemist, ayurvedic practitioner and founder of KKT Innovation Labs.
- Dr. Hadley King is a board-certified dermatologist at her own private practice in New York City.
- Dr. Naana Boakye is a board-certified dermatologist based in Hackensack, New Jersey.
Why trust NBC Select?
I’m an updates editor at NBC Select who has covered beauty and personal care for over five years. For this article, I spoke to board-certified dermatologists, makeup artists and cosmetic chemists about what to look for in concealers for acne-prone skin. NBC Select editors also tested over 30 concealers for two months to find the best ones to recommend.
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