Finding vegan makeup for acne-prone skin can be difficult. With a mix of sensitive and oily skin, even the most natural vegan makeup products can end up aggravating acne instead of covering it. The same goes for all makeup, not just vegan makeup.
Luckily, there are no animal-derived ingredients that are lacking in vegan makeup. On the contrary, common animal-based makeup ingredients like lanolin or beeswax are considered unsuitable for blemish-prone skin types anyway.
We have done some lengthy research and consulted dermatologists to find the best vegan makeup for acne-prone skin. Hope you find some great options from our verified list.
All vegan makeup below is both vegan and cruelty-free, meaning all products are free from animal-derived ingredients and have not been tested on animals.
Best Vegan Makeup Products For Acne-Prone Skin
Here are the best vegan makeup products for acne-prone skin.
- Best Foundation: Oxygenetix Oxygenating Foundation
- Best Tinted Moisturizer: BareMinerals Complexion Rescue
- Best Primer: Smashbox Photo Finish Control Mattifying Primer
- Best Concealer: Dermablend Cover Care Full Coverage Concealer
- Best Blush: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush
- Best Bronzer: Tarte Amazonian Clay Matte Bronzer
- Best Highlighter: Milani Stellar Lights Highlighter Palette
- Best Setting Powder: 100% Pure Bamboo Blur Powder
- Best Setting Spray: Bella Jade Makeup Setting Spray
Best Vegan Foundation For Acne-Prone Skin
Oxygenetix Oxygenating Foundation
Oxygenetix Oxygenating Foundation is the best vegan foundation for acne-prone skin. Recommended by dermatologists, it’s the only liquid foundation that not only covers blemishes but also helps clarify the skin by promoting skin healing and cellular turnover.
This foundation is super lightweight and not at all cakey. Nevertheless, it’s excellent for covering spots and acne scars. It has an organic aloe vera base that is so soothing for the skin. While having a very medical name, the foundation is certified vegan and cruelty-free.
- What we like: lightweight, helps heal acne
- What we don’t like: small shade range
Key ingredients: organic aloe vera juice, Ceravitae complex (oxygen complex)| Features: vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, safe for sensitive skin
Shop on: Amazon, Dermstore (Yellow Undertones & Blue Undertones)
We also recommend powder foundations for acne-prone skin. Powder formulas tend to be more mattifying and lighter on the skin. Our favorite vegan powder foundations for acne-prone skin are Inika Loose Mineral Foundation and Pür 4-In-1 Pressed Powder Foundation.
Best Vegan Tinted Moisturizer For Acne-Prone Skin
BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer
BareMinerals Complexion Rescue is the best vegan tinted moisturizer for acne-prone skin. It’s oil-free, lightweight, and free of all harsh chemicals that could trigger acne. The mineral-based skin tint gives just enough hydration for acne-prone skin without feeling heavy.
- What we like: breathable, non-irritating, and oil-free
- What we don’t like: some shades are too orange
Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, vegan squalane, minerals | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, natural, clean, dermatologist-tested, hypoallergenic, oil-free, gluten-free, synthetic fragrance-free
In addition to tinted moisturizers, the best vegan BB cream for acne-prone skin is Tarte Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer and the best vegan CC cream is Hero Rescue Balm Color Correcting Green Cream.
Best Vegan Primer For Acne-Prone Skin
Smashbox Photo Finish Control Mattifying Primer
Photo Finish Mattifying Primer is the best vegan primer for acne-prone skin. The primer uses ingredients like salicylic acid, witch hazel, and zin that help prevent and reduce blemishes and blackheads. It helps reactive skin stay matte and balanced for the whole day.
- What we like: reduces and prevents breakouts
- What we don’t like: doesn’t apply evenly, needs some work
Key ingredients: witch hazel, salicylic acid, zinc, hyaluronic acid, probiotics, algae | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, SLS-free, mineral oil-free
Best Vegan Concealer For Acne-Prone Skin
Dermablend Cover Care Full Coverage Concealer
Dermablend Cover Care is the best vegan concealer for acne-prone skin. It’s great for covering blemishes, redness, and even acne scars. The concealer is also hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, and fragrance-free, so it won’t irritate sensitive acne-prone skin.
- What we like: covers blemishes and redness
- What we don’t like: difficult to find matching shades
Key ingredients: vegan glycerin, sunflower seed oil (non-comedogenic) | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, clean, paraben-free, phthalate-free, alcohol-free, fragrance-free, SLS-free, non-comedogenic, dermatologist-tested, allergy-tested, safe for sensitive skin, waterproof
Best Vegan Blush For Acne-Prone Skin
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush is our favorite vegan blush for acne-prone skin. It’s a very fine talc-free powder that doesn’t irritate the skin or clog pores. The blush feels lightweight and gives the cheeks such a lovely glow. It also diffuses pores and keeps oils at bay.
- What we like: lightweight, doesn’t clog pores
- What we don’t like: not very pigmented
Key ingredients: synthetic fluorphlogopite, mica, diamond powder | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, talc-free, fragrance-free, gluten-free, nanoparticle-free
Best Vegan Bronzer For Acne-Prone Skin
Tarte Amazonian Clay Matte Waterproof Bronzer
Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer is the best vegan bronzer for acne-prone skin. The powder bronzer keeps acne-prone skin matte and absorbs excess oils with clay and talc. Blemish-prone skin types praise this bronzer for being gentle, breathable, and breakout-free.
- What we like: gentle formula, keeps the skin matte
- What we don’t like: not transfer-proof
Key ingredients: Amazonian clay, talc, mica, mineral pigments | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, clean, paraben-free, phthalate-free, sulfate-free, triclosan-free, mineral oil-free, gluten-free, dermatologist-tested, water-resistant
If your skin is sensitive to talc, here are the best talc-free vegan bronzers for acne-prone skin: Pür Bronzing Act Matte Bronzer, Inika Baked Mineral Bronzer, and BaeBlu Organic Bronzer.
Best Vegan Highlighter For Acne-Prone Skin
Milani Stellar Lights Highlighter Palette
Milani Stellar Lights is our number one vegan highlighter for acne-prone skin because it’s completely oil-free. The palette sculpts and highlights the cheekbone with a gentle and lightweight powder. It does not clog pores and rather helps keep oils in check.
- What we like: oil-free formula, best highlighting palette
- What we don’t like: only one shade option
Key ingredients: talc, mica, synthetic fluorphlogopite | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, oil-free, paraben-free
If prefer a talc-free vegan highlighter for acne-prone skin, we recommend Inika Baked Mineral Illuminator.
Best Vegan Setting Powder For Acne-Prone Skin
Bamboo Blur Powder from 100% Pure is the best vegan setting powder for acne-prone skin. You don’t have to choose between mica or talc – bamboo powder is one of the best anti-inflammatory and anti-acne ingredients. It keeps the skin matte, shine-free, and poreless.
- What we like: bamboo powder is great for acne
- What we don’t like: not the best blendability
Key ingredients: bamboo silica, peach, apricot, papaya, turmeric, green tea extracts | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, natural, clean, paraben-free, phthalate-free, mineral oil-free, silicone-free, talc-free, filler-free, gluten-free, made in the USA
Shop on: Amazon, Official site
Best Vegan Setting Spray For Acne-Prone Skin
Bella Jade Makeup Setting Spray
Bella Jade has the best vegan setting spray for acne-prone skin. It not only sets makeup but helps clear, balance, and soothe blemish-prone skin with organic green tea extract, MSM, and sodium PCA. It’s the best natural anti-acne makeup spray.
- What we like: natural formula, soothing ingredients
- What we don’t like: not very mattifying (as promised)
Key ingredients: organic green tea, white tea, and rooibos extracts, MSM, sodium PCA | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, clean, natural, organic, paraben-free, petrochemical-free, synthetic fragrance-free, oil-free
Shop on: Amazon, Official site
Best Vegan Makeup Brands For Acne-Prone Skin
These are the best vegan makeup brands for acne-prone skin.
Pür Cosmetics
Pür Cosmetics is the best vegan makeup brand for acne-prone skin. They have a wide variety of mineral-based powder makeup that is great for keeping acne-prone skin matte and calm. Their skin-friendly makeup is also free of talc, parabens, mineral oils, and gluten.
Inika Organic
Inika is another great vegan makeup brand for acne-prone skin. Their makeup is organic, gentle, and non-comedogenic. Instead of talc, they use organic corn starch and mica. While corn starch is not always recommended for acne, this natural brand is loved by acne-prone skin types.
Shop on: Amazon, Official site
Hourglass
Hourglass is another fantastic vegan makeup brand for acne-prone skin. Most of their products are free of parabens, fragrances, and mineral oils that could irritate acne-prone skin. Their vegan powders (talc and talc-free options) are always lightweight and non-comedogenic.
Tower 28
Tower 28 is a vegan makeup brand designed for people who struggle with sensitive skin issues, including acne. Their makeup is free of over 1300 harmful ingredients. While many of their formulas are creamy, acne-prone skin will surely love their SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray.
Merit Beauty
Merit Beauty is another clean vegan makeup brand to consider with acne-prone skin. Committed to creating safe formulas for acne-prone skin, they partnered up with renowned aesthetician Biba de Sousa to eliminate 73 acne-triggering ingredients from their products.
While Merit’s products are mostly creamy and hydrating, they are made with non-comedogenic ingredients. The products are also very lightweight with natural finishes. Merit Beauty is an especially good vegan makeup brand for dry acne-prone skin.
Shop on: Sephora, Official site
PS There are also many cruelty-free makeup brands that are not fully vegan but have a great vegan makeup selection for acne-prone skin. These brands include Tarte, Smashbox, BareMinerals, Dermablend, and 100% Pure.
Is Vegan Makeup Good For Acne-Prone Skin?
Vegan makeup is equally good for acne-prone skin as non-vegan makeup. There are no animal-derived ingredients that vegan makeup cannot use for acne-prone skin. The main acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid, tea tree oil, and clay are all vegan-friendly.
Moreover, common animal-based ingredients such as lanolin, milk, and beeswax are not recommended for acne-prone skin as they can aggravate acne or clog pores. In this regard, vegan makeup can even be considered safer for acne-prone skin than non-vegan makeup.
What To Look For In Vegan Makeup For Acne-Prone Skin
When looking for vegan makeup for acne-prone skin, remember that every acne-prone skin is different and reacts differently to various ingredients. With this skin type, it’s important to become educated on makeup ingredients and eliminate the ones your skin reacts badly to.
While it’s always safer to go for vegan makeup that is labeled hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic, those terms are not clearly regulated and do not always guarantee that the products prevent irritation and breakouts for acne-prone skin.
Acne-prone skin is somewhere in between sensitive skin and oily skin. On the one hand, blemish-prone skin needs vegan makeup to be gentle, natural, and free of irritating chemicals. On the other hand, the makeup needs to be able to absorb excess oils and not clog pores.
Organic vegan makeup only works for acne-prone skin if it’s not too packed with natural oils and extracts. It’s better to avoid comedogenic (pore-clogging) oils such as coconut oil and cocoa butter. From non-natural vegan makeup, avoid mineral oils and silicones for the same reason.
Vegan powder makeup tends to work best for acne-prone skin as it’s lighter than cream formulas and mops up excess oils. It’s also great if your vegan makeup formulas include some acne-combating ingredients such as salicylic acid or clay.
Remember that even the most natural powder ingredients like corn starch can aggravate acne and become a breeding ground for bacteria. The same goes for mica – it’s an excellent natural substitute for talc yet it can clog pores and cause breakouts in higher concentrations.
While talc is not recommended for sensitive skin, it tends to be a good choice for mild acne. From natural vegan powders for acne-prone skin, good antibacterial ingredients are bamboo powder and rice powder.
As you see, there is no one right answer to vegan makeup for acne-prone skin. It’s all about getting to know your skin. The best start is to run your vegan makeup products through the CosDNA database to see how they rank on the comedogenic and irritant scale.
How We Review Vegan Makeup For Acne-Prone Skin
We review vegan makeup for acne-prone skin through careful research. We consult dermatologists and beauty experts in addition to analyzing the ingredient lists of each product before recommending it.
Peer recommendations are also crucial in finding the safest vegan makeup products for acne-prone skin. Our product research is completely independent and has not been incentivized by any brand or retailer.
FAQ About Vegan Makeup For Acne-Prone Skin
Vegan makeup works just as well for acne-prone skin as non-vegan makeup. The best makeup ingredients for acne-prone skin (salicylic acid, clay) are all vegan-friendly.
The best vegan foundation for acne-prone skin is Oxygenetix Oxygenating Foundation.
The best selection of vegan makeup for acne-prone skin is available on Amazon, Ulta, Sephora, and Dermstore.
Summary
We hope you found some suitable vegan makeup products for your acne-prone skin from our list. We tried to combine products that are good for both oily and sensitive skin types so that your reactive skin can enjoy vegan makeup without irritations and clogged pores.
Our favorite vegan makeup for acne-prone skin is made by Pür Cosmetics, Inika Organic, and Hourglass. We also like the vegan-friendly makeup products from Smashbox and Dermablend.
While the American Academy of Dermatology confirms it is safe for acne patients to wear makeup, we still suggest you be careful with the products you choose. Less is definitely more. Make sure you also consult with your dermatologist for the best makeup options for your skin.
See also: Vegan Skincare For Acne-Prone Skin
