As if finding a good foundation that works with your skin type isn’t hard enough, when you add sensitive skin to the mix the battle becomes 10x harder.
Those with sensitive skin may struggle to find a foundation that doesn’t cause their skin to breakout or irritate skin conditions like psoriasis. The good news is you don’t need to rule out wearing foundation altogether. Providing you do your research and pick a suitable formula, there are plenty of foundations on the market that can work.
Foundations ingredients to avoid
In order to prevent irritation, there are certain ingredients that are a definite no-no. The type of ingredients to avoid may vary from person to person but usually you will be wanting to stay well away from foundations that are heavily perfumed. Chemical ingredients like essential oils, sulphates and alcohol can be heavy on the skin and in turn lead to irritation of skin conditions.
It isn’t impossible to find a full coverage formula to work with your sensitive skin, however the thicker formulas associated with full coverage foundations are usually the culprits for causing breakouts. Sticking to lighter formulas without heavy chemical ingredient are less likely to clog your pores and keep irritation at bay.
If you have recently suffered from a skin flare up make sure to leave your skin to breath. Stay away from applying makeup and wait for you skin to heal itself first.
How to pick the best foundation for sensitive skin
Just like choosing any foundation, picking a formula for your personal skin type is crucial even when you have sensitive skin. Sensitive skin can come in a variety of types, those with oily skin will want to lead towards formulas that don’t contain excess oils and those with dry skin will be looking for some extra hydration.
Mineral powder foundations work well for those with oily skin as they extract excess oils from the skin
The best foundations for sensitive skin
Looking through list after list of ingredient can be a pretty time-consuming task; I’m almost certain you don’t want to be lingering in your local drugstore blindly reading the backs of foundation bottles for hours. To save you the job I’ve done all the research for you and picked a handful of foundations that are targeted at those with sensitive skin.
Milk Makeup Flex Foundation Stick
Milk Makeup is up there with one of my favourite brands for honest, clean beauty products. Their entire catalogue promises to only use ingredients that are good for the skin and the Flex Foundation Stick is no exception. With a 100% paraben-free promise this foundation also includes chamomile and blue lotus, making it an ideal foundation for those with dry skin that are looking for extra moisture.
bareMinerals BAREPRO Performance Wear Liquid Foundation
This mineral-based formula is amongst the fuller coverage options available for those with sensitive skin. If you’re looking for something that gives the appearance of a new, revived layer of skin, then it’s safe to say you might fall in love with this one.
Amongst its mineral foundation formula this sensitive skin approved foundation also has added SPF to help protect your skin against UV. It blends into the skin like butter and almost colour shifts to perfectly match your tone.
bareMinerals Original Loose Powder Mineral Foundation SPF 15
We have yet another entry from the bareMinerals brand – this time in a powder formula. The Original Loose Powder Mineral Foundation is one for those who have a sensitive oily skin type. Just like the previous foundation it contains clean ingredients that won’t irritate the skin, just in a different form that is unlikely to clog pores. This foundation leans towards a lighter coverage and is almost undetectable on the skin in terms of it’s weight.
The Ordinary Serum Foundation
Not all foundations need to break the bank, the Ordinary Serum Foundation is a great budget friendly option for those who suffer with dry sensitive skin. This foundation comes packed full of ingredients designed to work for dry sensitive skin.
If you’re looking for coverage, then this one may not be your bag but for those wanting to enhance your skin here is your Holy Grail.
