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Have you ever loved a product that broke you out?


Have you ever loved a product that broke you out? Did you still wear it?

MAC’s Mineralize Skinfinish Natural used to do it for me, and I persisted in using it for awhile but eventually moved on!

Thanks to Abbie for today’s question! Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.

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shelby Avatar

The only product that has ever broken me out (and terribly) was Garnier BB cream, and I really liked it. I haven’t been able to find another BB cream that had good coverage but was super luminous.

Estefania Avatar

MAC’s Mineralize Moisture Foundation! I loved the coverage, the finish, everything about it, but it broke me out almost immediately! I’ll stick with my trusty Studio Fix Fluid from now on!

Emily Avatar

This has never happened to me, but my best friend has issues with Urban Decay’s 24/7 eyeliners. She loves them, but they irritate her eyes so badly! I told her I’ve never heard of them bothering anyone else, and they don’t bother me. Has anyone else had problems with them?

Veronica Avatar

I find them slightly irritating on the waterline, but that’s pretty much any liner I’ve used. The bigger issue I find with them is that they just seem to disappear over time – even if I just apply it my lower lash line and set with powder, the line mysteriously thins out within a few hours.

Lioness Avatar

Hourglass ambient lighting powders and dior nude skin foundation. To this day, the Dior foundation was the best-looking foundation I’ve ever used. But between the high COBOL content and the bismuth, it took my skin weeks to recover.

Shelley Avatar

MAC MSFN broke me out too, so does prolongwear foundation. I used both up but just used them with primers acting as layers of protection. I won’t buy either product again. Silicone based primers break me out something fierce so I don’t use them at all.

Samantha Avatar

Yes. MAC Prep + Prime Skin. It when on great, then a few hours later, it ate my skin! I have celiac disease and did not check by-products. I am generally VERY careful, but was not. Totally my fault because I wanted to try it so much, but my skin was not in a normal state for 2 months!!

Sarah Avatar

There are a lot of cosmetics that break me out like Lancôme and Ole Henrikson. Too many to name so I have to use paraben free or Tarte due to my sensitive/dry/combo skin.

Jennifer Avatar

Lorac Pro – Ten minutes after I put it on, my eyes started to sting. So I got my makeup remover, and took it off. But it was so bad that my eyes became red, raw, and itchy for one whole week. Even the skin around my eyes developed rashes. It was another week and a half before the rashes went away. After that, I always made sure to swatch it on my inner wrist, then wait for 30 minutes to an hour first before buying the product.

Corinna Avatar

YES! Dior forever foundation! it was the perfect color, texture, and coverage, but it sadly broke me out or allergic reaction! I was in denial and I ignored it, but eventually I stopped. I don’t have bad skin, it’s just nice to have a foundation that matches so well!

Sofia Avatar

Nars Sheer Glow foundation! I LOVE that foundation, its the only one that truly matched my skin tone/color and the finish it gives is everything I ever looked for in a foundation, but after two months of constant breakouts, I had to give it up. It breaks my sister out as well… on the hunt again for something similar </3

Alicia Avatar

Benefit hello flawless oxygen wow foundation. It looked just like the name says flawless on my skin. It looked Natural and I will keep trying it out, I will not give up.

Mariam Avatar

Chanel mat lumiere foundation. It’s the only one I have ever found that matches my skin perfectly but all Chanel foundations give me breakouts unfortunately.

Kate Avatar

I usually use Chanel’s foundations but I just gave YSL’s touché éclat foundation and it matches my skin perfectly. They have warm, cool, and neutral tones. The YSL counter will give you a weeks sample.

Jade Avatar

I’m pretty sure I’ve never used any products which I perceived as definitely causing acne… my break outs are hormonal, so I will break out (or not) regardless of what I put on my skin. I do recall that when I started using rosehip oil, I did feel paranoid it would break me out! It didn’t, and it actually made my skin look much better, more hydrated, supple (everything it’s supposed to do!).

Christine, I gotta say I love MSFN, and I’m glad it doesn’t break me out! Have you come across a powder which you feel is similar in finish and coverage, in your travels? I can’t think of many baked tinted/setting powders…

Christine Avatar

I love Guerlain’s Les Voilettes (which is tinted) and Urban Decay’s Naked Loose or Pressed (both tinted). I actually don’t find myself liking MSFN these days – it’s almost too dry? not quite silky enough in a way. My go-to powder for more coverage would be Cliinique’s Almost Powder, but I don’t test or use many powder foundations honestly!

Jade Avatar

I know what you mean about it being dry, for me I love it though because it never cakes or *looks* dry. I only wish it were a little more inexpensive… for what it is, it feels overpriced to me (that said, I’ve repurchased it 3 times!).

Kiss & Make-up Avatar

Well, I always have bad skin so it’s hard for me to tell whether it’s a new product that is causing me to break out or just stress/hormones/the skin gods working their effed up magic… But I’m pretty sure some products have made my acne worse, yes.

Jennifer Avatar

Make Up Forever Mat Velvet+. I optimistically try it again every year or so, but it always gives me loads of nasty breakouts. Pity, as I’ve never found a great formula in a matte finish since. 🙁

Wednesday Avatar

1. Dior Foundations: I rarely break out, but a couple–nudeskin and capture–cause me to break out. Yeah, I completely steer clear of the brand for foundation. Perhaps it is their fragrance.

2. Vitamin C drops/serum. It makes such a huge difference in the visible quality of my skin and, I believe, assists the other skincare products to penetrate my skin better, so I have battled through the reaction and gradually increased from 5% to 15%..I still occasionally see reaction when I get overenthusiastic and apply too much. Counting drops is helping…but sometimes you splooge instead of drop ≧ω≦

LU Avatar

Actually, Origins products tend to break me out, but I keep trying new ones because I really love the brand. Right now I’m using the 10 minute moisture mask, but since it breaks out my face I use it on my neck, my driest area, and it works great.

auxiliary beauty Avatar

I’m not usually prone to breakouts, but both of the Lush masks I’ve tried broke me out, and both were formulated for sensitive skin! I was especially disappointed about Oatifix, since it smelled so good.

Nikki J. Avatar

I’ve tried a number of MAC face products, and they always seem to break me out. Of the ones I’ve tried, I LOVED the natural glow I got from Studio Moisture Tint and MSFN, but both products gave me a rash and a terrible case of itchiness. I tried using them separately too and got the same results. Because the MSFN was my favorite of the two, I tried using it sparingly on special occasions, but it was too much of a hassle. I eventually moved on to a product that gives me no side effects and the same beautiful glow!

Lindsay Avatar

What powder did you find comparable to MSFN? The bismuth (if I recall correctly) in MSFN really bothers my sensitive, acne-prone skin.

Nikki J. Avatar

Hi Lindsay! I now use Sephora MicroSmooth Baked Foundation Face Powder in place of MSFN. Honestly, I think it’s way better than MSFN. It has buildable coverage, a natural finish, no adverse side effects on my skin, and it’s more affordable! It lasts all day on me too, so there’s no need to touch up. If you give it a try, I hope you love it as much as I do!

Lindsay Avatar

Thanks Nikki! I actually was debating between that powder and Lorac’s for my spring/summer foundation. Went for the Lorac but I will try Sephora’s next.

Yvette Avatar

I’m going through that right now with the Kat Von D foundation. I love it and it was pricey but I haven’t had acne since I was a teenager!

Anna Avatar

🙁 Yes! Pond’s Luminous Finish BB Cream! I LOVE IT! It has great coverage and makes my skin look fabulous. BUT if I wear it for more than one day in a row I get a rash on my cheeks. Devastating. I can’t bear to get rid of it because I love it, so I just use it sparingly.

Krista Avatar

I have been using Clean and Clear Morning burst Hydrating gel and I love it. But i have been breaking out a lot more since I have been using it more frequently. I hoping its not the culprit because i love that my face doesn’t feel greasy after since my skin has been super duper greasy/oily in the past

Sheena F Avatar

NARS Sheer Glow foundation. I really loved the coverage and finish. Broke me out like a mother. I gave it a second chance after a couple of months but same thing happened. I do love MARS’ other products though!

Tomeka Avatar

Im absolutely obsessed with my Chanel Perfection Lumiere foundation but I’ve developed an allergy to SPF (the foundation has a spf 15 in it). It is my absolute favorite foundation so when I wear it, I wear it on the weekend to give my skin a breather after I’ve made a conscious decision to reck it! Its nuts but its worth it to me because I have the most flawless makeup when I wear it.

Kim Avatar

rte’s BB tinted treatment primer. The silicone feel of it makes it SO pretty as a really minimal base, but I got tons of little red bumps from it and NOTHING breaks me out.

Veronica Avatar

Neutrogena’s sunscreen line was pretty unkind to my skin. It’s a shame because I like the application, but I wound up switching to Cetaphil (which has, thankfully, been pretty gentle). Also, Philosophy’s facial exfoliator was just evil – some of the worst breakout I ever had! It really surprised me because I’ve never had a problem with their products otherwise. Wasn’t willing to mess around with it, though. (When your skin is fair, any sort of breakout is ridiculously noticeable!)

Kat Avatar

Heh, something’s going on right now and I’m not sure what it is, but I refuse to find out because I “can’t live without” the products in my current routine. If it gets much worse, I’ll do some investigating, but for now I live with it.

AudreyNZ Avatar

Anything with paraben breaks me out. I should learn to check the ingredients before purchase :p Just discovered the YSL Touché Eclat does have paraben. Luckily, so far it didn’t break me out under the eyes but a ginormous pimple did appear on my chin. Will use this only under the eyes from now, I think.

Kate Avatar

Yup. Just about every face product (moisturizer, sunscreen, foundation, BB cream etc). Not only do I break out but my skin turns red and burns like you wouldn’t believe. I only just found a sunscreen that doesn’t break me out. My face is very expensive. The only foundations that work are Chanel, Nars, makeup forever, and YSL. Luckily the sunscreen is drugstore. Boo sensitive skin!

Helene Avatar

Some part of the Clinique three step and or the moisturiser I had from them gave me a “nice” row of pimples above my eyebrows and on the temples. It was quite some time ago, so I don’t remember what moisturizer it was.
Also Isdora eyeshadows and makeup remover irritates my eyes so bad.
I’ve had a small breakout now, but I’ve no idea what caused it, maybe too much ice creame 🙂

Deb Avatar

I thank my lucky stars that my skin doesn’t seem to be too sensitive. Nothing has made me break out recently – I even switched from Biore Ice Cleanser to Olay Shine Shine Go Away lately, and so far no bad effects. Knock on wood!

Amy Avatar

Sephora 10 HR Wear Perfection Foundation. The worst part is that it was a perfect colour match, and the first few times didn’t do anything, but I ended up with two huge zits the last time I used it =/

Cole Avatar

MAC’s studiofix fluid and powder foundations gave me horrible cystic breakouts. The coverage/staying power was so amazing but the more I used it the worse I broke out, meaning the more coverage I needed and had to stick with the foundation… vicious cycle. That was 7+ years ago and I still haven’t worn a MAC face product, even a blush, out of fear since.

Benefit’s porefessional and the Hourglass mineral primers both made my makeup look great but caused severe breakouts. Such a shame.

Also really love how soft and moisturized the CeraVe moisturizer makes my skin feel but causes TONS of tiny whiteheads all over my face.

JESS Avatar

MAC Face and body in N1 made me break out with little white bumps all over my skin. Ugh it sucked. I recently tried it again in C1 and C2 and have had no issues! I am really excited that a different shade is working! I really love the sheerness, glowiness and waterproof business.

Haley Avatar

Not a product, but a makeup remover has broken me out, the Garnier Oil Cleanser removed my makeup like a charm but breaks me out… although sometimes I use it to remove eye makeup that my remover wipes don’t get.

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