Is Foundation Good For Your Skin? The Bizarre Truth

If you’re anything like me, you’ve always thought that foundation was bad for your skin. It clogs your pores, ages you, causes acne and a whole bunch of other negative things . . . right? Well, apparently, we’ve been wrong all along! (Yeah, it’s really not the first time, let’s be honest.)

Hello, my beautiful blog family. I have two main skin concerns about moving to Australia: acne and sun protection. I was taking a look at the kind of sun creams and different products I’d need to use to protect my poor skin from the sun (and, thus, aging. I know I have to get old, but I can go down swinging. Plus, y’know, skin cancer) . . . when I stumbled across an article from a dermatologist recommending her patients wear foundation.

In the sun?

Now, here’s a fun fact you probably didn’t know about me: I don’t like foundation. It feels heavy on my face – and I feel really self-conscious that I haven’t applied it well. On top of this, I have very acne-prone skin and I always assumed foundation was bad for your skin. So I wear it for occassions and sometimes if I’m going out, but it’s very much not an everyday thing. Team Natural (when my skin supports that dream anyway) is usually the goal.

After a bunch of research and myth-busting, my friends, I have discovered that my goal was . . . wrong? Apparently the right foundation is good for your skin. So, sure, let’s just completely up-end my firmly held beliefs. Yay?

**Disclaimer: I am not a dermatologist, and I’m just repeating what I’ve been researching. It might not be entirely accurate – this is the internet I picked it up from, after all – but I thought it would be worth a share.**

MYTH: Foundation doesn’t allow your skin to “breathe”, which is bad

I’m sure we can all relate to this; the freedom and freshness of our skin post-foundation is only akin to taking your bra off at the end of a day. (I’d say better than sex, but the two could go hand in hand and then it’s a two for one special, so . . .)

Well, that’s just the feeling of clean skin. Your skin doesn’t actually need to “breathe”. Your skin doesn’t breathe. It’s not your nose.

MYTH: Foundation is bad for your skin and causes blemishes

Foundation (with the right ingredients and properties for your skin type) can actually good for your skin. It acts as a physical barrier against bad shit like free radicals and pollution. So foundation actually protects you from the things that cause bad skin.**

Okay, so this one is a little weird because I’ve actually experienced it. When I was in college, I used to get the train and tube through central London to get there and back everyday – so I was exposed to a lot of pollution. (Just being in London exposes you to a lot of bloody pollution.) At first, I was more bare-faced – and then my skin started feeling dirty and clogged and broke out, so I turned to foundation to cover it . . .

Once I started wearing foundation, my skin started improving. At the time, I actually did wonder if my foundation was acting as a physical barrier for all that nasty shit, but I figured that would be way too good to be true.

**Provided you take it off at night and wash your brushes. If you leave your makeup up on too long, it will clog your pores – and if you’re leaving your makeup brushes to get dirty, you’re literally applying bacteria to your face. Also, you need to be using the correct type of foundation for your skin type.

FACT: Foundation acts as another layer to protect you against sun damage

Do you know what the biggest cause of skin-aging is? The bloody sun. All those harmful UVA and UVB rays aging you and . . . causing skin cancer . . . (Every time I think about that, I think about all the times I’ve laid out in the sun begging to tan. I try not to think about it.)

Well, while it shouldn’t replace your sun cream, foundation actually acts as another barrier from the sun’s rays! So it’s an extra layer of protection – sounds good to me.

From all of my searching, the general conclusion that I’ve found is foundation can be good for your skin . . . provided you’re using the right foundation for your skin-type – and that it has the right ingredients. For me, as I have oily-blemish prone skin and I hate heavy foundation, that’s probably going to be mineral foundation. Depending on your skin type, a different foundation might be for you!

Okay, my beautiful babies, I hope you somewhat enjoyed this post. I’m definitely confused about what we found out today, I won’t lie, but there you have it. If you are into beauty and skincare, don’t forget follow my board on Pinterest!

 

Do you think foundation is good for your skin? Are you an everyday wearer? Let me know your thoughts down below!

Peace,

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