Telling You Rn...These Foundations Won’t Clog Your Pores (2025)

If you're looking to add a natural luminosity to your face without comprising on ingredients, lemme introduce you to Saie's Glowy Super Skin Foundation. This formula smooths uneven skin texture while simultaneously delivering a hydrating glow, thanks to hyaluronic acid, squalane, and glycerin (talk about a workhorse). It's buildable and lightweight, so you can customize your preferred level of coverage too depending on your application method. A dense foundation brush will help cover dark spots and active zits, while a sponge can sheer it out for a lighter look.

• Format: Liquid
• Finish: Natural
• Shades: 36
• Size: 1 fl oz

One Cosmo editor says: "I love this foundation because it gives me the perfect amount of coverage. It conceals my blemishes and evens my skin without looking overly cakey. And I can go about my day knowing my foundation isn't exacerbating my acne and my skin is looking refreshed for hours since the hydration benefits in this are next level" —Jasmine Hyman, assistant beauty editor

News flash: Matte foundation doesn't need to be thick and hard to work into your skin. And oily skin has nothing on this mattifying, noncomedogenic foundation from Anastasia Beverly Hills. The smooth consistency easily spreads across skin to minimize the look of pores, cover zits, and improve skin texture, all without the usual heavy ingredients that can clog your pores.

• Format: Liquid
• Finish: Matte
• Shades: 25
• Size: 1.18 fl oz

One Cosmo editor says: "I'm convinced I am singlehandedly leading the full-coverage, matte foundation movement in 2025. But this new Anastasia Beverly Hills foundation will hopefully bring a whole lotta people to my team. It smooths and blurs fine lines and acne without clinging to any of my dry patches. And of course, it doesn't break me out—a feat considering how acne-prone my skin is." —Beth Gillette, beauty editor

I have dry skin that's v prone to acne, so I’m always searching for foundations and skin tints made with hydrating ingredients that won't break me out, like this one from Rose Inc. It contains hyaluronic acid and squalane to draw moisture to my skin and minimize any flakiness, but without clogging pores or feeling like it's suffocating my skin (you know the feeling).

• Format: Serum
• Finish: Sheer
• Shades: 14
• Size: 1 fl oz

One Cosmo editor says: "As someone with hormonal acne, I prefer a light, breathable base, and this Luminous Skin Tint from Rose Inc. is my absolute favorite complexion product. It leaves my skin with a light glow that never creases or cracks and honestly feels as hydrating as skincare."—JH

You can use this multitasking stick from Merit to conceal zits and acne flare ups, or build it up as an all-over foundation. It's also packed with fatty acids and plant extracts to nourish the skin and minimize redness as you wear it.

• Format: Cream
• Finish: Natural
• Shades: 40
• Size: 28 oz

One Cosmo editor says: "I keep one of these in my gym bag at all times to dab on after a workout class when my cheeks are red or to conceal a pimple here and there. It's lightweight and comfortable to wear, but also packs quite a bit of coverage in this tiny lil tube. And if I'm heading to brunch or the office afterward, I can also draw it all over my face and blend with a brush for a full-on foundation look."—BG

If you love a weightless foundation with a natural, skin-like finish, try out this cult-favorite from Armani. It has a silky texture that blends in quickly, plus it's easy to build too. A pump or two is all you need for a lightweight layer of coverage—just enough to even out the skin—but you can easily apply multiple layers for a more full-coverage, airbrushed effect. But no matter how much you apply, it still has a totally weightless feel.

• Format: Liquid
• Finish: Natural
• Shades: 40
• Size: 1.28 fl oz

One Cosmo editor says: "I normally wear skin tints, but when I’m really breaking out I reach for this fuller coverage option. It’s lightweight and blends easily but has enough pigment to hide redness and dark marks."—Lauren Balsamo, beauty director

The L’Oréal True Match Foundation is great for acneic skin, courtesy of its noncomedogenic formula and soothing ingredients like panthenol, aloe vera, and urea . But even better, it comes in nearly 50 shades and is less than $14, which is basically unheard of at the drugstore. So next time you're on vacation and forget your spensy foundation, forget the Sephora DoorDash and just run to CVS to pick this one up.

• Format: Liquid
• Finish: Natural
• Shades: 47
• Size: 1 fl oz

One Cosmo editor says: "The L'Oreal True Match line has my heart. The complexion products are all acne-friendly, long-lasting, and give me as good of a finish as some of the formulas that are double or triple the price." —JH

On the hunt for a multitasking complexion product with skin-loving ingredients? Meet Ciele. Not only is this lightweight skin tint deeply soothing (thank you, niacinamide, allantoin, and bisabolol), but it also boasts SPF 50 for simultaneous sun protection. Reminder: The brand was awarded a Cosmo Holy Grail Award in 2024 for best new makeup brand because Gillette was so obsessed with this product (and their others too).

• Format: Liquid
• Finish: Natural
• Shades: 13
• Size: 1.28 fl oz

One Cosmo editor says: "Unlike most skin tints, this one is totally acne-friendly and actually feels lightweight on my skin, not heavy and dewy. It actually blurs my skin and covers up any discoloration, dark spots, and active zits."—BG

Need a foundation that lasts for hours, whether it's pouring rain or humid as heck? (Like, you're getting ready to do an Eras Tour rain show performance, perhaps?). This formula promises 24 hours of waterproof, sweat-proof, and transfer-proof wear—which, tbh, no one should be wearing a foundation for that long, but some reviewers do say it lives up to the test. What I can assure you from my own experience, though, is that it delivers a full-coverage look that feels lightweight on my skin and pores.

• Format: Liquid
• Finish: Natural
• Shades: 40
• Size: 1 fl oz

One Cosmo editor says: "This foundation is a go-to when I have a long day ahead of me. It takes me from early morning commutes into late nights, and I still come home with my glam still fully intact."—JH

Behold: The best skin tint of Cosmo's 2024 Acne Awards. The does-it-all formula has plumping peptides, soothing allantoin, pigmented coverage, and SPF 50. And it accomplishes all these skincare benefits without pore cloggers, keeping breakouts at bay.

• Format: Liquid
• Finish: Natural
• Shades: 13
• Size: 1 fl oz

One Cosmo editor says: “I’m all about efficiency, and this skincare/makeup/SPF hybrid is as efficient as they come. It is spreadable with just fingers and has peptides to plump and SPF 50 to protect from UV damage.”—LB

The airy, whipped texture of this foundation glides effortlessly across your skin, blurring the appearance of pores and pimples, while refining skin texture and giving skin a soft-focus finish. And the oil-controlling ingredients (hi, silicones, we <3 you) combat excess shine to create a smooth finish for any level of glam.

• Format: Liquid
• Finish: Matte
• Shades: 18
• Size: 1 fl oz

One Cosmo editor says: “I'm so used to foundations slipping and sliding all over my face that I've honestly just come to accept it as a fact of life for my oily skin. But then I met this sweet angel from One/Size. It smooths over every bump on my face, effectively erasing it, all the while mattifying for hours and hours on end. I don't even have to use a primer. Game-changer." — BG

Sadly, determining if a foundation is noncomedogenic isn’t super straightforward. While many retailers and brands will disclose so directly on the product packaging or via the website, not all of them do. That's where our favorite online resources like Acne Clinic NYC’s Ingredient Checker, Biba de Sousa's Pore Clogger Checker, and Sofie Pavitt's Pore-Clogging Ingredients Check come in handy.

You just copy and paste the product’s ingredient list onto the site, and it will flag any pore-clogging ingredients. Just remember, though, there's no one-size-fits-all definition for comedogenic, so your dermatologist might have a different view than Sephora or Acne Clinic. Ultimately, we recommend consulting with your derm, who’s familiar with your skin and can offer personalized advice about what ingredients to steer clear of and which to prioritize.

Consider your skin type.

Are you dry? Oily? A bit of both? Zeroing in on your skin type will help you narrow down your options so you're not overwhelmed with choosing a noncomedogenic foundation. For dry skin types, you'll want to opt for a liquid foundation with lots of hydrating ingredients (think: hyaluronic acid and squalane). However, those with oily skin will want a cream or matte foundation with ingredients like dimethicone to help cut down on excess shine.

Decide on your ideal level of coverage.

Coverage ultimately comes down to personal preferences—it depends on what finish you're looking for. For those looking to even out their skin tone, lightweight coverage might do the trick, whereas you might need medium- to full-coverage to conceal blemishes or discoloration.

• Lauren Penzi, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist with MDCS Dermatology in New York, NY. Dr. Penzi specializes in medical and cosmetic dermatology and has a special interest in acne, rosacea, skin cancer, eczema, psoriasis, and hair loss.

Jasmine Hyman is the assistant beauty editor at Cosmopolitan. As an acne-prone editor, she takes her skincare and makeup routine very seriously. She's an expert in pore-clogging ingredients, and has spent years researching and testing all the best formulas, like face moisturizers and acne body washes, to treat and prevent breakouts. For this story, she also tapped Cosmo's beauty team for their fave acne-friendly formulas.

Marisa Petrarca is a contributing beauty writer for Cosmopolitan with over five years of experience researching and writing about makeup, skin, and hair, ranging from from skin-tightening cream to the best red lipsticks.