Best Makeup to Cover Up Acne Scars

If there is anything worse than waking up to a breakout, it’s being left to deal with the scar that it may leave behind. Now— most of the time— the pimple itself is not to be blamed for the acne scar, it’s our bad habit of picking or popping said pimple that is at fault. Either way, what’s done it done and the memory of our breakout has— quite literally— scarred us. When it comes to fading or reducing the appearance of discolored surface-level acne scars, dark spot correctors (and a little bit of patience) can often do just the trick— however, this takes time… and for the sake of our otherwise flawless complexions, we want to conceal our bad decisions as quick as possible. The short term fix? Covering up the damage with a little bit of makeup. We’re sharing three makeup products you need to hide your blemish scars, below. 

CONCEALER 

When it comes to makeup that can cover up acne scars, the most obvious— and effective— product that comes to mind is concealer... as it can literally do just that (conceal your blemish scars). Depending on how dark or obvious your scars are, we recommend using a concealer that is full coverage and easy to use when touching up your makeup, like Dermablend’s Professional Quick-Fix Concealer. The Quick-Fix Concealer can camouflage anything from acne scars to under-eye circles to bruises and comes in a lipstick-like tube, so it is easy to use while on-the-go. In addition to its flawless coverage, this concealer is formulated with SPF 30, so your blemishes are getting extra protection from the sun’s damaging— dark spot causing— UV rays. 

Dermablend Professional Quick-Fix Concealer, $25 

COLOR CORRECTOR 

Color correction is one of our favorite makeup trends right now. For those with acne scars that have a red tint to them, use a green color correcting concealer like NYX Professional Makeup’s HD Photogenic Concealer Wand in green. The color green can help to neutralize redness in the complexion, whether it be in a specific spot— like an acne scar— or all over. To use, dab a little bit of the color on the affected area and then go over with your regular concealer. For more on color correcting, check out our fool-proof guide, here.

NYX Professional Makeup HD Photogenic Concealer Wand in Green, $5

With its lightweight coverage, BB cream might be the last thing you’d think of when it comes to covering up acne scars. But, if you use a BB cream that can correct skin tone irregularities, like Kiehl’s BB Cream, you can provide your complexion with pigmented coverage that can help to hide those scars. Formulated with vitamin C and SPF 50, the Actively Correcting and Beautifying BB Cream can protect the skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays (and keep your acne scars from darkening), brighten the complexion, and shield the complexion from environmental aggressors, like pollution and free radicals. If your scars are dark and show through the lightweight coverage, we recommend going over everything with a high coverage foundation, like Dermablend’s Cover Crème. Choose from 21 different shades that glide on evenly and leave the skin velvety smooth. 

Kiehl’s BB Cream, $37

Dermablend’s Cover Crème, $39

Sure, you can hide those scars, but why not try to reduce their appearance without having to wear makeup? Check out a few must-try tips, here.