Dear Paula,

I have sensitive, oily, whitehead and blackhead prone skin. I prefer mineral makeup and I was told that it's better for my skin to use a primer before I apply makeup. Is this true? Either way I have noticed after a few hours of wearing makeup the pores around my forehead, cheeks, and chin look clogged and not too smooth. I have tried so many acne and non-acne cleansers, exfoliants, and moisturizers as well as a bunch of different makeup options. What can I do to keep my pores from getting clogged?

Rachelle, via email

Dear Rachelle,

You bring up several good questions! Everything you’re asking and your comments point out what drives me the craziest about the cosmetics industry. Let me see if I can help navigate you through your predicament and shed some (realistic) facts and information on these topics.

First, I am not sure why you prefer mineral makeup if it makes the pores in certain areas of your face “look clogged and not too smooth.” Mineral makeup (the loose powder kind you buff onto skin) isn’t great for someone with oily skin (I’ve written about this repeatedly, sigh). Primarily the problem is a direct result for this type of foundation to have a thicker texture that can interact with the excess oil your skin is producing, causing it to pool in large pores and make skin look slightly to moderately mottled with color. Most mineral makeups also have shine which also isn’t great for oily skin—when your skin is already overly shiny from too much oil production, do you really want to add more shine to your skin? There are plenty of absorbent matte powders available (labeled mineral or otherwise), and they generally work well when oily skin is a concern.

One other issue most loose powder mineral makeup has is that their pigments can mix with skin’s oil and oxidize leading to color changes over your oiliest areas. OK, one more issue: the opaque ingredients in some types of mineral makeup have the potential to clog pores. That means mineral makeup isn’t a slam-dunk solution for anyone struggling with blackheads and whiteheads. Mineral makeup can be a good option for sensitive skin, but that’s only part of what you’re dealing with.

What to do? Look for a fragrance-free liquid foundation with sunscreen (so you won’t have to apply a separate SPF-rated product to your face and risk making skin oilier) that utilizes modern pigment technology and texture enhancers to ensure the smoothest, most natural-looking results possible. A few of my favorites include L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Makeup SPF 17, Paula’s Choice Best Face Forward Foundation SPF 15, Almay TLC Truly Lasting Color 16 Hour Makeup SPF 15, and Shiseido Dual Balancing Foundation SPF 17. Apply these with a sponge, or, if preferred, clean fingers and set with a light dusting of loose powder such as Make Up For Ever Super Mat Loose Powder.

As for whether or not you need to use a primer, the short answer is no. As long as your skin-care routine is leaving your face smooth and free from the buildup of dead skin cells and excess oil, you’re not going to see much (if any) benefit from using a primer. Lots of companies selling primers tell women that they’re necessary to protect your skin from foundation, but foundations don’t contain ingredients that skin needs to be shielded against plus there are no primers that are impenetrable force fields even if that kind of protection was needed. One more point: liquid and powder foundations are designed to stay on the surface of skin. It they were absorbed then you wouldn’t get the coverage they impart.

Most primers are a blend of water and silicones and essentially function as lightweight moisturizers that make skin feel silky which works well for normal to dry skin, but overall just adds a greasier feel to oily or combination skin. What is more advantageous for your skin type is to use a gel or liquid (think well-formulated toner) loaded with state of the art ingredients (antioxidants, skin-identical ingredients etc) that improve your skin’s health and appearance as well as facilitate makeup application. It doesn’t take a special, additional product labeled “primer” to improve foundation application or longevity.

In your case, you may want to try applying Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum Fragrance-Free after cleansing and exfoliating. This creates an ideal base for makeup application and it contains ingredients that will help your sensitive skin build a stronger barrier so it becomes less reactive. Paula’s Choice, Clinique, and MD Skincare by Dr. Dennis Gross also offer well-formulated fragrance-free serums that run circles around any primer you care to name while being helpful for sensitive skin.

One more comment: you did not mention in your letter if you’ve ever used a well-formulated BHA (salicylic acid) product. Many such products are either fraught with needless irritants or are not formulated in the correct pH range to be effective, which leads to disappointing results. I suggest trying one of the BHA products in my line. The feedback I receive from customers struggling with blackheads and oily skin has been remarkable. I recommend several well-formulated BHA products from other lines on my Web site www.Beautypedia.com.