A reliable skin-care routine is an excellent thing you can do to enhance the health and look of your skin—that’s an established fact. But if you’re making efforts there and then applying makeup with pore-blocking ingredients, you’re not doing your complexion any favors.
While there are numerous makeup brands with skin-friendly formulas in the market, many are merely following the “clean” or “natural” trend and including fashionable ingredients in small quantities. So if you’re unsure where to begin when updating your makeup collection, consider these five doctor-endorsed brands, which have been creating beneficial cosmetics since their beginnings.
Physicians Formula
Established by allergist Dr. Frank Crandall in 1937, Physicians Formula was initially made for Dr. Crandall’s wife, who had lupus and needed makeup that wouldn’t worsen her sensitive skin. The 83-year-old brand takes pride in developing products based on the concept of “healthy beauty,” where each item is created and tested under strict conditions. Every new release must be safe for sensitive skin and eyes and formulated without harmful substances, such as formaldehyde.
To take it a step further, Physicians Formula introduced its Organic Wear line in 2008, featuring skin-care and makeup products free from preservatives and parabens. The packaging materials, like natural goat hair bristles and a paper compact that uses over 90 percent less plastic than traditional compacts, are environmentally friendly. The line has been certified organic by EcoCert, one of the largest organic certification organizations globally, and was among the first mass-market organic makeup lines.
A best seller
Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter Blush ($10) is one of the outstanding products, and you can likely figure out why—the texture truly feels like butter. The popular blush comes in six shades and is infused with murumuru butter, cupuaçu butter, and tucuma butter, for an extremely creamy texture.
Pro tip: Skip using the highlighter when applying this—the subtle shine gives the cheeks both color and an inner glow.
Related: How to Transition into Clean Skin Care Without Compromising Results
Doll 10 Beauty
Launched in 2006, Doll 10 was created by Doris Dalton, a wellness and chiropractic medicine expert from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. After being diagnosed with Hurthle cell carcinoma, Dr. Dalton hardly recognized herself when she looked in the mirror, due to her lackluster skin and thinning hair. That’s when she decided to start her own makeup line—one that would be safe for her post-chemotherapy skin.
Doll 10 Beauty is a line of clinically supported and cruelty-free products that incorporate 10 skin-repairing components, such as hyaluronic acid, algae, magnesium, vitamin C, and ceramides, to nourish the skin. Dalton utilized her knowledge of the body and the skin’s ability to heal itself to pioneer the creation of bioceutical ingredients, which are derived from food sources, for her line.
Dalton collaborates with labs that produce ingredients for pharmaceutical and wellness products, and they can utilize that technology and formulate with it so that the benefits can be absorbed on the skin topically. “All of our products are developed with skin care as the priority, and each product is filled with ingredients that work deep within the skin layers—they’re not just on the surface,” says Dalton.
A best seller
On days when I’m exhausted and in a rush, I like to apply some Doll 10 HydraLux Smoothing Multi-Tasking Concealer ($29) under my eyes to look more alert. Not only does it brighten the under-eye area (so much that the brand describes it as a “cup of coffee for your under-eyes”), but it’s also highly buildable and helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Pro tip: Don’t just stop at your under-eyes—spread this concealer, using your fingers or a brush, over any blemishes or discolorations you wish to conceal.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Larger, Brighter Looking Eyes—From Makeup to Medical Treatments
Dermablend Professional
Dermablend is a line of full-coverage foundations, concealers, setting powders, and more—for all skin types, tones, and conditions—created in 1981 by dermatologist Dr. Craig Roberts. After being unable to find effective skin-care products to assist his patients with their rosacea, vitiligo, hyperpigmentation, burns, and birthmarks, he teamed up with his makeup artist wife, Flori Roberts, to create a line of high-performance pigments.
A best seller
Available in three different shades, the Dermablend Loose Setting Powder ($29) is a best seller for a valid reason. It works exceptionally well in keeping the foundation in place for 16 consecutive hours and helps absorb excess oil for a matte effect.
Pro tip: If you’re using foundation to cover tattoos or discolorations on the body, dust the areas with setting powder for enhanced staying power.
Perricone MD
Perricone MD was founded by dermatologist Dr. Nicholas Perricone in 1997. His early research on how to prevent and reverse the impacts of chronic and subclinical inflammation (which is the cause of aging and illness, according to his research) led him to develop Perricone MD. The line not only includes skin-care products but also offers dietary supplements and encourages a healthy diet for radiant skin.
Perricone launched his No Makeup cosmetics line in 2014, which features “skin-care-infused” products with potent ingredients, including neuropeptides, hyaluronic acid, acyl-glutathione, and vitamin C. The collection includes everyday essentials—think: foundation serum, eye shadow, lipstick, and blush.
A best seller
The Perricone MD No Makeup Lipstick ($22) is a delicate lipstick that provides a light wash of color. Formulated in six different shades, the lipstick is made with neuropeptides and hyaluronic acid to help plump and smooth lips over time and has broad-spectrum SPF 15 protection.
Pro tip: Forgot blush and highlighter? Gently dab the lipstick on the apples of your cheeks for a hint of color with a dewy finish.
