Help- Makeup always looks cakey!

Hi all newbie here,

I have acne and a lot of redness from old acne and I use benzoyl peroxide on my skin which can cause it to be quite dry. I exfoliate every morning, I have to because of how dry my face is. I then moustourise and apply ELF primer. When I go to put on my makeup, it always sticks to parts of my fave and looks cakey and won't blend! Even if I just use a little bit. What products can I use to give me a smooth base for my foundation?

The only things I have tried that helped was putting BB cream on first, but I felt it was very oily and I didn't like the sensation of it under my makeup and it felt like it was clogging my pores.

Fake tan on under my foundation helps too for some reason, but I feel like this also clogs my pores so I only do it on nights out.

Thanks for your help! I've been having this issue for like 2 years now, and so disappointed with how my makeup looks every morning.

Hi! Welcome to MUT! I wonder if your skin is too dry for the foundation to go on smoothly. I've found that if I don't moisturize enough my makeup goes on cakey and settles into pores. I have combo sometimes more oily skin yet I need to moisturize it with a great moisturizer combined with a serum along with exfoliating so that foundation goes on smoothly. Sometimes primers don't work the best for me and the foundation goes on smoother without a primer. I've found that some primers/foundations work better for me than others. Some go on more cakey and settle into pores than others. It's hard to find the right one or the right combo of products.

Your skin is CRYING! You are over exfoiliating. You should only exfoliate once a week. Skin HAS to make extra oil to combat the drying out from the benzoyl and exfoliating you are doing. 

Here's my pro advice:

1. Wash with Raw African black soap (great for acne without burning your skin up. Get it on Amazon)

2. Toner- use witch hazel (find it in the pharmacy. It doesn't smell pretty, but its gentle and pure)

3. Moisturize - Pure Jojoba Oil (just a few drops applied with damp hands and damp face. Order it on Amazon or buy at health food store)

Jojoba oil most closely resembles your skins natural oils. If you strip the oils and don't replace them, your skin will work OVERTIME to create more oil and this results in more ACNE!

4. Wear a talc free mineral makeup - NO PRIMER! 

Our Valley Girl formula had Allantoin and Kaolin clay and is great for acneic skin types. 

5. Drink a LOT of water - gallon a day and stay away from Sweet Sodas and Sugars

I agree with whoever was saying that your skin is crying, because it really is, which you need to change!
My tips would be the following:

- Exfoilate every other day since your skin is so dry, others might say that this is bad, but since you are used to doing so, going every other day would be best for you, then you can decide what to do later on about this.

- Put a thick amount of moisturizer on, even if this means a night cream if it can asorb. Put the cream on, and then let is soak in your skin for amount 10-15 minutes. In this time in the morning you can brush your teeth, start doing your hair, etc.

- Stay clear from primers that have lots silicone in them. I'm pretty sure the ELF one you are talking about has that in it. Silicone can clog your pores, make makeup gunk up in weird places, dry out the skin, and just over all there are much better ways you can handle a primer. I would suggest something like the Stila One Step Correct like I use, which helps makeup go on nice, and also moisturizes the skin as well.

- Lastly, make sure the foundation you are putting on top is good. Make sure that it is not too matte, as matte foundations can leave dry skin problems really stick out and bunch up weirdly. Try a foudnation that gives you a natural look, not too matte.

Good luck!

Hello, mine does this two i have very dry skin, i find it helps if you use a good hydrating moisturizer before applying foundation and using a foundation that is made for dehydrated or dry skin, also try and avoid Matte Foudations and only powder a little. xxx