There is no way around it: Even if you are battling blemishes, you still need to minimize sun damage by using an effective sunscreen. In fact, it’s especially important because, as part of that battle, you should be exfoliating the skin, which can make it more susceptible to the sun’s rays.
Unfortunately, the last thing someone with oily skin needs is another product on her skin. Most sunscreens, even those that claim to be oil-free, contain ingredients that can cause blemish flare-ups. The few sunscreens that are indeed lighter in weight tend to be alcohol-based, posing new problems because alcohol can be an irritant. Plus the sunscreen ingredients themselves can cause breakouts, particularly the so-called “nonchemical” sunscreens, which contain titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. Even though titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are superior sunscreen agents, doing their work with little to no risk of irritation, they are occlusive and can clog pores. Other types of synthetic sunscreen ingredients can cause irritation and also result in breakouts. So you’re between a rock and a hard place. Yet you still need sunscreen. In my opinion, the best option in this situation is to wear a foundation with a reliable SPF (preferably SPF 15) that uses either avobenzone, titanium dioxide, or zinc oxide as one of the active ingredients. Finding a foundation with sunscreen that contains avobenzone is difficult because it is rarely used in makeup. That’s because of the risk of eye irritation should a person apply the foundation around the eyes or on the eyelid (a practice many engage in, and rightly so). So you’ll mostly find foundations with titanium dioxide as the active ingredient, and these are worth experimenting with to see how your blemishes respond. Many people with acne find that titanium dioxide in foundations with sunscreen is not a problem.
More good news: a foundation that contains sunscreen is less of a problem than moisturizers when it comes to causing breakouts, regardless of the ingredients. Foundations are designed to stay on top of the skin, rather than be absorbed. Additionally, going for this option means using one product instead of two, if you were going to wear a foundation anyway. The fewer products you put on your skin, the better, and this is doubly true for someone afflicted with breakouts or oily skin. And please, if you do choose to wear a foundation that contains sunscreen, don’t forget that the other parts of your body that are exposed to sun during the day need sunscreen, too.
The bottom line: It takes experimentation and diligence to find a comfortable sunscreen for any skin type, but even more so for someone with oily skin and a tendency toward breakouts.