Acne scars, freckles, and age spots are all the results of hyperpigmentation. Your skin has patches with too much melanin, or pigment. Sometimes they are caused by sun damage, and sometimes by the way a wound heals.
When you want to disguise your uneven skin tone, you need one of the best foundations for hyperpigmentation. Most of these formulas are full coverage to give you a flawless appearance. Many contain sunscreen to protect your skin from new damage. And some of them work behind the scenes to brighten your skin tone with regular use.
Here is a quick overview of the top makeup foundations we’ll review today.
The top makeup foundations that hide hyperpigmentation
| Product | Features |
|---|---|
| Dermablend Cover Creme | Full coverage and buildable Hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic 21 colors for any skin tone and color, including warm, neutral, and cool Smudge-proof up to 16 hours (with powder) |
| L'Oreal Paris Infallible | Full coverage Lasts up to 24 hours 12 shades |
| Clinique Even Better | Medium to full coverage Brightens skin tone with regular use SPF 15 |
| Jolie Crème Foundation Stick | Concealer and foundation all-in-one Easy to blend SPF 8 |
| Mineral Fusion Pressed Powder | Buildable powder foundation Natural ingredients to fight signs of aging |
| bareMinerals bareSkin Brightening Serum | Lightweight formula Fades age spots and sun damage over time SPF 20 |
| Smashbox Studio Skin | Up to 15 hours’ wear Moisturizing with oil control Medium to full coverage |
| Revlon PhotoReady Airbrush Effect | 12 shades SPF 20 Medium to full coverage |
| Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover Camouflage | Covers blemishes and scars on both face and body Lasts up to 12 hours SPF 15 |
| Covergirl Outlast | Full coverage SPF 20 Lasts all day |
Dermablend Cover Creme Full Coverage Foundation Makeup with SPF 30 for All-Day Hydration, 21 Shades
Dermablend calls their Cover Crème “powerful makeup for all.” Their products began as a collaboration between a dermatologist and his wife, a makeup artist. The doctor realized that even all he could do for his patients sometimes wasn’t enough. Hence the need for better makeup to create the flawless appearance his patients desired.
As a result, Dermablend is one of the top full coverage makeup foundations recommended by plastic surgeons and dermatologists. It conceals hyperpigmentation, birthmarks, acne scars, surgical scars, and more, for up to 16 hours (if you set it with powder). The formula is tested to be hypo-allergenic and non-comedogenic, plus it’s fragrance-free.
Not only does the Cover Crème disguise uneven skin tone and texture, it also moisturizes your skin while you wear it. Plus, it has a 3% concentration of titanium dioxide as a natural sunscreen to protect your skin with SPF 30.
Dermablend recommends warming the makeup with your fingers before applying it. Tap additional makeup over areas to build extra coverage.
Also take note of Dermablend’s helpful color chart that will help you choose the right shade for your skin tone. They have 21 shades in warm, cool, and neutral tones. When in doubt, they recommend choosing a lighter shade.
L'Oréal Paris Infallible Total Cover Foundation
The Infallible Total Cover Foundation from L’Oreal Paris comes in 12 shades and offers full coverage to conceal blemishes and uneven skin tone. It lasts up to 24 hours, but doesn’t feel cakey on skin. It’s a less expensive option than Dermablend, and lots of customers love its ability to make their skin look flawless.
Clinique Even Better Makeup Broad Spectrum Spf15 Evens & Correct Foundation
Clinique’s Even Better Makeup is an all-in-one foundation that conceals, brightens, and protects against sun damage. When you apply it, you get SPF 15 sunscreen, plus it fades hyperpigmentation over time with regular use.
Users have noticed that it gives them medium to full coverage to hide lines and blemishes. Many say it makes their skin look younger. Since it’s an oil-free formula, it’s safe for acne-prone skin, too.
Jolie Creme Foundation Stick Full Coverage Makeup Base SPF 8
If you hate carrying around a makeup kit full of bottles and tubes, you might love the Jolie Crème Foundation. It’s a concealer stick and makeup foundation all-in-one. Plus, it offers SPF 8 protection with octinoxate and octisalate.
The creamy stick goes on smooth, perhaps because it contains both beeswax and candelila wax. Begin by passing the stick down over your nose, down your cheeks, and across your chin and forehead. Then use a brush, a sponge, or just your fingers to blend it into your skin.
Mineral Fusion Pressed Powder Foundation
If you prefer powder over liquid foundation, you might enjoy this one from Mineral Fusion. It relies on natural ingredients like aloe vera, cucumber, white tea, and licorice root to soothe your skin while it conceals blemishes.
The coverage it offers is buildable to disguise uneven skin color and pores. And the antioxidant-packed formula fights against signs of aging like fine lines.
bareMinerals bareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation SPF 20
While bareMinerals makes powdered makeup products, they also sell the bareSkin Pure Brightening Serum. This is another foundation that not only disguises imperfections, it helps erase them over time. It also contains 11% titanium dioxide for SPF 20 protection.
The ingredients in this formula have been clinically proven to fade dark spots and improve skin tone. It’s designed to look and feel natural. For best results, bareMinerals recommends applying a primer, brushing on the serum, and setting it with a finishing powder.
Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Hydrating Foundation
Smashbox’s Studio Skin provides medium to full coverage for up to 15 hours at a time. The formula is oil-free and moisturizing, made to reduce oiliness on skin. And its light-diffusing beads help to hide imperfections, too.
Revlon PhotoReady Airbrush Effect Makeup
Revlon’s PhotoReady foundation combines SPF 20 protection with medium to full coverage over uneven skin tone and texture. The buildable formula hides pores and gives skin an air-brushed, flawless appearance. It’s available in 12 shades.
Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover Camouflage Makeup for Face and Body SPF 15
It’s not only faces that need camouflage. Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Makeup is made for both faces and bodies that have scarring, birthmarks, sun spots, acne scars, and varicose veins. It provides SPF 15 protection against sun damage and lasts up to 12 hours without transferring.
COVERGIRL Outlast All-Day Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation
COVERGIRL’s Outlast Foundation comes in 13 shades and includes SPF 20 suncreen. The formula provides full coverage, enough that some users don’t bother with concealer anymore. The matte finish is designed to last all day long.
How to choose the best foundation for hyperpigmentation
Color
Your first challenge in selecting the best foundation to cover blemishes is getting the correct shade for your skin tone. If you aren't sure about the whole "cool, neutral, warm" scheme, here are some pointers:
- Look at the veins in your wrist. Do they look more green than blue or purple? Do you look better wearing gold jewelry over silver? Your skin is probably a warm tone.
- If your veins appear blueish-green, and both gold and silver look equally good, your skin is probably a neutral tone.
- But if your veins appear more blue or purple, and you look best wearing silver, not gold, your skin is most likely a cool tone.
Once you’re aware of your tone, it’s easier to choose the best shade for your foundation. If you’re able to test foundation on your skin, that’s very helpful. But when you buy online, that’s not possible.
Instead, make use of the manufacturer’s suggestions for the correct shade. Many times they have representations of the colors online—but remember the colors you see might actually look different depending on factors like which web browser you use, or which kind of screen. Many people have success buying both two shades at once and blending them. This is handy when your tan is fading from the summer or your winter paleness is slowly going golden in the spring.
Coverage
The next challenge is deciding between full coverage, or something a little lighter. This really depends on how dark the hyperpigmentation is. Some age spots, freckles, and pregnancy melasma marks are light brown and easy to conceal. But then there are those purplish-red birthmarks and dark brown acne scars that are very difficult to disguise.
If you’re not certain about how much coverage you’ll need, and you’re concerned about looking like you’re caked-on too much foundation, choose medium coverage that’s buildable. You might also like a foundation that you can set with powder for longer wear. Another trick is to use a concealer on very dark spots.
If you simply want the strongest coverage you can get, take a look at both the Dermablend and Estee Lauder foundations in our reviews above.
Conclusion
No matter the cause of hyperpigmentation, it can cause a person distress. It may be too costly to remove or treat. But there are many foundations that hide uneven skin color and other blemishes to help a person feel confident and comfortable. We hope our article helped you discover the perfect makeup foundation today. Check back soon to see new reviews of the best in skin care and beauty treatments.