It’s a vicious cycle: you get a zit, slap on a heavy dollop of concealer to cover it up, but then that makeup causes more zits, which you cover with more makeup, and, well, you can see where this is going.

Now, this doesn’t mean you need to give up all your precious makeup (the horror!), but you do need to take a careful look at the labels to make sure you’re not sabotaging your skin with your products. King shares her list of top offenders:

• Mineral Oil — This forms a film on your skin, trapping dead skin cells and bacteria (prime causes of acne) and can also give you milia, those tiny white bumps on your skin.



• Isopropyl Myristate — This can actually make your skin feel less greasy, but it also clogs pores and causes skin irritation.



• Lanolin — This is basically the fancy term for sheep sebum (sebum = oil) and while it can be good for dry skin, it’s not right for acne-prone skin.



• Petroleum — This is oil, and as you may have guessed, you don’t really need to be putting more oil on your face.



• Artificial Color — Look for FD&C in the ingredients list, that means the product has artificial color. This can irritate the skin and if it’s in your lipstick or blush it can cause breakouts around your mouth or on your cheeks.



• Artificial Fragrance — This can irritate your skin and cause breakouts. Try to keep your face as fragrance free as possible.