Is Your Foundation Breaking You Out? SA Skin, Explained

You switched foundations. You started double-cleansing. You cut out sugar — briefly. And yet the breakouts keep clustering along your jaw, your forehead, wherever your makeup sits longest. Before you blame your hormones or your diet, it may be worth reading the ingredients list on that bottle. Some of the most popular foundations sold at Clicks and Dischem contain ingredients with a well-documented history of blocking pores, regardless of what the front of the packaging claims.

The ‘non-comedogenic’ label is not regulated

Here’s the thing the beauty industry won’t put on the front of the box: in South Africa, and in most countries, “non-comedogenic” is not a regulated claim. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) governs medicines and certain cosmetics for safety, but it does not require brands to prove a product won’t block pores before using that word on packaging. There is no standardised pore-blocking test that every brand must pass. A company can run its own in-house test on 20 volunteers, or no test at all, and still print “non-comedogenic” on the label.

This matters for SA consumers because our pharmacy shelves mix premium imported brands with local and budget lines, and there is no simple way to tell from the label alone which products have been meaningfully tested.

What comedogenicity actually means

Comedones are the blocked follicles that become blackheads (open comedones) or whiteheads (closed comedones), and are the foundation of most acne. An ingredient is rated comedogenic if, when applied to skin repeatedly, it tends to trigger this blocking process.

The most widely used reference scale runs from 0 (won’t clog pores) to 5 (highly likely to clog pores). This scale was developed in the 1970s and 1980s, largely by dermatologists testing ingredients on rabbit ear skin — which, as dermatologists now acknowledge, does not perfectly replicate human facial skin. A 2023 review in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology noted that many older comedogenicity ratings were established at higher concentrations than are used in actual formulations, meaning a product containing a rated ingredient at 0.5% may behave very differently to one using 5%.

No equivalent SA-specific comedogenicity database exists. This is a genuine research gap, and it matters because skin type, sebum production, and climate all influence how an ingredient behaves.

Why this is especially relevant for oilier, darker skin types

South African dermatologists report that acne is among the most common conditions presenting in both public and private skin clinics, and it disproportionately affects people with darker skin tones — not because darker skin is more acne-prone by nature, but because post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) from acne lesions is more visible and longer-lasting on deeper complexions. A single spot can leave a dark mark that takes months to fade. That means the stakes of ongoing cosmetic acne are higher.

Oilier skin, which is more common in warmer, more humid climates like much of lowveld, coastal KwaZulu-Natal, and Gauteng in summer, creates a different surface environment for makeup. More sebum means a higher likelihood that certain occlusive ingredients will combine with existing oil to form a plug. The SAMRC has documented the high burden of skin disease in SA, though specific cosmetic-acne prevalence data remains sparse.

The specific ingredients worth avoiding

Rather than trusting the label, check the INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) ingredient list — the long scientific-name list printed on the back or side of the product. These are the ones with the most consistent evidence for pore-blocking at typical formulation concentrations:

• Isopropyl myristate and isopropyl palmitate: Both rate 4–5 on the comedogenicity scale. They’re used as skin-softening emollients and appear in many long-wear foundations and primers. In a 2021 Skin Pharmacology and Physiology paper, isopropyl myristate was confirmed to promote microcomedone formation at concentrations commonly used in cosmetics.
• Coconut oil (cocos nucifera oil): Rates 4. Its popularity in “natural” beauty products doesn’t make it pore-friendly for acne-prone skin. Products marketed at natural beauty counters in SA frequently contain it.
• Algae extract (algae/seaweed derivatives): Rates 4–5. Common in “brightening” and “hydrating” foundations.
• Lanolin and acetylated lanolin: Rates 3–4. Found in more occlusive, full-coverage formulations.
• Wheat germ oil (triticum vulgare germ oil): Rates 5. Less common but appears in some “nourishing” or “anti-ageing” bases.
• D&C Red dyes (especially #17, #21, #30): Rates 3–4. Present in many pink- and red-toned foundations and blushers.

Ingredients with consistently low ratings (0–1) include niacinamide, dimethicone, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide — which happen to also offer sun protection, relevant in the high-UV South African context.

What the scare about silicones got wrong

Around 2018–2020, a wave of social media content declared silicones (dimethicone, cyclomethicone, phenyl trimethicone) to be major pore-blockers. Influencers built entire “silicone-free” product franchises on this claim. The evidence does not support it. Dimethicone rates 1–2 on the comedogenicity scale, and multiple controlled studies have found it does not meaningfully increase comedone formation. The confusion arose partly because silicones create an occlusive feel on skin, which some people interpreted as “suffocating pores” — a mechanism that isn’t how comedogenic acne works. If you’ve been avoiding silicone-based primers and foundations in favour of natural-oil alternatives, you may have been trading a low-risk ingredient for higher-risk ones.

What to actually look for at Clicks and Dischem

You don’t need to spend R500 on a specialist product. Several accessible options use lower-risk ingredient profiles:

Look for foundations with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as primary coverage agents — these appear in many mineral powder foundations stocked at Clicks from around R120–R180. Water-based liquid foundations with niacinamide listed in the top five ingredients are also a reasonable choice; niacinamide actively reduces sebum production by approximately 25% in clinical studies (at 4–5% concentration), and several local pharmacy brands have added it to their formulations.

Avoid buying foundation based on the front-of-pack claims. Flip it over, photograph the ingredients list on your phone, and search the key emollients before you get to the till. The CosDNA database (free, online) lets you paste an ingredient list and flags comedogenicity ratings for each component — it’s an imperfect tool given the concentration caveats above, but far more reliable than “dermatologist-tested” marketing copy.

Getting help in SA: public and private pathways

Public sector: If over-the-counter changes haven’t cleared cosmetic acne after 8–12 weeks, your first step is your nearest community health centre (CHC) or clinic. A nurse or GP can prescribe topical retinoids (like tretinoin) or topical antibiotics, which are on the Essential Medicines List. Referral to a dermatologist through the public system is possible but can involve long waiting times, particularly at district hospitals in rural provinces.

Private sector: A private GP consultation typically costs R600–R950 without medical aid. A specialist dermatologist in private practice generally charges R1,200–R2,000 for an initial consultation. Some dermatologists in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban offer teledermatology, which can reduce transport costs — a real barrier given fuel prices and unreliable public transport in many areas.

Medical aid: Acne causing significant scarring or psychological distress may qualify for treatment under Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs) as a dermatological condition, but coverage depends on your scheme and plan. Ask your scheme directly whether your plan covers dermatologist referrals and which medications are on formulary.

Load-shedding note: If you store tretinoin or other heat-sensitive topical treatments, refrigerate them during outages — heat can degrade efficacy.

When to see a doctor or dermatologist

– Breakouts haven’t improved after 8 weeks of removing suspect products

– You have painful, cystic lesions rather than surface comedones

– Breakouts are leaving dark marks that persist for more than 3 months

– You’re pregnant or breastfeeding and need acne treatment (many actives are contraindicated)

– Acne is affecting your mood or confidence significantly — SADAG (0800 567 567) offers free support if skin concerns are affecting your mental health

Bottom line

• Flip every new foundation over and check the INCI list for isopropyl myristate, isopropyl palmitate, coconut oil, and algae extracts before buying.
• “Non-comedogenic” is unregulated in SA — it tells you nothing without the ingredients to back it up.
• Silicones are not the problem; some “natural” oils are a bigger risk for acne-prone skin.
• Mineral foundations with zinc oxide and water-based formulas with niacinamide are lower-risk options available at Clicks and Dischem from around R120.
• See a GP or dermatologist if breakouts haven’t resolved in 8–12 weeks or if post-inflammatory marks are lasting longer than 3 months.