A concealer is often labeled as the ultimate must-have makeup essential. Getting your hands on the best concealer for sensitive skin can result in making under-eye area, blemishes, redness, dark spots, fine lines, and uneven skin a thing of the past. Having sensitive and easily irritable skin means having to deal with redness, clogged pores, and even inflammation when using makeup. A concealer that is suitable for sensitive skin will soothe and calm the skin while also concealing any imperfections! Transform your face into an even-toned and blemish-free haven without causing any irritation by picking a concealer that suits sensitive skin.

When it comes to concealers, it is crucial to choose a formula that is specially designed for sensitive skin types – non-comedogenic and hypoallergenic formulas that are free from toxic ingredients seem to work best. Ali Andreea, a professional Makeup Artist based in Paris says, “There is a reason why concealer is a secret of the universe. It can change the whole look.”

As people opt for a more natural look, many makeup artists recommend forgoing foundation and using just a hydrating concealer as a spot treatment. This prevents a cakey look and gives you a cleaner, more natural base to work on. What’s more? They hydrate your skin and provide a radiant natural finish, along with high coverage. Keep reading to discover the best go-to concealers that will correct and brighten even the most sensitive skin and give you a worry-free glow.

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  Dermablend Professional Cover Care Concealer

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The wondrous multi-purpose concealer by Dermablend Professional offers several skincare benefits in addition to hiding imperfections and signs of aging around the eyes. Providing high coverage, it is cruelty-free and lends your skin the utmost hydration to make it shinier and smoother. What’s more? It is available in a wide range of shades to cater to the needs of all skin tones. Plus, it boasts a lightweight, creamy formula that blends effortlessly for seamless coverage. For best results, apply the concealer with a wand, tap it with your fingers, and blend it with a sponge.

Coverage: Full

Shades: 15

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Colorescience Total Eye 3-in-1 Renewal Therapy

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The Colorescience Total Eye 3-in-1 Renewal Therapy, with its powerful clinical ingredients, helps cover up every last trace of fine lines and wrinkles and is enriched with SPF 35 to protect your skin barrier from harmful UV rays. So, why wait? Create a smooth base for every makeup look with this moisturizing concealer stick. It is hypoallergenic and filled with skin-loving ingredients, including jojoba esters. Besides, with its sustained hydrating formula, it gives perfect coverage that lasts all day long. 

Coverage: Full

Shades: 3

Quick Tip:

Use a hypoallergenic concealer to cover your imperfections before applying foundation using a buffing brush, and then blend it all to create a flawless makeup base.

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Best for Non-Creasing

Clinique Line Smoothing Concealer- 08 Medium Beige

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This Clinique Line Smoothing Concealer smoothes over lines, and wrinkles seamlessly. It suits all skin types, especially sensitive skin due to its oil-free formula that bridges fine lines and wrinkles. The smoothening and minimizing effect makes for an instantly firmer and lifted look. It is loaded with skin-brightening ingredients to help counteract the shadows, reduce any inflammation, cancel out redness, and give the skin a more evened-out tone. It is ophthalmologist tested, and the formula is long-lasting, giving buildable coverage.

Coverage: Medium

Shades: 8

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Best for Undereyes

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer- Affogato

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Smooth out your skin’s surface and extend the wear of your makeup with this Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. It specifically targets shine, pores, signs of fatigue, and more. Perfect your look with this creamy concealer for a natural-looking finish. It works for all skin types and covers up all imperfections – including dark circles, acne blemishes, and dark spots, with its high-performance formula. The multi-purpose product helps brighten, conceal, and perfect even the most sensitive skin safely. And it comes in 30 shades, making it easier than ever to find your perfect match!

Coverage: Full

Shades: 30

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Most Hydrating

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Radiant Brightening Cream Concealer

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This Neutrogena Brightening Cream Concealer comes with neutral undertones and is infused with peptides and an antioxidant vitamin E blend. The lightweight formula brightens your complexion with an instant radiance boost and flawlessly perfects the skin's imperfections such as blemishes and hyperpigmentation. 

Get buildable medium coverage from the non-comedogenic concealer that prevents the clogging of pores. The nourishing formula cares for sensitive skin while blurring any imperfections – making for a perfect base. Along with providing the perfect coverage, it also helps strengthen the skin’s barrier.

Coverage: Medium

Shades: 15

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Best Formula

ILIA- True Skin Serum Concealer

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The ILIA True Skin Serum Concealer is a clean, medium-coverage concealer with skincare benefits and a featherweight yet creamy texture that blends almost seamlessly into the skin. The viral sensation corrects and perfects in tandem, blending in with a creamy, creaseless stretch to instantly reduce the appearance of any discoloration, dark circles, or blemishes. It is enriched with stabilized vitamin C to improve the texture and glow of your skin over time, promoting a more radiant complexion while protecting against environmental damage. The formula is clean, vegan, cruelty-free, and even dermatologist tested – making it the perfect pick for sensitive skin.

Coverage: Medium

Shades: 20

Quick Tip:

Confused about the right shade of concealer? Well, it's super easy. Pick a concealer in the same shade as your foundation to cover your imperfections and create an even-toned canvas for further makeup application.

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Best Clean Concealer

Revlon Photo Ready Candid Concealer, Sand

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This Revlon Photo Ready Candid Concealer is filled with anti-pollution, antioxidant, and anti-blue light ingredients. What is even better is that it is free from all oils, parabens, phthalates, synthetic dyes, and fragrances – making it suitable for sensitive skin. It seamlessly camouflages under-eye puffiness, bags, and dark circles. The doe-foot applicator is perfect for application to even the most delicate areas. It offers medium buildable coverage and an undetectable natural finish. This concealer disguises like a pro, offering a smooth and even base for your makeup looks. And it comes in over 18 shades!

Coverage: Medium

Shades: 18

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Best Long-Wear

NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP Can't Stop Won't Stop Contour Concealer - Fair

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This NYX Professional Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Contour Concealer helps conceal and brighten the under eyes. It offers up to 24 hours of matte waterproof wear. Cover anything with confidence with this waterproof matte-finish concealer that lasts all day. It comes with matching foundation shades to help complete your makeup looks. It offers an undetectable natural finish and buildable full coverage. The bent applicator makes for an easy application that makes you glow with a single swipe. The formulation is vegan, cruelty-free, and PETA-certified. 

Coverage: Full

Shades: 46

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Best Full-Coverage

AmazingCosmetics Amazing Concealer

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This AmazingCosmetics Amazing Concealer is a full-coverage, long-wearing, water-resistant cream concealer that makes all skin imperfections disappear in an instant. It also doubles up as a great highlighting and contouring tool! The undetectable finish means you can ace that ‘no makeup’ makeup look. Apply pin-dot amounts of concealer on all flaws, gently tapping into the skin until the flaws disappear – making a little product go a long way. It nourishes sensitive skin as it corrects, leaving behind a skin-like finish.

Coverage: Full

Shades: 19

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Most Affordable Pick

essence Keep Me Covered Concealer- 30 Alabaster

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The Keep Me Covered Concealer from Essence is a lightweight, non-comedogenic concealer that easily hides spots, redness, and under-eye circles for a flawless complexion! It can easily be built up for medium to high coverage, brightening, concealing, and even smoothening your complexion. Feel free to blend with your fingers, brush, or a makeup sponge for a perfect finish. Infused with moisturizing aloe vera, it nourishes the skin, minimizes the appearance of pores, soothes redness, and controls oil production. The clean formula is free from silicones, parabens, fragrance, oil, alcohol, & microplastic particles. It is also cruelty-free and PETA-certified.

Coverage: Medium to high

Shades: 26

Choosing the perfect concealer for sensitive skin is not easy, luckily we have got you covered with some points to consider before investing in this versatile makeup essential.

For people with sensitive skin, it is important to make sure to not agitate the skin further. Concealers that have been allergy tested or labeled as hypoallergenic – containing minimal or no allergenic ingredients – are safe bets to avoid getting any reactions to the makeup. Moisturizing ingredients in a concealer like hyaluronic acid and antioxidants like aloe vera help beat dry skin and suit sensitive skin better. Picking a concealer that gives buildable coverage is usually a safer bet when it comes to irritable skin as it allows you to create a consistent smooth finish.

Skin Tone
Considering one’s skin tone is the first step when it comes to choosing the best concealer. For spot treatment of discolored areas, it is recommended to use a concealer that is one shade lighter than your natural skin tone, to offset the darker pigments. But this tip might make those with darker skin tones look washed out, so it is always to swatch and find your perfect match through trial and error. As per our contributor Maya Adivi, for a perfect match, one must test the concealer along the jawline. She suggests, “Apply the concealer to the jawline, blend it out slightly, and if it disappears completely into your neck, it's a good match.”

Primary Concern
If covering up dark spots is a top priority for you, then a lightweight concealer with a lightweight non-comedogenic formula to unclog the pores should be a good choice. Those with aging skin should look for concealers that give sheer and hydrating coverage to enhance the skin’s glow and do not settle into wrinkles. Those with dry skin would benefit from a creamy concealer with hydrating and moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid. 

Allergy Tested

Sensitive skin types must invest in hypoallergenic concealers that are dermatologically tested for different allergies and skin-related concerns. Not only do they not pose any risks to your skin’s health, but also maintain its texture and make it more smooth, shiny, glowing, and youthful-looking.

Hydration

Moisturizing and hydrating concealers top the list of the best skincare-infused makeup products. Not only do they help retain your skin’s moisture levels, but also make it younger-looking and extremely nourished, alleviating signs of aging and other woes. 

Buildable Coverage

Concealers offering buildable coverage are the best to be used by makeup enthusiasts and beginners alike due to their versatility, making them suitable for high-glam as well as no-makeup makeup looks. Note, that some concealers also provide lightweight and full coverage. 

Ultimately, when choosing a concealer for sensitive skin, it is essential to read the ingredient list carefully and look for products that are free of irritants and potential allergens. Testing a small patch of skin before applying the concealer to the face can also help to prevent any adverse reactions.

Concealers are magical wands that help even out your complexion and cover imperfections while smoothing out your skin texture. Here are its different types - 

Liquid Concealers — Available in a satin, radiant shimmer, or matte finish, providing high coverage. 

Stick Concealers — Available in a matte or satin finish, offering medium to high coverage. 

Cream-based Concealers —- Available in a satin or cream finish, providing blendable coverage. 

Color-correcting Concealers —- Available in a cream finish, and in different shades for all undertones, offering high coverage.

Contributor: Ali Andreea,  Professional Makeup Artist