Dry skin got you down? I feel you. Dealing with dryness or dehydration in your skin can take a toll, especially when it comes to applying makeup. I’ve struggled quite a bit with dehydration, and there was a point when I couldn’t even use primer or foundation because my skin would start to crack within a few hours. Don’t worry, though. There’s hope! While a hydrating skincare routine can do the trick, it helps to use a primer specifically designed for dry skin so you don’t make matters worse.
Tons of great formulas are designed to be magical antidotes for dry and uneven skin. And many are loved by makeup artists who use them every day. I asked a celebrity makeup artist to give me a breakdown of her favorites, along with some tips to choose the best one for your dry skin. Keep reading! There’s good stuff ahead.
Celebrity makeup artist Elizabeth Seropian has a few tips for those with dry skin who need a good primer. “Those with dry skin should look for a hydrating primer that moisturizes and nourishes the skin,” she explains. “Choose primers with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and botanical oils for added hydration. Opt for primers with a dewy or luminous finish to create a healthy, hydrated base for makeup.”
Seropian says there are also a few ingredients commonly found in many primers that those with dry skin should avoid. “Avoid primers that contain drying ingredients such as alcohol, fragrance, and harsh chemicals,” she says. “These ingredients can further strip the skin of moisture and add to your dryness. Additionally, silicones and mattifying agents may not be the best choice for dry skin as they can create a barrier that prevents hydration from reaching the skin’s surface. It’s best to look for primers with nourishing and moisturizing ingredients that are gentle and soothing for dry skin.”
Keep scrolling for Seropian’s top makeup primers for dry skin and some WWW favorites.
Pros: Contains hydrating coconut water and probiotics to boost radiance, improve skin elasticity, and nourish the skin’s moisture barrier. Cons: Texture is a bit runny. “My all-time favorite hydrating primer is the Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer. This primer is infused with coconut water and probiotics to hydrate and nourish the skin. It has a lightweight, non-greasy formula that helps to revive and refresh dry skin.” — Seropian. Customer Review: “Used this product for years now. I have drier skin, and this is one of the best primers I’ve ever used. Not super sticky like other primers, more like an extra layer of moisture!”
Pros: Promotes long term moisture recovery, extends the wear of your foundation, contains hydration powerhouses like glycerin, olive extract, and marine botanicals. Cons: Not great for hyper sensitive or rosacea-prone skin. ” This primer is enriched with vitamins A, C, and E, as well as aloe vera and jojoba oil to hydrate and soothe dry skin. It creates a hydrated and luminous base for foundation, helping to improve the overall appearance of the skin.” — Seropian. Customer Review: “This is the best primer I’ve ever used. My makeup stays put all day and looks perfect after using this primer. Definitely has become a staple in my makeup organizer.”
Pros: Budget-friendly, infused with grape and vitamins A, C, and E to hydrate skin and boost radiance, noncomedogenic. Cons: The texture of the product is slippery. This budget-friendly option from E.l.f. gets the job done. It’s a great hydrating primer for those with dehydrated or acne-prone skin because it’s noncomedogenic. It’s also infused with grape and vitamins A, C, and E to help boost radiance and hydrate your skin. Customer Review: “Best primer ever! A little goes a long way. Keeps my makeup on and looking flawless.”
Pros: Silky, lightweight texture, contains vitamin E to help protect against environmental stress. Cons: May be too matte for some. Contains fragrance. This is such an old-school primer, but it’s honestly still so good. Benefit Cosmetics wasn’t kidding when it came up with the cheeky name, either. It instantly minimizes pores, and thanks to an antioxidant-rich formula, it keeps skin moisturized and protected from environmental damage. Customer Review: “Great primer, lightly scented and smooth to apply, dries quickly.”
Pros: Silicone-free, infused with hyaluronic acid and caffeine to hydrate skin and improve texture. Cons: Strong smell. Pacifica’s silicone-free primer contains nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, jasmine extract, orang extract, and caffeine to improve skin texture. Customer Review: “This product is amazing. Every day I get compliments about how my skin looks and how my makeup looks amazing. Even at the end of the day!”
Pros: Enriched with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, shea butter, and squalane. Is a moisturizer and priming base in one. Cons: Expensive, contains a slight fragrance. A moisturizer and primer in one, this option from Bobbi Brown is enriched with hydrating ingredients to create the perfect canvas for makeup. Vitamins B, C, and E brighten and replenish skin, while squalane, hyaluronic acid, and shea butter hydrate and plump the skin. Customer Review: “Honestly, I didn’t want to like it because of the price, but I now consider this a holy grail product. It leaves my skin super plump and soft. The cream is pudding-like in texture and is rich but not heavy at all. It leaves a satiny finish and a slightly tacky base that’s perfect for makeup application. If you choose not to wear makeup, your skin just absorbs it and stays nice and hydrated.”
Pros: Contains hyaluronic acid and ceramides to nourish dry skin. Comes in four different tints to target various skin concerns. Cons: Expensive. Koh Gen Do is beloved in the beauty and film industries because its famous formulas make celebrities look flawless when in front of the camera. This is one of the best face primer formulas, thanks to its hydrating perks (it’s loaded with hyaluronic acid and ceramides to plump and quench the skin) and because it comes in four tints to target different skin concerns. The lavender-pink brightens dull or sallow skin, the green counteracts redness, the pearly white adds an extra kick of luminosity, and the yellow (my fav) diffuses the appearance of darkness and discoloration. Customer Review: “I’ve read about the yellow version of this for years on Byrdie, so when my rosacea redness decided to become a permanent companion, it seemed the right time to give the green version a go. Color-correcting products in the past have left me gray or looking too ghostly, but the mint-pistachio color perfectly mutes the pinky redness on my cheeks without clashing oddly with the warmer peach tones I have going on elsewhere. If you’re looking for a primer to ‘fill in’ pores or eliminate lines, this isn’t the one for you. But if you’re like me and just want to cast a luminous veil over textural issues, this may be a good fit. Normally primers leave me quite dry or oily (ah, the joys of sensitive combination skin), not so with this one!”
Pros: Contains shea butter, rice bran, and glycerin to hydrate and condition dry skin, creating a luminous glow on the skin. Cons: May be too luminous for some. To keep skin ultra-hydrated, Armani added glycerin, rice bran, and shea butter to this formula. It’s an investment worth every penny and pairs well with the brand’s iconic Luminous Silk Foundation ($69). Customer Review: “This looks good every way I have used it. I love it on its own, mixed with a coverage product, or [layered] underneath a foundation. It doesn’t have any obvious flecks of glitter, [but] gives the skin a very flattering look. It also doesn’t disturb any of the other skincare I layer on beforehand. Everything else layers on top of this beautifully, and it is well worth the price.”
Pros: Silicone-free, controls excess shine without being too drying, contains probiotics and alpha-glucans to support a healthy skin microbiome. Cons: May be too matte for some. It doesn’t get much better than Ren’s clean, vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free, and silicone-free Perfect Canvas Clean face primer. It’s filled with agave extract to smooth and mattify, plus probiotic extracts and alpha-glucans to support the skin’s microbiome, which can get out of whack during dehydrating months. Customer Review: “I bought this last year on the recommendation of my friend and because it is difficult to find a clean primer. As a result, I wasn’t really using anything unless it was a special occasion (i.e., an art fair, wedding, etc.). This is the second bottle I’ve purchased, and I’ve recommended it countless times to friends. It goes on like a serum and somehow sinks in very quickly and smooths out the skin making it prime for application.”
Pros: lightweight, plumps and hydrates skin, creates a soft, radiant finish with added mineral pigments. Cons: Texture is a bit runny, and it could be too luminous for some. This primer from Bareminerals contains apple extract, a natural humectant that draws moisture into the skin and plumps it up. Luminous mica pigments also instantly brighten the skin and give it a radiant glow. Customer Review: “There is definitely a shimmer in this primer that gives you a glow, so if you don’t like shimmery makeup, this isn’t the primer for you. The primer goes on nicely and gets the job done. It dries quickly and doesn’t have a tacky feel to it. There isn’t much of a scent, which is nice.”
Pros: This water-based gel primer has a lightweight texture and provides up to eight hours of hydration while creating a glass-like finish. Cons: A bit sticky upon application. This unique water-based gel primer has a jelly-like texture that’s lightweight and refreshing on the skin. It also provides up to eight hours of extra hydration with ingredients like aloe and cucumber. Customer Review: “I absolutely LOVE this primer! I have had high-end and drugstore primers, and this, by far, has to be my favorite! It works great with all types of makeup. Skin tint, full coverage, CC creams, etc… I have oily, combo skin, so I wasn’t sure how this would work for me, but it was absolutely beautiful on the skin and left a great gripping feeling for my makeup. And a little goes a long way for me personally. I will be repurchasing this!”
Pros: Hydrates without clogging pores and acts as a moisturizer and primer. Cons: Texture is slightly watery. Glossier’s Priming Moisturizer hydrates and blurs pores while being noncomedogenic. This makes it great for dry, dehydrated, and acne-prone skin. Customer Review: “This moisturizer leaves a refreshed and sleek feeling by itself and is an excellent base under makeup. I have mature skin, and this provides enough daytime moisture.”
