With more and more beauty brands incorporating skincare ingredients into their foundation formulas, you might be questioning if this is just a trend or if you should actually invest in a good makeup-skincare hybrid. It definitely depends on the ingredient, but there are a few out there that are worth adding to your arsenal. One ingredient I can confidently say you should invest in if you come across it in any formula is hyaluronic acid.
Derms and editors love it because it has a lot to offer. Any time you’re struggling with dry or dull skin, this is the ingredient you’d want to incorporate. The best part is there are plenty of foundations out there on the market that have it nestled into the formula for this reason. It helps lock in moisture in the deeper layers of the skin and gives it an overall glow. If you’d like to know more about what derms say about this and a few of their favorite formulas, read on below.
I’m sure by now you have at least some idea of what hyaluronic acid can do for your skin. If you’re not as familiar, I’ll give you the CliffsNotes version. Basically, hyaluronic acid is a huge hydration booster in the skin. Board-certified dermatologist Marisa Garshick breaks it down for us. “Hyaluronic acid can be a helpful ingredient in a foundation, as it is a humectant, which works to draw moisture in,” she says. “By helping to hydrate the skin, it not only helps to improve the overall health of the skin, but it can also offer a plump, dewy glow and help facilitate application of the makeup.”
Honestly, I’m always looking for a way to make my makeup extra dewy and glowy, so yeah, a foundation with hyaluronic acid is definitely a solid buy. I’ve also noticed recently that a lot of foundations can settle into fine lines if you’re not careful—another thing hyaluronic acid can help out with. For a few derm-recommended picks, keep reading below.
“This foundation incorporates hyaluronic acid to help hydrate the skin and boost moisture as well as a rose complex to help brighten the skin and improve the appearance of pigmentation and dark circles. It provides long-lasting coverage in addition to ingredients that also help to strengthen the skin barrier, improve overall dryness or dullness, and helps to protect against pollutants.” — Garshick. Key Specs: 1 oz., hyaluronic acid, rose complex, Bix-Activ complex. Pros: Provides a natural glow and dewy finish with hyaluronic acid, brightens skin, blurs the appearance of pores. Cons: Coverage may be too light for some. Customer Review: “Beautiful foundation!! Doesn’t settle into fine lines. Stays dewy and fresh looking all day. I’ve tried most of the luxury foundations and always come back to this one.”
“This hydrating formulation contains hyaluronic acid to help boost moisture, leaving the skin looking smooth and refreshed. Additionally, it’s oil-free, making it a good option for those who may be dealing with dry skin as well as breakouts.” — Garshick . Key Specs: 1 oz., hyaluronic acid, 10 blendable shades. Pros: Affordable, plumps the skin, oil-free, noncomedogenic. Cons: May be too sheer for some. Customer Review: “This product works very well on me. I have dry and sensitive skin. When I applied on my face, it stays on the skin all day and evening without collecting in the fine lines, and that’s a winner for me. I always moisturized my face before applying. I got this in the drugstore. I got to try on different shades and finally got the perfect shade on my face.”
“This oil-free powder foundation provides a natural matte finish and helps to absorb excess oil while also improving the appearance of redness, discoloration, and melasma, which can commonly occur in those with sensitive skin. It is lightweight and contains hyaluronic acid and aloe, so it is both hydrating and soothing. Additionally, it is free of synthetic fragrance, phthalates, parabens, and mineral oil.” — Garshick. Key Specs: 0.31 oz., aloe vera extract, hibiscus flower extract, hyaluronic acid. Pros: Matte finish, full coverage. Cons: May be too drying for dry skin types. Customer Review: “Fantastic formula! After swatching the first time, I knew I needed this in my pro kit. I got to use it on a shoot and was completely over the moon! I used it by itself for a full face for a beauty campaign with women of all shades and it didn’t look heavy, cakey, or discolored. It goes on buttery smooth and stays a creamy matte (but not dry if that makes sense).”
“This foundation incorporates a blend of hyaluronic acid, aloe vera extract, vitamin E, and B5, making it good for all skin types but especially those with dry skin. It helps to deliver long-lasting hydrating while providing buildable coverage, improving the overall complexion.” — Garshick. Key Specs: 1 oz., hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, vitamin E and B5. Pros: Lightweight formula, hydrating, gentle exfoliant, radiant finish. Cons: May be too sheer for some. Customer Review: “Have tried and used tons of foundations in the last couple of years. This is definitely one of my favorites. It is so light and goes on nicely, doesn’t look cakey at all, yet evens out my complexion really well. It looks so natural sometimes, my friends can’t even tell if I have foundation on. I normally set it with some loose powder, and it has no problems staying on my face for 12 hours. It works best with skin with not too many blemishes as the coverage is only light to medium. My second bottle now and would continue buying.”
Board-certified dermatologist Lauren Penzi loves this foundation from L’Oréal because it has a serum-like texture and 1% hyaluronic acid and instantly brightens and smooths the skin. Key Specs: Hyaluronic acid, vitamin E. Pros: Serum-like texture, affordable, luminous mineral pigments to brighten your complexion. Cons: Packaging can be messy. Customer Review: “Wow! I can’t say enough about this product. It is truly your skin but better. Every time I wear this, I get tons of compliments on my skin. Foundations and tinted serums tend to cling to my skin and make it look dry, but not this! I’ve applied with brushes and beauty blenders—both work amazing. This is also buildable without making it look cakey. I often use it as concealer as well! I do wish it had a pump instead, though. The dropper applicator can get a bit messy.”
Penzi also loves this hydrating option from Maybelline with hyaluronic acid and collagen. It brightens, moisturizes, plumps the skin, and is totally noncomedogenic. Key Specs: Hyaluronic acid, collagen. Pros: Lightweight, medium coverage, delivers a radiant glow, noncomedogenic. Cons: May be too drying for dry skin types. Customer Review: “I’m in love with this foundation! It leaves my skin soft and hydrated without overdoing it (I have combination skin, mostly oily, a little dry in some places). It blends so well with my beauty blender and gives a natural but medium coverage [look]. It is NOT full coverage, but if you want it to be close to full coverage, It is very buildable without being cakey. (Plus it fits my skin well).”
As far as higher-end options go, Penzi loves this hydrating tint from YSL. It definitely offers lighter coverage in the realm of a skin tint, but it does contain hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and marshmallow for a massive dose of moisture. Key Specs: 1 oz., hyaluronic acid, glycerin, mallow. Pros: Leaves skin looking dewy and fresh, radiant finish. Cons: Coverage may be too sheer for some. Customer Review: “Wow!!! I got this because I have been seeing it on social media a lot, and it is such a beautiful formula that looks natural while also giving coverage! It lasted longer than I thought it would.”
This Kosas foundation is one of my favorites because it contains powerhouse skincare ingredients like squalane, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, vitamin B5, and arnica. It also provides smooth, buildable coverage and is super breathable for all-day wear. Key Specs: 1 oz., niacinamide, caffeine, squalane, peptides, hyaluronic acid. Pros: Contains SPF, natural, dewy finish, noncomedogenic, minimizes pores. Cons: May not be suitable for sensitive skin. Customer Review: “I really like this product, and I think it makes a great base along with being very hydrating. More on the glowy side [while] also being super blendable.”
This foundation from Clinique has an ingredient list to match three different types of serums and is oil-free. It includes hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid, and vitamin C to promote overall skin health and hydration. Key Specs: 1 oz., salicylic acid, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid. Pros: Full coverage, matte finish, contains SPF 25. Cons: May be too drying for some skin types. Customer Review: “The BEST foundation. Even better than Tient Idole and Double Wear. Looks natural and a little goes a long way. I have big pores and scars and I feel beautiful and confident with this.”
Catrice offers some of the best drugstore foundation formulas on the market. The brand’s True Skin Hydrating Foundation contains—you guessed it—hyaluronic acid as its star ingredient along with watermelon-seed extract to provide a smooth, radiant finish. Key Specs: 1.01 oz, hyaluronic acid. Pros: Affordable, long-wearing, medium coverage. Cons: May not be suitable for dry or mature skin. Customer Review: “This foundation is absolutely amazing. The name True Skin doesn’t lie—it’s so lightweight it feels and looks like skin. The shade I got was a bit lighter than I expected, so I have to add a little bronzer after. It doesn’t matter how you apply it (a sponge, a brush, fingertips), the result is pretty much the same: beautiful. I have oily and acne-prone skin. I was a bit afraid that after a few minutes, my face would be ultra-shiny, but it wasn’t. It was actually glowy, looking healthy, and moisturized. A little bit goes a long way, so if you prefer more natural coverage, just a few drops will do the job. However, it’s totally buildable and will only look cakey if you go crazy on the setting powder step.”
This collaboration between Covergirl and Olay helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles with a hyaluronic complex, and the vitamin C in the formula brightens and firms skin. Key Specs: 1 oz., hyaluronic acid, vitamin C. Pros: Reduces the appearance of fine lines, hydrating formula. Cons: May be too sheer for some. Customer Review: “No heavy makeup feeling, easy, smooth to apply, solid coverage. Highly recommend.”
This article was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
