Celebrity Makeup Artists Agree These Are the Only Face Primers Worth Your Money

Primer acts as a barrier between your makeup and skincare. This is purely anecdotal, but I’ve found that using a primer is especially good for my sensitive, acne-prone skin because that extra layer of protection helps keep certain makeup products from clogging my pores. If you have acne-prone skin, you’ll likely want to choose a hydrating, lightweight, noncomedogenic, oil-free primer. Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid, or tea tree oil.

Those with dry skin, however, will want to opt for more hydrating ingredients or a priming oil that can offer an extra boost of moisture. It may help those with combination skin types to choose a light, hydrating primer to help balance the skin’s oil production throughout the day and stop it from overproducing oil in certain areas. Jojoba oil and hyaluronic acid are a few ingredients that can help with this.

Lastly, if you have oily skin, you may want to try a mattifying primer, although this can be a slippery slope. Sometimes, oily skin needs extra hydration. More often than not, using a mattifying primer can cause oily skin to produce even more oil as it dries out the skin. Try a light hydrating primer instead and see if that works for you. And now, find the best face primers for each skin type below!