Picking your perfect primer, plus 8 reasons to use a face primer in your makeup routine
Updated on March 23, 2021 Written by: 100% PURE®
Face primer - just happy to be part of the beauty gang - doesn’t mind letting other makeup products get center-stage. Natural foundation is used to daily compliments but it’d be nice, every once in a while, to give face primer some props for setting the perfect canvas. Beloved by makeup artists, this unsung hero of the makeup world is about to be thrust into the spotlight for a much overdue standing ovation. If we could write a love poem to the best face primer in the world, we would. But for now, we’ll spare you the sappy puns and power ballads. Come along as we show you what you (and your face) have been missing.
8 Reasons To Use a Face Primer
1. Face Primer Is SUPER Easy to Use
If the with vs. without primer example above doesn’t sway you… we’ll back off. Luckily, this makeup savior is as easy to apply as your favorite moisturizer. There’s no wrong way to apply it, so extra bonus points.
PRO TIP: A few pumps will be enough to cover your entire face and neck. Wait about 90 seconds for the primer to dry before moving on to your foundation application.
2. Face Primer Makes Your Makeup Last Longer
We’re all super busy! It doesn’t make sense to labor over a stunning makeup look if it’s just going to slide off at the first sign of sweat, smiling, or laugh lines. We need makeup that can last the whole day; from the moment it goes on till late night when it comes off. Don’t find yourself in a late afternoon literal meltdown. Finding the best face primer for you will set you up for success.
Better Naked Palette with primer (top) vs. without (bottom)
3. Allows Makeup to Reach Its Full Potential
Sometimes there’s a disconnect between how an eye shadow looks in the palette, vs. how it looks on your lids. Using a face primer can give your foundation fuller coverage, your eye liners more precise edges, and your eye shadows deeper, more vibrant pigment. In essence, primers will reveal how your makeup products are meant to look and perform. So if you’re not using a primer, you’re missing out on that extra oomph from your makeup.
4. Filled with Skin Beneficial Ingredients
Whether you prefer a Luminous Primer or a Mattifying Primer, both are infused with skin benefiting antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Our silky formulas are super lightweight and can be compared to a serum consistency. The Luminous Primer ingredient highlight of red wine resveratrol helps give your skin an extra antioxidant boost, while the Mattifying Primer contains seaweed collagen for extra plumping minerals.
5. Creates a Smooth Surface
Just like you have to prep a canvas with gesso before painting a masterpiece with oils, you’ll need to set a smooth foundation on your face before creating your makeup masterpiece. Applying face primer before makeup application helps to hide imperfections and creates a smooth surface for easier makeup application. Primers work by helping to fill in fine lines and minimize pores.
6. Adds Extra Hydration
Our serum-like formula isn’t too thick or too thin. It’s the Goldilocks of face primers, and won’t over-moisturize your skin. It’s the perfect face primer for oily skin to help combat shine.
7. Combats Hot Weather
Don’t let the sun wreck your face makeup. Primers help you avoid makeup meltdowns and slippage. They’ll act as a protective layer between your makeup and any oil or sweat produced by your skin. Sure, you’ll be glowing this spring, but only via your on-point highlighting skills.
8. Works For All Skin Types and Skin Tones
Face primer is a universal makeup product. You don’t need to stress about ‘will this work with my skin tone?’ ‘Will this be okay for my {dry, oily or combination} skin?’ Since our face primers have no pigmentation or coloration, they’ll work for everyone. The result for every skin type and skin tone will be the same: flawless, healthy skin.
What’s the Best Face Primer for Me?
The best face primers will set any foundation up for success, whether they’re a powder or cream based formula. Adding a face primer to your morning routine will help prep skin for foundation by moisturizing, smoothing, and giving your foundation something to hold on to.
The next question is, what sort of benefits do you want from your face primer? The best face primer for you will depend on your answer. Check out your 3 face primer options below!
Mattifying Primer
Our silicone free Mattifying Primer formula contains our current deep sea obsession: seaweed collagen. Our natural face primer formula will leave you with a plumped base and noticeably minimized fine lines for the perfect makeup canvas. This primer is silky smooth, blurs pores, and delivers a long lasting matte finish. For those with oily skin, this is the best face primer for you!
Have you read about why seaweed is good for you? The collagen present in algae works as a powerful anti-aging compound, preventing damage to amino acids in your skin and both protecting and reinforcing cell membranes.
Recent research also shows that a peptide extracted from the algae Chlorella vulgaris stimulates production of four types of dermal collagen and elastin. In other words, seaweed collagen is a powerful tool in helping to fight wrinkle depth, stimulating skin renewal, and regenerating tissue.
Seaweed collagen is also a stellar source of hyaluronic acid, a naturally-occurring acid that can be found in the human body. It acts as a lubricating agent for our hair and skin. Hyaluronic acid is what makes seaweed collagen a vegan alternative to its animal counterpart, type I collagen. Type I collagen is synthesized from the bones and skin of animals – not really our cup of tea!
Hyaluronic acid boasts all of the same properties as animal collagen. Except it’s cruelty free, has lower rates of allergic reactions, and a better rate of absorption. It plays a critical role in skin health, with its remarkable ability to bind to 1,000 times its weight in water. We’re totally sold on this vegan face primer.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Great & Healthy For Oily Skin Types!
“I am glad to say the mattifying primer is the first product I purchased from 100% PURE and I can’t be more content. Knowing that I am putting healthy ingredients to my face makes me very happy. The primer prepares my skin for the foundation leaving it super soft. Best part is my oily skin is not noticeable due to this amazing primer! My forehead and upper applecheeks are not shiny as usual when I apply this primer. I am beyond satisfied with the mattifying primer that I am looking forward to buy the Fruit Pigmented Healthy Foundation.”
- Cindy Alexa, Verified Buyer
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Silky Smooth Blank Canvas
“I've been looking for a new primer and this is just wonderful. It goes on silky smooth to create a blank canvas before I apply my makeup. I just love how it feels... like nothing is there. Perfection.”
- Elizabeth, Verified Buyer
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Great!
“This is the best primer I have ever used in my 48 years!”
- Dawn H., Verified Buyer
Luminous Primer
Our Luminous Primer gives skin a healthy glow, without any oily sheen. This primer dries to a matte finish with a very fine shimmer, via ethically sourced mica. The glowing after-effect of this face primer doesn’t leave your skin glitter-y or shiny. Light reflective pigments diffuse skin imperfections leaving you with a healthy, radiant complexion. This is the best face primer for anyone wanting a dewy complexion without the excess shine.
Are you well versed in the skin benefits of red wine resveratrol?
Resveratrol is found in the skin of grapes. It’s an antioxidant belonging to the polyphenol group present in the drinking kind of red wine, which can reduce your risk for a heart attack. It moonlights as a potent ingredient for promoting youthful skin when applied topically, and can help neutralize free radical damage at a cellular level while allowing for increased collagen production.
We’re talking about the same regenerating process that allows grape vines to live for a century, but harnessed to be used on your skin. Resveratrol works by protecting your skin against free radicals, which are one of the bigger culprits contributing to fine lines and wrinkles. Why shouldn’t your makeup also contribute to skin health?
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Great Primer For Eyelids
“I love all of 100% PURE products and this one does not disappoint either! I wanted a primer specifically for the lids, since I did not see one offered here I thought I would give this a try and what I like is that it has the staying power for eye shadows but it is not a heavy consistency like ones I have used in the past with other name brands. I would recommend this product even if you are using only as a primer for the eyelids!”
- Deborah T., Verified Buyer
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Best Primer Ever
“I am on my fourth bottle of this primer. It is the best I have ever used. Goes on silky, smooth and light in texture, not greasy at all. I live in the desert, this primer helps with giving a soft natural look, which is needed in a dry climate. When I visit the east coast, it stays on well through the humidity. This is my favorite product.”
- Sandy L., Verified Buyer
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Beautiful
“I love how this feels on my skin. I put this on after I moisturize my face and before I put on my makeup. I wore this underneath my makeup all day (7am-11pm) for a wedding and my makeup lasted all day.”
- Christina, Verified Buyer
BB Cream
Alright, so this one isn’t your typical face primer option, but hear us out. Our BB Cream collection makes a great alternative face primer because it delivers light hydration with some serious skin benefits.
The body of this BB Cream formula is lightweight and creamy, making it perfect as a base under other natural foundations. If you’re looking for a flawless mix of dewy and matte in all the right places, try using our BB Cream all over, with our Healthy Skin Foundation applied to your T-zone. This way, you can still get the dewiness from the BB Cream with reduced shine.
How to Apply Primer
While this might seem like a no-brainer, we feel it’s worth sharing some pro primer tips.
First, start with your daily moisturizer to achieve an ultra-smooth primer application.
You’ll want to begin by applying primer with clean fingers, to the center of the face. Work your way outward from the nose for a natural finish; a single, well-blended layer is all you need.
Be sure to apply primer anywhere you plan on applying your makeup! Our natural primers are safe to use around the eye area, or you can opt for a separate eyeshadow primer.
Now, just be patient! Wait at least 90 seconds before beginning to apply your makeup, to allow your primer to set into skin.
What’s In Conventional Face Primer?
Cyclopentasiloxane:
This slippery feeling silicone ingredient acts as a barrier to water and is also found in common lip liner ingredient lists. Cyclopentasiloxane has already made the Environment Canada Domestic Substance List and is classified as expected to be toxic or harmful.
Despite its notorious status on this list, it’s still extremely popular in conventional makeup because of how cost effective it is to produce, acting as a cheap filler instead of using high quality organic compounds like vegetable glycerin.
Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer:
You’ve been out and about all day, and not a single budge! But have you ever wondered how that conventional makeup is staying on? It’s Dimethicone Copolyol, which is basically a thin rubber coating and grabbing onto your skin. This silicone based ingredient was cooked up in a lab to adhere to your skin’s surface no matter what tries to rub it off, and can contribute to skin dryness and skin irritation.
It’s likely Dimethicone Copolyol, which is basically a thin rubber coating and grabbing onto your skin. This silicone based ingredient was cooked up in a lab to adhere to your skin’s surface no matter what tries to rub it off, and can contribute to skin dryness and skin irritation.
What’s In a Natural Face Primer?
Aloe Vera Leaf Extract
This common houseplant was once hailed by ancient Egyptians as “the plant of immortality.” Aloe barbadensis water is extracted from the spiny leaves of the aloe vera plant. It’s the base of many natural skin care products because of its ability to moisturize and heal skin. Each leaf contains a natural abundance of enzymes, minerals, vitamins, salicylic and fatty acids, and antioxidants to help nourish skin.
Olive Oil Squalane:
Our olive oil squalane is most importantly first cold pressed. This non-greasy natural oil leaves your skin moisturized and supple. It naturally mirrors human sebum and is an amazing softening and moisturizing agent, helping to improve dryness.
Vitamin E:
We all know vitamin E: that golden liquid packed with healthy skin goodness. Vitamin E works to soften skin and helps reduce appearance of age spots, fine lines, and scarred skin, making it a must for a face primer.
Green Tea Leaf Extract:
This leaf has many benefits for skin, including anti-aging properties. It’s a powerful antibacterial agent that functions as an effective ingredient for treating acne and congested pores.
Polyphenols in green tea damage bacterial membranes and fight against infection, meaning that it’s a super useful tool for treating bacterial growth that causes comedones (and the dreaded pebbly skin effect). Green tea is anti-inflammatory, thanks to its high content of polyphenols called catechins, which help to reduce irritation and redness.
Seaweed Collagen:
Seaweed collagen is a stellar source of hyaluronic acid, a naturally-occurring acid found in the human body that acts as a lubricating agent for our hair and skin. It’s packed with vitamins, nutrients, and beneficial trace minerals.
Red Wine Resveratrol:
Potent polyphenolic antioxidant abundant in red grapes and, therefore, in red wine. Applied topically, resveratrol helps protect skin’s surface and helps rebuff negative environmental influences. It also has significant skin-calming properties that may help minimize the look of redness.
Jojoba:
Native to southern Arizona, southern California, and northwestern Mexico, this shrub is a wonder ingredient when it comes to natural oils. Jojoba’s natural ability to moisturize without leaving your skin with a greasy residue or clogging pores makes this a face primer ingredient superstar.
If you’re looking for the best face primer for your skin, make sure you’re grabbing one that’s not full of synthetic ingredients. Creating a healthy base for makeup will help products last longer, and keep your skin healthier. What’s not to love?
- Tags: Makeup
We carefully hand-select products based on strict purity standards, and only recommend products we feel meet this criteria. 100% PURE™ may earn a small commission for products purchased through affiliate links.
The information in this article is for educational use, and not intended to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should not be used as such.
