3 Invisible Skin Primers I am Loving Right Now
Depending on who you ask, using a primer is either totally essential or absolutely unnecessary. I have combination skin that tends to get shiny and eventually dissolve even the most long-lasting makeup, so if I want my face look half-decent in the PM, I better use a primer and touch up with setting powder. In this blog post I wanted to share three invisible skin primers that I’ve been using lately, and they all work wonders to keep my makeup in place most of the day.
REN Perfect Canvas Skin Finishing Serum ($55 for 1 oz) – I was a little skeptical about this primer, because it comes in a liquid form and it’s also being marketed as a soothing skin serum rather than a primer. The formula is packed with probiotics, agave extract, sodium hyaluronate, and skin smoothing glucans that help reduce redness and sensitivities, and create the ‘perfect canvas’ for makeup. As for me, I love these drops because they help my face look firmer and visually reduce the pore size. Like all of the primers in this post, Perfect Canvas keeps my makeup looking fresh all day long.
You will LOVE it if:
- You prefer silicone-free primers.
- You prefer lightweight products.
- You prefer clean, non-toxic skincare.
- You avoid parabens in skincare.
- You have enlarged pores.
- You have sensitive skin.
You will HATE it if:
- You are on a budget.
- You prefer primers with SPF.
- You avoid added fragrance, even natural.
- You prefer silicone-based primers.
- You prefer color-correcting or luminizing primers instead.
- You are sensitive to any of the ingredients.
Ingredients: Water, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Glycerin, Maltose, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Agave Tequilana Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Fragrance*, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Glucose, Limonene, Linalool*. *100% Natural Fragrance.
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF40 ($32 for 1.7 oz) – Technically, this sunscreen is not a primer, but I love using it under makeup. Its silky silicone-based formula works really well for mattifying the skin without drying it out, while broad spectrum SPF40 offers protection from UVA, UVB, infrared, and blue light. This thick gel also contains some botanical extracts that work as antioxidants and help shield the skin from visible blue light emitted from phones and computer screens. I’m still not totally sold on the harmful effects of the blue light, but I don’t mind using this sunscreen just in case.
You will LOVE it if:
- You prefer silicone-based primers.
- You prefer primers with SPF.
- You prefer clean, non-toxic skincare.
- You prefer chemical sunscreens.
- You spend a lot of time looking at a computer screen.
- You prefer unscented skincare.
- You avoid parabens in skincare.
- You have enlarged pores.
- You have oily or combination skin.
You will HATE it if:
- You are on a budget.
- You avoid chemical sunscreens.
- You prefer silicone-free primers.
- You prefer color-correcting or luminizing primers instead.
- You are sensitive to any of the ingredients.
Ingredients: Isododecane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Bis-Isobutyl PPG-20 Crosspolymer, Isohexadecane, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Meadowfoam Estolide, Polyester-8, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Jojoba Esters, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Mannitol, Olibanum, Lecithin, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Diatomaceous Earth, Zinc Sulfate, Silica, Tocopherol.
Swatches from top to bottom: REN Perfect Canvas Skin Finishing Serum, COOLA Dawn Patrol SPF30, Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF40.
COOLA Dawn Patrol SPF30 ($42 for 1 oz) – This primer feels very similar to Supergoop’s Unseen Sunscreen, but the texture is slightly lighter and silkier, and the formula contains less ingredients overall. It’s also loaded with botanical extracts that help defend the skin cells against free radicals and oxidative stress, which is always a nice bonus. Normally I try to use sunblocks higher than SPF30, but if I stay at home or don’t spend too much time outside, SPF30 works just fine.
One thing to keep in mind about chemical sunscreens – they often cause minor tingling, depending on how sensitive your skin is. For that reason, I think people whose skin is easily triggered by various skincare ingredients should probably stick to physical sunblocks as they are less likely to cause irritations.
You will LOVE it if:
- You prefer silicone-based primers.
- You prefer primers with SPF.
- You prefer clean, non-toxic skincare.
- You prefer chemical sunscreens.
- You spend a lot of time looking at a computer screen.
- You prefer unscented skincare.
- You avoid parabens in skincare.
- You have enlarged pores.
- You have oily or combination skin.
You will HATE it if:
- You are on a budget.
- You avoid chemical sunscreens.
- You prefer silicone-free primers.
- You prefer color-correcting or luminizing primers instead.
- You are sensitive to any of the ingredients.
Ingredients: Isododecane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Iris Pallida Leaf Cell Extract, Lonicera Japonica Callus Extract, Nymphaea Alba Leaf Cell Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Withania Somnifera Root Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Flavor.
A quick note on Coola and Supergoop products. Like any sunscreen, they need to be re-applied every two hours to be truly effective throughout the day. Unfortunately, that is not always possible if you wear these as primers under makeup. Thankfully, I found a quick way to refresh my sun protection without messing up the makeup by using this spray. I first tried it as a small sample via one of my beauty boxes, and then fell in love with first spritz. It actually works well as a setting spray, because it sets with ultra fine matte droplets. In the summer, I sometimes use a sunscreen powder, like this one. It helps absorb some of the excess oil, and adds a new layer of SPF with a featherweight matte finish.
I’m so happy to see such variety of sunscreens on the market these days. It’s too bad these products weren’t available back when I was in high school and thought tanning was the coolest thing ever. My biggest mistake was applying sunscreen only once, because re-application seemed like a drag. Now that we have so many amazing products to choose from, sun protection is easier than ever. But I digress…
There are lots of different primers available, from cream to powder, but my combination skin responds best to these thin, watery or siliconey formulas that help the pores look smoother and hold the makeup in place. All three of these products feel weightless on the skin and keep my foundation from cracking and melting off, which is really all I ask for in a good primer.
Do you use a makeup primer? What is your favorite primer right now? Have you tried any of these products? Let me know in the comments below!
NOTE: All ingredient hazard colors were taken from EWG database. Please keep in mind that I do not consider EWG the be-all end-all for ingredient safety. The company has good intentions and I appreciate the efforts, but they are not totally unbiased. With most ingredients it often all comes down to the concentration, as some compounds are great in small quantities, but in lab tests the dose if often many times higher. The dose makes the poison 😉
