The 14 Best Makeup Primers For Acne-Prone Skin

Acne-prone skin can be temperamental, to say the least. If you’re conscious about your pores, breakouts, and redness, then makeup can help — but you should never feel you have to hide your skin!

Acne-prone skin can often mean oily skin too, so you may be prone to shine and visible pores, and might want to help makeup last longer. That’s where a primer comes in, but all primers aren’t created equal. There’s a primer for every skin type, including acne-prone, that can heal your skin as it helps makeup last longer. 

So, are you ready to find your new makeup hero? Keep scrolling for the best makeup primers for acne-prone skin.

The By BEAUTY BAY The First Prime Oil Control Priming Mist is a breathable, shine controlling primer spray that’s infused with vitamin B6 to support your skin and keep your makeup looking flawless. It works to reduce the appearance of pores and fine lines with a lightweight formula that creates a smooth, luminous finish. It also lasts for up to 12 hours for fresher, longer wearing looks without drying out your skin.

The By BEAUTY BAY Matte Blur Priming Stick is the perfect multi-tasker for oily and combination skin. It’s lightweight, breathable and mattifies shine while blurring imperfections. Suitable for all skin tones, it’s blendable and has been formulated with bamboo stem powder and light diffusing micro spheres to help camouflage the appearance of pores and fine lines. It’s ideal for makeup touch ups on the go and can be worn with or without makeup.

The Skindinavia The Makeup Primer Spray Oil Control eliminates shine and reduces breakouts, This silicone-free primer has been made for oily skin types. It’s a lightweight mist that clears and un-clogs the pores. Nourishing the skin, this gentle primer balances the complexion for flawless, long-lasting makeup wear.

The MAC Cosmetics Studio Fix Mattifine 12hr Shine-Control Primer is the ultimate sidekick for your foundation, making your makeup last longer. If you’ve got oily skin that’s prone to acne and shine, then this is the answer. Designed to help reduce the appearance of pores, control oil production and improve skin texture, this gel-to-powder formula preps the perfect base for makeup. It gives up to 12 hours of wear and is enriched with skin-loving ingredients such as PHA, algae extract and witch hazel.

Infused with blemish busting salicylic acid, the Jouer Cosmetics Anti-Blemish Matte Primer Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment is an oil free primer that’s been designed to treat and calm skin that’s prone to breakouts and oily skin. It has a matte finish that keeps oil and shine at bay while minimises the appearance of pores, soothing redness and reducing irritation. It’s also fragrance free, so if your skin’s sensitive to scent you don’t need to worry.

Looking for a skincare-makeup hybrid to help hydrate your skin and tackle acne? The Too Faced Primed & Poreless+ Pore Banishing & Blurring Face Primer has an advanced formula that’s infused with hyaluronic acid, a gentle form of retinol, vitamin C and vitamin E to nourish, renew and prime the skin. It helps to reduce shine, blur imperfections, smooth texture, and hide visible pores to create a refreshed base for the rest of your makeup.

Ideal for prepping your base or makeup touch-ups on the go, the NUDESTIX Blot & Blur Matte Stick is a lightweight, balm-to-powder stick that mattifies skin and reduces the appearance of pores. Formulated using skin-clarifying and oil-absorbing powdered actives, it’s the perfect match for acne-prone skin as it absorbs oils and stops your makeup from fading away.

If stopping shine in its tracks is your primary goal, then you need the LH Cosmetics Matte Attack Primer in your stash. It has a unique mousse texture that feels lightweight on the skin and hydrates without turning you oily — after all, acne-prone skin needs hydration to heal! Formulated with horse chestnut oil and rice germ extract, your skin will stay matte all day long.

If your skin’s acne-prone, inflamed and thirsty, the Ofra Cool As A Cucumber Primer has a velvety texture and mattifying finish that quenches thirsty skin, smooths over pores and locks in moisture to cool and hydrate the skin. It also has a light green tint that can help to reduce the appearance of inflammation.

We don’t think we’ve ever found a primer from The Beauty Crop that we don’t love, and the Melon Jelly Dewy Primer is proof of that. While the name dewy is in the name, this primer is perfect for acne-prone and oily skin as it includes powerful antioxidants that treat as they prime. The gel formula doesn’t clog pores or leave you shiny, which makes it a must-have for your stash.

If you need to neutralise redness and even out your acne-prone skin, the Makeup Revolution Superbase Colour Correcting Primer will help to banish red tones from your skin. It contains cica to strengthen your skin’s natural barrier and brighten the skin – it’s thought that a skin barrier imbalance could contribute to acne – along with chlorophyll for its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. It might look a lot when you first apply it but add it under your makeup and watch redness vanish.

Say bye bye to blemishes while you prep and prime your skin with the e.l.f. Cosmetics Blemish Control Face Primer. It’s made with a blend of tea tree oil, salicylic acid, and vitamin E to nourish the skin while fighting blemishes. Remember, acne-prone and oily skin can still get dehydrated, so this hydrating, matte finish primer helps to fight shine without drying out your skin.

One of e.l.f Cosmetics’ most iconic primers has been given a blemish-fighting upgrade. With salicylic acid to prevent breakouts and reduce redness, zinc to reduce inflammation, and kaolin to control oil and imperfections, the e.l.f. Cosmetics Blemish Fighting Putty Primer smooths imperfections, helps your makeup to grip and gives you an even bare-faced finish. It’s perfect for acne-prone, combination, and oily skin.

If you don’t want your makeup to move a muscle, then The Ordinary High-Adherence Silicone Primer will do the job. This lightweight primer is formulated with silicones that help to smooth and prime acne-prone, textured skin that has large pores. It preps a tacky base for high-adherence makeup looks, meaning your makeup won’t move until you take it off. Just make sure to double cleanse to avoid the silicones remaining on the skin.

FYI: The article was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.