8 Best Primers For Oily Skin To Get A Smooth Base For Makeup

The Derma Co Primer has 2% niacinamide in it, which makes it a good face primer for oily skin. Niacinamide is known for regulating sebum production, calms inflammation and can be used on most skin types. It also has vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps fight free radicals. It's a fragrance-free product, which is another green flag for us. Users love it for its lightweight, effective formula that helps blur out pores with ease and gives a flawless base for makeup! 

The Smashbox Photo Finish Control Mattifying Primer has a lightweight formula, hydrating ingredients, and contains salicylic acid that is a blessing for oily and acne-prone skin. Salicylic acid helps in regulating sebum, the enemy of oily skin and ensures that no pores are clogged, making this one a good primer for oily skin as well.

If you're looking for a two-in-one product, then I recommend Foxtale's sunscreen and primer. It's mattifying and has SPF 50 PA++++ protection from the sun (optimum protection). It's available in three shades, and I like that it's a physical sunscreen, which means it doesn’t enter your bloodstream. Zinc Oxide in this product has anti-inflammatory properties, which is great if you deal with acne. As a primer, it does the job of providing you with a smooth base and blurs your pores out easily too.

The e.l.f. Power Grip Primer has been deemed the best face primer by the internet, and rightly so. I say this because it makes your makeup last all day long. It's a gel formula that may feel sticky when applied, but that is what makes your makeup last all day, and it settles in well once you have your makeup on. On investigating their ingredients list, I was pleasantly surprised to find glycerin and niacinamide among the top ingredients that will help with keeping your skin moisturised as well as help with sebum production, respectively. The formula is also non-comedogenic and fragrance-free! 

The Faces Canada Ultimate Pro Primerizer Primer doesn’t only prime the skin but also helps moisturise it, thanks to ingredients like Glycerin in addition to emollients. Considering that hydration is one of the major issues for oily skin, I think this product is a good pick if you're looking for a basic primer without too many actives in it. Again, the formula is fragrance and essential oil free.

Plum's Prep Set Go Face primer is an affordable yet good quality primer that does the job, and does it well. Users say that it easily smooths out pores, mattifies the face and holds makeup well. I love that this is a non-comedogenic formula with the goodness of argan oil (helps moisturise and nourish skin) and Rosehip seed oil (an emollient with good fatty acids for the skin). The formula is also no fragrance and alcohol-free, so it won’t irritate your skin.

Gush is a homegrown brand, and their Glow Getter Moisturiser is a three-in-one product that helps prime, illuminate and moisturise the face. Even though it's a relatively new brand, I believe that this makeup primer for oily skin can be trusted, this is because its huge list of ingredients does not disappoint. They've got niacinamide for acne and brightening, a bunch of anti-oxidants, and lots of hydrating ingredients as well. In addition to all of this, it has SPF 15, and even though we would recommend using a dedicated sunscreen, it's always good to get added protection. None of the ingredients are comedogenic, and it's an alcohol- and fragrance-free formula.