Say Goodbye to Shine, Because We Tested All the Best Primers for Oily Skin

We love this double-duty primer for anyone who battles both oil and acne. It contains willowbark extract and salicylic acid, which provide a gentle exfoliation to clarify the skin as it primes, for an effortless makeup application. It effectively minimizes pore size and keeps sebum at bay. It's a win-win for your skin struggles!

After putting it to the test, photo editor Kayla Ramsey reported that she'll be adding this primer to her daily routine. "Using this primer helped me prolong the inevitable oil slick by several hours at least, which makes me feel more confident about my skin throughout the day."

This lightweight, oil-free gel serum features a blend of 15 vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to nourish the skin. It preps, conditions, and smoothes to perfection, with a light formula infused with 50% water to refresh the skin as it primes.

Parenting editor Latifah Miles uses primer every day, and this one passed all her tests. Along with her makeup going on smoother, she found that "the consistency was super light, like a daytime moisturizer, which is perfect. It didn’t have that slick feeling a lot of matte primers have."

The newest primer from YSL contains salicylic acid that's designed to reduce the look of pores over time. It also cuts back on oil to keep your face shine-free, and the matte finish provides a super smooth canvas for applying foundation.

My powder foundation doesn't play well with liquids, so I was really excited to discover this primer. I layer it on after moisturizer, and it makes my skin perfectly matte (but not dry) and ready for makeup! The shine control is a bonus.

When fans stay loyal to a product for years and years, it's a safe bet you have yourself a winner. Dr. Brandt's face primer has a blend of tea tree oil, flaxseed extract, and mineral-rich microspheres to soak up excess sebum and erase abundant shine. The product not only creates a blank slate for makeup application, but it also prevents pores from clogging.

Tester Francesca Lawrence said that primers usually break out her skin, but she loved this one! She reported that "it has a refreshing smell, and seems to keep my makeup in place, especially when it's humid," and also that her pores looked noticeably smaller.

Tester Dana Parra also tried out the Stila One Step Prime, and while she didn't find it to be a game-changer for her makeup overall, she "loved the texture of the product" because it went on nice and smooth, and reported that the matte element didn't dry out her skin.