Popular makeup colors and new application techniques constantly fade in and out of style. Maybe you’ve noticed.
But within all the fancy marketing and outlandish trends is packed a simple and timeless principle: makeup is a way of expressing who we are.
When it comes to makeup application, it’s often the simple and delicate steps that truly elevate our glow—and help us enter new seasons with confidence.
One of our favorite simple steps to achieve this? Organic face primer.
While this product may feel insubstantial to your makeup routine, it’s actually fantastic for hydration and smooth makeup application.
Since face primer is the first step in your makeup routine, it offers a unique opportunity to lock in moisture. Whether or not we harness that opportunity all comes down to the product’s ingredients.
Let’s unpack how to find the best face primer for dry skin.
What Does a Face Primer Do?
Face primers are well-known for their contribution to smooth makeup application. They act as a canvas, soothing blemishes and red spots while providing better slip for your makeup sponge or brush.
This might seem like a small benefit, but it really makes a difference. Most people who try face primers for the first time never look back.
Alongside better makeup application, we look at face primer as a way to offer all-day hydration. It’s the first thing to touch your skin in the morning (besides skincare) and if it doesn’t take that opportunity to lock in moisture, it’s missing the point.
An organic face primer should…
- Act as a canvas for makeup.
- Preserve your makeup throughout the day.
- Relieve dry skin and protect your pores.
An organic face primer shouldn’t…
- Dry out your skin.
- Increase toxic burden with chemical ingredients.
- Cause irritation.
Who Needs Organic Face Primer?
If you’re not using an organic face primer, you’re missing out.
Most people who try primer for the first time are shocked by how well it preserves their makeup look (and glow) throughout the day.
That said, adding one more step to your makeup routine might feel overwhelming at first. So here’s what we recommend it for…
- Sensitive skin. An organic face primer should be rich in antioxidants and gentle oils to create a barrier between your skin and makeup.
- Acne-prone skin. Extra moisturization and healthy ingredients can help protect your pores from excess dirt, oil, pollution, and makeup. An organic face primer should give a smoother appearance—making acne cover-up less cakey.
- Full-face makeup lovers. One of the common complaints about organic makeup is that most products are made for the “no-makeup makeup” look. A face primer is an easy way to achieve more of a full face.
- Primer for dry skin. A healthy face primer should lock in moisture throughout the day and fight dry skin and sensitivity.
Face Primer for Dry Skin
Since face primer is the first thing you apply during your makeup routine, it should do the most for your complexion.
No-compromise ingredients are the first step to ensuring your organic face primer is working with your skin, not against it. Trust us, ingredients are the difference between a primer that exacerbates dry skin and one that works to eliminate it.
Here’s what we mean…
We look at face primer as the perfect opportunity to add moisture, fight wrinkles, and restore the skin barrier—with almost no extra effort. Meanwhile, large skincare companies stuff toxins and fillers into their primers to cheapen production costs.
We were surprised, too, by just how easy it is to transition primer from toxic to restorative—using simple ingredients like jojoba oil, aloe vera juice, and green tea extract.
Organic Face Primer Should Improve Your Skin
It’s a rite of passage. When you first start wearing makeup, the women in your life will tell you: “Make sure to remove it at night, or makeup will give you wrinkles.”
That raises some eyebrows, right?
If we shouldn’t wear makeup overnight, why do we wear it all day?
If we know toxic ingredients accelerate aging, why do we keep using them?
These are the questions that inspired us to create our nontoxic makeup line.
And then we went a step further.
Not only should we require nontoxic ingredients, we should find ingredients that improve the skin.
Here’s what that looks like:
- Those who suffer from chronic dry skin lean on organic face primer for extra moisture.
- The breakout-prone should find makeup that restores the skin barrier (and doesn’t add to toxic burden, since this can contribute to acne).
- All makeup products should contain antioxidants for anti-aging, rather than accelerating wrinkles with toxic ingredients.
Ingredients to Look for in a Good Primer for Dry and Sensitive Skin
If you’re shopping for a face primer for dry skin, read the ingredients label thoroughly. You’ll want to find ingredients like cold-pressed oils, antioxidants, vitamin E, and herbal extracts—and avoid anything you don’t recognize or can’t pronounce.
If you’ve had a bad experience with face primer in the past (likely relating to dry or sensitive skin), the ingredients may have been the problem.
Use resources like the Environmental Working Group, the Switch Natural App, and the Think Dirty App to vet any toxic ingredients easily and on the go.
Organic Face Primer Based on Your Skin Type
Whenever you run into an issue with dry or sensitive skin, make sure you’re using the right products for your skin type.
It’s important to be hyper-vigilant with ingredients while listening to your body and carefully evaluating how those ingredients work for you.
Remember, everyone’s different, and you’re not a failure if you get your primer wrong on the first try.
If you’ve been using makeup and primer with toxic ingredients for a while, it might help to remove products altogether to give your face room to breathe. We recommend a 2-3 week detox (perhaps with a detoxing mask) to give your skin a safe and restorative space to recover.
Finally, doing a patch test on your face is always helpful, especially if you struggle with allergies. Never be afraid to start slowly and work your way up.
Revolutionize Dry Skin with Organic Face Primer
Face primer is a makeup product in name. More than that, it’s a tool that allows us to feel the difference of intentionality. With one simple product, we can restore dry skin, create a better canvas for makeup, and elevate our confidence.