The best primers for mature skin not just help makeup last during the day, they keep foundation from settling into wrinkles and fine lines. Better still, many primers are formulated especially for aging skin, so that they don't merely help your makeup look better – they assist the skin look more youthful as well! If you have not used at all a makeup primer before, keep reading to find out what these products do, how long they last, and which is the best for the face.
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What are the best primers for mature skin?
When you are looking at the very best makeup, skincare, and beauty products for women 50 plus, we have your back. Whether you're looking for a foundation that won't settle into wrinkles and fine lines, an under-eye concealer that works magic, a new eyeshadow to make your lids pop, the best eyeliner to help make the perfect cat-eye, the hottest goggles everyone is loving now, or a self-tanner for mature skin, you will find something to love in our beauty archive. Just add one of the best primers for mature skin to make your makeup look better still!
What are makeup primers?
As the name suggests, makeup primers are gels, creams, or oils that will get the face ready for the beauty items, providing an even, even base which to use your preferred foundation or loose powder. By creating this barrier involving the skin as well as your makeup, you'll boost the longevity of the look, making primer a must-have for just about any makeup devotee.
Combining elements of both skincare and cosmetics, certain primers can even moisturize, just like your favorite creams, while others will work to even out your complexion, just like a bb cream would. The very best primers for mature skin are available at drugstores, department stores, and dedicated cosmetics retailers, in a range of prices.
Why use makeup primer on aging skin?
As we mature, adding a face primer alongside our favorite serums and moisturizers ahead of our makeup is a step we do not wish to skip. Along with keeping product firmly in place and making it keep going longer, the right primer can also help you address aging skincare concerns. For many, skin could get drier with age, while others will see wrinkles and fine lines appearing on the horizon.
“I think a lot of people don't realize that particular primers do specific things. It's about evaluating what issues you have with your skin after which finding primers that address them,” makeup artist Allan Avenda~no told Allure in 2022.
If a person suffers from dry skin, for example, you will want to search for primers that are created using hydrating ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid or coconut water. Whether it's fine lines and wrinkles you need to tackle, look for ones that feature smoothing properties or a dose of plumping collagen.
There have even been tests completed to gauge the effectiveness of primers on skin conditions like hyperpigmentation and wrinkles, with one study on 2022 determining that the primer helped improve skin's appearance when used over a 12-week period. Regardless of what your particular needs may be, likely to accompanying primer out there to help make sure you usually look your very best. There are even primers for eyelids, specifically made to keep your eyeshadow and eyeliner in position!
How to use Face Primer
Adding the very best primers for mature skin to your routine is simply by could be. Applied just after a moisturizer to avoid pilling, but before makeup, a pea-sized amount of primer must do the trick. (In case your skin is dryer than most, use a little more; if you are using a half-dollar amount, you've gone too far.)
Begin applying your gel, cream, or oil of choice, working from the middle of the face outward. After you have fully coated your face, permit the product to absorb for at least one minute before continuing on with your normal makeup routine.
Whether you're treating wrinkles and fine lines, or perhaps your skin needs a powerful hydration boost, using the best primers for mature skin will help keep your makeup fresh all day long!
Keep reading to explore our picks for the best primers for mature skin to determine what one is best for you!
15 Best Primers for Mature Skin
Lanc^ome La Base Pro Perfecting and Smoothing Makeup Primer
Best Luxury Face Primer for Mature Skin
Buy from Ulta, $42
Why we like it:
- Oil-free gel formula
- Blurs and softens skin to produce a smooth base
- Works with all skin types
Luxury beauty house Lanc^ome is renowned for its outstanding skincare products, and its La Base Pro Perfecting and Smoothing Makeup Primer is no exception. With a little help from the business's “Elasto-Smooth” technology, this oil-free formula manages to refine skin and diffuse light while simultaneously creating a level, radiant base which will keep makeup looking fresh and vibrant the whole day.
One satisfied customer called this her “favorite primer,” and said, “your skin will seem like silk,” which ensures foundation “just glides on.”
DHC Velvet Skin Coat
Best Smoothing Primer for Mature Skin
36% off!
Buy from Amazon, $14.79 (was $23)
Why we love to it:
- Antioxidant-rich, powder-gel formula
- Minimizes the appearance of pores and fine lines
- Fragrance- and colorant-free
Used by makeup artists the world over, DHC's Velvet Skin Coat is an industry favorite, and for good reason. It's formulated with olive fruit oil (an all natural hydrator) to right away transform skin into a velvety smooth canvas because it minimizes the feel of fine lines, pores, and wrinkles for a quick and easy makeup application.
A reviewer in her own 50s said she used the product once, and since receiving “two compliments in one day how youthful [her] face looks“ she considers herself “sold!”
Graydon Face Glow
Best top rated primer for mature skin
Buy from Graydon, $49
Why we like it:
- Boosts elasticity
- Lots of natural ingredients!
- Banishes dark circles
It's hard not to wax poetic about this primer from Graydon. As you'd expect, Face Glow minimizes the feel of pores and under eye circles, however it achieves this a lot more. Its mica (naturally-sourced mica, in reality) and raspberry seed oil illuminates the complexion, while sea buckthorn oil provides a dose of vitamin C and essential proteins. You may expect the skin to look refreshed and radiant. This primer can also be cruelty-free, hypoallergenic, and dermatologist approved. No surprise it had been The Beauty Shortlist winner!
Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer
Best acid hyaluronic based primer
Buy from Sephora, $36
Why we like it:
- Award winning product
- Hydrates
- Clean and vegan
Hydration is everything with regards to skincare. Even when makeup is worried, you want products that keep the skin quenched and plump. This Hydro Grip Primer from Milk does just that. It's loaded with plant based hyaluronic acid, which locks in moisture. It also features Niacinamide (Niacinamide), aloe Water, and blue agave extract to keep your face supple and your makeup in position. Before you apply, spritz yourself with a facial mist. Smooth the primer onto your face, accompanied by your foundation. You'll love how dewy you look. This top rated product is vegan friendly, does not have icky toxins, and it is lightweight enough to wear even around the hottest days.
NYX Angel Veil Skin Perfecting Primer
Best Drugstore Primer for Mature Skin
Buy from Ulta, $17
Why we like it:
- Lightweight formula
- Minimizes shine
- Cruelty-free
While the majority of us are proud of investing in our skincare, you don't have to spend a fortune to get achievement. One great drugstore option putting many of its luxury counterparts to shame? NYX's Angel Veil Skin Perfecting Primer. This smooth-as-butter primer will make your face feel much like silk while ensuring makeup goes on easily. Include the truth that it's under $20, and you've got a guaranteed primer win. (See a lot of best drugstore primers for mature skin!)
One fan called this primer “amazing,” saying it “feels like velvet” on her “dry, sensitive skin.” She also appreciates the fact that “it doesn't irritate or dry [her] skin out, like the majority of products do.”
Dermalogica AGE Smart SkinPerfect Primer SPF 30
Best Primer for Sensitive Skin
Buy from Dermalogica, $55
Why we like it:
- Lightweight texture
- Dermatologist-tested
- Ideal for all skin types
For individuals with sensitive skin, going with a dermatologist tested brand is a great option. So that as luck would have it, Dermalogica also works best for maturing skin. Its AGE Smart SkinPerfect Primer is filled with peptides and antioxidants to advertise a healthy face, while silicones and pearl powder minimize pores and wrinkles. This comes with an SPF of 30, providing extra protection against those pesky UV-rays.
One happy reviewer says that by using this product has “evened skin tone and reduced redness.”
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch
Best Primer for shiny Skin
Buy from Ulta, $34
Why we like it:
- Oil-free
- Absorbs shine
- Paraben- and phthalate-free
If there's a very common beauty brand you're sure to have come across in the past couple of years, it's Fenty Beauty. Founded by singer Rihanna, who drew upon knowledge she accrued from working with various makeup artists through the years to produce a line full of knock-out products, this Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Primer was born. Oil-, paraben-, and phthalate-free, it blurs the look of pores and evens skin tone to supply an ideal base for each kind of complexion, include those people who are prone to shine.
One happy customer said the product made their skin “noticeably smoother and velvety” after just one use, which their “pores completely disappeared.”
MAC Prep + Prime Fix+ Face Primer & Makeup Setting Spray
Best spray primer for mature skin
15% off!
Buy from Nordstrom, $31
Why we love to it:
- Lightweight mist
- Vitamin- and mineral-rich formula
- Lasts for approximately 12 hours
If you are looking to nourish your skin while creating a smooth canvas for your makeup, this priming makeup setting spray by MAC was created for you personally. It's loaded with soothing ingredients, like green tea extract, chamomile, and cucumber to add a refreshing boost to skin that needs a pick-me-up. We like its spray application, which will help evenly distribute the lightweight, mineral-rich mist all over your face to match flawless makeup coverage, which can last for up to 12 hours!
One makeup artist commented, “There's a reason (if not many reasons) why the product has a cult following,” and said she uses this primer whenever she's doing her very own makeup or perhaps a client's. She also said she loves its “top-notch skin nurturing ingredients,” and “skin soothing properties.”
Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer
Best overall primer for mature skin
Buy from Nordstrom, starting at $14
Why we love to it:
- Lightweight, oil-free formula
- Contains vitamins A and E
- Vegan and cruelty-free
Smashbox's Photo Finish Foundation Primer is among the most widely used makeup primers available, which isn't surprising, because it was created to help makeup stay fresh and vibrant during long photoshoots. We love to it for its lightweight, oil- and fragrance-free gel formula, which helps fill in and smooth out fine lines and pores while providing the skin with nourishing ingredients, like vitamins A and E. It can also be applied to hair to help tame frizz, and also, since it's vegan and cruelty-free, this is a product you can feel great about using.
One fan says, “This stuff literally changed my entire life and my face,” and said hello makes her skin “look absolutely flawless.” On top of that, it's helped increase her confidence, and “doesn't break [her] out at all!”
Tula Skincare Face Filter Blurring & Moisturizing Primer
Best rated primer for mature skin
Buy from Tula, $38
Why we love to it:
- Available in 4 shades
- Made with licorice and probiotic extracts to help even out skin tone
- Cruelty-free
With over 1,600 five-star ratings from Nordstrom shoppers, this popular primer by Tula Skincare is a bonafide hit. Its sulfate-, phthalate-, and paraben-free formula contains ingredients like licorice and probiotic extracts to possess the skin looking and feeling its best, because of a far more glowing, even complexion that can take on a “filter-like finish.” Select from certainly one of four shades ranging from deep to light, and be comforted in the fact that the product is cruelty-free.
Happy reviewers can't get an adequate amount of this primer's “dewy” effect cheap it's “lightweight” and “goes on smoothly.” One satisfied customer said it “works wonders” for her sunspots, while another said it “tames” her rosacea.
Bobbi Brown Vitamin-Enriched Face Base Priming Moisturizer
Best Moisturizing Primer for Mature Skin
Buy from Ulta, $64
Why we like it:
- Primer and moisturizer in one
- Made with shea butter and sources of vitamin b, C, and E
- Hydrates and smoothes skin
Are you somebody that prefers a simplified routine over a shelf filled with potions? Then Bobbi Brown's Vitamin-Enriched Face Base Priming Moisturizer just might become the perfect next skincare obsession. A primer and moisturizer all in one, this oil-free formula is enriched with shea butter for hydration and vitamins B, C, and E for antioxidants. It's also laced with notes of grapefruit and geranium for any light, fresh scent.
One reviewer, who calls this their “favorite product,” says “it feels food” and “smells amazing,” which their skin looks noticeably different compared to when they go without it for several days.
Murad Invisiblur Perfecting Shield Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Best SPF Primer for Mature Skin
Buy from Murad, $68
Why we love to it:
- Up to 12 hours of wear
- SPF 30
- Made with mushroom peptides to revive skin's firmness and elasticity
No matter how old you are, protecting your skin in the side effects of the sun is important. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, one out of every five Americans will develop cancer of the skin through the age of 70. Using a primer that may also be used as a sunscreen, for example Murad's Invisiblur Perfecting Shield with SPF 30, is an easy method to stay protected. This lightweight product does everything of a regular primer while also delivering anti-aging skin benefits and avoiding harmful Ultraviolet rays.
One satisfied customer said they were “looking for any sunscreen that did not look or seem like a sunscreen,” which the product makes their skin “feel so soft and smooth, and look great, too!”
Tarte BB Tinted Treatment Primer
Best Tinted Primer for Mature Skin
Buy from Macy's, $39
Why we like it:
- Available in 9 shades
- SPF 30
- Medium coverage
For some, less is more. If you prefer a primer with sufficient coverage to skip your foundation altogether, try Tarte's BB Tinted Treatment Primer. It's available in a wide range of shades and infuses pigment with anti-aging properties to provide a powerful priming effect that offers light-to-medium coverage. Better yet, it's got an additional boost of 30 broad-spectrum SPF, keeping your skin both primed and protected.
One fan of this product calls it her “new holy grail,” saying she likes the “nice, natural matte finish” and that it “feels like a soufflé and continues so smoothly!”
Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Primer – Illuminating
Best Illuminating Primer for Mature Skin
Buy from Cos Bar, $42
Why we like it:
- Light coverage
- Breathable formula
- Brightens and hydrates
Want to add a little glow for your skincare routine? Get a primer with radiant qualities, like Laura Mercier's Pure Canvas Primer – Illuminating. Soothing and hydrating, it smooths your skin without mattifying it for that perfect dewy base which comes out looking fresh and healthy – not shiny.
One Sephora reviewer calls this product her “secret weapon to a dewy, luminous face,” while some have said the “partial coverage” allows them to go foundation-free if they are short on time.
Urban Decay Quick Fix Hydra-Charged Complexion Prep Priming Spray
Best Foundation Primer for Mature Skin
Buy from Ulta, $33
Why we love to it:
- Hydrating formula
- Ultra-light, microfine mist
- Reduces the look of pores
As we age, skin can certainly become dehydrated. A good way to combat this is to include Urban Decay's Quick Fix Hydra-Charged Complexion Prep Priming Spray to your daily routine. This ultra-hydrating spray-on formula is light enough to put on all day long, and may even be worn during the night under your favorite serum. Infused with niacinamide and coconut water, it's both nourishing and energizing, brightening and smoothing skin while lowering the appearance of pores and helping your makeup look fresh.
One promising review called the product “fabulous and simple to use,” saying it was “refreshing” and like “a little wake-up call for your face.”
Origins Original Skin Pore Perfecting Cooling Primer
Best Primer for Dull Skin
Buy from Target, $28
Why we love to it:
- Cooling and airy mousse formula
- Helps with dullness and uneven skin texture
- Works for dry, oily, and normal skin types
If your major skin concerns is a insufficient luster, you might want to purchase Origins' Original Skin Pore-Perfecting Cooling Primer. While skin dullness can have various root causes, carbonylated proteins – a by-product of stress that can create a flat, uneven complexion – really are a major one. This primer is formulated with willowherb, which fits to inhibit those proteins for the brightest glow yet.
One reviewer with “aging, dehydrated, but oily” skin said she's tried numerous primers, but only has found success with this one. She applies the product towards the areas where her “pores are largest,” and said hello makes her skin look “smoother” and “less oily.” She's additionally a fan of the “cooling feeling!”
Laura Mercier Eye Basics Eyelid Primer
Best eye primer for mature skin
Buy from Nordstrom, $30
Why we like it:
- Available in 4 colors
- Water-resistant
- Prevents creasing
The skin surrounding our eyes is the thinnest skin on our bodies, and that's why it needs just as much – if not more! – attention because the rest of our face. We like this Eye Basics Eyelid Primer by Laura Mercier, that is water-resistant and helps prevent creasing, because of its lightweight yet creamy texture that creates a smooth surface for eye makeup application. Should you want a more “naked eye” look, the medium-coverage formula acts as a foundation by itself, covering redness and veins for any more even appearance. Best of all, this primer comes in four colors to choose from, with some being color-correctors and brighteners to enhance your eyes' natural beauty.
One satisfied customer writes, “It can change your life,” and says many times that it “does not crease,” and that she even uses it as being an eyeshadow. Another 54 year old reviewer said her “eyeshadows stay on all day” with this particular product, and appreciates that it doesn't dry her out and that it's “great for less than eye circles as well.”
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