My Makeup Never Fails to Get Oily During the Day—Here's the $10 Solution

Primers can be a controversial topic in the beauty industry. While some, like myself, swear by them, others can't stand them or think they're completely pointless. But, in my opinion, they're a must-have product if you have oily or acne-prone skin.

Oily skin can be tough to deal with, especially if you have combination skin, which can be both dry and oily. After speaking to countless experts, including makeup artists and dermatologists, I discovered that all seemed to agree oily skin equals unbalanced skin. The deeper layers of your skin might be dehydrated. And when that happens, the skin tends to start producing more oil to overcompensate for the dryness on the surface. 

This was definitely the case for me, but it can also take time, and the right skincare, to bring balance back to your skin. I've found that using a serum with multiple molecular weights of hyaluronic acid has been a game changer. Hyaluronic acid is lightweight and helps bind water to the skin to decrease moisture loss and leave the skin feeling more balanced. In the meantime, you can try a mattifying, noncomedogenic (meaning it won't clog pores) primer to keep your makeup from melting into a mess within a few hours. Keep scrolling for my top picks and a peek at how my $10 favorite performs. 

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(Image credit: @shawnasimonee)

Best Overall: E.l.f. Cosmetics Matte Putty Primer

Tatcha The Liquid Silk Canvas: Featherweight Protective Primer

Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer

Paula's Choice Shine Stopper Instant Matte Finish Oil Control Primer

Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser Primer

Make Up For Ever Step 1 Primer Shine Control

Milk Makeup Pore Eclipse Mattifying + Blurring Makeup Primer

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(Image credit: @tobimakeup)

Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Primer

Bobbi Brown Primer + Mattifier

Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Face Primer

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Mattifying Primer

Benefit Cosmetics The Porefessional Face Primer

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base Priming Moisturizer

This article was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

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Shawna Hudson
Associate Beauty Editor

Shawna Hudson has worked in editorial for over six years, with experience covering entertainment, fashion, culture, celebrities, and her favorite topic of all, beauty. She graduated from California State University, Fullerton, with a degree in journalism and has written for other publications such as Bustle, The Zoe Report, Byrdie, Elite Daily, Mane Addicts, and more. She is currently an associate beauty editor at Who What Wear and hopes to continue feeding her (completely out-of-control) beauty obsession as long as she can. Stay up to date on her latest finds on Instagram @shawnasimonee.