Primers can be such a controversial topic in the beauty industry. While some (like myself) completely swear by them, others can’t stand them or think they’re complete pointless. I will tell you something, though. In my opinion, they’re a must if you have oily or acne-prone skin. Oiliness can be tough to deal with—especially if you have combination skin that gets both dry and oily sometimes. After speaking to countless experts including makeup artists and dermatologists, they all seem to agree that oily skin = unbalanced skin. The deeper layers of your skin might actually be dehydrated—when that happens, it tends to start producing more oil on the surface to overcompensate for the dryness. 

I found that 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 it more balanced. In the meantime, though, if you have oilier skin, you can definitely try a primer that’s mattifying and noncomedogenic (meaning it won’t clog your pores) to keep your makeup from melting into a mess within a few hours. For my top picks and a peek at how my $10 favorite performs, keep scrolling below.