What is a Primer? Do I Need it?
The answer is YES! Just like you prime a wall before you paint it, you can prime your face before you apply foundation.
Makeup artists like me swear by primers. They go one step further than moisturizers. They will even out your skin tone, help your makeup stay on longer and absorb oil with salicylic acid.
Face primers are like a lotion you apply before you put on foundation. All you need is a pea-sized amount and dab it all over your face. Try to get an even amount on all areas of your face. They actually work much like a moisturizer under your foundation does they ease the application of foundation and are meant to create a barrier between foundation and skin.
Other benefits
1. They allow foundation to "stay put" in hot weather.
2. Help prevent skin from absorbing talc and pigment from your foundation as well as preventing talc from drawing oil from the skin.
3. Some can contain botanicals such as lavender, orange, jasmine, rose, geranium, grape, kiwi and aloe extracts to soothe and refresh the skin.
One of the final benefits to using a foundation makeup primer is that you will use less of your makeup. Instead of your foundation absorbing directly into your skin, the primer acts as a base, with the foundation adhering to the primer rather than the skin itself. With a primer reducing the imperfections of the skin's surface, less product is required to cover those areas. There are different primers available suiting different skin types.
Makeup Primers for Oily Skin
If your skin is oily, you will need a mattifying primer. A mattifying primer will prevent your skin from becoming shiny and greasy throughout the day.
Most people with oily skin normally have larger pores, a primer for oily skin types will also have a pore-minimizing effect. Lastly, since oily skin-types are more acne prone, there are some makeup primers out there with anti-acne ingredients that will help keep your breakouts at bay.