Is Makeup Primer Really Necessary? My Thoughts as Someone With Oily, Acne-Prone Skin

I have begun wearing makeup since I was 18 years old, meaning it has been almost 12 years since then. I wore heavy makeup for stage performances for several years, doing party makeup service for clients, and now I’m learning to naturally apply makeup for everyday. I could say I can confidently share my thoughts on this question.

Spoiler: it is very dependent on your use case and lifestyle.

We all live differently. From the jobs we have, the looks we aim to have, the skin concerns, and the accessibility of the products (both from the price range and availability POV too). Because of this, primers might be an important step for some people and a skippable step for the others.

I won’t bore you with the history of makeup primers and why they were invented in the first place. But shortly, primers are aimed to help smoothen the makeup base and prolong your makeup wear.

I remember when the makeup market wasn’t nearly as crowded as it is today. Honestly, a lot of products back then were pretty “meh” compared to what we have now. It was totally normal to have to level up your makeup – like always using a primer before foundation just to make it work properly.

But wow, how times have changed! People are way more educated about makeup now, and brands have seriously stepped up their game. The formulations today are incredible – we’re talking better coverage, longer wear, and just overall amazing results that you couldn’t get before.

So are primers a must-have?

A short answer for most people is no.

But for several people, it might be yes.

Let me explain why.

No, if…

1. You already have a solid, skincare routine

What makes our makeup crack and become patchy is that it did not adhere to the skin correctly. And this could easily be improved with skincare. By moisturising and layering skincare correctly according to your skin type, your makeup can adhere better.

2. Your job and lifestyle does not require heavy makeup

If you are a regular, everyday person whose job does not obligate you to wear makeup a certain way, you probably won’t need a primer.

For example, my job in tech doesn’t obligate me to wear makeup at the office. Which means I can wear makeup lightly or just for corrective purposes. On the contrary, people who work as stewardesses or saleswomen—who meet a lot of clients and for whom wearing makeup is a part of the dress code—might need to put a heavier makeup look on. If that’s the case, they could choose to put a primer IF their skins can benefit from that.

A lot of makeup products now work great on their own without needing a primer first. Look for ones labelled “long-wearing” – that’s usually a good sign. I’d definitely recommend trying Asian cushion foundations since they’re designed to last all day and often have skincare ingredients and primer built right in.

3. Your sunscreen is Asian sunscreen.

A lot of sunscreens already have primer properties in them, especially the ones from Japan and Korea. My favourites are the Biore Watery Essence UV SPF 50 and Allie Chrono UV Gel SPF 50 for Face. It feels so good on the skin and makes my foundation very smooth too. Having a good sunscreen really helps so you don’t need to put on layers after layers and suffocate your oily skin.

Yes, if…

You are having special event, such as wedding or red carpet

I know that these important events require detailed makeup, and putting on primers can give an additional layer of assurance to both the makeup artist and the client. So, using a correct primer that helps the specific skin concern might help to a certain extent.

For example, for my oily-skin clients who tend to have larger pores, I make sure to use mattifying primers, especially in the T-zone and butterfly area.

But primer alone is not a foolproof method to control the oil, cracking, or other issues. The techniques in foundation application, layering, powdering correctly, etc., are part of the formula to achieve that flawless finish.

If you have acne-prone skin…

I was told by some people that my acne was caused by not using primers before foundation. That was untrue. I can go on and on about the argument, but for the sake of this topic, I will save it for next time. My point is, I don’t think primer is a shield that can protect your skin from P. acnes bacteria. There are a lot of nuances to that.

If you have acne-prone skin like me and are trying to protect your skin while wearing makeup, please do consider this:

1. Skincare first: acne is a medical condition, and it is treatable by medication. Go visit your doctor instead of strangers on social media; doctors know the science, and they could tailor the correct regimen for your skin. When the skin condition improved, the less you need primer or even makeup to cover it up :)
2. Look for Asian sunscreen: they have great products that not only protect your skin from the sun but also provide skincare and cosmetic benefits. Unfortunately, I could not share the sentiment for several Western sunscreens that I have tried so far. Some of them pill and make the makeup on top of it clump. I recommend trying Biore Watery Essence UV or Allie Chrono UV Gel for Face SPF; they are both amazing as primers for my oily skin.
3. Look for non-comedogenic or non-acnegenic labels on makeup: while it is not a guarantee that our skin won’t react, these labels usually signals that the products do not contain common pore-clogging ingredients. Trust me when I say I once unknowingly bought a ‘clean’ beauty concealer that has coconut oil in it, and I had to suffer the trips to my dermatologist to calm my skin. I love, love, love NARS and Clé de Peau base products because they are non-comedogenic, and my skin loves their products so far.

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Those were my tepid takes on the primer-or-not conversation. What do you think about this? Are primers a must-have step in your makeup routine? Let me know in the comments down below.