11 Best Cruelty-Free Primers Of 2024, According To Expert Reviews

Primer creates a layer over your skin, prepping it for smooth makeup application by covering pores and other irregularities. However, sometimes, they may incorporate nasty chemicals and harmful ingredients. To save your skin from its effects, you should consider investing in the best cruelty-free primer to camouflage your skin imperfections and blemishes.

These primers are lightweight formulas and act as an ideal makeup base. They block the oil coming out of the pores and offer smoother and even skin. They also concentrate on textures, color correctness, hydration, and dullness. In addition, these earth-friendly primers have a non-greasy formula. While finding the right cruelty-free primer can be tricky when countless brands are available in the market, we have your back. In this article, we have listed the 11 best cruelty-free primers according to your skin tone. Keep scrolling to check them out!

11 Best Rated Cruelty-Free Primers – 2024 Update

1. Best Sweat-Proof:Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later Face Primer

4.3

Image: Elizabeth Mott

BUY ON AMAZON | $15.99

If you have pledged allegiance to K-beauty products and also to invest a few extra bucks, then this cruelty-free Thank Me Later Face Primer from Elizabeth Mott is your best bet for a perfect base. The well-balanced formula of this primer helps you deal with the most frustrating skin woe – pores. In addition, it helps you create the perfect flawless pre-foundation canvas.

Besides minimizing pores and fine lines, it renders a silky and super-mattifying finish without weighing down on the skin. Several reviewers attest that the primer combats oiliness by controlling sebum levels and gives a crease-free flawless coverage all day without adding extra shine. This cruelty-free brand ensures a perfect look with 100% customer satisfaction.

Pro Tip

Always apply a thin layer of primer to prevent patchy blotches and cakey layering.

Why We Think It's Worth Buying

The overwhelming 2,372 positive reviews on Amazon show how popular this product is with happy users.

2. Best Anti-Aging Formula:Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Makeup Primer

4.3

Image: Covergirl

Now 13% Off

BUY ON AMAZON | $13.97

Amp up your look by prepping your face with this Simply Ageless Makeup Primer from Covergirl & Olay. Its unique age-defying formulation preps your skin to maximize the results and performs great as a foundation as well. Moreover, reviews on online forums agree that this primer helps combat signs of aging and gives you younger-looking skin instantly. In addition, its super nourishing formula hydrates your combination skin and makes it plump. It is great for all skin tones. Besides, this cruelty-free anti-aging primer comes in a pump dispenser bottle that provides convenient usage.

Pro Tip

Before applying the primer, wash your face and apply a moisturizer with SPF 15 or higher.

Why We Think It's Worth Buying

With over 736 reviews, this product has become a fan favorite among users.

3. Best Vitamin-Enriched Formula:e.I.f., Hydrating Face Primer

4.3

Image: E.l.f.

BUY ON AMAZON | $12.04

Take your makeup to the next level with this 100% vegan and cruelty-free Hydrating Face Primer by e.l.f. It offers long-lasting coverage by blurring imperfections, smoothing texture, and hydrating your skin. The primer is infused with grape extract and vitamins A, C, and E – making it a powerful concoction of complexion-boosting formula. It blends well with the skin and fills in pores to leave you with a lovely matte finish and a smooth base. The primer is also not tested on animals, making it ideal for ethically-conscious makeup lovers.

Pro Tip

Always let the primer set before applying the foundation for the best makeup results.

Why We Think It's Worth Buying

The extensive 22,810 rave reviews on Amazon prove why we are vouching for this product.

	Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later Face Primer	Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Makeup Primer	e.I.f.	Hydrating Face Primer
	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now
Skin Type	All	Oily, Combination, Sensitive, Dry, Normal	All
Dimensions	2.9 x 2.9 x 0.7 inches	6 x 5 x 4 inches	1.6 x 1.6 x 5.5 inches
Weight	1.28 Ounces	1.06 Ounces	0.49 Ounces
Color	-	Primer	-
Rating
Reviews	2,372	736	22,810
Price	$15.99	$13.97	$12.04

4. Best Lightweight:Wet N Wild Photo Focus Dewy Face Primer

4.2

Now 15% Off

BUY ON AMAZON | $5.49

Prep your skin and minimize its flaws to get a photo-ready look with this Photo Focus Dewy Face Primer from the most trusted beauty brand – Wet N Wild. Create a perfect makeup base with this vegan face prime to boost your glam quotient. Its lightweight formula smooths your skin and holds your makeup for a longer duration. It is infused with pearl pigment and vitamin E that helps moisturize skin and adds glow to your skin. Moreover, this cruelty-free face primer improves your skin texture and offers a studio-ready look instantly! To understand this product better, check out this video detailing a tester’s experience.

Quick tip

Always choose a primer that matches the foundation in color and texture.

5. Best Non-Comedogenic:NYX Professional Makeup The Marsh Mellow Primer

4.3

Image: Nyx Professional Makeup

Now 20% Off

BUY ON AMAZON | $13.56

Did you know that marshmallows work wonders on your skin to provide a soothing and softening effect? You heard that right! This primer from NYX Professional Makeup offers flawless makeup application. It is infused with marshmallow root extracts that soften, smoothen, hydrate, and even out your skin tone for up to 16 hours. Its 10-in-1 benefits include blurring fine lines, adding a soft finish, and keeping the makeup fresh and intact. Moreover, this vegan primer is non-toxic and does not cause blocked pores and other skin issues. Learn more about a reviewer’s experience with this product in this video.

6. Best Organic Formula:Mom’s Secret Natural Flawless Face Primer

4.3

BUY ON AMAZON | $21.99

The Mom’s Secret Natural Flawless Face Primer is an organic makeup product that looks wonderful on all skin types and offers long-lasting coverage and a natural finish. The formula is designed to blend flawlessly into your skin, providing a smooth, even look that lasts all day long. You can choose the appropriate tint for your skin tone from a variety of shades. Its easy-to-use pump bottle has garnered praise from reviewers, making it simple to use and apply. It includes a lightweight, pore-refining, and non-greasy formula that works on every skin type, and effectively reduces the appearance of fine lines and pores on acne-prone skin. Ethically-conscious consumers also opt for this primer as it is not tested on animals.

7. Best Long-Lasting Formula:UNICORN GLOW Hydrating Primer

4.3

Image: Unicorn Glow

BUY ON AMAZON | $9.89

The UNICORN GLOW Hydrating Primer is designed to provide a smooth, hydrated base for your makeup with a beautiful glow. This primer features a lightweight, non-greasy formula that absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving it feeling soft and moisturized. It is lightweight and provides a subtle glow to your skin, helping create a radiant, lit-from-within look. The formula includes hyaluronic acid, hydrolyzed collagen, and herb extract complexes such as artemisia mugwort extract, german chamomile, gentiana lutea root extract, portulaca oleracea, and sugar maple, which are rich in vitamins A, C, and E. They improve your skin texture, offer adequate hydration, and boost your complexion while controlling oil and sebum production. The primer is suitable for all skin types, making it a great addition to any makeup routine. It can be worn alone or under your favorite foundation for a flawless, long-lasting finish.

8. Best For All Skin Types:Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer

4.2

BUY ON AMAZON | $2

Give your skin active sun protection while creating the perfect base for a foundation with this Mineral Primer from Hourglass Veil. It brightens your complexion, creates a smooth base, and conceals the appearance of pores, redness, fine lines, and wrinkles. It is enriched with SPF 15 and is a mineral-based formula, making it suitable for all skin types, including sensitive and blemish-prone skin. Reviewers rave about its lightweight, silky texture that blends smoothly and allows the foundation to glide on effortlessly. Moreover, this vegan primer is not tested on animals and is free from harsh chemicals. It is also water-repelling and enables your makeup to last longer with a radiant glow.

9. Best Non-Greasy:Fifth & Skin Better’n Ur Skin Mineral Makeup Primer

4

Image: Fifthandskin

BUY ON AMAZON | $20.95

The Better’n Ur Skin Mineral Makeup Primer from Fifth & Skin checks all boxes since it’s cruelty-free, natural, lightweight, non-greasy, and hydrating. In addition, its formula is packed with nourishing botanical extracts, including aloe vera, jojoba oil, rosehip seed oil, rosemary, lavender oil, and others. They work in tandem to hydrate and smoothen your skin.

The hydrating features of this primer enhance suppleness, reduce redness, and balance your skin’s pH levels. Its antioxidant-rich properties hide signs of aging and reveal younger-looking skin. It also helps in the quick absorption of excess oil, thereby creating the perfect makeup base that lasts for 8 to 12 hours, even on sensitive skin. Moreover, the toxin-free primer keeps pores from clogging and reduces skin irritation.

10. Tinted Vegan:Essence My Skin Perfector Tinted Primer

3.8

Now 15% Off

BUY ON AMAZON | $5.08

Add a filter to your skin that would buff off your skin imperfections without ripping it dry. This is possible with the My Skin Perfector Tinted Primer from Essence Cosmetics. The mousse-like texture of this mattifying primer preps your skin for a flawless look before you put on makeup. This vegan primer’s moisturizing and velvety formula spreads seamlessly to blur your scars, patches, and other blemishes instantly. This animal-friendly product smoothens your skin and leaves it with a natural look that lasts all day. Moreover, this is free from harsh chemicals and comes in six distinctive tinted shades that suit all skin tones.

11. Best Matte Coverage:Honest Beauty Everything Primer

4.4

Image: Honest

BUY ON AMAZON

The Honest Beauty Everything Primer is a lightweight, sheer primer, made with micronized bamboo powder to help mattify and blur skin imperfections, leaving you with a smooth and flawless finish. It is perfect for those with normal skin types who are looking to control unwanted shine throughout the day. This celebrity-endorsed primer is dermatologist-tested, making it a safe and reliable choice for your beauty routine. It is vegan and cruelty-free, ensuring that no animals were harmed during the production process.

The world is becoming more and more conscious in terms of the products it consumes on a daily basis, and the cosmetic industry is happily catering to the wants of many. There is a wide range of options available for cruelty-free primers,  and given below are some factors to help you make a choice.

Things To Consider While Buying The Best Cruelty-free Primers

1. Skin type

• Oily: If you have oily skin, pick a mattifying primer. This will provide a dry base and minimize the shiny, oily appearance of the face.

• Dry: Incase of dry skin, choose a primer with moisturizing and hydrating ingredients. Olive oil, hyaluronic acid, and agave leaf extracts neutralize the skin while butters like shea or cocoa offer moisturization. Dewy primers are best suited for dry skin as they make the face glow without making it too shiny.

• Sensitive: Pick a primer with salicylic acid if your skin is sensitive and prone to breakouts. This helps treat the problem from the inside while giving the face an even texture and combatting uneven skin tone. You can also opt for dermatologist-tested or expert-recommended primers specially crafted for sensitive skin.

2. Certification

Look for a cruelty-free label and a PETA or Leaping Bunny certification to be sure that the primer uses no animal by-products or test on any. A vegan product is also cruelty-free.

3. Formula

Primers form a base and must remain non-cakey and smooth on the skin. Choose a sweat-proof, waterproof, and hypoallergenic formula for your makeup routine so that it lasts long without dripping or smudging. Look for a lightweight, non-greasy formula that offers nourishment and is enriched with vitamins A, C, and E.

4. Ingredients To Avoid

Pick a primer which is free of parabens, phthalates, and silicones and other harmful chemicals. Avoid artificial fragrances and alcohols in your primers as they cause irritation and dryness.

Infographic: Ingredients To Look For In A Cruelty-Free Primer

Cruelty-free primers nourish and protect your skin, apart from providing a good base for your makeup products. This is because they contain effective ingredients that work in tandem to boost your skin’s health. Check out the infographic below to know which ingredients to look for in a primer to make the right purchase.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

Does cruelty-free primer work well with aging skin that has wrinkles?

Yes, cruelty-free primers work well with aging skin that has wrinkles. They help fill in your wrinkles and make your skin look smooth.

Can we use cruelty-free primers as a lip primer?

Yes, you can use cruelty-free primers on your lips. They help you apply lipstick evenly on your lips.

Does cruelty-free reduce redness on the face?

Yes, cruelty-free primers reduce the redness on your face.

Are cruelty-free primers long-lasting?

Yes, cruelty-free primers last long and keep your skin hydrated.

Why Trust StyleCraze?

The author, Baishali Bhattacharya, is certified in makeup techniques and loves reviewing different makeup products. She has carefully selected these best cruelty-free primers after closely reviewing user reviews and feedback on multiple forums and brand websites. These cruelty-free primers help hydrate the skin, make it plump, and stay on for a long time.

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Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

Danielle Wilkinson BrucklacherLicensed Cosmetologist

   

Danielle obtained her cosmetology license from MTI College and continued with her education in Makeup Artistry at Bellus Academy. She then began session styling for weddings and special events, including celebrity occasions.

Read full bio of Danielle Wilkinson Brucklacher

Baishali BhattacharyaBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

 

Baishali is a beauty and lifestyle writer and holds a master's degree in English from Assam University. She specializes in makeup and fashion and is also a certified Style and Image Consultant. Prior to this, she was a part of a digital marketing company in Kolkata where she wrote stories on travel, beauty, and home décor.

Read full bio of Baishali Bhattacharya

Srijani Roy Chowdhury Associate Commerce Editor

Srijani is an associate commerce editor with a master's degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Calcutta, West Bengal. She is certified in makeup techniques and is also a certified style and image consultant.

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Srijita DeCommerce Writer

Srijita De is a makeup and fashion enthusiast with a passion for empowering readers through practical tips and tricks to present their best selves with confidence. Armed with a postgraduate degree in English and Literature from the University of Calcutta, she has honed her writing skills and developed an in-depth understanding of the beauty and fashion world.

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