In my last post I talked about what a primer is used for and discussed the different types of finishes a primer can create on the skin. In this post, as the title suggests, I'm going to talk about the formulations of primers and who will get the most benefit from them. This will be a slightly longer post but I feel it's important not to skim over the details so please bare with me!
The beginning is a very good place to start! There are two types of primer: Silicone and water based primers. And they work differently on the skin and interact with foundations and bases in various ways.
How do you tell the difference between the two? It's very, very simple - the feel. If it feels slippy and like a chaffing gel then it's a silicone primer. If it feels like a serum/lotion and is much lighter in texture then it is a water based primer.
If there is not testers around to feel the product (a pet hate of mine) then you can tell whether or not a primer is silicone or water based by the ingredients. Now, I know that pretty much everything has water (Aqua) listed as the first ingredient but the general rule is the if the first time you see an ingredient with -cone, -silicate, silica, -ane, etc. is high up on the list then its a silicone based primer.
An example would be Rimmel Fix and Perfect Foundation Primer :-
Water,
Cyclopentasiloxane, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Propylene Glycol,
Phenyl Trimethicone, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Dimethicone,
Polyethylene, Talc, Dimethicone PEG 10/15 Crosspolymer, Magnesium
Sulfate, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Methyl
Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Lauryl PEG 9
Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Lecithin, Fragrance, Silica
Dimethyl Silylate, Methylparaben, Gossypium Herbaceum Powder (Cotton),
Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Butylparaben, Ethylparaben,
Isobutylparaben, Propylparaben, Silica, Dipropylene Glycol, Tocopherol
(Natural Vitamin E), Triethoxycaprylylsilane, BHT, Hexyl Cinnamal,
Limonene, Butylphenyl Methypropional, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool,
Geraniol, Alpha Isomethyl Ionone, Citronellol, May Contain ( /-):
Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499), Mica
(CI 77019), Chromium Oxide Green (CI 77288), Ultramarines (CI 77007)
As we can see, there are a lot of highlighted ingredients that are silicones and silica derived products. If you see a high volume of any of these ingredients or anything that sounds like them, then it's most likely a silicone based primer. The best way to quickly tell is that cyclopentasiloxane is usually the second or third ingredient in a silicone based primer.
Now, lets look at a water based primer to see how it compares. This is the Bourjois Paris Happy Light Matte Serum Primer:-
AQUA (WATER), GLYCERIN, ISODECYL NEOPENTANOATE, ALCOHOL DENAT., BORON
NITRIDE, POLYMETHYLSILSESQUIOXANE, C12-15 ALKYL BENZOATE,
OCTYLDODECANOL,HDI/TRIMETHYLOL HEXYLLACTONE CROSSPOLYMER,
CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, OLIVE OIL DECYL ESTERS, AMMONIUM
ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER, C20-22 ALKYL PHOSPHATE, GLYCERYL
STEARATE, PEG-100 STEARATE, C20-22 ALCOHOLS, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, PARFUM
(FRAGRANCE), ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, DIMETHICONE, CASSIA ANGUSTIFOLIA SEED
POLYSACCHARIDE, MICA, CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE), ACRYLATES/C10-30
ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE,SQUALENE, SODIUM
GLUCONATE, SODIUM HYALURONATE, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, DIMETHICONOL,
ALPHA-ISOMETHYL IONONE, CI 15985 (YELLOW 6), CI 14700 (RED 4),
TOCOPHEROL, CI 42090 (BLUE 1). 13BMT001-1
This primer as significantly fewer silicone based ingredients on the list and is a great example of a water based primer. It also has a high amount of glycerin, a great ingredient to help lock moisture into the skin.
Phew! So now we can tell the two types of primer apart. Why is this important and why do I need to know this? That's easy, both of these primers work in unique ways.
Silicone primers are better for oily, uneven or mature skin types. The high amount of silicones in the formula help fill in lines and wrinkles and help create a barrier between the natural oils our skin products. If the oil can't get to your foundation it's going to last longer. Silicone primers are also fantastic for mineral or powder foundations as it helps stop the product from clinging to rougher or uneven patches on the skin.
Water based primers are better for people with drier or dehydrated skins as the primer's high moisture content prevents the skin from "drinking" our foundation on top of it making it last longer. These are also a great option for people who have a sensitivity to silicones.
As was mentioned in the first post of the series, you should always go for which finish you prefer when searching for a primer because formulation is far more important than whether it is matte or dewy. If you have dry skin and like a matte finish invest in a water based primer and have your exfoilating routine up to scratch to make sure you get the best out your skin! Likewise, if you are more combination/oily skin and love a dewy glow (like me) then a silicone based primer might work better for you.
But remember, it's all personal preference! I have combo skin and much prefer the feel of a water based primer on my skin. Go with what you like and what you think works well for your skin.
I think I'll have to stop there! I've put forward a lot of information in this post and haven't even begun to talk about the advantages of marrying your foundation's formulation with your primers (think like loves like) but that's another post all in itself!*
TL;DR
1. Primers can be water or silicone based.
2. Touch it! If it's slippy - silicone. Lotiony - water.
3. Look at the ingredients! Lots of -cones and -silica high up or throughout the list means its silicone based. Otherwise, it's a water based primer.
4. Formulation if more important than finish when picking a primer. Loose guide: silicone for oily or mature skins, water for dry or dehydrated skins.
Next time, we'll have a look at 3 of my favourite water based primers.
General notes
*This is something I will touch on after we get this series out the way
Ingredients lists were found on makeupalley.com and boots.co.uk respectively.
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