Best moisturizer under makeup

The Best Moisturizers under Makeup for Flawless Application

It’s so annoying when foundation starts sliding off your face in the middle of the day, sending you back to the mirror to touch up what was a flawless face just a few hours ago. Or when your makeup separates around your nose area instead of staying nice and smooth. Or when your makeup starts clinging to the dry patches on your face.

Even if you’ve already prepared your skin with hydrating serums, you need the right moisturizer to create the protective, smoothing surface barrier that lets your makeup sit properly on your face, all day.

So let’s discuss which moisturizers are best for your specific makeup needs to keep you looking gorgeous all day long.

Quick Picks: Top Moisturizers to Wear Under Makeup

Before we get into specifics, here are our top recommendations in a table format that’s easy to pick from:

Hydrating Serum vs. Moisturizer Under Makeup: What’s the Difference?

If you’ve already been using a great hydrating serum that’s specifically formulated not to pill under makeup, you may be wondering if you even need another moisturizer. The answer is yes, you do. While hydrating serums penetrate deep into your skin to plump with water, moisturizers stay on the outer layer of the skin to lock in the moisture and create a smooth surface to apply makeup on.

For medium-to-full coverage foundations, or if you have specific makeup concerns like foundation breakdown or dry patches, go for serum AND moisturizer to get those stunning, long-lasting results you want.

If your primary makeup struggle is balling or pilling, you might need to switch your hydrating serum instead of adding a moisturizer. Check our guide on the best hydrating serums to stop pilling.

Understanding Your Base: Matching Moisturizer to Foundation

How do you know which moisturizer is best for your makeup routine?

The first thing to look at is ingredients. Matching up your ingredients give you a much better chance of your foundation layering properly on top of your moisturizer. 

There are 3 options for the primary ingredient used in moisturizer and foundation: water-based, silicone-based, and oil-based. Matching a silicone-based moisturizer to a silicone-based foundation, water-based to water-based, and oil-based to oil-based, ensures that the makeup won’t react negatively to the moisturizer and cause issues.

To find which ingredient your product is based on, read the ingredient label. Water-based products list Aqua high up on the ingredient list. For silicone-based, look for ingredients ending in -cone, -siloxane, or -silicate near the top of the ingredient list. You can tell an oil-based product when you see ingredients like jojoba oil, shea butter, or squalane as one of the first ingredients listed. 

Best Moisturizers for Specific Makeup Concerns

Now, let’s find you the right moisturizer for your specific makeup concern.

Best for Stopping Foundation Breakdown & Oil Separation

This Obagi moisturizer is an oil-based cream, so it’s great for addressing problems like foundation melting off your T-zone, or your foundation breaking down because of excess sebum. It uses Hydromanil technology, which makes sure that it doesn’t leave an oily film behind despite it being oil-based. This technology will keep your base makeup anchored all day, so you look effortlessly beautiful with no re-touching.

Best for Eliminating Dry Patches & Flakiness Under Foundation

Another oil-based option is this PCA Skin Silkcoat Balm. It’s got squalane plus hydrolyzed silk, which gives it intense smoothing power. All your rough textured patches get literally coated in silk, leaving behind a surface that foundation can glide onto easily. You’ll get rid of your problems like foundation clinging to dry flakes or looking cakey because of your dry skin. Spring for this moisturizer if you’ve got dry skin under makeup issues, and pair it with a dewy oil-based foundation for top results. 

Best for Smoothing Rough Texture & Pores

Here’s a water-based moisturizer that gives you an extra boost of plumping peptides to give you a firm canvas for makeup application. If you’ve got liquid water-based foundations you’d like to try, this moisturizer can work well underneath them. It also works to smooth a bumpy texture, especially that textured look under light, as well as to hide those fine lines that your foundation likes to settle into. 

Best for Redness & Preventing Patchy Coverage

If you’ve got irritated and reactive skin, your foundation might be breaking down unevenly and showing the redness underneath. So much for full coverage foundations! This oil-based moisturizer from Epionce strengthens your natural skin barrier with botanical lipids, calming down inflammation and helping your makeup coverage do its job.

Best 2-in-1 Tinted Prep Option

To keep your skincare and makeup routine streamlined, 2-in-1 formulas become your best friend. The best way to prevent heavy, cakey buildup that comes from layering your moisturizer, sunscreen, and foundation separately is stripping your routine down to a minimal number of steps. This tinted moisturizer from bareMinerals has your moisturizer, sunscreen, and light coverage all in one. It’s a water-based moisturizer so you get full hydration and gives you a sheer makeup look once you’re finished applying.

How to Prevent Foundation From Sliding or Separating

Besides choosing the right moisturizer, it’s important to know the rules of moisturizer and makeup application. Some techniques to keep in mind:

• Wait 2-3 minutes after applying moisturizer before applying the primer or foundation. This allows the barrier film to set, giving the smooth canvas you need for further application.
• Don’t do any aggressive rubbing when you’re applying your moisturizer. Rubbing creates friction, which makes certain ingredients ball up before they’ve even had a chance to absorb. Patting also helps the moisturizer absorb properly into the skin.
• Apply only a pea-sized amount of moisturizer. Too much moisturizer over-saturates the skin surface, causing foundation to slide off.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a hydrating moisturizer replace my makeup primer? 

Yes, for many skin types. A rich, well-formulated moisturizer that absorbs smoothly can act as a natural primer by creating an even base. However, if you have specific makeup needs, like intense oil control or color correction, a dedicated primer after your moisturizer is still recommended.

Should I apply sunscreen before or after my moisturizer? 

Always apply your moisturizer first, allow it to absorb for 2 to 3 minutes, and then apply your sunscreen. Sunscreen should be the final step of your skincare routine before moving on to makeup prep. 

Shop Moisturizers for Makeup Prep

You can find every type of moisturizer and additional makeup-friendly skincare products that will complete your pre-makeup skin prep routine.