15 Best Cruelty Free Primers with Natural, Vegan Ingredients
In the category of cruelty-free cosmetics, cruelty free primers are the least popular. That’s mainly because primers, at least for the most part, don’t get the attention they deserve. And, trust me, primers deserve a lot of attention as the makeup is what creates the perfect base for your foundation to make it look fresh throughout the day.
And let’s say that even if you come across a good primer for your particular skin condition, who’s to say that it’s going to be vegan and/or cruelty-free. In that case, here’s a list of such bunny-friendly primers for bunny-loving cosmetic consumers.
Top 15 Primers That Are Cruelty-Free
1. Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer
There are many makeup artists, vloggers, and enthusiasts that rave about this Smashbox Foundation Primer. Simply because it mattifies and blurs imperfections without looking and feeling cakey on the skin.
The cruelty-free and vegan primer here makes your skin baby-soft and smooth to touch while also giving you a natural-looking clearer complexion. And the baby-softness, smoothness just means the foundation application is going to be effortless and its wear longer lasting.
2. e.l.f. Mineral Infused Face Primer
It’s a silky, lightweight formula suitable for all types of skin. But that’s not even the best part. The best part is that this e.l.f. Mineral Infused Primer fills in wrinkles and fine lines to refine your aging complexion and skin. Apart from being cruelty-free and vegan of course!
No chemical or harsh ingredients added, such as parabens, phthalates, triclosan, etc. And that makes it an ideal makeup solution even for sensitive skin.
As for its effectiveness, you know the primer is good when it keeps your foundation and makeup from settling into your lines and creases.
3. NYX Professional Makeup Studio Perfect Primer
If you ask me, this is the best cruelty-free face primer for oily skin. The silky formula creates the desirable smooth matte finish quite effortlessly for prolonging the wear of your foundation and makeup. Plus, it’s available in green and lavender shades for color-correcting action.
The primer gets very easily absorbed into the skin, which is yet another reason why I think it’s great for oily skin. It doesn’t linger; only creates the smoothest surface for your foundation.
4. Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Makeup Primer
This is a 3-in-1 liquid foundation for those who want a youthful glow. It ranks as one of the most popular anti-aging makeup solutions in the cruelty-free cosmetics category. What the foundation does is plump up your skin instantly to minimize the visibility of wrinkles and fine lines.
It’s got Vitamin C and hyaluronic complex for boosting your skin’s hydration levels. And that plays a huge part in the anti-aging process. Just so you know, natural-looking coverage like this for freckles and age spots is not easy to come by.
Plus, it’s fragrance-free, which means good for super-sensitive skin too.
5. Elizabeth Mott Illuminating Makeup Enhancing Base Primer
Yet another hydrating primer formula that takes an extra step forward to make your mature skin look smooth and even poreless. It primes i.e. preps your skin texture and tone by erasing the visibility of pores to reveal a smooth canvas.
Aside from being cruelty-free, the primer is also lightweight, non-greasy, and waterproof. It’s a dependable choice for creating a natural, hydrated glow even if you have textured skin. So your perfect-coverage foundation does a better job at concealing your blemishes, dull skin, uneven complexion, sun spots, and the like.
6. Elizabeth Mott Eye Primer Makeup Eyeshadow Base
Another cruelty-free innovation by Elizabeth Mott, but this one’s a clear waterproof eyeshadow primer. So whoever says that cruelty-free eye primers don’t exist has certainly not tried this one yet.
Free of parabens, the non-greasy, lightweight pearl powder clears and evens out the skin tone. At the same time, it also combats oily lids. The transparency dries up pretty quickly, so your eyeshadow application, no matter the shade, looks crease-free and smooth for long hours.
7. Honest Beauty Everything Primer
So much to say about this one, how do I begin! The Honest Beauty Everything Primer is infused with hyaluronic acid, which keeps your skin hydrated by attracting moisture. No doubt, this product makes your skin look firmer and smoother. That means your fine lines and wrinkles become less noticeable.
The mica in here gives you a mild golden glow and reduces the appearance of pores. It’s safe to say that you can wear the primer alone without any foundation because even that makes the skin look more luminous than before.
And to top it all off, the primer is non-comedogenic, hypoallergenic, and dermatologist-tested.
8. Dermalogica Skinperfect SPF 30 Primer
The first of its kind on this list, Dermalogica Skinperfect SPF 30 Primer is a velvety formula equipped with soy protein. So your skin texture feels and looks more well-balanced and smoother.
There are natural Earth minerals and pearl powder infused into this as well for providing a natural-looking layer of noticeable luminosity. Also added is a potent peptide for boosting your skin’s elasticity. And then broad-spectrum SPF 30 to shield damaged skin from the UV light.
9. SHANY Hydrating Face Primer
Protect and prep your skin dry skin with this vitamin-infused, paraben-free, hydrating primer to boost the wearability of just about any type of foundation. In my opinion, it’s just the makeup remedy aging and dehydrated skin demands.
What the face primer here does is diffuse light for creating a soft, smooth appearance where wrinkles and fine lines simply disappear. With hyaluronic acid and glycerin, the natural moisturizing properties are hard to dismiss. And so is the brand’s involvement with the cruelty-free PETA community.
10. Milani Prime Correct Face Primer
Now comes a color-correcting face primer by a brand very popular for it’s cruelty-free, vegan beauty products. This formula corrects dull, uneven skin tone often caused by common skin conditions like hyperpigmentation with its skin discoloration-diffusing particles.
It’s a lightweight primer that blends invisibly and evenly onto your skin, thus prepping your skin for just the foundation and concealer your hyperpigmentation demands.
Also, women who wish to wear more makeup but, at the same time, discourage acne should choose this pore-minimizing primer.
11. Monica Ann Beauty Dual-Action Face Primer
An honest review about how this dual-action primer by Monica Ann Beauty hydrates, brightens and mattifies your skin while also minimizing pores. It’s got some anti-aging action going on as well, meaning it targets wrinkles and fine lines too with its hyaluronic acid and Vitamin C ingredients.
You get smooth, translucent matte coverage that looks good all by itself or even with makeup. No doubt, the primer is cruelty-free and also free of parabens, sulfates, and phthalates.
12. Mom’s Secret Natural Flawless Face Makeup Primer
For prepping, hydrating, and smoothing your skin to bring on the perfect makeup appearance, it’s time to turn your attention to Mom’s Secret. No more secret though, this primer is a non-greasy, lightweight formula ideal for all types of skin and skin tones.
But what makes it so special is the list that consists of 80-percent organic ingredients and 100-percent all-natural ingredients. If that wasn’t enough, the brand also prepares formulations, including this one, that are are vegan, paraben-free, non-GMO, gluten-free, and cruelty-free of course.
13. Catrice Prime & Fine Poreless Blur Primer
More often than not, during makeup application, large pores can be a real nuisance. So if you can relate, then you might want to check out this Prime & Fine Poreless Blur Primer by the cruelty-free brand Catrice.
What this remedy does is create an instant soft-focus effect to make the skin look visibly smooth and poreless. It comes in the form of a lightweight mousse that mattifies the skin for the most flawless makeup application that is to follow.
14. 3INA Makeup Cruelty Free Vegan Face Primer
The product title says it all, but what it doesn’t mention is just how instantly the primer melts into your skin for creating an even, smooth, radiant skin tone. The title also doesn’t mention that this is a multi-tasking primer that also softens and soothes your skin. All thanks to the inclusion of apricot kernel oil.
The stubborn visibility of wrinkles, fine lines, and pores gets reduced as well. Vitamin E is a part of the concoction too for protecting your skin from the sun and impurities. And you don’t have to worry about a thing even if your skin type is oily.
15. Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer
Here’s the final pick for makeup enthusiasts with a conscience. The Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer is a silky, oil-free formula that conceals not just wrinkles, fine lines, and pores, but also the redness caused by the skin condition rosacea.
With SPF-15 sun protection, this primer is ready to protect your skin as well. Gliding in onto the skin and then expecting your foundation to stay on over this airy formula should be expected.
And lastly, this cruelty-free, vegan primer is non-acnegenic, which means the perfect choice for acne-prone, oily, dry, and sensitive skin.
Benefits of Choosing Cruelty-Free Face Primers
Let me tell you why cruelty-free, vegan primers are better in terms of skin health.
Firstly, they’re infused with all-natural ingredients, meaning no animal by-products are used. Such as uric acid, beeswax, etc. Such primers are also considered to be the most ideal for sensitive skin. Since fewer and all-natural ingredients are used, sensitive skin is less likely to get triggered or aggravated.
The thing about cruelty-free cosmetics, including primers, is that they don’t contain any harsh chemicals. Or animal-derived ingredients. With the latter, you don’t know what the animal has come into contact with (like pesticides). So going cruelty-free keeps your skin from coming into contact with potential pesticides.
Always remember that companies, at least the commercial ones, don’t care about anything else but making huge profits. So don’t expect your favorite beauty brands to have the best interest of your skin at heart while manufacturing primers, foundations, concealers, etc. And that’s what makes cruelty-free brands such a popular choice.
What to Look Out for In Cruelty-Free Face Primers
It’s very important to go through labels when buying primers. Because, sometimes, animal ingredients are concealed behind fancy or non-toxic names. So the best you can do is go through the list of ingredients to identity them.
That said, here are some of the ingredients commonly added to primer formulas that are cruelty-free and vegan…
Hyaluronic Acid
This particular ingredient is an effective hydrating and moisturizing solution in cruelty-free, vegan primers. Plus, it offers excellent anti-aging properties. What hyaluronic acid does is retain the natural moisture levels of your skin. Thus, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, making the skin look radiant and moisturized, and fading acne scars, dark spots, etc.
Just make sure it’s plant-based hyaluronic acid and not Acid Hyaluronan or Sodium Hyaluronate.
Glycerin
More specifically, this should be vegetable glycerin. It’s infused into primers for locking in moisture. And for soothing, smoothing, and softening your complexion.
On top of that, plant-based glycerin’s pH balance is good for the skin, thus a suitable choice for sensitive skin.
Vitamin C
The antioxidants present in Vitamin C protect your skin from UV exposure. So primers enriched with Vitamin C offer sun protection, with or without SPF.
Vitamin C mimics the production of melanin, thus lightening dark spots and hyperpigmentation while also enhancing skin radiance and balancing out skin tone.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is also often added to primers for reducing damage and the appearance of scars. It keeps your skin hydrated and prevents aging of the skin. So if you have mature skin and are looking for a primer, then make sure the concoction you pick is infused with Vitamin E for its anti-aging benefits.
Mica
Mica is naturally produced and what it does is create a natural-looking shimmery finish. In primers, it’s finely milled into a powder. And the ingredient is safe for all types of skin with zero side effects.
Other Important Factors (hypoallergenic, paraben-free, non-GMO, etc.)
These other factors include SPF sun protection, oil-free, lightweight, hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, non-acnegenic, paraben-free, sulfate-free, phthalate-free, gluten-free, non-GMO, and dermatologist-tested.
Why Are Commerical or Non-Vegan Primers A Bad Choice?
The answer is simple; it’s because they are all packed with chemicals. These cosmetics contain harsh or harmful ingredients that don’t benefit your skin in any way. The list includes sulfates, phthalates, parabens, artificial fragrances, preservatives, triclosan, formaldehyde, and on and on.
Some non-vegan primers also have animal-derived oils and other ingredients. You don’t know what the animal has been put through and been exposed to. So why place your skin at the mercy of that!
And, more importantly, non-vegan or commercial primers are a bad choice if you have a conscience. The makeup products are tested on bunnies and other animals that are treated extremely inhumanely.
The Bottom Line
So there’s no thinking twice about switching to cruelty-free, vegan primers not just for the love of bunnies but also for the love of your skin. These all-natural formulations contain no chemicals, which is great for your skin.
And the best part is that there are plenty of PETA-certified cruelty-free makeup brands coming up every year. So even products like eye primers are available in the cruelty-free cosmetic category. It’s a huge leap that seems to be garnering enough attention from many beauty and makeup experts with a conscience.
If you’re looking for any more primer recommendations for specific skin corners, you might find these articles very useful: Best Primer for Large Pores, Best Primer for Wrinkles, Best Primer for Textured Skin.
