Tired of dryness ruining your makeup? We’ve rounded up the best foundations for dry skin that come recommended by the pros for their hydrating and skin-perfecting capabilities. There’s something for every budget and makeup preference, and they each have earned glowing reviews from beauty lovers. If you’re a fan of minimalist, no-makeup makeup, this sheer foundation wears like a tinted moisturizer and glides onto dry skin seamlessly. Its texture-smoothing formula doesn’t settle into dry patches and instead, creates a your-skin-but-better finish. The foundation was created with innovative Korean skincare technology, beautifully marrying color cosmetics with skin-improving ingredients for a softer, smoother, and brighter complexion. You can also buy the foundation at sephora.com, where it’s earned more than 158,000 “loves” from shoppers. “Creamy, hydrating, great coverage, and a wonderful shade range for women of color,” an Ulta reviewer shared. “I feel seen! I love it and my makeup always looks so natural and not cakey or dry.” If your go-to shade is out of stock at sephora.com, you might have better luck at makeupforever.com. For those with drier skin, you want to avoid any foundations that claim to be quick-drying and have a matte finish. “Alcohol, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid are great for acne-prone skin, clogged pores, and blackheads, but [these ingredients in some foundations] lack the moisture that is necessary for dry skin types and ultimately can make your skin even dryer,” says Thomas.
Other Ways to Combat Dryness
Regardless of how hydrating a foundation might be, Thomas urges those with dry skin to prep the skin with a primer, moisturizer, and/or face oils, which will make a major difference in your foundation application. “I love primers with a milky and creamy texture with ingredients that add extra hydration and plumpness to the skin,” explains Thomas. “If your foundation is water-based, layer a water-based primer underneath, and if it’s an oil-based foundation, use an oil-based primer.” Some of Thomas’s favorite primers are Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Hydrating Primer ($39; sephora.com) and Pure Canvas Illuminating Primer ($39; sephora.com). “When I need an extra boost of moisture and glow, I love adding Diana Madison Beauty Glow Topia Face Oil ($45; revolve.com) which contains prickly pear seed oil loaded with fatty acids, as a cocktail mixed into the foundation or applied directly to the skin with my fingers.”
