How To Know If Your Foundation Is Water Based

The 14 All-time Water-Based Foundations — and Why You lot Need One

November 17, 2022

1 of the buzziest beauty categories right now is h2o-based foundation — and for good reason. Across the board, they tend to be known for existence ultra-hydrating and doubling as skincare products. Of course, benefits truly vary from product to product; all the same, water-based foundations are seemingly at the forefront when information technology comes to makeup innovation.

Countless brands — including both drugstore (Maybelline New York! Fifty'Oréal Paris!) and high-end brands (Giorgio Armani Beauty! Valentino Dazzler!) — have come out with h2o-based foundation, and many of them are not-and so-quietly condign tiptop sellers and TikTok stars in their own right. They're praised for perfecting 1'due south complexion while besides delivering a salubrious dose of skincare actives to one'south complexion.

If you're nevertheless scratching your head about what water-based foundation is, we've got you covered. To respond your biggest questions, we spoke with makeup artist and beauty expert Jenny Patinkin. Ahead, we reply your biggest questions, starting with what is it? before we swoop into who it's all-time for and round upwards our favorite products from all price points.

What Is a Water-Based Foundation?

Whether or not your foundation is water-based comes down to the ingredient listing. "Water-based foundations are formulated without an oil base (aka oil won't be at the top of the ingredient list) and with low on no silicones or dimethicones," says Patinkin. "They tend to feel lighter on the peel and have a natural, sheer end, but the engineering is becoming then advanced that in that location are some cute medium-coverage formulas at present, too."

How to tell if your foundation is water-based? The expert news: It's easy. Expect at your prospective formula's ingredient list; if water (aqua) is listed as the first ingredient, information technology's h2o-based. 1 thing to go on in heed: To ensure your foundation applies seamlessly, be sure to team your water-based foundation with a water-based primer. Otherwise, you lot run the risk of your foundation pilling or separating. Ii of our favorites are the Giorgio Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Hydrating Primer and the Dermablend Insta-Grip Jelly Makeup Primer.

Who Should Use a Water-Based Foundation?

Everyone can benefit from a water-based foundation, especially since many offering skincare benefits — and who doesn't desire that? Just information technology's particularly groovy for a few specific skin types, per Patinkin, who notes it's "good for sensitive or acne-prone pare." The reason why it'due south a peachy choice is because "oils and '-cones' in an oil-based and silicone-based foundation can be comedogenic or irritating," says the pro. (Editor's annotation: A dermatologist tin can help you lot determine if ingredients in your foundation are right for your skin type.)

She adds that water-based foundations are too "theoretically proficient for keeping dry skin hydrated, simply some of that depends on the skincare products yous use to prep your skin and the climate you live in, too." That being said, be sure your hyaluronic acid-infused water-based foundation isn't the only source of hydration your pare's getting throughout the day. A few products we suggest complementing your foundation with are CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, Fifty'Oréal Paris one.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum, and Garnier Light-green Labs Hyalu-Melon Smoothing Milky Washable Cleanser.

Best H2o-Based Foundations

Below, we've rounded up some of our favorite water-based foundations. Nosotros've outlined the benefits and differences that make each of them unique then you can decide whether or non to add it to your shopping cart — and daily regimen.

Lancôme Teint Idôle Ultra Wear & Care Glow Foundation Serum

Bachelor in 30 shades, the Lancôme Teint Idôle Ultra Habiliment & Care Glow Foundation Serum stars hyaluronic acrid for a hydration boost and mandelic acrid to smoothen your skin. It offers buildable medium coverage and has a glowy stop.

L'Oréal Paris True Lucifer Nude Hyaluronic Acid Tinted Serum

Equally promised by its proper noun, this is a serum — and chances are it's anything but the traditional foundation you're used to. How information technology works is you lot apply a few drops directly to your face up and then blend in the liquid formula with your fingers or a brush. The result is a radiant, bright finish powered past luminous mineral pigments and hyaluronic acid for hydration.

Giorgio Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation

If you lot're on TikTok, you're definitely familiar with the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. It comes in 40 shades and is highly revered for its natural, glowy end. It's no stranger to the red carpet nor the makeup bags of ordinary people like you and me.

Maybelline New York Fit Me! Matte & Poreless Foundation

Drugstore aficionados have certainly come beyond the highly rated Maybelline New York Fit Me! Matte & Poreless Foundation. A fan-favorite in the dazzler alley, peculiarly for oily and combination peel, it features micro-powders to control shine and mistiness pores, all for a off-white price of $9.

IT Cosmetics CC Nude Glow

Information technology Cosmetics CC Foam is a highly esteemed complexion perfector. Across the board, the brand is known for its full-coverage formulas, but this 1 is an exception. It offers medium coverage and boasts a bevy of skincare ingredients: ii% niacinamide to brighten peel and reduce the wait of dark spots, pores, and texture, hyaluronic acid for hydration, and dark-green tea extract for environmental protection.

Dermablend CC Continuous Correction Foam

If y'all're searching for a full-coverage formula, wait no further than the Dermablend CC Continuous Correction Cream. It's fade-defying for a whopping 24 hours, per the brand, and platonic for uneven peel tones looking for colour correction. Like to IT Cosmetics, this product doubles as skincare with SPF 50+ and pare-brightening ingredients. It's been clinically tested to improve skin's radiance afterwards simply four weeks, according to Dermablend.

Urban Decay Hydromaniac Tinted Glow Hydrator

Bid adieu to pores and imperfections with the Urban Decay Hydromaniac Tinted Glow Hydrator. This formula has a blurring upshot that evens out your peel tone and texture, merely in a higher place all, it's praised for its ability to go along your pare quenched all solar day long. It contains marula oil to protect and hydrate your complexion while simultaneously offering buildable, medium coverage with a fresh, glowy terminate.

Valentino Beauty Very Valentino 24-Hour Wearable Liquid Foundation

If a super glowy stop isn't your thing, check out the Valentino Dazzler Very Valentino 24-Hr Vesture Liquid Foundation, which, as the name implies, won't budge or crease for a full 24-hour interval straight. This formula delivers a semi-matte finish and offers buildable, medium coverage and a lightweight texture that yous'll barely feel on your pare. Not to mention, information technology contains SPF26 and comes in 40 shades.

YSL Nu Blank Look Tint

Embrace the dewy pare look with the YSL Nu Bare Look Tint, which we're willing to bet volition garner compliments like "You're glowing!" from strangers on the street. Dubbed a "makeup-moisturizer hybrid" by the brand, information technology'south infused with glycerin, hyaluronic acid and brightening mallow that works overtime to hydrate your peel while giving you that effortlessly perfect no-makeup-makeup look.

Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture Foundation

If you lot're willing to splurge when it comes to your foundation, go along this unique cream-to-liquid formula from Koh Gen Practice on your radar. It'due south all-time for those looking for a sheer, your-skin-but-better finish. It contains jojoba oil to help seal in moisture and keep the pare soft and vegetable collagen to improve its elasticity.

Jones Road What the Foundation

Undeniably unique, the Jones Road What the Foundation is a combination of a tinted moisture balm meets traditional foundation. It contains nourishing ingredients, including jojoba oil and sodium hyaluronate, and offers low-cal-to-medium coverage. Plus, it comes with a little spatula, so you don't need to stick your fingers directly into the container.

Rose Inc Skin Enhance Luminous Tinted Serum

Cheque out the Rose Inc Skin Enhance Luminous Tinted Serum for calorie-free coverage and a radiant finish. The liquid formula contains pigment spheres suspended within the product's base and burst open when they come in contact with a castor.

Kosas Revealer Pare-Improving Foundation SPF 25 with Hyaluronic Acid and Niacinamide

Kosas prides itself on including actives in all of its products, including this foundation, which, as seen in the name, contains hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, peptides and squalane. This might be your perfect match if you're looking for a "second pare" formula with medium coverage and SPF.

ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint SPF xl Foundation

If you lot're obsessed with dewy skin, say less: The ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 Foundation has y'all covered (literally). Information technology'southward a liquid, serum-similar formula containing mineral SPF, squalene and hyaluronic acid for hydration and niacinamide to shine. Just be warned that if you're sensitive to scents, this 1 has mixed reviews in that department.

Visual Designer: Juliana Campisi