Best Vitamin C Foundation Primers of 2025

* We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.
Vitamin C Foundation Primers are a must-have in every makeup kit. These primers not only create a smooth canvas for foundation application, but also provide the added benefits of Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps to brighten and even out skin tone, while also protecting against environmental stressors. These primers are available in a range of shades to suit all skin tones and can be worn alone or under foundation for a flawless finish. With the added benefits of Vitamin C, these primers are a great investment for anyone looking to improve their skin's health and appearance.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 Vitamin C Foundation Primers
Pacifica Glowy Vitamin C Skin Solve Makeup Primer
The Pacifica Glowy Vitamin C Skin Solve Makeup Primer is a versatile beauty product that combines the benefits of a vitamin C serum and a primer. With its illuminating formula, it primes, blurs, and brightens the skin, giving you a dewy and smooth canvas for your makeup. The vitamin C helps to even out skin tone and brighten the complexion, while the Kakadu Plum provides a powerful source of vitamin C. Additionally, the primer leaves your skin silky smooth and hydrated, making it perfect for use with or without makeup. It also creates a grip for smooth makeup application and is suitable for all skin tones. Free from harsh chemicals, this vegan and cruelty-free primer is not only safe for the planet but also safe for you.
Catrice Vitamin C Primer
The Catrice Vitamin C Glow is a game-changer for your skincare routine. This primer is packed with 2% Vitamin C derivative, kiwi extract, and peach oil, providing essential hydration and revitalization for your skin. You can easily apply it after cleansing and moisturizing to achieve a dewy, radiant complexion. Not only does it enhance your skin's natural glow, but it also creates a smooth base for makeup, ensuring a flawless finish. Plus, it’s vegan, cruelty-free, and free from harmful ingredients like gluten and parabens, making it a responsible choice for conscious consumers.
Saie Glowy Super Gel Illuminator
The Saie Glowy Super Gel is a lightweight illuminator that enhances your skin's natural glow. You can wear it alone for a fresh look or mix it with your foundation for a dewy finish. This versatile product also acts as a hydrating primer, making it perfect for layering under makeup or tinted SPF. Enriched with Vitamin C and antioxidants, it helps brighten and moisturize your skin, leaving it looking radiant. Plus, it's easy to apply with just one or two pumps, making it a convenient addition to your beauty routine.
e.l.f Cosmetics C-Bright Putty Primer
The e.l.f Cosmetics C-Bright Putty Primer is a brightening face makeup primer enriched with 2% Vitamin C to help brighten your complexion and even out skin tone. Its velvety formula easily smoothes over your skin, gripping your makeup for long-lasting wear. It gives you a smooth, flawless complexion with or without makeup, providing an even, bare-faced canvas to rock with confidence. All e.l.f. products are 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and leaping bunny certified.
Clinique Even Better Face Primer
The Clinique Glowy Primer is designed to enhance your makeup experience while providing skincare benefits. It acts as a hydrating base that instantly brightens your complexion and improves your skin's radiance over time. With the inclusion of hyaluronic acid, it ensures your skin stays moisturized, making makeup application smoother and more even. Additionally, this primer locks in your makeup for up to 16 hours, keeping your look fresh throughout the day. Whether you wear it under makeup or on its own, it enhances your skin's natural glow.
Monica Ann Beauty Dual-Action Face Primer
Monica Ann Beauty Dual-Action Face Primer is a lightweight, silky, and soft-textured pore minimizing primer that works with any skin type. Packed with skin-firming, hydrating ingredients like Vitamin C & Hyaluronic Acid, this primer provides a flawless, even complexion that lasts all day and night. You can use it alone or under makeup for effortless application and all-day staying power. Plus, when you buy from Monica Ann Beauty, you contribute to cancer research and support clean beauty practices.
Revlon PhotoReady Prime Plus Face Makeup
Revlon PhotoReady Prime Plus Face Makeup is a 2-in-1 brightening primer that improves your makeup by creating a flawless canvas, instantly brightens and evens skin-tone, and improves skin appearance over time. Its revitalizing complex is infused with lemon extract, vitamin C, and lactic acid. Suitable for all skin types, it is best for skin with uneven color, sun spots, and dullness. The product is free of parabens, sulfate, phthalates, and artificial dyes.
e.l.f. Hydrating Face Primer
The e.l.f. Hydrating Face Primer is a lightweight, long-lasting, and creamy formula that hydrates, smooths, and fills in pores and fine lines, leaving a natural matte finish. Infused with Vitamin E and grape, Vitamins A, C, & E, it helps boost complexion and hydrate your skin, creating a flawless, smooth canvas ideal for long-lasting makeup application, perfect for acne-prone, combination, and oily skin. It's cruelty-free, vegan and made from skin-loving ingredients at a good-for-you price.
InviCible Primer+ Vitamin C Serum
The InviCible Primer+ is a multifunctional face serum and foundation primer designed to enhance your makeup experience. It ensures long-lasting wear by helping your foundation adhere to your skin, reducing the need for touch-ups throughout the day. The hydrating formula nourishes your skin, preventing dryness and flaking while providing the benefits of a dark spot corrector. Additionally, it smooths rough patches and minimizes the appearance of pores, creating a flawless canvas for your makeup. This makes it especially suitable for mature skin and those with acne-prone skin, giving you a radiant and silky soft complexion.
OLEHENRIKSEN BananaBright Self-Tanning Primer
The OLEHENRIKSEN Tanning Face Primer offers a unique blend of skincare and makeup benefits. Infused with vitamin C, this primer not only provides a gradual bronzy tan but also brightens your complexion for a sunkissed glow. You’ll appreciate how it prepares your skin for smooth makeup application while hydrating and minimizing the appearance of pores and fine lines. Plus, it helps your makeup last longer throughout the day, ensuring you look fresh and radiant. With this primer, achieving a flawless, illuminated look is both simple and effective.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I use Vitamin C as primer?
Yes, Vitamin C can be used as a primer. It helps blur imperfections, minimize the look of enlarged pores, fill in wrinkles, and create a smooth base for flawless makeup application. Additionally, Vitamin C is beneficial for the overall health of the skin, making it feel fresh and healthy throughout the day.
2. What does Vitamin C primer do?
A Vitamin C primer is a fine line-correcting primer that helps blur imperfections, minimize the appearance of pores, fill in wrinkles, and create a smooth canvas for flawless makeup application.
3. What primers work best with what foundations?
When selecting a primer, it's important to choose one that complements your foundation. For example, if you have a silicone-based primer, it's best to use a silicone-based foundation on top to avoid any compatibility issues. Matching the base of the primer and foundation ensures optimal performance and prevents the foundation from pilling or not adhering properly.
4. What not to combine with vitamin C?
Avoid combining Vitamin C with AHAs and BHAs, such as glycolic, salicylic, and lactic acids. These acids, when combined with Vitamin C, can disrupt the pH balance and render the ingredients less effective. Stick to using water-based products and serums together for better compatibility.
5. Should you put vitamin C on before or after makeup?
You can apply Vitamin C serum before putting on makeup. It is safe to use all-natural Vitamin C serum underneath makeup throughout the day, as it will still provide the desired benefits for the skin.
6. Is vitamin C good for under makeup?
Yes, Vitamin C serum is suitable for use under makeup. Its light texture and fast-absorbing properties make it ideal for layering underneath moisturizer, makeup, and other products. Applying Vitamin C serum in the morning as part of your skincare routine can provide the skin with its benefits throughout the day.
During our vitamin c foundation primer research, we found 48 vitamin c foundation primer products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 173,889 customer reviews through our big data system to write the vitamin c foundation primers list. We found that most customers choose vitamin c foundation primers with an average price of $27.78.
The vitamin c foundation primers are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of vitamin c foundation primers, including Pacifica, Catrice, Saie, e.l.f., Clinique. The seller of top 1 product has received honest feedback from 385 consumers with an average rating of 4.7.

Lisa Bechard is a skin therapist with 12 years of working experience in the beauty industry and also an experienced beauty writer who has expertise in skincare, medical aesthetics and cosmetic surgery, and wellness. Her writing skills are excellent and all her content is very persuasive and insightful.