Poreless Face Primer

e.l.f. Cosmetics

Where to buy Possibly in stock

About this product

The e.l.f. Cosmetics Poreless Face Primer is a misc. Our analysis of its 11 ingredients (9 low-risk) rates it Excellent (87/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone, dry, and sensitive skin.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Misc
Ingredients
11
Low-risk
9
Fragrance
Fragrance-free
Data updated
Jun 2026

The evidence

Quick Product Notes

Paraben-Free Sulfate-Free Alcohol-Free Silicone-Free EU Allergen-Free Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe Minimal Ingredients

Notable Effects & Ingredients

No Notable Effects & Ingredients

Ingredients Related to Skin Types

Good   Bad — tap a skin type to see which ingredients · estimated from ingredient functions
Dry Skin 3/2
Good for dry skin
Caprylyl Glycol Tridecyl Trimellitate Dimethicone
Caution for dry skin
Dimethicone Crosspolymer Silica
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 1/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil
Sensitive Skin 3/3
Good for sensitive skin
Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil Dimethicone Tocopheryl Acetate
Caution for sensitive skin
Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A) Phenoxyethanol

Ingredients list

11 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (9)
All11 Skin Conditioning6 Viscosity Controlling3 Emollient3 Opacifying2 Skin Protecting2 Fragrance2 Antioxidant2 Hair Fixing2
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
1
A
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
(Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Hair Fixing, Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant, Viscosity Increasingagent Nonaqueous, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Caprylyl Glycol
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Humectant)
1
B
Tridecyl Trimellitate
(Emollient, Skin Conditioning)
1
Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Perfuming)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
9
Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A) Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
3
A
Dimethicone
(Antifoaming Agent, Skin Protecting, Emollient, Skin Conditioning)
Silicone
Silicone
3
Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning)
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Oily Skin
4
A
Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative)
Paraben
Paraben
1
2
A
Silica
(Abrasive, Absorbent, Anticaking Agent, Bulking Agent, Opacifying, Viscosity Controlling)
1
3
Titanium/Titanium Dioxide
(Cosmetic Colorant, Opacifying)

My Ingredient Notes

No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.

Browse similar misc
No close formula match yet — browse other products like this

Key ingredients

Antioxidants
Shields skin from free radical damage.
Retinoid
Visibly reduces the signs of aging.
Vitamin E
Protects skin and soothes irritation.
Exfoliators
Removes dead skin cells to smoothe texture.

Benefits

BrighteningRestores radiance to dull, tired skin.
Good For Oily SkinBalances oil and helps reduce shine.
Scar HealingImproves the look of marks and scars.
Acne FightingFights acne and helps prevent breakouts.
Reduces Large PoresMinimizes the look of enlarged pores.
Dark SpotsFades dark spots for even skin tone.
Show all 6 benefits

Concerns

Contains paraben
Contains silicone
Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A) — higher EWG

EWG flags hazard, not real-world risk — ratings don't account for how much of an ingredient a product contains. Treat these as things to research, not verdicts. How we score →

Ingredients explained

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Viscosity controlling
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Viscosity controlling
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion stabilising, Hair fixing
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Emulsion stabilisingHair fixingSuspending agent - nonsurfactantViscosity increasingagent - nonaqueousViscosity controlling
Caprylyl Glycol
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Hair conditioningSkin conditioningEmollientHumectant
Tridecyl Trimellitate
Emollient, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B EmollientSkin conditioning
Silica
Abrasive, Absorbent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1–2 CIR A AbrasiveAbsorbentAnticaking agentBulking agentOpacifyingViscosity controlling
Titanium/Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic colorant, Opacifying
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 1–3 Cosmetic colorantOpacifying
Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil
Antioxidant, Fragrance
Strong essential oil which can irritate skinRead moreShow less
EWG 1 AntioxidantFragrancePerfuming Bad for Sensitive Skin
Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A)
Other
Higher-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 9 Good for Dry SkinFungal-acne trigger
Dimethicone
Antifoaming agent, Skin protecting
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A Antifoaming agentSkin protectingEmollientSkin conditioning Silicone
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant, Skin conditioning
Potentially comedogenic - can block poresRead moreShow less
EWG 3 AntioxidantSkin conditioning Bad for Oily Skin
Phenoxyethanol
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR A FragrancePreservative Paraben

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Evening: Use at night — start 2–3× a week and build up as your skin tolerates it.
  • 2 Wear SPF the next day: Acids and retinoids increase sun sensitivity — daily sunscreen is a must while using this.

General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.

Trust & honesty

Pregnancy & breastfeeding

Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.

Often avoided
Retinoids (Vitamin A) (Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A))

Topical retinoids (retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl esters) are widely advised against in pregnancy as a precaution. The strongest evidence is for ORAL retinoids; topical absorption is low, but most clinicians err on the side of caution.

This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.

Effective levels — general guide

The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.

Retinoids (Vitamin A) 0.01–1%

Most studied between 0.1% and 1%. Higher is not automatically better — irritation climbs with dose, so a well-formulated lower strength is often the sweet spot.

Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A)

INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.

From the community

0
Reviews
0
Saved by users
0
In collections

Ratings & reviews

Write a Review
0.0
from 0 ratings

Used this product? Rate it in 10 seconds

From the SkinCarisma community

archive

1 review restored from our original community.

SkinCarisma member · Dry skin
BlackheadsPoresSensitive

nicotate has left a 4 star rating. Community Collections with "e.l.f. Cosmetics Poreless Face Primer" Potentially Irritating For Sensitive Skin 57 products briacare

Alternatives