Is using lube as primer safe for the skin?

It’s official, Tiktok’s trends are rather absurd or complicated to execute and the world of beauty is certainly not left aside. After the trend of lemon instead of deodorant or that of fake nails made with paste, or even that of correcting dark circles with lipstick, came also that of lubricant used as a primer for the face. One of the most popular beauty trends on Tiktok is to apply an abundant portion of lubricant directly to the face as a makeup base. It seems that everything was born a few months ago, when a creator, Lukáš Kohutek inaugurated the hashtag #lubeprimer in a beauty reel.

The reason? According to many creators who have tried the experiment for their followers, the product would give a real glow to the face, an extra brightness, just as the super glow effect trend wants. And not only that, many makeup artists who have exposed themselves to this point have stated that, in addition to smoothing and reviving the complexion, the lubricant surpasses many of the makeup primers on the market in terms of the durability of the make-up seal.

Huda Kuttan, the founder of the Huda Beauty Empire, also experimented on her face in 2016 with both KY Jelly and Vagisil, as they have ingredients, such as glycerin and dimethyl, in common with skincare products. According to the latter, in fact, there are a lot of lubricants that are almost indistinguishable from skincare products, with their formulas full of aloe vera and hyaluronic acid. 

The answer is no. In fact, according to many dermatologists, the application of lubricant on the face could lead to sensitivity, rashes, irritations, or allergic reactions, especially if used in a fragrant variety. In addition, if it contains castor oil, chlorhexidine, and spermicide, there is a risk of occluding the pores too much and, consequently, of sprouting pimples, black spots, or making the skin impure. Although it is true that lubricants creators always say that their formulas are safe to consume and use throughout the body (and you might argue that our face is part of the body). It is also true that - unlike the primer for makeup - the lubricant was absolutely not created to stay on the face all day, with foundation, concealer, bronzer and blush "encrusted" for hours. In other words, "Our face is not the same as our genitals," as Forbes pointed out, and dermatologists agree.

Here are 10 primers in fluid and gel formulation to be applied instead of lubricant: