The best face moisturizer overall
One of the most versatile and affordable moisturizers on the market, The Ordinary's Natural Moisturizing Factors is good for all skin types. And it costs under $6. It's made with essential amino acids, and dermal lipids that soothe dry skin, without any potentially harmful parabens, sulfates, and phthalates. Plus, it's vegan and cruelty-free.
As it is made without oil, alcohol, silicone, nuts, gluten, and fragrance, this moisturizer is also a good choice for most people with sensitive skin, however, those with extremely sensitive skin might want to consult their doctors before trying.
If you ask the skin-care experts, there is one ingredient in particular that makes this moisturizer rival not only products in the under-$10 category, but also those with much higher prices tags: hyaluronic acid, the key to hydrated smooth skin. The natural moisturizing ingredient is actually produced by our own skin cells to maintain moisture levels, but environmental stressors can cause our hyaluronic acid levels to fluctuate.
Combined with the above-mentioned ingredients, hyaluronic acid in the Natural Moisturizing Factors provide immediate hydration with a lasting effect. Refinery29 describes the resulting formula as an “ultrarich cream that rivals in thickness to those found in fancy jars that cost a hundred times more.”
This inexpensive moisturizer has earned itself an average rating of 4.1 stars out of 5, based on over 200 customer reviews on Sephora's website, plus a spot on Allure’s Best Drugstore Moisturizers Under $20 list. Most reviewers with a wide range of skin types, from sensitive to dry skin, praise the Natural Moisturizing Factors for its ability to hydrate skin quickly, even during cold weather.
The overall verdict on this moisturizer is that it's an excellent choice for a day-to-day moisturizer, but it might not be the right choice for long-term total hydration, especially for those with drier or combination skin.
Pros: Inexpensive, good for all skin types, easy to use
Cons: Results might not continue over extended period of use
Buy the Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors at Sephora for $5.80The best face moisturizer for dry skin
The Belif True Cream Aqua Bomb is a particularly excellent choice for those with dry skin. It provides intense hydration, but as it is ultra-lightweight, free of oils, and comes in a gel consistency, it can do so without clogging pores or disturbing the skin's oil balance.
In addition to its hydrating benefits, its unique oil-free gel formula is easy to use and feels good on the skin when first applied. Its gentle consistency can be applied both at morning and night, and it's also light enough for midday use when needed. It instantly cools and refreshes skin when applied. Belif's moisturizer is formulated to burst when it contacts the skin, to release a flood of hydration that leaves a healthy and smooth appearance.
The True Cream Aqua Bomb has earned itself a permanent spot in the routine of Allure’s beauty reporter Devon Abelman, who has restocked the moisturizer so many times she lost count. She found in her use of the Belif product that its formula of plantin, ceramides, and shea butter allow her skin to absorb it quickly to sustain hydration levels — the same finding that the brand’s clinical tests proved.
According to Belif's studies, this moisturizer provides a 70% increase in skin's hydration levels. The True Cream Aqua Bomb’s formula also includes a blend of natural herbs and minerals, like the antioxidant-rich lady's mantle, neutralizing malachite, and plantain to seal in moisture. These ingredients provide a total treatment to neutralize skin-damaging free radicals, improve skin elasticity, and minimize the appearances of pores.
Pros: Lightweight, intense hydration without a heavy feel
Cons: It's made with alcohol, so not suitable for people with sensitivity
Buy the Belif True Cream Aqua Bomb at Sephora for $38The best face moisturizer for oily skin
While the Origins Original Skin Matte Moisturizer is nourishing to all skin types, its water-based formula makes it the best choice for those with oily skin. Its mattifying consistency hydrates skin while boosting a healthy appearance, reducing dryness, as well as uneven skin tone, the look of pores, dullness, and uneven texture.
This moisturizer is made with what Origins describes as a "lush water cream formula," which is excellent for boosting hydration without leaving an excess of oil on the skin. It is made with essential oils, including lemon peel oil, orange peel oil, and lavender oil that are known to give hydration without affecting the skin's existing oil levels.
The Origins Original Skin Matte Moisturizer is also formulated with pink rock-rose and willowherb that help to boost radiance, refine texture, tone, and visibly minimize pores. Willowherb comes from a magenta flower found in Canada and is able to withstand extreme environments. For most people, the result is a soft, smooth feel with a healthy glow and fresh finish.
Around 91% of people who have used this moisturizer would recommend it to others, according to a poll on Sephora. The product has a 4.5-star average rating, with reviewers calling it a "lifesaver for oily skin," and noting how they don't need to worry about shiny skin when using the Matte Moisturizer.
The Origins Original Skin Matte Moisturizer’s glowing reviews don’t end with its e-commerce pages. Several publications have included it in their roundups of either the best products for oily skin or those its editors swear by. According to StyleCaster, the moisturizer is well-equipped to “boost glow, minimize your pores, and even your skin tone.”
Pros: Excellent for oily skin, inexpensive, natural ingredients
Cons: Not suitable for sensitive or extremely dry skin
Buy the Original Skin Matte Moisturizer with Willowherb at Sephora for $35The best face moisturizer for sensitive skin
I turned to Dr. Hauschka's Rose Day Cream Light as I'd learned from past products that rose water is a gentle way to hydrate my chronically sensitive skin without overpowering and reddening it. As this moisturizer is moderately priced and easy to find, I decided to give it a go.
My skin doesn't need to be moisturized daily, so I typically use this two or three times a week, either after a face mask or on a particularly dry-weather day. It has never made my skin react and gets the hydration job done. Plus, the rose ingredients give the moisturizer a relaxing scent.
The Rose Day Cream Light is made with a variety of rose ingredients, like rose petal extract and rose petal wax, to give a delicate hydration. The cream moisturizer is also formulated with natural, nourishing oils like avocado, sesame, and wheat germ to help keep moisture in.
The lightweight product is actually the warmer weather counterpart to Dr. Hauschka's Rose Day Cream. While some reviewers shared that the light version is too light to keep skin hydrated in the colder months, I haven't experienced any shortcomings.
Pros: Lightweight, hydrating, gentle enough for sensitive skin, paraben-free, cruelty-free
Cons: Too light for drier skin, somewhat pricey
Buy the Dr. Haushka Rose Day Cream Light at Dermstore for $45The best face moisturizer for combination skin
There’s a good reason Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizer earned itself either Allure’s Best of Beauty Award or Reader’s Choice Award from Allure every year since 1996. The lightweight and fast-absorbing gel hydrator was developed specifically for the needs of combination skin. As combination skin typically suffers from both dryness and excess oil, it's often hard to match with the right moisturizer. Usually moisturizers that target intense dryness are made with a high oil content, and those designed for oily skin don't always have strong enough hydration capabilities to handle extremely dry skin.
The Dramatically Different Moisturizer is actually dramatically different from most products on the market. Its water-based formula comes in a gel form that was developed by Clinique's dermatologists to target both dryness and oiliness at the same time. The result is a refreshing product made without any oils that maintains an optimal moisture balance for oily skin.
At the same time, the Dramatically Different Moisturizer contains a 100% vegan mix of ingredients to handle dryness and strengthen skin. It was also allergy tested, non-acnegenic, and made without fragrance, alcohol, parabens, sulfates, or phthalates to help skin look younger and feel comfortable.
A former beauty editor from Allure with combination skin wrote that the moisturizer “balanced everything out into totally soft, radiant, and even skin that lasted the entire day.” Just as its formula is intended, it provided moisture to the reviewer’s dry skin areas without making oily skin spots greasy.
Over 3,400 shoppers have reviewed the moisturizer on Sephora, leaving it with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. People have shared that the gel moisturizer is great for both combination and acne-prone skin. While most reviewers shared similar experiences as the Allure editor, a few agreed that the moisturizer was too light for their driest patches.
Pros: Excellent for oily areas of skin, oil-free, water-based formula, made by dermatologists, allergy-tested
Cons: Formula is too lightweight for some, not the best option for nighttime moisturizer, can cause breakouts or sensitivity to some people
Buy the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer at Sephora for $28