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The 14 best moisturizers for oily skin, according to experts
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While you may think moisturizing oily skin will only exacerbate the problem, the exact opposite is true: Moisturizing your skin helps regulate oil production and promotes overall skin health. This is especially important during the winter season when the elements make it harder to retain moisture.
To help you enhance your skincare routine, we've rounded up the best moisturizers for oily skin on the market, including expert-approved picks from Dr. Joshua Zeichner, board-certified dermatologist and Zeichner Dermatology founder, and Dr. Naissan O. Wesley, a board-certified dermatologist at Skin Care and Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills.
While narrowing down the best moisturizers for oily skin was no easy feat, we'd have to choose the Kiehls Ultra Facial Cream as the overall favorite. Don't be fooled by its lightweight texture: It's actually packed with an abundance of oily skin-loving ingredients like protective ceramides and oil-regulating squalane. Oh, and did we mention it delivers up to 24 hours of hydration? If you're in need of a sunscreen moisturizer this summer — and you better be wearing one! — our favorite is the EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 for its lightweight texture and high sun protection.
Below, we've rounded up 14 of the best face moisturizers with tips on what to look for and answers to your most pressing oily skin concerns.
Our top picks for the best moisturizers for oily skin
Staff Pick
Packed with squalane and ceramides, this moisturizer has a fan following for ultra-hydrating properties that heal the skin barrier. Even better, it comes in a refillable container.
This oily-skin-approved face moisturizer helps eliminate excess oil, shine, and the appearance of pores. It’s also non-comedogenic and dermatologist- and allergist-tested; as such, it’s suitable for sensitive skin, too.
This mattifying moisturizer is especially noteworthy since it hydrates, absorbs excess oil, and reduces blackheads — making it an absolute must-have for acne-prone skin types.
This face moisturizer offers hydrating, calming, and soothing properties thanks to its potent formula. It features skincare staples like niacinamide and soothing ingredients like aloe and bisabolol, a redness reducer derived from chamomile.
The Cetaphil DermaControl Oil Absorbing Moisturizer SPF 30 is famous for its four-in-one formula that absorbs oil, reduces shine, hydrates, and protects against harmful UVA and UVB rays.
Staff Pick
Packed with squalane and ceramides, this moisturizer has a fan following for ultra-hydrating properties that heal the skin barrier. Even better, it comes in a refillable container.
Kiehls' Ultra Facial Cream instantly absorbs into the skin, sans any greasiness! It's also packed with nourishing ingredients like olive-derived squalane and glycerin to keep skin hydrated for up to 24 hours. As a bonus, it's also fragrance-free.
This oily-skin-approved face moisturizer helps eliminate excess oil, shine, and the appearance of pores. It’s also non-comedogenic and dermatologist- and allergist-tested; as such, it’s suitable for sensitive skin, too.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat Daily Face Moisturizer for Oily Skin is chock-full of mattifying, exfoliating, and calming ingredients. In fact, Dr. Zeichner counts this moisturizer as a top pick for oily skin since it's formulated to reduce shine and minimize the appearance of pores. Lipohydroxy acid gently exfoliates, while La Roche-Posay's thermal spring water soothes the skin. It's also oil-free, non-comedogenic, and suitable for those with sensitive skin.
This mattifying moisturizer is especially noteworthy since it hydrates, absorbs excess oil, and reduces blackheads — making it an absolute must-have for acne-prone skin types.
Caudalie Vinopure Oil Control Moisturizer is non-comedogenic and fragrance-free so it won't irritate sensitive skin. Its light, creamy formula features silica powder and java tea extract, which work together to mattify skin and target sebum and olive-derived squalane to boost hydration.
This face moisturizer offers hydrating, calming, and soothing properties thanks to its potent formula. It features skincare staples like niacinamide and soothing ingredients like aloe and bisabolol, a redness reducer derived from chamomile.
The PCA Skin HydraMatte is especially ideal for oily and acne-prone skin. The brand-new, glycerin-spiked gel moisturizer delivers deep hydration while simultaneously eliminating oil and minimizing pores and fine lines.
The Cetaphil DermaControl Oil Absorbing Moisturizer SPF 30 is famous for its four-in-one formula that absorbs oil, reduces shine, hydrates, and protects against harmful UVA and UVB rays.
Cetaphil's DermaControl Oil Absorbing Moisturizer, which is enriched with hydration-boosting glycerin, comes highly recommended by Dr. Zeichner. The oil-free, fragrance-free, and non-comedogenic formula — which has a matte finish — is ideal for oily, sensitive, and combination skin types. It even offers SPF 30 sun protection.
Lots of mineral sunscreens can leave an unsightly white cast and greasy finish — but not this one. The lightweight, oil-free formula is ideal for dry, sensitive, rosacea-prone, and acne-prone skin alike, as it’s packed with niacinamide (vitamin B3), which can reduce redness and inflammation, regulate oil production, and help the skin retain moisture.
For a versatile option that's one-part sunscreen and one-part moisturizer, Dr. Wesley suggests the EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46. The niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and lactic acid provide plenty of moisture to keep oily skin hydrated without any icky greasy residue.
Enriched with hyaluronic acid, this gel cream is specially formulated for extra-dry skin. The result? Up to 48 hours of hydration!
Neutrogena's Hydro Boost Water Gel with Hyaluronic Acid is specially formulated for dry skin, so you know it's got to be good. Its ultra-lightweight formula, which is backed by Dr. Zeichner, is non-comedogenic and fragrance-free — making it a solid choice for acne-prone and sensitive-skinned folks as well.
The Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench moisturizer delivers intense 72-hour hydration, making it a prime pick for those with severely dehydrated skin.
As its name suggests, the Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Acid Cloud Cream has a fluffy, light-as-air whipped texture that won't weigh you down. Even still, it delivers intense hydration for up to 72 hours thanks to a combination of hyaluronic acid and ceramides, the latter of which helps lock in moisture.
Staff Pick
This hydrating gel cream promotes plump, healthy skin while the slightly matte finish keeps shine at bay.
Dieux is one of a handful of Instagram- and TikTok-famous skin-care brands that actually live up to the hype with its Air Angel Gel Cream. The gentle, hydrating formula is non-comedogenic (which means it won't clog pores) and non-irritating, though it's still powerful enough to plump, firm, and promote a healthy skin barrier.
Read our full Dieux Skin review here.
This refillable SPF moisturizer has a sheer finish (read: no white cast!) and a weightless consistency.
For a white cast-free moisturizer with SPF, look no further than Fenty Skin Hydra Vizor Refillable Invisible Face Moisturizer SPF 30 with Niacinamide. Not only is this moisturizer smooth and sheer, but it also helps reduce the look of dark spots — while brightening and evening overall skin tone — thanks to a combination of powerhouse ingredients like niacinamide, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid, among others. The subtle melon scent is a bonus, as is the weightless formula that can be worn under makeup sans greasiness or pilling.
This moisturizer helps reduce signs of aging thanks to its gentle, albeit effective, formula. The result? Extra nourishment for more mature skin.
It Cosmetics Confidence In A Cream Anti-Aging Moisturizer is chock-full of nourishing ingredients to help reduce critical signs of aging by plumping fine lines and wrinkles. Niacinamide, known for its versatility — including the ability to improve uneven skin tone and balance oil production — is one of the hero ingredients. It also boasts moisturizing squalane, conditioning shea butter, and hydration-boosting staples like hyaluronic acid and glycerin.
This light-as-air SPF face moisturizer minimizes shine and pores' appearance for up to 10 hours.
Murad's Oil and Pore Control Mattifier Broad Spectrum SPF 45 is an oil-free, ultra-light SPF moisturizer. It even doubles as a mattifying primer. And, since it's free of parabens, sulfates, and phthalates, it's also suitable for sensitive skin.
This hydrating, electrolyte-infused moisturizer was specifically designed for nighttime use to work while you sleep.
Paula's Choice Water-Infusing Electrolyte Moisturizer was specially formulated to quench thirsty skin while you snooze. The lightweight cream is enriched with electrolytes to boost hydration, while other ingredient highlights include fatty acid-rich ceramides and antioxidant-loaded fruit extracts. Come the AM, you'll have plump, dewy skin.
This lightweight, oil-free moisturizer has a unique gel-cream texture and helps reduce the appearance of pores while simultaneously smoothing, plumping, and tightening.
With its signature gel-cream texture that absorbs instantly into the skin, Tatcha's The Water Cream is, hands down, one of the best moisturizers for oily skin. Its oil-free formula — enriched with glycerin, green tea, and even real gold — can help minimize the appearance of pores.
Read our full Tatcha Water Cream review here.
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