Behold: The Best Face Moisturizer for Your *Exact* Skin Type (2024)

Forget about face serums, eye creams, and sheet masks for a sec. When it comes to a good skincare routine, there are actually very few *necessary* steps. At the top of the can’t-skip short list? Face moisturizer. Face moisturizers hydrate skin, lock in moisture, and help improve skin barrier function—all musts for healthy, happy skin regardless of your skin type.

So whether your face is bone-dry skin and flaky or sensitive and acne-prone (like mine), everyone can benefit from using a moisturizer—but not everyone needs the same moisturizer. That’s why I reached out to four experts dermatologists and tested countless new and old formulas to round up the 16 best face moisturizers for every skin type and concern. Here's a sneak peek:

Dermatologists Rebecca Marcus, MD, and Elyse Love, MD, are fans of this tried-and-true face moisturizer—and if you prefer a moisturizer that’s not too thin but not too thick and incredibly hydrating, soon you’ll be a fan too. “It’s a medium-weight moisturizer that is non-irritating and contains ceramides, niacinamide, and glycerin,” says Dr. Marcus. Dr. Love also highlights the prebiotics in the formula that work to support the skin’s microbiome.

• Size: 3.38 oz.
• Key ingredients: Ceramides, niacinamide, glycerin
• Skin types: Dry, combo, oily, sensitive, acne-prone

Glowing customer review: “As someone who has struggled with acne for most of my life, most moisturizers either irritated my skin or triggered my acne. This has done the complete opposite. If anything, I have noticed positive changes with my texture as well as moisture control.”

Derms, TikTokers, and beauty editors all love this drugstore moisturizer from CeraVe. The formula is simple but incredibly effective and you can’t beat the price point either. “It’s a hydrating, ceramide-containing, oil-free cream that I recommend my patients use on their face and even their body,” says Dr. Love.

• Size: 16 oz
• Key ingredients: Ceramides, hyaluronic acid
• Skin types: Dry, combo, oily, acne-prone, sensitive

Glowing customer review: “I love this cream for everyday use. It’s fragrance free and does not smell strange like other fragrance free creams. Plus, it absorbs so quickly while still leaving your skin soft and smooth. I feel it has made my skin overall healthier.”

Dermatologist Michele Green, MD, loves this gentle face moisturizer with anti-aging benefits from First Aid Beauty. It helps smooth fine lines and wrinkles—plus it's fragrance-free and non-comedogenic, making it an excellent for most skin types, says Dr. Green. "The formula also contains colloidal oatmeal to soothe irritation, which is perfect for those with sensitive skin."

• Size: 1.7 oz
• Key ingredients: Peptides, collagen, niacinamide, colloidal oatmeal
• Skin types: Dry, combo, oily, usensitive

Glowing customer review: "I love that I can use this day or night. Lightweight and works well with my skin type. Has helped with my wrinkles. This lasts a long time as you don't need much. Great purchase!"

Another favorite of Dr. Green's, this is lightweight lotion is an excellent daytime face moisturizer thanks to its ability to provide long-lasting hydration and layer nicely under sunscreen and makeup. "It contains hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and vitamin C to strengthen the skin’s natural moisture barrier and protect the skin from environmental pollutants," explains Dr. Green, adding that it's "oil-free, non-comedogenic, and generally great for all skin types."

• Size: 1.7 oz
• Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, willow bark extract
• Skin types: Dry, combo, oily, acne-prone, dull, sensitive

Glowing customer review: "I am literally on my 31st bottle of this. I have sensitive combo acne prone skin, and this is my go-to, every day moisturizer. It's the perfect amount of hydrating but lightweight, non-irritating, scentless perfection."

Support your skin’s regenerative processes while you sleep with this potent night cream from Peach & Lily. Inside the jar is a blend of protective antioxidants (like black ginseng extract and acai berry), firming peptides, and moisturizing plant-extracts, like squalane and jojoba oil. Massage it into your face as the last step in your nighttime routine and wake up to soft, supple skin in the morning.

• Size: 2.7 oz
• Key ingredients: Ginseng, jojoba oil, peptides
• Skin types: Dry, combo, dull

Glowing customer review: “This cream melts right into your skin. I love the almost pudding-like texture—it doesn’t sit heavy at all. I always wake up noticing my lines have been smoothed out overnight!”

Even though my skin is prone to chin breakouts, it can be super dry depending on the time of the year. That’s when I reach for this face moisturizer from Doctor Rogers. It’s the only rich cream that doesn’t clog my pores or make my skin look weird and waxy. What it does do? Cocoon my face in a thick layer of moisture that erases dry, rough patches and makes skin supremely soft and dewy.

• Size: 1.7 oz
• Key ingredients: Squalane, shea butter, niacinamide
• Skin types: Dry, combo, sensitive

Glowing customer review: “I know this product is pricey for some, including me. but if you need skin repair, this product is gold in a jar,. It’s exactly what you need to restore your skin. If you don’t mind the price, this is the best investment for your skin routine.”

If you have sensitive skin, you want to choose a face moisturizer with as few ingredients as possible to limit the possibility of irritation. This moisturizer for sensitive skin, which comes highly recommended by Dr. Marcus and Dr. Love, has a stripped-down formula that's free of dyes and fragrance and full of hydrating hyaluronic acid and ceramides. “Ceramides are an essential portion of the skin barrier that becomes depleted with day-to-day life,” Dr. Love explains. “Ceramide-containing moisturizers help to restore the skin barrier allowing moisture retention.”

• Size: 3 oz
• Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, ceramides, squalane,
• Skin types: Dry, combo, sensitive

Glowing customer review: “This is the only moisturizer I’ve had in my entire life that doesn’t burn the hell out of my extremely sensitive skin. It’s not too greasy and it has made my skin so radiant!”

This face moisturizer is a regular in my skincare lineup. The lightweight gel-cream texture soaks in fast without any greasy residue and the combo of hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and allantoin help hydrate, brighten, and soothe my reactive skin. I also love how sanitary and easy to use the airless jar packaging is too—two pumps dispense the perfect amount of product.

• Size: 1.7oz
• Key ingredients:
• Skin types: Combo, oily, dull, acne-prone, sensitive

Glowing customer review: “This is a great option if your skin is oily or combo. It goes on smooth and is hydrating enough to use as a day or nighttime moisturizer.”

Acne-prone skin, oily skin, and combination skin will love this lightweight lotion from celeb facialist Shani Darden. It hydrates with hyaluronic acid and plumps fine lines with collagen extract. And because it’s an oil-free moisturizer, it won’t clog your pores or make your skin look overly shiny either.

• Size: 2.5 oz
• Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, collagen, red algae extact
• Skin types: Combo, oily, acne-prone

Glowing customer review: “I’m almost finished with my first bottle of this and I’m loving it. It moisturizes well and melts into the skin perfectly—I have no issues putting makeup on over it either.”

I’ve been dealing with a ton of inflammation and hormonal acne lately and this is one of the few face moisturizers that plays nice with my skin. It has a lightweight, jelly-like texture that packs a major hydrating punch without clogging pores. Ingredient-wise, it contains brightening niacinamide and soothing green tea to help fade acne scarring—plus with a blend of ceramides to improve skin barrier health.

• Size: 1.69 fl oz
• Key ingredients:
• Skin types: Combo, oily, acne-prone, sensitive

Glowing customer review: “First of all, the packaging is so cute. Secondly, it left my skin feeling super hydrated. I love the gel texture—it feels really nice and not at all greasy.”

Whether you’re dealing with redness from angry breakouts, a rash, rosacea, or sun burn, this facial moisturizer can help reduce inflammation and calm things down. It uses allantoin and mushroom extract to take down redness, prebiotics to temper sensitivity, and squalane to hydrate without clogging your pores.

• Size: 2 oz
• Key ingredients: Allantoin, mushroom extract, squalane, prebiotics
• Skin types: Sensitive, dry, combo, acne-prone

Glowing customer review: “This is a great basic moisturizer for anyone with sensitive skin. There’s no scent and it settles into the skin very nicely. I find this helps my skin to retain moisture throughout the day.”

If your biggest skin concern is hyperpigmentation (like melasma, sun spots, or acne scarring), this is the face moisturizer for you. It contains brightening ingredients like vitamin C and butylresorcinol with hydrating glycerin to even out your skin tone and give your skin a nice dewy glow.

• Size: 1.7oz
• Key ingredients: Vitamin C, glycerin
• Skin types: Combo, oily, dull, acne-prone

Glowing customer review: “I love this moisturizer! I’ve been using it for about a month now to fade the scars I got while purging from Accutane and my skin already looks a lot brighter. I will definitely be repurchasing."

Not all expensive skincare is worth the hype IMO, but this cult-favorite anti-aging face moisturizer from Augustinus Bader is deserving of the hefty price tag. It uses a blend of amino acids, vitamins, and regenerative molecules to deeply moisturize skin and smooth fine lines and wrinkles. And the results come quickly—after using it at night for three straight weeks, the horizontal lines on my forehead were less noticeable and my skin was more even-toned too.

• Size: 1.7oz
• Key ingredients: Vitamin A, vitamin C, TFC8
• Skin types: Dry, combo, dull, sensitive

Glowing customer review: “I regret to inform my bank account that this is, in fact, a miracle product. If you can afford this, you should definitely try it. I have had numerous people comment on how great my skin looks since I started using this stuff. I will never use another face cream again!”

If I could afford it, I would bathe in this moisturizer, that’s how amazing it feels on dry, compromised skin, and I'm far from the only one who feels that way. “For a richer moisturizing cream, SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore is an excellent choice, containing a carefully formulated ratio of ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids to restore the skin barrier and encourage repair,” Dr. Marcus explains. “The texture is so luxurious, and a little goes a long way.”

• Size: 1.6 oz
• Key ingredients: Ceramides, fatty acids
• Skin types: Dry, sensitive

Glowing customer review: “This cream has transformed my normally dry, red skin. It has made my skin so much less reactive and I’m obsessed with how silky it makes my face feel.”

In addition to face moisturizer, sunscreen is one of the most important steps in any skincare routine. This moisturizer with SPF combines both into one easy-to-use formula that’s even safe for all skin types and tones. It uses physical blockers like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide and antioxidants to protect the skin and hyaluronic acid to hydrate.

• Size: 1.7 oz
• Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, squalane, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide
• Skin types: Dry, combo, dull, sensitive

Glowing customer review: “This blends seamlessly into my skin dark. It leaves my skin with zero white cast—just looking ultra hydrated and dewy.”

I was introduced to this all-natural face moisturizer during a dreamy facial with Angela Caglia herself, and I haven’t stopped using it since. The blend of organic plant oils, aloe vera, and goat milk extract smooth and plump skin, provide light but long-lasting hydration, and even help fade discoloration too. A 10/10 choice if you’re into clean, green beauty *and* products that deliver big time on results.

• Size: 1.7 oz
• Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, meadowfoam seed oil, chlorophyll, rose geranium
• Skin types: Dry, combo, dull, sensitive

Glowing customer review: “This is lightweight but still feels rich—like a drink for my skin in my dry, dry New York apartment. I also feel like its ingredients may have an anti-bacterial effect—not only is it not irritating my skin, I feel like my oily areas look less congested after I use it.”

Once you have the basics covered, most derms will suggest looking for a moisturizer with add-on “bonus” ingredients for your skin type and concerns. Depending on your specific needs, the experts say to look for niacinamide, peptides, antioxidants, squalane, and PHAs in the formula as well.

But if you know you have sensitive skin, try to stick with a formula that has the fewest total number of ingredients possible. “As the ingredient list grows, so does the likelihood of irritation or allergic reaction,” Dr. Mikailov explains. Another good idea? Go fragrance-free to avoid irritation.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that a face cream has to cost hundreds of dollars to work. “Moisturizers do not necessarily need to be fancy or expensive to do a great job of keeping your skin hydrated,” says Dr. Marcus. That said, you don’t want to use the first moisturizer you see either. Here’s what you should think about when making your selection of the best face moisturizer:

Think about your skin type.

As you might guess, my super-dry, flaky skin needs a totally different moisturizer than my oily, shiny-faced friends. According to Dr. Mikailov, your general skin type and pre-existing skin concerns are the best indicators for what type of moisturizer you should use. Most moisturizers are labeled with the skin types they’re targeting but not always. In that case, you’ll want to take a look at the ingredients and consistency, so let’s take a closer look at those labels.

Check the formula’s consistency.

Lotions, gels, creams, balms—the consistency of your face moisturizer makes all the difference too. Dr. Love recommends those with oily skin stick to lighter, oil-free formulas that hydrate the skin without feeling heavy, and those with dry and sensitive skin use heavier, balm-like formulas. Dr. Mikailov adds, “Most people with oilier skin tend to do better with more lightweight, almost gel-based moisturizers.” As for those on the drier side of the spectrum, a thicker, emollient cream with a higher ratio of plant-based oils to humectants would be better suited.

Think about the current season.

Last, pay attention to when you’ll be using your face cream. Dr. Marcus says skin should never feel weighed down with products, so it’s important to look at the condition of your skin throughout the year and adjust your moisturizer accordingly. “If you live in a different climate in the summer versus winter, what’s right for you in the summer is probably too light for the winter weather,” Dr. Love explains. “Those with oily skin may prefer lightweight gels in the summer and light creams in the winter, while those with dry skin may prefer creams in the summer and heavier creams or balms in the winter.” Dr. Mikailov says even non-oily and dry skin may also prefer these lightweight gel creams when the climate is hot and humid.