Tatcha's the Water Cream remains our pick for the best moisturizer for oily skin.
Oily skin is one of those things that can be perceived as a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it's annoying to constantly deal with clogged pores and breakouts. On the other, people with oily skin tend to get fewer wrinkles. However, using the right products — like the best moisturizer for oily skin — can mitigate many of the more annoying issues. As someone with historically oily and combination skin, I'm seeing the benefits of a bit of extra grease much more clearly, especially as I deal with the drying chaos of perimenopause. In the past few years, I've also learned more about why my skin is the way it is — and how to treat it.
“Oily skin types are continuously producing oil,” explains Dr. Rachel Nazarian, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. Nazarian says this excess oil is more of a blessing because this type of skin is more robust and can tolerate products and treatments that sensitive skin can't.
In managing oil production, using the right face wash for oily skin can help, but you also need to ensure your skin is getting proper hydration. “Having oily skin doesn’t mean you can’t hydrate your skin, and frankly, I would highly advise everyone, regardless of skin type, to hydrate their skin,” says Nazarian. She says that using an oil-free daily moisturizer (or moisturizing gel) keeps skin healthy and strong: “The right moisturizer allows [your skin] to tolerate a regimen that decreases oil production without irritating it as much,” she adds. As for the right moisturizer for you? “I often recommend lighter-weight products or products that are oil-free or oil-reducing for people with oily skin.”
Keep reading to find out which moisturizer for oily skin is the best of the best, with other recommendations to try as well.
Update, Dec. 19, 2024: We checked all product prices and availability. Our number one pick for the best moisturizer for oily skin remains unchanged.
Formulation: Cream | Size: 1.7 oz. | Skin Type: All | Key Ingredients: Hadasei-3 (double-fermented Akita rice, Uji green tea and Okinawa algae), wild rose, heart leaf extract
Tatcha’s beloved Water Cream is one that I’ve recommended to friends, family and readers for years, and I’m not the only one who’s sung its praises — the award-winning lotion appears at the top of many best lists. And it’s not hard to see why it’s such a favorite among beauty experts, not to mention celebs like Selena Gomez, Camila Mendes and Adriana Lima. Tatcha formulated the cream with Japanese superfoods that bring antioxidant protection and tons of hydration, which is, as Nazarian pointed out, always important no matter how oily your skin.
In my testing for this story, I found that this moisturizer instantly made my skin feel hydrated, cooled and soothed but never greasy. I didn't experience any pore-clogging or breakouts after using it, which I believe is due to Tatcha's famously high-quality ingredients that my skin seems to not only tolerate but also loves.
The Water Cream has more than 3,300 five-star reviews on Amazon, with fellow oily/combination skin types mentioning similar benefits, especially in regard to its lightweight and nongreasy texture.
It also goes a long way; you don’t need a lot of the product to cover your entire face, so the tubs last awhile. Still, because I love this face cream so much, I can’t tell you how many “empties” I’ve had over the years. It feels like a true treasure in my skin care stash.
Formulation: Gel | Size: 1.75 fl oz.| Skin Type: Oily, combination | Key Ingredients: Allantoin, squalane, prickly pear
I'm big fan of E.L.F.’s Holy Hydration line, so I was stoked when I learned about this gel moisturizer aimed at oily and combo skin types. The hero ingredients are allantoin, which is known to hydrate and calm the skin, ultramoisturizing squalane and finally, prickly pear extract, a medicinal plant with anti-aging benefits for mature skin. This moisturizer also helps protect against damage from free radicals, stimulates collagen and supports the skin barrier. It's a go-to for me during hot weather since the light gel texture feels cool and soothing. If you have extremely oily skin, you might like it a lot since it has a mattifying feel, making it great for as a makeup base if you don’t want to use a primer.
Bottom line: If you’re looking for a budget buy but don't want to compromise quality, this is it — you’ll get a lot out of this moisturizer.
Formulation: Cream | Size: 1.01 oz. | Skin Type: Oily, combination, normal | Key Ingredients: Miracle Broth, lime tea
I usually wouldn't recommend a product this pricey, but if you have oily skin, La Mer's complexion-mattifying Fresh Cream is a lifesaver. While the luxury brand's original face cream can feel too thick for oily skin types, Fresh Cream (which is a replacement for the brand's original Moisturizing Cool Gel Cream, which I also loved). Fresh Cream has a slightly heavier feel but is still very lightweight. It contains not only Miracle Broth (La Mer’s signature algae elixir ingredient), but also antioxidant lime tea and the brand’s Moisture Matrix technology (which isn’t explained, but looking at the ingredients, it might point to a combination of squalane, peptides and plant oils).
If you’re willing to splurge on a La Mer product and are looking for a mattifying moisturizer, this is a great choice. After using this face cream, I noticed that my forehead and cheeks were less oily, and the pores on my nose were less pronounced. It also has a slightly tacky finish that worked as an effective primer for my foundation on an especially warm Los Angeles day.
Formulation: Creamy gel | Size: 1.75 oz. | Skin Type: Oily, combination, normal | Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, marshmallow root, coconut water and probiotics
Though Kinship’s Supermello moisturizer is formulated for all skin types, I think it’s great for oily and combination skin due to its lightweight, gel-like texture. I find it extremely soothing, especially in the summer when I want my skin to feel cool and moisturized. It’s also designed for sensitive skin and has the National Eczema Association’s Seal of Acceptance so if you’re one of the unlucky oily skin types who has reactive and sensitive skin on top of that, this is a good pick. Ingredients include hyaluronic acid, marshmallow root, coconut water and probiotics that moisturize and balance the skin. While it doesn’t have any synthetic fragrance, the Supermello has a light vanilla scent that I love, though it might be irritating to some.
Formulation: Gel | Size: 3 oz. | Skin Type: Oily, combination | Key Ingredients: Salicylic acid
As we know, people who have oily skin tend to have breakouts. I certainly have been one of those people throughout most of my life. Using a moisturizer with salicylic acid is best if you’re dealing with acne. This moisturizer from Cetaphil contains 0.5% salicylic acid to treat and prevent acne while balancing the skin, as well as prebiotics and botanicals like soothing bisabolol, and licorice root and kojic acid to help with scarring. Plus, it’s around $10 or less, making it another great budget buy.
My only issue is this is most likely a better pick for younger skin as mature faces tend to need more moisture and less acne care. Still, if breakouts remain a regular problem for you, you can't go wrong here.
As a longtime beauty editor in my 40s with combination/oily and acne-prone skin for most of my life, I've tried my fair share of moisturizers. For this story, I tested a dozen moisturizers marketed for both oily skin and "all skin types," keeping in mind the advice that Nazarian and other experts I spoke to. I graded the products on texture, quality of ingredients, efficacy, cost and whether they contained any ingredients that I consider questionable for oily-skin care, like shea butter and mineral oil.
The Rhode Barrier Restore Cream (Hailey Bieber's brand) is a popular moisturizer marketed as suitable for all skin types, but its first ingredient is shea butter, which makes me pause. While shea butter is known to be noncomedogenic, some experts (including the American Academy of Dermatology Association) believe it can cause breakouts, possibly due to its high oleic content. After testing it for a few days, I was surprised to see a small cystic pimple forming on my chin — the first one I've had in months! Meanwhile, the IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Gel Cream Oil Control contains great ingredients (squalane, niacinamide, peptides, airlicium, and zinc PCA and PHA), but it had a bit of a sticky texture that I wasn't fond of.
To answer a common question (and debunk a common myth): Yes, oily skin types absolutely need hydration. Fun fact: When your skin gets dehydrated, it overcompensates by producing more oil! Over-drying skin can also lead to more fine lines and wrinkles, rough texture and a prematurely aged face.
What should you look for in a moisturizer for oily skin?
As it turns out, there are moisturizing ingredients that can help with oily skin. Experts that I spoke with mentioned ceramides, which can prevent dehydration while improving the skin’s barrier function, which, in turn, can help prevent acne breakouts. Then there is salicylic acid, which Dr. Karan Lal, DO, MS, FAAD, a double-board certified pediatric and cosmetic dermatologist at Affiliated Dermatology in Scottsdale, Ariz., recommends for unclogging pores and decreasing oil production. “Retinol and retinoids are also great options that downregulate sebaceous glands and decrease oil production,” he says.
Another no-fail skin care ingredient is hyaluronic acid, which is beneficial for all skin types, including oily. “Because of its ability to draw and hold water, it is referred to as a ‘humectant moisturizer’ and keeps skin moisturized throughout the day, also minimizing the appearance of fine lines and superficial wrinkles,” explains Nazarian. "It’s super-lightweight and absorbs quickly, making it a great ingredient for hydrating oily skin.”
What type of moisturizer is best for oily skin?
Even if your face is feeling like a straight-up grease factory, you’ll still want to keep your skin as moisturized as possible. Your best bet are lightweight formulations rather than a thick cream. “Generally, a cream or gel moisturizing formula can work for oily skin — what matters more is that your moisturizer doesn’t oversaturate your skin, while also keeping the skin barrier hydrated,” says Dr. Julia Schwartz, MD, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist and dermatology adviser for Ro.
Do I need I different moisturizer in the summer and winter or from morning to night?
I personally switch up my face cream during the summer and winter months because my skin tends to feel drier in the winter, but that’s not a general rule for all oily and combination skin types. Schwartz recommends that people keep their skin care routines as simple as possible in order to make it easier to be consistent. “If your moisturizer is working well for you, not promoting an overproduction of sebum while also keeping your skin hydrated and skin barrier supported, you can use the same moisturizer for day and night and all year round,” she says.
Meanwhile, Lal says to simplify your routine, use an oil-absorbing and/or acne moisturizer in the morning to keep the skin dry during the day and then apply a regular, lightweight, gentle moisturizer at bedtime. “For those that get drier during the winter months, using a cream moisturizer is best. In the summertime, it’s better to use a gel and/or moisturizing lotion to prevent caking up on the skin,” he says.
Dr. Rachel Nazarian, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist
Dr. Julia Schwartz, MD, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist and dermatology advisor for Ro
Dr. Karan Lal, DO, MS, FAAD, a double-board certified pediatric and cosmetic dermatologist
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