12 Best Moisturizers for Oily Skin, According to Dermatologists

Best Gel Formula: You can’t jet to Iceland’s famed Blue Lagoon every time your skin needs a little pick-me-up, but this ultra-hydrating cream from Belif shares more than its icy color with the natural hot spring: both act as a drink of water for parched skin. “I adore the lightweight, gel-like texture of this face cream. It never feels heavy or greasy, but it leaves behind a subtle glow that makes my skin look calm and hydrated,” says one SELF editor who has combination and acne-prone skin. “Whenever I look a little rough from lack of sleep, this instantly perks my complexion up too. I usually avoid fragrances completely, but I actually love this moisturizer’s light, lemony scent, which never irritates my face.”

• Other notable ingredients: hyaluronic acid, skin-barrier supporting squalane, niacinamide, glycerin

Best for Acne-Prone Skin: If you’re dealing with active breakouts, the salicylic acid in this moisturizer can help clear your pores and prevent future blemishes, especially when used consistently over time. Another perk: This lightweight moisturizer doesn’t leave the skin looking—or feeling—greasy, Marisa Garshick, MD, New York–based dermatologist and clinical assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, tells SELF.

• Other notable ingredients: niacinamide, acne-fighting zinc gluconate, hyaluronic acid
• Fragrance-free | Oil-free | Non-comedogenic

Best for Reducing Shine: This shine-reducing 2023 Healthy Beauty Award winner uses bakuchiol, a gentle plant-based retinol alternative, to reduce breakouts. One tester noticed such a big reduction in their pimples and oil production after using the cream, it replaced their go-to acne treatment in their daily lineup.

• Other notable ingredients: anti-inflammatory centella asiatica extracts, soothing bisabolol, hyaluronic acid, glycerin
• Non-comedogenic

This lightweight gel contains moisture-boosting hyaluronic acid; brightening niacinamide, an anti-inflammatory ingredient that can also help control oil production; and skin-plumping peptides. It also has an instant cooling effect, according to one SELF editor: “The formula absorbs instantly, which I love because my skin feels moisturized and dewy, but not with that sticky or tacky sensation.”

• Other notable ingredients: hydrating glycerin, calming vitamin B5, smoothing dimethicone
• Fragrance-free | Oil-free

One SELF editor with oily skin says this moisturizer has been a mainstay on her vanity since she was a teen. “This is my go-to, morning and night,” she says. “It’s SUPER lightweight but still hydrating, and it gives me a glow—hence the name—that I get compliments on all the time.”

• Other notable ingredients: glycerin, niacinamide
• Oil-free

This one checks all the boxes: It’s oil-free, leaves a matte finish, and contains ingredients that’ll hydrate and support the skin barrier, like hyaluronic acid and ceramides. It also packs niacinamide, “making it a great option for those with acne-prone skin, as it helps to calm inflammation and can work to minimize irritation from acne-fighting ingredients,” says Dr. Garshick.

• Other notable ingredients: glycerin
• Fragrance-free | Oil-free | Non-comedogenic

This 2022 Healthy Beauty Award winner will punch up your skin’s brightness with vitamin C, niacinamide, and turmeric—yep, the hero ingredient in your golden latte. “It wasn’t heavy at all after I applied it and it was perfect to use before I applied my makeup,” one tester said.

• Other notable ingredients: hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, vitamin B5
• Oil-free | Fragrance-free

Why choose between a gel and a cream when this oil-free moisturizer from Neutrogena gives you the best of both worlds? “This has the benefits of a gel, as it absorbs easily, and a cream, as it maintains long-lasting hydration,” Dr. Garshick says.

• Other notable ingredients: hyaluronic acid, glycerin
• Non-comedogenic | Oil-free | Fragrance-free

“My skin type leans oily in the warm months, so I swap a thicker cream in for a gel when the temps start to tick up,” one SELF editor says. “This gel absorbs quickly, so I can apply it right before heading to bed at night or layer it under my sunscreen in the morning.” Dr. Garshick also signs off on this pick, noting that aloe vera is a classic skin-soother.

• Other notable ingredients: glycerin, squalane, anti-inflammatory green tea extracts, moisturizing jojoba seed oil, hyaluronic acid
• Non-comedogenic

This 2021 Healthy Beauty Award winner softens skin with hyaluronic acid and squalane and tackles uneven tone and texture with exfoliating glycolic and mandelic acids. One of our testers loved its milky consistency: “This moisturizer goes on smoothly, sinks in without any stickiness, and makes my skin feel hydrated all day.”

• Other notable ingredients: ceramides, anti-inflammatory witch hazel
• Fragrance-free

For your morning routine, you can apply sunscreen on top of your moisturizer—or use an SPF that has a creamy consistency and moisturizing ingredients (like hyaluronic acid) to knock out both steps at once. This one from Elta MD has a mineral formula that’s great for sensitive and acne-prone skin, Elaine F. Kung, MD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Future Bright Dermatology in New York City, previously told SELF.

• Other notable ingredients: niacinamide, exfoliating lactic acid
• Fragrance-free | Oil-free | Non-comedogenic