Whittling down the perfect face moisturiser can feel a little like online dating: the options can feel, at times, overwhelming; the quality is, well, inconsistent; and at the end of the day, you may want different things than the person swiping next to you. (And that's OK.)
Truth is, the world of skin care isn't meant to be one-size-fits-all [1], so the solution becomes to look at your skin's specific needs — Is it dry [2]? Oily? More sensitive [3] than a toddler at bedtime? — then pick a moisturiser accordingly. It's not always easy, of course, but luckily, the beauty editors at POPSUGAR have tried an array of face creams across a spectrum of skin types to help point you in the right direction. Call us the modern-day matchmakers.
Best Face Moisturiser For Dry Skin: The Ordinary Natural Moisturising Factors + HA
Don't let its price fool you: The Ordinary's Natural Moisturising Factors + HA [4] ($6) is rich when it comes to texture (super creamy) and ingredients (loaded). In the fight against flakes and dry patches, heavy hitters like hydrating glycerin, amino and fatty acids, and hyaluronic acid make this formula the ultimate winner.
Best Face Moisturiser For Dry Skin: Dr. Brandt Hyaluronic Facial Cream
As beauty editors, we've tried somewhere in the ballpark of 9,847 face creams (um, but who's counting?), and a big takeaway is this: sometimes it's better to skip the fancy ingredients and scents in lieu of something simple that works hard and still feels good on skin. That's exactly what Dr. Brandt Hyaluronic Facial Cream [5] ($72) is: a no-frills formula that has everything you need — like a dose of hyaluronic acid [6] to keep skin hydrated, plus peptides to minimize the appearance of fine lines — and nothing that you don't.
Best Face Moisturiser For Dry Skin: Drunk Elephant F Balm Electrolyte Waterfacial
If you've ever imagined what a cloud might feel like on your skin — pillowy soft, lush with moisture, oh so comforting — then you'll appreciate how the Drunk Elephant F Balm Electrolyte Waterfacial ($52, available in January) delivers exactly that. Meant to be used at night, the mixture of hydrating niacinamide plus vitamin F (an essential fatty acid that can help plump and hydrate) means your face will be in heaven when you wake up.
Best Face Moisturiser For Dry Skin: SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2
There's a very simple explanation as to why we reach for the SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 [7] ($139) every single Winter: no other cream on the market feels as luxurious or deeply moisturising. If you can swing the cost (which is, admittedly, higher up there), its blend of ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids will reward you with the softest skin of your life.
Best Face Moisturiser For Sensitive Skin: Curél Intensive Moisture Facial Cream
The ceramide-packed, fragrance- and alcohol-free Curél Intensive Moisture Facial Cream [8] ($30) was first launched in Japan years ago, formulated to be effective but safe for people with sensitive skin. You'd never know that, though, because if you close your eyes and slather on the thick, hydrating cream, you'd think you were using something that costs double the price.
Best Face Moisturiser For Sensitive Skin: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturiser
We can't sing enough praises about the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturiser [9] ($20) — it works for anyone with a face, but especially those with sensitive skin. Noncomedogenic, oil-free, and packed with hydrating ceramides and niacinamide, this formula is almost too good to be true (but luckily, it's not).
Best Face Moisturiser For Sensitive Skin: Supergoop! Superscreen Daily Moisturiser SPF 40
Sunscreen is a nonnegotiable part of anyone's skincare routine, but if you happen to stumble across a dual-purpose product that combines protection with the skin-loving properties of a daily moisturiser — like Supergoop! did with its dreamy new Superscreen Daily Moisturiser SPF 40 [10] ($38) — then you hold on to that product and never let it go. Luckily, the formula is also safe for sensitive sets, so you can protect and soothe your skin.
Best Face Moisturiser For Acne-Prone Skin: Origins Clear Improvement Pore Clearing Moisturiser
If mint leaves and bubble gum had a baby, it would smell exactly like the Origins Clear Improvement Pore Clearing Moisturiser [11] ($34) — only it wouldn't feel nearly as good on your skin. It's not just the scent, either; the formula itself works like magic by hydrating all the right parts and letting the acne-fighting salicylic acid and bamboo charcoal take care of the rest.
Best Face Moisturiser For Acne-Prone Skin: Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Moisture Gel
Slick on the light-as-air Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Invisible Finish Moisture Gel [12] ($29) and watch your pores shrink in size. This gel-like formula feels light on skin but is loaded with antioxidants and niacinamide that actually improve texture over time.
Best Face Moisturiser For Acne-Prone Skin: Malin + Goetz Advanced Renewal Moisturiser
The Malin + Goetz Advanced Renewal Moisturiser [13] ($76) may look like an oil at first glance, but it's actually way more lightweight when applied to the skin and never leaves you feeling greasy or shiny. Rather, you'll look dewy, fresh, and ready for makeup every time you use it.
Best Face Moisturiser For Oily Skin: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel
Made up of mostly hyaluronic acid, the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel [14] ($24) is a Kerry Washington- and editor-approved face moisturiser for anyone over the Summer months or people with oily skin. It's refreshing, lightweight, oil-free, and the list goes on.
Best Face Moisturiser For Oily Skin: Primera Alpine Berry Water Cream
The Primera Alpine Berry Water Cream [15] ($40) feels incredibly lightweight and hydrating on contact but soaks in quickly enough to apply makeup or head to bed moments afterward.
Best Face Moisturiser For Oily Skin: Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Water Cream
The brightening Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Water Cream Hyaluronic Glow Moisturiser [16] ($39) has a cool gel texture that slicks on to feel and look like a makeup primer before melting down and absorbing quickly into skin the way a serum would. It's not a quick fix for dullness, but with how luxurious it feels and how fresh it smells, we have a feeling you won't mind using it for the long haul.
Best Face Moisturiser For Antiageing: Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturiser
Even though retinol itself can have pretty drying effects — it does rev up your cell renewal [17] better than any other ingredient on the market, after all — the Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturiser [18] ($39) is loaded with a heap of hydrating ingredients like vitamin B3 to help combat any flakes or peeling. Consider it a win-win.
Best Face Moisturiser For Antiageing: Kate Somerville +Retinol Vitamin C Moisturiser Cream
You can finally KonMari your medicine cabinet: the citrus-scented Kate Somerville +Retinol Vitamin C Moisturiser Cream [19] ($90) boasts two powerhouse ingredients — brightening vitamin C and cell-renewing retinol — in one easy-to-pump-out hydrator. In just a few weeks, we've noticed it fade age or dark spots for a more even appearance.
Best Face Moisturiser For Antiageing: 3Lab Brightening Oil Complex
We'd be remiss to write about the 3Lab Brightening Oil Complex [20] ($400) without mentioning that it is unconscionably expensive — a sticker price of $400 boils down to $200 an ounce, or 40,000 cents. Then again, it is loaded with four different molecular sizes of hyaluronic acid, plus brightening antioxidants and peptides, and has completely changed the texture of our skin. It's so creamy and decadent that smearing it on feels like little baby angels are hugging your face, blessing you with less redness and fewer dark spots practically overnight. Who said love don't cost a thing?
Best Face Moisturiser For Combination Skin: Mary Kay Naturally Moisturising Stick
When you've got a dry patch here and an oily area there, you need something that's a little more spot-specific. That's where the Mary Kay Naturally Moisturising Stick [21] ($28) comes in. It's an all-in-one solution with candelilla wax that you can swipe on to soothe around your nostrils, cuticles, or any other flaky area.
Best Face Moisturiser For Combination Skin: Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream
If the luxurious purple vat of Tatcha's The Dewy Skin Cream [22] ($68) isn't enough to sway you, its decadent texture will. The formula is packed with antioxidant-rich Japanese purple rice bran, skin-softening algae, and hydrating amino acids — all of which are just a fancy way of saying it's really, really moisturising.
Best Face Moisturiser For Combination Skin: Dr. Jart Ceramidin Cream
Not too light, not too heavy — the Dr. Jart Ceramidin Cream [23] ($48) hits just the right balance someone with combo skin would want in a face moisturiser. It's also got a potent dose of ceramides to help strengthen and protect the skin's barrier from harsh climates, not to mention a holy-sh*t-this-smells-good scent.