The best moisturizers you can buy
The best moisturizer overall
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream contains three essential ceramides, hyaluronic acid to restore skin moisture, and time-release technology to help keep your skin moisturized for 24 hours. It doesn't have any fragrance or oil, and won't clog pores either.
This thick cream glides on smoothly but absorbs fully without leaving you greasy or sticky. It's excellent for normal to dry skin and is even safe to use on sensitive skin, eczema, and babies' extra-delicate skin.
The experts at Self chose this as one of the top drugstore moisturizers. Amazon reviewers seem to agree — the CeraVe moisturizer has more than 5,000 reviews with an average of 4.6 stars.
Pros: Suitable for use on both face and body, safe for sensitive skin, large container
Cons: If applied too thickly, it can be hard to layer foundation makeup
Buy CeraVe Moisturizing Cream on Amazon for $14.31 (originally $13.20)The best facial moisturizer for under $25
Neutrogena Hydro Boost moisturizes like a cream but absorbs as quickly and completely as a gel. The result? A healthy, moisturized, and comfortable complexion.
Although the gel moisturizer is geared towards normal-to-dry complexions, it's remarkably well-suited for slightly oily faces as well. It contains no oils, won't make you break out, and soaks in quickly, making it an excellent choice for use under makeup.
The water-based gel is a favorite of Byrdie because it's oil-free and made with hyaluronic acid to leave your skin moisturized and glowing without feeling oily. Happy Target buyers describe it as "great," saying it leaves skin "hydrated," and many leave reviews professing their love for the cream.
Pros: Lightweight, soaks in quickly with no greasy feel, suitable for most skin types, good under makeup
Cons: If you have very dry skin, this might not be moisturizing enough for you
Buy Neutrogena Hydro Boost at Target for $16.99 (originally $16.19)The best drugstore facial moisturizer for oily skin
Oily skin can be a conundrum — too much moisture and it looks greasy, too little moisture and it can also look greasy to overcompensate for moisture imbalance. It's like the story of Goldilocks, and La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat is the one that makes everything just right. It absorbs excess oil by providing the light hydration oily skin craves and leaves behind a soft matte finish.
Byrdie's dermatologist reviewer praised La Roche-Posay not only for producing a moisturizer that effectively reduces shine while improving skin texture, but also for supporting its claims with scientific research.
One Amazon reviewer echoes many other happy buyers, saying, "I have oily acne skin, and this moisturizer does not clog pores (it's oil free) and really helps to keep the problems under control, while keeping the skin hydrated."
Pros: Helps reduce shine, absorbs well, good under makeup
Cons: Tube is small, expensive
Buy La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat at Amazon for $31.99 (originally $17.99)The best inexpensive organic facial moisturizer
I made the switch to organic facial-care products a few years ago when I realized that the silicones found in many traditional formulas make me break out like I was back in my teenage years. To further complicate the matter, my skin is oily, maturing, and sometimes gets flaky, tight, or dull.
After much trial and error — and many wasted dollars — I discovered Pacifica Coconut Probiotic Water Rehab Cream, and I'm not looking back. No silicones, no oils, no fragrances, no parabens, no comedogenic troublemakers. Just 100% vegan ingredients including aloe vera, coconut water, vitamin E, and plant-derived amino acids to soothe away dryness without any greasiness, shine, or breakouts.
It feels a bit thick when it first goes on, but dries quickly to provide an excellent makeup base for my pressed powder mineral foundation. It also keeps shine under control for at least a few hours.
Pros: All natural ingredients, no silicone, suitable for just about every skin type
Cons: Small size
Buy Pacifica Coconut Probiotic Water Rehab Cream at Ulta for $16The best drugstore body moisturizer for very dry skin
If you suffer from the maddening itch of dry skin on your legs or body, you know how frustrating it can be to find a product that stops the itch without further irritating your skin. Luckily, Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Unscented Lotion is rich enough to conquer even the driest knees or elbows, and it doesn't contain fragrance or other sensitive skin-aggravating ingredients.
With micro-drops of Vaseline in a thick, non-greasy base, this all-over-your-body moisturizer is even deemed safe for skin suffering from eczema by the National Eczema Association. Despite its richness, it absorbs quickly, so you won't feel greasy or sticky.
InStyle chose this moisturizer as one of the best options for sensitive skin according to dermatologists. Happy Target reviewers echo that claim, saying, "Saved my skin," "My skin thanks you," and "Smooth and silky!"
Pros: Very inexpensive, safe for sensitive skin or skin with eczema, very rich and nourishing
Cons: Might be too thick for some
Buy Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Unscented Lotion at Target for $3.47 (originally $3.49)The best inexpensive moisturizer for very sensitive skin
Developed for those with the most sensitive skin, Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream is notable for the many things it does not contain — like dyes, fragrance, lanolin, phosphates, parabens, formaldehyde, and other common skin irritants. What it does contain is soothing, rich, moisturizing ingredients that settle down even the most irritable skin on your body or face. It's also been given a seal of approval from the National Eczema Association.
The experts at Self included Vanicream in a list of the best drugstore moisturizers. The site's medical reviewer highly recommends it. It's a hit on Amazon as well, where 87% of the more than 4,200 reviewers give it four or more stars.
While the cream is thick, it does absorb fairly quick and won't leave you feeling too greasy or sticky. Some buyers complain that the pump dispenser does not work well however.
Pros: Suitable for very sensitive skin, safe for body and face, non-comedogenic, okay for use on eczema or similar conditions, very large container for a low price, convenient pump
Cons: Some complaints about the pump on the container
Buy Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream on Amazon for $12.76 (originally $13.39)The best body moisturizer with clean ingredients
We probably take more care about the skin on our faces than on our legs most days, but Necessaire's Body Lotion aims to balance that out with its vitamin and antioxidant-packed formula, which includes niacinamide, vitamins A, B, C, E, two types of omega fatty acids, shea butter, and marula, cacay, and meadowfoam oils. The lotion is also considered clean as it's made without questionable ingredients like sulfates, parabens, and fragrance.
Despite the rich and nourishing formula, the lotion itself is lightweight and fast absorbing, a few passes of this lotion left my skin hydrated, gleaming, and protected from the elements. Here's our full review of the lotion.
Pros: Skin-care-level ingredients, lightweight, absorbs quickly, clean formula
Cons: Expensive compared to others on this list
Buy Nécessaire Body Lotion at Barneys for $25The best antiaging facial moisturizer for less than $25
Although no moisturizer can perform miracles, plumping, firming, and moisturizing ingredients in Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream, like niacinamide, amino peptides, and hyaluronic acid, can help give your skin a boost. You'll see immediate plumping and smoothing of fine lines, and subtle reduction of deeper creases over time.
Good Housekeeping gave the cream its seal of approval, and wrote, "This 24/7 cream outperformed 10 competitors — even a prestige brand that costs $440 — in our Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab's clinical and blinded consumer studies." Impressive.
Target reviewers love it as well, praising the quick results, improvements in fine lines and skin texture, and lack of fragrance or other sensitive-skin triggers.
Pros: Effective ingredients, safe for sensitive skin, absorbs well, good under makeup, reasonable price
Cons: Not suitable for very oily skin
Buy Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream at Target for $24.99 (originally $23.99)The best drugstore hand cream
Although I struggle with oily skin on my face, my hands have the opposite problem, they're dry and tend to crack and bleed. Any hint of fragrance or other irritating ingredients makes the problem even worse. The skin over my knuckles turns flame-red and burns like fire. To add to the problem, I can't stand any slippery, greasy, or tacky feeling on my skin.
Thankfully, I discovered Aveeno Active Naturals Skin Relief Hand Cream several years ago, and I hope the company never discontinues this wonderfully soothing, non-greasy, non-fragranced, and intensely moisturizing hand cream because it fulfills all of my requirements.
It isn't greasy or sticky feeling and only requires a couple of applications each day. There's no burning or stinging, no more cracks, or no more parched skin either with this. And best of all, the Aveeno cream is very inexpensive. The only downside to the product is that it isn't a very large tube.
Pros: Suitable for sensitive skin, not greasy or sticky, very soothing to extra-dry skin, concentrated so only a little is needed
Cons: Tube is not very large
Buy Aveeno Active Naturals Skin Relief Hand Cream on Amazon for $6.88 (originally $10)
Next Story
I spent $2,000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my cabin.
Saudi Arabia wants China to help fund its struggling $500 billion Neom megaproject. Investors may not be too excited.
Colon cancer rates are rising in young people. If you have two symptoms you should get a colonoscopy, a GI oncologist says.
Groww receives SEBI approval to launch Nifty non-cyclical consumer index fund
Retired director of MNC loses ₹25 crore to cyber fraudsters who posed as cops, CBI officers
Hyundai plans to scale up production capacity, introduce more EVs in India
FSSAI in process of collecting pan-India samples of Nestle's Cerelac baby cereals: CEO
Narcissistic top management leads to poor employee retention, shows research
