When your face is overproducing natural oils, it can seem counterintuitive to reach for a moisturizer. But, in fact, your oily skin could just be a cry for hydration. “Sometimes your glands produce more oil than normal because it’s dehydrated,” says Vanessa Marc, celebrity aesthetician and owner of Vanessa Marc Spa. So, in other words, “You should still use a daily moisturizer,” says CareMount Medical dermatologist Melanie A. Warycha.
To find the best on the market for oily skin types, we consulted Warycha, Marc, and six other experts, including Shamara Bondaroff, founder of SB Skin, who has this additional tip to keep in mind: Don’t excessively clean your face or use a harsh toner, either. “Stripping your skin will only cause it to produce more oil,” she notes. The options below manage to hydrate with mostly oil-free ingredients and don’t feel heavy or greasy, either.
- Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel
Both Warycha and Hadley King, clinical instructors of dermatology at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, recommend Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Water Gel for oily skin types — though it’s been recommended by experts countless other times for dry skin types, the rosacea-prone, and even pregnant women, too. Derms love this stuff.
In addition to the Hydro Boost being non-comedogenic, alcohol- and oil-free, it also contains glycerin and hyaluronic acid, which, King explains, “are both humectants, so they can hydrate the skin without the need for emollients that may feel too heavy for oily skin.” It’s also a favorite of Dr. Kenneth Howe, a cosmetic dermatologist at Wexler Dermatology, who adds, “Its lightweight gel formulation goes well with oily skin,” and it also happens to be a personal favorite of his 14-year-old son.
- SkinMedica Ultra Sheer Moisturizer
Alabama-based dermatologist Corey L. Hartman’s patients keep coming back to this moisturizer. “It’s a crowd favorite, and even though it has been around for years it continues to excel,” he says. The allure is in the ingredients. Packed with vitamin E and C (both of which neutralize free radicals in the environment) and hyaluronic acid (an oily skin staple), it moisturizes while still being incredibly lightweight.
- Cerave Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Not your traditional moisturizer, but this serum is another favorite of Howe’s and one he says can be used alone as a light moisturizer. Not only does it contain hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5, which he says “has a calming, anti-inflammatory effect on the skin,” but it also contains ceramides — the ingredient that makes this moisturizer-esque. Howe explains that ceramides are the fatty component on the outer layers of our skin, or, the “‘mortar’ in the brick and mortar composition of the epidermis.” All of these ingredients combined allow this to constitute “more of a full-service moisturizer” than serum in Howe’s eyes.
- Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 Gel
Brooklyn-based oculofacial plastic surgeon and founder of epi.logic Skincare Dr. Chaneve Jeanniton also likes hyaluronic acid for oily skin. “Hyaluronic acid is an easy choice for oily skin because it won’t clog pores or leave a heavy residue but it still provides an impactful amount of moisture,” she says, adding that serum with hyaluronic acid is often enough to keep skin hydrated and balanced. She likes this hydrating gel from Skinceuticals in particular, which contains hyaluronic acid and B5, the two ingredients working together to fortify the skin’s barrier and lock moisture into the skin. She also likes the Collagen Renew Growth Factor Serum from her own line, which uses growth factors, hyaluronic acid, and peptides to keep skin hydrated, smooth, and firm.