Choosing the right moisturizer is a very personal decision. While moisturizer is a key building block of any skincare routine, most people don’t fully understand what it does, how it works, or which ingredients will suit their unique skin type. Keep reading to learn how to choose the best moisturizer for your skin type and concerns.
5 Tips for Choosing the Right Moisturizer
Aside from skin type (which we address below), your personal preferences and skincare goals are major determining factors in choosing the right moisturizer. Here are five important things to consider:- Think About Your Overall Routine. If and how you layer your skincare and whether you’re looking for a morning or evening moisturizer are factors to consider alongside your skin type.
- Consider Climate + Season. Temperature, wind, humidity, and UV exposure all impact the way your skin retains moisture. For example, you may need a lighter cream in heat and high humidity and a heavier one for colder, drier environments.
- Understand the Ingredients. While serums treat specific skin concerns, the moisturizer you layer on top interacts with those ingredients. Check carefully to make sure you aren’t mixing active ingredients like vitamin C and retinol. While safe on their own, they can irritate the skin when used together. Learn how to layer your skincare the right way
- What’s Your Texture Preference? While your skin type will partially govern whether you use a lightweight gel or a cream, our moisturizers are formulated to be versatile enough to work for multiple skin types. That brings personal preference into play. Do you prefer a rich, emollient cream, or a lighter, silkier texture? Do you prefer a lighter texture for day and a creamier one at night? All things to consider.
- Use a Separate SPF. There’s a reason we don’t add SPF to our moisturizers: you need to reapply sunscreen every two hours to stay protected, but you don’t need to reapply your moisturizer. Instead, opt for a separate, broad-spectrum SPF 30 such as our Squalane + Zinc Sheer Mineral Sunscreen. It melts into every skin tone to provide invisible protection, even when you reapply.
The Best Moisturizer for Oily Skin
It may seem counterintuitive, but using a moisturizer helps balance oily skin. In fact, not moisturizing can actually prompt your skin to produce even more oil.Reading and understanding ingredients labels is the key to keeping oily skin moisturized without feeling greasy or causing breakouts. People with oily skin should avoid moisturizers that contain pore-clogging (comedogenic) ingredients such as petrolatum or mineral oil. Oily skin types should also opt for a lighter texture, as the oil in their skin can prevent heavier creams from absorbing. Our lightweight Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturizer is the ideal moisturizer for oily skin. Our proprietary probiotic helps balance the skin’s complexion and improve clarity while minimizing the look of redness and irritation. Meanwhile, our superhero squalane mimics the body’s natural moisture, delivering actives deep into the skin alongside weightless hydration.Shop Squalane + Probiotic Gel MoisturizerThe Best Moisturizer for Combination Skin
Choosing the best moisturizer for combination skin is a bit of a Goldilocks situation. A product that’s too light for dry cheeks may be just right for the oily T-zone, while a creamier formula might be just right for the cheeks but too heavy for the T-zone. It all depends on how much your oil production varies from one area of your face to the next.If your skin is super oily in the T-zone and only slightly dry on the rest of your face, our Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturizer is your go-to. This lightweight gel calms and moisturizes your drier areas without making your T-zone greasy.
If you have a slightly oily T-zone but your cheeks are on the drier side, our Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Moisturizer is the one for you. This silky, velvet cream moisturizer uses our sugarcane-based squalane to deeply moisturize and plump fine lines and wrinkles in your drier areas. Meanwhile, our innovative combination of Vitamin C and fermented lemon peel work together to fight free radicals and visibly improve uneven skin tone, including the dark spots that blemishes can sometimes leave behind.
Shop Squalane + Vitamin C Rose MoisturizerThe Best Moisturizer for Dry, Sensitive Skin
The best moisturizers for dry skin are rich, emollient creams bursting with hydrating, restorative ingredients such as fats, oils, and ceramides. The goal: to add moisture and seal it in so your skin stays hydrated all day long.
Our Squalane + Omega Repair Cream is the best moisturizer for dry, sensitive skin because it doesn’t just moisturize dry skin, it helps it retain moisture on its own. Our deeply nourishing moisturizer uses ceramides, omega fatty acids, and squalane to deliver lasting hydration and strengthen the skin’s natural moisture barrier.
The moisture barrier is a layer of lipids and skin cells that acts as your skin’s natural defense against environmental stressors such as bacteria and pollution. When your skin isn’t properly moisturized, cracks can form in the moisture barrier. This can lead to dry, irritated, and chapped skin. Our Squalane + Omega Repair Cream’s powerful ingredients and rich, whipped texture enable it to hydrate deeply and absorb quickly, visibly plumping and nourishing the skin to help restore and support its moisture barrier. The result: exceptionally soft and supple skin that’s dewy, healthy, and radiant.Shop Squalane + Omega Repair CreamNeed help creating the perfect routine for your skin type and routine? Start a live, one-on-one skincare consultation with one of our Clean Beauty Advisors. Click the banner at the top of your page to begin. As a lifestyle writer and journalist, I love sharing my passion for ocean conservation and obsession with clean beauty. I’ve tried almost every trend and ingredient, and Biossance’s science-backed formulas are the only ones that consistently calm my reactive skin and make it smoother, clearer, and healthier. I’m so excited to be on this journey of skincare innovation with Biossance, and to share it with you!
