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Moisturizers and moisturizing serums

A quality moisturizer seals in hydration and supports your skin barrier, keeping your complexion comfortable all day. It is used every morning and evening, and in the weekly routine. These formulas most often rely on hyaluronic acid, which exhibits higher skin permeation and deposition, glycerin, which draws moisture deeply into the skin, and niacinamide, which reduces the progression of skin aging and hyperpigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Drug Delivery, 2017

What to look for in a moisturizer

From reviews of 25 popular moisturizers.

What reviewers value

  • Deep and long-lasting hydration Mostly Mentioned
    • “Saved my dry winter skin — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “absorbs instantly — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
    • “skin drinks it up — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy finish Often Mentioned
    • “Absorbs instantly without sticky residue — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “Absorbs into skin without residue — CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Sinks right into your skin — CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion”
  • Gentle for sensitive skin Often Mentioned
    • “No scent, no irritation — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “zero scent — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion”
  • Improves skin texture Often Mentioned
    • “calmed my breakout and swelling — Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “Makeup goes on so smooth — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
  • Value for money Sometimes Noted
    • “can't beat the price — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “huge 500ml tub — Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream”
    • “Huge tub lasts forever — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
  • Excellent makeup base Sometimes Noted
    • “perfect canvas for base — Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte's Magic Cream”
    • “Foundation glides right over it — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “foundation glides on — Clinique moisture surge”

Common complaints

  • Caused breakouts Sometimes Noted
    • “Caused little bumps all over my face — Rhode Glazing Milk”
    • “broke me out — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
    • “Triggered cystic acne — La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5+”
  • Greasy or heavy residue Sometimes Noted
    • “hair sticks to my face — Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream”
    • “too greasy for day — Weleda Skin Food”
    • “Wake up feeling a bit greasy — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
  • High price point Sometimes Noted
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “jar is too small for the cost — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “jar is tiny — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream”
  • Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
    • “Smell is too overpowering and lingering — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “Fragrance can be an irritant — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “slightly fishy smell — Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum”
  • Packaging complaints Sometimes Noted
    • “hard to dispense — Olay Super Serum”
    • “no safety seal included — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream”
    • “dipping fingers is unsanitary — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Not moisturizing enough Sometimes Noted
    • “skin felt tight later — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
    • “not enough for dry skin — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
    • “Not moisturizing enough for winter months — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”

All moisturizers

See all 807 moisturizers

Research behind moisturizer ingredients

Behind these picks

Lovi picks every product by its fit score, calculated from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.