The 10 Best Moisturizers for Oily Skin (2024)

It’s easy to assume that if you have oily skin you don’t need to moisturize. Like, your skin feels moist, right? But oil and hydration are not the same thing. In fact, in some cases, when your skin is dry, it may actually secrete more oil to try to rebalance itself. If you already have oily skin, using a moisturizer could actually help you become less oily. Wild, right? It sounds crazy, but it’s true—and really drives home the case for using a moisturizer, no matter your skin type.

That said, not all moisturizers are good for oily skin. Generally, people with oily skin gravitate toward lighter moisturizers like gels and lotions that don’t sit on top of your skin but rather sink in quickly without leaving residue. You’ll also want to look for moisturizers that are noncomedogenic, meaning they won’t clog your pores and possibly lead to breakouts. Excess oil is one of the roots of acne, but that doesn’t mean oily skin is the same as acne-prone skin, either. (All skin types can be acne prone, for the record.) Still, erring on the side of caution is always recommended. You may also want to use a moisturizer that goes beyond the requisite hydrating ingredients and also includes ingredients like salicylic acid that can control oil production throughout the day.

Just like there are many types of skin, there are many types of moisturizers, which can feel daunting if you’re trying to find the right one for you. That’s why we tested dozens and dozens of oily-skin moisturizers to find the best ones out there. Any of these will keep your skin hydrated and happy without leaving you looking like an oil slick.

Throughout the testing process, we tried a ton of moisturizers, but we kept coming back to this one. It’s become our go-to moisturizer because it checks pretty much all the boxes you want. The texture is perfect. It strikes the ideal balance between lightweight gel and moisturizing cream, sinks into your skin immediately with no filmy residue, and leaves a matte finish on your skin for the entire day. It’s not just the matte finish that keeps shininess at bay, either. Inside the formula is salicylic acid, which helps to gently exfoliate your skin and pores and balance oil production. On top of that is a complex that helps to keep oil production under control. Add to those aloe-leaf extract and niacinamide, both of which help to soothe and calm skin, and you have a moisturizer that goes to work underneath your skin well beyond just giving it moisture. And honestly, that’s what we all want in a moisturizer, isn’t it?

This ultra lightweight gel is one of our all-time favorite moisturizers. It’s so simple and lightweight you won’t even know it’s there, yet it’s still so hydrating that when we use it, we notice our skin stays plump and hydrated all day and into the night. In fact, it’s so effective that we’re often tempted to apply more at night. It’s suitable for all skin types, but the reason it’s so good for oily skin is twofold. First, the simple formulation is really focused on deep hydration. Second, the ultralightweight gel texture won’t leave your skin feeling greasy and helps to keep it hydrated for hours, which may help control oil production in general.

If you have oily skin, one of the best things you can do is use a moisturizer that is specifically formulated for you instead of, you know, skipping the moisturizer altogether. This one is a great option. It’s a cream but still very lightweight, and since it’s oil-free, it won’t leave a greasy residue on your skin or make you feel extra oily. We also love the matte finish, which helps keep our mugs shine-free all day long. Inside the formula is lipohydroxy acid, which is derived from salicylic acid and has some of the same oil-balancing properties, as well as antioxidants from thermal spring water. It’s all mixed with lightweight glycerin, a powerful moisturizer. That’s all to say, this moisturizer is proof that you don’t have to compromise between shine and moisture.

Yes, it is possible to have oily skin and dry skin. Oiliness doesn’t have a lot to do with the moisture content of your skin, which is why you should still use a moisturizer even if you have oily skin. Out of the oily-skin-appropriate moisturizers we tried, this one is on the heavier side, which makes it perfect for those whose skin leans dry. But even though it’s a thicker cream, it still won’t clog your pores (it’s noncomedogenic), and it doesn’t leave a greasy or heavy feel on your face. As a bonus, the licorice-root extract in the formula helps to soothe and calm skin while the rest of the formula moisturizes it.

It goes without saying that you should be wearing sunscreen every day, but when you have oily skin it can feel like too much to use a moisturizer and a sunscreen. That’s why we’re fans of moisturizer-sunscreen combos—particularly moisturizing sunscreens, since they tend to have a higher SPF. This is the ultimate and the one that we personally use most often. Not only does it offer a high protective factor from the mineral zinc oxide in the formula, but it’s also ultra-soothing and calming thanks to niacinamide. The zinc also pulls double duty as both a sunscreen and an acne soother, which is why this is ideal for acne-prone, oily, and irritation-prone skin. And most important, even though it’s a mineral sunscreen, it doesn’t leave a white cast on our faces. (There’s also a tinted version to help further cut down on possible white cast.)

When you have oily skin, the last thing you want to do is slather on a heavy cream. In those cases, a hydrating serum can do that trick since they’re typically ultralightweight to the point of feeling watery. This one is one of the best hydrating serums we’ve tried and has been our go-to for years, even when stacked against serums ten or more times its price. It’s packed with hyaluronic acid (five types, to be exact, that work on different layers of your skin), which helps your skin retain moisture. This version also contains vitamin B5, which helps to bolster your skin’s barrier and keep the moisture inside instead of evaporating out (which is a real thing).

Acne-prone skin is not the same as oily skin, but the Venn diagram of the two overlaps quite a bit. This super-lightweight gel moisturizer works incredibly well for both. It’s one of the lightest we tested, and the gel formula sinks into skin almost instantaneously, leaving absolutely no film or residue. Instead, your skin is left feeling soft and hydrated—with a long-lasting matte finish to boot. The formula itself is packed with niacinamide, a powerful antioxidant that can help soothe and calm skin as well as fortify your skin’s protective barrier, and oat extract, which is another redness-reducing, skin-calming ingredient. There’s the requisite hyaluronic acid as well, which helps your skin retain moisture, which when we’re talking moisturizer is a must. Between those beneficial ingredients and the top-notch texture, this one is a no-brainer.

We don’t always love a cream moisturizer for our oily skin, unless that cream moisturizer is this one from SkinCeuticals. Even though it’s a cream, it’s still incredibly lightweight, which is exactly what you want when you have oily skin. There aren’t any ingredients that specifically control oil, but it is packed with hydrating algae extracts and botanical extracts that help reduce the appearance of pores. It honestly shocked us how moisturizing this stuff is while still being lightweight. In fact, we could barely tell it was on our faces, even during the day, when typically creams make us feel greasy.

A healthy skin barrier is important for the overall health of your skin, no matter what skin type you have. The problem is that so many products designed to improve your skin barrier tend to be heavy, which if you have oily skin is not always the vibe. This one is different. The gel-cream texture is ultra-moisturizing but still lightweight enough to wear during the day without feeling like you have a film on your face. It also actually helps absorb and control oil, so your skin stays hydrated but not shiny. We were impressed by how long this gel kept our faces feeling soft and hydrated without even a hint of shininess.

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream is a moisturizing icon, but we find that it’s too heavy for our oily skin unless it’s the dead of winter (and even then, we only really use it at night). This version, however, is ideal for oily skin. It has all the moisturizing power of the classic, but the gel-cream texture sinks into skin quicker and is way more lightweight. There are also amino acids and salicylic acid in this formula that help to control oil production, ensuring that you don’t end up looking shiny later in the day. On top of all that, it has a pleasant cooling sensation as you apply it to your face—something we always appreciate, especially after a workout or on a hot day. It’s that cooling factor, plus all the other benefits, that make this our favorite post-gym moisturizer. We don’t work out without it.