11 Moisturizers That Are Actually Amazing For Your Skin

Finding the one, AKA the perfect moisturizer that hydrates, plumps, and brightens your skin without clogging your pores or breaking you out, ‘ain’t easy. But don’t worry, guys, we got you. While there aren’t any apps that can help you swipe through formulas to find the ones that’ll play you or the ones that do absolutely nothing, we’ve compiled a list of ahhhmazing moisturizers that will send you to sleep with a smile and wake you up with a glow. The real secret to finding the one? Tracking down a formula that works for your skin type, so to help, we’re breaking down 11 of our fave moisturizers. Thank us later!

1. Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Oil-Free Moisturizer, $39

Source: Glow Recipe

Texture: Gel
Benefits: Soothing, hydrating
Best for: ‘Normal,’ combo and oily skin

If you think that you don’t need a moisturizer just because your skin is oily, we’re here to tell you that’s not the case. It’s about finding a lightweight formula that absorbs fast and doesn’t feel heavy, like this supercharged oil-free moisturizer. Enriched with watermelon extract, it delivers a surge of essential vitamins and antioxidants to leave your skin plump and hydrated but never greasy. It also boasts antioxidants that protect your skin against skin-damaging free radicals and helps to soothe skin irritation. If you have dry skin, you can also use this as a serum underneath your moisturizer. Honestly, this has been a staple moisturizer in our daytime routine for years.

2. Beauty Pie Pure Oxygen Radiant Glow Moisture Infusion, $85

Source: Beauty Pie

Texture: Cream
Benefits: Hydrating, plumping, brightening
Best for: All skin types

Tired of formulas that promise the world but never seem to deliver? This vegan formula will go above and beyond to awaken tired, dull skin. It’s formulated with a phytoxygen complex and ascorbosilane-C (a highly stable vitamin C), which purifies and reenergizes the skin for a radiant glow. It’s also enriched with buddleja davidii leaf & thyme extract to protect skin against ozone pollution while simultaneously soothing and hydrating. Ever since we started using the lightweight cream, our skin has been supple, soft, and bright. Plus, it layers well underneath makeup.

3. WISHFUL Honey Whip Peptide Moisturizer, $43

Texture: Whipped cream
Benefits: Firming, brightening, soothing
Best for: All skin types

Loaded with a powerful blend of natural ingredients and potent actives, this richly hydrating yet super lightweight whipped moisturizer helps to firm, lift, repair, AND plump the skin, all while reducing redness and evening out your complexion. Infused with moisturizing Manuka honey, soothing cica, and firming peptides, the formula works overtime to soften fine lines, soothe irritation, and hydrate your skin for an enviable glow. It’s also non-comedogenic, so it won’t block your pores, making it a great choice for anyone with acne-prone or sensitive skin. It’s also the best moisturizer to use before makeup, thanks to its fast-absorbing formula that leaves skin bouncy and smooth.

4. Versed Dew Point Moisturizing Gel-Cream, $15

Texture: Gel-cream
Benefits: Hydrating, soothing
Best for: Oily skin

This lightweight cream is a delicious cocktail of glycerin and sodium hyaluronate (a form of hydrating hyaluronic acid) to help your skin simultaneously draw in and retain moisture. Aloe leaf juice and green tea provide a burst of protective antioxidants to minimize inflammation and fight aging free radicals. The jelly-like texture absorbs almost instantly, leaving your skin feeling hella smooth and hydrated.

5. Glow Recipe Banana Souffle Moisture Cream, $39

Texture: Souffle!
Benefits: Hydrating, soothing, plumping
Best for: Sensitive or irritated skin

It’s no secret that we’ve been obsessed with this formula ever since it landed on our desk and it helped to calm and soothe our skin after an intense skin treatment. The lightweight, bouncy cream is infused with real banana, which is rich in magnesium and potassium that helps restore water depletion and re-balance irritated or inflamed skin. It even helps strengthen your skin’s barrier to reduce further moisture loss. It also boasts soothing Centella Asiatica (cica) and turmeric, a potent anti-inflammatory, rich in antioxidants that help balance and brighten uneven skin texture and tone. The lightweight formula has a strong natural scent, but if you like bananas, you’ll fall in love with the light and fast-absorbing formula in seconds.

6. The Inkey List Peptide Moisturizer, $15

Texture: Cream
Benefits: Anti-aging, firming, brightening
Best for: ‘Normal,’ dry, mature skin

Peptides are essential for supple skin, making this moisturizer a must-have for all skin types. If you’re thinking, “WTF are peptides?’ They’re made up of amino acid chains that support the firming, hydrating proteins your skin needs to build collagen. Formulated with 1% hydrating peptide solution and a combo of other nourishing ingredients, including shea butter, this moisturizer will work relentlessly to increase collagen production while supporting your skin’s moisture barrier for glowing, lifted skin. It’ll even help to soften the appearance of existing fine lines.

7. 111 Skin NAC Y2 Recovery Mask, $150

Texture: Gel-like cream
Benefits: Strengthening, firming, soothing
Best for: All skin types

A more spenny option, but this formula delivers every single. single. time. Featuring a trifecta of barrier-building ingredients, this rich mask reduces oxidative stress, redness, and irritation while protecting your skin from environmental aggressors. Not only does it restore and nourish the skin, but thanks to silk amino peptides, it rejuvenates uneven tone, minimizes fines lines, and hydrates the skin’s tissues for firm, bouncy skin. We like to use it as an ultra-restorative night cream, especially if our skin feels dry, irritated or stressed.

8. Rosen Skincare Tropics Moisturizer, $20

Texture: Cream
Benefits: Brightening, restores uneven skin tone and texture
Best for: Textured skin, non-inflamed bumps, post-pimple marks

If you have acne-prone skin and are looking for a formula that won’t trigger a breakout, consider yourself in luck. This transformative cream features brightening chemical exfoliant, kojic acid, hydration hyaluronic acid, and enzyme-rich pineapple extract to gently exfoliate while hydrating the skin. It also helps regulate oil production, all the while boosting moisture levels for soft, healthy skin. Just check out their before and afters if you need any convincing on the IRL glow-up this moisturizer offers.

9. Kate Somerville DeliKate Recovery Cream, $70

Texture: Rich cream
Benefits: Soothing, nourishing, firming
Best for: Sensitive, stressed, dry or ‘normal’ skin.

This clinical recovery cream provides long-lasting relief for stressed-out or sensitive skin, immediately helping to diminish tightness and reduce redness. Enriched with a ceramide peptide complex, ginger root, and Tasmania lanceolate fruit extract, it strengthens the skin’s epidermis and prevents future moisture loss while soothing and calming irritated, tight skin. A combo of fruit extracts are also bursting with antioxidants to protect your skin against aging free radicals. It’s helped soothe our skin after an intense PRP facial with transformative results.

10. Sweet Chef Beet + Retinol Nightly Firming Mask, $23

Texture: Whipped cream
Benefits: Firming, brightening, anti-aging
Best for: ‘Normal’ or mature skin

Supercharge your nighttime skincare routine with this retinol-rich firming mask. The cushion-like moisturizer sinks into the skin and delivers a blend of potent actives, from refining and glow-getting retinol to hydrating hyaluronic acid and soothing hemp oil, which work together to restore your skin while you sleep. Over time, the result is smoother and brighter skin. If you’re new to retinol, start using this just to three nights a week. Check out our guide to starting retinol here.

11. Youth To The People Superfood Air Whip Moisture Cream, $48 

Texture: Lightweight cream
Benefits: Anti-aging, firming, hydrating
Best for: Combination or oily skin

If you struggle to find a clean formula that hydrates oily or combination skin without clogging your pores, this is it. The lightweight formula is infused with antioxidant-rich superfoods, crosslink hyaluronic acid, and essential phytonutrients to provide a surge of moisture and increase healthy skin renewal. We also love how effortlessly this moisturizer glides on and sinks into the skin. It’s a classic that you’ll reach for again and again.

For more amazing skincare products, check out the serums we couldn’t live without.