Oily, Combination, or Sensitive Skin? This Niche Moisturizer Is Your Golden Ticket to a Clear, Happy Complexion
Formulated without *this* sneaky ingredient.
Whether you live in a hot climate or have sensitive, acneic skin, you know there are certain moisturizers that do—and definitely do not—work with your barrier. Thick, balmy concoctions are great for those with dry skin or anyone enduring frigid winters with moisture-sucking indoor heating, and lighter, nourishing formulas are great for normal skin types and tepid environments. But if you often struggle with the occasional breakout from these middle-of-the-road moisturizers, it’s not you—it’s likely oil, an oft-utilized ingredient in face creams that works wonders for many skin types, just not yours. Luckily, there’s a bevy of oil-free options awaiting your discovery.
“Oil-free moisturizers are particularly helpful for oily, acne-prone, and combination skin types,” says board-certified dermatologist and Director of Cosmetic Dermatology at Montefiore Einstein, Kseniya Kobets, M.D. “Not because all oils are inherently bad, but because in certain patients they can contribute to congestion, and [they] can also cause sensitivity in skin barrier disruption associated with acne-prone skin.” In short, these formulations shouldn’t be drying or barely there—they should calm and quench the skin, be fast-absorbing, and multitasking to boost consistency of use.
We tested and vetted the best oil-free moisturizers on the market today and decided on the following eight. Keep scrolling to see which formulas won our favor.
The Best Oil-Free Moisturizers, At a Glance
- Best Overall: Tatcha The Water Cream
- Best Drugstore: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel
- Best for Acne-Prone Skin: Skinfix Barrier+ Skin Barrier Restoring Gel Cream
- Best for Oily Skin: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream
- Best for Combination Skin: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Moisturizer
Best Overall: Tatcha The Water Cream
Pros: Lightweight texture, deeply hydrating, minimizes the appearance of pores
Cons: Quite pricey, strong fragrance
Skin type: Normal, oily, combination | Key ingredients: Japanese wild rose, Hadasei 3, glycerin
Perhaps one of the most famous oil-based moisturizers out there is Tatcha’s Water Cream, and for good reason. The nourishing cream is supremely lightweight despite its deeply hydrating formula, enhanced by Hadasei 3—a skin-plumping antioxidant complex—and glycerin, which moisturizes the skin barrier at several levels. This action-packed ingredient list works hard to nourish normal, oily, and combination skin without overwhelming the pores. In fact, Japanese wild rose does the opposite—tightening the pores with continuous use for a smoother and calmer complexion.
Customer review: “I am NOT someone to do skincare at all, as my skin is beyond sensitive and cannot take ANY products. However, Tatcha has done me wonders following a surgery where my skin was getting so, so oily, and it keeps doing wonders in the winter. After a shower, I apply the moisturizer and wake up with the most soft, glowy skin. I love using Tacha and highly recommend it for my fellow sensitive skin and no-routine girls!”
Associate beauty editor Alyssa Brascia wearing the Tatcha Water Cream.
Best Drugstore: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel
Pros: Gentle formula, deeply hydrating, cooling feel, highly absorbent
Cons: None we can think of
Skin type: Normal, dry, oily, combination, acne-prone | Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid
We firmly believe that you don’t have to drop $100 on a single product to get glowing, nourished skin, and this budget-friendly, oil-free moisturizer is physical proof. Who What Wear associate beauty editor Alyssa Brascia is a personal fan of this drugstore water cream and swears by its nourishing properties for her dry, sensitive skin, utilizing it year-round to support her summer complexion and as a base for her winter skincare regimen. Double board-certified dermatologist Nazanin Saedi, MD, also calls out this drugstore pick as a top choice. “It’s lightweight but very hydrating due to hyaluronic acid, making it ideal for patients who need moisture but tend to break out with heavier creams,” she explains. In short, it’s a must for anyone who doesn’t want to splurge.
Customer review: “I am not the type to write a review. This product is amazing! I have fungal acne and oily skin, so I need to be very conscious and aware of the ingredients in products I apply to my skin. In just two days, my skin barrier is almost completely healed.”
Brascia holding the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel.
Best Budget: Cetaphil Hydrating Oil-Free Face Lotion Moisturizer
Pros: Low-priced, versatile formula, deeply hydrating, fragrance-free
Cons: TBH, none
Skin type: All, including sensitive and mature | Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, glycerin
While the Neutrogena Water Gel may be our top drugstore buy, it’s still slightly pricey for your typical errand run. For a lower-priced option, allow us to introduce you to Cetaphil’s Hydrating Face Lotion Moisturizer—the oil-free version, that is. This formula is enhanced with hyaluronic acid and glycerin to substitute for the moisturizing benefits of oil (without the pore-clogging side-effects), offering up to 24 hours of deep hydration for all skin types. (Yes, even sensitive, mature, and acne-prone!)
Customer review: “Words can’t describe my love for this product. I have been using this lotion for a few months now. I have combination skin, and this lotion keeps me hydrated without feeling greasy. It’s lightweight, absorbs fast, and works great under makeup. No irritation or heavy scent just simple, effective moisture. Absolutely loveeeeee it.”
Best for Acne-Prone Skin: Skinfix Barrier+ Oil-Free Gel Cream
Pros: Controls oil production, refines pores, calms redness
Cons: Some shoppers wish it were more hydrating
Skin type: Normal, combination, oily | Key ingredients: Zinc PCA, niacinamide, B-L3 complex
If you have acne-prone skin, your complexion will thank you once you incorporate this gel cream into your routine. Saedi recommends this pick from Skinfix because of its oil-curbing, yet hydrating properties that simultaneously reduce redness and minimize the appearance of pores. Kobets also points out that its featherlight, fast-absorbing texture is another perk for your skin type. “In acne-prone patients, I prefer lightweight gel or gel-cream textures that hydrate without excessive occlusion,” she explains. This formula helps keep congestion at bay while still delivering moisture by utilizing a triple lipid blend, which helps replenish the skin’s fatty acids and ceramides without the use of oil.
Customer review: “This cream has saved my skin! I’m in my 30s and still get acne as well as super dry skin. I’ve been using this product consistently for about three months and it’s the best I’ve seen it in years. Looking forward to trying other Skinfix products.”
Best for Oily Skin: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream
Pros: Controls oil without stripping the skin, minimizes redness, cooling effect
Cons: Not quite hydrating enough for dry types
Skin type: Normal, combination, oily | Key ingredients: Glacial glycoprotein, micronized amino acid
Don’t get it twisted—oily skin needs hydration, too. This gentle moisturizer from Kiehl’s puts moisture, oil control, and soft skin on the forefront with its comforting combination of glycerin and amino acids, which help maintain hydration levels without inspiring further oil production. It’s calming and cooling from the first swipe and helps keep your skin feeling soft for up to 24 hours without clogging pores or causing skin congestion, making it a great choice for those with acne-prone skin, too.
Customer review: “I've always dealt with texture (clogged pores and so many closed comedones) on my cheeks and forehead specifically. After about 3 days of use, about 90% of the texture on my cheeks and forehead disappeared, and continues to fade the longer I use it. I would not consider this the MOST moisturizing moisturizer. As someone with combination skin, I usually apply extra to the drier areas of my face. I couldn't recommend more if you're someone with texture issues and a sensitivity to oils.”
Best for Combination Skin: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Moisturizer
Pros: Smooths skin texture, soothes barrier, deeply hydrates
Cons: Nothing
Skin type: All, including sensitive | Key ingredients: Ceramide-3, glycerin, niacinamide, prebiotic thermal water
If you want an oil-free moisturizer that can do it all—something combination skin types require—you’ve come to the right place. This multitasking formula offers some of the best bang for your buck thanks to its barrier-replenishing levels of ceramides, absorbent glycerin, soothing niacinamide, and nourishing thermal water. Its refining results are almost instant, offering plumper, smoother skin in as little as an hour and will last for up to 48. It’s one of the most budget-friendly on our list, yet totes some of the most impactful results.
Customer review: “This is one of my favorite La Roche-Posay products. My derm actually had this on their list of recommended moisturizers—that’s why I tried it in the first place! For me, this product is the perfect weight. The skin on my face is so sensitive, I have to be careful with what I use. This moisturizer doesn’t feel too heavy, make my face sweat, or cause breakouts. It’s absolutely worth the price.”
Best for Sensitive Skin: SkinCeuticals Daily Moisture
Pros: Gentle formula, lightweight texture, minimizes the appearance of pores
Cons: Quite pricey
Skin type: Normal, combination, oily, sensitive | Key ingredients: Sea algae extracts, botanical extracts
There’s a lot of chatter around oily and acne-prone skin when it comes to oil-free moisturizers, but it’s an important, yet lesser-known irritant for sensitive skin, too. Moisturizers with oil ingredients can often have an adverse effect on irritable skin, causing redness, eczema flare-ups, and even breakouts in people who don’t normally experience acne. However, this lightweight formula—enriched with nourishing algae and moisturizing botanical extracts—offers gentle hydration without the weight of some moisturizers. Oh, and did we mention it’s pore-refining? Score.
Customer review: “This has been the best face cream for me. My skin is very sensitive and most face creams break my skin out. This cream does not break my skin out and is so light I forget I have it on.”
Best for Dry Skin: Clinique Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator
Pros: Intensely hydrating, gentle formula, dewy finish
Cons: Slightly pricey
Skin type: Dry, normal, oily, combination | Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, aloe bioferment, vitamin C, vitamin E
If you have dry skin and experience congestion after trying certain facial creams, you still need to try an oil-free moisturizer. Though many of these products don’t sound like they’d deliver the intense hydration that your skin may need, this pick from Clinique can do the job with ease. The gel cream formula makes this dewy moisturizer super lightweight and absorbent, taking mere seconds to sink into the skin and make your barrier feel replenished—offering up to 100 hours (that’s over four days!) of deep hydration. We can thank its hero ingredients of hyaluronic acid, aloe bioferment, and vitamins C and E for these barrier-healing properties.
Customer review: “This is the best hydrating gel-cream I’ve ever used. It works even better on slightly damp skin and gives such a smooth, radiant, dewy, and plump look. It revived my dry skin, especially in winter.”
What to Look For in an Oil-Free Moisturizer
- Skin type: Before selecting your moisturizer of choice, you’ll need to identify your skin type. If you’re unsure whether you lean oily, combination, dry, or normal, be sure to speak with your dermatologist to get a better understanding of your skin’s landscape. It’s important to also take into account whether you have acne-prone, sensitive, or mature skin while you discern which formula is right for you.
- Ingredients: Since these formulas forego the use of oils, the included ingredients need to step it up to deliver the proper amount of hydration and nourishment. “Ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin are great because they draw water into the skin to keep it hydrated without contributing to breakouts,” says Saedi. She also looks for soothing niacinamide, and Kobets adds peptides and antioxidants to the list.
- Extra benefits: “A well-formulated oil-free moisturizer should hydrate, calm inflammation, su
Which oil-free moisturizers help prevent acne and help with acne scarring?
We’ve discussed oil-free moisturizers for acne-prone skin, but can any actually help fight scarring, or prevent blemishes from popping up at all? Derms say yes, they can. “One of the biggest mistakes I see is patients skipping moisturizer because they’re acne-prone,” says Kobets. “When the barrier is compromised, inflammation increases, and oil production can become more reactive. Balanced hydration is not optional—it’s therapeutic.”
For acne prevention, the dermatologist recommends looking for formulas with ceramides (“which are often lacking in acne-prone skin,” she points out) and niacinamide, which controls oil production and soothes inflamed skin. Humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid are hydrating essentials that she also looks for, and the cherry on top is salicylic acid—which she says some formulations include at a low dosage to help decongest pores.
To rehabilitate skin with acne scarring, Kobets says that the first step is to protect and repair the skin barrier, training it to heal more efficiently in the future. “That is accomplished by including basic ingredients like ceramides, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide,” she explains. Once the barrier is restored, she wants patients to continue using those ingredients while slowly starting to introduce vitamin C, azelaic acid, and antioxidants into their routines to counteract discoloration.
Collagen is another factor that prevents the formation of acne scars and wrinkles, and Kobets says peptides and antioxidants are essential here. “They help reduce oxidative stress and support dermal matrix health,” she explains. But most importantly, Kobets wants you to wear sunscreen to prevent any more scarring. Specifically, a “non-irritating, preferably mineral SPF 30–50 every day and smart sun protection,” she notes.
How We Chose
We chose the best oil-free moisturizers by analyzing the top formulas on the market today, testing a handful ourselves, and interviewing top dermatologists for their personal picks and shopping guidelines. From there, we decided which formulas worked best for different skin types and complexion goals based on their ingredient lists and extra benefits, if any. We also considered budget when compiling this list to offer a wide range of options to as many shoppers as possible.
Our Experts
- Kseniya Kobets, MD, MHS, FAAD is a board-certified dermatologist and the Director of Cosmetic Dermatology at Montefiore Einstein Advanced Care.
- Nazanin Saedi, MD, FAAD is a double board-certified dermatologist and surgeon at Dermatology Associates of Plymouth Meeting.
Why Trust Us
At Who What Wear, we know that beauty isn't one-size-fits-all. Over the years, our editors have tested thousands of products—including skincare, makeup, haircare, and nails—while also working closely with trusted experts, like renowned dermatologists, celebrity makeup artists, and other leading industry insiders. Together, this ensures every guide is well-researched, inclusive, and relevant to you.
We focus on formulas that deliver, whether they're affordable favorites or luxury investments. Our product selection is based on tangible results, ingredient know-how, and what we'd truly recommend to our closest friends and family members.
