7 Facial Moisturizers I've Purchased, Used, and Would Buy Again
Looking for moisturizer recommendations? This is my list of esthetician-recommended facial moisturizers with ingredients you can trust! This list includes moisturizers I’ve purchased and used over the years that I'd 100% buy again.
I’ll start with the lightest weight and end with the thickest creams. If you’re looking for tips on layering your hydrating products and other skincare, like toner, serum, lotion, etc., head to my blog: Skin Care Layering: The Proper Order to Apply Your Facial Products.
Lightweight or gel moisturizers are great for oily skin types or skin that gets congested easily. A lightweight moisturizer also layers well under SPF or tinted SPF. Thicker moisturizers or balms are great for dry, dehydrated, or delicate skin types.
scrub me secret: one of my tips for clear, happy skin? Once you find a product that works for your skin, like a moisturizer, cleanser, or toner, stick with it! Especially if you have sensitive or reactive skin. So if you’re a product junkie and love buying and having skincare, you can have a different moisturizer for AM and PM, but otherwise keep things simple and stick with what works. Even if it feels boring to continue to purchase the same facial lotion over and over.
Peach & Lily Glass Skin Water Gel Moisturizer
This is the lightest weight moisturizer I’m listing here! This moisturizing gel feels super calming and cooling when applied to the skin. It has no greasy or dewy feel, so it’s great for those who don’t love thick creams. This water-gel contains anti-inflammatory chamomile and hydration-binding hyaluronic acid, as well as other potent antioxidants.
This is the perfect moisturizer for those who want a great product that dries matte and doesn’t feel glossy or oily.
Scrub Me Skin Care (previously Ology Essentials) CBD Lotion
This lightweight, calming lotion greatly helps reduce signs of redness while adding hydration. Aloe + CBD isolate provide anti-inflammatory and calming properties, and aloe is also a humectant, helping the skin to retain hydration.
This lotion is ideal for skin types that experience some redness or inflammation. It’s also a great option of facial lotion to layer underneath SPF in the AM.
Kinship Hyaluronic Gel Cream Moisturizer
This is a popular moisturizer among my clients who need moisture and hydration but experience breakouts or congestion from heavier moisturizers. This creamy gel texture feels calming and cooling when applied and absorbs quickly. Added hyaluronic acid + coconut water bind hydration to your skin, while marshmallow root helps repair and strengthen tissues.
This is a perfect AM moisturizer to layer underneath SPF and also a great AM/PM option for congested skin types that feel dry and sensitive.
Goldfaden Md Vital Boost
I love how this moisturizer feels. It’s not too lightweight and definitely delivers the moisture, but it also applies really easily and feels so simple and fresh. And I think thats partially because it is such a simple moisturizer formulation (which we love for sensitive skin types) with a little added antioxidant and brightening power from the grapefruit extract and vitamin D.
This is a great AM and PM moisturizer for those who need more hydration but don’t love a balmy or glossy finish.
Wildling MoonBounce Bio Retinol Moisturizer
Bio-retinols can repair skin and activate cell renewal without the same aggressiveness as a traditional retinol product. This makes bio-retinol great for those who are sensitive to retinol or vitamin A products but still want the rejuvenating, wrinkle-fighting benefits.
This face cream is perfect for dry skin or those who want to prevent/fight signs of aging. The creamy shea, jojoba, and meadowfoam seed oil base gives a super moisturizing feel. This moisturizer can be used morning or night.
Therapi
Propolis + Ultra Radiance Cream
I can’t ever get over how great honey is for our skin. It has the power to heal, protect, and moisturize. And this face cream does exactly that! Even complexion and deeply moisturizes. This cream contains bacteria- and irritation-fighting propolis (basically, bee resin) plus antioxidant-rich, healing honey.
This face cream is thick but not oily, making it an amazing PM moisturizer for most skin types.
Josh Rosebrook Vital Balm Cream
This thick facial balm completely restores dry or dehydrated skin. It not only contains skin-loving oils and moisturizing ingredients, but it also has skin-healing phytonutrients and hydrating botanicals like marshmallow root. My dry/aging skin loves it!
Bonus! My 3 Favorite Hydrating Mists/Essence
Misting your face with hydration mist or saturating your skin with hydrating essence before applying facial lotion helps bind more H20 molecules and hydrating molecules to your skin, helping it to stay soft, plump, and healthy. Skincare items like these are especially important for those who live in a dry climate.
Scrub Me Secret: Climates with dry air actually steal away H20 from our skin, rude! It's called transepidermal water loss, or TEWL for short. This can be combated by using a hydrating mist, essence, or hydrating toner, plus a serum or moisturizer with hydration binding ingredients like tremella extract or hyaluronic acid.
Josh Rosebrook Hydration Accelerator Mist
My favorite hydrating mist! My skincare routine is not the same without it. The aloe vera plus a blend of botanical ingredients that heals, calms, and protects makes it super hydrating and refreshing.
Good Molecules Sakura Hydrating Essence
This soothing and hydrating essence can be applied with clean hands or a cotton pad. Sakura Flower is a calming antioxidant ingredient; paired with hyluronic acid and Zinc PCA making this essence great for all skintypes becuase of it’s balancing and softening properties.
Heritage Rose Water Mist
A super simple hydraion mist made from distilled water and rose extract. It’s hydrating, antioxidant rich, and has minmal ingredients. Love!
scrub me secret: my skin is super reactive, I get redness plus tiny bumps and breakouts from a lot of different products. all of the products I listed today are ones that I have used and loved and had no reactions to.
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