For truly healthy skin, it’s important to take a holistic approach to your skincare routine, so investing in the best moisturiser is crucial. There’s no point using the best serum that money can buy, for instance, if you’re not scrupulously washing away all of that daily grime with the best cleanser for your skin type. And while you might have a firm grasp on the ingredients that you need to target your specific skin concerns—maybe vitamin C for brightening or peptides to firm and smooth—if you’re not sealing the deal with a moisturiser best suited to your skin type and needs then, frankly, all of that skincare investment won’t be paying off to the extent that it could be.
However, with so many moisturisers on the market, it feels easier to just choose the first one that promises hydration and move on. After all, what is the point of moisturiser other than to, well, moisturise? We’ve spoken with skin experts to get the full lowdown on exactly what moisturisers do for our skin, how to choose the best one for your skin type, and a comprehensive guide to the very best moisturiser for you. This way for your healthiest skin yet…
What is a moisturiser?
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that the main aim of a moisturiser is to moisturise (the clue is in the name), but the very best moisturisers should offer so much more. “A great moisturiser should provide hydration, support and maintain your skin barrier, improve texture and appearance of your skin, and balance skin in terms of oil and dryness,” explains skincare and clinical expert Fatma Shaheen, Founder and CEO of Skin Design London. “As a result of using a moisturiser, skin will appear more plump, smooth and even.”
Sounds good, right? But what specifically should we be looking for in a moisturiser in order to get the best results for our specific skin’s needs?
How to choose the best moisturiser for your skin type
Generally speaking, experts tend to agree that hydrating ingredients that support your skin’s barrier function will work well for everybody. “My top ingredients for a healthy, well-functioning, skin barrier are supportive ingredients like essential fatty acids, cholesterol, ceramides, squalane and niacinamide,” says Dr Anita Sturnham, a clinician and GP specialising in dermatology and founder of Decree. And unlike serums which are brimming with potent ingredients, moisturisers aren’t necessarily the place to focus on really active ingredients. “A moisturiser’s ingredients should focus on barrier support and locking in hydration”, explains Dr Sturnham. “I am not a fan of moisturisers containing strong actives like fruit acids, vitamin c or retinoids as they are best delivered in serum form.”
However, there are other things to bear in mind depending on your skin type—like texture. “If you have oily skin you might prefer a lighter moisturiser (something like a gel moisturiser) and if you have dry, sensitive or mature skin then you’re likely to benefit from a moisturiser that’s richer in texture,” explains Dr Sturnham. “Regardless of your skin type, though, I do recommend that my patients have both a light and rich textured moisturiser ideally containing the same active ingredients.”
Best moisturisers 2024
1. Naturium Multi-Peptide Moisturizer
Truly, I don’t think there is a moisturiser more unanimously adored amongst my beauty editor pals than this one from Naturium. In fact, after penning an ode to all the things that I love about this moisturiser recently, my DMs were flooded with fellow beauty writers sharing their adoration for this product. My fellow Marie Claire beauty contributor Lucy Abbersteen declared it “sensational” while beauty editor and esthetician Grace Day revealed that she hasn’t ever used the same moisturiser so many times. Whether you’re oily, dry, sensitive or spot-prone, this is simply a moisturiser that works. Formulated with a multi-peptide blend, vitamin C and panthenol, it hydrates, smooths skin, boosts brightness and just generally makes skin look plump and healthy. Oh, and it’s impressively affordable too.
2. Decree Peptide Emollient Veil +
Created by Dr Anita Sturnham herself, this luxurious moisturiser has been formulated with the purpose of deep hydration at its core. Centred around a peptide blend which works to support and improve collagen production, this moisturiser not only drenches skin with hydration but actually leaves skin firmer and more supple too. Of course, there is plenty of nourishment here in the form of botanical extracts like jojoba seed along with squalane and hyaluronic acid, which means that skin is left baby soft and plump. Plus, there’s resveratrol—a brightening antioxidant that not only boosts glow but minimises the appearance of things like pigmentation and discolouration.
3. Caudalie Vinopure Moisturising Mattifying Fluid
Despite having oily skin myself I tend to steer clear of most mattifying products as I hate how flat and dull my skin can end up looking after using them—but I make an exception for this moisturiser. Yes, it does exactly what it says on the bottle and dials down shine and oiliness. However, the formula itself is beautifully lightweight while still being hydrating, it smells incredible, and while it does mattify it does so while the skin itself radiates health. Spots and blackheads are minimised—especially any red angry ones which are instantly calmed—uneven texture and large pores are refined, and skin looks and feels clearer and smoother.
4. Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream
Elemis is one of the best brands for luxurious and efficacious skincare solutions for mature skin and its Pro-Collagen Marine Cream is a cult product for a reason—it is transformative. Formulated with marine and plant actives, it quenches dehydration, smooths uneven texture, plumps and fills fine lines and winkles, and improves firmness in the skin. Yes, it comes with something of a price tag, but considering how many awards it has won over the years, it’s worth the investment if you’re truly looking for one of the best moisturisers to really care for your skin as you grow older. Absolutely one of the best products from the brand.
5. Kate Somerville DeliKate Recovery Cream
It can take a little more consideration to choose the best moisturiser for sensitive skin where formulations tend to suit best if they’re free of active ingredients or fragrances. Kate Somerville’s rich balm-like moisturiser was created solely with this type of skin in mind, designed to soothe redness, irritation and sensitivity while rebuilding the delicate skin barrier that is often compromised in those with sensitive complexions. Rich in glycerin and shea butter to restore those moisture levels while cucumber seed oil works to calm, it instantly comforts, soothes and hydrates. Honestly, even if you don’t have sensitive skin it’s one of the best moisturisers to have on hand if you’ve ever overdone it with your exfoliating or more active serums too.
6. CeraVe Oil Control Moisturising Gel-Cream
An affordable skincare brand that dermatologists, skin experts and beauty editors always recommend is CeraVe for its efficacious, fuss-free and affordable formulations. And while its cleansers always get love, its moisturisers aren’t to be overlooked. This is one of the best moisturisers for combination skin on the market right now. Combination skin is tricky to care for as you want to hydrate skin while minimising excess levels of oil, and this affordable moisturiser walks that tightrope beautifully. Along with the brand’s trademark ceramide blend to lock in moisture, there’s oil-absorbing technology to minimise sebum and leave skin looking fresh but not dull. Oh, and it layers well beneath makeup too for a brilliant daily moisturiser.
7. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+M Anti-Blemish Corrective Gel Moisturiser
Caring for troublesome skin shouldn’t cost the earth, and this is, hands down, one of the best moisturisers I have ever tried for combatting acne, spots and blackheads. The fact that it’s a high-street formulation is simply the icing on the cake. The very best La Roche-Posay products tend to have one specific skin concern at their heart, and this moisturiser’s aims are clear—it reduces blemishes, unclogs pores and gets to work minimising the appearance of pigmentation left behind my breakouts. It does all of that incredibly well, but all while gently hydrating and looking after skin health thanks to an infusion of glycerin and niacinamide. I’ve used this during some particularly intense breakouts and spots are always calmer and clearer within days.
8. Beauty Pie Triple Hyaluronic Acid Deep Moisture Miracle Cream
Starting as something of a beauty insider secret in the form of the Beauty Pie Triple Hyaluronic Acid Lipopeptide Serum, this moisturiser has all of the same skin-quenching capabilities as its predecessor—a triple-weight hyaluronic elixir for maximum hydration, a super peptide to firm skin, and a marine molecule to help minimise fine lines—but with an even more decadent texture. Truly, most skin types will reap the benefits of using this but it’s particularly well suited to those with perpetually dehydrated or very dry skin. Be warned though—the texture is surprisingly lightweight, so if you’re used to something that feels more buttery and rich then this might take some getting used to.
9. The Inkey List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturiser
It’s hard for a product to cause waves amongst beauty editors, but the launch of this affordable moisturiser from The Inkey List had basically every fellow beauty writer I know raving about it. There are two star ingredients at work here—bio-active ceramides to strengthen the skin barrier and the lesser-known gransil blur x-11 which is a blend of powders and polymers which blur the skin to give it that smooth, soft-focus appearance. It’s silky smooth and leaves skin looking, and feeling like velvet, but even better it restores a juiciness to skin that might typically be lacking in volume and fullness. And all for under £20.
10. Ole Henriksen Banana Bright+ Instant Glow Moisturizer
If you’re fed up with your skin looking dull or lacklustre then this is truly the best moisturiser to combat all signs of tiredness. It transforms flat, grey complexions into a gleaming, light-reflective thing of wonder. Although the gold-complexed vitamin C works hard to boost brightness and provide antioxidant protection, the secret sauce comes via a banana powder-inspired pigment that gives the moisturiser itself a kind of glistening apricot hue that knocks back grey and purple tones in the skin to instantly leave it looking brighter and more even. Plus, there’s hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and polyglutamic acid to hydrate, reduce dark spots, and plump the skin.
11. Skin Design London Retinol Crème
Ask any skin expert about the ingredients that they truly rate for making a difference to skin and retinol will undeniably come out on top. It’s a gold-standard ingredient that is proven to promote cell turnover and encourage collagen production and this moisturiser boasts it as the star ingredient. Whether you’re looking to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, ease congestion, or even skin tone, this innovative moisturiser will leave skin looking renewed, smoother and fresh. Of course, as with any retinol products, you should exercise some caution when using it—start once or twice a week then build up as your skin tolerates it. However, if you’re looking to really invest in the appearance of your skin then this is well worth it.
12. La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5
Whether you’ve had a bad reaction to another skincare product or have over-exfoliated and compromised your skin barrier, this moisturiser is something of a rescue remedy to immediately calm and ease irritation. In fact, it’s so soothing that you can even use it on injured or broken skin. The very minimalist formulation means that it’s suitable for even the most sensitive of complexions with hydrating vitamin B5, redness-reducing cicaplast, moisturising glycerin, and skin-quenching thermal spring water. It doesn’t sink in immediately, so might be best used overnight if you have oilier skin, but it provides a brilliantly repairing barrier for irritation.
13. Elemis Superfood Glow Priming Moisturiser
Is there anything worse than finding the best moisturiser for your skin only to discover that it pills beneath your makeup? Thankfully, this one has been formulated for exactly the purpose of acting like the ultimate makeup primer and it truly delivers. A brightening blend of kombucha and fermented ginger awakens tired skin and boosts luminosity while green tea oil provides antioxidant protection. Better than that though, it’s infused with illuminating minerals that make the skin look radiant and glowy. In terms of moisture, it’s lightweight but sufficient, but the glow that it imparts makes skin look undeniably healthy. In fact, you could even use it as a highlighter.
14. Skinfix Barrier+ Skin Restoring Barrier Gel Cream
If you have oily or spot-prone skin and are using a cocktail of treatments to combat it—including things like salicylic acid or stronger topical treatments—then you might find that your skin can feel irritated and sore. This restorative moisturiser will help to combat that a blend of saccharide isomerate which helps bind moisture to the skin, niacinamide to even tone and refine texture, and a heptapeptide blend to strengthen the skin barrier and support overall skin health. It does this impressively well considering the ultra-light gel cream texture which works to balance oil levels while delivering just the right amount of hydration.
15. Eucerin Anti Pigment Night Cream
Anyone who deals with pigmentation will know how difficult it can be to shift, which is why ingredients are key. Thiamidol is the patented ingredient which gets to the root cause of hyperpigmentation to reduce melanin production and stop further discolouration occurring, plus it reduces existing dark spots on the skin. Clinically and dermatologically tested, it works fast with initial results noticeable in as little as two weeks and skin looking more luminous and bright even sooner.
16. Dr.Jart+ Cicapair Intensive Soothing Repair Gel Cream
Whether you have rosacea, irritation, or it’s summer and your skin is getting more flushed than usual, this redness-reducing formula is one of the best moisturisers at calming and evening skin tone. It uses centella asiatica to soothe skin and calm inflammation alongside allantoin to strengthen a compromised skin barrier. It feels like a big drink of water for the skin—deeply hydrating and instantly cooling. And the lightweight texture means it works just as well on oily skin as it does on sensitive.
