The 8 Best Moisturizers for Acne We Trust with Our Oily Skin

Trying new skin care products when you have acne might sound like a bad idea—but if you switch up one step, let it be your moisturizer. It’s one of the most important parts of your skin care regimen because it keeps your skin barrier healthy and can actually prevent breakouts (yes, even if you have oily skin).

“If your skin is too dry, you have a compromised skin barrier that can lead to bacteria on the skin [that causes acne],” Rebecca Dufner, MD, board-certified dermatologist and director of digital health and clinical innovation at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, tells SELF. Plus, if you don’t moisturize properly, your skin might overcompensate for the lack of hydration by producing more oil, “which can clog pores and make acne worse,” Dr. Dufner adds.

To find the best moisturizers for acne, we asked dermatologists to give us the scoop on how to shop and which ingredients to look for. We’re also letting you in on our personal favorites (no gatekeeping!). Some of these have even won SELF Healthy Beauty Awards—a major accolade, if you ask us.

• Best Overall: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer, $24
• Best Splurge: Tata Harper Clarifying Moisturizer, $78
• Best for Combination Skin: First Aid Beauty Hydrating Dewy Gel Cream Moisturizer, $38
• Best for Oily Skin: Codex Labs Shaant Balancing Oil Control Cream, $35
• Best for Dry Skin: Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Cream, $38
• Most Mattifying: Cetaphil Gentle Clear Mattifying Acne Moisturizer, $11
• Best for Redness: Peach Slices Redness Relief Color Correcting Moisturizer, $20
• Best for Sensitive Skin: Cerave Facial Moisturizing Lotion PM, $15

Clear skin ahead.

I turned to this moisturizer in my time of need (a.k.a. when my TikTok algorithm convinced me I had fungal acne and needed to use lighter skin care products). Turns out, I don’t have fungal acne—but I do love this cream. I started using it at the end of summer, when my skin was often sweaty and easily irritated, and I kept using it until I ran out during freezing winter temps. Somehow, it managed to give the perfect amount of hydration through the seasons.

One SELF editor is also a huge fan of this moisturizer for her acne-prone skin: “I use this moisturizer every day after my vitamin C serum and before applying SPF. It’s fragrance-free, lightweight, and has ultra hydrating ingredients like ceramides and glycerin,” she says. “I also like that it has niacinamide, which is meant to calm the skin and improve acne—my two main goals.”

This 2024 Healthy Beauty Award winner tackles acne at the source, making it more than splurge-worthy (in our opinion). Its star ingredient, lactic acid, gently turns over dead skin cells that might otherwise clog your pores, causing breakouts. And it has antimicrobial properties, meaning it kills bacteria that can wreak havoc on your skin barrier and cause inflammation. As it works, lactic acid also acts as a humectant that’ll draw water into your skin, to keep it from becoming dry. (Talk about a multi-tasker.)

If this moisturizer’s acne-busting abilities weren’t enough, it also has a dreamy formula that doesn’t leave any residue behind. “It made my skin look like itself on its very best day, rather than shiny or greasy,” our tester says. “It’s the perfect pre-makeup daytime moisturizer, and I was genuinely excited to use it every morning. Plus, it looks beautiful on my bathroom sink. A workhorse and a hero.”

Fair warning: Once you try this lightweight moisturizer, you can’t go back. “The ceramides and hyaluronic acid combination is like a tall glass of ice water for my skin,” one SELF tester says. Glycerin and squalane hydrate, while niacinamide and colloidal oatmeal soothe inflamed skin.

The texture is just right too: “It absorbs instantly and is so light and gentle, which is perfect for my combination, acne-prone skin,” our tester adds. “I am constantly trying to find products that offset the dehydration caused by my acne products without adding too much oil to my skin and triggering breakouts. This is absolutely perfect for that, and leaves my skin feeling so much fuller and softer all day.”

If your skin leans oily, try out this 2023 Healthy Beauty Award winner. Its hero ingredient is bakuchiol, a gentler alternative to retinol that can improve your skin’s texture and tone. (It also has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.)

Our tester saw a major improvement in her oily, acne-prone skin after adding this to her routine: “My acne went down, my skin dried, and I felt refreshed after use.” And a little goes a long way: “This has a lotion-like consistency that spreads easily on my face, and I don't need much for each use, so I expect that this one tube will last me a long time,” she says.

As we mentioned, dry skin needs a moisturizer that’ll restore hydration, so your pores don’t overproduce oil to make up for the difference. Dr. Dufner recommends this Avène one because it has a rich, creamy texture that’s better for dry skin than a lot of the thinner, gel-formula moisturizers marketed toward people with acne. Plus, it has some great hydrating ingredients, like glycerin and squalane, to keep your skin barrier happy.

Not a fan of looking shiny? The niacinamide in this lightweight gel can help reduce the amount of oil on your skin while also soothing breakouts. It won’t leave your skin looking or feeling greasy, Marisa Garshick, MD, New York–based dermatologist and clinical assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, previously told SELF—instead, you’ll notice a nice, matte finish.

Another key ingredient: Salicylic acid, which Dr. Dufner says is great for gently exfoliating the skin and keeping your pores gunk-free.

Depending on your skin tone, your acne may appear red and inflamed. This color-correcting moisturizer has a slight green tint to counteract that redness, while also leaving your skin feeling nourished with hydrating and soothing ingredients—like panthenol, aloe vera, and centella asiatica, to name a few.

A 2023 Healthy Beauty Award winner, the cream blew our tester away: “It was like I was wearing a full-coverage concealer,” she said. “I’ve never, ever, EVER had a moisturizer resolve my redness the way this one did.”

Cerave is at the top of Dr. Dufner’s list when it comes to gentle moisturizers that won’t make your acne worse. This one is a SELF editor’s holy grail: “As someone with skin that’s both acne-prone and sensitive, I’m always performing a juggling act with exfoliating and hydrating, soothing products,” she says. “This moisturizer is super lightweight and non-greasy, yet still is perfectly hydrating for my skin. I use it every night after using an acid toner to prevent irritation, and it keeps my skin moisturized without weighing it down.”

It’s formulated without any potential acne triggers and it has ingredients that’ll actively help your skin barrier stay strong and healthy (think: ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide).

Moisturizing is an essential skin care step, but using the wrong one can do some real damage. The dermatologists we spoke with recommend checking for these five-star ingredients on the label first, before you add any new cream to your medicine cabinet.

• Hyaluronic acid is a super hydrator—and your skin needs moisture to stay balanced.
• Like hyaluronic acid, glycerin is a humectant that draws water into the skin to keep it from drying out.
• Ceramides will improve your skin barrier, which could be compromised if you’re dealing with acne.
• Salicylic acid is one of the most popular ingredients out there for combatting acne. It’s great to have in a moisturizer, as long as you’re not already using another exfoliating treatment (since over-exfoliating can also damage your skin barrier).
• Other gentle exfoliants like lactic acid and azelaic acid can get rid of dead skin cells that might clog pores while improving your skin’s tone and texture.

In general, dermatologists recommend avoiding any moisturizers that contain fragrance or essential oils because they can be irritating, especially if you have sensitive skin.

Finding the right products for your skin can be tough. That’s why we only included moisturizers we’ve used (and loved), or ones that dermatologists have specifically called out as suitable for acne-prone skin. Our picks can also target specific skin concerns that often come along with acne, like oiliness or redness. Somewhere on this list is a moisturizer that’ll leave your skin feeling its best.

Related:

• 11 Retinol Serums We Rely on for Smooth, Glowy Skin
• The Best Hydrating Serums for Dryness, Dullness, Fine Lines, and More
• 13 Moisturizing Smoothing Eye Creams for Mature Skin

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