It should be easy to find the best moisturiser for dry skin because, by their very definition, creams and lotions are designed to hydrate and nourish.

Yet it’s not that straightforward.

Some lock in moisture, some help control oil, others repair the skin barrier…the list and options are endless.

We recently started a major skincare group test on TikTok to make this whole process easier and to find the best moisturisers, serums, toners, and primers in the UK. At the time of writing, we’ve tested more than 200 products in total, and counting.

As part of this series, we’re ranking the products based on their price, how hydrating they are, and which skin type they’re best suited to among other factors.

This includes a mix of real-world reviews on different skin types, as well as measuring hydration levels with a hydration meter.

As a result, we’re able to finally reveal, once and for all, which are the best moisturisers for dry skin to suit all budgets.

We’ve previously ranked our best moisturisers for oily skin, as well as the best moisturisers for all skin types here.

The skincare series is similar to our foundation group test and you can read more about that on our best foundation makeup page.

If you’re interested to learn more about how we test moisturisers, jump straight to that section. We’re also tracking the scores for each of these products on a spreadsheet which you can find here.

Or keep reading to discover what we consider to be the best moisturisers for dry skin.

FURTHER READING: Best foundation for dry skin | Do you have dry skin or is just dehydrated? | What causes dry skin and how to get rid of it | What does moisturiser do – and how to match a moisturiser to your skin type

What’s the best moisturiser for dry skin?

mamabella | mamabella

If you’d rather not delve into our full list, below is our best moisturiser for dry skin at the time of writing. As we test more moisturisers, this may change.

***Clinique Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly***

This moisturising jelly is lightweight and hydrating making it ideal for dry skin. It contains glycerin to attract moisture, cucumber extract to soothe and calm dry, irritated skin, and hyaluronic acid to keep the skin plump and refreshed.

You can read more about this moisturiser below.

Best moisturiser for dry skin

This list is subject to change as more tests are completed. These are the top 10 best moisturisers for dry skin as of September 2023. You can see the full list of all products ranked on our spreadsheet, and we’ve also started listing the best serums, best toners, and best primers separately here.

1. Clinique Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly
2. Purito Deep Sea Water Cream
3. COSRX Snail Mucin All-In-One-Cream
4. e.l.f Superhydrate Gel
5. Charlotte Tilbury Magic Water Cream
6. Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base
7. Aveeno Oat Gel Moisturiser
8. CeraVe Moisturising Lotion
9. Eucerin Urea Lotion Plus 10%
10. Etude House Soon Jung 2x Barrier Cream

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Best BB cream | Best moisturiser | Best tinted moisturiser | Best toner | Best primer | Best cleanser| Best eye cream| Best anti-ageing cream | Best hand cream| Best foot cream | Best face mask | Best face exfoliator | Best face oil| Best serum| Best night cream | Best SPF | Best Vitamin C serum | Men’s skincare routine| Best stretch mark cream

Best moisturiser for dry skin reviews

Below we’ve started reviewing the best moisturisers for dry skin as part of our skincare group test and we’ll be adding to this list as the tests continue and as the scores and leaderboard change.

Clinique Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly

£35 | Buy now

mamabella | mamabella

Clinique’s Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly was one of the later products we tested in our hunt for the best moisturiser for dry skin and it jumped straight to the top.

This is despite being on the pricey side, which tends to knock points off.

During our hydration test, it increased the levels in our skin by a staggering 12 points after five minutes.

To put this into perspective, that represents an increase of 43.8% and is almost three times the average of the 100+ moisturisers we’ve tested.

What’s more, it’s the second-highest increase of any moisturiser tested, and higher than any serum too.

This impressive hydration then continued to rise further after an hour, giving a total hydration increase of 44.5%.

This alone would make it perfect for dry skin but the fact its jelly consistency feels cooling and calming on the skin, it gets extra kudos.

Ingredient-wise, there are no “icky” ingredients in this moisturiser. In fact, there are a couple of “superstar” and “goodie” ingredients in the form of glycerin, cucumber extract, and hyaluronic acid.

All of which are ideal for helping hydrate dry and dehydrated skin.

It also contains caffeine to bring dull skin to life and citric acid that acts as a gentle exfoliant to get rid of dead skin and debris. This is great for gently removing dry skin flakes, too.

In summary, we’re huge fans of this moisturiser for dry skin. Its price and the fact it’s not a fully vegan brand are the only downsides to what is otherwise a perfect product.

FURTHER READING: Clinique Moisture Surge review | Clinique has a hidden page on its site offering Last Chance skincare and makeup sets at a third off

Purito Deep Sea Water Cream

£17.50 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

Purito

The Purito Deep Sea Water Cream currently holds the top spot on our best moisturiser list, which takes all skin types into account, and sits in 2nd place in our best moisturiser for dry skin ranking.

This is because it delivered a huge increase of 13.2 points, or 35% in our hydration test after five minutes.

There was a slight drop of 1.3 points after an hour, but this still meant the overall hydration of our skin had increased by 11.9 points or 32.7%, making it ideal for dry and dehydrated skin.

The consistency of this Deep Sea Water Cream is closest to that of The Inkey List’s Omega Water Cream in that it’s a slightly runny lotion that feels light on the skin and absorbs easily.

On first use, we didn’t think this would be enough to soothe our dry skin but it was surprisingly nourishing without feeling heavy or thick.

You also only need a tiny amount of this cream to cover your entire face and neck, which goes some way to counteracting the fact this moisturiser is more expensive than others in this list.

A little goes a long way so you don’t need to use as much, and this makes the Purito cream good value.

Elsewhere in our best moisturiser for dry skin ranking, this cream scored a maximum of 10 points for its ingredients. This means that none of them have been found to cause problems with the skin.

Some of its ingredients have a mid-level risk of causing breakouts. It’s not something to be worried about, and in our experience, it’s not once caused us any problems, but this is worth considering if you have dry skin that is sometimes prone to spots.

Read our full Purito Deep Sea Water Cream review here

COSRX Snail Mucin All-in-One Cream

£27 | Buy now

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

COSRX

COSRX’s Snail 92 All In One Cream was one of the most requested products in our hunt for the best moisturiser for dry skin, and it currently sits in 3rd place.

This is because the gel-like cream increased the hydration of our skin by 11.1 percentage points, which equates to a little over 30% in just five minutes.

This not only makes it one of the most hydrating moisturisers we’ve tested, but it also puts it on par with the hydration increases seen in our best serum and best toner tests too.

It lost points slightly because of the fact it doesn’t come cheap. It’s also vegan, due to the use of snail mucin.

On the plus side, it scored the maximum amount of points for its ingredients and comes with low irritation and comedogenic ratings.

The consistency takes a little getting used to because it’s slimy and can be difficult to manage.

That said, it absorbs quickly and makes the skin feel immediately softer, smoother and hydrated.

A little also goes a long way so, like with the Purito Cream, this cream is good value for money despite the fact it costs almost £30!

Worth the investment, in our opinion.

e.l.f Superhydrate Gel Moisturiser

£12 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

mamabella | mamabella

Another super hydrating and lightweight moisturiser for dry skin is the e.l.f Superhydrate Gel Moisturiser.

In our hydration test, this refreshing gel increased the hydration levels 11.5 points, which represents an increase of 30% after five minutes.

Like with the Purito Cream, this hydration dropped slightly after an hour, by 2.5 points.

However, even with this drop, the Superhydrate Gel still increased the hydration of our skin by nine points, or 25% overall.

This is well above average compared to all of the other moisturisers we’ve tested.

The consistency is not too dissimilar to that of the COSRX All-In-One Cream, although this gel is slightly thicker and easier to control.

You don’t need to apply a lot of this gel to reap the rewards but if your skin is feeling particularly dry or you want to give it a little extra TLC, you can use this gel as a face mask.

Simply add a thicker layer and let it sit on the skin for as long as you like before massaging it in.

We use this gel as a face mask overnight and it leaves our skin feeling and looking amazing when we wake up.

It’s also one of the best moisturisers for dry skin because it doesn’t contain ingredients that could potentially cause redness, or irritation.

In fact, it contains antioxidants that actually boost its protection and help repair the skin barrier. A common cause of dry skin.

These include Vitamin E, as well as Centella Asiatica, a plant-based squalane alongside snow mushroom, to add hydration and niacinamide to brighten and clear the complexion.

All for a relatively cheap £12. Plus it’s vegan and cruelty-free so scores highly across the board in our hunt for the best moisturiser for dry skin.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Water Cream

£79 | Buy now

Charlotte Tilbury

Described by Charlotte Tilbury as a hydration hero, Charlotte’s Magic Water Cream is the thinner, unscented counterpart to her original and iconic Magic Cream.

Alongside antioxidants, like Vitamin E, and humectants and hydrating ingredients like squalane, and glycerin, the Magic Water Cream contains: beta-glucan for skin barrier repair, niacinamide to diminish the appearance of pores and reduce sebum; a Biopeptide Complex that enhances skin tone and texture, and more.

Charlotte Tilbury makes bold claims about its 48-hour hydration properties, and while we have yet to conduct a 48-hour test, our initial assessments indicate that this is quite accurate.

Within just five minutes of application, it raised our skin’s hydration by an impressive 17 points, marking the highest increase we’ve seen among all tested products.

Although this total hydration dipped slightly after an hour – to 14.6 points – it still meant our skin was 56% more hydrated than when we started the test.

What’s more, it’s exceptionally lightweight on oily and sensitive skin, leaving behind a dewy finish that isn’t overly greasy.

It doesn’t rank higher on our list due to its price tag and a few components that might pose challenges for extremely sensitive skin types.

Buy now

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base

£52 | Buy now

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

mamabella | mamabella

Sitting in fifth place in our best moisturiser for dry skin list is the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base.

Having gained an almost cult following on TikTok, this moisturiser is praised by makeup artists everywhere for providing a smooth and hydrated base for foundation.

Yet it can also be used as a moisturiser for dry skin on its own. This is because it’s lightweight and is formulated with Vitamin E to help nourish and protect the skin from environmental damage.

It also contains Vitamin A, making it additionally great for mature skin, especially skin that has become drier as a result of menopause; and Vitamin C which helps brighten and even out dull skin tone, which is one of the main complaints of dehydrated and dry skin.

In our tests, the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base increased hydration levels by 9.1 points (25.3%) after five minutes and dropped 2.7 points after an hour, giving a total rise of 19.2%.

This means that it can help to improve the overall hydration of the skin, leaving it feeling soft, smooth, and plump.

It didn’t make the podium because it lost points for being so expensive. The brand isn’t fully vegan, and the ingredients in the Face Base could potentially cause certain skin types some problems.

In particular, it contains a number of fragrances that could cause issues for people with sensitive skin.

As could the use of Vitamin A if your skin isn’t used to retinoids. These are minor points and the performance of the cream is great, but it’s worth considering.

Read more in our retinol for beginners explainer, and our best skincare for sensitive skin guide.

Buy from Lookfantastic

Eucerin Urea Lotion Plus  

£15.50 | Buy now

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

mamabella

Eucerin has become a well-known and trusted brand for people with dry and sensitive skin and one if its most popular products is the Eucerin Urea 10% Lotion.

In our tests, the lotion surprised us with its ability to deeply hydrate the skin without feeling greasy.

After five minutes of application, the lotion increased the hydration of our skin by 7.5 points (20%).

After an hour, the hydration level dropped slightly but this still gave it a total rise of 5.1 points (14.6%). This is above average for our moisturiser ranking, and it placed the lotion in 20th place.

We were also surprised by how lightweight the lotion felt. We had assumed that it would be greasy, given that it is designed for dry skin, but it was actually very easy to apply and absorbed quickly into the skin.

We don’t have dry skin ourselves, but we could definitely feel the nourishing effects of the lotion. We are confident that it would work wonders for people with dry or rough skin.

The lotion is also affordable, costing just £1.86 per 30ml. It is also suitable for sensitive skin, and the use of ceramides and natural moisturising factors helps to repair the skin barrier.

The only downside to the lotion is that the brand is not fully vegan. However, this is a minor issue for most people.

Overall, we were very impressed with the Eucerin Urea 10% Lotion. It is a great option for people with dry skin who are looking for a lightweight, affordable, and effective moisturiser.

Buy now from Lookfantastic | Buy now from Walmart

How we test moisturisers

For each best moisturiser for dry skin test, we use a moisture meter called the Mili Pure to record the hydration levels of our skin before applying the moisturiser. We then check the hydration levels five minutes later, and an hour after application.

All tests are carried out on our hands to make sure the oil and hydration levels on our face don’t skew the results. This isn’t perfect but does help make it more consistent.

We then additionally test all creams in the real-world on different skin types over the course of four-six weeks to form a more well-rounded review.

Best moisturiser: Scoring methodology

We ranked products for the best moisturiser for dry skin list by the following criteria:

• Price: This is the recommended retail price (RRP) for the product in question
• Price (per 30ml): Based on the RRP, we determine the price of the product in question, per 30ml
• Vegan: Fully vegan brands score 10. Brands that offer vegan products but aren’t fully vegan score 5. Brands with no vegan options score 0.
• Cruelty-free: Cruelty-free brands score 10. Brands that don’t test on animals, but who partner with organisations or countries that do, score 5. Brands that offer no assurances about animal testing score 0.
• Hydration points: The percentage point difference between the baseline hydration test, and the five-minute hydration test.
• Hydration percentage: The percentage difference between the baseline hydration test, and the five-minute hydration test.
• INCI score: Using the INCI Decoder website, we determine how many of the ingredients in a product’s formula are considered to be “icky” or worse. A product with no “icky” ingredients scores 100%, which we convert to a score of 10. A product with 10 ingredients and two of them are “icky” means the product is 20% “icky” and 80% “good.” The 80% is then converted to a score of 8.
• Irritation Rating: All ingredients listed on the INCI Decoder website come with an irritation score, out of 5. The score for this category is taken from the highest-rated ingredient.
• Comedogenic Rating: All ingredients listed on the INCI Decoder website also come with a comedogenic rating, out of 5. The score for this category is taken from the highest-rated ingredient.

MORE LIKE THIS

• Best foundation for dry skin
• Vegan vs cruelty-free: What’s the difference?
• Do you have dry skin or is it just dehydrated? Here’s how to tell the difference
• What causes dry skin and how to get rid of it
• Best cheap makeup alternatives to Charlotte Tilbury, NARS, Huda Beauty and more
• The best cheap skincare alternatives to La Mer, Estée Lauder and more
• What is SPF?
• The best anti-ageing creams
• Best face serum: The best hydrating serums from The Ordinary to Clarins
• The best eye creams
• How to get rid of dry skin on feet: The causes and treatments for rough skin and cracked heels
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• Skin flooding: Everything you need to know about the skincare trend that transforms dry and dehydrated skin
• The science of moisturiser

Victoria Woollaston-Webber

Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget

The post The best moisturisers for dry skin and dehydrated complexions, based on 100+ real-world tests appeared first on mamabella.

The best moisturiser needs to tick a lot of boxes. It can’t be too greasy, it can’t be too thick. It shouldn’t cost the earth but it needs to contain certain ingredients to do your skin justice.

We recently started a series on TikTok in a bid to find the best moisturisers, serums, toners and primers in the UK.

Below we’ve started listing the moisturisers we’ve tested as part of this series and we’ll be adding to this as the tests continue and as the scores and leaderboard change.

We’re also taking requests from followers about what products we should try next.

This skincare series is similar to our widescale foundation group test and you can read more about that on our best foundation makeup page.

If you’re interested to learn more about how we test moisturisers, jump straight to that section.

We’re also tracking the scores for each of these products on a spreadsheet which you can find here, or by clicking the button below.

What is the best moisturiser?

mamabella | mamabella

If you don’t want to go through our full list, and just want to know what is the best moisturiser that ticks all of the boxes, our current tried-and-tested favourite is:

***Purito Deep Sea Water Cream***
It’s suitable for dry and oily skin, is non-comedogenic and relatively affordable.

You can read more about this cream below, or you can read our full Purito Deep Sea Water Cream review here, or you can discover more of the best moisturisers for oily skin here.

Best moisturiser: Top 10

This list is due to change and evolve as more tests are completed. These are the top 10 best moisturisers as of September 2023. You can see the full list of all products ranked on our spreadsheet, and we’ve also started listing the best serums, best toners, and best primers separately here. You can also discover our best moisturisers for oily skin and best moisturisers for dry skin here. 

1. Purito Deep Sea Water Cream
2. Simple Daily Hydrating Light Moisturiser
3. Clinique Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly
4. e.l.f Superhydrate Gel Moisturiser
5. CORSX Snail Mucin All-In-One-Cream
6. The Ordinary Moisturising Factors and HA 
7. Good Molecules Silicon-Free Priming Moisturiser
8. Face & Base Gel Priming Moisturiser
9. Aveeno Oat Gel Moisturiser
10. e.l.f Happy Hydration Cannabis Sativa Moisturiser

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Best BB cream | Best moisturiser | Best moisturisers for dry skin | Best moisturiser for oily skin and acne | Best tinted moisturiser  | Best toner | Best primer | Best cleanser| Best eye cream| Best anti-ageing cream | Best hand cream| Best foot cream | Best face mask  | Best face exfoliator | Best face oil| Best serum| Best night cream | Best SPF | Best Vitamin C serum | Men’s skincare routine| Best stretch mark cream

Best moisturiser reviews

Below we’ve started reviewing the best moisturisers we’ve tested as part of our skincare group test and we’ll be adding to this list as the tests continue and as the scores and leaderboard change.

1. Purito Deep Sea Water Cream

£17.50 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

Purito

After months of sitting at the top of our best moisturiser list, Simple’s Daily Hydrating Light Moisturiser has finally been usurped by Purito’s Deep Sea Water Cream.

In our hydration test, the Purito cream increased hydration on our hand by a staggering 13.2 points or 35%.

After an hour, this increase dropped slightly by 1.3 points but it still gave a total hydration increase of 11.9 points or 32.7%.

Even though it’s not as cheap as the Simple moisturiser – in fact, it costs £10.50 per 30ml versus just 55p for Simple’s version – this wasn’t enough to drop Purito’s overall score enough to stop it from taking the top spot.

Purito specialises in vegan, cruelty-free, and clean products, and in our Inci Decoder category, it achieved an INCI score of 10, an Irritation rating of 1, and a comedogenic rating of 3.

You can read more about what these scores mean by jumping to our how we test moisturisers section at the bottom of this page. You can also see how those scores compare to other moisturisers we’ve tested by going to the spreadsheet.

With a total score of 50.5 points, it wasn’t quite enough to be the most hydrating product we’ve tested. That accolade still goes to the Fenty Beauty Fat Water toner serum, which currently tops our best serum list.

Yet it is the most hydrating moisturiser we’ve used. It’s light on the skin, absorbs easily, and doesn’t feel greasy or heavy. We’re obsessed!

Read our full Purito Deep Sea Water Cream review here

2. Simple Daily Hydrating Light Moisturiser

£3.45 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

Simple

Despite being an avid Simple skincare user as a teenager, it fell out of favour for other brands that were seemingly en vogue.

However, if our hydration test is anything to go by, we’ve been sleeping on the Simple brand for too long.

Over the course of five minutes, this Simple Daily Hydrating Moisturiser increased the hydration of our skin by 6.6 percentage points, which is equivalent to a 23.5% rise.

This isn’t the highest hydration increase of the moisturisers we’ve tested, however, when all the other factors are taken into consideration it caused this Simple lotion to jump into the top spot. These other factors include the fact it’s super affordable – £3.45 for 125ml – and is fully vegan and cruelty-free.

It’s even PETA-approved.

As you’d expect for such a hydrating moisturiser, this lotion feels light on the skin and it absorbed quickly without too much rubbing of the skin.

It’s fragrance-free, and has been designed to be suitable for all skin types. Including sensitive skin.

Given the level of hydration for such a light lotion, too, we’d think that this moisturiser would be great for oily skin as well as dry. Plus it’s light enough for mature skin, too.

An all-around great product that was the leader in our hunt for the best moisturiser for a long time until it got usurped by Purito.

Read our full Simply Hydrating Light Moisturiser review

3. Clinique Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly

£35 | Buy now

mamabella | mamabella

It takes a lot for a product to enter the top 10 in our best moisturiser list, let alone take a podium place. It’s even rarer when a product is on the pricey side yet Clinique has managed to do just that with its Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly.

It increased the hydration of our skin by 12 points or 43.8% after five minutes. This is the second-highest increase of any moisturiser tested, and higher than any serum too.

What’s more, the Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly continued to increase hydration by a further two points after an hour. Giving a total rise of 44.5%.

The reason it sits in third place in our best moisturiser list is because of its high price, and the fact it’s not a vegan brand.

Ingredient-wise, there are no “icky” ingredients in this moisturiser.

In fact, there are a couple of “superstar” and “goodie” ingredients in the form of glycerin, cucumber extract, and hyaluronic acid.

It also contains caffeine to bring dull skin to life and citric acid that acts as a gentle exfoliant to get rid of dead skin and debris.

This jelly is so lightweight, it feels closer to a serum in consistency than moisturiser and it feels cooling and soothing on our oily skin.

In summary, we’re huge fans of this moisturiser. It’s just a shame it costs so much.

FURTHER READING: Clinique Moisture Surge review | Clinique has a hidden page on its site offering Last Chance skincare and makeup sets at a third off

4. e.l.f Superhydrate Gel Moisturiser

£12 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

mamabella | mamabella

The latest product to enter the top five in our best moisturiser list is the e.l.f. Superhydrate Gel Moisturiser.

It increased the hydration levels of our skin by 11.5 points after five minutes – one of the highest percentage point increases of all the products we’ve tested. This is equivalent to a 30% increase.

Although it dropped hydration by 2.5 points after an hour, this still gave the Superhydrate gel moisturiser a rise of 9 points, or 25%, overall. Way above average.

It contains no “icky” ingredients and is vegan and cruelty-free, not to mention the fact it’s affordable.

In our experience, this is the best moisturiser we’ve tried on our oily skin. The gel formula feels lightweight and fresh and a little goes a long way.

It contains a plant-based squalane alongside snow mushroom, to add hydration; niacinamide to brighten, tone, and clarify; as well as Centella Asiatica and Vitamin E to protect, soothe and nourish the skin.

All for just £12!

5. COSRX Snail Mucin All-in-One Cream

£27 | Buy now

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

COSRX

COSRX’s Snail Mucin Essence topped our best face serum list for a long time and the All In One Cream from the same Snail Mucin range has jumped right up the leaderboard in our hunt for the best moisturiser.

In our test, the gel-like cream increased the hydration of our skin by more than 11 percentage points, which equates to a little over 30%.

At the time of writing, this is the highest percentage points increase of all of the products we’ve tested. It’s also the highest percentage increase in the moisturiser category.

Other products have scored higher, percentage-wise, but all of them have been serums or toner serums.

When all products are taken into consideration, the All In One Cream sits in fifth place overall.

The All In One Cream doesn’t quite take the top spot in our list of best moisturisers because it’s more expensive than the Simple Hydrating Lotion and it’s not fully vegan and cruelty-free.

Given the hydration and the lightweight nature of this cream, we’d say the All In One Cream would be particularly well-suited to oily skin as well as dry and mature skin.

A little also goes a long way so while it’s an expensive product, it could last you a while so it may end up being good value and a worthwhile investment.

FURTHER READING: The science of oily skin and how to get rid of it for good

6. The Ordinary Natural Moisturising Factors + HA

£6.80 | Buy now

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

The Ordinary

The Hyaluronic Acid serum from The Ordinary scored admirably in our hunt for the best face serum and now the brand’s Natural Moisturising Factors + HA cream has lived up to these high expectations.

Its description claims that this cream “offers immediate hydration” and our tests confirm this.

Going straight into the hydration-only charts at number six, this moisturiser not only increased the hydration of our skin by 5.6 percentage point (18%), but its affordable price and the fact it’s vegan and cruelty-free also means it ranks third overall. 

It’s not as cheap as the Simple lotion and didn’t hydrate quite as well as the COSRX Snail Mucin All-in-One cream.

However, judging by the fact so many people requested this as part of our best moisturiser group test, it suggests it will be a very popular, welcomed addition to the podium.

The cream itself feels this when it’s first applied but soon turns to a thin, almost lotion-style cream that is absorbed easily and quickly.

Leaving the skin feeling soft.

Deciem, the company that owns The Ordinary, describes Natural Moisturising Factors (NMF) as “elements that keep the outer layer of the skin protected and well-hydrated.”

This group consists of multiple amino acids, fatty acids, triglycerides, urea, ceramides, phospholipids, glycerin, saccharides, sodium PCA, hyaluronic acid and other compounds that are found naturally in the skin.

7. Good Molecules Silicone-Free Priming Moisturiser

£9.80 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)

mamabella | mamabella

Good Molecules has garnered an impressive reputation in the States and while it’s not currently directly available to buy in the UK, you can have its products shipped over for a small fee.

The reason it’s proved so popular is that it offers effective and simple formulas at affordable prices. Its Hyaluronic Acid serum currently sits in third place in our best serum list and following our hydration test, this Silicone-Free Priming Moisturiser has entered our best moisturiser list at #7.

It takes a lot to get into the top 10 because the rest of the products at the top of the table performed so well but after just five minutes, the hydration levels of our skin when using this Good Molecules moisturiser rose by 8.6 points (23%). After an hour, this dropped slightly but still ended on a high – 7.4 points up, or 20.6% overall.

Elsewhere, it scored well for being so affordable – 30ml of this moisturiser costs just £5.88 (converted from dollars) – and it scored the maximum 10 points in our INCI Decoder categories. This means that it contains no “icky” ingredients.

Elsewhere, none of its ingredients are listed as causing irritation, and two ingredients (Cetearyl Alcohol, and Glyceryl Stearate) have comedogenic ratings of 2 out 5. This means the risk of breakouts is low.

It should be noted that even though it contains alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol is very different from regular alcohol, which will appear on ingredient lists as Alcohol Denat. It doesn’t dry the skin, doesn’t cause irritation, and is what’s known as a “fatty alcohol” meaning it makes your skin feel soft and smooth.

As we said, it’s a shame this moisturiser isn’t available from a UK retailer. If you don’t want to pay the fees, or don’t want to wait for the product to ship from the US, then we also highly recommend our eighth-place moisturiser, Face & Base Gel Moisturiser (see below).

It’s almost identical in terms of ingredients, performance, and price.

Buy now from Good Molecules

8. Face & Base Gel Priming Moisturiser

£15.99 | Buy now (UK)

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

Face & Base

Face & Base is a new British brand on a mission to offer effective vegan, cruelty-free and clean skincare with “no BS.” At the moment it sells just one product but, judging by our best moisturiser tests, it’s an incredible debut called the Gel Priming Moisturiser.

In our hydration test, this moisturiser increased hydration by 7.9 percentage points (21.3%) after five minutes. An hour after application, this hydration dropped by 1.2 points but even with this reduction, hydration levels were still 18.6%.

It scored maximum points for being vegan and cruelty-free and at £16 RRP, or £9.59 for 30ml, it’s an affordable product, too.

Elsewhere, according to the INCI Decoder database, the Face & Base Gel Priming Moisturiser contains no “icky” ingredients.

In fact, the large majority of ingredients are labelled “goodies” or “superstars” and as a result, its ingredients have an Irritation rating of zero.

The Gel Priming Moisturiser does have a comedogenic rating of 2, due to the inclusion of the antioxidant olive oil (Olea Europaea) but we’ve not experienced any clogged pores or breakouts, on top of what we’d get normally with our adult acne, so we suggest taking this with a pinch of salt.

The ratings also depend on the amount of an ingredient used and without knowing the exact details, this is purely a guide.

And in terms of real-world use, this gel feels great on our oily skin. It absorbs easily and you only need a tiny amount to give your face a youthful glow that doesn’t feel greasy.

We’ve only been using it for two weeks, so we’re yet to see long-term differences yet but the brand has a lot of positive reviews so we’ll keep you posted.

Buy now from Boots

9. Aveeno Oat Gel Moisturiser

£16 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

mamabella | mamabella

The Aveeno Calm and Restore serum didn’t even make it into our top 20 best face serums but its Oat Gel moisturiser performed significantly better, going straight in at number nine on our best moisturiser list.

We’re already big fans of this moisturiser and whenever our skin barrier gets damaged – from using too much retinol, or when we’ve accidentally over-exfoliated – we reach for this cream.

It’s so cooling on the skin, it’s as if it’s come straight from the fridge each time we use it and it’s lightweight. It doesn’t feel heavy on the skin and it absorbs almost immediately, taking all of its hydrating goodness deep inside.

In our hydration tests, this moisturiser increased levels by 6.7 points (25%) after five minutes, and – despite dropping ever so slightly after an hour – managed to keep hydration levels high at 24.7% overall.

Elsewhere, it’s affordable and its ingredients have a low risk of causing irritation and breakouts.

There are a couple of downsides.

We don’t love the packaging of this gel-like cream and, as is the case with all jar moisturisers, it’s best to use a skincare spatula to get the cream out of the pot.

Most pot moisturisers ship with small plastic spatulas but you can also reusable cosmetic spatulas separately on Amazon for around £8.

If you use your fingers, you run the risk of adding bacteria to the formula which can lead to skin breakouts, lessen the impact of the cream, and intefere with the delicate preservative systems that prevent your skincare from growing mould or similar.

Another downside is that while Aveeno, as a brand, is cruelty-free, it’s owned by Johnson and Johnson which does sell products in China, where animal testing is still used.

Read our full Aveeno Oat Gel moisturiser review here

10. e.l.f Happy Hydration Cannabis Sativa Moisturiser

£16 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

mamabella | mamabella

Another e.l.f entry in our best moisturiser list, this time for the Happy Hydration Cannabis Sativa moisturiser.

As a different take on e.l.f’s Holy Hydration cream – which currently sits in 13th place in this best moisturiser list – the Happy Hydration version gets its name from the fact it contains hemp seed oil.

Hemp is a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant species and contains compounds called cannabinoids, the most common of which is cannabidiol (CBD).  As you can read in our What is CBD? guide, research has shown CBD helps with inflammation and positively influences wellbeing and mood.

Hemp is used in cooking, in supplements as well as in skincare and beauty products because of its ability to nourish and hydrate the skin. It should be noted that while it’s a variation of Cannabis sativa, it doesn’t get you high because it doesn’t contain a compound known as THC.

Alongside hemp seed oil, the Happy Hydration cream contains Vitamin B5, to soothe the skin; hyaluronic acid to hydrate and plump, and niacinamide (Vitamin B3) to help boost hydration, prevent moisture loss, and brighten your skin tone.

In our hydration test, it increased hydration by 6.7 points (20.1%) after five minutes. Hydration levels dropped by 1.8 points after an hour, but this still gave a total rise of 4.9 points, or 15.6%.

Further pushing it up the list is the fact it’s affordable – £12 in the UK – and the brand is vegan and cruelty-free. It would have scored even higher but it contains an ingredient called Isopropyl Isostearate that has been known to be comedogenic.

This means that it could cause pimples on acne-prone skin. We have acne and haven’t experienced any problems with this cream, but it’s worth bearing in mind. Alternatively, making sure you’re cleansing and exfoliating properly will reduce the chances.

Best moisturiser: Top 11-20

• CeraVe Moisturising Lotion
• The Inkey List Omega Water Cream
• Charlotte Tilbury Magic Water Cream
• Florence by Mills Dreamy Dew
• e.l.f Holy Hydration
• Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Gel Cream
• Etude House Soon Jung 2x Barrier
• Byoma Moisturising Gel-Cream
• e.l.f Pure Skin Moisturiser
• iUNIK Beta-Glucan Moisture Cream

CeraVe Moisturising Lotion

£11 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

mamabella | mamabella

In our best moisturiser test, the CeraVe Moisturising Lotion increased the hydration of our skin by 25%. That is, in just five minutes, the CeraVe lotion enhanced the hydration of the skin on our hand by a quarter.

Only serums and essences performed higher, which we’d expect because these are typically designed to penetrate deeper into your skin whereas moisturisers, instead, create a barrier to avoid hydration escaping.

Compared to the CeraVe Moisturising Cream, the lotion is thinner and absorbs more easily.

This makes it better suited as a daytime moisturiser, while the cream may better suit drier skin, or as an overnight moisturiser.

As you can read in our guide to the best CeraVe products, the brand was born out of a need to help repair the skin barrier – a key component in acne, eczema, psoriasis and other conditions.

It contains three essential ceramides, which are fatty acids and lipids found naturally in skin cells.

They’re important for retaining your skin’s moisture, and they help prevent the entry of germs into your body.

Although our skin generates ceramides naturally, their levels drop with age and can be impacted by environmental factors, leading to your skin suffering and deteriorating from a lack of protection.

FURTHER READING: The best CeraVe products for all your skincare concerns – from acne, wrinkles, bumpy skin and eczema

The Inkey List Omega Water Cream

£9.99 | Buy now

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

The Inkey List

Further proof that you don’t need to spend a fortune on skincare to see results, the Omega Water Cream from The Inkey List increased our skin’s hydration by 11.7% in our best moisturiser test.

As you’d expect, given its name, this cream is runny and thin. This means it absorbs easily and doesn’t feel too heavy on the skin.

The Inkey List claims that its secret sauce is its ‘Omega Ceramide Complex’ which contains omegas 3, 6 and 9.

These work together to prevent water loss and boost the skin’s elasticity.

The hydration then comes from the fact it contains 5% glycerin.

Glycerin is a humectant or moisture magnet, that pulls hydration to the skin for the moisturiser to lock it in place.

This is why it’s important to apply this cream and others like it on damp or even wet skin.

This cream additionally contains niacinamide to help regulate oil production, reduce redness and prevent pimples.

You can read more about The Inkey List and see some of its other best products here.

FURTHER READING: Spotlight on The Inkey List: Affordable skincare and hair care that actually does as it promises

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Water Cream

£79 | Buy now

Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte’s Magic Water Cream is the lighter, fragrance-free sibling of the original Charlotte’s Magic Cream.

The brand calls it a hydration saviour and it contains beta-glucan to help repair the skin barrier; Niacinamide and an “Oil Balancing Extract” to reduce the appearance of pores and excess sebum;  a Biopeptide Complex to improve the appearance of skin tone and texture; antioxidant Vitamin E, as well as hydration superstars squalane, and glycerin.

Charlotte Tilbury makes some bold claims about 48-hour hydration and, while we haven’t tested it for 48 hours yet, our early hydration tests suggest that these claims are pretty accurate.

It caused the hydration of our skin to rise by 17 points after just five minutes. This is the highest increase of any product we’ve tested.

This total hydration did drop slightly after an hour, but even with this drop, the total hour-long increase was 14.6 points – 56% higher than before we applied the cream.

What’s more, it feels super lightweight on our oily, sensitive skin and gives a dewy – but not greasy-looking – finish.

The cream doesn’t feature higher in the list, however, because it’s expensive and contains a couple of ingredients that could cause issues to very sensitive skin types.

All that considered though, it still enters our best moisturiser list in 13th place and takes a top 10 spot in our best moisturiser for oily skin list, and our best moisturiser for dry skin list.

Buy now

Florence by Mills Dreamy Dew

£14 | Buy now

mamabella | mamabella

If you’re a Stranger Things fan, you’ll be very familiar with Millie Bobby Brown.

Beyond being an amazing actress, she also has her own skincare line called Florence by Mills and our favourite product from her collection is the Dreamy Dew moisturiser.

It’s super lightweight on the skin and is designed to help control oil and leave the skin calm and refreshed. All while leaving it looking dewy, as the name suggests.

In our hydration test, this moisturiser increased the levels of our skin by a hugely impressive 7.6 points (20.3%) after just five minutes.

Even dropping 2.4 points after an hour, this still gave a total hydration increase of 5.2 points, or 14.9%. This is above average compared to all the entries in our best moisturiser list.

Ingredients-wise, it has a relatively low irritation and comedogenic rating so shouldn’t cause too many problems with sensitive skin, and it shouldn’t cause breakouts. We have adult acne and skin that’s prone to redness and we’ve not experienced any issues with this cream.

We should point out though that it does contain fragrance. This fragrance is in very low amounts and smells subtle but if your skin doesn’t like perfumes, this could be a concern.

It’s also not the cheapest moisturiser on our list. It’s far from the most expensive and a little goes a very long way but this might put it out of reach for some.

Buy now from Boots |

e.l.f Holy Hydration 

£12 | Buy now

e.

e.l.f is one of the best cheap makeup brands around but it also sells great skincare, including its Holy Hydration range.

Within the wider range, it sells a Holy Hydration eye cream, cleanser and cleansing balm, sleeping and lip mask and, the product we’ve tested in our hunt for the best moisturiser, the e.l.f. Holy Hydration Face Cream.

We tested the SPF, fragranced version and it increased hydration by 6.4 points or 18% after five minutes.

This hydration continued to increase by another point after an hour, which took the total percentage rise to 20%. As a result, this moisturiser jumped straight into the top 10.

This is due to the fact this cream contains hyaluronic acid as well as squalene and Vitamin B5.

It also contains niacinamide and peptides to help promote collagen and brighten skin tone.

The cream is thicker than we thought it would be and took a while to massage into the skin but it left a soft finish and didn’t feel as heavy as its consistency would suggest.

The fragrance is very light but if fragranced products irritate your skin, you can buy a fragrance-free version.

Buy now from Boots | Buy now from Amazon

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Gel Cream

£16.40 | Buy now

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

mamabella | mamabella

Like with Etude House, we hadn’t heard of Isntree before a number of our TikTok followers asked to test the brand. And the most popular product request was the Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Gel Cream.

Isntree is a Korean beauty brand that specialises in using natural, functional ingredients that do as they promise in products that are manufactured and sold with sustainability at their core. In fact, its name is a portmanteau of “island”, “natural” and “tree.”

The Aqua Gel Cream contains five types of hyaluronic acid, which helps suck in moisture to the skin. It then has squalene from olive oil (to refine skin texture); aloe vera to soother irritation, and sodium PCA to prevent the skin from drying out.

As the name suggests, this cream has a light, gel texture which makes it particularly good for oily and combination skin. After all, oily skin still needs to be hydrated to prevent it producing even more sebum to overcompensate for the lack of moisture. It is also great for dry, and sensitive skin too. No mean feat.

In our hydration test, this gel cream increased the hydration levels of our skin by 4.6 percentage points (15.9%) after five minutes. It then rose a further 0.3 percentage points after an hour. This gave the gel a total hydration increase of 4.9 points or 14.5%.

This is a decent score, especially in our hunt for the best moisturiser, and it helped push the cream into the top 10. Knokcing Etude House’s Soon Jung 2x Barrier Cream out of the top 10 for the first time.

The Isntree Aqua Gel Cream gained the same overall score as e.l.f’s Holy Hydration. The e.l.f version is slightly cheaper, and its hydration increase was slightly higher. It lost points for having a couple of “icky” ingredients on the INCI Decoder database. It also contains Stearyl Heptanoate which has a comedogenic rating of 4. This means the ingredient has been linked with causing breakouts.

By comparison, Isntree’s gel has no “icky” ingredients, an irritation rating of 0, and a comedogenic rating of 1. These ratings apply to the ingredients rather than the formula as a whole, so they should be used as a guide only.

Buy from YesStyle UK | Buy from YesStyle US

Etude House Soon Jung 2x Barrier

£14.99 | Buy now

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

mamabella | mamabella

Etude House wasn’t a brand we’d heard of before we began our hunt for the best moisturiser, yet after numerous people on TikTok requested its Soon Jung 2X Barrier Cream, we put it to the test.

It didn’t disappoint, jumping straight into the Top 10 and pushing one-time-leader Cetaphil Daily Hydration Lotion out of the leaderboard for the first time.

In our test, this Soon Jung cream increased the hydration of our skin by a very high 8.8 percentage points, or 24%, after five minutes. After an hour, this jumped a further point, giving a total rise of 9.8 points or 26%. It’s also affordable, coming in at £15.

Consistency-wise, it feels thick but is closer to a lotion than a cream. Plus it absorbs easily and doesn’t leave the skin feeling greasy or heavy.

In fact, our skin felt soft and looked glowy for hours after application. It’s also fragrance-free, which should reduce the chance of it irritating sensitive skin.

Despite all of these positives, the reason the Soon Jung Barrier Cream didn’t score higher is because it lost points for not being a fully vegan brand.

It also sells products in China, which means that while Etude House doesn’t test its products on animals directly, it allows the authorities it works with to do so. This means it also dropped points in the cruelty-free category.

We recently discovered a website called YesStyle that makes it easy, and cheap, to get hold of Japanese and Korean beauty in the UK, and the Soon Jung Barrier Cream is currently on offer for just a tenner.

Shipping takes about a week, which is less than ideal if you’re desperate for certain products but if you’re not, and can wait, we think it’s worth it. Plus, you can use the exclusive mamabella discount code: MAMABELLA to get 10% off your order.

Buy from YesStyle UK | Buy from YesStyle US

Byoma Moisturising Gel-Cream 

£11.99 | Buy now

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

mamabella | mamabella

Byoma only came to life during the 2020 lockdown and it’s already gaining a cult following for its affordable, accessible skincare that’s designed to help repair our skin barrier.

This is because a stronger skin barrier results in clearer, brighter skin.

What’s more, Byoma puts sustainability and ethics at its heart and all of its products are vegan, cruelty-free, while the packaging is made from fully recyclable 100% monomaterial plastic.

We’ve tested two products in the range as part of our TikTok skincare series – the Byoma Hydrating Serum, and the Byoma Moisturising Gel-Cream.

Both performed admirably, entering the top 10 immediately, but the Moisturising Gel-Cream scored particularly high.

Not only did it increase hydration by 4.7 points (14%) after five minutes, it continued to hydrate the skin over the course of an hour. Rising our skin’s hydration levels another 4.7 points, or 9.3 points overall.

This means that after an hour, our skin was 25% more hydrated than before. To put this into perspective, the average hour-long hydration rate currently sits at 8.4%.

This means Byoma tripled the performance of the average creams and lotions on our best moisturisers list. It then got extra points for its vegan and cruelty-free credentials, as well as for being affordable

Buy now from Boots | Buy now from Ulta

e.l.f Pure Skin Moisturiser

£12 | Buy now

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

mamabella | mamabella

Yet another entry in our best moisturiser list for e.l.f, this time for its Pure Skin Moisturiser.

Designed for oily, acne-prone, and sensitive skin, the e.l.f Pure Skin Moisturiser is a lightweight, oil-free moisturiser formulated with hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid, and glycerin.

These ingredients help the skin to retain moisture and stay hydrated while getting rid of dead skin cells and helping to keep excess sebum under control.

In our best moisturiser group test, this moisturiser increased the hydration levels of our skin by 5.5 points, or 14.1% after five minutes.

An hour later, these levels had dropped by 4.2 points to give a total hydration increase of 1.3 (3.9%) and while this is below average for the moisturisers on our list, it’s still impressive given that this moisturiser is aimed at oily skin.

There’s a myth that oily skin doesn’t need hydration but the e.l.f Pure Skin moisturiser manages to balance hydration with mattification in ways that few creams can.

Elsewhere, it doesn’t contain any ingredients that could cause problems and has a low irritation and comedogenic rating. All while being fully vegan and cruelty-free.

Not to mention it’s affordable. It’s a great all-rounder and that’s why it sits in 18th place in our best moisturiser list.

Want more? Check out our guide to the best moisturiser for oily skin and acne. 

Buy now from Boots | Buy now from e.l.f US

iUNIK Beta-Glucan Moisture Cream

£11.99 | Buy now

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

mamabella | mamabella

iUNIK is yet another Korean skincare brand that’s bringing the goods. The whole brand ethos centres on creating minimalist and effective products that contain only natural and high-quality ingredients.

As a result, all of their formulas are free from parabens, sulfates, and artificial fragrances, making them a great choice for people with sensitive skin.

One of iUNIK’s most popular products is its Beta-Glucan Moisture Cream. It’s formulated with 3,000mg of beta-glucan which is a natural polysaccharide found in the cell walls of plants. It helps to soothe and hydrate the skin in a way that shouldn’t irritate or cause breakouts.

It also contains centella asiatica extract, which is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and can help to calm irritated skin.

In our hydration test, this iUNIK cream increased the hydration levels of our skin by 6.9 points (21.3%) after just five minutes and continued to increase hydration after an hour.

At this point, the levels had risen by a further 0.2 points giving a total rise of 7.1 (21.8%).

Texture-wise, this cream feels closer to a gel that absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy residue.

A lightweight feeling that our oily skin particularly liked. The only ingredient in this cream that has been flagged as being potentially problematic is Commiphora Myrrha Resin Extract.

This extract is a natural antiseptic, astringent, and disinfectant making it great for acne-prone skin, yet in high levels, it can cause irritation. In the iUNIK cream, there are trace amounts so it should be absolutely fine but we just wanted to flag it up.

What’s more, it’s too expensive either. Sephora in the UK sells it for £16 but if you buy it from Stylevana, not only can you get it for less than a tenner, but we also have a exclusive discount code to drop the price further.

Just enter the code INF10MAMABEL at the checkout to get 10% off the already cheaper price!

Buy now from Sephora | Buy now from Stylevana

How we test moisturisers

For each best moisturiser test, we use a device called the Mili Pure to record the moisture level of the skin on our hands before washing them. We then apply each moisturiser, serum, and essence onto the damp skin.

After five minutes we take a second hydration reading. We then wait an hour and take a third and final reading.

The reason we do these tests on our hand is because we have adult acne. The oil and hydration levels on our face can vary significantly and this could skew the results. We’re aware this isn’t perfect, because the products are made for our face, however, given that the hydration levels of our hands are more consistent, we feel this is a fairer way to do the tests.

Best moisturiser: Scoring methodology

To determine a product’s total score, which determines where it sits on the leaderboard, we add together the points in the Vegan, Cruelty-Free, Hydration Percentage, and INCI Score categories. We then subtract the price per 30ml, and the Irritation and Comedone Rating scores.

• Price: This is the recommended retail price (RRP) for the product in question
• Price (per 30ml): Based on the RRP, we determine the price of the product in question, per 30ml
• Vegan: Fully vegan brands score 10. Brands that offer vegan products but aren’t fully vegan score 5. Brands with no vegan options score 0.
• Cruelty-free: Cruelty-free brands score 10. Brands that don’t test on animals, but who partner with organisations or countries that do, score 5. Brands that offer no assurances about animal testing score 0.
• Hydration points: The percentage point difference between the baseline hydration test, and the five-minute hydration test.
• Hydration percentage: The percentage difference between the baseline hydration test, and the five-minute hydration test.
• INCI score: Using the INCI Decoder website, we determine how many of the ingredients in a product’s formula are considered to be “icky” or worse. A product with no “icky” ingredients scores 100%, which we convert to a score of 10. A product with 10 ingredients and two of them are “icky” means the product is 20% “icky” and 80% “good.” The 80% is then converted to a score of 8.
• Irritation Rating: All ingredients listed on the INCI Decoder website come with an irritation score, out of 5. The score for this category is taken from the highest-rated ingredient.
• Comedogenic Rating: All ingredients listed on the INCI Decoder website also come with a comedogenic rating, out of 5. The score for this category is taken from the highest-rated ingredient.

Note: Please take the Irritation and Comedogenic ratings with a pinch of salt. The rating can change depending on the amount of that particular ingredient being used. For example, if an ingredient has an irritation rating of 5 but only features in trace amounts in the product in question, the chances of it causing irritation are lower than the rating would suggest. This should be used as a guide only. You can find out more about this here.

If you’re looking to save some money and don’t want to fork out for multiple products, there might be something of interest in our best tinted moisturiser list as a handful of our favourites tick all the boxes.

What is the use of moisturiser?

We go into more detail about how moisturisers work in our science of moisturiser article but moisturiser has a number of uses.

Depending on the moisturiser and its ingredients, it can:

• Improve your skin’s hydration by increasing the water content in the stratum corneum – the upper layer of your skin
• Increase occlusion, which means it creates a barrier on the skin to stop water from being evaporated
• Cover small cracks in the skin to help them repair themselves
• Provide a protective film over the skin
• Protect the skin from friction

Why do dermatologists say not to use moisturiser?

There are dermatologists who claim moisturisers can make your skin “lazy.” According to this school of thought, constantly flooding the skin with moisture makes your fibroblast cells think they don’t have to work so hard, so they effectively slow down or give up.

These cells are also responsible for producing collagen and elastin meaning if they become lazy, it can also cause premature ageing because these are the building blocks of youthful skin.

Other dermatologists swear by moisturiser, while a third group say that it should be used sparingly or – if you have dry skin – you only need to use products like Vaseline or similar to lock moisture into the skin without making it lazy.

If you’re not seeing any difference from using a moisturiser, or you find your moisturiser is making your skin worse, it can’t do any harm to reduce its use to see if your skin improves. You could opt for only using moisturiser when your skin is particularly dry or damaged, from sunburn or similar, or opting only for an occlusive such as petroleum jelly.

Everyone’s skin is different so do what you think works best for you.

What is the best moisturiser for oily skin?

The Inkey List

Below is our best moisturiser for oily skin and acne at the time of writing.

***The Inkey List Omega Water Cream***

This moisturiser is lightweight and hydrating making it perfect for oily skin. It contains glycerin, niacinamide and ceramides to help keep the skin barrier healthy and balanced.

It’s also one of the best cheap moisturisers for oily skin, too, making it a great all-rounder.

What’s the best moisturiser for dry skin?

mamabella | mamabella

Below is our best moisturiser for dry skin at the time of writing.

***Clinique Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly***

This moisturising jelly is lightweight and hydrating making it ideal for dry skin. It contains glycerin to attract moisture, cucumber extract to soothe and calm dry, irritated skin, and hyaluronic acid to keep the skin plump and refreshed.

Which moisturiser is best for tattoos?

One question we’ve received a few times since launching our best moisturiser tests is which moisturiser is best for tattoos. The answer we usually give is either Vaseline or Bepanthen. Both help create a protective barrier over the tattoo and help with the skin’s natural healing process.

Having recently tried the Eucerin Urea Lotion Plus 10%, we’ve since been recommending this wonder cream.

mamabella

***Eucerin Urea Lotion Plus *** 

The Eucerin lotion increased and maintained the hydration of our skin by 14.6% after an hour. This is above average.

It’s surprisingly lightweight and affordable, coming in at just £1.86 per 30ml, and £15.50 overall.

Its ingredients are ideal for sensitive skin, and the use of ceramides and natural moisturising factors (NMF) means this lotion can repair as well as nourish, making it great for tattoos.

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• The best anti-ageing creams
• Does anti-ageing skincare actually work? Here’s what the evidence says
• Best face serum: The best hydrating serums from The Ordinary to Clarins
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Victoria Woollaston-Webber

Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget

The post Best moisturiser UK: We’ve tested 100+ face creams to discover which moisturiser best suits your skin type appeared first on mamabella.

Finding the best moisturiser is hard enough when you have so-called normal skin, let alone when you have oily or acne-prone skin that’s prone to flare up at the slightest contact with the wrong ingredient.

We technically have combination skin, because we get dry patches on the edges near our ears, but the rest of our face is like an oil slick most of the time. This not only means our makeup has a tendency to slide off, but it also increases our chances of breakouts and we regularly suffer from adult acne.

For ages, we thought that skipping moisturiser and just applying SPF would be enough to prevent excess oil but it actually made it worse. This is because, despite the myths, oily skin needs hydration too.

Our skin cells thrive on hydration and if we fail to quench this thirst, the skin barrier can’t function as well, and become damaged. Once damaged, it’s harder for our skin to stay balanced and this can cause excess sebum to get out of control.

What’s more, if your oily skin doesn’t get enough hydration it thinks it needs to produce more oil to solve the problem, not less.

As part of our widescale hunt for the best moisturiser, which we’re documenting on TikTok, we’ve also started ranking the best moisturisers for oily skin below.

This ranking is based on ingredients, hydration, and price as well as real-world tests on people with oily and acne-prone skin.

If you’re interested to learn more about how we test moisturisers for oily skin, jump straight to that section.

We’re also tracking the scores for each of these products on a spreadsheet which you can find here, or by clicking the button below. On this spreadsheet are Skin Type columns that show, at a glance, which moisturisers are best for oily skin, as well as other skin types.

What is the best moisturiser for oily skin?

The Inkey List

If you’d rather not delve into our full list, below is our best moisturiser for oily skin at the time of writing. As we test more moisturisers, this may change.

***The Inkey List Omega Water Cream***

This moisturiser is lightweight and hydrating making it perfect for oily skin. It contains glycerin to attract moisture, niacinamide to reduce redness, control oil and help prevent breakouts, and ceramides to help keep the skin barrier healthy and balanced.

What’s more, it’s one of the best cheap moisturisers for oily skin, too. A great all-rounder.

You can read more about this cream below.

Best moisturiser for oily skin

This list is subject to change as more tests are completed. These are the top 10 best moisturisers for oily skin as of August 2023. You can see the full list of all products ranked on our spreadsheet, and we’ve also started listing the best serums, best toners, and best primers separately here. 

1. The Inkey List Omega Water Cream
2. e.l.f Superhydrate Gel Moisturiser
3. Etude House Soon Jung 2x Barrier Cream
4. Byoma Moisturising Gel-Cream
5. Purito Deep Sea Water Cream
6. The Ordinary Moisturising Factors and HA 
7. Face & Base Gel Priming Moisturiser
8. iUNIK Beta-Glucan Moisture Cream
9. e.l.f Pure Skin Moisturiser

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Best BB cream | Best BB cream for oily skin | Best moisturiser | Best tinted moisturiser  | Best toner | Best primer | Best cleanser| Best eye cream| Best anti-ageing cream | Best hand cream| Best foot cream | Best face mask  | Best face exfoliator | Best face oil| Best serum| Best night cream | Best SPF | Best Vitamin C serum | Men’s skincare routine| Best stretch mark cream

Best moisturiser for oily skin reviews

Below we’ve started reviewing the best moisturisers for oily skin as part of our skincare group test and we’ll be adding to this list as the tests continue and as the scores and leaderboard change.

1. The Inkey List Omega Water Cream

£9.99 | Buy now

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

The Inkey List

Proving that effective skincare doesn’t have to break the bank, the Omega Water Cream is a budget-friendly gem that stood out in our hunt for the best moisturiser for oily skin because of its consistency, ingredients, price, and performance.

True to its name, the Omega Water Cream has a lightweight, runny, almost watery consistency that absorbs easily into the skin, without leaving a heavy or greasy feeling. It contains a so-called Omega Ceramide Complex, formulated with a blend of omega 3, 6, and 9.

These fatty acids work together to help strengthen the skin’s barrier, preventing water loss and boosting elasticity.

In our hydration test, this cream boosted the hydration levels of our skin by 11.7%, largely due to the fact it contains 5% glycerin.

As a humectant, glycerin acts as a magnet for moisture, attracting and locking hydration into the skin. When applied to damp skin – either straight after cleansing or once you’ve applied your serums – it maximises the effectiveness of the glycerin and this boosts how well the cream hydrates the skin.

But the benefits don’t stop there. The Omega Water Cream contains niacinamide which is a multitasking ingredient renowned for its ability to help control oil production, reduce redness, and prevent breakouts. By tackling excessive sebum, this cream also helps maintain a balanced complexion, keeping oily skin concerns at bay.

All for less than £10!

You can read more about The Inkey List and see some of its other best products here.

FURTHER READING: Spotlight on The Inkey List: Affordable skincare and hair care that actually does as it promises

2. e.l.f Superhydrate Gel Moisturiser

£12 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

mamabella | mamabella

Another super lightweight moisturiser for oily skin, the e.l.f Superhydrate Gel Moisturiser leaves the skin refreshed and hydrated.

In our hydration test, this gel increased the hydration levels of our skin by one of the highest percentage point increases of any of the products we’ve tested, boosting it by 30% after five minutes.

After an hour, this hydration did drop slightly by 2.5 points but this still represented a hydration increase of nine points, or 25% overall. Still above average compared to the dozens of other moisturisers we’ve tested.

A little goes a really long way so you don’t need to apply a lot to reap the benefits, however, if you want to give your skin a special treat you can also apply a thicker layer of this gel and use it as a mask. Especially overnight.

It’s one of the best moisturisers for oily skin because it doesn’t contain ingredients that could potentially cause breakouts, redness or excess oil, and it contains antioxidants that actually boost its protection.

This includes Vitamin E, as well as Centella Asiatica, a plant-based squalane alongside snow mushroom, to add hydration and niacinamide to brighten, tone, and clarify.

It just lost out to our first-place winner, The Inkey List Omega Water Cream, because it’s slightly more expensive at £12. This is still affordable though and because a little goes a long way, it’s really great value.

3. Etude House Soon Jung 2x Barrier

£14.99 | Buy now

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

mamabella | mamabella

After being requested multiple times by followers during our TikTok tests, Etude House’s Soon Jung 2X Barrier Cream jumped straight into the top 10 of our best moisturiser list, and into a podium place in this best moisturiser for oily skin list.

Firstly, it increased the hydration levels of our skin by 8.8 percentage points, or 24%, after five minutes. This hydration carried on increasing after an hour giving a total rise of 9.8 points or 26%.

It’s not quite as lightweight as the Omega Water Cream, or e.l.f’s Superhydrate Gel but it’s still closer to a lotion than a cream or thicker moisturiser. It absorbs just as well though, and doesn’t make the skin feel greasy, heavy, or congested.

Another reason why it sits in third place is because the brand isn’t a fully vegan brand. Whereas e.l.f is.

It also sells products in countries that require products to be tested on animals meaning that while it doesn’t test products directly, it can’t be classed as fully cruelty-free, like you can with The Inkey List.

As a Korean beauty brand, it’s not available on the UK high street but it is sold on a couple of sites that ship to the UK.

This includes YesStyle. Shipping takes about a week, which is quite a long time, but we think it’s worth it.

We also have an exclusive mamabella discount code: MAMABELLA that will give you 10% off your order.

Buy from YesStyle UK | Buy from YesStyle US

4. Byoma Moisturising Gel-Cream 

£11.99 | Buy now

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

mamabella | mamabella

In the midst of the 2020 lockdown, Byoma quickly garnered a devoted fanbase, thanks to its affordable and accessible skincare range.

The secret to its success lies in its focus on repairing and strengthening the skin barrier. When the skin barrier is healthy, skin looks clear, bright, and balanced and this makes the entire range good for oily skin.

Our favourite though, and the product that scored the highest out of all of the Byoma products we’ve tested, is the Moisturising Gel-Cream.

Within just five minutes, the Moisturising Gel-Cream boosted skin hydration by 4.7 points, equivalent to a 14% increase.

It then continued increasing hydration over the following hour, resulting in an overall increase of 9.3 points or 25%.

To put it into perspective, the average hydration increase of all the skincare we’ve tested is 8.4%.

It gained further points in our best moisturiser for oily skin ranking because it’s vegan, and cruelty-free and all of its packaging contains recycled materials.

You can also buy refills for its products, rather than buying new bottles each time. We think that Byoma’s range is already affordable but refills make it even cheaper.

Buy now from Boots | Buy now from Ulta

5. Purito Deep Sea Water Cream

£17.50 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

Purito

After a long reign at the top of our best moisturiser list, Simple’s Daily Hydrating Light Moisturiser was finally dethroned by the Purito Deep Sea Water Cream.

This was due largely to the fact the Purito cream delivered a huge increase of 13.2 points or 35% in our hydration test.

There was a slight drop of 1.3 points after an hour, but this pushed the overall hydration increase to 11.9 points or 32.7%.

The consistency of this Deep Sea Water Cream is closest to that of The Inkey List’s Omega Water Cream in that it’s a slightly runny cream that feels light on the skin and absorbs easily.

You only need a tiny amount of this cream to cover your entire face and neck too, so while it’s more expensive than others in this list, the Purito cream works out to be really good value.

It scored a maximum of 10 points for its ingredients, which means that none of them have been found to cause problems with the skin.

Although Purito’s total score of 50.5 points fell short of being the most hydrating product we have tested, that award goes to the Fenty Beauty Fat Water toner serum in our best serum list.

Yet it is the highest hydrating moisturiser we’ve tested, and we’d even go as far as to say it’s the best moisturiser we’ve ever used.

Some of its ingredients have a mid-level risk of causing breakouts. It’s not something to be worried about, and in our experience on our acne-prone skin it’s not once caused us any problems, but this explains why it came in fifth in this best moisturiser for oily skin list.

Read our full Purito Deep Sea Water Cream review here

6. The Ordinary Natural Moisturising Factors + HA

£6.80 | Buy now

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

The Ordinary

Another great moisturiser for oily skin is the The Ordinary’s Natural Moisturising Factors + HA cream because it contains a host of ingredients found naturally in the skin.

This means that it helps bring hydration to oily and acne-prone skin in a natural way and without causing any problems, irritation, or further breakouts.

In our hydration test, this cream boosed the hydration levels of our skin by 5.6 points (18%) after five minutes.

This is average in comparison to other moisturisers on our best moisturiser for oily skin list,  but its affordable price and the fact it’s vegan and cruelty-free helped increase its total score. 

When it’s first applied, the cream feels quite thick and we were worried it would feel heavy on our oily patches but as soon as you massage it in, it turns to a thin, lotion-style moisturiser that is absorbed easily and quickly.

It leaves the skin feeling soft and matte without feeling dry and it protects the outer layer of the skin to help repair the skin barrier.

This is largely due to the fact it contains multiple amino acids, fatty acids, triglycerides, urea, ceramides, phospholipids, glycerin, saccharides, sodium PCA and other compounds found naturally in the skin.

It’s also what makes this cream great for acne-prone skin that tends to become red and easily irritated.

7. Face & Base Gel Priming Moisturiser

£15.99 | Buy now (UK)

View the full TikTok video by clicking here

Face & Base

Face & Base is a UK-based brand on a mission to bring sell vegan, cruelty-free and clean skincare without the “BS.”

Its flagship product is its Gel Priming Moisturiser and in our hydration test, it increased hydration by 7.9 points (21.3%) after five minutes.

An hour after application, the hydration dropped by 1.2 points, to a total of 6.7 points, but even with this reduction, hydration levels were still 18.6% up.

Our oily skin loves this moisturiser; it absorbs easily and you only need a tiny amount to give your face a youthful glow that doesn’t feel greasy.

It’s also great under makeup.

As part of our wider hunt for the best moisturiser, the Gel Priming moisturiser scored maximum points for being vegan and cruelty-free, as well as being affordable at £16 RRP, or £9.59 for 30ml.

According to the INCI Decoder database, the Face & Base Gel Priming Moisturiser contains no “icky” ingredients and the majority of ingredients are labelled “goodies” or “superstars”.

As a result, its ingredients have an Irritation rating of zero and a low comedogenic rating of 2.

This is because of the use of the antioxidant olive oil (Olea Europaea).

In our tests, we’ve not experienced any clogged pores or breakouts, on top of what we’d get normally with our adult acne and these ratings depend on the amount of an ingredient used so should be used purely as a guide.

Buy now from F&B

How we test moisturisers

For each best moisturiser for oily skin test, we use a moisture meter called the Mili Pure to record the hydrating levels of our skin before applying the moisturiser, five minutes later, and an hour after application.

All products are applied to damp skin, and we apply them to our hands to avoid the oil and hydration levels on our face from skewing the results. It’s not perfect, but at least it’s consistent.

Best moisturiser: Scoring methodology

We ranked products for the best moisturiser for oily skin list by the following criteria:

• Price: This is the recommended retail price (RRP) for the product in question
• Price (per 30ml): Based on the RRP, we determine the price of the product in question, per 30ml
• Vegan: Fully vegan brands score 10. Brands that offer vegan products but aren’t fully vegan score 5. Brands with no vegan options score 0.
• Cruelty-free: Cruelty-free brands score 10. Brands that don’t test on animals, but who partner with organisations or countries that do, score 5. Brands that offer no assurances about animal testing score 0.
• Hydration points: The percentage point difference between the baseline hydration test, and the five-minute hydration test.
• Hydration percentage: The percentage difference between the baseline hydration test, and the five-minute hydration test.
• INCI score: Using the INCI Decoder website, we determine how many of the ingredients in a product’s formula are considered to be “icky” or worse. A product with no “icky” ingredients scores 100%, which we convert to a score of 10. A product with 10 ingredients and two of them are “icky” means the product is 20% “icky” and 80% “good.” The 80% is then converted to a score of 8.
• Irritation Rating: All ingredients listed on the INCI Decoder website come with an irritation score, out of 5. The score for this category is taken from the highest-rated ingredient.
• Comedogenic Rating: All ingredients listed on the INCI Decoder website also come with a comedogenic rating, out of 5. The score for this category is taken from the highest-rated ingredient.

Note: Please take the Irritation and Comedogenic ratings with a pinch of salt. The rating can change depending on the amount of that particular ingredient being used. For example, if an ingredient has an irritation rating of 5 but only features in trace amounts in the product in question, the chances of it causing irritation are lower than the rating would suggest. This should be used as a guide only. You can find out more about this here.

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Victoria Woollaston-Webber

Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget

The post The best moisturiser for oily skin and acne, based on 100+ real-world tests appeared first on mamabella.

It does still have a strong skincare element thanks to the addition of squalane and 2% niacinamide but it can be used to provide buildable light-to-medium coverage all over your face, or as a spot concealer.

It’s available in 40 shdes and is due to launch soon, to coincide with “My Skin, My Power” campaign.

Original Keys Soulcare UK article continues below 

Multiple Grammy-award-winning singer Alicia Keys recently teamed up with e.l.f Cosmetics to launch a new vegan, cruelty-free beauty line dubbed Keys Soulcare – and it’s finally on sale in the UK.

Keys Soulcare is branded around Keys’ philosophy of beauty, “encompassing harmony between mind, body, spirit, and connection.”

The collection includes:

• Comforting Balm
• Skin Transformation Cream (fragrance, and fragrance-free)
• Sage + Oat Milk Candle
• Obsidian Facial Roller
• Promise Serum –
• Keys Soulcare Protect Your Light Daily Moisturizer SPF 30
• Nourishing Cleansing Balm
• Rich Nourishing Body Cream
• Radiant Eye Cream
• Melting Body Balm
• Body Polish

Keys Soulcare

All of the products in the Keys Soulcare range have been developed by dermatologists and are clean, and cruelty-free. Alicia Keys has also made sure none of them contain more than 1,680 substances restricted by the FDA and European Union Cosmetics Regulation Guidelines.

These offerings are free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, formaldehyde, among many other ingredients. You can read more in our guide to clean beauty.

Until now, the range has only been available in the US but we’ve now had the nod that you can buy it exclusively from Cult Beauty in the UK. Here is everything you need to know about the different products in the Keys Soulcare UK range.

Alicia Keys isn’t the only singer to get in on the skincare craze. Rihanna famously has her Fenty Skin range, while Jennifer Lopez recently launched her JLO Beauty collection.

Buy now from Harrods

︎ Keys Soulcare UK Golden Cleanser

£20 | Buy now Cult Beauty

The Golden Cleanser from Keys Soulcare has been formulated to purify your skin, and clear impurities, dirt, and makeup from within your pores, to leave your skin looking clear.

It contains Manuka honey from New Zealand, charcoal to draw out impurities, turmeric to soothe the skin, and calming chamomile.

Buy now from Cult Beauty

︎ Comforting Balm

£10 | Buy now Cult Beauty

Keys Soulcare describes this product as “lightweight yet deeply hydrating.” It’s been formulated to relieve dry skin anywhere on your body – face, elbows, knees, chapped lips, brows, nails, and more – but it can also be used as a highlighter.

Buy now from Cult Beauty

︎ Skin Transformation Cream 

£30 | Buy now Cult Beauty

The Skin Transformation Cream is available in both a fragranced, and fragrance-free formula for sensitive skin.

It contains bakuchiol – a plant-based alternative to retinol – ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and malachite which helps to purify your skin.

Buy now from Cult Beauty

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Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget

The post Keys Soulcare UK: Alicia Key’s skincare range is finally on sale in the UK, here’s everything you need to know appeared first on mamabella.

Moisturisers are a staple of any skincare routine, which means they’re also the products that have the most marketing and jargon thrown at them.

It’s not enough to just buy a moisturiser for oily skin, or choose one based on the brand because what suits one person’s skin won’t suit another.

Not to mention the fact they vary very wildly on price as well.

The best place to start is by cutting through the marketing BS and understanding how moisturisers work by answering the immortal question: “what does moisturiser do?”

Below we’ve explained the science of moisturiser and what to look for in a moisturiser best suited for your skin type.

We’ve also spoken to leading cosmetic chemist Perry Romanowski, Vice President at Element 44 Inc, to get his tips on which ingredients to look for whether you have oily, dry, or acne-prone skin, and which to avoid.

FURTHER READING: What skin type do I have? | Best moisturiser for all skin types | Skin serum, facial oil or moisturiser: What’s the difference and which one do you need?

What does moisturiser do?

Credit: Compound Chemistry

Moisturisers work on the outer layer of your skin called the stratum corneum. This layer is typically referred to as the dead layer because it’s where dead skin cells are.

“Cells in the epidermis are not living but moisturisers do two main things,” Romanowski told mamabella.  “They attract and bind water in the epidermis which makes the skin more flexible and makes it feel better, and [they] add emollients to the skin which makes it directly feel and look better.”

How does moisturiser work?

The best moisturisers contain ingredients from three main categories – occlusives, emollients, and humectants.

• There is an occlusive agent, such as petrolatum, that provides a thin layer on top of the skin that prevents moisture from escaping. This creates a long-lasting moisturising effect.
• Then, there are humectants, like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, that attract and bind moisture in the skin.
• Lastly, there are emollients, like mineral oil, which soften and condition the skin, making it more flexible and smoother.

How to choose a moisturiser for your skin type

mamabella | mamabella

When looking for a moisturiser, certain ingredients will help certain skin types. Of course, if you don’t know your skin type you’re already on the back foot.

We explain more about how to determine what type of skin you have in our What skin type do I have? guide, but to summarise:

You have dry skin if:

• Your face feels tight, especially after cleansing
• You have premature fine lines
• You pores appear small
• Makeup has a tendency to cling to patches of your skin
• Your skin flakes, is itchy or red

Look for: Dry skin tends to be lacking in oil so needs more emollients and occlusive ingredients to help increase oil and moisture levels. These ingredients also prevent water from evaporating from the skin.

What to avoid: Avoid moisturisers or any skincare products containing fragrances if your skin, especially if your skin is sensitive.

mamabella recommends: CeraVe Moisturising Cream, Purito Deep Sea Water Cream, The Ordinary Moisturising Factors and HA, First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

Getty Images/iStockphoto

You have oily skin if: 

• Your face often looks shiny and feels greasy
• You have noticeable pores
• You’re prone to spots
• Makeup doesn’t last long on your skin/melts off
• You need to apply powder throughout the day

Look for: Oily skin can get away without moisturising daily however, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t need a moisturiser at all. This is because oily skin can still become dehydrated and if the skin becomes too dehydrated, it can cause your cells to produce even more oil to overcompensate – thus making the situation worse. Look for humectants and light emollients/thin occlusives.  If you’re prone to acne, you can also buy moisturisers with ingredients such as salicylic acid, and benzoyl peroxide which can both help.

What to avoid: Try to reduce the number of products that contain dimethicone and silicones if you have oily skin, or make sure you’re cleansing and exfoliating well.

mamabella recommends: The Inkey List Omega Water Cream, e.l.f Superhydrate Gel Moisturiser, Etude House Soon Jung 2x Barrier, Byoma Moisturising Gel-Cream

 

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A post shared by Dr Michelle Wong – Beauty Science (@labmuffinbeautyscience)

If you have a mixture of symptoms from these two lists, you have combination skin. If you don’t have any of these signs, you have normal skin.

Within these skin types you can then additionally have sensitive skin, or dehydrated skin. Yes, even oily skin can be dehydrated.

You have sensitive skin if: 

• You often suffer from redness
• Your face itches or stings
• Your skin feels hot
• You’re prone to rashes

Romanowski adds that people should avoid ingredients they are allergic to or have bad reactions with. If you react badly to a certain moisturiser, finding out the exact ingredient can be tricky. Often this can be fragrances, which can be in the form of esters, or ingredients like plant extracts or oils.

Keep a note of any moisturising products that react badly with your skin and try to identify the common ingredient, but a general rule, if you have sensitive skin, avoid anything with fragrances in.

mamabella | mamabella

You have dehydrated skin if: 

• Your skin looks or feels rough
• Your face feels tight or less elastic
• Your skin looks dull, doesn’t look glowy

You might have also come across the terms ‘dry’ and ‘dehydrated’ skin and while they sound like the same thing, there’s a slight distinction. Dry skin needs oils, while dehydrated skin needs moisture. That said, according to Romanowski, there’s not much difference between these two terms when it comes to the chemistry of your skin. Read more in our guide: Do you have dry skin or is just dehydrated? Here’s how to tell the difference.

“These are more marketing terms that refer to the condition of the skin” he explains. “Dehydrated skin refers to the condition of the skin cells and the amount of water that is in them.” Most of the time, when this happens, it means there is no water in the skin.  Dry skin refers to the way dehydrated skin feels and typically involves things like scaly-looking skin, itchy skin, and rough-feeling skin.”

READ NEXT: What’s really in your foundation?

What about mature skin?

Just like foundations, those of us with mature skin might want to make sure our moisturiser contains sun protection.

Mature skin can become drier more easily, so ingredients that replenish skin including ceramides, sodium PCA, glycerin, glycerol, and silicones are all welcome in a moisturiser, too. Wearing SPF is key for all skin types, but especially for mature skin.

Look for:

• Hyaluronic acid
• Vitamin C – to treat dark spots and pigmentation
• SPF
• Sodium PCA
• Silicones

Don’t miss out! Sign up for the mamabella newsletter today

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Abigail is a leading science journalist writing about space, sustainability, technology and culture. She is author of The Art of Urban Astronomy, a must-have guide to the night sky that guides you through the seasons and learn about the brightest stars and constellations, the myths and legends of astronomy and how to identify star clusters and galaxies.

 

The post What does moisturiser do – and how to match a moisturiser to your skin type appeared first on mamabella.

JLO Beauty – the skincare range from singer Jennifer Lopez – made headlines when it launched at the start of 2021 and it has seemingly gone from strength to strength since.

For those of us in the UK, the JLO Beauty site still doesn’t ship internationally however it’s still possible to get hold of the range via Amazon. You do have to pay shipping fees, but you don’t have to worry about import costs (at the time of writing).

Below we’ve detailed more about the individual products in the range, as well as how to buy JLO Beauty UK.

JLO Beauty UK

The entire JLO Beauty range promises to give you a “golden glow.” This is said to be thanks to the use of what the company calls the JLo Beauty Olive Complex. This complex is a four-part olive blend of squalane, fermented oil, extra virgin oil, and leaf extract.

This formula is said to be full of antioxidants that can tackle the two key causes of ageing – oxidative stress and dehydration. In JLO Beauty products, the antioxidants promise to deliver “visibly smoother, plumper skin, all-day hydration, and an instant lasting glow.”

Where to buy JLO Beauty in the UK

All the JLO Beauty products listed below are available directly from the JLO Beauty website in the US and Canada. Or you can buy them via Amazon to have them shipped to the UK and other international locations.

Shipping to the UK costs $9.11 (£6.70) for regular shipping (at the time of writing). This is said to take around 10 days. You can alternatively pay $13.11 (£9.65) for Priority shipping. This means it will take three days to arrive. Amazon assures us there are no import fee deposits to pay.

Clicking each link below will take you to the relevant Amazon page and Amazon will automatically convert these prices to GBP based on the current conversion rate. This is likely to change and fluctuate. Alternatively, shop the entire range and see which products are available, or out of stock at a glance here.

Shop the full range

JLO Beauty products

JLo Beauty

You can currently buy bundles of JLo products relatively cheap via Amazon

At the time of writing, the best way to get hold of JLO Beauty products in the UK on Amazon is via bundles however we’ve listed the individual products first, with the bundles and kits below.

• That Beauty Star Filter in an Instant Complexion Booster: ~£30
• Inner Love supplements: ~£28
• That Overnight Hustle AHA + BHA Resurfacer ~ £47
• That Glow Serum: ~£89
• That Big Screen Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Moisturiser: ~£40
• That Fresh Take Eye Cream: ~£36
• That Limitless Glow Multitasking Mask: £13 for one mask of ~£36 for a pack of three

JLO Beauty UK Bundles and Kits

• That JLo Insta-Filter Complexion Booster Kits: ~£66: These kits come in four colour options including Pink champagne, Rich Bronze, Rose Gold and Warm Bronze
• That JLo Essentials Kit (Gel Cleanser, Serum, Hydrating Cream, and Broad Spectrum SPF): ~£63
• That JLo Starter Kit (serum, cleanser, and cream): ~£51
• JLO Beauty That Two-Step Glow Holiday Duo (serum and cream): ~£92

JLO Body

The JLO Body collection is largely only available from the JLO Beauty site but you can currently buy the following JLO Body products on Amazon:

• Firm + Flaunt Targeted Booty Balm: ~£50
• Tighten + Tease Ulitmate Body Serum: ~£48

Shop the full range

That Fresh Take Eye Cream

£36 | Buy now from Amazon

JLO Beauty

The That Fresh Take eye cream promises to “provides a visible reduction in fine lines and wrinkles while supporting elasticity and helps mask the appearance of dark circles and discolouration.”

Note the use of the words “mask the appearance.” This eye cream won’t specifically get rid of dark circles and discolouration. Instead, it contains what JLO Beauty calls a blurring complex to hide them. A skincare version of a concealer, or sorts.

It’s also free from parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, dyes, and fragrance, and is Leaping Bunny certified. You can read more about what this means in our Vegan vs cruelty-free: What’s the difference? guide.

FURTHER READING: Best eye cream for dark circles, wrinkles, fine lines and bags

Buy from Amazon

That Limitless Glow Two-Piece Face Mask

From £13.50 | Buy now from Amazon

JLO Beauty

The That Limitless Glow two-piece face mask is infused with an ounce of the brand’s serum to “deliver deep hydration, luminous brightness, and supernova-level glow.”

This means it has the same Japanese rice sake ferment to brighten and condition the skin; a sugar-derived matrix tightens and lifts, while JLO’s Beauty Olive Complex contains a blend of squalane, fermented oil, extra virgin oil, and leaf extract provides all-day moisture.

This product wasn’t available initially on Amazon but recently launched and a pack of three is on sale for the equivalent of £36. For this, albeit high price, you get three single-use masks – which works out at £12 a mask. While this is pricey, it’s not completely beyond the average price of face masks. And few contain such concentrated ingredients.

Alternatively, you can spend £13.57 (plus postage) to just buy a single JLO Beauty Sheet Mask.

What we also love about these masks is that they come in two pieces. This means they fit much more comfortably and tightly than usual one-piece masks, which require a lot of pulling into position.

FURTHER READING: Best face mask: The best face masques for acne, oily skin, dry patches and wrinkles

Buy from Amazon

JLO Beauty UK That Big Screen SPF 30 moisturiser 

£41 | Buy now from Amazon

JLO Beauty

The That Big Screen SPF 30 moisturiser is one of the highest SPF moisturisers on the market, but you are paying a premium for the privilege!

It’s described by the brand as a “luxurious, ultra-light, whipped age-shielding SPF 30 sunscreen that protects while active ingredients keep your skin looking radiant all day long.”

These ingredients include a blend of hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and natural sugars. There is also licorice root to soothe and brighten the skin, and marine bamboo to protect the skin from high-energy blue light from phones and gadgets.

It has a broad-spectrum barrier protective from UVA and UVB and fights free radicals and pollution.

FURTHER READING: What is SPF and why is it so important? and Could your phone be prematurely ageing you? Blue light can make wrinkles and fine lines worse

Buy from Amazon

JLO Beauty UK That JLO Glow Serum

£89 | Buy now from Amazon

JLO Beauty

That JLO Glow serum is said to include two “ferments and a sugar-derived matrix” which smoothes and brightens your skin.

In particular, Japanese rice sake ferment brightens and conditions the skin.

While the sugar-derived matrix tightens and lifts, and JLO’s Beauty Olive Complex contains a blend of squalane, fermented oil, extra virgin oil, and leaf extract provides all-day moisturisation.

Buy now from Amazon

JLO Beauty That Star Filter Complexion Booster

£28 | Buy now from Amazon

JLO Beauty

Meanwhile, the That Star Filter complexion booster is akin to a tinted moisturiser/primer in four shades:

• Pink champagne
• Rich Bronze
• Rose Gold
• Warm Bronze

You can either mix this booster with your existing moisturiser, or foundation, or you can apply it on its own.

Buy now from JLO Beauty

That Hit Single Cleanser

£43 | Buy now from Amazon

JLO Beauty

The That Hit Single Cleanser is said to “remove all your makeup in one go without leaving your skin feeling stripped due to a nourishing lipid-rich formulation,” and has been designed to suit all skin types thanks to its gel-creme formula.

It contains extracts of rice bran, coconut fruit, and Japanese knotweed root that help boost antioxidant protection, while Glycolipid removes excess oil and makeup.

It’s free from parabens, sulfates SLS + SLES, phthalates, and dyes. Plus it’s cruelty-free and Leaping Bunny certified.

That Hit Single Cleanser review: This is one of the JLO Beauty UK products we’ve tried. Firstly, despite the high price, the tube is huge – you get 150ml which is three times the standard amount from rival brands that cost the same.

The cleanser emulsifies nicely and you don’t need much at all. Due to the design of the packaging, it’s easy to squeeze out too much so go easy. It has a gentle, fresh fragrance and rinses off well, and we like to use a small amount of this on dry skin to grip the grime and makeup – similar to how a cleansing balm would – before adding water to emulsify on our face.

This isn’t the recommended method but we find it creates a better overall result and means a little goes a very long way.

Buy now from Amazon

JLO Beauty Blockbuster Wonder Cream

£43 | Buy now from Amazon

JLO Beauty

The That Blockbuster Wonder cream is infused with hyaluronic acid to deliver “plump, dewy looking skin”, plus it includes the JLo Beauty Olive Complex which is full of antioxidants and contains a blend of squalane, fermented oil, extra virgin oil and leaf extract.

Other ingredients that JLO Beauty will be hoping will help justify its high price include potent peptides that combine the antioxidant power of tea, calming honey, and yeast-derived ferment, known for its antioxidant and smoothing properties.

The plus side is that, because of the addition of various oils, this cream could double up as a moisturiser and a facial oil and save you money in the long run.

All of these ingredients are said to combine to give you a youthful-looking complexion.

FURTHER READING: What is hyaluronic acid and what does it do to your skin? 

Buy from Amazon

That Overnight Hustle AHA + BHA Resurfacer

£47 | Buy now from JLO Beauty

JLO Beauty

The That Overnight Hustle AHA + BHA Resurfacer is the newest release from JLO Beauty that promises to restore your skin as your sleep.

AHAs are also known as alpha-hydroxy acids, while BHAs are beta-hydroxy acids. Both offer chemical exfoliation benefits but while AHAs work on the upper layers of the skin, BHAs can penetrate deeper to more effectively tackle the cause of breakouts, wrinkles, dark spots, and texture.  You can read more about AHAs and BHAs in our guide to the acids in your skincare. 

There are two BHAs found in the Resurfacer – glycolic acid and lactic acid. Other ingredients include Willow Bark Extract to help clear pores and soothe skin, Grapeseed Oil to support the natural collagen production of your skin. This ingredient also helps even out skin tone and reduces the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

Then there is hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture and keep skin looking plumped-up and youthful, and a fruit extract blend of lemon and orange to brighten skin over time.

Buy from JLO Beauty

JLO Beauty That Inner Love supplements

£43 | Buy now

JLO Beauty

Having previously only been available directly from JLO Beauty, you can now buy JLO Beauty’s dietary supplements called That Inner Love. It comes in bottles of 30, or 90 capsules and each one contains 12 essential vitamins and minerals (at 100% daily recommended levels).

This includes antioxidants Vitamins C, E, and A, four B vitamins, collagen-building copper and manganese, and olive fruit extract. You can read more about the impact of these ingredients in our skin food guide. 

The supplement went on sale on 26 April and costs $36 for 30 capsules or $72 for 90 capsules.

You can also buy them on the JLO Beauty Subscribe and Save scheme, which drops the respective prices by 15%.

FURTHER READING: The truth about beauty supplements

Buy from Amazon

JLO Body UK

The JLO Beauty UK range recently got even bigger with the official launch of JLO Body. We knew it was coming because JLo initially filed a trademark patent for “Body by JLO” in February of 2023.

It was filed under the wider JLO Beauty and Lifestyle LLC and the application identification was listed as: “oils, tanning, creams, balms, treatments, serums, lotions, bronzers, sunscreen, polishes/scrubs.” She also filed for the trademark JLO Body, and now we know which one she opted for.

The first product to launch in the JLO Body line was the Firm + Flaunt Booty Balm and this was recently joined by the JLO Beauty Tighten + Tease Ulitmate Body Serum.

The Booty Balm contains “an advanced (and scientifically backed) formula that’s boosted with powerful ingredients like guarana seed extract and pink pepperslim to specifically target and refine the booty.”

Instagram/Jennifer Lopez

It makes sense that a cream for your bum is the first product in the JLO Body collection, seeing as the singer is renowned for her curvy derriere. The website continues that the balm fades the appearance of stretch marks and helps improve skin elasticity, while visibly firming the area.

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Victoria Woollaston-Webber

Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget

The post JLO Beauty UK: Everything you need to know about JLO Beauty and JLO Body appeared first on mamabella.

That’s not to say that if you’ve already got fine lines, wrinkles or have noticed the first signs of age spots that it’s too late; you’re never too old to invest in your skin, but if you’ve put skincare at the bottom of your beauty regime, it’s time to make it a priority.

This is because no matter how much you spend on buying the best makeup, if you’ve not created a balanced and healthy base to place it on, you’ll never get the best results. Decent skincare doesn’t need to cost the Earth, nor does it need to take up too much time. Plus, the more attention you pay to your skin, the less money and time you’ll need to spend on trying to cover up the areas you’d rather hide.

Our mission at mamabella is to help you find the best products that suit you; products that have been tried and tested by people of varying ages, skin tones and types. As part of this mission, we’ve handpicked what we consider to be must-have skincare products for 2020 and within each of these Best Buys lists, we highlight a Budget Buy, a Luxury Buy as well our absolute favourite – what we call the Editor’s Pick.

To help you navigate the many, many, many slogans, scientific claims, and marketing BS involved in skincare, we’ve put all of these leading products, from BB creams and moisturisers to cleansers, toners, and tinted creams, below. Here are the best skincare products we recommend you buy in 2022. Oh, and drink more water!

FURTHER READING: What skin type do I have? Discover how to know your skin type with our skin types guide

Best Skincare 2022

• Primer: IT Cosmetics CC Cream
• BB cream: Olay Complete BB cream
• Cleanser: La Roche Posay Cleanser
• Toner: Carbon Theory’s Facial Purifying Tonic
• Moisturiser: Wishful Jelly Balm
• Serum: Clarins Double Serum
• Face oil: Wishful Skin Get Even Rose Oil
• Face mask: Origins GinZing 
• Anti-ageing cream: Olay Regenerist Whip
• Tinted moisturiser: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser
• Eye cream: CeraVe Eye Repair Cream
• Firming lotion: Clarins Body Fit

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Best BB cream | Best moisturiser | Best tinted moisturiser  | Best toner | Best primer | Best cleanser| Best eye cream| Best anti-ageing cream | Best hand cream| Best foot cream | Best face mask  | Best face exfoliator | Best face oil| Best serum| Best night cream | Best SPF | Best Vitamin C serum | Men’s skincare routine

︎ Primer: IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream

£32 | Buy now

IT Cosmetics

Why we love it: If you can only afford one product for your makeup bag, make it this fantastic wonder cream from IT Cosmetics.

Firstly, it’s a CC cream, which stands for colour-correcting, meaning it helps reduce redness, brightens dark circles.

It even balances your skin tone better than some foundations we’ve tried.

Secondly, because of this coverage, this CC cream also doubles up as a foundation.

Thirdly, both its moisturising properties – it features on our best foundation for dry skin list – and its finish means it can be used as a primer, too.

What’s more, it carries SPF50 and anti-ageing ingredients to complete the set. This isn’t a cheap product but considering it could feasibly replace three or more other makeup items, it’s actually an absolute bargain and is one of our fave multi-tasking makeup staples.  

See more options in our best primer list. 

FURTHER READING: What SPF do I need? 

Buy now from IT Cosmetics

︎ BB cream: Olay Complete BB Cream SPF15

£11.99 | Buy now

Olay

Why we love it: This BB cream from the anti-ageing experts at Olay provides glowing skin, alongside vitamins B3, E and Pro-V B5.

This BB cream evens out your skin tone and with a touch of foundation, it gives a smooth finish while hiding blemishes and dark circles among other imperfections.

We love how lightweight it feels on our skin.

Plus, with SPF 15 its a multi-purpose product. All for just £12.

FURTHER READING: What even is a BB cream anyway? and Best BB cream for oily skin

Buy now from Boots

︎ Cleanser: La Roche Posay Effaclar Purifying Cleansing Gel

£19 | Buy now

La Roche Posay

Why we love it: La Roche Posay’s Effaclar Cleanser – as with all of the products in the Effaclar skincare range – is great for all skin types but excels at tackling the causes of blemishes, spots, acne and oily skin.

As its name suggests, this gel gently purifies the skin, getting rid of impurities and removing excess sebum without stripping necessary oils from the skin.

The formula also contains La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water which helps soothe the skin, reducing redness and irritation, while balancing even the most sensitive skin.

Buy now from Feelunique

︎ Toner: Carbon Theory’s Facial Purifying Tonic

£14 | Buy now

Carbon Theory

Why we love it: Carbon Theory‘s Facial Purifying Tonic gently cleanses and refines pores while reducing redness and inflammation.

As with the entire Carbon Theory range, its ingredients lend themselves well to people with blemishes or who are prone to breakouts.

This is because it contains Citric Acid, which works by removing dead skin cells; tea tree oil to treat mild acne and prevent future breakouts, and grapefruit extract to minimise shine.

FURTHER READING: What does toner actually do? | Best toner

Buy now from Beauty Bay

︎ Moisturiser: Wishful Skin Honey Balm Jelly Moisturiser

£37 | Buy now

Wishful

Why we love it: The first thing you’ll notice about the Wishful Skin Honey Balm Jelly Moisturiser is that it smells incredible.

This is because it contains honey and lavender.

Yet instead of being purely for fragrance purposes, the honey nourishes and softens the skin while the lavender pearls help to colour correct your skin tone.

This super moisturiser also contains niacinamide and turmeric root extract to shrink pores, reduce puffiness and irritation, and for getting rid of dark spots.

FURTHER READING: Best moisturisers | The science of moisturiser | Wishful Skin UK

Buy now from Cult Beauty

︎ Serum: Clarins Double Serum 

£58 | Buy now

Clarins

Why we love it: Clarins’ Double Serum plumps skin, leaving it feeling softer and tighter after the first use.

The anti-ageing treatment uses plant extracts stimulate five vital functions for your skin: hydration, nutrition, oxygenation, regeneration, and protection.

It’s designed for all skin types, and ages, and while it’s expensive, you can control how much you use thanks to the rotating push button which delivers a made-to-measure dosage of serum.

Read our full Clarins Double serum review 

FURTHER READING: The science of serums | Best face serum

Buy now from Clarins

︎ Face oil: Wishful Skin Get Even Rose Oil

£55 | Buy now

Wishful Skin

Why we love it: With a blend of Rosehip and Damascus Rose oils, combined with 13 other oils, Huda Kattan’s Wishful Skin thought very long and hard about what it wanted from what we consider to be the best face oil on the market.

As its name suggests, the Get Even Rose Oil leaves the skin looking brighter and smoother and evens out the skin tone.

Rosehip Oil is renowned for reducing dark spots and fine lines, for instance, while the other oils leave your skin feeling supple and balanced.

FURTHER READING: Best face oil | Where to buy Wishful in the UK

Buy now from Boots

︎ Face mask: Origins GinZing Face Mask

£24.50 | Buy now

Origins

Why we love it: This Origins GinZing peel-off mask is great at lifting away dead and dull skin to give you with a clear and radiant complexion.

It’s made with coffee beans and PanaxGinseng, which revitalise skin and tighten pores and a little goes a long way.

FURTHER READING: Best face mask

Buy now from Feelunique

︎ Anti-ageing cream: Olay Regenerist Whip SPF30

£34.99 | Buy now

Olay

Why we love it: Olay (or Oil of Ulay if you’re over a certain age) is an OG when it comes to anti-ageing skincare. 

And our favourite pick of the Olay bunch is Regenerist Whip.

It’s lightweight and smells incredible, using niacinamide and peptides to smooth and reduce the appearance of fine lines and increase the skin’s elasticity.

We often use this anti-ageing cream as a primer because it leaves skin smooth and matte. 

FURTHER READING: Best anti-ageing cream | How to prevent wrinkles

Buy now from Boots

︎ Tinted moisturiser: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser

£35 | Buy now

Laura Mercier

Why we love it: Absolutely packed with antioxidants and Vitamin E, this tinted moisturiser from Laura Mercier controls oil and shine while leaving your skin soft, supple and hydrated.

It’s not cheap but you’re paying for this great combination of ingredients as well as the fact this tinted moisturiser comes in 15 shades covering a range of cool and warm tones.

If you’re not sure which undertone you need, read our explainer on how to find your perfect foundation match or check out our full list of best tinted moisturiser brands designed for a range of skin types and budgets.

FURTHER READING: Best tinted moisturiser | Laura Mercier is the latest brand to launch at Boots 

Buy now from Cult Beauty

︎ Eye cream: CeraVe Eye Repair Cream 

£12.50 | Buy now

CeraVe

Why we love it: CeraVe Eye Repair Cream is packed full of hyaluronic acid – an ingredient with the ability to hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water, making this budget-friendly cream extremely moisturising.

It repairs dry and damaged skin, while simultaneously protecting the delicate skin and helping to reduce puffiness and eye bags. You can read more about this, and alternatives, in our best eye cream guide.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? The truth about the acids in your skincare

Buy now from Lookfantastic

︎ Firming lotion: Clarins Body Fit

 £40 | Buy now

Clarins

Why we love it: Clarins New Body Fit targets Adipocytes cells which are responsible for storing energy as fat.

Its formula helps firm and tone the skin and reduces the appearance of cellulite within a week.

It also contains Quince Leaf which is said to reduce fat storage for what Clarins called a “corrective Anti-Cellulite action”.

As a side note, this Body Fit is also great as a general body moisturiser because it leaves the skin soft and smooth.

See more options in our list of the best body firming lotions that actually work.

FURTHER READING: The best body firming creams, lotions and oils  | What causes cellulite and how to get rid of it

Buy now from Feelunique

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Victoria Woollaston-Webber

Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget

The post Perfect your skincare routine with our pick of must-have facial products in 2022 appeared first on mamabella.

If your skin is to the extreme in terms of dryness, or oiliness, then it’s an easy-ish task. But if you have a mixture of dry patches, redness, and oily zones then things can get a little tricky.

In this guide, we help you discover how to know your skin type, give you a simple skin type test you can do at home, and recommend products designed to suit all skin types, and (hopefully) budgets.

Skin types

Your skin type is largely determined by your genetics. If your parents suffered from breakouts as teenagers, chances are you will as well. If they struggle with dry skin in the winter, you will too. The best place to start is by asking them, if possible, what their skin types are.

This obviously isn’t a fool-proof method, but it may help narrow things down.

In simple terms, there are six common skin types and three major skin types. Click on each one to jump to the relevant section below:

• Dry
• Combination
• Oily
• Sensitive
• Normal
• Acne-prone

These are the main skin types you’ll see written on the side of skincare bottles, serums, and even makeup. As you can read in our What’s really in your foundation? guide, if you have oily or dry skin, it’s better to look for certain ingredients that will work best with both the primer you use and your skin type.

Some skincare will cover a number of these types – so they might be labelled as dry/normal, or oily/combination. Sensitive skincare is typically fragrance-free, or at least free of harsh chemicals so if it doesn’t expressly say it’s for sensitive skin, these are things to look out for.

What skin type do I have? The skin type test

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Now you know the different skin types, how well do you think you know your skin type? It can be slightly daunting when faced with a number of skincare products and not knowing what to buy that will meet your exact needs.

How to know your skin type

There is a simple method that can be done at home. All you need is a gentle face cleanser and 30 minutes of your time. Below is the step-by-step guide on how to know your skin type.

1. Wash your face with a gentle cleanser and pat dry
2. Don’t use toner, serum, moisturiser, or SPF
3. Wait 30 minutes

After the 30 minutes are up, check for the following:

• Is your skin feeling tight and flaky all over? Then you have dry skin
• Is your skin looking red, tight, itchy, or is stinging? You have sensitive skin
• Has your skin remained how it was before you cleansed, without any noticeable changes? You have normal skin
• Is your skin shiny on your T-zone (your forehead, nose and chin) but do your cheeks feel tight or feel comfortable? You have combination skin
• Is all of your skin looking shiny and feeling greasy? You have oily skin 

Many of us can suffer from sensitive skin from time to time if we have disturbed our natural skin barrier through exposure to the sun, chemical exfoliants, pollution, and so on.

Combination skin is often mistaken for oily skin, due to the presence of oily and shine in T-zone but it can be important you don’t buy products for oily skin if you have combination skin. This is because oily skin products are designed to dry out your skin and remove excess sebum.

If you have combination skin, your cheeks will be normal (or dry) which means that drying them out further could leave them red, irritated, flaky or itchy.

Always look out for any skin changes, it could mean you need to give your skin the extra TLC it needs. This is particularly key as the seasons change, for example.

What skin type do I have? The skin type quiz

The Body Shop

Alternatively, you can take the skin type quiz put together by The Body Shop.

It starts off by asking you about your skincare routine, how sensitive it is to the sun, and what skincare products you use.

In then finds out a bit more about whether you suffer from spots, if you ever suffer from redness, the size of your pores, and how shiny your skin is before revealing your skin type.

Skincare for different skin types

We regularly test skincare for a range of different skin types and needs and have included many more in our Best Buy guides.

Below we’ve broken each skin type down and given you options for the best cleanser, best toner, serum, and best moisturiser for each one. Scroll down to your particular skin type to see our recommendations.

Dry Skin

The golden rule for any cleanser is that it shouldn’t leave your skin feeling dry. This is regardless of what skin type you have because even if you’re skin is oily, using a harsh cleanser that dries and tightens can actually make things worse. It’s better to treat oily skin more effectively with serums and moisturisers.

With dry skin the best type of cleansers are:

• Milk cleansers: These won’t irritate dry skin and won’t leave your skin feeling greasy, just soft.

• Oil cleansers: Great for removing makeup. Many oil-based cleansers turn a little milky when you add water to it. Due to the fact oil and water don’t mix, removing all traces of oily cleansers can be tricky so we recommend using a reusable face cloth with warm (not hot) water. The face cloth will remove the cleanser, and with it any dirt and makeup. You can then go back and rinse the cloth, and repeat.

︎ CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser

£7.10 | Buy now from Lookfantastic

CeraVe

This Hydrating Cleanser from CeraVe is very gentle for dry skin. It refreshes dry skin while gently removing dirt and grime along with traces of makeup.

It’s a non-foaming gel and has a milk-like texture when wet, which won’t leave your skin feeling dry or tight.

This is largely because it contains hyaluronic acid which helps replenish hydration levels.

Just massage into wet skin and rinse with warm water. Pat dry.

If you’re interested in learning more about this cleanser, and the wider CeraVe range, head on over to our best CeraVe products guide. 

FURTHER READING: How to make cheap homemade cleanser with everyday items

Buy now from Lookfantastic

︎ The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter

£11 | Buy one from The Body Shop

The Body Shop

We love this buttery cleanser because it’s both rich and incredibly soothing.

It’s gentle enough to be suitable for all skin types but is particularly great for dry skin when you don’t want to pull the skin and irate it.

This butter melts into the skin to dissolve makeup.

To use, rub a small amount of the balm in your hands so that it melts to an oily consistency.

Apply this to dry skin and work around the face. Then, either rinse with warm water or use a wet face cloth and wipe off the cleanser.

FURTHER READING: Best cleansing balm: From Elemis to The Body Shop

︎ The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5

£5.90 | Buy now from Boots

The Ordinary

Maintaining high levels of hydration is key for dry skin.

The Ordinary has created an amazing serum that is oil-free yet still delivers long-lasting hydration to the skin thanks to the inclusion of 2% hyaluronic acid.

With the help of Vitamin B5, this serum also helps moisture retention and leaves the skin look plump and smooth. All for a little over a fiver!

If you’re not familiar with The Ordinary, it’s a super affordable brand that punches well about its weight in terms of ingredients and results.

We’ve put together a guide on how to choose the best The Ordinary products for different skin concerns, from redness to enlarged pores, acne, and more. You can read that guide here.

FURTHER READING: What is hyaluronic acid and what does it do to your skin? 

Buy now

︎ CeraVe Moisturising Cream

£6.75 | Buy now from Lookfantastic

CeraVe

A great hydrating moisturiser that doesn’t cost the Earth is a sweet find. But that’s exactly what we’ve found with this CeraVe Moisturising Cream.

If your skin feels uncomfortable, CeraVe Moisturising Cream is a rich and nurturing cream that gives dry skin a much-needed boost.

It has a non-greasy feel which is rare for a moisturiser that’s as thick as this.

What else is rare is getting such a nourishing cream for under a tenner. It’s also great for soothing eczema.

What’s more, this cream is a great alternative for Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Rescue cream and costs a whole lot less.

FURTHER READING: How to layer your skincare: Knowing the best skincare order will help make the most of your products

Buy now from Lookfantastic

Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin can be reactive so keeping the skin calm and less irritated is key. Milk cleansers will do wonders for you, or a very gentle face wash will do just as good a job.

Avoid fragrances or any harsh chemicals. Also, be careful about introducing any new product to your regime – try using it once a week before upping the frequency so you can make sure it doesn’t cause you any problems.

︎ Dermalogica Ultracalming Cleanser

£27.20 | Buy now from Lookfantastic

Dermalogica

This soothing cleanser has a gel/cream consistency.

It cleanses and calms skin instantly and also helps alleviate redness. This is a good cleanser for people with rosacea, in particular.

It contains ingredients like cucumber and lavender, which both provide a cooling and calming effect.

It also helps balance pH to maintain the skin’s protective barrier – the most important thing about keeping sensitive skin safe from the elements.

FURTHER READING: How to clean beauty blenders

Buy now from Lookfantastic

︎ Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

£6.26 | Buy now from Superdrug

Cetaphil

Cetaphil is renowned for producing mild, non-irritating products and this cleanser is no exception.

We love it because it leaves skin feeling soft and smooth.

It removes dirt and makeup easily but it doesn’t strip your skin because it’s soap-free and fragrance-free, which is great for sensitive skin.

This cleanser doesn’t block pores and it matches the pH value of the skin which is great for daily use.

FURTHER READING: Clean beauty: What are clean beauty products and how can I shop more consciously?

Buy now from Lookfantastic

︎ La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra Fluid

£13.85 | Buy now from Lookfantastic

La Roche-Posay

We love how this fluid doesn’t irritate sensitive skin.

It is specially formulated for reactive skin prone to dryness, tightness, redness, itchiness, or burning.

It helps instantly soothe and relieve your skin and it’s clinically proven to make skin less sensitive day after day.

FURTHER READING: Best toner: Discover which toner best suits your skin type and budget

Buy now from Lookfantastic

Normal skin

If you have a normal skin type, not much will irritate your skin and you don’t need specific ingredients to tackle specific woes. However, it’s always good to keep your skin hydrated and cared for and avoid messing with the perfect balance through the use of extreme chemicals.

︎ Fresh Soy Face Cleanser

£11.50 | Buy now from Cult Beauty

Fresh

Fresh is all about mixing good skin ingredients and centuries-old cultural beauty rituals.

Its Soy Face Cleanser is packed with healthy proteins to help maintain overall healthy skin.

This is a great daily cleanser that removes dirt and makeup from your complexion.

FURTHER READING: Skin food: The best foods for clear, healthy skin – and why they work

Buy now from Cult Beauty

︎ Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate

£52 | Buy now from Feelunique

Kiehl's

Normal skin types don’t escape the ticking of time and you’ll still want to maintain the firmness of your skin, as well as get a natural glow.

Serums are an important part of your skincare routine because they penetrate the lower layers to provide that extra little boost you may need.

Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate contains 12.5% Vitamin C along with hyaluronic acid to keep the skin radiant while reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles.

We’re such fans of this concentrate that it features in our list of best Vitamin C serums.

FURTHER READING: Vitamin C: What does Vitamin C do and which is the best Vitamin C serum for skin?

Buy now from Feelunique

︎ Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream

£26 | Buy now from Feelunique

Kiehl's

Even with normal skin types, keeping your skin hydrated and protected is important.

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream is a fast-absorbing moisturiser that replenishes throughout the day by absorbing moisture from the air.

This may sound like science-fiction but we can’t fault how well this moisturiser works, creating soft but never greasy or oily skin.

FURTHER READING: The science of moisturiser: Which ingredients actually work and which are marketing BS?

Buy now from Feelunique

Combination skin

Combination skin is one of the most common, but it’s also one of the most tricky to tackle because you’re looking for a product that’s capable of tackling two different skin types in one. It’s so tricky that some skincare experts don’t actually believe combination skin exists.

“Your ‘skin type’ is determined by your genetics – your skin will either under or overproduce oil, which means your skin type will be either dry or oily – nothing in between. A ‘combination’ skin type doesn’t exist,” said Katherine Daniels co-founder and skincare expert, Kirsti Shuba said.

“If you experience signs of ‘combination’ skin – an oily t-zone, ‘shine’ developing throughout the day, congestion and/or open pores, this is most likely down to dehydration, a skin condition, which varies depending on your lifestyle, environment, and climate.”

Dehydrated skin tends to overproduce oil to compensate for the lack of moisture, which is why you might experience oily skin in certain areas, Shuba continued. You may also have open pores and experience congestion on your chin, jawline, and cheeks, caused by dehydrated cells that don’t contain enough fluid to efficiently flush out toxins.

“If this sounds familiar step away from harsh, oil stripping products, which can damage your natural skin barrier allowing the healthy oils and moisture escape, exacerbating the issue. Instead, implement a simple cleansing and hydrating skincare regime to restore moisture levels, protect the skin’s barrier and improve overall skin function for a hydrated, healthy, clear, glowing complexion.”

︎ Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser

£15 | Buy now from Glossier

Glossier

Glossier can be a little pricey but we love the fact that this cleanser is a multitasking, 2-in-1 product.

You can use it on dry skin to remove makeup or use it with water to give the skin a refreshing feel.

The texture is a creamy gel and it’s great for combination skin types.

It won’t leave the skin irritated or feeling tight, while also tackling areas of oiliness. We love how gentle this is because it has the same gentle cleansing agent found in contact lens solution.

This also means it’s safe for effectively removing mascara and other eye makeup.

FURTHER READING: Glossier UK: The best Glossier products from across its makeup and skincare range

Buy now from Glossier

︎ Q+A Peppermint Daily Cleanser

£7.50 | Buy now from Feelunique

Q+A

This refreshing daily peppermint cleanser is a gentle cleanser that won’t upset the natural oil balance of your skin.

The peppermint oil has antibacterial properties which are great at fighting acne and blemishes from oily skin.

It also contains coco-sulfate which won’t cause dryness and irritation. The coconut oil leaves the skin feeling soft and clean.

FURTHER READING: Spotlight on…Q+A Skin’s affordable, natural and highly effective skincare bundles

Buy now from Feelunique

︎ The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

£5 | Buy now from Beauty Bay

The Ordinary

A fantastic serum that seems even more impressive because of its low price tag, The Ordinary’s Niacinamide serum helps combat blemishes, congestions, and sebum overproduction.

This is a light serum that helps reduce breakouts as well as the appearance of existing blemishes.

Pores remain clear and decongested and it also calms the skin. Perfect for tackling various skincare woes caused by combination skin.

Niacinamide also boosts the skin’s immunity and improves moisture retention by strengthening the natural barrier, while Zinc supports skin structure by healing damaged skin and encourages the production of collagen and elastin.

So it’s a great anti-ageing product as well. For a fiver!

FURTHER READING: The best The Ordinary products for all your skincare concerns – from large pores to redness, wrinkles and acne

Buy now from Beauty Bay

︎ The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA

£4.90 | Buy now from Boots

The Ordinary

This moisturiser from The Ordinary is packed full of skin-protecting skincare ingredients.

It’s oil-free, which is great for both combination and oily skin types.

The ingredients are packed with amino acids, fatty acids, and hyaluronic acid, many of which are actually found naturally in our own skin.

We love this formula because it’s non-greasy and keeps skin hydrated without looking shiny.

FURTHER READING: Spotlight on…The Ordinary: The beauty brand proving premium skincare doesn’t have to cost a fortune

Buy now from Lookfantastic

Oily skin

Oily skin can cause a whole host of knock-on effects including blemishes, acne, and enlarged pores. Not to mention it can cause makeup to slide off the skin.

Tackling the overproduction of sebum without stripping the skin of other essential oils can be difficult so you need to look for products without harsh chemicals. Foaming products are a good place to start because they’re light enough to not cause clogged pores.

︎ La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Cleansing Gel

£9.35 | Buy now from Lookfantastic

La Roche-Posay

This is one of our absolute faves here at mamabella and it’s ideal for oily/combination skin types.

Oily skin at times can be sensitive and the best thing about this cleanser is that La Roche-Posay tests all its skincare products on sensitive skin types.

This gentle cleanser helps eliminate impurities and excess sebum and leaves the skin feeling clean and fresh.

This gel cleanser works into a lather it only takes a small amount of gel to work up that lovely foam.

FURTHER READING: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Cleanser review: Simply the best cleanser we’ve ever used

Buy now from Lookfantastic

︎ Glossier Priming Moisturizer Balance

£23 | Buy now from Glossier

Glossier

This wonderful gel-cream moisturiser is a cult favourite.

It helps control shine and refines the look of pores and because it’s a lightweight product, it balances oil without drying skin out.

It doesn’t leave skin looking flat, which a lot of mattifying creams can do.

Elsewhere, it contains niacinamide to help improve the look of pores, and balance uneven skin tone.

FURTHER READING: Best foundation for oily skin, acne, spots and blemishes

Buy now from Lookfantastic

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Jenny Tai

Jenny has always had a strong passion for beauty, health, skincare and wellbeing. After working in marketing in the corporate world she has stepped out to fulfil her passion for content writing and blogging. You can discover more on her Instagram page

The post What skin type do I have? Discover how to know your skin type with our skin types guide appeared first on mamabella.

The range contains ten different products, including exfoliators, cleansers, moisturisers, hydrating mists, eye creams and night serums, and each are designed to be “simple, affordable, and effective”.

Buy now from Glossybox

Glossybox Skincare

Each of the products in the Glossybox Skincare range has also been tailored to solve specific skin concerns or for certain skin types – redness, oily, ageing, acne etc – but you can also mix and match them to create a truly personalised routine.

“We’ve spent the last nine years listening to your feedback about what you want from your skincare to introduce you to the best brands out there through our subscription service,” said Glossybox.

“Now, we’re taking it one step further and have developed our own skincare range with you in mind.

Not only do all the formulations contain just a mixture of three ingredients, which makes them less likely to cause irritation and comedones, they’re also vegan, cruelty-free.

At least 87% of these formulations are natural, and they come in packaging made of sugarcane (where possible) that is 100% recyclable.

“We even used 100% renewable electricity and created zero landfill waste in our manufacturing sites. Plus, all of the products are made in the UK,” added the company.

Buy now from Glossybox

What’s in the range?

Costing between £12 and £18 for Glossybox subscribers, or £15 to £22.50 if you don’t subscribe to the boxes. If you want to subscribe, you can do so here.

Plus, a few of the products in the range are multifunctional which Glossybox claims allows you to “make your skincare routine as efficient and effective as possible” to save you time and money.

FURTHER READING: mamabella’s miracles: Save time and money with these multi-purpose makeup, skincare and hair products

︎ Deep Cleansing Cream

£12/£15 | Buy now from Glossybox

Glossybox

This cleansing cream contains inca inchi, babassu and tsubaki oils designed to “melt” and wash away impurities making it capable of removing “even the most stubborn of makeup in just one use.” Glossybox claims it’s so effective, you’ll never have to double cleanse again.

FURTHER READING: Best cleanser: Discover which face cleanser best suits your skin from oily to dry and acne-prone

The post Glossybox Skincare: We take a look at the full range of 10 exfoliators, cleansers, moisturisers and serums appeared first on mamabella.