10 Powerful Moisturizers Safe for Oily Skin

Here's to a shine-free summer.

By Danielle Fontana Dooley, Associate Director, Digital Content · Apr 26, 2022

For fear of creating even more excess oil and unnecessary midday shine, those with oily (or combination) skin types often tip-toe around the crucial step of moisturizing skin. But, because over-drying the skin actually leads to excess sebum production, keeping skin happy and hydrated is key to a balanced complexion. Here, powerful hydrators that deliver oily skin types the exact moisture they need while also packing some serious skin-perfecting benefits to prepare for those makeup-free summer days we’ve been waiting for.

1 / 10

PCA Skin Hydramatte Moisturizer ($99)

Skip the shine with this smart hydrator that keeps busting breakouts, curbing excess oil and maintaining a healthy skin microbiome at the forefront. With continued use, the brand says to expect a more refined skin texture and a downtick in oil production.

2 / 10

Sunday Riley C.E.O. Afterglow Brightening Vitamin C Moisturizer ($65)

Streamline your skin-care routine with this vitamin C–packed moisturizer. Sodium hyaluronate keeps skin looking plump and lutein defends it from blue light–induced damage, all while leaving a smooth, never-greasy finish behind.

3 / 10

Summer Fridays Dream Oasis Deep Hydration Serum ($44)

Safe for oily, acneic and sensitive skin types, this jelly-like serum won’t irritate already stressed-out skin or clog pores. Instead, each lightweight application keeps skin shine-free and deeply hydrated with its blend of glycerin, hyaluronic acid and squalane, plus soothing colloidal oatmeal, chamomile, aloe and arnica.

4 / 10

Skinfix Barrier+ Skin Barrier Niacinamide Restoring Gel Cream ($48)

All eyes are on the skin barrier these days, and this lightweight gel cream allows oily skin types to easily care for theirs (it’s clinically proven to improve skin barrier function in one hour). Inside the water-like cream: niacinamide, zinc PCA and antimicrobial peptides to keep skin clear and comforted.

5 / 10

OSEA Malibu Seabiotic Water Cream ($54)

Seaweed, squalane, hyaluronic acid and pre- and probiotics combine in this can’t-get-enough hydrator that continues to sell out. The clean, California-made formula leaves skin feeling dewy and plump without adding extra shine.

6 / 10

Biossance Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturizer ($52)

Ideal for oily-meets-sensitive complexions, this pudding-like cream—it’s formulated with squalane and balancing probiotics—helps reduce redness and brighten skin for an all-in-one hydrating experience you’ll keep coming back to.

7 / 10

Ole Henriksen Cold Plunge Pore Remedy Moisturizer ($46)

This refreshing and cooling moisturizer not only refines the look of pores, but salicylic acid also helps beat breakouts in the long-term.

8 / 10

Lancer The Method: Nourish Blemish Control ($130)

Celebrities flock to Dr. Lancer for his dermatologic expertise, and this hydrator is no exception when it comes to bottling his skin-whispering secrets. Surprisingly lightweight for all of the benefits it delivers, this must-have promises regulated sebum, cleared pores and youthful-looking skin with continued use.

9 / 10

3LAB WW Day SPF 40 ($425)

This luxe hydrator wears like a shine-shielding primer (it fills in pores and wrinkles to deliver a velvet-smooth canvas for easy and gorgeous makeup application), but packs the added benefits of SPF 40, anti-aging ingredients and brightening factors—think apple stem cells and the brand’s Cell Renewal Complex—into each application for better skin with every use.

10 / 10

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel-Cream ($32)

Specifically formulated for normal-to-oily skin types, this cooling, never-greasy option acts as a tall drink of water the second it’s applied. The best part: The fast-absorbing formula is so lightweight, it’s virtually impossible to apply too much—something those with oily skin rarely ever hear when it comes to creams and moisturizers.