The 16 Best Moisturizers For Oily Skin

When your glow goes from dewy to greasy, your first reaction might be to pull back on moisturizing skincare products to try to achieve a matte complexion. But everyone, including those with oily and acne-prone skin types, can benefit from a hydration boost.

In fact, excessive shine can sometimes be the result of dehydration: Your skin overcompensates for the lack of moisture by producing more oil, which can lead to a slicker T-zone and more breakouts. 

While we tend to turn to heavier moisturizers for winter and often stick with those formulas long past the first signs of spring, people with oily skin should opt for lightweight hydration. Shopping for an oily skin moisturizer is all about finding a formula that provides lightweight hydration without the addition of pore-clogging oils.

What to look for in moisturizers for oily skin

There are a few key things to keep in mind when considering the best moisturizers for oily skin. Because the skin is already overproducing oil, lathering on a rich and heavy moisturizing cream is not recommended. Instead, opt for gel-like formulations that will infuse moisture without oils and thick butters, like shea, which are often found in ultra-moisturizing creams. 

Oily skin is typically more prone to breakouts. If you’re using acne-fighting skincare ingredients such as salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide (which are great for oily skin), you might feel especially dry and become more prone to irritation. Look for key ingredients, including hyaluronic acid to draw water into the skin, ceramides to nourish and protect from irritants and niacinamide to regulate oil product and strengthen the skin barrier.

The best moisturizers for oily skin to shop in 2024

CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Gel, $30

Developed with the help of dermatologists, this lotion lives up to its ultra-light moniker. Formulated with niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and three different types of ceramides, it provides immediate and long-lasting hydration without leaving the skin feeling heavy or greasy.

It’s also non-comedogenic (meaning it won't clog pores, a must for oily skin) and fragrance-free, so it's an excellent pick for sensitive, easily irritated skin. 

Thayers Let’s Be Clear Water Cream, $24

Thayers is no stranger to skincare for oily skin—the brand's witch hazel toner has been a bestseller for decades. Created specifically for oily and combination skin, this weightless cream helps balance the complexion.

Azelaic acid and licorice root work together to reduce oil, redness and minimize the look of pores. The formula clarifies and smooths out uneven texture so the skin instantly looks more matte.

Bioré UV Aqua Rich Weightless Moisturizer SPF 50, $17

Reformulated with Health Canada-approved UV filters, Bioré’s popular Japanese sunscreen-moisturizer hybrid serves up UVA and UVB protection in an invisible, barely-there formula that won’t leave a white cast behind, making it a safe bet for all skin tones.

Unlike other sunscreens that feel heavy and pore-clogging, this lotion is non-greasy and absorbs instantly.

Naturium Niacinamide Gel Cream 5%, $31

Naturium, the uber-popular American skincare brand, has finally landed in Canada. Their bestselling gel moisturizer makes quick work of any unwanted shine, while still leaving skin with a healthy glow.

Niacinamide is the hero ingredient behind the oil-reducing and skin-balancing formula that helps to tackle visible pores and dehydration.

Byoma Moisturizing Gel-Cream, $20

Green tea extract—one of the star actives in this gel lotion—has anti-inflammatory and oil-regulating properties. The heavy-hitting ingredient is paired with a tri-ceramide complex (which contains ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids) to boost the skin barrier and make it more resilient. 

E.l.f. Skin Holy Hydration Gel-Yeah Moisturizer, $17

This wallet-friendly lotion has a unique bouncy texture that quickly absorbs into thirsty skin. Infused with emollients like allantoin, which soothes dry, irritated skin, and squalane, an ingredient known for its smoothing and softening benefits, this cooling gel moisturizer is perfect for plumping the skin when temperatures rise.

Tatcha The Water Cream, $97

Formulated with wild rose to balance skin and leopard lily to target oil production, this beloved cream is oil-free, lightweight and hydrating. It features the brand's proprietary blend of green tea, rice and algae which plumps and brightens skin.

This rightfully-named water cream offers a light, cloud-like texture that is easily absorbed into the skin with minimal effort. It layers well with makeup and can be used day or night.

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Oil-Free Refillable Moisturizer, $54

This pink-hued, oil-free gel moisturizer taps into the power of watermelon extract’s vitamins and amino acids to hydrate and soothe the skin. Paired with hyaluronic acid and glycerin—a humectant that moisturizes and softens skin—it gives a beautiful glow without clogging pores.

Bonus: It now comes in with a refillable insert which saves on packaging and cost.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat Daily Moisturizer, $33

With salicylic acid and glycerin, this mattifying lotion provides acne-busting properties as well as plenty of hydration. It reduces shine immediately, and works to refine pores over time.

IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Gel Cream, $72

Blending together a mix of skin-loving niacinamide, vitamin E, peptides and squalane, this oil-free gel cream moisturizes combination and oily skin types.

Not only will it diminish shine for up to 48 hours after just one use, but over time the formula works to minimize clogged pores and tackle uneven skin texture.

Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Acid Gel Moisturizer, $54

The K-beauty brand recently revamped its ultra-popular Water Bank collection, and this lightweight gel is the lineup’s solution for oily skin. Powered by micro-sized hyaluronic acid (which is more easily absorbed into the skin), the formula also contains soothing forest yeast extract.

Upon application, skin is treated to an instant cooling and soothing sensation thanks to the addition of mint leaf extract.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Water Cream, $125

Modelled after the brand’s iconic Magic Cream, this gel version delivers just as much impact, but in an oily skin-friendly formula.

Offering up to 100 hours of weightless hydration and creating a subtly dewy glow, this fragrance-free formula contains oil-balancing extracts and a blend of ingredients that help retain long-lasting skin hydration. 

Dr Hauschka Balancing Day Lotion, $57

Help minimize breakouts by adding this shine-reducing lotion to your morning skincare routine. Designed specifically for oily, blemish-prone skin, it contains natural botanical extracts like anthyllis, horsetail and nasturtium, along with oil regulating ingredients to help balance the skin.

The result is a clearer, more hydrated and less shiny visage.

Dr Jart+ Cicapair Intensive Soothing Repair Gel Cream, $70

The cica-powered Dr. Jart+ line already has a long list of fans, and this new addition is a must-try for oily skin that’s prone to redness. Rich in centella asiatica (a.k.a. cica) and allantoin, this gel-cream deeply soothes easily irritated skin.

After one application you’ll feel instantly refreshed.  We love that it dries to a matte finish.

Clinique Moisture Surge SPF 28 Sheer Hydrator, $62

New to Clinique’s cult fave Moisture Surge collection, this cream serves up lightweight hydration and sun protection for dehydrated skin. Its whipped, cloud-like formula is packed with provitamin D, which helps to fight damaging free radicals on the skin, along with aloe bioferment and hyaluronic acid to boost and maintain moisture levels.  

Skin Proud Sorbet Skin Everyday Jelly Moisturizer, $17

Oil-free, ultra-hydrating and super lightweight, this affordable moisturizer boasts a long list of nourishing ingredients, including niacinamide, glycerin and Japanese rose flower water. We love the light texture, sorbet-like colour and gentle scent.

It’s also formulated with a four-part hyaluronic acid complex that delivers hydration deep into the skin.