These Are the 11 Best Moisturizers for Combination Skin (We Tested Dozens)

Best Overall

Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Refillable Moisturizer

$20 at Sephora View on Ulta View on Drunkelephant.com

Active Ingredients: African oil blend, ceramides | Skin Type: All | Size: 0.5 or 1.69 ounces | SPF: None | Cruelty-Free: Yes

As the name implies, this pick is a slightly thicker moisturizer. However, we found that it wasn’t too heavy, even for our combination skin, and that one pump absorbed beautifully, noticeably increasing hydration. Credit a combination of African oils that nourish and moisturize, along with a trio of skin-strengthening ceramides that help promote and maintain a healthy skin barrier.

Best for Mature Skin

Augustinus Bader The Cream

$96 at Sephora $96 at Nordstrom $185 at Revolve

Active Ingredients: TFC8, vitamin A (retinyl palmitate), vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin B5 (panthenol), hydrolyzed rice protein, aloe vera juice, shea butter | Skin Type: Combination, oily, acne-prone | Size: 1 ounce | SPF: None | Cruelty-Free: Yes

When Hailey Beiber, Victoria Beckham, and Lili Reinhart all confess their love for a single product, you know there must be something special about it. Augustinus Bader’s The Cream contains a signature trigger factor complex: a combination of natural amino acids, high-grade vitamins, and synthesized molecules to activate the body’s stem cells. The result is skin that’s smoother, stronger, and more youthful in appearance. But the super light texture means it won’t exacerbate shine. Yep, it seems you can have it all.

Best for Minimizing Pores

Tatcha The Water Cream

$72 at Amazon $23 at Sephora $72 at Kohls.com

Active Ingredients: Japanese wild rose, Japanese leopard lily, Hadasei-3 Complex | Skin Type: Combination, oily | Size: 0.34 or 1.7 ounces | SPF: None | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This stuff is legendary in the world of skincare, and for good reason. The oil-free gel cream is formulated with Japanese botanicals, like wild rose, which helps to reduce the appearance of pores, and Tatcha’s hadasei-3 blend of algae, green tea, and fermented rice. The texture is incredibly weightless and fresh—we loved how it was even slightly cooling— so it feels lightweight but soothing and hydrating when you apply it. The gold applicator wand and luxe packaging are a nice touch, too.

Best for Dark Spots

Eadem Cloud Cushion Plush Moisturizer

$58 at Sephora View on Eadem.co

Active Ingredients: Ceramides, peptides, niacinamide | Skin Type: Normal, dry, combination, oily | Size: 1.69 ounces | SPF: None | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If your skin is both on the combination side and you’re also battling discoloration, reach for this winner. It contains radiance-boosting and skin-tone evening niacinamide, coupled with three different ceramides for moisturization purposes. We found that it left our complexion feeling extra smooth and perfectly prepped for makeup, always a benefit in our book.

Best for Hydration

BeautyStat Cosmetics Universal Moisture Boost Cream

$32 at Amazon $50 at Ulta $24 at Dermstore

Active Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, vitamin F, ceramides, reishi mushroom extract | Skin Type: Combination, oily | Size: 1.7 ounces | SPF: None | Cruelty-Free: Yes

There’s all kinds of good stuff to be found in this moisturizer, all meant to deliver some serious hydration—and then some. There are ceramides to lock in moisture and hyaluronic acid, too, which helps ensure this formula never feels too heavy. There’s also a fermented mushroom complex in the mix, targeting inflammation, puffiness, and wrinkles; maybe that’s why we were particularly impressed with how it helped minimize our under-eye bags while also deeply hydrating our skin.

Best Splurge

Dr. Barbara Sturm Face Cream Rich

$240 at Amazon $240 at Sephora $240 at Nordstrom

Active Ingredients: Skullcap, vitamin E, Avocadin | Skin Type: Normal, dry, combination | Size: 1.69 ounces | SPF: None | Cruelty-Free: Yes

We felt the intense hydrating effects of this moisturizer right away; to that point, it’s definitely on the thicker side, though it still absorbed nicely. And while it’s pricey, we also found that a little goes a long way, allowing you to get plenty of bang for your buck out of one jar. That holds even more true when you consider that there are antioxidant-rich ingredients in the formula as well.

Best Budget

The Inkey List Omega Water Cream

$12 at Amazon $12 at Sephora $11 at Theinkeylist.com

Active Ingredients: Ceramide complex, niacinamide | Skin Type: Combination, oily | Size: 1.7 ounces | SPF: None | Cruelty-Free: Yes

The price of this product is great, but what's even better is its formula. Even though this water cream has a very light and almost runny texture, we were pleasantly surprised at just how much moisture it was able to deliver—probably because it contains niacinamide, a choice ingredient for combo skin, given that it can help both moisturize and control oil production at the same time. To that point, it left our skin feeling (and looking) nice and smooth, though not in the least bit oily.

Best with Hyaluronic Acid

Innisfree Green Tea Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizer

$29 at Amazon $29 at Sephora View on Innisfree.com

Active Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, squalane, green tea tri-biotics™, green tea seed oil | Skin Type: Dry, combination, normal | Size: 1.7 ounces | SPF: None | Cruelty-Free: No

As you may have picked up already, hyaluronic acid is a top ingredient to seek out if you have combination skin. It’s a humectant, so it attracts moisture and traps it in the skin, but still feels extremely light and never in the least bit greasy. This formula contains not one, not two, but five different types of HA (as it’s called) to help really step up the hydration game. So it’s no surprise that we found that it struck the perfect in-between, imparting just the right amount of refreshing moisture without feeling too thick or greasy.

Best Gel

Kopari Peptide Glow Hydrating Moisturizer

View on Ulta View on Koparibeauty.com

Active Ingredients: Peptides, hyaluronic acid, squalane | Skin Type: Normal, combination, oily | Size: 1.7 ounces | SPF: None | Cruelty-Free: Yes

As a general rule of thumb, gel formulas are great for those with combination skin because they are typically lighter (to help avoid greasiness) while still packing hydration. It’s why we tested this one, which we found to be noticeably more hydrating than other gels; it left our complexion looking and feeling velvety for hours on end. It’s also not in the least bit runny, with a perfectly middle-of-the-road consistency that spreads extremely evenly.

Best for Acne-Prone Skin

PCA Skin Clearskin

$59 at Amazon $59 at Dermstore $59 at Nordstrom

Active Ingredients: Niacinamide, borage seed oil | Skin Type: Combination, oily, acne-prone | Size: 1.7 ounces | SPF: None | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Combination skin and acne-prone skin often go hand-in-hand, which is where this moisturizer comes into play. The niacinamide in the mix helps to control and balance out oil production. Meanwhile, the fatty acids in the borage seed oil combat breakout-induced redness. To that point, we noted that it also felt soothing going on and struck the perfect balance of moisturizing and smoothing the skin without leaving behind tell-tale residue. Along with soothing the skin and combatting redness, this is great for balancing out oil production, a win if you’re prone to breakouts.

Best Vegan Formula

Shani Darden Hydration Peptide Cream

$60 at Amazon $60 at Sephora View on Shanidarden.com

Active Ingredients: Squalane, peptides, niacinamide, Hydrosella | Skin Type: Combination, oily | Size: 2.5 ounces | SPF: None | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This vegan, cruelty-free formula is oil-free and won’t clog pores—though it still manages to deliver super long-lasting hydration—72 hours worth, to be exact. It absorbed lightning fast into our skin, alleviating any rough patches and that dry, tight feeling almost instantaneously. Also nice: The bottle is slightly larger than many others.