How to pick the best moisturizer for your skin types

As the final step in your regimen, moisturizers are essential to not only sealing hydration in your skin, but also locking in all the goodness from serums and essences applied prior. However, with so many types of moisturizers to choose from, you might be spoilt for choice when it comes to picking the right one for your skin. To help you create the ideal skincare regimen, here’s our guide to the right moisturizer for your skin type.

Best for: Oily, blemish-prone skin or normal skin in summer months

Texture/Finish: Oil-free, light jelly texture.

Oily skin? That doesn’t mean you can skip your moisturizer since oil and water are two different things. In fact, dehydration can cause your skin to produce even more sebum!

Usually water-based, gel moisturizers are lightweight and easily absorbed into the skin — sometimes within a matter of seconds. The oil-free formula is perfect for skin types that are oily or acne-prone, as it hydrates skin without any heaviness or greasiness that can clog your pores. Oily skin already has more than enough sebum that prevents water loss through evaporation (also known as Trans Epidermal Water Loss) so boosting your skin’s hydration levels is of utmost importance here.

One very common misconception is that oily skin doesn’t need moisturizers, or that moisturizers can make things worse. The truth is, oil and water are two different things – and dehydration can cause your skin to produce even more sebum. Maintaining a good balance is key to healthy, happy skin.

Apply moisturizers over damp skin (before your essences and serums are fully absorbed), not dry skin, to seal in the most moisture. Check out application tips for every skincare product.

Best for: Combination and normal skin

Texture/Finish: Liquid or thin milky texture

Lightweight lotions can moisturise both dry and oily areas without being too heavy on your skin.

Also known as ‘milky lotions’ or 'light-weight moisturizers', lotion moisturizers are formulated with high water and low oil content to keep combination and normal skin balanced. Normal skin naturally has a good balance of oil and water (lucky you!) so all you need is a bit of help to maintain it. Combination skin type refers to skin that is dry around the cheeks and oily everywhere else; lightweight lotions can moisturise both dry and oily areas without being too heavy on your skin.

For combination skin, especially in the colder seasons, moisturising lotions might not be rich enough for dry cheeks. Switch to a moisturising cream for your cheeks while using a lotion on the T-zone.

Texture/Finish: Semi-solid, velvety cream texture

Most moisturisers belong to this category, with a higher oil to water ratio than lotions. These tend to be heavier and richer as they are designed for drier skin types that need more nourishing TLC. Dry and mature skin tend to produce less oil and have a weaker barrier, which causes skin to be both dry and dehydrated.

The higher oil content in cream face moisturizers helps to boost oil levels in skin and improves your skin’s ability to retain moisture. While this is a perfect day moisturiser for dry and mature skin, it can also work as a night cream for oily and normal skin types, as our skin generally requires a little more care during sleep.

Best for: Dry and/or mature skin

Texture/Finish: Viscous, greasy liquid

Oils have taken the world by storm in the past few years and it’s easy to see why. The concentrated nature of oils not only forms an unbreakable barrier over skin to effectively seal in moisture, but also delivers a host of other benefits for skin. Some oils are full of antioxidants that help your skin fight damage from free radicals, while others can help your skin soothe itself.

When used as an additional layer on top of creams or even on its own, moisturising oils can benefit dry or mature skin greatly. Those with combination and normal skin can also use oils as an intensive treatment on dry patches or in the winter months.

Best for: Dry and/or mature skin at night or during winter months