The Best Moisturizers for Oily Skin in 2023, Tested by Grooming Editors

This gentle, easy to apply moisturizer is specifically designed for oily skin to help control excess oil production throughout the day. It’s also packed with skin-beneficial vitamins and hydrating ingredients to ensure your face is well-hydrated, but has a matte finish so you don’t look shiny.

Why the experts like it: “This noncomedogenic, oil free moisturizer is designed for oily skin. It contains both LHA, a salicylic acid derivative, and salicylic acid to help control excess oils. It’s matte finish helps reduce skin’s shiny appearance and control oil throughout the day.”—Dr. Brauer

This ultra-lightweight moisturizer is as much about what it doesn’t have in it as what it does. Yes, it’s packed with hydrating hyaluronic acid, but it’s also free from fragrance which makes it ideal for sensitive skin and is non-comedogenic which makes it suitable for breakout prone skin as well.

This luxurious moisturizer seems simple on the surface, but is one of the best oily-skin moisturizers out there. It seems rich in the jar, but is actually so featherweight on your skin that it feels like nothing is there. Packed with vitamins, algae and botanical extracts, it works overtime to not only hydrate your skin but protect it.

Why the experts like it: “This moisturizer combines natural ingredients with algae extracts to control oil production while hydrating the skin.”—Dr. Brauer

This ultra-lightweight moisturizer may feel like next to nothing on your skin, but it works below the surface to help stimulate collagen and elastin production (which dips as we age) thanks to the brand’s proprietary TriHex technology.

Why the experts like it: “This lightweight moisturizer hydrates the skin while also boosting elastin and collagen production, making it suitable for oily skin.”—Rahi Sarbazhia, MD, Beverly Hills-based Integrative Aesthetics Doctor.

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Serums are usually meant to be worn underneath your moisturizer, but this one is so moisturizing that we say it could pull double duty. It’s packed with peptides to help boost collagen production and skin hydrating ingredients to help plump up your skin.

Why the experts like it: “Although not specifically a moisturizer, this lightweight serum helps boost collagen production, improve skin texture, and provide hydration without adding excess oil.”—Dr. Sarbazhia

Using an ultra-moisturizing serum in place of your moisturizer could be a good option for especially oily skin because it’s super lightweight. This one packs of all the power of creamier moisturizer into a more liquidy serum that sinks in quickly and works to hydrate your skin without any extra oil.

Why the experts like it: "This serum is designed to provide intense hydration without clogging pores or adding extra oil. It contains hyaluronic acid, which retains moisture and plumps the skin.”—Dr. Sarbazhia

You can’t argue with a moisturizer at this price point that checks all the right boxes for an oily skin moisturizer. It’s packed with hyaluronic acid and moisturizing ingredients but also contains sunscreen so you don’t have to double up on products every morning.

Why the experts like it: “This ultra light moisturizer hydrates without weighing down the skin. Plus, it provides broad-spectrum UV protection. The formula delivers hyaluronic acid to offer hydration to oily skin without making it feel heavy or greasy.”—Dr. Zeichner

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This fragrance-free, non-comedogenic moisturizer is ideal for all skin types but especially oily skin because it’s creamy but lightweight and won’t make you feel like you have a film on your face. It’s best for those with oily skin on the drier side, but it’s a solid all around bet.

Why the experts like it: “This non-comedogenic moisturizer combines natural emollients like shea butter along with soothing licorice root extract to hydrate, protect, and calm the skin.”—Dr. Zeichner

The texture of this moisturizer is really where it’s at—a super smooth gel-cream that’s easy to apply and doesn’t take a lot to get full coverage. It’s also packed with hydrating ingredients, of course, but also salicylic acid to help curb oil production throughout the day.

Testing Notes: This oil-controlling moisturizer earns its spot on our list because it just feels so damn good. We found we favored this texture above almost all the others on this list because it’s like a thick, milky gel that spreads easily without the need to use a lot. Once it sinks into your skin (quickly) it feels like absolutely nothing is there. We found the oil-controlling claims to be true, if bit hard to fully quantify except that we noticed less shine on our faces at the end of the day versus other moisturizers. Plus, you can’t argue with the fact that this tube is big so it lasts a really long time.

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Gel moisturizers are ideal for oily skin because they’re lightweight and are usually oil-free. The downside is that they can sometimes be too light for very dry skin. This one strikes the right balance—a super lightweight gel formula that is still hydrating enough for extra dry skin.

Testing Notes: This is by far our favorite gel moisturizer we tried because it hydrates as well as a cream but has a clear, featherweight finish. A little goes a long way with this one. In fact, we found that applying too much left our faces slightly sticky—so proceed with caution. Use less than you think you need at first (you can always add more) until you find the right amount for you. Once you do, you’re golden.