10 Best Moisturizers for Combination Skin

Most regular moisturizers aren’t made for combination skin, but when you need a dual-action formula that treats both your oily and dry spots, you’ve got plenty of options. 

Combination skin demands special attention to stay balanced and present an even-tone complexion. An ideal moisturizer for combo skin feels lightweight and offers pore-friendly hydration — producing a softer and healthier glow with each use. 

In this article, we’re sharing our top product recommendations to help you find the perfect formula. Whether you have skin drier than oiler or vice versa, these combination moisturizers are sure to fit your needs. We also asked dermatologists Kseniya Kobets and Roberta Del Campo to share criteria for a good combo moisturizer.

Best moisturizers for combination skin overview:

• Best overall: Philosophy Purity Made Simple Ultra-Light Moisturizer
• Best budget: Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel Cream
• Best organic: Youth to the People Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream
• Best oil-free: Cetaphil Daily Oil-Free Hydrating Lotion
• Best nighttime: CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
• Best matte: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer
• Best anti-aging: SkinBetter Science Alto Defense Serum
• Best with SPF: EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46
• Best tinted: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Natural Skin Perfector SPF 30
• Best splurge: Lancôme Absolue Soft Cream Moisturizer

How we chose the best moisturizers for combination skin

To compile this list, we researched manufacturer specifications, including ingredients, texture, and more, to create a short list of the top moisturizers for combination skin. Then, we combed through detailed product descriptions, ratings, and reviews to find the best moisturizer for each category.

Our picks for the best moisturizers for combination skin

Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple Ultra-Light Moisturizer is a miracle worker for combination skin. Safe for all skin types, including sensitive skin, this clinically tested formula quickly absorbs and delivers nongreasy hydration. It offers up to 24 hours of moisture made possible with nourishing ingredients vitamin E, chia seed oil, and a green tea antioxidant complex. Purity Made Simple also works to create visibly healthy and radiant skin, which has much to do with its vitamin C content. 

This daily moisturizer is good for morning or evening use. Although lightweight, it’s designed to strengthen and shield the skin from damaging free radicals. Its pleasant scent likely stems from the formula’s meadowfoam seed oil content, which has moisturizing properties, thanks to its emollient-like nature when applied to the skin. Like every skincare solution, this moisturizer has its ups and downs. One con is its artificial coloring, meaning it’s not entirely pure.

Main ingredients: Green tea antioxidant complex, vitamin C, vitamin E, chia seed oil | SPF: No | Size: 4.7 oz

If you’d rather save a few bucks while rescuing yourself from skin dryness, try Garnier’s Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel Cream. This hydrating cream, available at a low-value price, contains rejuvenating ingredients like vitamin E and grapeseed oil extract. You’ll be relieved to know that it feels lightweight and curbs greasiness.

Garnier’s Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel Cream arms your skin with 24-hour hydration. It’s oil-free and comes in gel form, so we’re clear that it’s friendly to combination skin. Be mindful that this isn’t the best-smelling moisturizer, and since it’s a gel, it might leave a sticky residue on your skin.

Main ingredients: Vitamin E, grapeseed oil extract, grapefruit extract | SPF: No | Size: 1.7 oz

Another superhero for combo skin is Youth to the People’s Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream. Made with superfood ingredients like kale and spinach, this award-winner has an esteemed reputation for skincare excellence. As the kale, spinach, and hyaluronic acid work to battle dry and aging skin, the green tea extract goes to war on damaging free radicals.

You can use this organic pick in the mornings and evenings. Some users may experience skin irritation with this formula, however, as you adjust to the organic ingredients. Its effectiveness also has a lot to do with skin type. People with normal skin might not take a liking to this cream. But overall, Youth to the People’s Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream is a fine choice for combination skin types, and its clean ingredients are an added bonus.

Main ingredients: Kale, spinach, green tea extract, hyaluronic acid | SPF: No | Size: 2 fl oz

As titled, Cetaphil’s Daily Oil-Free Hydrating Lotion has a nongreasy moisturizing base formulated with lightweight and hydrating hyaluronic acid. This superstar ingredient complements the others for an instantly hydrating lotion made exclusively for combination skin.

The lightweight texture helps it to absorb quickly and supply 24-hour hydration.
Additionally, this dermatologist-tested formula is clinically proven to tackle dryness and roughness. It’s advertised as sensitive skin-friendly, but some user reviews tell a different story. Although hypoallergenic and fragrance-free, recent formula changes have tainted its safety for sensitive skin. You might want to steer clear if you have rosacea or a similar condition.

Main ingredients: Hyaluronic acid | SPF: No | Size: 3 fl oz

Those with a dedicated nighttime ritual should check out CeraVe’s PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion. Specifically designated for evening use, this nighttime moisturizer is oil-free, ultra-lightweight, and non-comedogenic. The lotion is packed with ingredients that hydrate and protect the skin’s natural barrier, like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and ceramides. It successfully moonlights as an after-hour moisturizer, delivering all-night hydration as you get your beauty sleep.

The dermatologist-developed formula makes dreams come true with its calming and soothing moisture, while CeraVe’s MVE technology prolongs that hydration from dusk to dawn. CeraVe’s PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion can be the perfect finale for your late-night skincare routine, but to claim that it’s great for all skin types is a stretch. Some users with dry and sensitive skin had unfavorable experiences with this product. However, it’s a hit for the combo skin type.

Main ingredients: Niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, ceramides | SPF: No | Size: 3 fl oz

This matte moisturizer contains several dermatologist-tested ingredients with moisture-protecting properties, including La Roche-Posay’s Prebiotic Thermal Water, niacinamide, and ceramide-3. Its lightweight texture allows easy penetration, but the formula is two times more powerful than it feels. 

La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer delivers 48-hour moisture and restores the skin’s protective barrier in one hour. This moisturizer benefits sensitive skin as it’s free of many icky skincare ingredients, like drying alcohol, parabens, and fragrances. Oil-free formulas are an added plus for combination skin. Just so you’re aware, though, this moisturizer has a pilling effect.

Main ingredients: Ceramide-3, niacinamide, Prebiotic Thermal Water | SPF: No | Size: 2.5 fl oz

If you’re looking for a good moisturizer that helps reverse visible signs of aging, SkinBetter Science’s Alto Defense Serum is an excellent pick for combination skin. It’s not surprising since the formula is dermatologist-tested and clinically proven to reduce wrinkles, redness, and uneven skin tone. On top of that, this serum is cruelty free and contains no fragrance, parabens, or dyes.

As advertised, the SkinBetter Science Alto Defense Serum gives the skin a more youthful appearance with its unique blend of plant-based extracts and powerful antioxidants. Combined with its proprietary anti-pollution complex and vitamins C and E, you’ve got a well-rounded moisturizer that fiercely fights skin aging and damaging free radicals. This product is on the pricier side, but you get what you pay for — in a good way.

Main ingredients: Vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10 | SPF: No | Size: 1 fl oz

With an intense SPF of 46, EltaMD’s UV Clear Broad-Spectrum moisturizer steals the spotlight as the best SPF moisturizer for combo skin. We know that UV protection is essential for preventing parched, sun-dried skin. This moisturizer delivers both UVA and UVB protection while outdoors and hyaluronic acid to preserve moisture.
EltaMD’s UV Clear Broad-Spectrum moisturizer minimizes redness and visible signs of aging, promoting healthier-looking skin that appears more vibrant and supple. The oil-free formula supplies sufficient moisture without an overshadowing amount of greasiness and feels lighter than gravity when applied to your skin. The only cons are that it pills when you rub it in too aggressively, and you have to reapply it every two hours for total coverage.

Main ingredients: Vitamin B3, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E | SPF: 46 | Size: 1.7 fl oz

For frequent makeup users with combination skin, Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer is a hydrating, broad-spectrum formula that adds a tint of color. With illuminating ingredients, like macadamia and kukui seed oils, this lightweight moisturizer amplifies your skin’s moisture levels, protects the skin from damaging UVA/UVB rays, and delivers total coverage for a flawless “no makeup” makeup look. 

Although this moisturizer delivers intense hydration, it feels airy and applies smoothly to produce a polished finish. It’s also available in various neutral, warm, and cool shades. Note that some users with dry to normal skin have experienced adverse effects with the formula. This confirms that it isn’t ideal for all skin types. However, we’ve yet to see any complaints from combo skin types.

Main ingredients: Macadamia and kukui seed oils | SPF: 30 | Size: 1.7 fl oz

Formulated with a flowerful blend of grand rose extracts, Pro-Xylane, meadowfoam seed oil, and shea butter, this soft cream moisturizer blossoms on combination skin. While the meadowfoam seed oil and shea butter strengthen the skin’s barrier and moisture retention levels, the Pro-Xylane shines in restoring your skin’s even tone and firmness.

While this is among the most expensive moisturizers on our list, this splurge pick is worth the money. Its rosy aroma smells like you’re lying in a bed of flowers. Plus, the formula is free of parabens, minerals, and sulfates.

Main ingredients: Grand rose extracts, shea butter, meadowfoam seed oil | SPF: No | Size: 1 oz

The best moisturizer to pair with combination skin

For combination skin, texture and ingredients reign supreme. If your skin has a split personality, your moisturizer of choice needs dual-action benefits to tackle two skin types at once. You should go for a moisturizer with tone-balancing and non-pore-clogging ingredients, like hyaluronic acid and Pro-Xylane. You’ll also want to steer clear of heavy or greasy formulas. 

Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple Ultra-Light Moisturizer is a clinically tested formula boasting all of the qualities of an ideal combination moisturizer. It’s a top-tier choice to moisturize combination skin, and the cherry on top is that it’s suitable for all skin types. 

How to pick the right combination skin moisturizer for you

When picking the best moisturizer for combination skin, pay close attention to the moisturizer’s ingredient contents and texture.

Ingredients

According to Dr. Kseniya Kobets, “All types of skin, whether it is super dry as in eczema or atopic dermatitis or constantly oily as in acne-prone skin, need a combination of hydrators (humectants) and occlusants (moisturizers) to maintain a healthy skin barrier.

Humectants attract water to the skin and work to strengthen its protective moisture barrier. They also halt oil overproduction. Popular humectants include hyaluronic acid and glycerin. Occlusants further seal moisture into your skin. 

Texture

Combination skin is the anomaly of the skin type spectrum, so when narrowing down the perfect moisturizer, formula texture matters a lot. With combo-type skin, gel- and cream-based formulas work best. “I like gel, as it glides and absorbs quickly … even in oily areas, but yet it still gives nice hydration for dry areas,” Dr. Roberta Del Campo said. 

Creams are also okay for combo skin — just as long as they have the right ingredients like those listed above. How to decide between the two textures? “Deciding whether gel or cream is better for combination skin depends on whether the ingredients above for hydration and moisturization are included in them and how they feel on the skin and how they go under makeup and other creams you use,” Kobets said.

SPF

All skin types need UVA/UVB protection of some sort — combo skin, especially. “It’s important to use mineral SPF daily of SPF 30 to 50 for any skin type, and it’s important for anti-aging and prevention of skin cancer and pigmentation,” Kobets said. Two good combo moisturizers with SPF include EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 and Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Natural Skin Perfector SPF 30.

FAQ

Is gel or cream moisturizer better for combination skin? 

Both are equally beneficial. What matters most are the formulation’s ingredients. 

What’s the best moisturizer for my combination face?

Many dermatologists recommend moisturizers packed with humectants and occlusants, like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide. If you’re looking for a moisturizer that suits most with combo skin, try Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple Ultra-Light Moisturizer.

When should I moisturize my combination skin?

It’s best to moisturize twice per day, in the morning and evening, after a cleanser.