The 13 Best Moisturizers For Combination Skin — Tested & Vetted By Experts

This oil-free moisturizer has the most amazingly light texture: It bursts onto the skin and is soaked up almost instantly. The effortless feel somehow achieves that ideal balance of refreshing hydration and light, silky slip. The star ingredient is what helps keep oil at bay and minimize pores: Japanese leopard lily controls sebum production and purifies skin. It’s also infused with green tea, algae, and 23-karat gold to give skin antioxidant protection, soothing properties, and a dewy glow. 

What mbg’s beauty director says:

This is a mindbodygreen beauty team favorite. I’ve recommended picking up a jar to countless friends and acquaintances. And now, I’m recommending it to you, dear reader. I don’t have oily skin any more (the joys of getting older!), but now that my skin has hints of combination skin, this is a regular in my skin care rotation. The excellent formula keeps skin deeply hydrated, but not shiny, which is a tough balance. Even as someone with sensitive skin now, I still love using this formula as it’s very gentle.

While skin tends to get drier with time, sebum does not magically disappear once you start to see signs of aging. In fact, lots of folks have to deal with mature and combination skin at the same time. This formula tackles both. The star of the show is bakuchiol, a botanical alternative to retinol. The ingredient has been shown to act similarly to retinol, reducing the appearance of fine lines, controlling sebum, and encouraging cell turnover. This crowd-pleasing formula takes it a step further, however, with ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and loads of botanical antioxidants. Ceramides are naturally found in the skin, and when used topically, they can support the skin barrier and improve water retention. Hyaluronic acid can help plump up fine lines. And antioxidants (like vitamin C, apple extract, and aloe vera) reduce the effects of free radical damage. 

What mbg’s beauty director says:

This face cream melts into skin and absorbs so quickly, like the name suggests. This texture is ideal for those with sensitive skin. The jam-packed formula contains some of my favorite ingredients, so it's really no wonder it works. When I was using this, the fine lines on my forehead weren’t as noticeable. Also worth noting: The velvety finish (the brand describes it as “soft-focus” which is an apt description) helps blur pores and reduces shine.

For a splash of hydration, barrier-strengthening actives, plumping hyaluronic acid, and antioxidant-support, look no further than this jar. It’s ideal for those with sensitive skin as it contains soothing centella asiatica and oat extracts—but it’s also super lightweight and non-greasy. To be honest, that’s a tough balance to find, and this does it to perfection. 

What mbg’s beauty director says:

As someone with very sensitive skin who can also deal with combination skin (especially in humidity), this formula is ideal for my skin. This texture is the embodiment of the word “replenishing.” My skin just drinks it up. It’s so hydrating and calming—with one use, your skin feels refreshed and dewy. Oh, and it definitely punches above its weight for the price point. It performs like creams double its price. 

Quite often combination skin is also acne-prone (excess oil production leads to clogged pores and blemishes). This cream yields the power of niacinamide which is shown in clinical trials to reduce sebum production and help ease pimples. It also contains an antibacterial peptide to help balance acne-causing bacteria. But unlike many acne-fighting topicals, this won’t strip the barrier as it contains hyaluronic acid, allantoin, and more. 

What our reviewer says:

This actually tops our list of the best face creams for acne-prone skin. “I love this lightweight formula for daytime use. The gentle 2% niacinamide boost helps to brighten the skin and ease redness while simultaneously regulating oil production,” writes mindbodygreen assistant beauty editor Hannah Frye.

Combination skin may appear shiny at times, but it can still be dull or experience dark spots (likely due to acne scars). This lightweight, non-clogging brightening cream uses the power of licorice root extract, which acts like a dark spot corrector by controlling pigment production. The cream also contains centella asiatica, which research shows can help dial down redness, balance the skin, and promote fibroblast proliferation (or, the things in our cells that create collagen and elastin). 

What our reviewer says:

Our beauty editor Jamie Schneider loves this so much that she wrote a full review about it, including this tidbit: “This is my go-to for a soft daytime glow. With hydrating and radiance-inducing actives, I notice my skin becoming more luminescent with every use, and I can't imagine my routine without it. As for the application itself, the formula instantly sinks into my skin without leaving a greasy film.”

Pore size is genetic, but several things can influence the appearance. For example, excess sebum production and clogs can make them look larger in size. Using beta- and alpha-hydroxy acids can help balance oil and de-gunk pores. This cream uses salicylic acid and lipohydroxy acid to reduce oil and gently exfoliate skin cells. The acids are buffered with a soothing complex that contains green tea, algae, eucalyptus, and moss extract. 

Smoothing uneven texture can be challenging to treat, but this cream does so in three-fold. First it uses hyaluronic acid to hydrate and plump the skin. Then amino acids can help support collagen and elastin production (they’re the building blocks of the structural proteins). And finally, the pineapple enzymes gently buff away discoloration and texture at the surface.

This smart formula adapts to your skin throughout the day, amping up hydration where it’s needed and laying low where your own oil production is doing the work. The silky lotion glides over skin effortlessly and pairs well under makeup, which makes it ideal for an easy day-to-day option. The blend is made of squalane, phytic acid, and plum oil.

This non-comedogenic, balancing face moisturizer uses squalane and a prebiotic to sooth and calm oil and acne-prone skin. The prebiotic is a polysaccharide called inulin that’s been shown to balance the skin microbiome, helping control sebum production, reduce blemishes, and manage inflammation. 

What mbg’s beauty director says:

As someone who struggled with acne for years, I wish something like this had existed for me when I was in my teens and twenties. I spent far too much time trying to dry out and attack my acne, only to be left with skin that was more irritated and angry than before. This super light lotion is so calming and soothing—an ideal moisturizer to add to your routine to help balance the skin.   

Hyaluronic acid is the star ingredient in this formula. The humectant truly shines thanks to the innovative delivery system that helps flood the skin with moisture—without a heavy or tacky feel. The lightweight, silky fluid texture makes it ideal for those with combination skin who want thinner textures, yet still crave moisture. The formula is also loaded with organic, antioxidant-rich botanicals and extracts that the brand is known for. 

This uses a smart and clinically effective blend of 5% niacinamide, 0.2% ceramides, and 3% betaine to provide hydration and control oil. The super-lightweight gel texture is oil-free and noncomedogenic. It checks all the boxes for those with combination skin, and does so at a great price. 

Lots of folks with oil- or acne-prone skin complain about sunscreen—it makes them break out, clogs pores, and makes the complexion even more shiny. The hard truth is that those with acne and clogged pores need SPF even moreso: Sun damage can worsen acne scars and make pores even bigger (UV radiation breaks down collagen, which collapses pore walls). This option was formulated specifically with breakout prone skin in mind. It’s made with all non-comedogenic ingredients (including nixing pore-clogging waxes), plus soothing chebula and astaxanthin. 

What our reviewer says:

This blend is so good that it topped our list of best natural sunscreens and best moisturizers with SPF. As beauty editor Jamie Schneider shared, "I have textbook combination skin, that gets super finicky in the summer, and this sunscreen beautifully mattifies my shine while keeping drier spots dewy. It’s magic! Don’t fear the peachy tint: It melts beautifully into the skin without a trace of white cast.”

This delightful organic brand blends together K-beauty rituals with holistic, natural touches. Their cream comes in three varieties, each designed to cater to a different skin type. For those with combo skin, they blend together pumpkin seed oil, sage extract, and rice bran to hydrate, soothe, and tend to inflammation. 

What our reviewer says:

I adore this cream, and have used it in all three of the varieties (dry, combination, and oily). Each is special in its own way, using only the best ingredients specifically chosen to meet the needs of the unique skin type. I personally love the thicker texture of the cream (I tend to like thicker textures in general), but it may be a touch rich for some. Regardless, it works well as a nighttime product. I have used this cream for years and it never gets old.