14 Best Face Moisturizers For Acne Prone Skin (2023)

Our skin changes through the seasons and over the years, which makes finding the right moisturizer a never-ending task. If you have acne prone skin, it feels like you never stop searching for a solution. The best moisturizer for acne prone skin should provide you with more hydration, eliminate your acne, reduce scarring, and of course, provide the ever-elusive “glow.” At times, it seems impossible to find the perfect moisturizer, but we keep searching. 

But this constant search isn’t a waste of time. As science develops and new products enter the market, the technology of face moisturizers for acne prone skin improves. The skincare creams of today are a long way from those of the 2000s, or even the 2010s, and new discoveries are made every day.  

With the constant release of top-quality products, it can be hard to know which ones to try—nobody has the time, let alone the budget, to try everything. We’ll give you a hand by helping you learn how to choose the right face moisturizer for you, and then give you a list of the top 14 best face moisturizers for acne prone skin to get you started on your journey. 

What’s a moisturizer? 

Okay, let’s start with the basics. Most of you are rolling your eyes at this point, but there’s always someone who needs a refresher—and some of you who think you know, might be wrong. For instance, moisturizers don’t need to add moisture to your skin. 

The primary purpose of a moisturizer is to seal in moisture, and not necessarily add it. A good moisturizer will do both, that’s why you’ll only find moisturizers that can do both in this list. These days the term “moisturizer” is used for any product that provides moisture as well as some form of skin barrier, be it oil, ceramide, or silicone—and that’s what we’re going with. 

How does a moisturizer help with acne? 

Acne often happens when the oil levels of your skin are unbalanced. Usually this is due to an excess of sebum, the greasy wax-like substance that can clog pores and lead to blackheads. But that doesn’t mean everyone with acne has oily skin, and in some cases removing the natural oils allows for bacteria to set up house in your pores and cause infections. The key is balance—not too much, and not too little. 

If you find your skin is itchy, cracked, or flaking, no matter how much oil your body makes, it may be that your skin needs more hydration, not more moisturizer. Oil repels water, so in order to get more moisture to your skin, you have to remove the oil that’s already there. Use a gentle cleanser to remove excess oil and dirt, a toner to hydrate your skin, and then seal in that moisture with just enough oil to maintain your skin’s barrier. 

So if you’ve got oily skin, you don’t want to add any moisturizer at all, right? Wrong. Some skin care specialists theorize that the excess oil your body makes is an attempt to protect the skin from dehydration. In this case, removing oils from your skin only causes your body to create more oil to replace that which was “lost.” It’s trying to help, really. 

The secret to dealing with oily acne-prone skin is to use a deep cleanser, which removes the buildup of oil, dirt, makeup, sebum, and anything else clogging your pores. Then, in order to stop your body from panicking and upping oil production again, hydrate with a toner, and moisturize with a light, absorbable moisturizer. You might want to consider gel moisturizers, which absorb into your skin more readily and leave less of a residue.  

Basically, cleanse, tone, and moisturize, no matter what your skin type is. The only difference will be in the strength of each product, and how well each one works with your personal skin chemistry and microbiome. 

Which moisturizer is right for me? 

The scientist who develops a moisturizer that works on all acne-prone skin will be a billionaire. For now, it’s trial and error. That doesn’t mean that all products are equal, as there are some things you never want to see in your moisturizer. For instance, coconut oil and cocoa butter may be amazing for your hair and body, but they love to clog up the pores on your face and back. If you have acne-prone skin, you’ll want to avoid comedogenic fats in your moisturizer—fats that block your pores and create blackheads.  

Another warning sign is any product that claims to reduce the number or size of your pores. They’re lying, sorry. The only way to change the number and size of your pores is surgery. Moisturizer won’t magically make them shrink and disappear any more than lipstick will shrink your mouth, and it makes about as much sense to try and do it. You need your pores to keep your skin healthy, no matter how much of a pain they can be. 

If you feel bothered by their appearance, hydrating your skin will help reduce the appearance of pores by plumping up the skin around them, and keeping pores clear of any buildup will minimize their appearance as well as preventing acne. Healthy skin looks better, who would have thought? 

Lastly, there are a whole range of chemicals out there that will improve the look of your skin while giving you long term damage. Nature provides everything you need to rebalance your oil levels, and while science can give it a helping hand now and again, it’s often safer to stick to products that contain mostly or all natural ingredients. 

Now you know what you do and don’t want in a moisturizer, let’s look at some of the best face moisturizers for acne prone skin in 2023. 

1. Blu Atlas Face Moisturizer 

Blu Atlas Facial Moisturizer keeps things simple, organic, and effective. The main source of hydration in this moisturizing cream is mango seed butter, so it’s best suited to dry, combination, and normal skin. Mango butter is both highly biocompatible and full of antioxidants such as vitamin A and vitamin E, which bind to free radicals to form molecules that your body can either break down or remove. 

Mango butter also contains essential fatty acids which lower inflammation levels and reduce redness and swelling. Other fatty acids in mango butter are the same as those naturally found in human sebum, and are readily absorbed by the skin. When it comes to plant-based oils, mango butter is one of the best possible choices for your skin. For those of you worrying about blackheads and blocked pores, don’t fear—these oils are all readily absorbed by your skin to leave no traces behind. 

In addition to the moisturizing properties of mango butter, Blu Atlas’ moisturizer also contains moringa oleifera seed oil, extracted from the seeds of the moringa tree. Sadly the oil doesn’t have the same scent as moringa’s amazing-smelling flowers, but it does contain an astonishing variety of vitamins and other nutrients which provide everything your skin needs to keep it healthy. 

If the bounty of antioxidants and nutrients provided by mango and moringa oil isn’t enough for your thirsty skin, Blu Atlas has also added seaweed extract, another source of antioxidants, amino acids, moisturizing oils, and other skin-friendly materials. Seaweed also contains antimicrobial compounds which can help inhibit the growth of bacteria—this can reduce the severity of your acne and help your body heal faster.  

All of these natural ingredients are plant-based, making this moisturizer not only vegan and cruelty-free, but phthalate- and paraben-free as well. The use of premium ingredients from natural origins such as plants, fruits, and minerals is one of the more distinguishing features of Blu Atlas products, and it shows in the quality of their hair and skincare line. 

2. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Matte Moisturizer

Another hugely popular moisturizer is La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane Double Repair Matte Moisturizer. Matte moisturizers contain ingredients that will absorb some oil as it’s produced, keeping your skin matte for longer. There’s only so much they can do, but it does help give you at least a few more hours, if not all-day coverage. La Roche-Posay has chosen silica, pearlite, and cornstarch to do the job.  

This moisturizer also contains glycerin, along with another effective, body-safe humectant, betaine. They are both naturally found in your body, so they’re very unlikely to cause a reaction. You’ll also see a lot of hyaluronic acid (sodium hyaluronate) in moisturizers, including this one. Hyaluronic acid helps wick in moisture, and also helps your skin absorb another mainstay of moisturizers for acne-prone skin: niacinamide. 

We said earlier that the scientist who develops a moisturizer for all acne-prone skin will be a billionaire, and the combination of glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide is about as close as we’ve come so far. Niacinamide is also known as vitamin B3, and it does so much for your skin we can’t even list it all here. Some of the highlights are its ability to reduce inflammation, reduce the severity of acne breakouts, calm eczema, protect against UV damage, and help your body reduce hyperpigmentation. 

Lastly, Toleriane Double Repair Matte Moisturizer contains ceramides, which are like the cement that holds your skin cells together. Applying a thin layer of ceramides helps knit together microfissures in the skin, reducing cracking due to dryness or eczema. This moisturizer has all your bases covered, no matter what your skin type, and deserves second place in our top 14 best face moisturizers for acne prone skin. 

3. Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Moisturizer 

We cannot say enough about this amazingly silky soft moisturizer. If you have oily or blackhead-prone skin, this stuff is heaven in a bottle. It definitely falls more on the “toner” side of the moisturizer-toner scale, with the watermelon extract full of hydrating amino acids and sugars. Despite the number one ingredient being watermelon juice, this moisturizer won’t leave you feeling sticky—quite the opposite! It sinks in like a dream to leave your skin feeling soft and replenished, without a trace of oil or stickiness.  

The other key ingredient in this Glow Recipe moisturizer is glycerin, which you’ll be seeing a lot on this list. Glycerin is a non-toxic, sweet tasting derivative of naturally occurring fats. It draws in moisture from the air and holds it close to your skin for a top-up of moisture throughout the day. This kind of ingredient is called a humectant, and it’s the secret to hydrating all types of skin. 

Watermelon Glow Pink Juice also contains peony extract due to its anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties, and a mixture of different proteins that help form a protective barrier over the skin. There’s no oil in this moisturizer, so if you have really dry skin, it’s not necessarily going to be enough to provide proper hydration. We still recommend giving it a go, as it’s a delight to use, affordable, and won’t make your skin conditions any worse—unless you’re allergic to watermelon.  

4. Dr. Alkaitis Organic Soothing Gel 

Getting back to the plant-based goodness, Dr. Alkaitis’ Organic Soothing Gel is relief in a bottle for those inflamed, sore and itchy areas just before an acne outbreak. It may be too late for a moisturizer to stop the outbreak from occurring, but you can at least reduce the appearance and irritation that comes with it. 

This moisturizer uses aloe vera as the main humectant, which not only draws moisture to your skin, but soothes swelling and redness. Aloe vera contains high levels of vitamins E, which is an anti-inflammatory vitamin that works both when you eat it, and when you apply it to your skin. Try doing both for best results by eating sunflower seeds, avocados, almonds, and peanuts. Or snails, if that’s your thing. 

Other notable ingredients include witch hazel, frankincense and myrrh, lavender, calendula, and seaweed, all of which have either anti-inflammatory or anti-microbial benefits to help reduce swelling and slow infection. Dr. Alkaitis’ Soothing Gel does contain alcohol, which can be drying to some skin types. There also aren’t any oils or other barrier-forming ingredients present in this moisturizer, so it’s not suited for dry skin. 

5. CeraVé Ultra-light Moisturizing Lotion 

CeraVé’s Ultra-Light Moisturizing Lotion includes hyaluronic acid and glycerin to moisturize, ceramides to maintain your skin layer, and sunscreen to protect your skin. Top it all off with a matte finish, and you’re good to go. This is an oil-free moisturizer, so it doesn’t leave your skin feeling greasy like most sunblocks do. It’s also worth noting that this product doesn’t leave a white cast, so it’s suitable for both lighter and darker skin tones. 

Keeping your skin healthy means protecting it from UV radiation, and while moisturizers often contain antioxidants to minimize UV damage, it’s better to block the UV light entirely. Choosing a daily moisturizer with added sunblock saves you having to remember to apply it before going outside, and protects you during those cloudy days when sunscreen feels hopelessly optimistic. Yes, you still get damage from UV light when it’s cloudy. 

6. Dr. Jart Teetreement Moisturizer  

Dr. Jart’s Teetreement Moisturizer is another product that utilizes the beneficial properties of natural ingredients. In this case the most notable is the addition of both tea tree oil and tea tree extract, which have potent antimicrobial effects. We also see our friends seaweed extract, witch hazel, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides, all of which work to help soothe irritated skin and restore lost moisture. 

This moisturizer also contains another common compound in acne prevention creams: salicylic acid. This naturally-derived painkiller is often sold as aspirin, but it also works to decrease irritation when applied to the skin. Don’t go applying crushed aspirin to that pimple just yet—salicylic acid can be an irritant in high doses. Teatreement Moisturizer has a low dose, so you can reap the benefits without upsetting your already inflamed skin. 

Salicylic acid also dries the skin out, so it’s good to see safflower oil and ethylhexyl stearate on the ingredients list. Don’t worry, this scary-sounding but fun to say ingredient is naturally-sourced from vegetables, and helps oil sink into your skin where it’s needed, instead of just lying on top and creating a greasy mess. The combination of antiinflammatory compounds and hydrating ingredients makes this moisturizer good for dry, normal, combination, and oily skin.  

7. Naturopathica Rosemary and Salicylic Acid Moisturizer 

Naturopathica also include salicylic acid in their acne-clearing moisturizer, as well as both rosemary oil and rosemary extract. Some chemicals will only dissolve in oil, and others will only dissolve in water. By using both rosemary oil and rosemary extract, all beneficial chemicals in the rosemary plant are present in this moisturizer. This is optimal, because rosemary is a potent topical antibiotic, and helps your body fight off infection.  

As well as glycerin and hyaluronic acid, this moisturizer contains coconut alkanes and stearic acid. These are both moisturizing fats which sink well into your skin. Stearic acid is a natural component of sebum, so it’s highly biocompatible.  

Unfortunately, just like sebum, stearic acid can also accumulate and block your pores. If you’re already applying a regular cleanser to unblock your pores, then it’s not an issue. However, if you don’t naturally produce enough sebum to block your pores anyway, adding coconut alkanes and stearic acid to the mix might make things worse. 

8.  CLEARSTEM Hydraglow Moisturizer 

CLEARSTEM haS some interesting products in their lineup. To be clear, there is no evidence that putting stem cells in moisturizer does anything useful at all—and particularly not plant ones. However, that doesn’t stop this moisturizer from hydrating and soothing your skin; it’s just not the argan seed stem cells doing it. 

Aside from the ever-present glycerin, this moisturizer contains aloe vera and hyaluronic acid to hydrate your skin. This is a moisturizer designed for normal, dry, or combination skin, so it contains some oils. As well as hemp seed and pomegranate seed oil, which are high in essential fatty acids, this moisturizer contains squalene. Squalane is another oil naturally found in human sebum, but in this case, it doesn’t clog your pores. That allows this moisturizer to really sink into your skin, delivering a hefty dose of moisturizing oil where it’s needed most. 

As well as excellent hydrating properties, Hydraglow also contains a wealth of nutrition for your skin cells. Amino acids penetrate your skin to nourish your cells, and essential fatty acids from the hemp and pomegranate seed oil can easily sink through your skin barrier, all the way into your bloodstream! There’s such a small amount of essential fatty acids applied with each usage that your body as a whole won’t receive any benefit, but it does provide your skin cells with the nutrients they need. Although in this case only beneficial natural chemicals are delivered, it’s also a reminder to be careful what you apply to your skin.  

9. Avène Cleanance Hydra Soothing Cream 

Once you get past reading Cleanance as clearance, you’ll find there’s nothing cheap about the quality of this moisturizer. Specifically designed to work with other acne treatments, this moisturizer provides hydration to dry skin without interacting with other creams.  

Avène has taken the naturally high mineral content of thermal spring water and mixed it with a number of synthetic additives which enhance the ability of the moisturizer to sink into your skin. This is particularly helpful if you often use treatments containing salicylic acid, as it can dry the skin out. By applying this light moisturizer, you can prevent excess dryness while still treating the inflammation caused by acne. 

Glycerin and safflower oil provide hydration and moisture in moderate amounts, and with the help of other additives they disappear almost instantly into your skin. We love how quickly this moisturizer dries, leaving your skin soft and smooth. It does contain perfume, which can be an irritant to some skin types, so if you have sensitive skin it’s best to skip this one. 

10. Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer 

Aveeno has recently changed a number of their product formulas, with mixed success. Positively Radiant is one of the winners, as a residue-free moisturizer and sunscreen in one. This is a fairly light moisturizer so if you have dry skin, it’s not going to do the job. For combination, normal, and oily skin, this moisturizer effectively evens out dry and oily patches and leaves the whole face with a non-greasy, matte finish. 

This is quite a thin, light moisturizer, and you need to apply a generous amount in order to get full coverage. However, it’s also quite affordable, so that’s not as much of a big deal as it could be. It also absorbs rapidly into the skin, so you’re not left with smears of white across your face. If you’re the kind of person who always has a chalky look after applying sunblock, this is the perfect product for you. 

A couple of important things to note that bring this otherwise inexpensive, effective, and pleasantly-textured moisturizer down: It’s not safe to use on broken skin, and it contains silicones. Silicones don’t wash off easily, and can lead to buildup over time. That means this one is only for people who already use a deep cleanser on a regular basis. 

11. Pond’s Clarant B3 Dark Spot Correcting Cream 

If you struggle with post-pimple hyperpigmentation, you might want to try Pond’s Clarant B3 Dark Spot Correcting Cream. You should only use this moisturizer after the pimple has healed, and it shouldn’t be used on broken skin. Regular application helps the dark patches left by stubborn pimples fade away faster, without bleaching your skin or causing irritation. It won’t remove scars, but it does help them fade to a fully healed tone. 

The key ingredient to this is vitamin B3, which helps the body remove excess pigmentation. Pond’s has also included niacinamide to help reduce any lingering inflammation, and sodium ascorbyl phosphate, a type of vitamin C with antimicrobial properties, to help prevent the next breakout. 

If you use retinol as part of your daily skin care routine, you’ll need to apply this moisturizer and retinol at different times of the day. The pH required for this cream to reduce pigmentation is not compatible with retinol, and if you mix the two, neither will work as effectively. This is actually a common issue with retinol and moisturizers, so it’s always good to split the two into morning and nighttime applications. 

12. Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer 

One of the problems with moisturizers for acne-prone skin is that so many of them smell medicinal. Neutrogena’s pink grapefruit moisturizer is a refreshing change, feeling more like a treat than a treatment.  

This delightful-smelling moisturizer has both cetearyl alcohol and glycerin to moisturize and soften your skin, as well as salicylic acid to help reduce the severity of outbreaks. Although it clearly states “Oil-Free'' on the bottle, this moisturizer does in fact contain dicaprylyl ether, which is an oil derived from coconut and palm kernel. It’s a good thing it does, because Neutrogena warns that this moisturizer can be drying for your skin, so don’t apply it multiple times a day when you start using it.  

13. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Oil-Control Moisturizer 

Even though this Ultra Repair Oil-Control Moisturizer by First Aid Beauty contains silicones, if you look past that flaw, you’ll find that this moisturizer has all the good things your skin needs: hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, oat kernel extract, feverfew extract, and licorice root. It’s wonderfully light and has a creamy texture, making it very easy to apply. 

The silicone in this product, dimethicone, is not super absorbent, and there’s not enough of it to form a coating on the skin. It does fill in shallow lines and wrinkles, which helps minimize their appearance and create a smoother look.  

As well as dimethicone, this moisturizer also contains caprylyl glycol. which is derived from coconut oil, and can clog pores. It’s not as bad as coconut oil though, and it does help form a protective barrier that seals in moisture. If you’re using a regular cleanser designer to remove makeup, you shouldn’t have any problems with this moisturizer.  

14. Starface Moisture on Mars 

Starface’s Moisture on Mars uses a combination of hyaluronic acid to hydrate and cetearyl olivate (derived from olive oil) to seal in moisture and replace lost oils. Cetearyl olivate is a good choice for facial moisturizers, as it forms a protective barrier without clogging pores—so it’s good for all kinds of acne-prone skin. 

Vitamin E, aloe vera, sage leaf, and holy basil all provide natural anti-inflammatory support while infusing extra nutrition to the top layers of your skin. Isononyl isononanoate is also present in this moisturizer. It’s just your average emollient, but we wanted to share the word with you. Try getting your friends to say it ten times fast. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Everyone else is raving about this moisturizer, but it made me break out overnight! What happened? 

First of all, you have our sympathies—we know what it’s like. That said, this just happens sometimes. It’s not always apparent why. Maybe you have an allergy to an ingredient, or it might be that some of the ingredients are too comedogenic for your skin. Wash all products off with your favorite cleanser and apply a very light moisturizer with antibacterial properties—Dr. Alkatis’ Organic Soothing Gel is good for this, if it’s not what caused the issue in the first place.  

My Aunty has been using coconut oil on her face for decades and she never has problems with her acne? 

It’s great that your aunty has found the right product for her. Some people will have no problems with comedogenic fats. It all depends on personal chemistry, pore size, and your microbiome. For most people, argan oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter are all likely to make blocked pores worse. 

I don’t have acne. Can I still use these moisturizers? 

Some of them, sure! Our top three choices are all medication-free, so they can be used by everyone. Other products, like Neutrogena’s Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer, contain salicylic acid and should not be used unless it’s recommended by your doctor.