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I’m not sure about you, but non-comedogenic might seem super intimidating. As you will find, it’s actually more straightforward than I even thought!
Simply put, products labeled non-comedogenic do not include pore-clogging ingredients.
These moisturizers help prevent skin issues, such as breakouts, dry skin and uneven tone, often caused by blocked pores.
A non-comedogenic formula is still a hydrating moisturizer that is particularly beneficial for oily or acne-prone and sensitive skin. It also helps prevent clogged pores.
When it comes to finding the top-notch non-comedogenic moisturizers on the market, we have tested numerous formulas.
Our selections are based on their active ingredients, skin concerns, skin type, and hydration capacity without blocking pores or triggering breakouts.
We also conferred with Board-certified aesthetic nurse practitioner Emma Stone of PURE Medi Spa for their professional opinions.
Keep scrolling as we delve into possibly the best non-comedogenic moisturizer suitable for you and formulated for all skin types. We will also answer any questions you might have.
Understanding Non-Comedogenic Moisturizers
Non-comedogenic products are specifically formulated to reduce the risk of pore blockages, which can lead to symptoms like blackheads and pimples.
They are your ally in sebum-balancing acts, and skincare experts advocate for their usage, especially if you’re inclined toward oily or acne-prone skin.
Benefits of Non-Comedogenic Moisturizers
Contrary to the myth that moisturizers are adverse for oily skin, non-comedogenic moisturizers are crucial for health.
They hydrate the skin without causing congestion, address common skin issues, and fortify the skin barrier, a unanimous dermatologist recommendation.
Top 13 Non-Comedogenic Moisturizers
Many products on the market can confuse this process, but fear not—we have meticulously compiled a list of the top 13 non-comedogenic moisturizers—each tried, tested, and approved for its potential place in your daily regime.
Best For Acne Prone Skin
SkinCeuticals Daily Moisture
PROS & CONS
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Pros: Oil-free moisturizer with a lightweight consistency that wears well under makeup.
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Cons: Doesn’t contain broad-spectrum SPF sun protection.
SkinCeuticals’ Everyday Moisture aims to deeply nourish and maintain skin while minimizing the appearance of enlarged pores.
Infused with nutrient-dense algae extracts and a fusion of natural extracts, this everyday moisturizer protects your skin and leaves it feeling soft and smooth without any greasy residue.
Specifically designed for combination, oily, and normal skin types, this moisturizer balances oil production while delivering the right amount of moisture to refine your pores.
Best Hydrating Ingredients
Biba Los Angeles The Daily Moisturizer
PROS & CONS
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Pros: Deeply hydrating.
- Cons: It comes with a heavy price tag!
Esteemed skin-care specialist Biba de Sousa is the mastermind behind this daily moisturizer. Her celebrated clientele includes Rosie Huntington-Whitely, who recently said on her blog, Rose Inc., that she swears by this product.
Following her renowned Onerta Cream Barrier’s immense success, she’s now introducing a product with a more delicate formula.
This day cream promises profound hydration and is designed to prevent breakouts.
I’ve relied on Biba’s expertise for a long time.
When I started experiencing adult acne, I became committed to only using products that her Pore Clogger Checker had scrutinized for comedogenic components.
I religiously use her Cream Barrier moisturizer and will turn to this Daily Cream during my breakout peak periods. It deeply nourishes my skin without clogging pores and exacerbating my acne issues.
Best Dewy Gel Cream
Summer Fridays Cloud Dew Gel Cream Moisturizer
PROS & CONS
- Pros: Great smell, and it combats excess oil.
- Cons: Those with dry or sensitive skin didn’t find it hydrating enough.
Summer Fridays’ Cloud Dew Gel Cream Moisturizer is an ultra-lightweight skin saviour designed to replenish your skin’s hydration levels.
It uniquely blends three types of hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and amino acids to fortify your skin’s protective layer against moisture loss, ensuring a continuous boost of hydration that promotes skin plumpness.
This gel moisturizer is loaded with ceramides, minerals, and amino acids to strengthen your skin’s moisture retention abilities.
Its formula is also infused with potent antioxidants and brightening pineapple enzymes, promising noticeable skin tone and texture improvements.
If you have oily skin or love a dewy look, this is one product you’ll want in your skincare arsenal!
It’s an ideal daytime solution for oily skin, delivering an unmatched dewy finish like nothing else. Even as your face becomes oilier throughout the day, this wonder worker prevents excess oiliness.
Many users, including myself, experienced a pleasant surprise the first time this product was used. For the best results, regular morning application is recommended.
Best Hydrating Moisturizer for Dry Skin
CeraVe Face and Body Moisturizing Cream
PROS & CONS
- Pros: Multi-purpose moisturizer that keeps skin hydrated and healthy for all skin types.
- Cons: Some consider it a bit heavy for the warmer seasons.
The iconic CeraVe Moisturizing Cream is a face and body care staple that keeps your skin hydrated without feeling greasy.
It is a trusted remedy for conditions ranging from eczema to acne. It’s deeply nourishing without clogging pores, making this all-in-one cream necessary in every home’s health supplies.
This cream and a basic face cleanse were my go-to skincare routine throughout high school and college.
Its rich texture, comprised of key elements: ceramides and hyaluronic acid, makes it a winter godsend, though it can be challenging in the summertime.
But it’s essential for those who prefer uncomplicated skincare. After all these years, my skin looks radiant, a testament to my initial skincare romance with this moisturizer.
Best Clean Beauty Moisturizer
Fenty Skin Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer
PROS & CONS
- Pros: Includes broad spectrum SPF and is paraben-free.
- Cons: The pump makes it hard to finish.
The Fenty Skin Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer is packed with premium ingredients like avobenzone, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide, making it a versatile choice for all skin types—normal, dry, combination, or oily.
It generously offers 1.7 ounces of cruelty-free moisturizer with SPF 30 that absorbs quickly. Its sustainable appeal lies in its easy-to-refill design, which allows you to order a refill for the outer packaging for $4 less than the full product cost.
After application, it imparts a rejuvenated glow and dewy effect on the skin, while its appealing scent effectively masks the usual SPF smell, making it invisible.
However, some reviews indicate that it may not suit frequent makeup users due to its tendency to pill when applied with other cosmetics.
Best Moisturizer for Anti-Aging
Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery
PROS & CONS
- Pros: Includes SPF 50 and hydrating ingredients that nourish the skin and protect against environmental agitators.
- Cons: Some users say they dislike the scent.
The Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery is a non-greasy composition that helps manage the factors that contribute to skin aging and wrinkles while leaving the skin moisturized and hydrated.
This multi-tasking moisturizer performs three crucial functions daily – it bolsters skin firmness, effectively hydrates, and shields your skin with a broad spectrum SPF50.
Its unique polypeptide concoction aims to rejuvenate photoaged skin’s appearance, while the infusion of White Tea provides a robust antioxidant defense against free radicals.
Not to mention, it harmoniously absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving it with a polished finish.
Best Pharmacy Moisturizer
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Water Gel
PROS & CONS
- Pros: Lightweight moisturizer and sun protection.
- Cons: Some say it has a sunscreen scent.
This Neutrogena pick has plenty to offer.
Part of the beloved Hydro Boost line, this SPF moisturizer is enriched with hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and antioxidants, all working in harmony to keep your skin barrier hydrated and defended.
The formula is feather-light, never leaving your skin feeling overburdened or oily.
A small amount of this product goes a long way. This lightweight formula offers a hydrating texture and absorbs quickly into the skin.
An added bonus is the inclusion of SPF 50 in the mix, ensuring your skin stays protected while wearing it. While it doesn’t leave a white cast, it carries a slight sunscreen scent.
Best for Oily Skin
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Matte Face Moisturizer
PROS & CONS
- Pros: Non-greasy and ideal for acne.
- Cons: Some users noted it can be pillaged under makeup.
Are you looking for a moisturizer to help control oil in your T-zone that won’t clog pores?
This La Roche Posay Matte Moisturizer is the product for you!
Its unique texture blurs imperfections and works effectively as a makeup primer without causing breakouts.
It doesn’t skimp on hydration either, nourishing the skin and strengthening the barrier.
Glycerin and Niacinamide are its prime components.
A satisfied customer from Ulta praised it, stating, “It’s perfect for oily skin. Excellent at absorbing oil to a great extent. I highly recommend it for those with very oily skin.”
Best for Sensitive Skin
Clinique Moisture Surge Auto-Replenishing Hydrator
PROS & CONS
- Pros: Glowy finish.
- Cons: Serum-like texture.
The Clinique Moisture Surge Auto-Replenishing Hydrator delivers the ideal balance of airy lightness and dewy freshness, offering a healthy radiance to your skin without the burden of heavy shea butter obstructing your pores.
This hydrator has been a staple in my daily routine. I apply it each morning following a gentle cleanse to ensure a flawless foundation application.
Its unique gel consistency is readily absorbed by the skin, resulting in a naturally luminescent finish that is far from heavy.
In fact, any tightness or discomfort caused by dry skin was promptly soothed, allowing me to proceed with my makeup routine confidently and comfortably.
Best for Hybrid Moisturizer
Avène Hydrance Boost Serum
PROS & CONS
- Pros: Serum-moisturizer deeply hydrates sensitive skin and doesn’t clog pores.
- Cons: Liquid facial moisturizer and not fragrance-free.
Experience the luxury of deep hydration with Avène’s decadently hydrating serum, loaded with Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin B3.
This product provides an immediate burst of profound moisture, restoring your skin’s inherent moisture equilibrium for continuous hydration and replenishing your skin’s natural moisture levels for prolonged periods.
An enthusiastic Ultra customer shared their experience: “This product is marvelous. I have rosacea, and it doesn’t provoke any discomfort whatsoever.
It applies so smoothly that it feels akin to silk. It absorbs swiftly, and a tiny amount really does go far! I am certainly going to purchase this product once again.”
Best FEMMENA-approved Moisturizer
Tatcha The Water Cream Oil-Free Pore Minimizing Moisturizer
PROS & CONS
- Pros: Lightweight, clean beauty, great for pores.
- Cons: Price!
Loaded with botanicals and nutrients, this luxurious formula is pure bliss for your skin.
Packed with the goodness of green tea, algae, and protein-rich rice water, the cream delivers profound hydration, resurrecting dull and lifeless skin into a glowing, healthy complexion.
Its gel-like texture mimics water, seeping quickly into your skin.
This makes it an excellent pick for those with oily skin or for people who favor a simplistic skincare routine.
To add a touch of opulence, the cream is laced with 23-karat gold for a truly stunning radiance.
However, we don’t think that this product is too budget-friendly, and during the cold, harsh winter months, it may not be sufficiently moisturizing for those with dry skin.
Best Lightweight Moisturizer
Kiehl’s Since 1851 Ultra Facial Cream
PROS & CONS
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Pros: Fragrance-free.
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Cons: Doesn’t contain broad-spectrum SPF sun protection.
The Ultra Facial Cream from Kiehl’s Since 1851 doesn’t explicitly state that it’s a treatment or soothing agent for Rosacea.
However, this clinically proven, non-oily hydrator claims to penetrate up to 15 layers deep to deliver softer, smoother, and healthier-looking skin.
It’s also free from parabens and fragrances, earning itself the National Eczema Association seal of acceptance, which makes it more encouraging to try!
This moisture-rich, light formula is adaptable for both day and night use.
If you intend to layer it under makeup, such as a liquid foundation, I suggest letting the moisturizer sink into your skin for a few minutes before the makeup application.
An Ultra customer shared their experience: “Love, love, love this moisturizer. It rescued my dry winter skin and made it feel soft and supple without feeling greasy.”
Best For Glowy Cream
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Afterglow Brightening Vitamin C Cream
PROS & CONS
- Pros: Rich in Vitamin C that brightens the overall complexion.
- Cons: Price.
Sunday Riley’s C.E.O. Afterglow Illuminating Cream is an invigorating moisturizer packed with the exceptional potency of advanced Vitamin C (THD ascorbate). It gives skin a non-greasy, silky finish.
This supple cream is infused with the most stable form of Vitamin C. It diligently brightens and balances skin tone while ensuring continuous hydration over prolonged periods.
This cream’s brilliance provides a luminous base for makeup application and keeps skin soft and moisturized.
Additionally, this cream is fortified with antioxidant lutein, offering natural protection against blue light. The added sodium hyaluronate enhances skin hydration by retaining water.
What are the ingredients to look for and ingredients to avoid for acne-prone skin?
For acne-prone skin, ingredients to look for include salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and retinol, which can help reduce breakouts and soothe irritation.
It’s smart to avoid harsh ingredients like alcohol and no added fragrance, which can irritate skin and aggravate acne further.
What are the best moisturizing options for individuals with oily skin?
Non-comedogenic moisturizers are an excellent choice for individuals with oily skin as they won’t clog your pores.
Look for lightweight, oil-free options that contain ingredients like hyaluronic acid and aloe vera, which provide hydration without adding extra oil to your skin.
Can you suggest superior moisturizers for dry skin that won’t clog pores?
Absolutely!
Stone recommends, “gel creams like the Neutrogena Hydra Boost Gel-Cream, a non-comedogenic and oil-free moisturizer that hydrates dry skin intensely without blocking pores.”
“The Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream offers a more luxurious option, offering deep hydration while ensuring your pores remain clear.”
Which moisturizers are ideal for combination skin without causing acne?
Stone explains, “Non-comedogenic moisturizers like Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture and Laneige Water Bank Hydrating Gel are often recommended for acne-prone combination skin.”
These moisturizers hydrate the skin effectively without clogging pores, thus preventing acne breakouts.
Which oil-free moisturizers are most effective for clear skin maintenance?
The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel and Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel are highly effective oil-free moisturizers for maintaining clear skin.
Both products provide the hydration your skin needs without clogging the pores, promoting healthier and blemish-free skin.
This post is all about the best non-comedogenic moisturizers.