The best gel moisturizers are a true skincare wonder—a product that manages to hydrate and plump the skin, without the heaviness that can come from regular moisturizers. And if you have combination or acne-prone skin, a gel moisturizer is probably one of the best skincare investments you can make. Ready to say goodbye to greasy skin and hello to bouncy, juicy, hydrated skin? We tapped dermatologists Rachel Westbay and Geeta Yadav for their picks of the best gel moisturizers we should be putting on our shelves.
Keep scrolling for the best gel moisturizers for healthy, hydrated skin.
Our Top Picks
Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb
Beauty editors far and wide are into this Korean gel-based moisturizer, which has no oil but instead a slew of antioxidant-rich ingredients with fantastical names, like lady's mantle, an apothecary herb meant to minimize your pores, and oat husk, meant to attract moisture. Fans of the product rave about its lightweight texture and the cooling feeling it imparts upon application. Yadav is also a fan of the product's good-for-all-skin-types-formula, calling out its use of hydrating hyaluronic acid as well as ceramides, which helps to prevent transepidermal water loss. If you're looking for a moisturizer that delivers moisturizing benefits instantly and through the next day, you've found it in this one.
Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Dew Cream
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Famed for its acne-busting treatments, this gel-based moisturizer from Mario Badescu stays true to the brand's commitment to providing oily, acne-prone skin with products that won't contribute to flare-ups. "This formula combines two types of sodium hyaluronate and squalane to deeply hydrate, moisturize, and replenish the skin," says Yadav. "It also absorbs quickly with no greasy residue, making it ideal for oily and acne-prone skin types."
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel
The single best-loved drugstore moisturizer of any kind is probably this gel-cream hybrid from Neutrogena (seriously, everyone from professional dermatologists and celebrities like Kristen Bell to Byrdie's associate general manager Lindsey is obsessed). For an affordable price, you get a plumping dose of hyaluronic acid that leaves your skin impossibly soft. As Lindsey wrote in a review in 2016, "This stuff works. My skin has never been plumper or more hydrated." It's also a great pick if you have dry skin. "In many cases, very dry skin types don't get relief from gel moisturizers—they're often not rich enough to truly nourish and soften parched skin," says Yadav. "However, this formula is quite indulgent and contains hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and olive oil-derived fatty acids to quench thirsty skin while drawing in lasting moisture."
Sisley Black Rose Skin Infusion Cream
On the other end of the price spectrum is this ultra-luxe French face cream that has a texture unlike any other gel-based moisturizer on the market. The second the product hits your skin, it transforms from a whipped feel into a literal splash of water and soaks in so fast you won't know what hit you. Its carefully concocted array of flower extracts and antioxidants leaves the skin looking bright, awake, and youthful. Pro tip: use this cream regularly and in conjunction with the brand's Black Rose Oil for an endless amount of skin compliments.
Glow Recipe Watermelon Pink Juice Moisturizer
You won't have much luck finding a gel moisturizer cuter than this K-beauty gem. But it's not just a pretty pink face—the super-light formula was created specifically for oily to combination skin types and is packed with hyaluronic acid and radiance-boosting botanicals. Yadav raves about how refreshing the formula is, especially because of its watermelon extract. "This ingredient is very hydrating, soothing, and smells delicious!" she says. "It also contains humectant hyaluronic acid to draw water into the skin." Win.
Murad Nutrient-Charged Water Gel
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Those struggling with drier skin will dig this under-the-radar water-based moisturizer, which might go on a teensy bit thicker than some of the others on this list, but instantly becomes weightless as it sinks into your skin. Peptides and a combo of vitamins E, B3, B5, B6, and B9 are among the ingredients in its super-hydrating formula. Most impressive: it's meant to increase your skin's moisture retention for up to five days. Talk about hydrating.
Peach & Lily Glass Skin Water Gel Moisturizer
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If glass skin is the goal, this moisturizer is the vessel that'll get you there. Westbay is a huge fan of the K-beauty product, noting that "the silicone-free formula combines a proprietary blend of multiple molecular weight hyaluronic acid, as well as pre- and pro-biotics to help nourish and support the skin's microbiome and skin barrier." The result? A hefty dose of hydration that leaves skin weightless, luminous, and non-greasy.
Dermalogica Sound Sleep Cocoon
Looking for a night cream that won't break you out by morning? This feather-light formula has a super-powered ingredient list featuring vitamin E, glycolic acid, and vitamin C all meant to help your skin's natural nighttime regenerating process so when you wake up, you are glowing, not greasy. We're partial to the formula's ability to target more than just dry, dull skin—it also promises to fight hyperpigmentation, free radical damage, and wrinkles, too.
Laneige Water Bank Hydro Gel
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Combination skin types will find everything they could want in this refreshing Korean formula. "It's loaded with superfood-derived antioxidants, including those from beets, kale, and quinoa, in addition to hyaluronic acid," notes Yadav. It also contains highly concentrated green mineral water, which is made of extracts from vitamin-rich kale as well as watercress, which is meant to douse skin in fast-absorbing moisture. The texture is light and the price is reasonable. You can't go wrong.
Bliss Drench & Quench Cream -to -Water Hydrator
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There's so much to love about this moisturizer from Bliss—it absorbs quickly, goes on smoothly, and moisturizes intensely. That's all thanks to the four different types of hyaluronic acid as well as the cream-to-water finish that leaves skin feeling insanely refreshed.
Sand & Sky Tasmanian Spring Water Hydration Boost Cream
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Aussie-loved skincare brand Sand & Sky brings to us this thirst-quenching, luxurious-feeling gel moisturizer. The hero ingredient here is Tasmanian Spring Water, one of the purest waters in the world, as well as fermented sea kelp to help skin maintain elasticity and red algae extract for maximum hydration.
MMRevive Serum
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Is it a serum or a moisturizer? The lines are blurred but in all the right ways. The all-in-one serum and moisturizer combo drenches skin in hydration, antioxidants, and anti-aging peptides. "It contains a deep sea enzyme with powerful antioxidant properties that works hard to repair free radical damage and help heal skin, as well as naringenin, another potent antioxidant found in citrus that instantly soothes skin and calms redness," says Westbay. Plus, it has acetyl hexapeptide-8, which is a fancy way of saying it fights fine lines and wrinkles by softening expression lines over time.
BYOMA Moisturizing Gel Cream
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We can't decide what we love more about this moisturizer: its refreshingly lightweight feel or the budget-friendly price. Either way, our skin stays hydrated and our wallets stay intact. The formula features a tri-ceramide complex that supports the skin's moisture barrier (aka your skin's first line of defense against pollutants and UV rays). It's also vegan and fragrance-free (so it's good for sensitive skin) and delivers the brightening powers of niacinamide along with the calming effects of green tea.
Tatcha The Water Cream
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Amazon
Tatcha's The Water Cream has such a fun texture—it immediately "bursts" on the skin, leaving it feeling super hydrated and refreshed. Not only is the hydration top-notch, but it's also formulated with Japanese wild rose that helps smooth the skin and Hadasei-3, Tatcha's trademarked complex of antioxidant-rich rice, algae, and green tea that plumps and protects against free radical damage.
The Inkey List Omega Water Cream
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Sephora
Being on a budget doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your skincare purchases. Case in point, the extremely affordable Omega Water Cream. It's formulated with skin-brightening niacinamide, a plush ceramide complex that drenches the skin in hydration, and a silky smooth texture that makes application a breeze.
What to Look for in Gel Moisturizers
- Ingredients: Look for ingredients that address your primary skin concerns. For instance, hyaluronic acid is a star player when it comes to hydrating skin of all types, while ceramides help to keep moisture locked in. Antioxidant-rich ingredients like green tea contain anti-aging properties and protect against free radical damage. Pre- and pro-biotics help nourish and support the skin's microbiome and barrier. Vitamin C brightens skin and combats hyperpigmentation.
- Skin Type: Thinner, non-greasy water-based gel formulas work best for oily or combination skin, but may be too light to effectively moisturize very dry skin. If your skin is on the drier side, a richer cream-based moisturizer would be a better option.
- Fragrance- and Silicone-Free: Choose fragrance-free moisturizers for sensitive skin to avoid potential irritation or allergic reactions. If you're prone to break-outs, silicone-free formulas will minimize pore-clogging.
