The Best Natural Moisturizers for All Skin Types, Winter & Summer
We’ve done the grunt work for you, and compiled a list of all the good moisturizers that we’ve discovered over the years with cleaner ingredient lists, as well as things to be aware of before you try them.
Lightweight Moisturizers
It’s not easy to find a lightweight moisturizer that
- doesn’t clog your pores after a whole day out and about,
- sits well under sunscreen, and
- functions well as a makeup base.
Our favorite moisturizer for oily or combination skin is the COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream (Style Korean)(Beautynet Korean)(Jolse), which is a very lightweight consistency but packs a punch in hydration thanks to ingredients like snail mucin. It also has never caused us any skin irritation or breakouts because it doesn’t contain many other extracts. The beauty with this moisturizer is that it can be used for hydration even if you have dry skin, especially during the summer time. However, it doesn’t sit well under makeup or sunscreen, so if you are going out during the day, save this one for your night time routine.
An alternative is the Amorepacific The Essential Creme Fluid. This does a good job at keeping your skin moisturized despite being lightweight. It does contain camellia extract and camellia oil - so always do a patch test if products contain plant extract and oils in case you are allergic.
If you are trying to avoid a product with many botanical extracts or oils, give the Primera Soothing Sensitive Cream a go. This contains ceramide (which helps to form a lipid barrier for the skin and retain moisture) and has a relatively simple, limited ingredient list that is organic. Try to to use it up within 6 months to be safe, however, since it contains limited preservatives.
The Sulwhasoo Snowise Brightening Cream (Jolse) is a thicker cream worth trying during winter time, that is still milky in texture and absorbs well. The Sulwhasoo line does contain phenoxyethanol and some botanical extracts. It may not be for you if you choose to avoid skincare containing alcohols. (Keep in mind that some form of preservative is needed if you don’t want to worry about how long the product will keep for.)
If the price of these products seems a little expensive, another natural facial moisturizer worth exploring is the Make P:rem Safe Relief Cream. It is great for hydration, but also absorbs quickly into the skin. This contains botanical extract and citrus fruit oil, so do a patch test to confirm you don’t react to these.
By the way…some of the skincare we recommend are available on iHerb, which we use to buy a lot of our organic skincare. You can use our code AEJ0519 at checkout to get 5% off.
Creamier moisturizers
If your skin is on the drier side, then try using the Moogoo Full Cream Moisturiser or the Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream EX Light.
If you are willing to splurge on your skincare, the Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Emulsion is also worth trying as it’s similar to the EX Light version of the Ginseng Renewing Cream. You can even layer these on top of the more lightweight moisturizers discussed in the section above. All of these feel incredibly nourishing for the skin, giving that radiance and dewiness that is hard to come by in the drier months of the year.
We find that the Sulwhasoo Essential Firming Cream (Jolse) is also well suited to winter time for us, and we find that it absorbs really well into the skin as an emulsion, even though it initially feels quite thick on application.
Another product that we like to use for normal to dry skin or dry winter climates is the Laneige Cream Skin (Style Korean)(Althea)(Jolse). This feels very creamy on application, but doesn’t feel occlusive. The lighter version of this, the Laneige Cream Skin Refiner (Style Korean)(Jolse), comes in mist form, and so we carry this around with us to top up on hydration, even during the spring and early summer here in Sydney.
In the summer, we also like to use the Sulwhasoo Hydro-Aid Moisturizing Soothing Cream which is a relatively lightweight gel cream (by Sulwhasoo standards) that is great for keeping the skin moisturized and soft, but not greasy.
Sulwhasoo products do contain alcohol as a preservative, as well multiple botanical extracts, so it is best to patch test in case you are allergic.
If you have super dry skin, you can even try layering a facial oil. There is a wide array of different facial oils, including rose hip seed oil, tamanu oil, marula oil, and hemp seed oil, to name a few. In particular, we recommend the Moogoo Calophyllum Inophyllum (Tamanu) Seed Oil. Tamanu oil is good for fading postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, but use a drop at a time as a spot treatment as all oils can conversely predispose to breakouts even if you have dry skin.
We do NOT recommend you incorporate facial oil into your daily skincare routine if you have combination or oily skin.
If you are after a unique and hygienic way of dispensing your skincare, look no further than the J One Hana Cream, which comes as small capsule form rather than as a conventional cream. This has a rich creamy consistency and contains niacinamide, ceramide and salicylic acid, so it may be too rich for combination skin types. Keep in mind the salicyclic acid, being a type of chemical exfoliant (specifically a BHA), may be irritating to your skin if you are not used to this form of exfoliation.
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P.S…this is probably obvious, but the information presented doesn’t constitute medical advice - always check with your own doctor!
