12 Best Moisturizers for Oily Skin in 2024, According to Dermatologists

If you like the way your moisturizer feels on your skin, you’ll be more likely to use it daily. So if you have oily skin and want a velvety, matte finish, Dr. Moustafa recommends you seek out a gel-based formula. These tend to be more lightweight and less sticky than traditional creams.

What else should you look for on the label? “Non-comedogenic” means the product won’t clog your pores and cause breakouts (a common woe for people with oily skin). You’ll also want to keep an eye out for “oil-based” moisturizers, which could exacerbate your slickness. That being said, if you’re up for reading the fine print, you don’t need to blanketly steer clear of all oils. “Oils can contain ingredients that are antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, or even [have antioxidant properties],” Fatima Fahs, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist in Michigan and the founder of Dermy Doc Box, tells SELF. A couple examples: Jojoba oil can help balance oil production because it resembles skin’s natural sebum, and tea tree oil is antibacterial and antifungal, which can help with acne, according to Dr. Fahs.

People with oily skin will want to be similarly picky when it comes to the occlusive ingredients in their products. Occlusives—such as silicones, butters, lanolin, and oils—create a protective seal over the skin to keep in moisture, but some can feel heavy. Dr. Fahs suggests that people with excess oil look for silicone-based moisturizers. “These usually contain dimethicone, which creates a thin, water-resistant coating over the skin that is lightweight, making it ideal for oily skin types,” she says. “This film also helps to mattify the skin and reduce the appearance of pores.”

If you deal with acne, you might also want to look for a moisturizer with salicylic acid, which exfoliates and clears pores, or niacinamide, an anti-inflammatory ingredient that can tone down excess oil production.