Yes, acne-prone and oily skin types need moisturizer. Without one, how will your skin barrier remain intact as you use retinol, clay masks, and exfoliating acids? If you’ve been scared off of moisturizers for being too heavy and clogging your pores, this is your list of options from lightest to richest—and don’t worry, they’re all non-comedogenic/acne-safe/non-pore-clogging:
Smood Problem Solver Gel Cream Moisturizer
This is an all-in-all for someone who doesn’t want to do too much else. It contains super-gentle retinyl to increase skin cell turnover (for my skin, it doesn’t contain enough to give me tons of your traditional retinol benefits or irritation, but it may for someone with sensitive skin). To hydrate, it has ceramides and hyaluronic acid, and to brighten, it contains licorice root extract and 4% niacinamide. It’s a thin, slippery texture that layers well with other products, so no excuses when it comes to putting sunscreen on top!
COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream
It feels like everyone has moved on from snail mucin, but I’m still holding out. My skin just loves it. If you relate and want to incorporate it into your routine without an extra product, try this. The thicker, stringy texture (which it shares with the OG snail mucin essence) is a bit deceiving. It’s lighter and the dry-down is faster than what first meets the eye…or fingers. I’m currently loving this as a summer moisturizer.
Fenty Skin Instant Reset Brightening Overnight Recovery Gel-Cream
“Overnight” being in the name is not to be ignored. While it is a gel-cream, it’s certainly more cream, and the dry-down doesn’t lend itself to layering sunscreen on top if tried during the day. It contains enough niacinamide to make the skin glowy (someone looking for glass skin would be obsessed), but the percentage is low enough so it doesn’t bother my easily-irritated skin. It also has aloe to soothe!
Mixsoon Bean Cream
Between this and the Mixsoon Bean Eye Cream, I’ve fallen in love with this line. Finding products without heavily pore-clogging ingredients can sometimes be a drag because they never feel as plush and luxurious, but this doesn’t make me miss my old creams at all. I would 100% use this again (it’s currently an empty!)
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