These featherlight hydrators are some of our go-tos — no matter what time of year it is — for intense hydration that absorbs quickly without clogging pores or T-zones.
It doesn‘t take a cosmetic chemist to figure out that not all face moisturizers are created equal. If rich creams leave your skin feeling suffocated or greasy — hello, combination skin and oily skin — it‘s high time to consider adding a lightweight, hydrating gel moisturizer to your skin-care routine.
These non-greasy formulas are watery, bouncy, weightless, and completely absorb in just a few minutes — in other words, these gel-like formulas are free of the fatty ingredients that make creams, well, creamy. “They’re the best of both worlds, with the weight that comes with being a gel and the cushion of a moisturizer,” says cosmetic chemist Ginger King, adding that they‘re suitable for most skin types, including sensitive skin.
Don’t think for a second that gel moisturizers’ lightweight nature will dock them points on the moisturizing front, either. The fact that these hydrators are water-based does not make them any less effective than their richer, lotion-like counterparts.
Instead, they offer a different medium to transport actives, according to New York City-based dermatologist Kavita Mariwalla, MD. “Gel formulations are translucent because the formula is created as a water-based semisolid, which allows it to spread easily,” she explains. “The water just acts as a vehicle for the actives in the product to be used on the skin.” As a bonus, many of our favorites — both drugstore and high-end formulas — contain skin-barrier-strengthening ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, glycerin, and vitamin E.
For your convenience, we rounded up 19 of the best water-gel moisturizers currently on the market for comfortable, long-lasting hydration.
Versed Dew Point Moisturizing Gel-Cream
Lindsey Zubritsky, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, says Versed Dew Point Moisturizing Gel-Cream “is lightweight with a jelly-like texture but hydrates like a cream,” adding that the moisturizer “also contains natural antioxidants to protect against free radicals and soothe inflammation.” It also absorbs quickly and dries down to a dewy finish, using sodium hyaluronate for moisture retention and aloe leaf juice for hydration. “Plus, the price point is great,” Dr. Zubritsky points out.
Peach & Lily Glass Skin Water-Gel Moisturizer
Peach & Lily’s Glass Skin Water-Gel Moisturizer makes good on its promise of delivering glowing, glass-like skin. Dry, oily, normal, and combo complexions alike will benefit from this potent blend of hydrating hyaluronic acid, firming peach and kiwi extracts, redness-reducing chamomile, and brightening licorice. Plus, it uses a prebiotic and probiotic complex, a.k.a. the same components found in your skin’s microbiome, to fortify the moisture barrier.
Farmacy Daily Greens Oil-Free Gel Moisturizer
Say bye-bye to greasy T-zones with Farmacy’s Daily Greens Oil-Free Gel Moisturizer, which uses polyglutamic and hyaluronic acids to intensely hydrate skin, as well as niacinamide to balance oil and excess shine.
A favorite of commerce editor Sarah Han, this fragrance-free option melts into the skin almost instantly (sans greasy residue) and is a fabulous option for those who dwell/live in high-density cities, as moringa and papaya extracts work in harmony to draw out pollution-driven impurities. Consider this an easy way to get your greens.
Soft Services Speed Soak Skin Rehydrating Gel
Soft Services’ Speed Soak Skin Rehydrating Gel scoffs in the face of traditional body creams known for taking forever (and a day) to dry. This lightweight formula provides immediate relief for parched skin, thanks to powerhouse humectants like glycerin and aquaxyl and moisture-retaining squalane. And, of course, it dries down almost immediately so you can hop out of the shower, apply head-to-toe, throw on some clothes, and be on your way — no post-lather waiting time required.
E.l.f Superhydrate Moisturizer
E.l.f Superhydrate Moisturizer delivers quality ingredients at a competitive, under-$15 price point. The ingredients in question include squalane, cica, snow mushroom, vitamin E, and niacinamide, the latter of which is a wiz at clarifying complexions and evening out your skin tone. Wave goodbye to breakouts and dryness.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Cream
Both Dr. Desai and Dr. Zubritsky recommend Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Cream for deep (and affordable) hydration that won’t irritate sensitive, acne-prone skin. It also won’t conflict with other steps in your regimen and is great “for layering with other actives, like retinoids, to combat dryness,” according to Dr. Desai. “It’s my go-to gel moisturizer in the summertime,” adds Dr. Zubritsky.
Tatcha The Water Cream
Tatcha’s The Water Cream is as elegant as its packaging. One scoop from its gold spatula is enough to cover your entire face and neck. As you massage it into your cheeks, the bouncy gel melts into a clear liquid that is ultimately absorbed — leaving you with smooth, supple skin that stays hydrated for hours. The secret? Tatcha’s proprietary Hadasei-3, a concoction of green tea, rice, and algae, that kicks dullness to the curb.
Eau Thermale Avène A-Oxitive Antioxidant Water Cream
Nina Desai, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Manhattan Beach, California, says Eau Thermale Avène’s A-Oxitive Antioxidant Water Cream “works to hydrate the skin while also protecting against damaging environmental free radicals.” This lightweight formula provides a luminous glow with every swipe —imagine a lit-from-within, pore-blurring finish — and is packed with vitamins C and E. “When used consistently it can really improve tone, texture, and pigmentation,” Dr. Desai adds.
Caudalie Vinosource-Hydra Grape Water Gel Moisturizer
If you struggle with redness and sensitivity, it’s time to give Caudalie’s Vinosource-Hydra Grape Water Gel Moisturizer a try. The hero ingredient fueling this formula is grape water, which is jam-packed with minerals and probiotics known to soothe dryness and rebalance your microbiome.
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Moisturizer
Consider Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Moisturizer an easy way to streamline your beauty routine. Mattifying setting powders will become less crucial as you continue to use this hydrating formula, which is non-comedogenic and keeps excess shine at bay for up to 24 hours. It’s an especially fantastic summer staple, thanks to a cooling effect that will feel especially divine on hot, humid days and nights.
Biossance Squalane and Probiotic Gel Moisturizer
Biossance’s Squalane and Probiotic Gel Moisturizer fits right in with your evening skin routine. Our tester massaged the silky formula into her skin before bed, and woke up with plumped, moisturized skin and a refreshed complexion. If you want to use it in the AM, that’s totally fine, too — it leaves no greasy residue, so it will lay comfortably underneath your makeup.
Origins GinZing Oil-Free Energy Boosting Gel Moisturizer
Tired, dull skin will become a thing of the past with Origins’ GinZing Oil-Free Energy Boosting Gel Moisturizer. This caffeine-spiked formula intensely hydrates the complexion, thanks to ingredients like glycerin and niacinamide, both of which are super soothing for the skin. It also contains — you guessed it — ginseng, which zaps energy into the skin to keep it plump and supple.
Korres Greek Yoghurt Nourishing Probiotic Gel-Cream
Dehydrated skin requires only a small dollop of Korres’ Greek Yoghurt Nourishing Probiotic Gel-Cream, a product that releases hydration over time to keep complexions consistently comfortable. If you struggle with the feeling of your face needing yet another round of moisturizer by lunchtime, this is a must. Alongside the star ingredient, Greek yogurt, you’ll also discover a multitude of soothing ingredients like aloe vera, bisabolol, and maracuja oil.
Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Cooling Gel
Clarins’ Hydra-Essentiel Cooling Gel feels just like a sorbet as you scoop it out of the jar, but slips across skin like a bouncy, watery gel. It absorbs instantly, leaving skin smooth and moisturized, without any sticky residue.
Dr. Brandt Hydro Biotic Recovery Sleeping Mask
Though it looks like a green jelly in the jar, Dr. Brandt’s Hydro Biotic Recovery Sleeping Mask sweeps across your face, just like a serum. For our tester, who was breaking out, this moisturizer saved her skin, bringing down irritation and redness, while leaving it bouncy and moisturized.
Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream
Fresh’s Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream smells just like rosewater, which makes sense, considering that’s exactly what it is: a rosewater gel loaded with hyaluronic acids that coddles dry skin back to optimal conditions.
Innisfree Youth-Enriched Gel Cream with Orchid
You’ll end up addicted to Innisfree’s Youth-Enriched Gel Cream’s intoxicating floral scent but even moreso to its ingredients, which feature hydrating hyaluronic acid extracted from Jeju-grown soybeans and firming Jeju orchid. Think of this K-beauty gel-cream as the lighter sibling to the Orchid Youth-Enriched Cream.
M-61 Hydraboost HA Gel Moisturizer
Spiked with hydration-boosting hyaluronic acid, vitamin B5, and vitamin E, M-61’s Hydraboost HA Gel Moisturizer has the consistency of a creamy serum but absorbs completely in minutes. Its powerful blend of firming and fine-line-minimizing peptides ensures that you’re left with the perfect canvas for makeup.
GlamGlow Waterburst Hydrated Glow Moisturizer
GlamGlow’s Waterburst Hydrated Glow Moisturizer is packed with different-sized hyaluronic acid molecules (which, by the way, can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water) to keep skin hydrated for hours on end.