A couple of months ago, I wrote my Top Skincare blog, though it just posted this week since I forgot to hit publish. Whoops. Since then, I have been thinking about sharing the moisturizers I rotate through, since I don’t have ONE favorite. I like some these moisturizers for slightly different things, though some are very similar.
For some background, I have combination skin. During the summer months, I’m a bit oilier and in the winter, I am definitely drier. I tend to be oily on my nose but weirdly enough, that is also where I get dry patches. (HOW?) But one of the most important things I’ve learned is that even though you might have oily skin, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t moisturize – you might just benefit from a less heavy moisturizer, like a gel-cream or a water cream formula, and I definitely have a few of those.
I thought I would post the description of the moisturizers from Sephora and Ulta so you know what the moisturizer is supposed to do, and then I’ll share my own thoughts.
Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream ($60)
This whipped formulation contains an airy blend of six rare African oils to recover and lock in intense moisture for hours after application. Plantain extract helps improve the feel of firmness and elasticity while visibly brightening skin. Sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer easily soaks in and releases long-lasting hydration. Antioxidant-rich fermented green tea helps combat signs of aging and relieves irritation from environmental stressors. Loaded with omega acids, Lala Retro™ is a silky dream come true for dull, tired, dehydrated skin.
Drunk Elephant is one of my fave brands, but you know when you hear their name, it’s going to be pricy. Though even I was surprised that this moisturizer was $60 – I thought it was less expensive for some reason.
This is a great moisturizer for dry skin, since it’s essentially whipped oils. I don’t like wearing this one under makeup, but it’s nice at night. It’s definitely moisturizing but it’s not SUPER heavy, and it doesn’t break me out at all. I like this a lot during the winter when my skin is a little drier. However, the whipped texture definitely keeps this moisturizer from feeling really heavy.
The Water Cream provides nutrient-rich, balanced hydration with the unique water-burst that breaks upon application to deliver nourishment without leaving skin sticky or greasy. It clarifies and refines skin with pure, powerful Japanese botanicals: Japanese wild rose visibly tightens pores and smooths skin texture; Japanese leopard lily helps control excess oil and purify skin by supporting natural skin turnover; and hadasei-3—an anti-aging trinity of green tea, rice, and algae—restores healthy-looking radiance. The formula imparts a subtle, shine-free glow with a touch of 23-karat gold.
First of all, Tatcha is one of the most luxurious skincare brands out there. And the whole experience from packaging to the actual product is top notch. Everything just screams luxury – when I received their Rice Enzyme Powder in a subscription box, it felt like an actual gift to open. You really do feel like you are getting something special when you open something from Tatcha. Out of all of these moisturizers, this is my absolute favorite, and the only one I specifically bought (versus received in a subscription box) in this set, since I wanted to try their cleansing oil anyway. When you apply this moisturizer to your skin and start rubbing it in, it starts to feel like actual water on the skin, and then it’s absorbed. I love wearing this during the day under makeup since it hydrates the skin but absorbs quickly and it’s not heavy. This is perfect for you if you have oily or combo skin, as it hydrates the skin but won’t break up makeup worn on top of it. Of course I love this so much and of COURSE it is almost $70. WHY. I probably won’t be getting the full-sized version soon, but if I could afford it, I’d buy it right now with the quickness.
And writing this blog was the first time I realized that there is 23 karat gold in this?! I honestly don’t think gold does ANYTHING for the skin, but that’s just Tatcha being extra. I wouldn’t buy the moisturizer because it has gold in it, because that is ridic. But the formula itself is so nice, and honestly worth every penny.
Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream ($52)
Three molecular sizes of hyaluronic acid—a potent hydrator that constantly attracts and retains up to 1,000 times its weight in water from moisture in the atmosphere—helps replenish skin to make it appear more supple, full, and smooth. Ceramides help lock in moisture, ProHyal+® helps improve hydration for healthier-looking skin, and antioxidant-rich elderberry helps defy the look of aging. The appearance of fine lines and wrinkles is visibly reduced, leaving a silky, hydrated, and more youthful-looking complexion
You know what’s kind of awesome? This Peter Thomas Roth Cloud Cream feels almost exactly like the Tatcha Water Cream! And it’s a little cheaper, which is awesome. I’ll probably end up getting this one when I am ready for a full-size moisturizer since it’s so similar to the Tatcha. It has that same gel-like consistency and feeling of water on the skin right after application, and is also quickly absorbed so it’s really nice to wear under makeup. This is perfect if you have oily or combo skin, just like the Tatcha.
Farmacy Honey Drop Lightweight Moisturizer with Echinacea GreenEnvy ($45): The description is really long, I apologize.
Designed to promote a vibrant, glowing complexion, this moisturizer is a water cream that delivers powerful antioxidants to help nourish the skin and glides on effortlessly to deliver a smooth, hydrated finish that lasts throughout the day.
Formulated with Echinacea GreenEnvy™ Honey, which is a natural humectant and full of potent antioxidants made only by bees who live on the Farmacy farm and pollinate the Echinacea GreenEnvy flowers. A unique patent-protected variant of Echinacea Purpurea, GreenEnvy™ contains a high concentration of the phytochemical Cichoric Acid, another natural antioxidant, which is combined with honey to help deliver hydrating benefits.
Royal jelly is rich in nourishing amino acids, and propolis—naturally found in beehives—has long been used for its antiseptic properties. A Triple Hyaluronic Acid Complex helps boost your skin’s natural moisture, using three specific molecular weights to target skin at different levels, resulting in increased visible firmness and elasticity. Cupuaçu butter beads from the Amazon rainforest melt on skin to release long-lasting hydration while they help support the skin’s moisture barrier function. Rich in hydrating fatty acids, they help nourish and soften the skin. A powerful complex of fermented soy, mistletoe, and Japanese blood grass, combined with Tsubaki and meadowfoam seed oils helps moisturize, soften, and reduce water loss, leaving your skin looking plump and hydrated. Honey Drop works wonderfully as a makeup primer to leave skin a smooth canvas for makeup application.
While this moisturizer is billed as “lightweight,” it’s actually not AS lightweight as the Tatcha Water Cream and the Peter Thomas Roth Cloud Cream. However, it’s not so heavy that you can’t wear it under makeup. I would probably recommend this one for those with dry skin to wear under makeup, as it gives nice hydration but still absorbs nicely and doesn’t break up makeup through the day.
Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb The Antioxidant Super Moisturizer ($16.99)
Give your skin an instant burst of long-lasting, healthy hydration! This water-light gel-cream with Hyaluronic Acid, an ingredient naturally found in skin, floods skin with intense, weightless moisture and plumps out dry lines. This non-greasy formula with Antioxidant-rich Goji Berry, Vitamins C & E, and Pomegranate, helps strengthen the moisture barrier to stop the cycle of dry skin. Instantly see and feel the difference of hydrated skin with a more youthful look day after day.
Youth To The People Age Prevention Superfood Cream ($48)
Packed with green leafy superfoods, Youth to the People’s lightweight, multifunction moisture cream restores, rejuvenates, and conditions. Its light, whipped texture is quick absorbing, delivering antioxidants and phytonutrients to protect against free radicals, environmental stresses, and redness, while crosslinked hyaluronic acid hydrates and locks in your skin’s natural moisture. The refreshing, subtle scent is naturally derived from the extracts.
This is the MOST lightweight of all the moisturizers I’ve mentioned. I think it’s alllllmost TOO lightweight. However, I really love to put this on after I wash my face prior to working out, since it absorbs so quickly and it doesn’t feel thick or goopy like it’s clogging my pores. It just feels like my SKIN is just healthy and hydrated.
Sunday Riley CEO + E antiOXIDANT Protect + Repair Moisturizer ($65)
C.E.O. C + E Protect and Repair Moisturizer infuses five percent advanced, oxygen-stable tetrahexydecyl ascorbate (THD ascorbate) into the skin—the gold standard form of vitamin C. THD ascorbate is the newer, clinically-proven, oil-soluble derivative of vitamin C, which penetrates better into the skin while being exceptionally stable against oxygenation. With 5 percent THD ascorbate, this moisturizer is powerful at fighting the first visible signs of aging and restoring vital skin radiance, while being uniquely suitable for those with sensitive skin, as THD ascorbate is significantly less irritating than other forms of vitamin C. Once in the skin, it helps boost youthful-looking skin texture and volume, in addition to providing photostable, antioxidant support.
Blended with protective, anti-pollution expopolysaccharides and refining lime pearl extract, this formula visibly repairs the effects of aging, environmental stress, and pollution-induced damage. It is rich yet never greasy, providing hydration and antioxidant protection to the skin for a visibly younger, softer, and healthier-looking complexion.
This formula is probably most akin to a traditional moisturizer formula. I really like vitamin C in my serums, as it helps make skin brighter and clearer, and this moisturizer is that same idea but in lotion form. I have been using this one regularly, but not as much as the other ones listed. Sometimes I feel a little heavy-handed, putting a vitamin C moisturizer on top of a vitamin C serum.
So that’s it! What moisturizers are you into right now? Any great drugstore moisturizers I should know about? Do you use any of the ones I mentioned? Let us know in the comments!
xo,
Lauren
laurenelectro
A self-proclaimed beauty junkie/hoarder with a serious Sephora problem. This blog is a total rationalization of that problem. Everything is TOTALLY fine. Her free time is a mixed combination of making fun of reality TV with her husband, hanging out with cats and finally trying to figure out how to do her hair.