The 29 Best Face Moisturizers for Every Skin Type in 2022: La Mer, Olay, Drunk Elephant and More

Moisturizing your skin is kind of like brushing your teeth: It's generally a good idea to do it twice a day in order to get the best results, no matter your skin type or tone. And with winter here, keeping the skin hydrated and supple amid cold weather is important.
Most people have the same end goal for their face: plump, soft, younger-looking skin with no signs of acne, sun damage, fine lines, wrinkles or dark spots. Consistent hydration not only improves your skin's texture, making it smoother; it also reinforces the skin's barrier function, meaning it’s less permeable to irritants such as pollution.
While this twice-daily facial beauty routine might seem straightforward enough to follow, shopping for a new facial moisturizer can often be anything but easy. Because who knows which of the best sunscreen, cream, anti-aging products, retinol moisturizers, collagen and elastin lotion, moisturizing cream or oil-free moisturizer actually works best on your unique skin type? After all, the daily moisturizer formula that pairs perfectly for the acne-prone might not suit those whose complexions are on the dry side.
Make sure to look for key ingredients in a moisturizer, including hyaluronic acid, vitamin e, shea butter, salicylic acid, ceramide, aloe vera, fatty acid, and more. The best moisturizers have those key ingredients to moisture the skin and even out your skin tone.
Until there's an end-all-be-all official skincare manual out there, we've laid out our recommendations for the best face moisturizer for all skin types below.
Check out more of our top picks for the best foundation, lipstick, face oil, self-tanner, face masks, wrinkle treatments, face wash, eye cream, teeth whitener, eyelash serum, sunscreen and face cleanser.
Shop ET Style’s top picks of the best face moisturizer out there for every one of your skincare needs in 2022 and beyond. Looking for more lifestyle inspiration for the new year? ET Style has you covered. Peruse through our guide for everything you need to stay fit, healthy and organized.
For Anti-Aging
Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Face Moisturizer is the face cream that gets to work immediately, hydrating the skin and softening the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while firming and plumping. It's infused with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, amino peptides and vitamin B3, which work together for visible, and surprisingly affordable, results.
For Dry Skin
The price tag is undoubtedly steep, but celebrities like Jennifer Lopez swear by La Mer, the legendary elixir that infuses skin with sea-sourced renewing energies. This famously luxurious facial cream deeply soothes, moisturizes and helps heal dryness, so your skin looks naturally vibrant and restored. The secret to activating the Miracle Broth in Crème de la Mer lies in a soothing ritual: warm it for a few seconds between your fingers until it becomes translucent, then press gently onto your face. Because it's so rich, La Mer is ideal for drier skin types.
This luxurious cream has found a home with myriad fashion and beauty influencers. They love its clean ingredients, antioxidant-laden formula and ability to take skin from extremely parched to pleasingly plump. The highly active compounds get to work both superficially and deep inside your skin's cells -- as a result, fine lines will disappear and skin will be visibly firmer.
For Acne-Prone Skin or Oily Skin Types
For Combination Skin
Chanel's hydrating gel cream is made with micro-droplets containing camellia oil extract that provide an instant sense of freshness along with a moisturizing effect that lasts up to 24 hours. As its name implies, the Hydra Beauty Crème deeply hydrates and protects skin against free radicals; it also helps restore and maintain optimal moisture levels in the skin cells.
This cult favorite ceramidin moisturizer cream for combination skin from Dr. Jart is a lightweight yet rich cream. It's stacked with ceramides, the good “fat” for your skin that hydrates the skin barrier from within and prevents chronic water loss from your pores. Normal, dry and even very dry skin instantly become plumped with all-day, time-release moisture.
For Sensitive Skin
The cult favorite skincare brand Drunk Elephant is committed to using only ingredients that either directly benefit the skin’s health or support the integrity and effectiveness of their formulations. What you won’t find in their products: essential oils, drying alcohols, silicones, chemical sunscreens, fragrances/dyes or sulfates/SLS, making them the perfect for the sensitive skin set. This thick, fluffy moisturizer is infused with six rare African oils and a ceramide complex for intense moisture; it's also fragrance-free, which means it’s sure to not irritate sensitive skin.
For SPF Protection
We don't need to hear much more than "Jennifer Lopez loves this product" before whipping out our credit card. But if you are curious why the superstar uses it religiously, this budget-friendly anti-aging face cream contains moisturizing ingredients and SPF 30 -- a must -- plus glycolic acid, vitamin C and pro-retinol. Together, the combo works to even out skin tone, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and sun protection from UV rays.
RELATED CONTENT:
The Best Luxury Beauty Products
15 Valentine's Day Beauty Deals and Skincare Sales to Shop This Week
Fenty Beauty's New Icon Lipstick Is Inspired by Rihanna's Cupid's Bow
40 Black-Owned Fashion & Beauty Brands to Support Now and Always
Billie Eilish's Perfume is Finally Back in Stock, Arrives at Ulta