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One of the best ways to protect your skin is to hydrate it well. Drink lots of water, eat foods rich in good fats, and use a face moisturizer in the morning and the evening.
Face moisturizers send water back to your skin when it gets dry from excessive cold or heat. They also prevent acne breakouts, ensure that your skin stays supple, and build up the skin’s natural barrier to soothe redness and irritation.
Many face moisturizers contain harmful chemicals like parabens, aluminum, and mineral oil, which clog pores, disrupt the function of the endocrine system and negatively affect hormones.
Instead of just going with the cheapest over-the-counter option, take the time to look through this list of the 16 best natural face moisturizers in 2023 to find the healthiest, safest option that’s right for your skin type.
1. Blu Atlas Face Moisturizer
Blu Atlas focuses on creating innovative skincare solutions with clean, premium ingredients for maximum health. Every Blu Atlas product contains 96-100% naturally sourced plant, mineral, and fruit ingredients. Their medical advisory board ensures that these products are safe to use and actually work.
For the best natural face moisturizer in 2023, look no further than Blu Atlas’ Face Moisturizer. This deeply hydrating, vegan concoction revives dry, dull skin so it’s healthy and bright again.
Three potent natural additions make up the active ingredients in this moisturizer. Mango seed butter protects your skin from sunlight, pollution and blue light due to its high concentration of vitamins C and E.
Seaweed extract naturally buffs away dull, dry skin, revealing the young, healthy skin beneath. It curbs excessive oil production and contains antioxidants to promote skin health. Ascorbic acid, a naturally sourced form of vitamin C, protects your skin from damage from UV rays and can also help fade dark spots and hyperpigmentation.
Plus, this clean solution won’t cause dryness or breakouts since it’s free of preservatives, parabens, synthetic dyes and phthalates.
Don’t spend tons of money on different solutions. Simply apply a dime-sized amount of the Blu Atlas face moisturizer day and night. It comes in three scent options: classic, coconut apricot and unscented, none containing artificial fragrances.
2. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer
Anyone suffering from sensitive skin needs to be extra careful with the moisturizer they apply to their face. Sensitive skin takes many forms, but it often becomes red or itchy, and the redness won’t go away no matter what you do. It may become dry and bleed easily, or have patches that feel hard.
If most face moisturizers irritate your skin, then you need to try an option that specifically states it’s safe for sensitive skin, like First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer. This option works best for people with sensitive, normal or oily skin.
Meant to be used daily, this lightweight cream offers hydration you’ll feel as soon as it’s applied, ensuring your skin looks full and lush with or without makeup. Active ingredients are rich in fats to give your skin plenty of nutrients to plump it up.
Shea butter is an emollient that soothes your skin due to the high concentration of vitamins, minerals and fatty acids that strengthen your skin’s barrier. Avocado oil and meadowfoam seed oil add extra moisture so that your skin feels soft to the touch.
Finally, colloidal oatmeal fights against the redness so many people deal with, offering near-instant relief. For best results, use twice daily after washing your face.
3. Biossance Squalane + Omega Repair Moisturizer
When browsing the best natural face moisturizers, look at the certifications they offer to verify that the product is sustainably sourced. Biossance earned the My Green Lab Certification, meaning it upholds the best sustainability practices for labs worldwide.
Anyone with dry skin should consider the Biossance Squalane + Omega Repair Moisturizer. This luscious cream contains healthy lipids and ingredients to hydrate the skin without making it oily or greasy.
The key active ingredient is acai berry sterols, which act just like the cholesterol our skin naturally produces. When applied, this helps balance the moisture so the skin looks and feels healthier.
Hyaluronic acid makes skin plump and radiant because it helps it retain moisture. Other key ingredients include squalane, omega fatty acids and ceramides.
The proof is in the clinical study that Biossance held on 35 women aged 36 to 60. After they used the product twice a day for 28 days, these women said they saw a 100% improvement in skin hydration and a 100% improvement in skin barrier function, and 94% of participants said their lines and wrinkles were less noticeable.
4. 100% Pure Restorative Extra Riche Créme
100% Pure is a trustworthy brand with impressive sustainability efforts. Every formula they create promises to be biodegradable, so it’s safe to dispose of down the sink and won’t harm ecosystems.
They intend to replace their packaging with post-consumer recycled or recyclable by 2024. Their headquarters in California have the Green Business Certification from the California Green Business Network.
Anyone with normal or dry skin can benefit from the 100% Pure Restorative Extra Riche Créme. While 100% Pure is selective about every ingredient they put into their creme, there are five in particular to note.
Cassia angustifola, also known as senna, improves your skin’s ability to hold moisture and makes it look full. Beta glucans are small fibers found in the cell walls of yeast, which help tone down redness and heal irritated skin.
Altermonas, found in seawater, soothe irritated patches of skin. Bacuri comes from a Brazilian plant and softens skin. Finally, sea buckthorn, a type of shrub, is full of antioxidants to promote skin health.
For best results, clean your skin and apply a toner before adding 100% Pure’s creme. If you need help finding the right skincare regimen, 100% Pure has skin quizzes on its website and different natural solutions for every skin type.
5. Tree to Tub Ginseng Green Tea Deep Hydration Face Cream
Trying any new skincare solution can feel frustrating if you’re spending money on options that may not work for you.
Tree to Tub understands where you’re coming from, and they only want you to spend money on their products if they’re successful. That’s why they offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. If their moisturizer doesn’t work as anticipated, you get your money back.
Tree to Tub’s amazing return policy and natural ingredients make their Ginseng Green Tea Deep Hydration Face Cream one of the best natural face moisturizers in 2023. This gentle face cream works for every skin type and gender, including those with sensitive skin or allergies.
The lightweight cream features a skin-friendly pH, so it’s not too basic or acidic, and shouldn’t disrupt your skin’s natural environment. Powerful ingredients like vitamin C improve the appearance of skin by reducing the noticeability of dark spots and evening out tone. Organic aloe vera and rose rescue your skin from inflammation and calm problems before they get out of control.
The antioxidants in the green tea soothe the skin, and there’s a touch of lavender to relax your face and mind at the end of a long day. Use it twice daily with the matching skincare solutions from Tree to Tub for the best results.
6. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer
Stress doesn’t just affect your mental health, it also affects your skin. Stress can cause major issues in the skin, including wrinkles, acne flare-ups, psoriasis and rashes. Don’t worsen the situation by adding a moisturizer full of harsh chemicals that will further irritate your skin.
Instead, choose one of the best natural face moisturizers: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer. This lightweight daily solution uses natural ingredients to provide 24-hour hydration. Say goodbye to the harmful effects of stress with a regular face-care routine that ends with this delicate solution.
Two major ingredients help your skin feel healthy and soft. Kiehl’s adds squalane (a botanical lipid) to many of their products because it absorbs easily into the skin, so you don’t feel any grease, and deepens the skin barrier. This leaves skin feeling soft, healthy and hydrated.
Glycerin holds water in your skin so that it feels soft and smooth. It works with your skin naturally so it balances out problems from stress. Stressed skin needs a gel- or water-based moisturizer, and water is the first ingredient in this solution.
For the best results, use this in tandem with the rest of Kiehl’s Ultra collection, including the cleanser and toner.
7. Eadem Cloud Cushion Airy Brightening Moisturizer
Many beauty brands create their products without thinking of the different skin types and colors out there. Eadem is changing that up by creating skin products for people with skin rich in melanin, so they’re perfect for women of color. Eadem uses Smart Melanin™ Beauty technology, developed by chemists, approved by dermatologists, and tested on people who use it.
The Eadem Cloud Cushion Airy Brightening Moisturizer is the perfect option for dark skin tones. It focuses on repairing and enhancing the skin barrier to avoid damaged and dehydrated skin, which causes the skin to look ashy, dull and spotty.
This product is full of powerful ingredients, but one of the standouts is the Cloud Cushion. This proprietary technology features four amino acid peptides blocking pigmentation and melanin in top-layer cells. This helps tone down acne, hyperpigmentation and melasma so skin looks healthy and bright.
Other critical ingredients include three-plant ceramides, tucuma extract, glycerin, niacinamide, snow mushroom, squalane, chamomile extract and black seed extract.
To ensure their product worked, Eadem tested the Cloud Cushion Airy Brightening Moisturizer on 28 women with dark skin tones. They found that 100% of the participants agreed that the product made their skin smoother, look brighter and feel nourished.
8. OSEA Atmosphere Protection Cream
If you live in a place with cold winters, you know the damage they can do to your skin. Cold weather strips moisture from pores, leaving skin dry and irritated. This can cause issues like redness. While you may be tempted to load up on moisturizer, the better solution is to choose a moisturizer that deeply hydrates.
OSEA Atmosphere Protection Cream nourishes the skin to protect it from harmful environmental factors, including pollutants and weather. This formula focuses on ingredients full of antioxidants to give skin a healthy barrier, including seaweed, shea butter, and omega-rich oils like avocado and jojoba.
Use this product morning and night after washing your face. If you spend a lot of time outside, use sunscreen afterward to protect your skin from harmful UV rays. This lotion was made to be used under mineral makeup, which can help soothe sensitive skin and is free of irritants that can cause inflammation.
Osea’s site is full of five-star reviews for this product, even from people who live in heavily polluted climates like Bakersfield, CA. According to the American Lung Association, Bakersfield had the worst air quality in the United States in 2022. Still, the reviewer from the city said this product helps her skin stay hydrated, even in the winter.
9. Ursa Major Golden Hour Recovery Cream
Ursa Major has an impressive B-corp certification. This means that they went through vigorous testing to prove that they support their workers, encourage their communities, put the environment first and ensure that every part of their business is governed by themselves.
Ursa Major has impressive sustainability accomplishments, like a 100% carbon-neutral company headquarters and products with only healthy ingredients.
For a deeply hydrating cream that doesn’t feel heavy, try Ursa Major’s Golden Hour Recovery Cream. It works with all skin types, but is especially effective on anyone who suffers from intense dryness or redness. Six natural ingredients work together to fight wrinkles and replenish moisture.
Sea buckthorn deeply hydrates through its makeup of antioxidants and omega fatty acids. Black currant firms up skin and increases pliability due to the high concentration of fatty acids and vitamin C. Calendula is a flower that contains carotenoids, which naturally regenerate your skin.
Other potent ingredients include sunflower, sandalwood and rose to soothe and heal the skin through hydration. This product was designed as a night cream, but you can use it anytime you feel excessive dryness or irritation.
10. Farmacy Daily Greens Oil-Free Gel Moisturizer
Gel moisturizers are a great option for anyone who is bothered by heavy creams or lotions. Gel offers the same hydration as cream, but it feels lighter. It also works better in hot climates, and it won’t leave your face feeling sticky or slimy. A gel moisturizer is usually an excellent option if you want your face to look plumper.
For one of the best gel moisturizers on the market, be sure to check out Farmacy Greens Oil-Free Gel Moisturizer. This option works for every skin type and provides light hydration that feels like water on your skin. It’s safe to use daily and helps protect your skin against inflammation.
Hyaluronic and polyglutamic acids collect moisture and push it into your skin so that it feels fresh and full. Galacturonic acid (an acidifying agent in food) works with niacinamide to suck up excess oil so your face doesn’t look shiny. Finally, natural moringa and papaya extracts protect the skin from environmental impurities and help cleanse the skin.
To get the full effect, use the gel moisturizer twice daily after washing your face. If you’re unsure if this product is right for you, check out the trial size sets. This way, you only get a small amount at first. If you like it, you can buy a full size. If not, you won’t waste as much product or money.
11. Undefined Beauty R & R Gel Crème
R&R focuses on inclusive beauty products for all people, regardless of skin color or socioeconomic status, and they create plant-based solutions that work.
The R&R Gel-Crème is a fragrance-free, lightweight solution to protect the skin. It touts many different benefits due to the massive number of effective ingredients.
This solution features 10 natural ingredients that protect your skin from free radicals, encourage collagen production so it feels full and looks plump, and prevents water loss in your skin to ensure a healthy, vibrant barrier.
Natural sources in this product include shitake mushroom, prickly pear, tremella mushroom and shea butter. The gel-crème is free of harmful additives, including parabens, silicone, sulfates, palm oil, phthalates and mineral oil.
To use, simply massage it into your face and neck after washing. This product has 4.5 stars on its website; most people use it alongside other R&R solutions. If you sign up by email or text, you can receive an additional 10% off your purchase.
12. Weleda Sensitive Care Facial Lotion
When choosing a skincare brand, you want to choose one that proves they use sustainably sourced, natural ingredients. Weleda uses sustainably sourced almonds in their Sensitive Care Facial Lotion.
The almonds come from hills near Alicante, Spain, and they use less water than most because overirrigation causes soil to erode and reduces its ability to grow crops. Weleda pays more money for these almonds, but they feel it’s worth it to care for the planet.
This lotion absorbs quickly and evens moisture for people with sensitive and combination skin. Your skin will feel soft and smooth, and never oily.
The main ingredient is sweet almond oil, which works well on sensitive skin because it has plenty of unsaturated fatty oils. In fact, sweet almond oil itself is so gentle it can be used on babies and children, but be sure to follow directions carefully if you choose to do so.
Use it after washing your face with the corresponding sensitive skin cleanser for best results. After 28 days, users in a trial found a 45% increase in their skin’s moisture.
13. Farmstead Apothecary Citrus Rose Face Cream
Many face creams can help your face look younger and fuller. While you’ll never actually stop aging, the right cream with anti-aging ingredients slows down the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and age spots. You don’t need to start too early with anti-aging face cream; you shouldn’t begin using it until you’re in your 40s.
For the best natural face moisturizer with anti-aging benefits, consider buying Farmstead Apothecary’s Citrus Rose Face Cream. This 100% plant-based vegan product works for all skin types, even those with sensitive skin.
The main active ingredient is jojoba oil, which curbs acne, deeply hydrates the skin so that lines aren’t as noticeable, and help your skin produce the correct amount of oil.
A few of the other premium, natural ingredients include safflower oil, vegetable emulsifying wax, vitamin E oil and fruit fragrance. This product is scented with real fruit, and there are other options if you don’t appreciate citrus rose, including grapefruit almond, lemon lavender, strawberry gardenia, fig and honeysuckle, and unscented.
Use this product twice a day or as needed to get the most out of this product. The fragrances are quite strong, which is great if you want a natural option that smells good, but purchase the unscented option if you think the fragrance will bother you.
14. Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Face Cream
Natural options always sound great, but they don’t always fit into everyone’s budget. If you’re looking for a great face moisturizer that you can find at most drugstores, try Aveeno’s Daily Moisturizing Face Cream. While the price will change depending on where you live, it usually runs around $14 for a five-ounce bottle.
Made for people with dry skin, Aveeno’s Daily Moisturizing Face Cream uses oat extract to ensure the skin feels moisturized and smooth for 24 hours. Prebiotic oat works with your skin’s natural barrier to retain moisture and maintains maximum health.
This product contains no dyes, fragrances or parabens. It’s so powerful that you only need to use it once a day. After washing your face, apply a nickel-sized amount to your hands and rub in circles on your face. Reviewers say this product gives them the moisture they want without causing excessive shine in their T-zone.
Aveeno has a wide collection of products that contain prebiotic oats, including daily moisturizing body lotion, daily moisturizing body lotion with SPF 15, and daily moisturizing body wash.
15. Youth to the People Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream With Ashwagandha + Reishi
Youth to the People was founded in 2015, aiming to create powerful solutions using plants and healthy modern clinical solutions. Their products offer all the benefits of natural ingredients and clinical actives.
If you have sensitive skin that tends to react to any lotion, try Youth to the People’s Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream with Ashwagandha + Reishi. It uses three powerful ingredients that have stood the test of time.
Squalane acts just like the oils already in your skin to keep the layers hydrated without getting gunk in your pores. Ashwagandha root is full of antioxidants and amino acids to help the skin look healthy. Fermented reishi is a type of mushroom that curbs early signs of aging like fine lines.
This vegan deep moisture cream is made in the USA without cruelty, dimethicone, parabens, phthalates or fragrance.
16. Cocokind Texture Smoothing Cream
People with dry, rough patches need a moisturizer that deeply hydrates without clogging pores or causing other skin issues. Cocokind’s Texture Smoothing Cream was made with people like that in mind. It’s a lightweight cream that evens out tones and textures on the face while keeping you hydrated all day.
The main ingredient in this formula is a nutritious celery complex, which is like a green smoothie for your face. This complex contains flax and celery extract that contains high concentrations of fatty acids and antioxidants, which helps skin hold up better so pores are smaller.
Other critical ingredients include squalane to hold moisture to the face and tsubaki seed oil to reduce the appearance of aging due to the antioxidants and fatty acids it contains.
While you can use this product by itself, Cocokind recommends an entire routine. First, wash your face and apply a toner. Then add their essence and serum, followed by the pore-refining concentrate. Finally, add the texture-smoothing cream.
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