Natural-finish moisturizers are not a word salad of marketing fluff—pinky promise. Think of it like this: The early 2020s saw dewy-skin domination, but as soft-focus blurred makeup continues to gain traction, there’s a noticeable shift underway toward a matte-forward visage. Satin-finish foundations and blurring powders offer one solution, but when it comes to skin care, the question becomes a bit more nuanced: What if you want hydration without the shine?
“A natural-finish moisturizer leaves the skin looking hydrated and smooth with a subtle glow,” board-certified nurse practitioner Natia Rufolo, FNP, NP-C, tells Vogue. The result is skin that looks balanced, fresh, and softly radiant, rather than overtly glossy. “They typically achieve this without appearing greasy, providing the perfect balance between dewy and matte.”
Vogue’s Favorite Natural-Finish Moisturizers
Board-certified physician assistant Paula Brezavscek, PA-C, echoes the sentiment, noting that these formulas tend to create an even look without obvious shine. As she puts it, they “strike a balance that looks polished, effortless, and wearable in real life.”
Admittedly, I hadn’t thought much about this concept until chatting with Vogue’s beauty shopping editor, Kiana Murden. For me, it’s all about formulas that won’t break me out and don’t feel heavy; my noncomedogenic routine means everything to me. She, on the other hand, looks for formulas that hydrate but don’t leave her looking oily—or as Brezavscek describes, a natural, fresh-faced look. In that case, she recommends barrier-supporting formulas with ceramides, peptides, and hyaluronic acid that hydrate without weighing the skin down.
With that in mind, I wondered whether a moisturizer’s finish relates to its hydrating effect. Long story short—no. “A moisturizer’s finish is not a true indicator of how hydrating it is,” Brezavscek says. “That ultra-dewy or glazed look often comes from occlusive ingredients reflecting light, not necessarily from deeper hydration within the skin.”
If a natural-finish moisturizer seems up your alley, there’s an option for every skin-care concern. “The best moisturizer is one that supports your skin barrier and feels good enough to use consistently,” Rufolo says. Below, shop our edit of eight of the best formulas that will give you a natural glow, sans high shine—many of which are handpicked by Murden herself.
In This Story
Best Overall: Merit Great Skin Moisturizer
- Why We Love It: Is it a moisturizer or a primer? It’s both. Merit’s moisturizer not only hydrates but also preps the skin for radiant, never-greasy makeup. That’s thanks to a blend of hyaluronic acid, peptides, niacinamide, and marula oil. Rest assured, your visage will be soft to the touch, whether you decide to go barefaced or want to prevent makeup from clinging to textured skin.
- Editor’s Experience: Off the heels of its Great Skin Instant Glow Serum, Merit’s moisturizer offers similar plumping and hydration, just not in the way you’d imagine. It was the first formula that made me appreciate a more skin-like finish, in place of the gleaming, overtly luminous options that stocked my vanity. Ahead of makeup or just on its own, there’s little not to love about it. An underrated offering from Merit, for sure. —Kiana Murden, beauty shopping editor
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, marula oil, caffeine, peptides
- Texture: Mid-weight lotion
- Fragrance: No
- Best for: Normal, oily, and combination skin types
- Size: 0.5 oz./15 ml
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Cruelty-free and clean formula | May not be suited for acne-prone skin—contains a few potential pore-clogging ingredients |
| Nonsticky and doesn’t pill under makeup |
Best Water Cream: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel With Hyaluronic Acid
- Why We Love It: Like a drink of refreshing water for a parched complexion, Neutrogena’s water-gel cream hydrates skin with a hyaluronic acid and glycerin-packed formula. Plus, board-certified dermatologist Hope Mitchell, MD, previously told Vogue that the formula is not only refreshing upon application but also oil-free—making it a great choice for acne-prone or oily skin types. For further proof of this derm-approved, affordable pick, fellow board-certified dermatologists Dhaval G Bhanusali, MD, and Dara Spearman use it in their own skin-care routines.
- Editor’s Experience: This is the water-gel cream that basically put the category on the map. If you have oily skin or simply want something that wears like a gel serum, this is excellent. Give it a try before temperatures heat up and thank me later. —K.M.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, glycerin
- Texture: Gel-like
- Fragrance: No
- Best for: Acne-prone and oily skin types
- Size: 1.7 oz.
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Fast-absorbing hydration | Not silicone-free (contains dimethicone) |
| Noncomedogenic and fragrance-free |
Best Soothing: Ilia Barrier Build Skin Protectant Cream
- Why We Love It: Those with especially sensitive skin will appreciate Ilia’s fragrance-free moisturizer, packed with majorly soothing ingredients. The formula features colloidal oatmeal, ceramides, and algae hydrogel—a potent trio for those prone to dryness, irritation, or environmental stressors. Even better, this pick is accepted by the National Eczema Association and is entirely clean. Despite the rich texture, the formula remains fast absorbing and nongreasy, leaving skin plumped sans heaviness.
- Editor’s Experience: I cosign this moisturizer’s efficacy for sensitive skin. It’s as gentle as can be. Soothing composition aside, the texture here is lovely, offering nourishment in a plush cream that’s a treat to apply. —K.M.
- Key Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, ceramides, algae hydrogel, shea butter
- Texture: Rich cream
- Fragrance: No
- Best for: Sensitive to dry skin
- Size: 1.69 fl. oz.
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Fast-absorbing, barrier-supportive formula | One of the priciest moisturizers on our list |
| Entirely clean formula and eczema safe | Shea butter may not be suited for acne-prone skin |
Best Rich Cream: Emma Lewisham Supernatural Face Crème Riche
.jpg)
- Why We Love It: Just a small dollop of Emma Lewisham’s face crème does the trick across your face, neck, and décolletage. The formula’s star ingredients are plant-derived peptides and a multi-weight hyaluronic-acid blend, both designed to boost collagen production. Meanwhile, algae extract helps prevent transdermal water loss. All in all, it’s an excellent choice for mature skin types seeking a supple, subtly glowing complexion.
- Key Ingredients: Aloe-leaf extract, sunflower-seed oil, glycerin, jojoba oil, plant-derived peptides, hyaluronic acid
- Texture: Rich
- Fragrance: Yes
- Best for: Dry to mature skin types
- Size: 1.69 fl. oz.
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Intensely hydrating with skin-plumping ingredients such as plant-derived peptides | One of the priciest moisturizers on our list |
| Despite rich texture, absorbs easily | Botanic-derived oils may be too heavy for acne-prone skin |
Best With Squalane: The Outset Nourishing Squalane Daily Moisturizer
- Why We Love It: Another buzzy celebrity brand, Scarlett Johansson’s The Outset offers a moisturizer for particularly parched skin. Aside from a host of botanical-derived oils, there’s another interesting naturally derived ingredient: hyaluroset, a botanical alternative to hyaluronic acid known to help plump fine lines and smooth skin. “I wanted it to feel like something that was always there,” Johansson previously told Vogue of her minimalist products.
- Key Ingredients: Glycerin, squalane, sunflower-seed oil, edelweiss extract, coconut oil, hyaluroset, safflower-seed oil, avocado oil, hops extract, sunflower-seed wax, oryza sativa rice-bran extract, soybean oil, jojoba esters, tocopheryl acetate
- Texture: Mid-weight lotion
- Fragrance: No
- Best for: Normal to dry skin types
- Size: 1.7 fl. oz.
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Skin-barrier-supportive formula | Blend of botanic oils may be too heavy for acne-prone skin |
| Clean ingredients |
Best for Mature Skin: Symbiome The One Restorative Cream
.jpg)
- Why We Love It: Symbiome’s cream is designed to effectively address signs of aging and sensitivity, using sustainably sourced fermented ingredients that are particularly beneficial for mature and reactive skin. A blend of bioavailable lactobacillus ferment and Sanoma leaf oil deeply hydrates the skin and helps balance its natural microbiome, enhancing its plumpness and overall appearance. Notably, the formula contains just four clean ingredients. Many online reviewers praise this product for soothing their rosacea and reducing skin inflammation.
- Editor’s Experience: Over the last few weeks, I’ve been raving about Symbiome to anyone who will listen. This cream (plus its complementary stem-cell-rich serum) keeps my skin calm, hydrated, and bouncy. Knowing that it’s comprised of just four ingredients gives me great solace—each item chosen with care to cater to my skin’s unique needs. —K.M.
- Key Ingredients: Water, Sanoma leaf oil, lactobacillus ferment, dehydroacetic acid
- Texture: Lightweight cream
- Fragrance: Yes (naturally derived from ingredients, not synthetically added)
- Best for: All skin types, especially mature and sensitive types
- Size: 50 ml/1.7 oz.
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Entirely clean formula that’s EWG certified, Made Safe certified, and hypoallergenic | One of the priciest moisturizers on our list |
| Skin-barrier- and microbiome-supporting formula |
Best With Vitamin C: Lesse Essential Moisturizer
- Why We Love It: The brainchild of founder Neada Deters, Lesse’s face cream feels truly luxurious, both in texture and composition. This rich moisturizer features a natural vitamin C complex—potentially sourced from Kakadu plum, Irish Sea moss, and tremella mushroom extract—to brighten and hydrate skin simultaneously. Peptides and ceramide-rich ingredients further help reduce discoloration and leave skin feeling exceptionally soft.
- Key Ingredients: Aloe-leaf juice, grapeseed oil, glycerin, baobab oil, camellia-seed oil, shea butter, Irish moss extract, Centella asiatica extract, ceramide NP, kakadu plum, tremella mushroom extract
- Texture: Rich
- Fragrance: Yes (naturally derived from ingredients, not synthetically added)
- Best for: Dry to dull skin types
- Size: 2 fl. oz.
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Boasts both brightening and collagen support | Botanic-oil heavy formula is likely too heavy for acne-prone skin |
| Deeply hydrating, entirely clean formula | One of the priciest moisturizers on our list |
| Rich texture is great for dry skin types |
Everything You Need to Know
How We Tested
When we test and review a product, we take a holistic approach to deliver well-rounded product recommendations. First, we lean on Vogue’s vast network of experts—including board-certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants specializing in aesthetics and skin care—to gain professional insight into the industry’s standout products, ones these specialists would actually use on their clients. We pair their expertise with our editorial best practices to curate thoughtful edits.
Regarding natural-finish moisturizers, we selected the best based on the following criteria: ingredients, texture, finish, and the skin-care concerns they address. To do this, we paired our own personal tests of each formula with expert guidance and reviewer insights to determine which we would recommend to you.
Meet the Experts
- Paula Brezavscek, PA-C, is a board-certified physician assistant and founder of Azala Skin Clinic.
- Natia Rufolo, FNP, NP-C is a board-certified aesthetic injector, PDO thread specialist, and founder of Injx by Nat Aesthetics.
