Best Moisturisers for Oily & Combination Skin

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Okay – this has been a long time in the making and I’m so excited to finally put this together! (Not that I was ever working towards the goal of putting together this blog post but once I hit critical mass, it was more of a why not situation) It represents years of trying, testing and moistening (lol) my face and the result is this excellent list of moisturisers that have agreed with my temperamental skin over the years. 

My skin, on most days, can be categorised as “combination”, though in the summer it is unsurprising for it to adopt an oily persona (grrr). Since having kids, my skin has calmed down somewhat but I’m still prone to breakouts when I get stressed (or haven’t had enough sleep) or when I am graced with hormonal visits from my cystic zit pals – I’m sure a lot of you can relate. 

The right moisturiser is essential to a building a solid skincare routine and for my combination-sometimes-oily skin, it’s the lightweight gel-based formulas that suit my skin best – we’re talking no irritation and no moisturiser-caused break outs. The finish is also something I factor in my assessment – it needs to wear nicely under makeup and I don’t want to be left with a sticky residue. 

All of the moisturisers featured in this post I’ve had the pleasure of properly using and loving. Naturally, I have some favourites (revealed later in this post), but all in all, they all perform very well on my skin despite the broad price range. This collection represents excellent and reliable moisturisers that I would happily use day-to-day and while I’m not wedded to a set routine and change around my skincare often, these are the moisturisers that are on that rotation. 

If you have dry or balanced skin, you might want to look at the other thicker options from the brands I’ve featured. 

Let me talk about them in price order, from lowest to highest:

($55 for 50ml | $1.10 per ml)

An excellent lightweight formula with a non-greasy finish. This is one of two moisturisers on my current rotation and has been my go-to (pun intended) moisturiser over the summer. There’s no funky fragrance, a little goes a long way and I would happily repurchase this again (one of the big pros being that you can purchase a refill for roughly 20% less!). 

Clinique Moisture Surge 100H Moisturiser

($62 AUD for 50ml | $1.24 AUD per ml)
AU link | UK link | US link

This is a particularly juicy option and a bit of an old school recommendation as it’s been around forever. This moisturiser delivers immediate hydration as soon as you apply it. I was heavily reliant on this in my 20s and early 30s – very much swayed by their “gift with purchase” promotions. It’s a solid formula! 

Alpha H High Tide Cream

($80 AUD for 50ml | $1.60 AUD per ml)
AU link | US link | UK link

This is the other moisturiser in my current rotation (the first being the Go-To moisturiser I mentioned above) and it is excellent. It’s an all-round luxe experience and the formula absorbs quickly into the skin and provides intense hydration resulting in some very plump and healthy-looking skin. In addition, it’s formulated to help reduce the appearance of fine lines (more of a priority for me these days). Another Aussie-based skincare brand I love. 

Dr Dennis Gross Hyaluronic Marine Moisture Cushion

($107 for 60ml | $1.78 per ml)
AU link (also here) | UK link | US link

Here’s another moisturiser that’s been in my collection for eons. The formula is deeply hydrating and it wears beautifully under makeup. It’s also formulated with hyaluronic acid that helps keep my skin look dewy throughout the day. This particular moisturiser is one that I have recommended over the years, it has featured in consecutive years on my gift guides – it’s an excellent all-round formula. 

($118 for 50ml | $2.36 per ml)

My first foray with Japanese skin care was from trying out a Tatcha moisturiser (after a recommendation from one of my cousins) and this cream is excellent. I first tried the Dewy Skin Cream which I didn’t love (it left a sticky residue on my skin) but the Water Cream is more lightweight and absorbs much quicker into the skin. Their jar is also very kitschy with a little spoon that sits on top of the lid (though I never use the spoon and just get in there with my fingers). 

Elemis Marine Cream

($203 for 50ml | $4.06 per ml)
AU link | US link (also here) | UK link

Elemis recently stopped shipping directly to Australia in the last couple of years and it still annoys me to this day. It means we’re only able to purchase Elemis from Mecca (where it’s slightly more expensive) and we miss out on all the fun gift sets and promotions that used to be available from the Elemis website. The reason for my whinge? Well, it’s my favourite moisturiser of this list. It’s the PERFECT formula, addresses all of my skin concerns and it’s always a luxurious experience to apply. I’ve gone through a few jars, but have hesitated in repurchasing because of the hefty price tag (and also because a lot of the moisturisers I mentioned earlier satisfy my needs). Hopefully an opportunity will present itself soon to repurchase but in the meantime, if you’ve been curious to try this, I would absolutely recommend it. 

Cosmetics 27 – Baume 27 Creme Legere

($262 for 50ml | $5.24 per ml)
AU link | US link

As we progress further into this list, the unit pricing goes on a bit of a frolic uphill. I need to caveat this particular entry with the fact that I received a jar of this as a generous gift and have yet to purchase it myself. But for the 5 ½ weeks it took me to finish the jar, it was a wonderful luxurious experience. My skin was silky and beautifully hydrated thanks to the lightweight texture that was released as an alternative option from the brand’s iconic Advanced Formula moisturiser. This is specially formulated for warmer weather or combination skin and helps skin to appear firm, smooth and radiant. 

La Mer Soft Cream

($355 AUD for 30ml | $11.83 AUD per ml)
AU link | US link | UK link

As above, I need to make the same “I didn’t purchase this” disclosure. I’ve only ever received the 15ml jar as a generous gift and I remember being so scared to use it when I first got it! The formula is lovely and lightweight, a contrast from the original La Mer cream which can be very thick. La Mer moisturisers contain their trademarked Miracle Broth ingredient that has many magical properties including reducing redness and anti-aging. To be honest, I’m not sure I would ever purchase this with the price tag. I think a lot of the moisturisers I feature above are also amazing in their efficacy. But this cream makes the list as it was a moisturiser that very much agreed with my skin and provided a lovely self-care experience whenever I applied it, while also working to address my skin’s concerns. 

TLDR; Elemis takes the top spot – available here – AU link, US link, also here and UK link. What’s in my current rotation? The Alpha H cream (AU link | US link | UK link) and Go-To’s Lightweight Moisturiser. 

 I hope you found this post helpful. Join me in 10 years time for another update (given that’s how many years it took to come up with this short list!). 

Thanks for stopping by!

P.S. Your Autumn jacket rotation, sorted!