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The Best Face Cream for Women: The Top 16

best face cream for women
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Face cream is simply one of those must-have skincare essentials for women, no matter the time of year. With so many options out there, though, it can be tough to navigate skin care products and choose the right one for yourself. While the best face cream for women will be different for each and every one of us, this list of our favorite moisturizers for dry skin and other skin types should help you decide.

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Tightens and firms almost instantly
  • Very hydrating and lightweight
  • Great for sensitive skin
Price: $69.00 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Om Organics Coconut Dew Hyaluronic Moisture Cream
  • Gives lots of hydration and moisture
  • Non-greasy, light texture - don't need much
  • Smells and feels amazing
Price: $20.00 Shop now at Om Organics Shop now Read our review
ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Marine Cream Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Works well at firming and reducing lines
  • A little goes a long way
  • Leaves skin smooth and soft
Price: $125.98 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Lightweight and smooth
  • Works well on sensitive skin
  • Smells amazing
Price: $49.00 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat Oil-Free Mattifying Moisturizer Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Great at leaving skin matte yet moisturized
  • Unscented and ideal for sensitive skin
  • Don't need much - great value
Price: $35.99 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Tatcha The Water Cream Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Non-greasy and penetrates deep - ideal for oily skin
  • Reduces the look of pores and lines
  • Smells and feels wonderful
Price: $72.00 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
graydon berry rich face cream
  • Works well on dry AND oily skin, won't cause breakouts
  • Very hydrating and moisturizing
  • Velevety feel, finishes matte
Price: $49.00 Shop now at Graydon Skincare Shop now Read our review
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream Face Moisturizer Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Very nourishing, hydrating & moisturizing
  • Leaves skin soft, smooth & glowing
  • Makes skin look younger; fine lines fade
Price: $109.90 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-Aging Moisturizer Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Plumps and hydrates skin nicely
  • Brightens and firms skin
  • Gentle on sensitive skin
Price: $34.38 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Rich & absorbent, yet not greasy
  • Helps with eczema flareups
  • Nice, light (almost no) scent
Price: $44.48 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Stratia Interface Daily Moisturizer with Peptides Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Leaves a healthy, smooth hydrated glow
  • Ideal for oily skin - lightweight & non-greasy
  • A little goes a long way
Price: $27.00 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
StriVectin Multi-Action Restorative Face Cream Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Delivers great hydration, moisture & smoothness
  • Absorbs incredibly well and lasts all day
  • Don't need much, very long-lasting
Price: $95.00 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Skin feels soft, hydrated, smooth & plump
  • Lightweight, smooth & fast-absorbing
  • Don't need much for plenty of moisture
Price: $46.75 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Highly moisturizing and protecting against the elements
  • Smoothes skin & reduces signs of aging
  • Don't need much to see results
Price: $27.99 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
florence by mills Plump To It! Hydrating Facial Moisturizer
  • Great moisture without clogging pores
  • Skin feels smooth, soft & refreshed
  • Nice, fresh scent
Price: $17.00 Shop now at Ulta Beauty Shop now Read our review
Perricone MD: Face Finishing & Firming Tinted Moisturizer Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Reduces aging signs nicely
  • Delivers long-lasting moisture
  • Great foundation replacement for light coverage
Price: $47.40 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Our Unbiased Reviews
  1. 1. Editor’s Choice: Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream

    Pros:
    • Tightens and firms almost instantly
    • Very hydrating and lightweight
    • Great for sensitive skin
    Cons:
    • Some had issues with dispenser
    • Light scent but not for everyone
    • May not be ideal for very oily skin

    This protini polypeptide cream from fan-fave, cruelty-free certified Drunk Elephant is a super lightweight formula that brings together vitamin B folic acid, amino acids, a nine-signal peptide complex, and pygmy waterlily to quickly improve skin’s tone, feel, strength, and texture. And it’s one of my long-time go-to’s.

    The hydrating, moisturizing, soothing cream helps you look and feel younger and revitalized by plumping, firming, balancing, replenishing, and reducing the look of wrinkles, fine lines, and sun damage. What’s even better is this stuff lasts a long time – you don’t need much at all to see results, which I can personally attest to.

  2. 2. Om Organics Coconut Dew Hyaluronic Moisture Cream

    Pros:
    • Gives lots of hydration and moisture
    • Non-greasy, light texture - don't need much
    • Smells and feels amazing
    Cons:
    • May be better on oily skin in winter months
    • May not absorb as easily as others
    • Felt less than smooth to some

    This super lightweight, mostly organic moisturizer from Om Organics contains hyaluronic acid that instantly penetrates and plumps the skin, and soaks up and retains water to hydrate the skin, leaving it with a nice dewy, healthy glow. Marula oil, which contains oleic and linoleic fatty acids, cuts redness, hydrates, nourishes, moisturizes, heals, and boosts elasticity, while coconut water rehydrates and leaves you positively glowing.

    Ideal for combination or balanced skin types, the cruelty-free moisturizer smells of fresh coconut and rose. It’s free of parabens, sulfate, and synthetic color and fragrance. And you really don’t need much – just a pea-sized amount twice daily will do.

  3. 3. ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Marine Cream

    Pros:
    • Works well at firming and reducing lines
    • A little goes a long way
    • Leaves skin smooth and soft
    Cons:
    • Pricey
    • May not be ideal for oily skin
    • Some didn't see desired results

    The ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Marine Cream is a great anti-wrinkle gel face cream that’s highly moisturizing, yet super light. It delivers plenty of hydration thanks to marine and plant active ingredients including Padina Pavonica, Chlorella, and Ginkgo Biloba. The formula also reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, smoothes and softens the skin, and helps with skin elasticity and firmness.

    Use each morning after cleansing. Warm up a pea-sized amount between your palms, then smooth evenly over your face, neck, and décollete.

  4. 4. Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer

    Pros:
    • Lightweight and smooth
    • Works well on sensitive skin
    • Smells amazing
    Cons:
    • May not be the best for very dry skin
    • May not be ideal in high humidity
    • Some didn't like the dispenser

    Juice Beauty’s organic Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer with Vitamin C is ideal for any skin type, but particularly mature skin. It’s made with fruit stem cells from apple buds, lemon bark, and grape buds, resveratrol grape juice, vitamin C, and shea and jojoba oil, which are rich in antioxidants and help to fight damage from free radicals. As well, evening primrose, borage seed, and linseed provide fatty acid emollients that keep skin looking young and fresh. The formula hydrates, moisturizes, and firms skin, improving elasticity and reducing the signs of aging including wrinkles and fine lines.

  5. 5. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat Oil-Free Mattifying Moisturizer

    Pros:
    • Great at leaving skin matte yet moisturized
    • Unscented and ideal for sensitive skin
    • Don't need much - great value
    Cons:
    • Packaging makes it tough to get all product out
    • Small quantity for the price
    • Peeled off slightly on some

    If you suffer from oily skin, try La Roche-Posay’s non-comedogenic, paraben-free, dermatologist-tested Effaclar Mat Oil-Free Mattifying award-winning moisturizer. It contains sebulyse technology, lipo-hydroxy acid, silica, and perlite that targets excess oil to mattify skin, tighten and refine pores, and give plenty of hydration. Great as an everyday moisturizer, even for sensitive skin, it leaves a nice, matte finish and is also a great base for makeup.

  6. 6. Tatcha The Water Cream

    Pros:
    • Non-greasy and penetrates deep - ideal for oily skin
    • Reduces the look of pores and lines
    • Smells and feels wonderful
    Cons:
    • Pricey
    • Not as hydrating as others
    • Not matte enough for some

    Tired of seeing those pores? The Water Cream from Tatcha was created for you. This oil-free, clarifying, lightweight water cream delivers botanicals to refine pores and nutrients to hydrate the skin with every use, and it promotes smooth, balanced, healthy-looking skin. Japanese wild rose reduces the look of pores and balances skin, leopard lily calms skin and minimizes the production of oil, and the hadesei-3 complex of Japanese superfoods promotes healthy, smooth skin.

    To use, scoop a pearl-sized amount using the gold spoon. In upward strokes, massage onto face, neck, and décolletage.

  7. 7. Graydon Skincare Berry Rich Cream & Face Food Mineral Mist

    Pros:
    • Works well on dry AND oily skin, won't cause breakouts
    • Very hydrating and moisturizing
    • Velevety feel, finishes matte
    Cons:
    • Can feel heavy
    • Some get slight residue
    • May be better for some as eye cream only

    This luxurious probiotic face and eye cream is velvety-rich with moisture thanks to the superfood active ingredients. The cream’s vegan probiotic boosts and nourishes your skin’s health to a radiant glow, and the formula’s blueberry seed oil soaks into dehydrated, dry, or mature skin as it reduces fine lines and wrinkles. You’ll experience deep hydration, thanks to blue-green algae rich in amino acids and minerals.

    Paraben and sulfate-free, this is the ideal product in your minimalist skincare routine to strengthen your skin’s barrier and achieve a younger-looking complexion. And, since it’s such a gentle formula, this makes for a fantastic eye cream, too. Oh, and my favorite part, aside from the formula’s deep, rich, luxuriousness? It smells absolutely amazing.

    I’m also a huge fan of Graydon’s hydrating face food mineral mist – which pulls double duty as both a face mist and toner. It protects your skin against the elements and gives you a natural glow. I love the scent and that you can literally hear it squeak, clean on your skin.

  8. 8. Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream Face Moisturizer

    Pros:
    • Very nourishing, hydrating & moisturizing
    • Leaves skin soft, smooth & glowing
    • Makes skin look younger; fine lines fade
    Cons:
    • Small quantity (but you don't need much)
    • Pricey
    • May not suit some sensitive skin

    The bestselling, award-winning Magic Cream from Charlotte Tilbury was designed to prep and improve the look of models before fashion shows, and it can do the same for you. It contains eight skincare oils and ingredients that deliver moisture and improve the look of dull, uneven, tired skin:

    • Bionymph peptide blend to condition and smooth
    • Vitamins C and E to brighten and even out tone
    • Rosehip oil to revitalize and balance
    • Hyaluronic acid to hydrate all day
    • Frangipani flower extract to moisturize and calm
    • Camellia oil to nourish, hydrate, and leave a dewy finish
    • Aloe vera to smooth, moisturize, and calm
    • Shea butter to nourish and soften
  9. 9. Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-Aging Moisturizer

    Pros:
    • Plumps and hydrates skin nicely
    • Brightens and firms skin
    • Gentle on sensitive skin
    Cons:
    • May feel too heavy for some
    • Scent is a bit medicinal (but fades fast)
    • Caused some to break out but cleared up with use

    Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-Aging Moisturizer contains an amino-peptide complex that penetrates deep into the skin’s surface. This gives major hydration and moisture all day long. The face cream also helps to get rid of the looks of wrinkles and fine lines, as it exfoliates dead skin cells away, encourages cell renewal, and regenerates surface skin cells. Best of all, it absorbs quickly, lasts a very long time, and leaves no greasy residue behind.

  10. 10. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration

    Pros:
    • Rich & absorbent, yet not greasy
    • Helps with eczema flareups
    • Nice, light (almost no) scent
    Cons:
    • May be more ideal for hands than face
    • Pricey (but it works & lasts)
    • May be too heavy for warmer months

    I love that this velvety-rich, non-greasy moisturizer from First Aid Beauty can literally be used anywhere your skin feels dry and moisture-depleted – face, body, or hands. Honestly, it’s become my go-to hand cream this season. Dermatologist-tested, it absorbs quickly and, though rich and nourishing, it somehow also magically feels light and whipped.

    Even better, it’s not irritating and relieves redness and eczema in sensitive skin. The hydrating, vegan formula has just the slightest, most pleasant scent and is made cruelty-free without alcohol, artificial fragrance and color, lanolin, talc, mineral oil, parabens, and phthalates.

  11. 11. Stratia Interface Daily Moisturizer with Peptides

    Pros:
    • Leaves a healthy, smooth hydrated glow
    • Ideal for oily skin - lightweight & non-greasy
    • A little goes a long way
    Cons:
    • A bit slow to absorb
    • Can leave residue (don't use too much)
    • May not be rich enough for night or extra-dry skin

    Stratia’s Interface is a daily moisturizer with a gel-cream consistency that hydrates, firms, strengthens, and repairs the skin thanks to the peptides it contains, along with vitamin B5, licorice root extract, rosehip seed oil, and hyaluronic acid. 

    What happens with this peptide formula is it boosts elastin and collagen in the skin to help reduce lines and wrinkles and stimulate other important proteins that promote healthier, stronger skin. I’ve recently added it to my daily routine and I can tell you, I’m starting to see some nice changes.

    Use twice daily (AM and PM) by massaging 1-2 pumps onto the face and neck.

  12. 12. StriVectin Multi-Action Restorative Face Cream

    Pros:
    • Delivers great hydration, moisture & smoothness
    • Absorbs incredibly well and lasts all day
    • Don't need much, very long-lasting
    Cons:
    • May not be great for sensitive skin
    • Can cause mild breakouts
    • Packaging is excessive

    StriVectin’s Multi-Action Restorative Face Cream contains a unique Pro-12 youth-optimizing complex that supports natural collagen, visibly boosts elasticity and firmness, and reinvigorates the skin. It strengthens and replenishes your natural moisture barrier to help maintain optimal levels of moisture. And, the brand’s NIA-114 patented Niacin form has been designed for any skin type, tone, and age, and is validated by clinical tasting.

    Use morning and night by applying to a clean face, after using serum. Massage into the skin until fully absorbed, avoiding the eye area.

  13. 13. Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream

    Pros:
    • Skin feels soft, hydrated, smooth & plump
    • Lightweight, smooth & fast-absorbing
    • Don't need much for plenty of moisture
    Cons:
    • Leaves skin glowing, which some may not want
    • Can seperate if blended too much
    • May not be ideal for overly oily skin

    This incredibly lightweight, 30% concentrated hyaluronic acid complex cream from Peter Thomas Roth is made with three molecular sizes of hyaluronic acid, a potent hydrator that sucks in water up to 1,000 its weight. The formula is free from oil, alcohol, and fragrance, and it helps to decrease the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. It contains pentavitin, which helps to provide up to 72 hours of hydration (including post-cleansing) along with hydrolyzed silk, a derivative of pure silk that helps skin feel soft, smooth, and silky.

    Apply this twice daily on the face and neck, and you’ll be left with supple, smooth, silky, moisturized, and younger-looking skin.

  14. 14. IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream

    Pros:
    • Highly moisturizing and protecting against the elements
    • Smoothes skin & reduces signs of aging
    • Don't need much to see results
    Cons:
    • Scent isn't for everyone
    • May not be great for sensitive skin
    • Can add shine to oily skin after a while

    If you’re looking to reduce the look of aging signs while giving your skin plenty of moisture all season long, look no further than IT Cosmetics’ silky smooth Confidence in a Cream. The vegan formula contains no parabens, SLS/SLES, or mineral oil and helps with these potent, active ingredients that reverse visible signs of aging quickly – including fine lines and wrinkles, dark spots, and loss of elasticity, firmness, and plumpness:

    • Nicotinamide (4%) – evens out skin tone and lessens the look of fine lines and wrinkles
    • Squalane (3%) – hydrates and helps to reinforce the skin’s moisture barrier
    • Peptide-lipid complex (2.5%) – improves firmness and tightness, hydrates, and smoothes out the appearance of fine lines

    I loved that this cream visibly firmed my skin and reduced the look of wretched crow’s feet. I did find it can sting just a little, so I’m careful not to use too much or apply it too close to my eyes.

  15. 15. florence by mills Plump To It! Hydrating Facial Moisturizer

    Pros:
    • Great moisture without clogging pores
    • Skin feels smooth, soft & refreshed
    • Nice, fresh scent
    Cons:
    • Not too long-lasting
    • May not suit flaky or severly dry skin
    • Can leave oiliness in some areas

    florence by mills’ Plump To It! Hydrating Facial Moisturizer gives your skin the boost of hydration it needs. Made with a low molecular weight hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid that penetrates deeply, plus a combination of fruit and sustainably sourced plant extracts (apple, grape, plum, and papaya, along with survivalist and adaptogen plants), the incredibly lightweight formula helps to hydrate, plump, moisturize, de-stress, and strengthen skin, balancing and boosting its natural barrier function.

    What’s even better is you needn’t worry about any junk ingredients in this dermatologist-approved moisturizer, as it’s vegan, cruelty-free, and made without silicones or SLS. To use, apply twice daily to clean, damp skin. Follow with your regular skincare routine.

  16. 16. Perricone MD High Potency Classics: Face Finishing & Firming Tinted Moisturizer

    Pros:
    • Reduces aging signs nicely
    • Delivers long-lasting moisture
    • Great foundation replacement for light coverage
    Cons:
    • May not suit all oily skin
    • Grainy texture isn't for everyone
    • Not as highly tinted as others

    This super lightweight, deeply hydrating and moisturizing cream from Perricone MD offers SPF 30 protection, nourishes skin with corrective antioxidants and gives a nice, toasty tinted, luminous glow. It helps to reduce aging signs, including wrinkles, fine lines, uneven tone and texture, and firmness loss, by raising elastin and collagen production and smoothing out the skin’s look and feel. And, it has a nice, light, rose scent.

    To use, apply generously to the face and neck each morning after serum.

What Is The Best Face Cream For Women?

The best face cream for women will be different depending on your skin type, preferences, and needs. Check out creams from quality, reputable brands like Drunk Elephant, IT Cosmetics, StriVectin, and Tatcha, among others that nip skin issues in the bud.

Why Do We Need Face Cream?

Our face needs moisture just like our bodies need water - for hydration. When you use face cream or moisturizer consistently, you can slow the intensity and rate of wrinkles and fine lines showing up, no matter what skin type you have.

Is Face Cream Okay For Oily Skin?

All skin types need moisture, not just dry skin. If you have oily skin, it doesn't mean you have hydrated skin, which we all need to support a strong barrier and stop sebum or oil production. Ingredients like hyaluronic acid balance water and oil in the skin, which is extra important for oily skin types.

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