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Expert guidance from the AAD, NEA, NHS, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and DermNet. Educational, not medical advice · Sources last reviewed November 8, 2026
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Which moisturizer is right for your skin?
In shortMatch the texture to your skin. A gel for oily skin, a lotion for normal, a cream for dry, an ointment for very dry patches at night.
Set your skin type, the air around you and anything that bothers you. The finder picks a spot on the gel-to-ointment scale, then lists what to look for on the label, what to skip, and how to put it on.
Gel, lotion, cream or ointment?
Same job, different balance of water and oil. The more oil, the thicker the texture and the more hydrating it is. AAD 1NEA 11
01 · Mostly water
Gel
Often water-based, and lighter on the skin than a lotion. AAD 1
On labelsShea butter, plant oils, fatty acids, fatty alcohols such as cetyl and cetearyl alcohol, glyceryl stearate
Seal water in
Occlusives
A water-repelling film on top of skin that slows water loss. In studies, petrolatum cut it by more than 98%; lanolin, mineral oil and dimethicone by 20–30%. Purnamawati 2017 26DermNet 21Cleveland Clinic 14
On labelsPetrolatum, mineral oil, dimethicone, lanolin
On labelsCeramide NP, AP or EOS, colloidal oatmeal, niacinamide
Can irritate
Watch-outs
Fragrance is the second most common cause of allergic contact dermatitis after nickel. Alcohol, menthol and camphor are on the AAD’s list of irritants for skin with rosacea. DermNet 22AAD 7AAD 1
On labelsFragrance (parfum), scented plant oils, alcohol denat., menthol, camphor
Ingredient glossary
What each common moisturizer ingredient does, its FDA skin protectant strength where it has one, and its pore grade from the 1989 and 1984 rabbit-ear tables.
Humectant
Glycerin
glycerol, glycerine
The classic humectant: it draws water into the top layer of skin. Paired with an occlusive, it relieves dryness better than on its own.
A humectant the AAD calls known for its intense moisturizing. Like other humectants, it works best with an occlusive on top to hold the water in. How to use hyaluronic acid
Part of skin’s own natural moisturizing factor. At 2–10% it moisturizes; at 10–30% it also loosens scale; from 30% it’s a scale remover. It can sting scratched or cracked skin.
Emollients: they soften skin and fill the gaps between dry cells. Shea isn’t in the 1989 pore table; coconut and cocoa butter scored 4 out of 5. Oils chart
In studies it cut water loss through the skin by more than 98%, against 20–30% for lanolin, mineral oil or dimethicone. The AAD still advises keeping it off acne-prone faces.
Oats ground fine and boiled to extract the colloid; their starches and beta-glucan hold water. In children with eczema, oat allergy showed up more often than expected.
Second only to nickel as a cause of allergic contact dermatitis. On US labels it can be one word, “fragrance”. “Unscented” can still hide masking fragrance.
Pore grades: 0–1 not significant, 2–3 borderline, 4–5 positive, read the way the author did. Lab grades for single ingredients, not finished products. Check a whole label.
When a moisturizer is also a drug
When a moisturizer lists petrolatum, dimethicone or colloidal oatmeal as its “active ingredient”, it’s sold as an over-the-counter skin protectant, which is a drug. The FDA lists which ingredients can play that role and at what strength, and the label names the active ingredient first. FDA 12FDA 13
Allowed strength, % of the product · log scale
Colloidal oatmeal0.007% min.
Allantoin0.5–2%
Dimethicone1–30%
Lanolin12.5–50%
Glycerin20–45%
Petrolatum30–100%
Mineral oil50–100%
Cocoa butter50–100%
0.01%0.1%1%10%100%
How to apply it
When you put it on matters as much as what’s in it. The order dermatologists suggest, from the shower on.
Smooth, don’t rub. On the body, stroke in the direction hair grows. NHS 20
05
Then layer
Using a prescribed cream too? Leave 20 to 30 minutes between the two. NHS 20
How much
More than you think
For eczema-prone skin the NEA suggests a thick layer, applied liberally. DermNet notes that adults with eczema use around 500 g a week on the body. NEA 11DermNet 21
How often
Morning, night, and whenever
After every wash, after washing your hands and whenever skin feels dry. Eczema-prone skin: at least twice a day. Very dry skin may need it 3 or 4 times a day. AAD 2AAD 5NHS 20
Safety
Keep it away from flames
Clothing, bandages and bedding with moisturizer on them catch fire easily, whether the product contains paraffin or not. NHS 20DermNet 21
Adjust it to the season
One moisturizer rarely fits all year. Move one step along the scale as the air changes.
Winter
Cold air: go heavier
Humidity drops outdoors and indoors, and heating dries the air further. Dermatologists suggest switching to heavier creams when it’s cold, and a cool-mist humidifier in the bedroom. AAD 3Mayo Clinic 19
Summer
Humid heat: go lighter
A Cleveland Clinic dermatologist warns that something too rich in summer can bring breakouts or milia. You may need a different, lighter moisturizer than in winter. Cleveland Clinic 17
Night
Thicker while you sleep
Greasy, thick ointments suit night-time. Some people keep a less oily cream for the day and use a thicker ointment at night. NHS 20NIHR 28
Body
Richer below the neck
Dry skin on the body does well with a cream; for the face, a lotion is often enough. Lotions also suit hairy areas, since they spread easily. Cleveland Clinic 15NHS 20
Moisturizer for eczema-prone skin
General barrier care from the American Academy of Dermatology and the National Eczema Association. Not a treatment, and not a substitute for a dermatologist.
Texture
Greasy is good
The best moisturizers for eczema-prone skin are the ones that feel greasy: creams and ointments. Lotions are mostly water and alcohol. Petroleum jelly and mineral oil are particularly good. NEA 11AAD 4
Routine
Soak and seal
A 5 to 10 minute soak in lukewarm water, a gentle fragrance-free cleanser, a light pat dry, then moisturizer within 3 minutes. At least twice a day, and whenever skin feels dry. NEA 11AAD 5AAD 4
Labels
Fragrance-free, then test
Choose fragrance-free, not “unscented”. Try anything new on a quarter-sized patch of your inner arm, twice a day for 7 to 10 days, before it goes everywhere. AAD 4AAD 7AAD 10
Evidence
The best one is the one you use
A Cochrane review of 77 trials found little difference between moisturizers in how well they worked; a UK research summary of it concluded that people should be able to choose. Urea, glycerol and oat creams each had a single trial against a control. NIHR 28Cochrane 2017 29
See a board-certified dermatologist if you have eczema, or if dry skin is painful, cracked, bleeding, stinging, or not getting better. They can build a plan that fits your skin. AAD 4NEA 11AAD 1
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Questions people ask
Can a moisturizer repair a damaged skin barrier?
It helps, alongside fewer actives and gentler washing. Take the skin barrier test to see what to pause and for how long.
What moisturizer should I use?
Start from your skin type. The American Academy of Dermatology suggests a gel, or none, for oily skin; a lotion for normal skin; a cream or ointment for dry skin; and on combination skin, moisturizing the dry areas while skipping the oily T-zone. Then adjust: heavier in cold, dry air, lighter in humid heat, thicker at night.
What’s the difference between lotion and cream?
The balance of water and oil. A lotion has more water, and often more alcohol, so it’s thin, spreads easily and isn’t very moisturizing. A cream has more oil, so it’s thicker and more hydrating. An ointment has the most oil of all.
What is the best moisturizer for eczema?
There’s no single best one: a Cochrane review of 77 trials found little difference between moisturizers, so the one you’ll actually use counts. Dermatologists suggest a thick, fragrance-free cream or ointment, at least twice a day and within 3 minutes of bathing. For eczema, ask a board-certified dermatologist for a plan that fits your skin.
Does oily skin need moisturizer?
Not always. The AAD says you can skip it or use a gel, because too much moisturizer can clog pores and lead to acne, which can leave dark spots on brown and Black skin. If you use one, pick “oil-free” and “noncomedogenic”, ideally with broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher in the morning.
What moisturizer is best for sensitive skin?
A fragrance-free cream; “unscented” can still hide masking fragrance. For rosacea, the AAD also advises avoiding alcohol, camphor, menthol, glycolic and lactic acid, sodium lauryl sulfate and urea. Test anything new on your inner arm, twice a day for 7 to 10 days.
Do I need a separate night cream?
Not necessarily. If your skin is dry, a thicker texture at night helps: ointments are greasy and very moisturizing, which suits night-time. Some people use a less oily cream by day and a thicker ointment at night.
Is petroleum jelly good for your face?
It’s a strong occlusive: in studies it cut water loss through the skin by more than 98%, and it scored 0 for pores in the 1984 rabbit-ear table. Still, the AAD advises keeping it off your face if you’re acne-prone, because it may cause breakouts in some people.
What does “skin protectant” mean on a moisturizer?
That the product is also an over-the-counter drug. The FDA lists which skin protectant ingredients are allowed and at what strength, such as petrolatum (30–100%), dimethicone (1–30%), glycerin (20–45%) or colloidal oatmeal (0.007% or more), and that active ingredient is listed first.
Why put moisturizer on damp skin?
It traps the water that’s already in your skin. Dermatologists suggest patting dry, leaving a little water on the skin, and applying moisturizer within 3 minutes of a bath or shower.
Can my moisturizer be my sunscreen?
For the morning, the AAD suggests a moisturizer that also contains a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. Our sunscreen guide covers how much to use and when to reapply.
Sources
33 sources · Last reviewed November 8, 2026
Expert guidance from the AAD, NEA, NHS, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and DermNet; strengths from the FDA skin protectant rule; pore grades from the 1989 and 1984 rabbit-ear tables. Educational, not medical advice
A gel is often water-based and lighter than a lotion; a cream is thicker with more oil; an ointment is the thickest and most effective for dry skin. Oily skin: a gel or none, too much can clog pores; combination: skip the T-zone; normal: lotion, cream from perimenopause and 50; ceramides and hyaluronic acid; avoid alcohol, AHAs and fragrance.
Moisturize damp skin after a bath, after washing your hands and whenever skin feels dry; creams and ointments work better than lotions; jojoba oil, dimethicone, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, lactic acid, lanolin, mineral oil, petrolatum, shea butter; fragrance-free, not “unscented”; 5–10 minute warm showers; humidifier.
Switch to heavier creams when it’s cold; ointments and creams are more effective and less irritating than lotions; humidity drops indoors and out; a cool-mist humidifier in the bedroom; moisturize right after washing.
A fragrance-free cream or ointment instead of a lotion; moisturize immediately after bathing, on damp skin, and whenever skin feels dry; 5–10 minutes in warm water; partner with a board-certified dermatologist.
Apply moisturizer at least twice a day; consider a thick cream or ointment; petroleum jelly is an inexpensive, fragrance-free option that works well for many children.
Apply moisturizer within 3 minutes of bathing; a thick cream or ointment; after every bath, shower and hand washing; a humidifier if the air feels dry.
Avoid alcohol, camphor, fragrance, glycolic acid, lactic acid, menthol, sodium lauryl sulfate and urea; fragrance-free rather than unscented; a cream instead of a lotion or gel.
Humectants attract water (glycerine, urea, lactic acid); occlusives leave an oily layer (petroleum jelly, mineral oil, dimethicone); ointments are the most occlusive and can feel too greasy on visible areas; best right after bathing; adults with eczema use about 500 g a week; occlusives can aggravate acne and folliculitis; urea and acid creams often sting broken skin.
Second only to nickel as a cause of allergic contact dermatitis; affects about 1% of adults; “unscented” products may still contain masking fragrance; botanical or natural ingredients can hide fragrance.
Humectants (glycerin, hyaluronic acid, propylene glycol, urea) attract and bind water; occlusives (petroleum jelly, mineral oil, lanolin, liquid paraffin) form a greasy coating; apply to damp skin within three minutes; occlusive products like oils and petroleum jelly may aggravate acne.
Humectants draw water up from deeper skin; occlusives work in tandem with them; emollients act “like asphalt patches”; lotions contain more water and alcohol than creams; lotion for the face, cream for the body; pat dry, then moisturize within three minutes; fragrances and botanicals are common allergens.
Ceramides are lipids, the “grout” of the skin barrier; levels fall with age and in eczema; on labels: ceramide 1 (EOS), ceramide 3 (NP), ceramide 6-II (AP).
Moisturize while skin is still damp; ceramides, glycerin, shea butter and urea; a petrolatum-based product; a humidifier; baths of 5 to 10 minutes in warm, not hot, water.
Ingredients go in descending order of predominance (those at 1% or less in any order); fragrance may be declared as the single word “fragrance”; a cosmetic that is also a drug lists its active ingredients first.
Lotions are thin and not very moisturizing; creams suit daytime; ointments suit very dry skin and night-time, not weeping eczema; smooth, don’t rub, in the direction hair grows; apply after washing; wait 20–30 minutes before another treatment; keep away from flames.
Lotions are mainly water and alcohol; creams are water and oil; ointments have the highest oil content. Greasy creams and ointments are best for eczema, petroleum jelly and mineral oil particularly; soak and seal within 3 minutes; fragrance-free; oat, shea, glycerin, petrolatum, niacinamide; ask a board-certified dermatologist.
Petrolatum reduces water loss through the skin by more than 98%; lanolin, mineral oil and dimethicone by 20–30%; humectants draw water from the dermis and often need an occlusive; glycerin works better with an occlusive; 10% urea reduced water loss in atopic skin; ceramides restore barrier function; fatty acids and fatty alcohols are emollients.
Urea is part of skin’s natural moisturizing factor; 2–10% moisturizes, 10–30% moisturizes and loosens scale, 30% and up is keratolytic; well tolerated, with mild irritation more frequent at higher strengths.
A Cochrane review of 77 trials found little difference between moisturisers; people should be able to choose, and some prefer less oily creams by day and thicker ointments at night.
Colloidal oatmeal is oat finely ground and boiled to extract the colloid; its starches and beta-glucan hold water; it is regulated by the FDA as a skin protectant (2003 monograph).