Best Moisturizers in India: Skincare & Skin Type
- Kavya Goswami
- Jun 9
- 8 min read
Is your search for the perfect moisturizer still leaving your skin feeling… off? You're not alone! Finding that sweet spot where your skin type and the local climate (whether it's humid, dry, or somewhere in between) truly harmonize can be a challenge. But first, let's get clear on the basics: do you know your skin type inside and out? And are you aware of how the weather in your area impacts your skin's needs? Understanding these connections is the first step to unlocking your skin's happy place.
Most of the time, using the wrong kind of moisturizer can be a huge trigger point for your skin. For example, if you have an oily skin type and you are using a moisturizer that actually contains comedogenic ingredients that can worsen your acne or ingredients that can strip away the oil from the top layer of your skin and make it extremely dry.
So, what's the best thing to do in all these cases is to educate yourself first. Don't blindly follow the marketing (it can be false advertising). Also, it's not necessary that a product that suits someone else will be equally beneficial for your skin.
Sometimes people with the same skin type cannot use the same type of product maybe because your skin is sensitized to that product or you have sensitive skin.
It's best to learn and make your purchase wisely.
Finding Your Skin Type:
The best way to determine your skin type is by using the "Face Washing Test."This simple at-home method involves washing your face with a gentle cleanser and waiting for about 30 minutes without applying any skincare products or actives.
During this time, observe how your skin behaves—this will help you identify your skin type.
Wait and pay attention to how your skin feels:
Oily: Your skin will likely feel slick and greasy.
Dry: Your skin will probably feel tight, flaky and possibly itchy.
Combination: You might feel oiliness in your T-zone (forehead and nose area) and dryness elsewhere.
Normal: Your skin should feel comfortable and balanced.
Knowing your skin type is a must before picking a moisturizer that perfectly suits your skin.
Ingredients to Look for As Per Your Skin Type:
Oily Skin Type
Before looking for ingredients first thing you need to list down are the skin concerns oily skin type people are worried about, including acne, open pores, sebum production and oily skin texture. It's best to keep these prominent concerns in your mind before any product so that you won't end up buying something that's not good for your skin.
We need to look for moisturizers that are hydrating, have gel like consistency, lightweight, and are non-comedogenic or irritating to skin.
What are the ingredients oily skin type people should look for?
Tyrosinase Inhibitors like Niacinamide, Azelaic Acid, Vitamin C, Licorice Root Extract, Kojic Acid, Tranexamic Acid
Barrier Repair Ingredients like Ceramides and Peptides
Anti-inflammatories like Centella Asiatica, Allantoin, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Licorice Root extract, Green Tree Extract, Oat Extracts, Rice Water
To Remember: Oily Skin moisturizers have higher water content.
Dry Skin Type
Dry skin type people should look for face moisturizers with high fat content in them including large proportion of humectants and emollients. They should make sure that the moisturizer is repairing their dry, flaky skin, improving skin barrier and reducing any kind of inflammation.
What are the ingredients dry skin type people should look for?
Humectants like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, urea, sodium PCA, betaine, aloe vera, propylene glycol and more.
Emollients like shea butter, cetyl alcohol, dimethicone, lionleic acid (vitamin F), petrolatum, butylene glycol and more.
Anti-inflammatories like panthenol, centella asiatica, allantoin, niacinamide, oat extract, rice water
Barrier Repair ingredients like peptides and ceramides.
Combination Skin Type
People with combination skin should look for products that are non-comedogenic and also not too drying for skin. It's better to avoid any type of breakouts on skin by use of skincare actives that control sebum and also regulates water level of skin to avoid it from drying out.
What are the ingredients combination skin type people should look for?
Tyrosinase Inhibitors like Niacinamide, Azelaic Acid, Vitamin C, Licorice Root Extract, Kojic Acid, Tranexamic Acid
Humectants like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, urea, sodium PCA, betaine, aloe vera, propylene glycol and more.
Anti-inflammatories like panthenol, centella asiatica, allantoin, niacinamide, oat extract, rice water
Barrier Repair ingredients like peptides and ceramides.
To Remember: If there is any ingredient that's too drying for your skin, then avoid it all together.
Best Moisturizer in India
Moisturizing your is the key step to looking in hydration and acting as a protection for key skincare actives that we do after washing our face and applying serum on it. Moisturization after serum forms a protective lock on our skin and enhances the effects of serums on skin. It's time to learn about all the best moisturizers available in India as per skin type:
Oily Skin / Combination Skin
Pigmentation Corrector Daily Cream by Hyphen is a good moisturizer for soothing skin and treating pigmentation. It contains brightening skincare actives like Kojic Dipalmitate, Glycolic Acid (mild amount of 1%), skin hydrating agent like Glycerin and Hyaluronic Acid (Sodium Hyaluronate), and skin soothing or anti-inflammatory agent like Licorice Root Extract (Glycyrrhiza Glabra).
Green Tea Moisturizer by Plum is a good moisturizer for oily skin type as it contains skin hydrating and anti-inflammatory agent like green tea extract which works wonders for people with oily skin by relaxing their inflamed, acne-prone skin. It also contains humectants like Betaine, Glycerin and Squalane which helps in providing a protective barrier on skin and hydrates and improves skin texture.
10% Vitamin B5 Moisturizer by Minimalist is an lightweight, hydrating moisturizer with Vitamin B5 (aka Panthenol) as super ingredient. Apart from that, it also contains skincare actives like Zinc PCA and Zinc Gluconate which are anti-acne in nature, humectants like glycerin, Trehalose and Sodium Hyaluronate, and other actives like Betaine and allantoin. All in all, it's very effective moisturizer for oily skin type.
Dynasty Cream by Beauty of Joseon is a K-Beauty Skincare product that with hydrating and nourishing skincare actives like Rice Bran Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Squalane and Propanediol. This is a good moisturizer for controlling sebum production, soothing inflamed skin and improving skin texture. Only downside of this product is its price point, as it's too expensive.
Rice Water & 2% Niacinamide Gel Moisturizer by Plum, is an exceptionally hydrating and smooth moisturizer, making it ideal for oily skin types, even in hot weather. This product provides perfect hydration for your skin.
4% Ceramide Barrier Repair Moisturizer by The Derma Co, is a must-have moisturizer for everyone, especially for individuals with skin of color, as this skin type generally has lower levels of ceramides, which are essential for improving the skin barrier and making it less prone to environmental and hormonal damage. This moisturizer combines effective skincare actives such as ceramides and niacinamide.
Skin Renew Barrier Repair Peptide Moisturizer by The Derma Co. is a good not just for barrier improving but for brightening skin also. It contains skincare actives like niacinamide, vitamin C, squalane, betaine, centella asiatica, peptides and ceramides for protecting, brightening and soothing skin.
Dry Skin / Normal Skin
Moisturizing Cream by CeraVe is a good thick moisturizer for barrier repair and works great for sensitive skin. It contains skincare ingredients like Ceramides, Squalane, Hyaluronic Acid, Dimethicone (common silicone which acts a skin barrier), Petrolatum and cholesterol. This is the best moisturizer for repairing dry, flaky skin with everyday use.
Barrier Relief Moisturizer by The Formularx is a wholesome moisturizer, it can considered as an alternative yo CeraVe moisturizer as it contains very similar skincare ingredients list including Glycerin, Niacinamide, Vitamin F, Ceramides, Cholesterol, Sodium Hyaluronate and Panthenol.
Natural Moisturizing Factor Moisturizer by The Ordinary is good nourishing moisturizer for dry skin as it contains skincare actives like Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Urea, Sodium Lactate, Allantoin, Vitamin F, and Sodium PCA which help is forming a protective and nourishing environment for skin.
5% Marula Oil Moisturizer by Minimalist is a hydrating moisturizer for dry skin type as it helps in moisturizing your skin with the help of skincare actives like Petrolatum, Glycerin, Marula Seed Oil, Vitamin F (Linoelic Acid) and Vitamin E.
Dynasty Cream by Beauty of Joseon is a K-Beauty Skincare product that with hydrating and nourishing skincare actives like Rice Bran Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Squalane and Propanediol. This is a good moisturizer for controlling sebum production, soothing inflamed skin and improving skin texture. Only downside of this product is its price point, as it's too expensive.
Barrier Repair Moisturizer by Pilgrim is a good moisturizer for improving skin health and making it smooth, healthy and nourished with goodness of skincare actives like Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Ceramides, Rice Bran Extract and Centella Asiatica for soothing and repairing your skin.
Barrier plus moisturizer by The Formula rx is a good barrier repair moisturizer which will work for damaged, flaky, inflamed skin barrier. It is enriched with skin repair ingredients that are also nourishing and hydrating for skin including shea butter, ceramides, allantoin, peptides and cholesterol. It does have Stearic Acid in it., which has high on the comedogenic scale (simply speaking, can cause acne), so if you have oily or acne-prone skin then you can avoid this one. But if you have dry or normal skin, then its a good moisturizer to go for.
Skin Renew Barrier Repair Peptide Moisturizer by The Derma Co. is a good not just for barrier improving but for brightening skin also. It contains skincare actives like niacinamide, vitamin C, squalane, betaine, centella asiatica, peptides and ceramides for protecting, brightening and soothing skin.
4% Ceramide Barrier Repair Moisturizer by The Derma Co, is a must-have moisturizer for everyone, especially for individuals with skin of color, as this skin type generally has lower levels of ceramides, which are essential for improving the skin barrier and making it less prone to environmental and hormonal damage. This moisturizer combines effective skincare actives such as ceramides and niacinamide.
Radiance Boosting Daily Gel Cream by Conscious Chemist is a gel-moisturizer for not just hydrating your skin but also for providing brightening effect. It contains skincare actives like Sunflower Seed Oil, Betaine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Vitamin C, Soy Protein, and Rice Water for protecting and soothing skin.
Last but not the least, most likely and most favorable option for people specially with dry skin type is Vaseline, aka pure petroleum jelly or petrolatum. Everyone has been talking about slugging on internet lately (topic for another day), but it does works wonders for your skin, it makes your skin smooth and soft by curing all the dryness and flakiness but if you have oily or acne-prone skin then just be cautious before using that because slugging can clog your pores and can cause acne (prevention is better than cure). Vaseline, means petrolatum is good occlusive to protect and heal your skin with. It also works wonders on dry, sensitive skin.
It's better to opt for no fragrance ones, one that has pure petroleum jelly rather than numerous other derivative that are lately available in market.
Stop settling for just any moisturizer. Discover the one that's precisely tailored to your skin's needs. Imagine a product that not only hydrates but also works diligently with each use to tackle your specific skin problems. From balancing oily complexions to soothing dryness and enhancing normal skin, intelligent skincare starts with choosing a moisturizer powered by the right actives for you.
Comments