The Moisturiser Edit

Moisturiser used to feel purely functional.

Now, it feels like part of the ritual.

Part skincare, part mood, part aesthetic. The beauty equivalent of finding the perfect white T-shirt or the handbag you somehow end up carrying every day.

Because good skin rarely looks accidental anymore.

The glow everyone wants right now isn’t heavy or overly polished. It’s hydrated, healthy-looking skin that feels lived in — the kind that makes makeup sit better and somehow makes everything else feel more pulled together too.

And whilst skincare trends constantly shift between complicated routines and miracle ingredients, moisturiser remains the thing almost everyone comes back to.

Not just because it works, but because you notice when it doesn’t.

Some formulas feel instantly comforting. Some create that glossy, expensive-skin finish people spend hundreds trying to recreate. Others work almost like makeup prep — smoothing, balancing and quietly making your entire face look better.

From backstage classics to fashion-girl favourites, these are the moisturisers worth knowing right now.

There’s a reason French pharmacy skincare never really disappears.

The packaging is usually understated. The formulas are reliable. And the best ones somehow manage to feel both practical and impossibly chic at the same time.

Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré remains one of the biggest backstage beauty staples for a reason. It works as moisturiser, makeup prep and emergency skin rescue all at once — the kind of product makeup artists, models and beauty editors seem to repurchase endlessly.

Then there’s Bioderma Hydrabio Gel Cream and La Roche-Posay Toleriane, both of which sit firmly in the category of “skin just looks calmer when I use this.”

French pharmacy moisturisers aren’t really about trends. They’re about consistency. Effortless skin. Products that quietly become part of your routine without needing to constantly reinvent themselves.

Sometimes your skin doesn’t want lightweight.

Sometimes it wants comfort.

The richer cream category has become less about heavy old-school moisturisers and more about products that make skin look rested, expensive and deeply hydrated — especially when everything else feels dry, stressed or overdone.

Weleda Skin Food has quietly become one of fashion’s longest-running beauty obsessions. Makeup artists use it for glow. Models use it on flights. Everyone seems to rediscover it eventually.

Then you move into the more luxury end of the category — Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream, Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream and SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid.

These are the formulas people talk about almost like they’re treatments.

Not because they instantly transform your face overnight, but because they create that softer, healthier-looking skin people associate with good sleep, water and less stress — even when none of those things are actually happening.

Not everyone wants a rich cream texture.

In fact, right now, a lot of people want the opposite.

The rise of lightweight gel moisturisers makes perfect sense when so much beauty is centred around glow without heaviness. Skin that looks hydrated, not coated.

Tatcha Water Cream became hugely popular for exactly that reason — lightweight, glossy and beautifully layered under makeup.

Clinique Moisture Surge still remains one of the most reliable options in the category, whilst CeraVe’s Oil Control Gel-Cream has become a favourite for people who want hydration without shine.

These formulas work especially well in warmer weather, under SPF or for anyone who wants skincare to feel invisible rather than rich.

The finish is clean, fresh and quietly polished.

Some moisturisers are skincare.

Others are basically part primer.

And honestly, this category might matter the most if you wear makeup regularly.

Because when skin is properly prepped, everything else sits differently.

Beauty Pie’s Super Healthy Skin Cream has built a reputation for exactly this — giving skin that smooth, glowy base that makes foundation apply better instantly.

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base remains iconic for the same reason. Slightly richer, incredibly smoothing and somehow capable of making makeup look more expensive.

Even Embryolisse sits here too.

These are the products people use when they want skin to look fresher, smoother and more awake before makeup even begins.

SPF has become non-negotiable.

But thankfully, it’s no longer synonymous with thick white formulas that pill under makeup and moisturisers and make skin look flat.

The best SPF moisturisers now feel almost indistinguishable from regular skincare — lightweight, glowy and genuinely pleasant to wear daily.

Dr Pawpaw’s SPF 50 moisturiser has built a loyal following because it combines hydration and sun protection in one easy step.

Ultra Violette remains one of the chicest options in the category, whilst Beauty of Joseon has become hugely popular for its lightweight finish and skincare-like texture.

Because ultimately, the best SPF is the one you’ll actually want to wear every day.