Our 7 Favorite Face Creams (2025)

If you're a man with normal skin, this is just about all you need. If you ever had to go to a dermatologist as a kid, this (or the Cetaphil alternative) is what they told you to buy. And if you haven't developed any more serious skin needs... why stop? Dermatologists love it because it's fragrance-free, simple, and lightweight enough for combination to dry skin. It's also got hyaluronic acid, which is the main skincare ingredient you want to protect that natural barrier.

The one note I'll make is that people who fall on the combination to oily side of the spectrum might not love CeraVe. The next option is for y'all. Also, as with all skincare, it just doesn't agree with some people, so do spot tests and ease your way into it.

But that's all. At this price, you can't beat it. Buy it by the tub full.

This shit is one of the few things in the skincare world that gets high praise across the board. It's relatively affordable and works well on all skin types, though it gets a lot of its praise from the oily skin side of the spectrum. That's because the water gel is one of the few products that is able to sink in through stubborn oily skin.

That said, it really works for all skin types. My fiancée picked it up during tough high school acne years, but has kept it even as her skin mellowed. In the summer or on vacation, when I know I'm going to sweat throughout the day, I'll swipe out of this instead of a heavier CeraVe. It's the perfect barely there moisturizer, and it has an especially summery fragrance. It smells almost like a salty summer cologne.

That's also the only downside though. It's totally possible that your skin won't love the fragrance. In which case, the gel cream version comes fragrance free.

Now, how about something that gives you that dewy look and does all the skin-caring things you need? For that, I The Grey Comfort+ moisturizer is one of the best I've tried. (I'll address the price in a second, don't worry.) This is the perfect face cream you're on the spectrum of combination to dry. Using it throughout the cold and dry New York winter, it was the one thing that would hold plenty of moisture on my face, and it would usually do that for a few days at a time. I honestly would only use it every other day.

That's because it's loaded with good ingredients. Niacinamide, vitamin B3, is a skincare do-all. It improves skin tone, shrinks pores, and protects the skin barrier. Sodium hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid, which The Grey claims is more readily accepted by our skin. I don't know about that, but I do know that of the moisturizers on this list, this one gave me the most hydration for the longest period of time.

Ok, and as for the price. The real reason I suggest The Grey is the ingredients list. It does what you want, no worries. That said, it's marketed towards men, and the "men's" skincare world doesn't have a healthy middle class. There's drugstore stuff with manly scents (skip it), and there's expensive stuff that works. If you want to meet somewhere in the middle, you have to step outside gendered marketing, which I understand is still a tough thing for some guys.

That said, this is still an incredible moisturizer. A $100 bottle goes a long way.

Speaking of men's marketed skincare, Patricks is one that gets it right. Personally, I preferred this SL1 to The Grey Comfort+ for one reason: It went on matte. The Grey Comfort+ was incredible, but it gave me a bit too much of the dewy skincare guy look. I felt too hydrated. What I want is to be hydrated, but to look like I'm not trying. It's the whole sprezzatura thing we adopt from Italian guys wearing suits. (I'm aware this is a personal neurosis, but my hypothesis is a lot of guys share it.)

Beyond that, SL1 has a lot of the same ingredients you find in other high-level moisturizers. Biomimetic peptides, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and the rest are all here. It just goes on without too much oil or moisture, which consequently makes it a great choice for guys with oily skin. In fact, the SL stands for Supperleggera, meaning "super light." It hydrates, but it does so with a natural look. For me, you can't beat that.

Ok, I put this below the line because it is serious stuff. Dr. Barbara Sturm is the number one name around here. But it is more for skincare obsessives. This is where you should end up at the end of your skincare journey.

We love Dr. Barbara Sturm because it's the big skincare name dedicated to always using clean ingredients. Read the list of ingredients, and you'll notice these are real things, vines, roots, seeds, and such. Nothing here is meant to give you artificial dew. It's all just helping your skin retain moisture naturally.

If you had to buy one really expensive skincare item, I'd make it this. A cheap face wash and SPF will be fine, and a clarifying face mask will take care of all your moisture and anti-aging needs.

Cetaphil is almost identical to the CeraVe I use. In fact, dermatologists will probably recommend you use one or the other in the same breadth. It's fragrance-free, has the vitamins and ceramides you want, and it's cheap.

The reason I'm suggesting this alongside CeraVe is because one or the other might work better with your skin. It's all so personal. Try one, and if you don't love it, switch to the other.

This is probably my favorite moisturizers in the winter. I originally starting using it because my fiancée does. (See a trend here.) Various roots and algae extracts pair with hyaluronic acid give you moisture, and Japanese purple rice helps add a protective barrier to your skin. In New York's dry, cold, and dirty winters, this is a life saver for me.

Like other of the heavy creams on this list, I don't love it in summer, and it's expensive for the average guy. But also like those other creams, it goes a long way.