Need a non-greasy moisturizer/sunscreen option

February 28, 2011 11:15 AM

Help me find a moisturizer + sunscreen that won't make my face greasy!

Is there a combined moisturizer/sunscreen with a decent SPF that won't leave my face awash in grease? I have normal/oily, sensitive skin and want to be a faithful sunscreen user. Has anyone found a brand that won't make my oily skin even worse? I haven't had much luck with the drugstore brands; the Anthelios works best but still leaves me extra-shiny. Please inundate me with recommendations!

posted by orrnyereg to clothing, beauty, & fashion (25 answers total)

I really dig Eucerin. It's not greasy, and it absorbs really fast. It does leave me a little shiny, but I stick some powder on top, and that's ok.

(I guess you probably wouldn't want to use powder if you're a guy. But if you're a woman, I recommend Eucerin plus powder.)
posted by craichead at 11:18 AM on February 28, 2011

Kiehls has a great one.
posted by nkknkk at 11:19 AM on February 28, 2011 [3 favorites]

I am a devotee of Cetaphil's Daily Facial Moisturizer, and although I have easy skin, my oily, sensitive-skinned husband has also converted after he began to use it when we were dating. It's only spf 15 and i wish it were 30, but it feels so much better than anything else, and isn't shiny.
posted by brainmouse at 11:19 AM on February 28, 2011 [2 favorites]

Have you tried Olay's Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15? It's the shiz-nit. I use the kind for sensitive/dry skin, but they make kinds for all different skin types. It's so awesome I even got the beau to use it daily.
posted by stellaluna at 11:25 AM on February 28, 2011

Neutrogena's oil free moisturizer (white bottle with a pump) is the absolutely best I've tried. It's only SPF15 but perfect and non-greasy for normal daily use (i.e. no extended sun exposure).
posted by Pomo at 11:25 AM on February 28, 2011 [2 favorites]

2nding the Kiehls. Only spf 15, but a very good moisturizer.
posted by Gilbert at 11:27 AM on February 28, 2011

Olay Complete Defense with 30 SPF is lightweight, not greasy at all and non-irritating.
posted by maudlin at 11:33 AM on February 28, 2011

I use Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery and it doesn't greasify my skin. Expensive, though.
posted by matildaben at 11:33 AM on February 28, 2011

I am a huge Cetaphil cleanser & moisturizer convert in the past few months. February and March are usually really bad times for me, skin-wise. The changing weather makes me oilier than ever, but I seem to be in much better shape right now than in years past PLUS it's been slowly clearing up my skin after an ill-advised attempt at the oil-cleansing method. I like the Cetaphil bar (not the anti-bacterial one) and the moisturizer version that brainmouse linked above.
posted by aabbbiee at 11:44 AM on February 28, 2011

I am also on the Eucerin train. Specifically the Eucerin Everyday Protection Face Lotion, SPF 30.
posted by grapesaresour at 11:45 AM on February 28, 2011

It's not super cheap, but it is super awesome:

Shiseido Ultimate SPF 55
posted by ACN09 at 11:48 AM on February 28, 2011 [2 favorites]

I swear by Neutrogena's Visibly Even Daily Moisturizer, SPF 30.

I've been wearing it for years! SPF 30 is as high as I can go on my face without it burning, and this stuff is very matte.
posted by Kronur at 11:48 AM on February 28, 2011

I also have normal / oily / sensitive skin. The only things I found so far that works without turning my skin red:

higher end:
La Roche-Posay Hydraphase UV SPF 30 $32 - seriously the best stuff I've tried.

lower end:
L'Oreal Hydrafresh SPF 15 Normal to Dry (the gel-fresh for oily skin one doesn't do much) $15

You might also want to check out makeupalley for product reviews and suggestions. There are lots of products and reviews from real people.
posted by Sallysings at 11:52 AM on February 28, 2011

i am obsessed with my eucerin - spf 30, cheap, and at least i don't think it's greasy, but your skin may react differently.
posted by sabh at 11:56 AM on February 28, 2011

I like the Kid Safe Screen sunscreen from Marie Veronique Organics - it's super matte - also vegan (though the other two sunscreens listed on that page are not vegan).
posted by analog at 12:04 PM on February 28, 2011

i've tried most of the product suggested above but my favorite is Normaderm Pro Mat Ultra-Mattifying Oil-Free Lotion SPF15. i get it at CVS.
posted by buka at 2:00 PM on February 28, 2011 [1 favorite]

A different idea could be your favorite (non-spf) moisturizer plus Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral powdered sunscreen.
posted by the jam at 3:05 PM on February 28, 2011

Yeah, I went the normal-moisturizer-plus-mineral-powder-with-sunscreen route for a long time, because I get the shiny-face thing going on with basically all sunscreen-containing moisturizers, including several of the ones mentioned above (particularly the Neutrogena and Olay ones, they're some of the worst on my particular face). The ONLY ONE I've found that works for me is The Body Shop's Vitamin C Daily Moisturizer SPF 30.
posted by so_gracefully at 4:40 PM on February 28, 2011

I love Trader Joe's Enrich with SPF 15 .... very similar skin type as yours.
posted by notjustfoxybrown at 5:02 PM on February 28, 2011

I came here to recommend Kiehl's, which I see has already been mentioned and seconded! I only recently tried their facial moisturizer and I love it. I use the tinted kind and find that a little goes a long way. It's not greasy, either.

Here are all of the Ultra Facial Moisturizers from Kiehl's: tinted spf 15 version (the one I use), untinted spf 15, and no spf.
posted by jacquilinala at 5:15 PM on February 28, 2011

I have oily skin and have tried a lot of moisturizers with sunscreen. If you're willing to try a drugstore brand, I quite like Clean & Clear's Pore Perfecting Moisturizer.
posted by AV at 5:56 PM on February 28, 2011

Purpose dual treatment moisture lotion! SPF 15.
posted by southern_sky at 7:06 PM on February 28, 2011

DDF's Ultra-Lite Oil Free Moisturizing Dew in SPF 15 is one of the few that has ever worked for me. I discovered it by buying a sampler pack of SPF products one summer from Sephora. I think they produce a new version of this every year, and they're generally not too expensive. It's a good way to try various SPF things without having to buy whole bottles of things that'll make you break out. You might have to wait until it's closer to summer, though.
posted by dizziest at 7:24 PM on February 28, 2011

I love this stuff: Neutrogena Dry Touch 100+ SPF. It's not specifically for your face (they have another product that is, but I haven't tried it) but I use it all over and am really happy with it. I am also prone to oily skin and break out with most other sunblocks.
posted by purpletangerine at 7:56 PM on February 28, 2011

I'm not sure if the US Sephoras carry it, since it's a Canadian brand and doesn't seem to be on their website, but there is a matte SPF-15 moisturizer by B Kamins (last one in the right column on the linked page; won't let me grab a direct link) that I use and love. The price tag makes me shudder every time I buy a new bottle (~$50 CDN), but it's worth every penny.
posted by urbanlenny at 7:50 AM on March 1, 2011