14 best moisturisers for oily skin in Singapore

If you’ve got oily skin, you already know the drill - midday shine, bigger pores, and the constant fear that one wrong product will send your skin into breakout city. But here’s the thing: Oily skin isn’t bad skin.

It just means your sebaceous glands are a little too hardworking. What you need is balance. A good moisturiser gives your skin hydration (water, not more oil), helps keep that barrier strong and actually prevents your face from overproducing sebum in the first place.

Here is a guide on what ingredients should you look for and avoid in moisturisers, how to use moisturiser correctly and our best moisturiser for oily skin recommendations.

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Which type of moisturiser is best for oily skin?

One of the biggest myths? That oily skin doesn’t need moisturiser. But skip it and your skin will freak out and pump out even more oil. The trick is choosing the right one - think gel textures, water-based formulas, and zero pore-clogging heaviness.

What ingredients should you look for and avoid if you have oily skin?

When you’ve oily skin, the goal is hydration without the heavy, greasy layer. Look out for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which is basically a tall glass of water for your skin.

Niacinamide is another star player; it keeps oil in check, shrinks the look of pores, and smooths out your tone. Calming agents like panthenol, madecassoside, and allantoin are also great if your skin tends to get red or irritated.

And don’t sleep on lightweight hydrators like plant-derived squalane, aloe vera, or coconut water, as they give you that fresh, hydrated feel without tipping into shine.

What you don’t want are the pore-clogging, too-rich formulas. Heavy oils (think mineral or coconut oil) and thick occlusives like petrolatum or lanolin can suffocate oily skin.

Fragrance can sometimes stir up irritation if you’re breakout-prone, so it’s safer to skip. And anything labelled comedogenic? A hard pass, unless you want your pores staging a protest.

Application tips: How to use moisturiser correctly

Here’s the deal: It’s not just what you use, it’s how you use it. Start with a gentle cleanse that clears oil but doesn’t strip your skin. If you’re into it, layer a toner or essence to prep. Then go in with your moisturiser while your face is still a little damp - that trick helps lock in way more hydration.

You really don’t need a lot either; oily skin does best with a pea-sized amount. Smooth it in evenly, and don’t forget spots that secretly get dry, like your cheeks or around your mouth. And in the morning, always seal the deal with SPF. Moisture + sun protection = the ultimate power combo.

Ahead, the best moisturisers for oily skin that hit that sweet spot between dewy and greasy.

Best moisturisers for oily but dehydrated skin

Clinique Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator, $81

Buy here

The OG pink gel cream. Aloe bio-ferment + hyaluronic acid = hydration that lasts for literal days. It leaves you dewy in the best way - no greasy T-zone here.

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Then I Met You Bong2 Bounce Cream, 15ml, $28

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If your skin is torn between wanting hydration and not wanting to look like a glazed donut, this one threads that needle. The gel-cream formula packs in ceramides, squalane, and three forms of hyaluronic acid alongside hallabong (Korean citrus) extract for a brightening boost that doesn’t feel like it’s trying too hard.

Allantoin keeps things calm, the texture sinks in fast, and the result is that plumped, healthy-looking skin without a trace of shine. 

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Dr. Jart+ Vital Hydra Solution Hydro Plump Water Cream, 50ml $43 for 50ml

Buy here

This is Dr. Jart+’s answer to the oily-skin paradox: how do you get genuinely hydrated without triggering more shine? The water cream texture absorbs almost instantly and Pentavitin (a plant-derived saccharide complex) works to reinforce the skin barrier so moisture actually stays put rather than evaporating.

Niacinamide and beta-glucan round it out with brightening and soothing benefits, respectively. Your skin ends up looking plump and balanced, not a hint of grease in sight.

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Best affordable moisturisers for oily skin

Medicube Hyaluronic Ceramide Jelly Cream, $21.62

Buy here

At $25, this overdelivers. The water-in-jelly texture packs in 10 forms of hyaluronic acid alongside ceramides and squalane for layered, barrier-first hydration that reaches 10 layers deep, according to clinical testing.

There’s also a literal cooling effect on contact (clinically measured at almost 5 deg C of temperature reduction), which makes it a particularly good call in Singapore’s humidity. Niacinamide and allantoin tackle brightness and sensitivity, and it absorbs without any film or tackiness.

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Torriden Dive In H.A Soothing Cream, $15.44

Original price: $29 (47 per cent off) Buy here

TikTok loves this one and for good reason. It’s affordable, acne-friendly, and packed with soothing ingredients like allantoin. The water-gel texture is light enough for humid weather, but still keeps your skin quenched.

Shop Now at Shopee 

Best moisturisers for oily and acne-prone skin

Caudalie Vinopure Moisturising Mattifying Fluid, 60ml, $32.20

Original price: $46 (30 per cent off) Buy here

The one to reach for when you need your skin to just behave. Caudalie’s Bordeaux-born formula brings together grape seed polyphenols, silica powder, and java tea extract to absorb excess oil and visibly tighten the look of pores.

Squalane keeps things from going completely dry, while the fluid texture disappears into skin without any stickiness. Clinical results back it up: 93 per cent of users saw a visible reduction in spots and blackheads after 28 days. Non-comedogenic, parabens-free and very much no-nonsense.

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Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Gel Cream, 50ml, $48.83

Original price: $63 (22 per cent off) Buy here

This is the K-beauty girlie’s ride-or-die. Micro hyaluronic acid means it actually gets deep into your skin, so you’re not just hydrated on the surface. Bonus: It’s cooling, oil-balancing, and keeps you looking fresh all day.

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First Aid Beauty Hydrating Dewy Gel Cream, $60

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Designed for oily or combination skin, this one keeps things matte-ish while still giving you that “healthy skin” glow. Niacinamide helps smooth out texture and refine pores, so it’s like skincare and a filter in one.

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Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Jelly Moisturizer, $80

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A jelly texture that’s 30 per cent hyaluronic acid? Yes, please. It’s bouncy, light, and leaves your skin soft with a natural matte finish. Perfect if you want hydration without shine.

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Best moisturisers for sensitive and oily skin

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream, $54.20

Original price: $69 (21 per cent off) Buy here

Don’t let the “cream” part scare you. This iconic jar works on every skin type, oily included. It’s got squalane and glacial glycoprotein to hydrate without clogging. Basically, your skin stays happy and balanced no matter the climate.

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Bioderma Hydrabio Crème Legere Moisturising Gel, 40ml, $37

Original price: $45.90 (19 per cent off) Buy here

The pharmacy shelf classic, and for good reason. Bioderma’s Hydrabio Légère is formulated specifically for dehydrated sensitive skin, and its patented Aquagenium complex targets aquaporins, the skin’s own internal water channels, to get hydration where it actually needs to go.

Niacinamide (at a solid 4.5 to 6.7 per cent concentration) keeps oil and uneven tone in check, while squalane softens without congesting. The gel texture is light enough to layer under SPF without any nonsense, and it’s fragrance-free.

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Best luxury moisturisers for oily skin

The Light Cream, $280, Augustinus Bader at Sephora

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Luxury skin vibes. This one uses the brand’s famous TFC8 tech but in a lighter, oil-balancing formula. It feels weightless, keeps shine in check, and long-term, it actually trains your skin to behave better. Pricey, but she’s that girl.

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Charlotte Tilbury Magic Water Cream, 50ml, $176

Buy here

Imagine a glass of water for your face. That’s this. Silky, cooling, and filled with niacinamide to even things out. You’ll glow, but it won’t tip into “greasy”.

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Dior Hydra Life Sorbet Crème, 50ml, $133

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This is the one for when you want your skincare to feel like a little luxury moment. The gel-cream texture is borderline refreshing on application, thanks to a mallow complex from the Dior gardens that works in sync with your skin’s natural moisture cycle throughout the day.

Hyaluronic acid and meadowfoam seed oil deliver hydration without heaviness, and the 95 per cent natural-origin formula leaves skin visibly plumper and brighter. For normal to combination skin types.

Shop Now at Sephora 

All prices and deals are accurate at time of publication

This story was adapted from Harper’s BAZAAR Singapore.