City air throws a lot at our skin. Research has shown that pollution particles break down the lipids in the skin’s outermost layer, which, in turn, damages the skin barrier so it is no longer able to hold onto moisture. Enter Peter Thomas Roth’s hero water cream, which is powered by a 30% concentration of hyaluronic acid, with each molecule attracting up to 1,000 times its weight in water. There’s also antioxidant-rich elderberry to protect skin’s DNA, while ceramides seal in hydration and leave skin supple.
Best water-based moisturiser for redness-prone skin
Murad Nutrient-Charged Water Gel
Certain factors such as over-cleansing and an overzealous use of acids and other skincare actives can leave skin stressed, parched and sensitised. A nutrient-packed blend of peptides, five different vitamins and minerals including magnesium, zinc and copper strengthens the skin barrier and offers solace to dry, angry red skin.
Best water-based moisturiser for year-round hydration
Kiehl’s Calendula Serum-Infused Water Cream
Air-con in summer and central heating in winter are serious moisture-sappers. But a thin layer of this serum-in-water-cream delivers a high concentration of calendula flower extract to sooth away the discomfort of tight-feeling skin while glycerin leaves battle-worn skin feeling petal-soft.
Best water-based moisturiser for balanced skin
Dr Jart + Vital Hydra Solution Biome Water Cream
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Dr Jart’s water cream shuttles lost moisture back into the skin almost immediately with three forms of hyaluronic acid and fermented prebiotics that maintain the moisture barrier and a balance of good bacteria. 30 hours of hydration, that continues even after your nightly cleanse, isn’t something to be sniffed at.
Best water-based moisturiser for retinol fans
Kate Somerville Hydrakate Recharging Water Cream
Not many skincare brands can add Nobel Prize-inspired technology to their bragging rights. But Hollywood facialist Kate Somerville has done precisely that by elevating her water cream with ‘AquaPort Technology’. Put simply, it mimics her signature microchanelling treatment during which, microneedling opens up tiny ‘channels’ for ingredients to deep-dive into the skin. But in this case, aquaporin channels in the skin are stimulated minus needles, so that cells are better able to absorb hyaluronic acid. Your buffer against the drying effects of retinol just became more fool-proof.
Best water-based moisturiser for banishing dullness
Paula’s Choice Water-Infusing Electrolyte Moisturiser
Mineral electrolytes including calcium, potassium, and magnesium re-boot dull, parched skin. But that’s not all. You can always rely on skincare expert Paula Begoun to go above and beyond so of course she’s turbo-charged these effects with ceramides and glycerin to draw moisture into skin and hold it there. It doesn’t hurt that the cooling liquid also leaves dull, deflated skin looking more luminous.
Best water-based moisturiser for underneath makeup
Chanel Hydra Beauty Camellia Water Cream
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In the wild, white camellia flowers are prized for their resistance to winter frost. According to Nicola Fuzzati, director of innovation and development of cosmetic ingredients at Chanel, this is because they are a rich source of plant polyphenols. “These help to restore and maintain water reserves by targeting a key skin mechanism that continuously activates natural hydration,” he says. Hence the bloom has been a prized active in the brand’s Hydra Beauty line, including the Water Cream, which imparts a well-rested, light-reflecting glow and plays nicely with foundation. You’ll mourn the bottom of this bottle.
Best water-based moisturiser for oily or spot-prone skin
Dermalogica Calm Water Gel
Delivering the right amount of hydration without exacerbating oily skin is no mean feat. But Dermalogica’s thoughtfully assembled ingredient’s list seems to have achieved just that courtesy of aloe leaf juice to combat the redness that often accompanies breakouts and hyaluronic acid to form a weightless, non-greasy barrier on the skin.
Best water-based moisturiser post gym
Dior Hydra Life fresh Sorbet Creme
From a science point of view, this cream, which is formulated with hyaluronic acid, mallow and yeast extracts, keeps skin’s natural hydration cycle healthy. But the feeling when it hits the skin is never to be underestimated – the texture is literally like smearing your hot, flushed post-workout face in ice-cold sorbet.
Best water-based moisturiser for sensitive skin
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Sensitive Fluid Moisturiser
As expected from French pharmacy brand La Roche-Posay, this fast-absorbing, oil-free moisturiser is formulated with a minimum number of ingredients to reduce the risk of flare ups in delicate skin. Mineral and antioxidant-rich Thermal Spring Water is the star of the show here, renowned for both its soothing and barrier-fortifying benefits.
Best water-based moisturiser for a matte finish
Sisley Hydra-Global Intense Anti-Aging Hydration
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