There’s plenty of buzz these days about “natural” and “clean” beauty brands, including skincare products like face moisturizers. But just because a product calls itself natural doesn’t mean it is. “There is no industry standard definition of what ‘natural’ means for beauty products in general,” explains Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty, Health and Sustainability Lab Director Birnur Aral, Ph.D. When it comes to skincare, Aral says the term “natural” can imply that the product is formulated without certain “concerning” ingredients like parabens, fragrance or chemically processed ingredients like petroleum. It can also mean the product is made with some “naturally-derived” ingredients like botanical extracts or plant oils with minimal chemical processing, or with certified organic ingredients.
But with so much variation (and misinformation) about what categorizes a face moisturizer as “natural,” it’s difficult to know where to start. The scientists in the GH Beauty Lab carefully curated this list of the best natural face moisturizers, based on trusted third party natural and organic products certifications as well as a deep dive into each product’s ingredients and claims to ensure they live up to their claims. Here, the best natural face moisturizers you can trust for all skin types, including sensitive, dry, oily, acne-prone, aging skin and more.
Our top picks:
For more information on what makes a facial moisturizer “natural” and shopping tips to keep in mind when you’re searching for the best natural moisturizer for you, scroll to the bottom of this article.
1
Best Overall Natural Face Moisturizer for Dry Skin
Skin Food Original Ultra-Rich Cream
- Intensely nourishes skin
- Good value
- Eco-consciously formulated
- May be too heavy for oily skin
The iconic Weleda face moisturizer is nearly 100 years old and a GH Beauty Lab scientist longtime go-to. Packed with rich botanical oils like sunflower and sweet almond plus floral extracts, its natural claims are backed by third party certification. GH Beauty Lab experts lauded the brand’s century-long legacy of growing plant ingredients on its own farms and its eco-conscious manufacturing practices. “This cream’s thick texture really helps relieve my extremely dehydrated dry skin,” GH’s beauty director says. “I turn to it for intensive nourishment and love that it’s reasonably-priced for such a high quality product.”
• Key ingredients: Glycerin, sweet almond oil, sunflower oils
• Certifications: NATRUE certified natural
2
Best Natural Face Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin
Sensitive Care Face Lotion
- Great value
- Gentle formula
This Weleda face moisturizer created for sensitive skin types is made with a short list of ingredients including soothing sweet almond and plum seed oils plus softening glycerin. The formula is free of fragrance, a common irritant. “This mild moisturizer comforts my eczema-prone complexion even when I’m having flare-ups and doesn’t cause any irritation,” GH’s beauty director notes.
• Key ingredients: Glycerin, sweet almond oil, plum oils
• Certifications: NATRUE certified natural
3
Best Natural Face Moisturizer for Night
Skin Dew Coconut Water Cream
- Works for night and day
- Made with plant-derived oils, waxes, extracts and butters
One Love Organics is a GH beauty editor beloved brand for its skin softening formulas. This quenching cream, great for use at night for all skin types, is based on botanical ingredients like coconut fruit juice, sunflower seed oil and plant butters and waxes. “Practically weightless but thoroughly moisturizes my dry spots,” a reviewer commented. “Perfect for day and night.”
• Key ingredients: Jojoba, glycerin, vitamin E
• Certifications: ECOCERT certified natural
4
Best Natural Face Moisturizer with SPF
SPF 30 Mineral
- Contains only mineral-based sunscreen active ingredients
- Non-greasy, matte finish
- Mineral actives may leave a film on skin
Nelly Devuyst’s face moisturizer made with 100% natural mineral suncreens titanium dioxide and zinc oxide is backed by two reputable third party natural products certifications. “Amazing!” a reviewer raved. “It does not leave an oily feeling and is actually mattifying.”
• Key ingredients: Titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, tea extract
• Certifications: COSMOS and ECOCERT certified organic
5
Best Natural Face Moisturizer for Oily Skin
Gel Cream Moisturizer with Vitamin C
- Light gel formula
- Good value
- May not be nourishing enough for dry skin
Oily skin needs hydration, too: Keep oily skin soft and balanced with this lightweight gel-cream formula from Avalon Organics, which is certified natural. From a GH beauty editor favorite line, the moisturizer is infused with skin-protecting and brightening antioxidant vitamin C in a base of aloe juice. “Great texture that’s not heavy at all,” a reviewer remarked.
• Key ingredients: Vitamin C, aloe, glycerin
• Certifications: NSF for organic claims
6
Best Natural Face Moisturizer for Acne-Prone Skin
Turmeric Glow Moisturizer
- Calms breakouts
- Refillable packaging
This Kora Organics face moisturizer is a GH beauty editor go-to for acneic complexions. The formula is made with inflammation-fighting turmeric extract and comes in a refillable jar. “This moisturizer calms and doesn’t irritate my acne-prone skin,” says GH Beauty Assistant Catharine Malzahn. “On top of keeping redness at bay, the anti-inflammatory properties of the turmeric helps settle my breakouts. This moisturizer lives up to its name: It keeps me glowing (and hydrated)!”
• Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, turmeric, lactic acid, vitamin E
• Certifications: COSMOS for organic claims
7
Best Natural Face Moisturizer for Aging Skin
Triple-Effect Hyaluronic Acids Firming Day Cream
- Smooths skin texture
- Improves the look of wrinkles and fine lines
Blended with several certified organic ingredients, Lavera’s moisturizer helps plump and smooth aging skin. It contains bakuchiol, a plant-derived alternative to retinol, plus gold standard hydration booster hyaluronic acid in addition to shea butter and plant oils to nourish fragile skin. “After just one use, I noticed significant improvements,” a reviewer marveled. “My skin is firmer and more elastic, the complexion is smoother and more even and wrinkles are significantly reduced.”
• Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, bakuchiol, shea butter
• Certifications: NATRUE certified natural and organic
How we choose the best natural face moisturizers
GH Beauty Lab scientists formulated this list of the best natural face moisturizers by first evaluating third party natural product certifications for their standards and protocols, determining that COSMOS (Natural or Organic), ECOCERT (Natural or Organic), NSF (Organic) and NATRUE (Natural or Organic) from The International Natural and Organic Cosmetics Association are trustworthy as industry standards. Lab experts then vetted face moisturizers from brands that have these certifications, analyzing each product’s ingredients, claims and reviews to make sure they met standards for transparency and efficacy.
So what is a “natural” moisturizer?
While the term “natural” isn’t regulated, here’s what the claim might mean, depending on the product, Aral explains:
- Formulated without certain “ingredients of concern” such as parabens, synthetic fragrances or dyes, and no chemical sunscreen actives.
- Created without ingredients synthesized by heavy chemical processes or derived from petroleum-based raw materials.
- Contains some “naturally-derived” ingredients that are of plant origin and that have been obtained by minimal chemical processing, such as botanical extracts, plant oils or butters and essential oils.
- Made with certified organic ingredients derived from organically-grown agricultural products.
What to look for when shopping for the best natural face moisturizers
✔️ Seek out third-party certifications. “Consumers who are looking for ‘natural’ or ‘clean’ beauty products like face moisturizers should seek out those that are as transparent as possible about the raw materials used in their formulation by obtaining trusted third party certifications,” Aral advises. “In this space, such recognized programs include those from COSMOS, ECOCERT, NSF and NATRUE.”
✔️ Beware of misleading marketing lingo. “Proceed with caution when products are using hyped-up claims such as ‘100% natural’, ‘chemical-free’ and ‘non-toxic’ without any credentialing, as they might be a sign of greenwashing,” Aral says. Greenwashing is a term that describes the trend of brands make inflated marketing claims related to being eco-conscious, sustainable or “natural” without substantiation.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
For this piece, Birnur Aral, Ph.D., the Executive Director of the GH Beauty, Health and Sustainability Lab, conducted the background research to identify the best natural face moisturizers as well as provide expert commentary on natural skincare products and how to shop for formulas you can trust. Aral has overseen GH Beauty Lab testing, including skincare products like moisturizers, for almost 15 years and has been an active leader in conceptualizing many of the brand’s green initiatives, including the GH Sustainable Innovation Awards and annual Raise the Green Bar Summit.
For this piece, Aral teamed with April Franzino, the Beauty Director of Good Housekeeping, who worked closely with Aral to translate GH Beauty Lab findings on the best natural face moisturizers and write a trustworthy guide to the category. Franzino has over a decade of experience working in the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab, and in her role over the past seven years, Franzino has reported extensively on GH Beauty Lab expert investigations of the natural and clean beauty products movement.
April Franzino
Beauty Director
April Franzino produces and oversees all beauty editorial content for Good Housekeeping, including pitching, reporting, writing, editing and market work, culminating with the magazine’s yearly Beauty Awards special.
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