You might be seeing hyaluronic acid (HA) everywhere these days – from serums to moisturizers, from cleansers to foundations, and everywhere in-between. The hype around hyaluronic acid is understandable – it’s a well-researched ingredient that has been proven to work well on drying and aging skin.
Hyaluronic acid is a humectant, which means it pulls water from the environment and binds over 1,000 times its weight in water, hydrating the skin and infusing it with moisture.
However, it doesn’t work for everyone. Since it relies on water in the environment, you can imagine that it doesn’t work that great in areas with dry air. Instead of pulling water from the outside, it might actually pull water from the inside – your skin – effectively drying you out instead of hydrating.
Even in a humid environment, it can be detrimental for some skin types. Allergies to hyaluronic acid are possible, albeit rare. Some people can develop breakouts and irritation from using too much of it. Even if you tolerate it well, having multiple skincare products in your routine that contain hyaluronic acid can be excessive.
Regardless of why hyaluronic acid might not work for you, you’re not alone. It might seem that every skincare company out there is rushing to put HA into their moisturizers, but thankfully there are still many creams on the market that utilize other ingredients to hydrate and soften your skin.
So, what are the best moisturizers without hyaluronic acid? The best moisturizers without hyaluronic acid have other soothing and hydrating ingredients to soften and moisturize your skin that won’t leave you feeling greasy, weighed down, or dry later on.
So if you’re on the hunt for an HA-free moisturizer, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together this list of top-rated moisturizers that don’t contain hyaluronic acid but still provide effective hydration and softness to the skin.
How To Pick The Best Moisturizer Without Hyaluronic Acid
When it came to choosing the best moisturizers without hyaluronic acid, we paid attention to a few important factors. Obviously, the first thing we looked at is the ingredient list, to make sure that there is no hyaluronic acid or its derivatives (like sodium hyaluronate).
But we also wanted to make sure our top choices were nourishing, reasonably priced, and formulated with good ingredients that are safe for the skin.
Here are some things we looked for:
Active Ingredients
A good moisturizer is one that hydrates the skin, soothes it, and locks in moisture. But a great moisturizer is one that also provides other benefits to those who need it.
When shopping for a good hyaluronic-free moisturizer, pay attention to what else it can do. Here are some common active ingredients that might work for your skin type that you should be aware of:
- Retinol or other retinoids are great for aging and breakout-prone skin. Retinols help increase skin cell turnover rate and reduce fine lines. However, avoid them if you’re planning on using this moisturizer during the day, as retinoids can make your skin extra sensitive to UV light. Retinols can also cause irritation, so pay attention to the dosage of this active ingredient, and stick to smaller concentrations if you’re just starting out.
- Squalane – This ingredient is great for locking moisture into your skin. It creates a breathable barrier on your skin that prevents moisture from escaping. It can be very helpful for dry skin types.
- Soothing ingredients, like aloe vera, vitamin E, thermal water, or shea butter, are nourishing and deeply hydrating. They can help soothe irritated skin and assist with skin conditions like eczema or sunburns.
- SPF – Many moisturizers come with SPF added to them. This is a convenient feature for people who like a 2-in-1 solution and prefer using fewer products in their routine. One thing to keep in mind is that your skin may react differently to different types of SPF, so do your research before committing.
- Salicylic Acid – Some moisturizers are great for acne-prone skin and ones with salicylic acid can be especially helpful. Salicylic acid helps decrease redness and swelling while speeding up your skin’s process of shedding dead skin cells.
- Ceramides – These are fats and lipids that are naturally found on the skin and make up 40% of your outer skin layer. Using ceramides in your skincare can help replenish the outer layer of your skin and better protect it while locking in moisture.
Skin Safe Ingredients
Another thing we considered when putting together a list of recommended moisturizers is that they are free from harmful chemicals.
Ingredients like parabens, phthalates, fragrances, and other preservatives are often unnecessary and can be irritating to your skin. We did our best to stick to products that are as safe for the skin as possible.
Price
Price is an important factor when it comes to products you will be re-purchasing, so we kept that in mind when creating our list. We tried to include products that would be affordable for all budgets while still delivering great results for your skin.
Most moisturizers we recommend are under $40 with a few outliers on both ends of the spectrum. We’re sure you’ll find something that works for your wallet.
Best Moisturizers Without Hyaluronic Acid
Here are our top recommendations based on the criteria above. Use the graph below to easily find a product that works best for your skin type, and scroll below to read more about it.
| Rank | Product | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair UV SPF Moisturizer | Great daily moisturizer with SPF 30, suitable for all skin types |
| 2. | First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration Moisturizer | Intensely hydrating, ideal for conditions like eczema |
| 3. | Curél Intensive Face Moisturizer Cream | Lightweight, organic, gently hydrates and soothes skin |
| 4. | Belif the True Cream Moisturizing Bomb | Powerful soothing and hydration, blend of natural extracts |
| 5. | Eau Thermale Avene RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream | Hydrates and plumps, reduces fine lines |
| 6. | Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream | Perfect for oily skin - lightweight gel formula |
| 7. | Farmacy Honey Halo Ceramide Face Moisturizer Cream | Powerful hydration, natural honey and royal jelly |
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair UV SPF Moisturizer
People often call this moisturizer “magic in a bottle” – and we understand why. This La Roche-Posay moisturizer is great for all skin types and contains no hyaluronic acid.
It features some other great ingredients instead: prebiotic thermal water, ceramide-3, niacinamide, and glycerin, to name a few.
All of these active ingredients work together to build up your natural skin barrier, soothe any irritation or redness, and heal your skin from within.
As a bonus, this moisturizer contains broad-spectrum SPF 30 which will protect your skin from the damaging UV rays of the sun.
This is a great daily moisturizer that works well for just about everyone. If you’re lost and unsure of what to get – this is a great place to start as you’re unlikely to experience any negative effects from it.
Oh, and did we mention it’s fragrance-free, oil-free, paraben-free, doesn’t clog pores, and is highly recommended by many dermatologists? You really can’t go wrong.
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration Moisturizer
For very dry skin, this First Aid Beauty moisturizer is a life-saver.
Instead of humectants like hyaluronic acid, it contains hydrating and calming ingredients like glycerin, shea butter, squalane, chamomile extract, colloidal oatmeal, and ceramide 3, all of which work together to soften, moisturize, and calm the skin.
This is great for anyone experiencing eczema, flaky skin, redness, rashes, or itchiness. It is also very safe for the skin and contains no fragrances, allergens, parabens, petrolatum, phthalates, propylene glycol, or sulfates.
Users love that it feels heavenly on their skin, like a “whipped cream” that manages to get their skin under control and calm it down overnight. With continuous daily use, this cream can help repair your skin’s top layer and enable it to retain moisture on its own, ultimately healing and improving your skin’s condition over time.
Curél Intensive Face Moisturizer Cream
This Japanese-made and bestselling moisturizer is another great product for anyone who wants powerful hydration without hyaluronic acid.
This cream is made with ceramides which create the natural barrier of your skin and help keep moisture in. If your skin barrier has been damaged by other products or the environment, this cream helps replenish and support your skin’s natural ceramides.
Formulated without fragrances and colorants, it is great for sensitive and allergy-prone skin. Although it is deeply hydrating, we love that it has a light and airy formula that sinks into the skin without feeling heavy.
This cream is intended to be used as the second step in the two-step Japanese moisturizing routine, however, we’ve found that it works quite well as a stand-alone moisturizer for most skin types.
Belif the True Cream Moisturizing Bomb
We love this Belif moisturizer because it contains tons of soothing and anti-oxidant ingredients that would be great for someone whose skin is exposed to a lot of free radicals like pollution or too much sunlight.
It features natural actives like oat extract, marigold extract, yarrow extract, and white cedar extract that fight free radicals and brighten the skin.
It’s also chock full of hydrating ingredients like glycerin, willow bark, and comfrey leaf extract that lock in moisture for up to 26 hours.
If you love leveraging natural plants and oils in your beauty regimen, this product does just that, while providing you with a powerful punch (or should we say, “bomb”) of hydration.
Reviewers like that this cream has a subtle cooling sensation when it goes on the skin and smells lightly of witch hazel. Many notice an immediate sense of soothing relief.
Eau Thermale Avene RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream
Although a bit on the pricier side, this product is a live-saver for those looking for a hyaluronic-free moisturizer that can also tackle wrinkles and fine lines.
This night-time moisturizer contains 0.1% Retinaldehyde, which is a retinol derivative that helps improve collagen production, plump up the skin, even out the skin tone, and fight free radicals.
Unlike most retinol products, it’s gentle enough to use nightly without causing irritation or burning.
This cream also contains hydrating and nourishing ingredients like vitamin E, thermal spring water, and peptides, that improve skin elasticity and calm the skin.
We think this is a great option for someone who is starting to notice signs of aging and wants to find a moisturizer that doubles as a retinoid treatment.
Just make sure you’re using it at night only and wearing good sunscreen the following day. All retinoids and their derivatives can make your skin extra vulnerable to sun damage.
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream
Wondering if there’s a moisturizer out there for oily skin that doesn’t contain any hyaluronic acid? There is!
Look no further than this Kiehl’s Oil-Free Gel Cream. Formulated specifically for oily and combination skin, it hydrates and soothes the skin without leaving a residue or clogging up your pores.
It contains great active ingredients like glycerin, which mimics your skin’s natural moisture barrier, and vitamin E which soothes and softens the skin from within.
It provides your skin with enough hydration that your own oil production becomes more controlled and your pores get smaller.
We love that it has a lightweight gel formula that instantly sinks into the skin and never feels heavy. If you’ve struggled with finding a good moisturizer for your oily or combination skin, give this one a try.
Farmacy Honey Halo Ceramide Face Moisturizer Cream
Aside from the really cute packaging (how adorable is the frosted glass jar with the natural wood lid), we love the ingredients in this hyaluronic-acid-free moisturizer.
The cream has a blend of honey, royal jelly, and propolis ingredients that are well known to naturally hydrate, repair, and soothe the skin. It features a light honey scent.
In addition to all the bee goodness, this cream contains vitamin E, fig fruit extract, shea butter, and a ceramide blend to nourish the skin and help repair the natural moisture barrier.
It’s definitely a rich cream – a little bit goes a long way. It has the power to moisturize dry skin, while also working well on all skin types because it isn’t too heavy or oily.
We love that it’s full of natural ingredients that have been scientifically proven to do wonders for the skin. Your skin will look hydrated, supple, and glowy after using this baby for a week.
We find that this product is ideal to use at nighttime, although if you have extra dry skin, you could use it in the morning as well.
Price-wise, this cream is on the higher-end as far as moisturizers go, but since it’s so powerful and you don’t need a lot of product to cover your face, you can probably get a lot of use out of it.
Final Thoughts
Although it seems like hyaluronic acid is in everything these days, there are actually a lot of great moisturizers on the market that don’t use it.
Whether you’re looking for something simple to use every day, or you have specific needs that your moisturizer has to tackle, we hope you find our recommendations helpful in your skincare journey.
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