Beauty Skincare The 10 Best Moisturizers To Help Calm Redness Proactiv’s Green Tea Moisturizer earned the top spot. By Anneke Knot Anneke Knot Instagram Anneke Knot is a freelance fashion and beauty writer with over six years of experience. Before freelancing, she spent four years on the beauty team at Health and Real Simple magazines. Now, her work can be found in publications like People, Allure, The Strategist, Forbes, Byrdie, and more. InStyle's editorial guidelines Updated on January 17, 2023 @ 04:44PM Pin Share Tweet Email In This Article Expand Jump to a Section Our top picks Reviews What to Keep in Mind Your Questions, Answered Why Shop With Us We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Sephora / Amazon / InStyle Redness shows up in skin for many reasons. Some of these reasons are due to minor lifestyle factors like diet and weather. While others are because of more serious skin conditions like rosacea or eczema. “Numerous factors may cause skin redness and irritation. Some of the most common causes of skin redness are rosacea and atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema,” says Michelle Henry, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Skin and Aesthetics Surgery of Manhattan. “Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that causes facial blushing, redness, and visible blood vessels. Atopic Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin that may lead to redness, scaling, and persistent itching. Chronic photodamage can also cause a persistently red appearance.” A heavy-duty concealer or full-coverage foundation can banish redness in a swipe, but in order to stop inflammation at the source, look no further than your skincare routine. To combat this, incorporating a moisturizer with calming ingredients can help diminish redness and rosiness. Proactiv Green Tea Moisturizer gets rid of dryness (and redness!) without triggering breakouts. Read on to discover the 10 best moisturizers for redness. Our Top Picks Best Overall: Proactiv Green Tea Moisturizer at Amazon Jump to Review Best Value: Cetaphil Redness Relieving Moisturizer at Amazon Jump to Review Best Drugstore: Aveeno Calm + Restore Oat Gel Moisturizer at Amazon Jump to Review Best Splurge: SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore at Walmart Jump to Review Best Clean: Biossance Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturizer at Amazon Jump to Review Best Oil-Free: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream at Amazon Jump to Review Best Rich Cream: Youth Hydration Fragile Areas Balm at CVS Jump to Review Best Lightweight: Nia24 Rapid Redness Recovery at Amazon Jump to Review Best for AM: Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Cream at Sephora Jump to Review Best for PM: Eucerin Redness Relief Soothing Night Creme at Amazon Jump to Review Best Overall Proactiv Green Tea Moisturizer 4.7 Amazon View On Amazon View On Ulta View On Proactiv.com What We Love It helps get rid of dryness without triggering acne or blemishes. What We Don’t Love The lightweight texture may not be satisfying for those who prefer thick, rich creams. This lightweight cream helps banish redness and hydrates skin without clogging pores. Plus, it is under $50. In other words, it checks all of our boxes. Dr. Henry names this as one of her favorite rosy relievers. “Proactiv Green Tea Moisturizer is great for both redness and acne-prone skin, as its formula is non-comedogenic and contains hyaluronic acid,” she says, “Green tea has polyphenols which help to protect the skin from external aggressors and free radical formation, too." Price at time of publish: $40 Size: 3 oz. | Skin Type: Sensitive and Acne Prone | Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, Green tea, Allantoin, Squalane Best Value Cetaphil Redness Relieving Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 20 4.2 Amazon View On Amazon View On Target View On Walmart What We Love This derm-favorite is formulated specially for sensitive skin. What We Don’t Love While blendable, the neutral tint can leave a white cast on deeper skin tones. Despite being designed by dermatologists, this soothing staple can be on your shelf for a reasonable price. Another one of Dr. Henry’s picks, she loves this for its impressive list of soothing ingredients. “Vitamin E improves the hydration of the epidermis and is a potent antioxidant helping to protect the skin from external aggressors,” she says. Outside of its neutral tint and nourishing ingredients, this cream also contains zinc and titanium dioxide for an SPF 20. While it offers some protection, we recommend adding an SPF 30 or more over top. Price at time of publish: $18 Size: 4 oz. | Skin Type: Sensitive skin | Key Ingredients: Titanium dioxide, Zinc oxide, Allantoin, Licorice extract, Vitamin E Best Drugstore Aveeno Calm + Restore Oat Gel Moisturizer Amazon View On Amazon View On Target View On Target What We Love This moisturizer is rich in feverfew, which has been shown to calm rosacea when used regularly. What We Don’t Love It's not the best for those with oily skin. Another high-quality yet budget-friendly option, this gel cream soaks up in seconds. Loaded with prebiotics and probiotics (a.k.a. skin barrier savers), this hydrator helps rebalance skin. Tanuj Nakra, M.D., an Austin-based plastic surgeon and co-founder of AVYA Advanced Ayurvedic Skincare, loves it for its light hydration. “It is free of parabens, fragrance, alcohol, and dyes making it suitable for very sensitive skin,” he says. “It also contains feverfew which is a medicinal antioxidant that reduces redness.” Price at time of publish: $20 Size: 4 oz. | Skin Type: Sensitive, Irritated, Dry Skin | Key Ingredients: Oats, Feverfew, Prebiotics, Probiotics Best Splurge SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 4.6 Dermstore View On Walmart View On Dermstore View On Howl.me What We Love When you notice skin starting to lose resilience, slathering on this bouncy, vitamin E-rich cream can be a quick fix. What We Don’t Love This item is pricey and quite smaller than others on this list. We wish it had a more affordable cost per ounce. We get it — $100 plus is a big price to pay for a little jar of cream. However, if you are looking to splurge, this goop is a good place to start. With the help of ceramides, natural cholesterol, and fatty acids, this formula targets fine lines and redness. Dr. Nakra thinks it is especially well-suited for those with more mature skin. Price at time of publish: $150 Size: 1.6 oz. | Skin Type: Sensitive, Irritated, Dry, Mature Skin | Key Ingredients: Vitamin E, Ceramides, Fatty acids, Cholesterol Best Clean Biossance Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturizer Amazon View On Amazon View On Sephora View On Biossance.com What We Love The unique combo of squalane, ginger extract, and red seaweed helpS calm stressed skin. What We Don’t Love We wish this cream came in a larger size. While the Biossance price point is a little on the higher side, it is not as much of a splurge as others on the market. Dr. Nakra recommends incorporating this into your routine to help calm inflammation and provide extra hydration. Squalane and probiotics help strengthen the skin barrier while red seaweed extract reduces redness. Price at time of publish: $54 Size: 1.69 oz. | Skin Type: All | Key Ingredients: Squalane, Probiotics, Hyaluronic acid, Ginger extract, Red seaweed Best Oil-Free Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream with Hyaluronic Acid for Extra-Dry Skin 4.7 Amazon View On Amazon View On Target View On Walmart What We Love The ultra-lightweight texture immediately sinks into skin. What We Don’t Love The jar is not the most hygienic vessel. We wish this came in a tube or with a pump. Another one of Dr. Nakra’s favorites, this light and airy cream dries down super fast. Its star ingredient is hyaluronic acid, which is naturally found in your body — but applying it in your skincare routine is like giving your skin an ice-cold glass of water. Insider tip: Apply it before putting on makeup. It sinks in so fast that it doubles as a dewy primer. Price at time of publish: $19 Size: 1.7 oz. | Skin Type: Normal or Dry Skin | Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid Best Rich Cream Youth Hydration Fragile Areas Balm Youth Hydration View On CVS View On Youthskincare.com What We Love Its star ingredient — raspberry leaf extract — helps calm irritated skin. What We Don’t Love This product is so popular it frequently sells out. Keep checking to snag a tube. Formulated in Switzerland, this line aims to create simple yet effective skincare for everyone. For those that prefer the texture of a thick cream at drugstore prices, this affordable hydrator answers the call. While we love the easy-to-understand packaging and satisfying feel, the real star is in the ingredient list. Dr. Henry credits raspberry leaf stem cell extract for reducing inflammation and delivering calming effects. Price at time of publish: $30 Size: 1.7 oz. | Skin Type: Normal, Dry Skin | Key Ingredients: Raspberry leaf stem cell extract, Tomato stem cell extract, Purslane Best Lightweight Nia24 Rapid Redness Recovery Amazon View On Amazon What We Love A quick application of this cream helps reduce the appearance of pores. What We Don’t Love The tube is on the smaller side. We wish it was bigger. The light green tint of this cream acts as a color corrector and instantly reduces redness on the surface skin, while other ingredients target the cause. A damaged skin barrier is more prone to redness, but pro-niacin helps rebalance your barrier and prevent excessive rosiness in the future. On top of that, licorice root protects against free radicals while horse chestnut deflates puffiness. Size: 1 oz. | Skin Type: Normal or Dry Skin | Key Ingredients: Pro-Niacin, Vitamin E, Caffeine, Licorice root Best for AM Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Cream 4.5 Dr. Jart+ View On Sephora View On Drjart.com What We Love We love applying this right before makeup for more even coverage. What We Don’t Love The herbaceous fragrance is very polarizing. A favorite of our beauty editors (and a viral product on TikTok) this calming cream is the perfect first step post-cleansing to tamp down red tones. Dr. Jart+ has an entire line dedicated to reducing redness — this cream is designed to, yes, keep your skin calm but to also strengthen and protect it so you experience less reactions in the long run. The secret sauce is cica, an antioxidant that has been shown to calm inflammation and shore up the skin barrier. Price at time of publish: $49 Size: 1.69 oz. | Skin Type: Normal or Dry Skin | Key Ingredients: Centella RX, Cica Best for PM Eucerin Redness Relief Soothing Night Creme Amazon View On Amazon View On Target View On Walmart What We Love: Most night creams require an investment up front. This one can be yours for less than $20. What We Don’t Love We wish this formula came with a tube or a pump. You've got your daytime cream covered but need something a little more hydrating to count on before bed? Reach for Eucerin Redness Relief Soothing Night Cream, which is made with licorice root extract to calm redness. It also has a gel-like feel, so even though it'll really boost your skin's moisture levels, it doesn't feel heavy. Price at time of publish: $12 Size: 1.7 oz. | Skin Type: All | Key Ingredients: Licochalcone, Licorice root What to Keep in Mind SPF It is no secret that UV rays darken your skin tone, but what may surprise you is the effect of heat on your complexion. For some, excess heat can trigger unwanted rosiness. “Sun protection is very important to protect skin prone to redness and sensitivity,” says Dr. Nakra. He loves AVYA Advanced Ayurvedic Skincare Sheer Tinted Moisturizer for the free radical fighting green chai and the hydrating squalane. Be sure to top any of your moisturizers for redness with at least SPF 30, so you don’t undo any of your efforts. Non-Comedogenic When looking for a new moisturizer, find one labeled “non-comedogenic.” This means that it is specially formulated not to block or clog pores. Since both redness and acne can be blamed on inflammation, it’s common to find the issues at the same time. And while you’re targeting redness, you don’t want to worsen breakouts. Your Questions, Answered What causes skin redness? As noted previously by Dr. Henry, redness can come from skin conditions like eczema or rosacea. However, Dr. Nakra acknowledges that skin redness or rosacea can also be caused by lifestyle factors like environmental stressors, extreme temperatures, spicy foods, alcohol (especially red wine), fragrance, allergic reactions to ingredients in skincare products, environmental stressors, and more. While eczema and rosacea may have more triggers (and can be difficult to treat), a moisturizer for redness can be a stepping stone to helping all of these causes. How do moisturizers for redness work? “Redness relieving moisturizers contain calming and anti-inflammatory ingredients, which target sensitive and red skin by delivering soothing effects,” says Dr. Henry. She recommends looking for creams that contain ingredients that calm irritation and provide skin barrier protection like niacinamides, ceramides, aloe vera, and green tea extracts as well as other antioxidants. Why Shop With Us Anneke Knot is a full-time fashion and beauty freelance writer. Before freelancing, she wrote for Real Simple and Health magazines. Now, she writes about beauty and fashion for multiple publications. In order to find the best moisturizers for redness, Knot put top products from trusted brands to the test. In addition, she interviewed dermatologists, so they could provide their top recommendations.