We're always on the lookout for the best moisturizer. It's a staple in anyone's skincare routine and arguably the most important product for happy, hydrated skin.
There are so many facial moisturizers on the market, it can seem impossible to find the best one for you, but we decided to take on the task. Our editors tried some of the most popular and newest moisturizers and compared these four: Drunk Elephant Protini™ Polypeptide Moisturizer, Kate Somerville Dry Skin Saver, Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream Plumping & Hydrating Moisturizer, and FIOR Perfecting Moisturizer.
Here's what we thought.
Key Similarities
- All promise hydration
- All come from brands that have been hyped up on #SkinTok at some point
- All are meant to be used on a daily basis
Key Differences
- Kate Somerville is the only one that's not considered "clean beauty"
- Kate Somerville can be used for your face as well as your body
- FIOR is brand new and the only one not available at Sephora
- Drunk Elephant is meant to be used with the accompanying serum
- Kate Somerville and FIOR come in squeeze bottles; Drunk Elephant and Tatcha come in wide jar containers
Drunk Elephant Protini™ Polypeptide Moisturizer
A Sephora favorite, the Drunk Elephant line is known for its clean ingredients, high-quality formulas, and fun, minimal packaging.
The ingredient list is impressive: Signal Peptide Complex of amino acids which bind moisture to the skin, Pygmy Waterlily Stem Cell Extract, Soybean Folic Acid Ferment Extract...
This product was very hit-or-miss. Some of our editors thought it was a fantastic moisturizer, but many found it underwhelming and didn't really notice a difference. It's also meant to also be used with the companion product, the $82 Protini™ Powerpeptide Resurfacing Serum. We figured if we weren't fans of the moisturizer, Drunk Elephant could just claim that's because we weren't using the serum with it.
This moisturizer nourishes the skin and claims to target aging and dullness, but it's suitable for all ages and skin types.
A 50 mL container goes for $68.
Kate Somerville Dry Skin Saver
This one's unique in that it's not just for the face; it's a restorative cream for your face and body that was initially sold as a panacea for eczema. If you need one product for everything, it's not bad. However, it's got 3-in-1 body wash/shampoo/conditioner vibes; facial skin is so much more delicate, they claim it's fine, but we'd rather have something that's created specifically for the face.
For our hands, it's a definite gift, but we'd only use it as a facial moisturizer in a pinch. It's also not considered clean beauty.
A 120 mL squeeze bottle goes for $50.
Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream Plumping & Hydrating Moisturizer
This lavender container looks gorgeous online, but does look a little cheap in person. Japanese Purple Rice, botanicals, and hyaluronic acid come together for a hydrating, plumping moisturizer that's supposed to be one of the gems of the Tatcha brand.
They claim it's good for normal and dry skin, but those with dry and sensitive skin complain of increased breakouts. It smells lovely, but we wonder if this one's more hype than quality.
Like the Drunk Elephant moisturizer, it comes in a wide container; according to skin experts, this can become more easily contaminated than a squeeze bottle. There's more risk of bacteria from your hands getting into the product.
A 50 mL container goes for $68.
FIOR Perfecting Moisturizer
This one is brand new, so we'll admit we're a small sample size. However, we were instantly in love. It's a clean formulation with CBX; a blend of CBD & CBDA with other skin-loving ingredients like Oat, Bark extract and Oleanolic acid packed full of antioxidants and essential fatty acids to help reduce redness and hydrate skin.
The formula feels luxurious, but not too heavy and you can feel it working; there's a light cooling feeling from the wintergreen leaf, and it fully absorbs into the skin fairly quickly leaving a soft-to-the-touch finish. It's perfect for right under makeup as it minimizes glare and excess sebum, and we noticed a difference in our foundation applications with this as a base.
It's meant to revive and optimize skin for a healthy, hydrated look. We loved that the fragrance and packaging was gender neutral and unique for gift-giving.
Final Verdict
Although all of them have their pros and cons, and it's about what works for you, we have to say: FIOR is your best bet. None of us had negative reactions, we didn't feel like the CBX factor was a gimmick, and this one felt high-end, but more importantly, made a noticeable difference.
It's creamy, but light, smells nice, and packaged in a smart way, too. We have nothing bad to say about it; we absolutely loved it, and we're ready to try the whole line!
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