10 Best silicone-free moisturizers for sensitive skin

The best silicone-free moisturizers usually tend do a great job of providing hydration without causing excess sebum, irritation, or clogged pores. While silicones are not typically harmful and are generally safe to use in skincare products, people with sensitive skin might want to steer clear of them.

Silicone itself is not an irritant, but as an occlusive ingredient, silicone can potentially dehydrate the skin, affecting its pH level, and even trap dirt, impurities, and bacteria in the skin. All these can make an already-sensitive skin even more sensitive and prone to irritation.

If moisturizers seem a bit heavy, oily, shiny, or triggering for sensitive skin, switching to the best silicone-free moisturizers can fix the problem.

Skinfix Barrier+, Minimalist Ceramides 0.3%, and more: 10 Best silicone-free moisturizers

1) Skinfix Barrier+ Skin Barrier Restoring Gel Cream ($48)

A lightweight and non-comedogenic gel cream from Skinfix skincare’s Barrier+ line, the product is one of the best silicone-free moisturizers for sensitive, blemish-prone, and oily skin. It is enriched with antimicrobial peptides and niacinamide.

The water-based moisturizing formula might be lightweight, but, according to Skinfix’s official website, it promises up to 72 hours of hydration and improved skin barrier function one hour after application.

2) Peach & Lily Glass Skin Water-Gel Moisturizer ($43)

Skincare lovers can instantly hydrate the skin for a Korean glass skin glow with this silicone-free water-gel moisturizer by Peach & Lily.

Enriched with vitamins and antioxidants from peach and kiwi extracts, this formulation is combined with vegan probiotic and prebiotic complex, chamomile, licorice, and three types of hyaluronic acid, which promise intense hydration and skin-brightening effects.

3) The Inkey List Omega Water Cream ($11)

If you are looking for a silicone-free moisturizer that is not greasy or heavy on sensitive skin, you might want to consider using the Inkey List Omega Water Cream.

Silky and oil-free, the Omega Water Cream by The Inkey List provides skin hydration without excess oiliness. Specially formulated with a blend of 0.4% Ceramide complex, 5% Glycerine, 3% Betaine, and 5% Niacinamide, it helps rebalance the skin’s hydration and improve skin texture, leaving a healthier-looking skin.

4) Minimalist Ceramides 0.3% ($12)

One of the best silicone-free moisturizers from Minimalist, this formulation promises to hydrate, soothe, and repair damaged skin barrier. Formulated with a potent 0.3% concentration of five different skin essential pure ceramides boosted with Madecassoside from Centella Asiatica, it restores the skin’s natural barrier. Complementing it is a blend of GABA and Aquaporin, bringing intense hydration to the skin.

A lightweight formula, the silicone-free moisturizer targets oiliness, damaged skin barrier, and irritated or sensitive skin.

5) Purito Oat-In Calming Gel Cream ($16)

Featuring Avena Sativa Seed water, the gel cream feels refreshing and calms dehydrated and sensitive skin. Formulated with a lightweight texture, the gel softly melts when applied to the skin, keeping it balanced, hydrated, and vibrant.

6) Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream ($68)

A silicone-free and peptide-packed moisturizing cream, this product is rich in skin-supporting ingredients like amino acids and Pygmy water lily. Formulated at the ideal 4.0 pH level, along with the abundance of peptides for skincare, the cream helps restore the skin, giving it a firm, healthy, and natural glow.

Besides silicone, all Drunk Elephant skincare products are free of five other suspicious ingredients that can cause trouble for the skin.

7) Mario Badescu Oil Free Moisturizer ($20)

Skincare enthusiasts can consider Mario Badescu’s Oil Free Moisturizer if they are looking for the best silicone-free moisturizers for sensitive skin. Specially formulated for sensitive skin types, it’s a lightweight, non-greasy, and ultra-absorbent moisturizer, and it doesn’t contain any pore-clogging oils.

Infused with Lemongrass Extract and Allantoin, the product offers further hydration, promoting balanced complexion and optimal skin health.

8) Beplain Cicaful Calming Gel ($20)

Beplain Cicaful Calming Gel's is a moisturizing gel enriched with the secret ingredient for hydrating and soothing sensitive skin, which is Centella Asiatica. Cica combines Fig fruit extracts in this gel moisturizer, which provides long-lasting hydration, offering instant relief to dull and dry skin.

In addition, the ceramides it’s formulated with rejuvenate the skin’s protective layer to help retain moisture, which keeps the skin looking plump and firm.

9) Versed Dew Point Moisturizing Gel Cream ($20)

Versed Dew Point Moisturizing Gel Cream moisturizes the skin for a bouncy glow. Formulated with green tea extract and aloe leaf juice and blended with Hyaluronic acid, it keeps the skin feeling refreshed, soothed, and protected from free radicals.

A daily moisturizing option, it can be used day and night for skin hydration without clogging the pores.

10) FaceTheory Supergel Oil-Free Moisturizer M3 ($22)

Aloe vera gel, green tea extract, and niacinamide powder makes up this oil-free moisturizer by FaceTheory. Formulated with a watery gel texture, it quickly absorbs into the skin without leaving a greasy feeling. Chamomile is also on the key ingredient list, bringing soothing effects for troubled and sensitive skin.

Most of the best silicone-free moisturizers have a gel-cream texture and are often labeled as “non-comedogenic” or “oil-free.” It’s also ideal to check the classification label of the moisturizer, or better yet, the ingredient list.

One can find the best silicone-free moisturizers for sensitive skin from the brand’s official website and online retailers like Amazon, Soko Glam, Sephora, and Ulta Beauty.

Edited by Susrita Das