10 summer moisturisers that’ll cool down and hydrate your skin
Whatever your skin type, we break down what to look for in a summer moisturiser, and which ones are the best ones out there right now
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SHOULD YOU GET a face moisturiser for the summer? Whatever skincare routine you found in the winter, or in the transitional season like spring, is going to be completely thrown out the window when the weather gets warmer. For one, your skin is either going to be producing more oil or left dehydrated, depending on your skin type. Or even fluctuating between the two for those with combination skin. And second, our desire to spend more time outdoors will expose us to more harmful UV rays and elements. Having a summer-specific moisturiser just means you’ll be better equiped. And your skin will thank you for it.
This is also a season where you might be considering switching up the texture of your moisturiser. Whether a gel or cream, the overall texture should feel light in the summer while packing as many hydrating ingredients. From ones with a distinctly cooling and refreshing effect, to others that’ll give you a gradual tan, scroll on for our picks of the best summer moisturisers specific to men.
What are the best summer moisturisers for men?
The best moisturiser for sensitive skin: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream
Texture: Gel
A cream textured moisturiser may be 1) too heavy, and 2) aggressive on the natural barrier of sensitive skin (causing redness and irritation). Gel moisturisers are gentle in both ingredients and texture: its water base is designed for your skin to drink up. Something for the summer, though, should have a cooling effect. Imagine this: you’ve spent the whole day in the sun, and your skin is red and inflamed. What can you do to topically remedy this?
A key ingredient in this moisturiser from Kiehl’s is glacial glycoprotein . . . it’s sourced from the Antartic sea glaciers themselves! Not only will it literally chill the skin, but ingredients within it promote a deep hydration boost and balance. Another quirk to water-based gel moisturisers: they’ll absorb nicely without leaving a sticky and shiny residue.
The best moisturiser for dry skin: The Ordinary Natural Moisturising Factors + PhytoCeramides
Texture: Cream
A richly textured cream is the key to maintaining your skin’s hydration levels; it should feel substantial when you rub it in between your fingers. Think of a moisturiser for dry skin as putting on a layer of hydration on top, which is essentially there to strengthen your natural hydration barrier. Skincare giant The Ordinary has earned a rep for catering to these basic needs packaged in simple forms. But it’s the brands formulations with active ingredients that give it an extra boost. Using plant-derived PhytoCeramides, it’s formulated to improve overall skin quality in dry instances, leaving the skin plump afterwards.
The best moisturiser for oily skin: Aesop Mandarin Facial Hydrating Cream
Texture: Cream
A standard facial cream may not be the best option for oily skin types come summer time: they can be too thick. But if you were still looking for a moisturiser with a cream texture, choosing something lighter won’t block your pores, thereby keeping oiliness to a minimum. Aussie brand Aesop’s Mandarin Facial Hydrating Cream has a lightweight and quickly absorbent application. Formulated with three citrus rinds (mandarin, lemon and tangerine), it has a cooling effect on the skin – a pleasant effect to wake up the skin in the morning, or balance and relax it at night after a day in the sun.
The best moisturiser with SPF: Grown Alchemist Natural Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF30
Texture: Cream
Let it be known that a sun protection formula should remain all year round, not just when the sun and UV rays feel especially defeating on a 30 degree day. But having a moisturiser with SPF already worked into the formulation goes a long way to decreasing the acceleration of premature ageing.
If the thick, goopy sunscreen, with that highly perfumed scent, of our childhoods isn’t to your liking, Aussie brand Grown Alchemist do an excellent one formulated with Rosehip Oil. Vegan formulated, the light cream doesn’t leave us with a white visage when applied.
The best moisturiser for combination skin: Chanel Boy de Chanel Fortifying Gel Moisturiser
Texture: Gel
When in summer or winter, combination skin can find itself overly oily or dry. Any comfort of a middle ground completely goes out the window. Gel moisturisers suit combination types in the summer for a balanced and evenly textured coverage of hydration. And if you were wondering if there was really a difference between men’s or women’s skincare products, the Boy de Chanel range makes it clear. Formulated with Costa Rican coffee extract, it’s an anti-oxidant expecially suited for the ageing process in men’s skin.
The best moisturiser with hyaluronic acid: Bondi Skin Co. Daily Moisturiser
Texture: Cream
Hyaluronic acid is something our bodies naturally produce when our skin needs to heal. It helps with hydration, promotes smoother skin, and keeps the skin flexible. But as the whether gets warmer, and with the more time we spend outside, increasing exposure to harmful UV rays which can cause skin damage. Perhaps no brand understands this better than Bondi Skin Co., who’ve formulated their Daily Moisturisers with hyaluronic acid for our extra dosage of the regenerative ingredient.
The best gradual tan moisturiser: Bondi Sands Gradual Tan Face Lotion
Texture: Cream
Asking our moisturisers to do more than one thing is typical of Aussies. Especially if it can give us a tan on top of hydrating our skin. Tanning icon Bondi Sands has the best formulation for this: created with low-level tanning actives to develop into a gradual tan. The shea butter here is the hydration component, which is what makes it smell like summer.
The best overall: L’Oréal Paris Men Expert Magnesium Defence Moisturiser
Texture: Cream
A moisturiser for our unforgiving summers that can soothe, protect and strengthen the skin is an all-rounder in our books. L’Oréal’s moisturiser for men is also formulated with Magnesium Mineral, meaning it’ll strengthen the natural skin barrier without being too aggressive for sensitive skin types.
The best energy moisturiser: Nivea Men Skin Energy Moisturiser
Texture: Cream
It’s like pouring a shot of chilled espresso on your face and rubbing it in. That’s essentially how Nivea’s Energy Moisturiser works: formulated with caffeine and guarana (another caffeine ingredient for calming) to uplift dull and fatigued skin, while also giving your skin a hit of hydration.
The best classic: Bulldog Skincare Original Moisturiser
Texture: Cream
Considering the weight of a cream textured moisturiser determines how it will develop throughout a hot day on your skin. Using ingredients like aloe vera, this classic moisturiser from Bulldog Skincare (yes, it’s more humans) makes sure the formulation is easily absorbed into the skin without leaving a greasy or sticky trail.
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