If you suffer from PCOS acne and problematic skin you know exactly the struggle of choosing appropriate skincare products that won’t make the condition even worse. Moisturizers can be particularly challenging to find for someone with acne-prone skin as many of them tend to clog pores and cause further breakouts.
Nonetheless, moisturizing is an essential step of a healthy skincare routine that shouldn’t be skipped, especially if you’re dealing with acne. That’s because keeping your skin well hydrated helps speed up the healing process, prevent scarring and reduce irritations (especially important if you’re using harsh topical acne treatments).
While PCOS-induced acne is primarily caused by hormonal imbalances and needs to be treated from within (you can find out more about it here: ‘PCOS Acne Explained & How To Treat It Naturally’) using the right skincare products is equally important.
You can access the full list of my all-time favorite skincare products for PCOS acne here: ‘The Best Skincare Products For PCOS & Hormonal Acne‘ but in this article, I’ll give you tips on the 5 best moisturizers for PCOS acne that I personally found to be most effective (you can read my own PCOS acne story here: ‘How I Cured My PCOS Acne Naturally‘).
Here’s a quick summary of things you want to consider when choosing a moisturizer for PCOS acne:
- Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs-free)
- Ingredients (active/non-comedogenic)
- Sensitivity (minimum irritants/allergens)
- Purpose (suitable for your skin type/skin condition)
- Consistency (gel/cream/serum)
And here’s a list of my favorite moisturizers for PCOS.
Best moisturizers for PCOS acne:
- Cerave AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
- Honest Beauty Hydrogel Cream
- Dermalogica Calm Water Gel
- Paula’s Choice Invisible Finish Moisture Gel
- The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
1. Cerave AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
Best for: sensitive skin – acne-prone
The Cerave AM Moisturizing Lotion is one of my go-to moisturizers I tend to buy over and over again. It has a very simple formula that doesn’t contain any toxic or irritating ingredients (great for sensitive skin) and that’s also free from oils, waxes, esters and other pore-clogging/bacteria-promoting ingredients.
It is very light and you’ll find some of my favorite hydrating (non-comedogenic) ingredients for acne-prone skin (including niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, ceramides) in this lotion. Additionally, this moisturizer is conveniently enriched with SPF30 to protect your skin from sun damage.
However, you can also get a non-SPF version of this moisturizer (if that’s your preference) with an even lighter consistency but the same active ingredients. It is the Cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion and it’s equally great for PCOS acne. Both of these moisturizers are very affordable as well as widely accessible worldwide.
Check out the price on Amazon HERE.
| EDC-free | ✓ |
| Oil-free | ✓ |
| 100% non-comedogenic | ✓ |
| Consistency | cream |
| Skin type | sensitive/ acne-prone |
2. Honest Beauty Hydrogel Cream
Best for: dehydrated skin – makeup base
If you’re looking for a particularly lightweight moisturizer with a gel-like consistency then I highly recommend giving a try to the Honest Beuty Hydrogel Cream. This non-toxic moisturizer gets absorbed very quickly into the skin (without leaving it greasy) which makes it a great makeup base.
More importantly, Honest Beauty is a vegan clean beauty brand which means that you won’t find any synthetic fragrances, parabens, silicons and other EDCs in this moisturizer. It is very well formulated with some powerful hydrating ingredients (hyaluronic acid, squalene) and no common irritants (suitable for sensitive skin).
Nonetheless, while this oil-free moisturizer is generally great for PCOS acne skin it should be noted that it’s not 100% non-comedogenic (it contains some jojoba esters) and therefore may not work for all individuals. That being said, it appears to be well tolerated by most people with acne-prone skin and it never broke me out, personally (I use it daily underneath my makeup). It’s also very affordable.
Check out the price on Amazon HERE.
| EDC-free | ✓ |
| Oil-free | ✓ |
| 100% non-comedogenic | ✕ |
| Consistency | gel cream |
| Skin type | sensitive/ dry |
3. Dermalogica Calm Water Gel
Best for: hypersensitive skin – irritations
Another high-quality lightweight moisturizer with a gel-like consistency is the Dermalogica Calm Water Gel. It is 100% non-comedogenic (free from all oils, waxes, esters) and suitable for sensitive skin. Demalogica, overall, is one of my favorite skincare brands as all of their products are well formulated from non-toxic, non-irritating and natural ingredients.
Read more: ‘5 Best Face Washes For PCOS Acne‘
This moisturizer is therefore also very PCOS-friendly as it contains no synthetic fragrances, parabens, colors and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals. If your skin is not only oily and acne-prone but also hypersensitive and reactive, then this moisturizer would be my best tip for you. It’s very light and gentle but it hydrates your skin (without leaving a greasy film) very well.
It also works great as a makeup base but I highly recommend using only small amounts of this moisturizer (you don’t need much of it to be effective). Despite the slightly higher price, the whole Ultracalming range by Dermalogica is definitely worth trying if you suffer from problematic skin and PCOS acne (I use several products from that line).
Check out the price on Amazon HERE.
| EDC-free | ✓ |
| Oil-free | ✓ |
| 100% non-comedogenic | ✓ |
| Consistency | gel |
| Skin type | hypersensitive/ reactive |
4. Paula’s Choice Invisible Finish Moisture Gel
Best for: oily/acne-prone skin – make-up base
Paula’s Choice is another great PCOS-friendly beauty brand as all of their products are based on science and contain only effective, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredients. Their Invisible Finish Moisture Gel is particularly well formulated as it’s extremely light (with gel-like consistency) and 100% non-comedogenic (perfect for oily and acne-prone skin).
It contains some of my favorite skincare ingredients (niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, panthenol, antioxidants) which are great for keeping your skin hydrated, smooth and blemish-free. If you find most moisturizers a bit heavy for your skin and pore-clogging then I highly recommend getting your hands on this one.
The gel absorbs super quickly into the skin without leaving a greasy film (it’s actually mattifying). Even though it says ‘night cream’ on the label (it has no SPF) it works great as a daytime moisturizer/makeup base, too. Overall, it’s perhaps the best product by Paula’s Choice I’ve tried so far (and my currently favorite moisturizer).
Check out the price on Amazon HERE.
| EDC-free | ✓ |
| Oil-free | ✓ |
| 100% non-comedogenic | ✓ |
| Consistency | gel |
| Skin type | oily/ acne-prone |
5. The Ordinary Hyaluronic acid 2% + B5
Best for: dehydrated skin – night serum
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a popular cosmetic substance (naturally found in the body) commonly added to a wide range of skincare products, especially those with moisturizing properties. That’s because HA is one of the best hydrating ingredients that’s also sufficiently backed by science. It helps lock water in the skin, keep it well-hydrated and make it plump (it also appears to reduce wrinkles).
While you can find a lot of HA-containing moisturizers (including many of them in this post) you can also get a pure HA serum with a much higher concentration of this powerful ingredient. The Ordinary Hyaluronic acid 2% + B5 serum is one of my favorites as it’s completely water-based (non-clogging) and enriched with calming panthenol (vitamin B5).
Read more: ‘TOP 6 The Ordinary Products For PCOS Acne‘
You can use it as a hydrating serum on your face (instead of moisturizer) or you can add a few drops to your regular moisturizer and apply it that way (that’s what I like to do). However, I don’t recommend going overboard with this serum (use only small amounts) as it doesn’t absorb as well and quickly as other moisturizers (it might feel a bit sticky).
Check out the price on Amazon HERE.
| EDC-free | ✓ |
| Oil-free | ✓ |
| 100% non-comedogenic | ✓ |
| Consistency | serum |
| Skin type | dry/ sensitive |
Moisturizers comparison:
| CeraVe | Honest | Dermalogica | Paula’s Choice | The Ordinary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDC-free | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Oil-free | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 100% non-comedogenic | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Consistency | cream | gel cream | gel | gel | serum |
| Skin type | sensitive/acne-prone | sensitive/dry | hypersensitive/reactive | oily/acne-prone | dry/ sensitive |
Read more: ‘The Best Makeup Products For PCOS & Hormonal Acne‘
Pro tips:
- Use ingredient checkers – you can check the content of almost any skincare product online to find any potential endocrine disruptors, allergens or other irritating ingredients, I like using INCIDecoder and Sezia for skincare
- Keep it simple – keep your skincare routine simple and don’t use too many layers of products that aren’t completely necessary, try not to overcomplicate it (especially if your skin is sensitive)
- Don’t use too much – moisturizing is essential but it’s not necessary to apply large amounts, especially if your skin is oily and acne-prone
- Keep a skin diary – a skin diary is a great tool that can help you identify potential triggers in your skincare so you can better understand your individual needs and choose accordingly
- Be patient – don’t expect any overnight results as it may take several weeks before you start seeing any major changes in your skin
- Prioritize lifestyle – make sure you focus on developing healthy habits in other important areas that can affect your skin health (diet, sleep, stress, exercise, hydration)
Read more: ’How To Treat PCOS Naturally (Science-Based Guidelines)’
Resources:
- Barrett, E. S., & Sobolewski, M. (2014). Polycystic ovary syndrome: do endocrine-disrupting chemicals play a role?. Seminars in reproductive medicine, 32(3), 166–176. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0034-1371088
- Del Rosso, J. Q., Gold, M., Rueda, M. J., Brandt, S., & Winkelman, W. J. (2015). Efficacy, safety, and subject satisfaction of a specified skin care regimen to cleanse, medicate, moisturize, and protect the skin of patients under treatment for acne vulgaris. The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology, 8(1), 22–30. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25610521/
- Diamanti-Kandarakis, E., Papalou, O., & Kandaraki, E. (2022). Endocrine-disrupting chemicals and PCOS: A novel contributor in the etiology of the syndrome. In Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (pp. 227-244). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-823045-9.00015-8
- Gainder, S., & Sharma, B. (2019). Update on Management of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome for Dermatologists. Indian dermatology online journal, 10(2), 97–105. https://doi.org/10.4103/idoj.IDOJ_249_17
- Housman, E., & Reynolds, R. V. (2014). Polycystic ovary syndrome: a review for dermatologists: Part I. Diagnosis and manifestations. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 71(5), 847.e1–858. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2014.05.007
- Ramezani Tehrani, F., Behboudi-Gandevani, S., Bidhendi Yarandi, R., Saei Ghare Naz, M., & Carmina, E. (2021). Prevalence of acne vulgaris among women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systemic review and meta-analysis. Gynecological endocrinology : the official journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology, 37(5), 392–405. https://doi.org/10.1080/09513590.2020.1859474
- Zaenglein, A. L., Pathy, A. L., Schlosser, B. J., Alikhan, A., Baldwin, H. E., Berson, D. S., Bowe, W. P., Graber, E. M., Harper, J. C., Kang, S., Keri, J. E., Leyden, J. J., Reynolds, R. V., Silverberg, N. B., Stein Gold, L. F., Tollefson, M. M., Weiss, J. S., Dolan, N. C., Sagan, A. A., Stern, M., … Bhushan, R. (2016). Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 74(5), 945–73.e33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2015.12.037
- Zhao, J., Wang, Y., Jiang, L., & Mu, Y. Z. (2020). The application of skin care product in acne treatment. Dermatologic therapy, 33(6), e14287. https://doi.org/10.1111/dth.14287