From a Japanese face mist to tried-and-true favourites, these five creams will give your complexion the boost it needs to feel fresh and hydrated
If your skin feels parched, thirsty, dry or tight, it could be time to heed the call of a hydrating moisturiser.
Brimming with essential nutrients, potent antioxidants, and moisture-locking humectants, hydrating moisturisers have been carefully curated to refine and rejuvenate your skin, injecting it with a much-needed daily dose of moisture-boosting ingredients. But with so many to choose from, finding the right product to suit your skin can feel like an impossible, and often expensive, challenge.
Unsure where to begin? We’ve rounded up five of our favourite face creams from brands such as Elizabeth Arden, Elemis and more to add all the moisture you need to quench thirsty complexions and keep your skin feeling supple and soft.
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Best hydrating moisturisers 2024
1. ESPA 24-Hour Replenishing Moisturiser
This richly hydrating face cream has been formulated to leave skin feeling replenished and soft. Combining myrrh, frankincense and neroli replenishes, vitamin E helps to protect the skin barrier and evening primrose and jojoba deeply moisture to leave the skin feeling silky smooth.
ESPA Fan Joanna Karnia, highly recommends the £48 24-Hour Replenishing Moisturiser from the luxury skincare brand. She said: “I wanted a rounded but simple skincare routine I would be able to stick to as a busy working mum with combination skin and was recommended the ESPA 24 hour replenishing moisturiser.
“I love the feeling when putting the product on as it feels luxurious, spreads and absorbs well with a cool hydrating feeling and smells amazing. The packaging is also so nice in a lovely glass jar. Despite being more pricey than I would normally have gone for its worth the money as I have been using it for over 3 months now and haven’t had to replace my jar yet but will certainly be buying again.”
Buy now from ESPA (£48)
2. ELEMIS Pro Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30 30ml
Since it was launched over 20 years ago, the Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream has been globally recognised for its gel-cream texture, skin-loving formula and clinically proven results. With the addition of SPF30 sunscreen, not only will it keep your skin feeling beautifully soft and hydrated, it will also protect it from the harmful rays of the sun.
Deeply moisturising, yet ultra-light gel cream quenches thirsty skin and claims to increase hydration by up to 253% in 1 hour – impressive stuff! Beauty fans can’t get enough of the £64 cream with five-star reviews on Sephora calling it “luxurious and lovely.”
One user loved it so much they referred to it as their “ride or die” adding: “It’s everything I want in a moisturiser and helps with ageing when using it continuously, it also hydrates the skin leaving it beautifully soft, I absolutely adore it.”
Buy now from Sephora (£64)
3. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Hydraplay Skin Perfecting Daily Moisturiser
A new addition to the iconic Eight Hour range from the skin experts at Elizabeth Arden, the Hydraplay Moisturiser plumps skin with instant and lasting hydration, while brightening the complexion and refining pores.
Beauty expert, Bethan Shufflebotham, described it as being her “new summer essential” saying “I tried out the Hydraplay cream for a week – the hottest of the year so far – and it’s like a cold drink of water for your skin, earning itself a coveted spot in my summer beauty routine.
“One of the things I love most about this moisturiser is its lightweight texture – it melts from a cream to a water-like consistency as you work it into the skin. It glides on smoothly and absorbs quickly, leaving no heavy or greasy feeling behind, with a really clean scent that’s refreshing for summer”
Buy now from Elizabeth Arden (£35)
4. Curél Deep Moisture Spray
This bargain buy is a little-known Japanese skincare product that works wonders, keeping skin hydrated with just a quick spritz of the spray. The ultra-fine moisturising spray is suitable for use under and over makeup and provides instant lightweight moisture that stops the skin from drying out throughout the day.
Formulated with Micro-Ceramide particles that penetrate deeply into the skin to effectively improve skin moisture levels, the ultra-fine mist gives an instant boost of hydration to your face or body.
Skincare expert, Jada Jones, swears by the £14.80 Curél Deep Moisture Spray and has since become a big fan of the brand. She said “I first discovered Curel because of their Deep Moisturising Spray which quickly became a must-have item that I refuse to leave the house without. I’ve since tried the rest of the range and I swear by it. My skin feels moisturised but not greasy whenever I use a Curel product and I swear by the range.”
Buy now from Amazon (£14.80)
5. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Sensitive Moisturiser
A great choice for sensitive skin, the tried and tested lightweight moisturiser remains a firm favourite. Offering prebiotic hydrating care with La Roche-Posay thermal water that relieves sensitive skin, the formulation is so gentle it can even be used on babies.
The silky moisturiser glides effortlessly across the skin and melts in easily to deliver hydration with a soothing effect. The combination of glycerin, ceramides and vitamin B3 leaves the skin feeling comfortable and smooth, while the barrier of the skin feels repaired and protected.
Shoppers love the affordable Toleriane Sensitive Moisturiser from the American beauty brand with its roots in French skincare. One five-star review on the Boots website said: “The best moisturiser for super sensitive skin. Non greasy – reasonable price – no redness. I’ve tried many others but this one is great for my skin,” while another described it as being “Lovely and rich and so hydrating. Very gentle on my skin with no irritation no redness nothing!”
Buy now from Boots (£21)
