Doctorly is two dermatologists, and together they have tested more than 50 moisturizers. They approved nearly all of them, with only a few mixed takes and skips. That works out to an approval rate of 90%, which puts moisturizers among the subjects where they find a lot to like.
What does Doctorly recommend in moisturizers?
When Doctorly approves a moisturizer, a few things keep coming up. They rate barrier-focused ingredients highly, especially ceramides, urea, and panthenol. These help skin hold onto water and stay protected. They also pay close attention to how a product feels, not just what is in it. The Eucerin Intensive Repair Cream earned one of their winner stamps because, as they put it, it is a "real thick moisturizer that doesn't leave you greasy", with just enough lactic acid and urea to gently smooth skin without irritating it. The Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Lotion got a shout-out for being lightweight and "absolutely phenomenal" as a summer body option. The First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Firming Collagen Cream won them over with its niacinamide, shea butter, ceramides, and colloidal oats. They were clear, though, that the collagen in the name is a marketing word, not a skin-penetrating ingredient. Fragrance-free formulas and products safe for sensitive skin come up again and again in their approving takes.
Doctorly's moisturizer picks, in their words
"My favorite is absolutely the La Roche-Posay Lipikar Balm AP+. I have one upstairs in my dresser, I have one by my front door, I have one in my drawer in my office, and one in my other drawer in my office. It's like my go-to. [...] It has a lot of beneficial ingredients in it. I really personally like this one for my body, but I use it on both your body and your face. When I'm in the winter and the [...] wind burn really starts to get me, then I move it up to my face as well."
"This is one of the best body moisturizers for dry to very dry skin that I found. I use it every single day now and I have created more empties of this bottle than anything else this year. It has exfoliating ingredients, I think it has lactic acid and urea, and the low concentrations so they kind of just help. But it's a real thick moisturizer that doesn't leave you greasy."
"Shout out to Illiyoon, their body moisturizer, the ceramide ato lotion gel, is just absolutely phenomenal. It's a 12 ounce, really affordable product with a cool looking pump, and it feels amazing on the skin. If you're looking for a lightweight body moisturizer for the summer, I'd check this out."
"I would make the argument when it comes to a body moisturizer that I actually like the experience of their Intensive Moisturizing Lotion the best of between the regular lotion and the regular cream. [...] I kind of like that lipid slip that stays around a little bit longer. It feels a little bit greasier, [...] more of an oilier afterfeel, more of a slip, but I like that feeling when I'm moisturizing the body. It feels more like the lip barrier than any of the other products from CeraVe."
"So, my recommendation is to get the Neutrogena Hydroboost gel cream if you have oily skin. [...] The texture, I would say there's probably no other moisturizer I hear more from just from my nurses and patients that they just try this and they love it. Because of the body, the way it just sits on your skin, if you have oily skin, you'll like how this feels. Such a nice moisturizer. I feel like in the world of dupes, there's been almost no brand that's been able to dupe this formula."
"I love Vanicream's cream in a tub. It's just a thick moisturizer, and if you're really not wanting to guess at all whether something will be safe for your skin, this big tub is going to do really well for you."
How many moisturizers has Doctorly reviewed?
Doctorly has reviewed 52 moisturizers, for an approval rate of 90%. 47 approved, 2 mixed, and 3 skipped.
What has Doctorly skipped in moisturizers?
Each of their skips came with a distinct reason. Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion surprised them: they said they were "shocked" to find oxybenzone on the ingredient list. That is a sunscreen chemical that does not belong in a plain moisturizer. SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Interrupter Advanced Moisturizer and SkinCeuticals Phytocorrective Gel both got a pass. Doctorly called the Phytocorrective Gel a product they could not identify a clear target for, and they felt the A.G.E. Interrupter's peptide blend was behind where the category had moved by 2024. Mederma Advanced Scar Gel with Allantoin also missed the mark: they explained that the meta-analysis on its key ingredient, onion extract, concluded it probably does not help scars, and that any benefit people notice likely comes from simply keeping the wound moist.
"I would not recommend this pretty much under any circumstance. While you could theoretically see benefits with the puffiness and redness from the vasoconstrictive properties, there are serious safety concerns. The phenylephrine can cause tachyphylaxis so it stops working over time, and with prolonged use you get rebound vasodilation which actually makes redness and puffiness worse."
"The whole Phytocorrective line for me is a no. I don't really know who it's specifically for or who I would recommend it to."
"There was a good paper that came out on the benefits of this onion extract that's in Mederma to help with scars. And then later on, they did the meta-analysis that analyzed Mederma and found that it probably does not have benefit. The benefits that people are probably seeing are just because they're keeping the wound moist rather than the actual onion extract doing something for the skin."
What should you take from Doctorly's picks?
Doctorly's record here is generous but never uncritical. They approve a lot, and their category winners are mostly drugstore staples. However, they are quick to name what an ingredient actually does versus what the label claims. For anyone building a moisturizer routine, their takes are a reliable guide to what holds up on both the science and the skin-feel front.
Watch Doctorly say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing LotionNamed a winnerWatch at 12:01
- La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Moisturizing CreamNamed a winnerWatch at 12:56
- Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel CreamNamed a winnerWatch at 9:42
- La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Matte MoisturizerNamed a winnerWatch at 20:59
- La Roche-Posay Lipikar Balm AP+ Intense Repair Moisturizing CreamNamed a winnerWatch at 1:06
- CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion with 5% UreaNamed a winnerWatch at 17:47
- Eucerin Intensive Repair CreamNamed a winnerWatch at 1:07
- Silicone Scar gelNamed a winnerWatch at 6:50
- Preparation H Hemorrhoid CreamSkipped itWatch at 8:48
- SkinCeuticals Phytocorrective GelSkipped itWatch at 24:26
- Mederma Advanced Scar Gel with AllantoinSkipped itWatch at 6:55
- Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate LotionRated itWatch at 13:29
- Vanicream Moisturizing CreamRated itWatch at 5:33
- First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Firming Collagen CreamRated itWatch at 14:15
- Vichy Mineral 89 48-Hour Moisture Boosting Matte SorbetRated itWatch at 4:50
- Dieux Instant Angel Lipid-Rich Firming MoisturizerRated itWatch at 6:02
- Vichy Mineral 89 72-Hour Moisture Boosting CreamRated itWatch at 1:19
- The INKEY List Super Solutions 10% Urea MoisturizerRated itWatch at 62:31
- CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing GelRated itWatch at 12:13
- Urban Skin Rx HyperCorrect Intense Fading CreamRated itWatch at 4:44
- Paula's Choice Calm Rescue and Repair Intensive MoisturizerRated itWatch at 23:02
- Eucerin Radiant Tone Dark Spot Correcting CreamRated itWatch at 36:22
- La Roche-Posay Posthelios GelRated itWatch at 27:46
- Minimalist 5% Marula Oil Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin FRated itWatch at 20:41
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This guide reflects what Doctorly said across their videos about 52 products in moisturizers, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products they approved. It is general information, not medical advice.