Why Your Next Moisturizer Should Be a Gel

Gel moisturizers have long had an image problem. Known more for what they lack—potentially pore-clogging oil—than what they could possibly provide, they’ve been relegated to the troubled-skin realm for years. “We always steered those with sensitive or dry skin away from gels, because they were stripping and better suited for oily, acne-prone complexions,” says New York City dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe, M.D. But a new wave of gel formulas is changing all that, promising deep hydration and powerful doses of anti-aging actives.

These reimagined moisturizers bear little resemblance to the harsh alcohol-based formulas of the past. And those still relying on alcohol tend to use it sparingly, offsetting it with generous doses of humectants, like hyaluronic acid and glycerin or encapsulated shea butter and healing ceramides. The special polymers used in modern gels “can really hold a lot of water—much more than you’d commonly find in a cream or lotion,” says cosmetic chemist Jim Hammer. Beyond basic hydration, gels excel at delivering skin-repairing plant extracts and water-soluble antioxidants, like vitamin C, into the skin. (Countless overnight masks take advantage of this trait.)

To capture the same sense of indulgence found in creams, chemists have tweaked gels’ consistency—but their cool, classic freshness remains. Which is precisely why “they’re such a saving grace in the warmer months when the air is humid, and we don’t need or desire a heavy moisturizer,” says Dr. Dendy Engelman, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City, who praises Skin Medica HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator for its five types of hyaluronic acid and miniscule amount of alcohol. A favorite of Bowe, Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel also counts on hyaluronic acid for all-day hydration, while Koh Gen Do All In One Moisture Spa Gel suspends melt-on-contact capsules of jojoba seed oil, olive squalane, and shea butter in a botanical base. And Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Gel quenches and brightens skin with an invigorating mix of pineapple ceramides, bearberry, and watermelon rind that practically begs for a cocktail parasol.

 

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