Best natural face moisturizers

Best Affordable Natural Face Moisturizers on a Budget 2024

I’m sharing the best natural face moisturizers made with clean and organic ingredients. These clean face creams hydrate skin,  and protect and strengthen your skin barrier. There’s no shortage of seriously amazing organic moisturizers on the luxury side of clean beauty, which can easily cost $100-$400. But if a $50 organic face cream is out of your budget, you’re in luck, because I’ve rounded up the best budget natural face moisturizers for all skin types. These affordable natural face moisturizers won’t break the bank but don’t compromise on quality and performance. (All of these best natural face moisturizers are also on Amazon.) Keep reading for the top natural face moisturizers on a budget.

Check out 40 Best Clean Moisturizers

Best Natural face moisturizers
Plenty of natural face moisturizers that are budget-friendly didn’t make the cut for this post. I’m really only sharing what I felt was the best out of everything I have tried over the years. As clean beauty evolves and grows, there’s a lot of competition among brands to deliver the best, which means more goodness for us.

Remember that this is a budget-friendly focused post and doesn’t include all the luxury face moisturizers that are the best in clean beauty. I may cover these in a separate post for the luxury lovers out there (edit: check out these best luxury face moisturizers here) but you should be investing the most in a quality face serum over any other product in your skincare routine.

Why Your Moisturizer Isn’t Working

If you find that nothing is working for your skin despite trying all the moisturizers you can, remember that moisturizers are occlusive, meaning they trap moisture that’s already there and prevent it from escaping. If there’s no moisture to trap in the first place, your skin will remain dry. This is why adding hydration and serums are so important. Serums contain ingredients of a smaller molecular size that’s designed to be able to penetrate the dermal layers of the skin. Moisturizers sit on top of your skin!

All the natural face creams included in the Best Of list are under $50 with some even costing under $30. Plus, almost all brands offer some kind of opt-in promotional offer for you to save even more.

I am also including close up texture shots of as many moisturizers as I can so you can get a better “feel.”

Related post you might like:  Best Organic Face Oils (My Top Faves)

Kinship Supermello hydrating gel cream

Kinship Supermello Moisturizer $26

Great for: Normal skin, Combination skin, oily skin

Kinship’s Supermello hydrating gel cream is a clean face moisturizer but uses Phenoxyethanol as the chemical preservative Having said that, the Kinship Supermello contains:

  • Base of organic aloe leaf juice
  • Marshmallow root
  • hyaluronic acid
  • plant-based probiotics
  • coconut water

Kinship Supermello Gel Cream

If you love sweet scents like vanilla, marshmallow, buttercream then Kinship Supermello is for you. Supermello hydrating gel cream is an ultra ultra lightweight and smooth gel that feels weightless on skin. It is the thinnest consistency of all the moisturizers in this post and feels like liquid on the skin once you apply

Upcircle Beauty Face Moisturizer

Upcircle Beauty Night Cream $24

Great for: Dry skin, Normal skin, combination skin (Upcircle Face Moisturizer for oily skin)

One of the most affordable all-natural face moisturizers is made by sustainable skincare brand Upcircle Beauty. They focus on upcycled food waste ingredients like collecting discarded coffee beans from 100 artisan coffee shops and using them in their 100% natural skincare formulas.

The Upcircle Beauty Night Cream (which features repurposed blueberries not coffee) has a luscious whipped, silky texture that’s deeply nourishing yet still breathable. If you love sweet vanilla and buttercream scents this cream will smell like a dessert to you. The Upcircle Night Cream smells exactly like the cream filling of an eclair!

Upcircle night cream


Aromatica Juicy Calendula Cream 

Great for: Sensitive skin, normal skin, combination skin, oily skin

For something extremely gentle and soothing, EWG-verified K-beauty brand Aromatica makes a watery moisturizing cream formulated with 48% calendula extract – and it’s super affordable at under $20.

 

Earth Harbor Mermaid Milk

Earth Harbor Mermaid Milk Nutrient Glow Moisturizer  $42

Great for: Dry and dehydrated skin, normal skin, combination skin, oily skin

The perfect lightweight daytime moisturizer, Earth Harbor mermaid milk nutrient glow moisturizer hydrates and balances skin with Superfoods Spirulina & Matcha, phytonutrients, antioxidants and even vegan Hyaluronic Acid. It’s a breathable creamy formula that applies like a dream and instantly hydrates skin, while leaving a demi-matte finish. Mermaid Milk begins an an organic aloe base and has tons of spirulina plus seaweed extract, Neem, turmeric and blue tansy oil.

Earth Harbor mermaid milk Moisturizer

 

Acure Ultra Hydration and Plant Ceramide Face Lotion $19.99

Great for: Normal skin, Combination skin, Oily skin

For a no frills, simple lotion the Acure Ultra Hydration Plant Ceramide Face Lotion costs $18 on Amazon ($19.99 at Acure) and is a lightweight gel moisturizer. The gel consistency feels hydrating and there is no scent. Acure’s face lotion begins in a water base and contains Plant ceramides, niacinamide & rice bran oil along with soothing extracts of chamomile and calendula.

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Acure Ultra Hydration plant Ceramide daily facial lotion

OSEA Atmosphere Protection Cream

OSEA Atmosphere Protection Cream $48

Great for: Dry skin, normal skin, combination skin, oily skin (Blemish Balm for acne-prone/oily skin)

OSEA Atmosphere Protection Cream is a medium weight cream that’s neither ultra lightweight nor rich and heavy. It has a perfectly silky smooth cream texture and feels hydrating as well as moisturizing. Atmosphere Protection Cream is loaded with organic algae and helps fight environmental skin stressors such as the sun, pollution, and dry climates

Save: Code OBL saves 10%

Alpyn Beauty Triple C Bounce Cream

 

Alpyn Beauty Triple C Bounce Cream $49

Great for: Dry skin, dull skin, normal skin, combination skin

Alpyn Beauty Triple C Bounce Cream is a bouncy, almost jelly-like medium weight cream with over 50% organic aloe juice, 3 forms of vitamin-C and the polyphenol power of wild chokecherry. The scent is sharply citrus and the shade is a fun shade of bright pink.

Alpyn Beauty Triple C Bounce Cream

 

Three Ships Beauty Radiance grape stem cell Squalane Day cream

Three Ships Beauty Radiance Grape Stem Cell + Squalane Day Cream $35

Great for: Dry skin, normal skin, combination skin

For a light silky cream, check out 100% natural skincare brand Three Ships Beauty’s grape stem cell Squalane day cream. It comes in a sanitary airtight pump jar and smell faintly of grape. Lightweight, smooth and silky, the Three Ships Radiance Day Cream contains Grape Stem Cells, Bark extracts, Prickly Pear Seed Oil, and  natural Squalane derived from sugar cane.

SAVE: Affiliate discount code OBL saves 20% at Three Ships

Three Ships Beauty Radiance grapes stem cell squalane cream

Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Cream

Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Cream $39

Great for: Dry skin, normal skin, combination skin, oily skin

Sephora aisle staple Glow Recipe makes a very hydrating Hyaluronic Cream that’s a gel cream moisturizer. Glow Recipe is a clean beauty brand but uses Phenoxyethanol as the chemical preservative. Plum Plump Hyaluronic Cream is a bouncy, whipped gel cream hybrid that smells faintly of plum and is one of the few Glow Recipe products that doesn’t have added synthetic fragrance. The Plum Plump Hyaluronic Cream feels hydrating and contains three antioxidant-rich plums, Kakadu, Illawarra, and Burdekin, along with hyaluronic acid, poly glutamic acid (hydrating peptide) and ice willow herb.

Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Cream

 

Trilogy vital moisturizing cream

 

Trilogy Vital Moisturizing Cream $44

Great for: Normal skin, Dry skin

If you’re looking for a thick and rich cream for dry skin, check out Trilogy Vital Moisturizing Cream. Popular natural New Zealand skincare brand Trilogy is widely available at Ulta and online. This is a non-scented rich cream with Rosapene™ (Trilogy’s unique rosehip and super antioxidant complex), marula, orange flower and evening primrose oils plus tomato, cranberry seed and acai oils. It’s the heaviest one out of all the moisturizers featured in this post.

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Trilogy Vital Moisturizing Cream

Whamisa Organic Flowers Lotion Double Rich

Whamisa Organic Flowers Lotion Double Rich $41

Great for: Dry skin, normal skin, combination skin

For those of you interested in an organic Korean face moisturizer (that is 95% organic), check out the Whamisa organic flowers lotion double rich. Extremely hydrating, Whamisa’s face lotion is made in a base of certified organic aloe leaf extract (not aloe juice like most) and features Whamisa’s signature fermentation technique using fermentation filtrates from three different flowers: chrysanthemum, lotus, and dandelion with Lacto-fermentation. The moisturizing factor comes from a blend of oils owns butters, including rare Pure Damask rose essential oil.

Discount code ORGANICBEAUTYLOVER  saves 10%

Honest Beauty Hydrogel cream

Honorable Mention: Honest Beauty Hydrogel Cream $19.99

While not a personal top favorite, the Honest Beauty cream is a decent and affordable product that’s more of a cross between a gel and a cream. I would characterize it as a heavy gel-cream hybrid. With a silky smooth texture and no detectable scent, the Honest Beauty cream is satisfyingly moisturizing, but there is something about the consistency that feels a bit tacky to me.

Jessica Alba describes Hydrogel Cream as “bouncy” but I’ve experienced bouncy creams (if you press your finger down on the cream in the jar, they bounce back), and Honest Beauty’s doesn’t do that. Honest Hydrogel Cream contains 2 sizes of Hyaluronic Acid, Squalane, and Jojoba Esters. While Honest Beauty says it works for all skin types, I find that this would work best for combination skin. It might not be moisturizing enough for truly dry skin and too heavy for oily skin.

Honest beauty hydrogel cream Honest beauty hydrogel cream

Budget Face Moisturizer for Men

While I haven’t tried many male skincare brands (and many of the options above are unisex), I wanted to shout out to Jaxon Lane, an affordable clean skincare line specifically for men. And they happen to be K-beauty inspired.

Jaxon Lane Relax Repair Face Moisturizer
Jaxon Lane Relax and Repair $36

The GQ Award winning Relax and Repair moisturizer is made with Centella Asiatica, Niacinamide, Ceramides, Hyaluronic Acid, and Squalane. and has no scent. It leans medium in consistency for me and leaves a matte finish, since men hate to look or feel the slightest bit greasy.

Best natural face moisturizers

Best natural face moisturizers

Best Natural face moisturizers

 

 

 

7 responses to “Best Affordable Natural Face Moisturizers on a Budget 2024”

  1. Shelly Avatar
    Shelly

    Thank you for this! I need to get the Jaxon Lane for my boyfriend.

  2. Clara Avatar
    Clara

    omg this is so helpful!! Thank you so much for making this list, it’s truly a godsend. I don’t know if you know them, but I use the vegan body lotion from not to die for (this one: https://nottodiefor.us/product/sheridan-body-lotion/) and I’m OBSESSED with it.

    1. Andrea Avatar
      Andrea

      My pleasure! Thanks for sharing!

  3. JULIE SCHOCH Avatar
    JULIE SCHOCH

    Where’s the article for aging skin?

  4. maureen s forbes Avatar

    Thank you for paring down a few affordable and interesting natural face creams to choose from. I didn’t know where to begin, but I want to get away from creams with so many unpronounceable ingredients. I’m excited to try, and I have the first ones in mind. An added bonus, most of them have delicious sounding fragrances. Thanks, again.

    1. Andrea Avatar

      Hi Maureen thank you so much! Please do let me know which ones you try and what you think of them! I’m super curious!

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