Best hypoallergenic moisturizer

How we chose

We work from documents; we have not tested any of these moisturizers ourselves. For this page “hypoallergenic” means one thing: the maker uses the word, or a comparable claim, on its own product page. It is not a result we verified. The FDA says it has no list of approved or accepted claims for cosmetics, and that labeling must be truthful and not misleading. Our longer explainer is what does hypoallergenic mean.

So each product below is reported the same way: the maker’s wording, quoted and attributed, then the ingredient list the maker published, then entries that a careful reader may want to look at. We kept nine products whose lists we could read. Evidence is marked: “read by our fetch” means we retrieved the page and confirmed the quote and list; “captured from the maker’s page in a browser” means our fetch was blocked and the list was captured by hand.

What to look for

• The word itself. Only four of the nine maker pages we read use “hypoallergenic”. Others use fragrance-free or “allergy tested” instead, which are different statements.
• Fragrance-type entries behind a fragrance-free badge. Benzyl alcohol is a preservative but is also on lists of named fragrance allergens; see Cetaphil Intensive below.
• Plant extracts, nut and seed oils. These are not fragrance entries but can matter to readers who avoid them.
• Colorants. Two products list them; the rest do not.

For other formats, see hypoallergenic lotion and body wash. For one brand’s use of the word, see is Neutrogena hypoallergenic?.

Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Cream

This was captured from the maker’s page in a browser on 2026-11-13; our fetch was blocked, so it is a read we could not re-check. The list has seven entries: Aquaphilus dolomiae extract filtrate, arginine, beeswax, citric acid, tromethamine, water and xanthan gum. The maker states: “Preservative-free, fragrance-free, paraben-free, mineral oil-free, silicone-free.” We captured no “hypoallergenic” wording for this product.

It is the shortest list on the page and has no plant extract or colorant. The unusual entry is the Aquaphilus dolomiae filtrate, a bacterial-culture-derived ingredient. Size is not stated in our record. We found no Amazon listing; link goes to the maker’s site (not an affiliate link).

Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Cream

Criteria status: Meets our criteria; the maker doesn’t call it hypoallergenic. Reason: its maker-page ingredient list (retrieved 2026-11-13) shows no fragrance entry, none of the fragrance-allergen names on our watch list, and no methylisothiazolinone, methylchloroisothiazolinone or formaldehyde-releasing preservative. This is a statement about what the maker page shows under our published criteria, not a promise about any person’s reaction.

Aveeno Calm + Restore Oat Gel Moisturizer, Sensitive Skin

Per the maker’s ingredient disclosure, read by our fetch on 2026-11-11, the list has 22 entries led by water, glycerin and dimethicone. The maker states: “The clinically tested and hypoallergenic formula contains prebiotic oat and feverfew,” and “Formulated Without Fragrance, Parabens, Phthalates, Dyes, Alcohol.” We saw no test data behind “clinically tested”.

The entries to look at are the plant-derived ones: oat kernel flour and extract, feverfew flower/leaf/stem juice, and centella asiatica extract. They are not on the named fragrance list, but they are botanicals, so this is the list to avoid if you steer clear of plant extracts. Two preservatives (phenoxyethanol, chlorphenesin) appear. Size is not stated.

Aveeno Calm + Restore Oat Gel Moisturizer, Sensitive Skin

CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion

Per the maker’s ingredient disclosure, read by our fetch on 2026-11-11, the list has 25 entries: water, glycerin, caprylic/capric triglyceride, cetearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, dimethicone and phenoxyethanol, then polysorbate 20, ethylhexylglycerin, three ceramides (NP, AP and EOP), phytosphingosine, cholesterol, sodium hyaluronate and tocopherol among others. The maker states “Free of Added Fragrance” in a page callout, and elsewhere that the lotion contains no sulfates or fragrance. We saw no “hypoallergenic” wording on the page. The record is for the page’s “normal to dry skin” filter; no size is stated.

The list has no plant extracts, nut or seed oils or colorants. The entries a careful reader may check are the fatty alcohols, phenoxyethanol as the preservative, and the conditioning agent behentrimonium methosulfate. “Free of Added Fragrance” is a statement about added fragrance, so the list is the better guide.

CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion

Criteria status: Meets our criteria; the maker doesn’t call it hypoallergenic. Reason: its maker-page ingredient list (retrieved 2026-11-11) shows no fragrance entry, none of the fragrance-allergen names on our watch list, and no methylisothiazolinone, methylchloroisothiazolinone or formaldehyde-releasing preservative. This is a statement about what the maker page shows under our published criteria, not a promise about any person’s reaction.

Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Lotion

The maker page, read by our fetch on 2026-11-13, lists 16 entries starting with water, dicaprylyl carbonate, hydroxyethyl urea, cyclopentasiloxane and glycerin, and includes hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, cetyl alcohol, phenoxyethanol and erythritol. The features line reads: “Fragrance free Paraben free Oil free Hypoallergenic.”

There are no plant extracts, nut or seed oils or colorants in the list. Because “oil free” is the maker’s phrase and the list includes fatty alcohol and emollient esters, we report the phrase without interpreting it. Size is not stated in our record.

Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Lotion

Cetaphil Intensive Moisturizing Cream for Dry Skin

The maker page, read by our fetch on 2026-11-13, lists 23 entries: water, glycerin, petrolatum, dicaprylyl ether, dimethicone, sunflower seed oil, sweet almond oil, niacinamide, panthenol, propylene glycol, benzyl alcohol, phenoxyethanol and others. The features line reads: “Fragrance free Paraben free Hypoallergenic Won’t Clog Pores.”

Two points for a careful reader. Benzyl alcohol is listed, and it appears among named fragrance allergens even though the page says “Fragrance free”; it is also a common preservative, so this may be a preservative use, but the list does not say. Sweet almond oil and sunflower seed oil are nut/seed-derived oils. The maker page shows 1 oz, 1.7 oz, 3 oz and 8.8 oz sizes. We found no Amazon listing; link goes to the maker’s site (not an affiliate link).

Cetaphil Intensive Moisturizing Cream for Dry Skin

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+

The maker page, read by our fetch on 2026-11-13, states: “Dermatologist developed Dermatologist tested Allergy tested Fragrance free”, and says it is formulated without fragrance. “Hypoallergenic” is not the word used. The maker says this.

The list has 24 entries, including mineral oil, petrolatum, sesame oil, lanolin alcohol, barley and cucumber extracts and BHT. It also lists colorants: Red 33 (CI 17200), Yellow 6 (CI 15985) and Yellow 5 (CI 19140). Lanolin alcohol is a common allergen but not a fragrance entry. Sizes seen on the page are 0.5, 1.7 and 4.2 fl oz.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+

Criteria status: Meets our criteria; the maker doesn’t call it hypoallergenic. Reason: its maker-page ingredient list (retrieved 2026-11-13) shows no fragrance entry, none of the fragrance-allergen names on our watch list, and no methylisothiazolinone, methylchloroisothiazolinone or formaldehyde-releasing preservative. This is a statement about what the maker page shows under our published criteria, not a promise about any person’s reaction.

Clinique Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Gel Moisturizer

This was captured from the maker’s page in a browser on 2026-11-13, and we could not re-check it by fetch. The maker states: “Dermatologist tested. Safe for sensitive skin. Fragrance free. Allergy tested.” The list is long, with 42 entries including aloe, milk thistle and green tea extracts, bacterial ferments (Thermus thermophillus ferment, Lactobacillus ferment lysate), several preservatives and two colorants (Red 4, Yellow 5). These are the maker’s own claims.

It is a gel, the lightest texture here, and the one with the most plant-derived and ferment entries. Sizes seen on the page are 0.5 oz and 1 oz. We found no Amazon listing; link goes to the maker’s site (not an affiliate link).

Clinique Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Gel Moisturizer

Criteria status: Meets our criteria; the maker doesn’t call it hypoallergenic. Reason: its maker-page ingredient list (retrieved 2026-11-13) shows no fragrance entry, none of the fragrance-allergen names on our watch list, and no methylisothiazolinone, methylchloroisothiazolinone or formaldehyde-releasing preservative. This is a statement about what the maker page shows under our published criteria, not a promise about any person’s reaction.

Dove Fragrance Free Moisture Hypoallergenic Lotion

The maker page, read by our fetch on 2026-11-13, describes “A pediatrician-tested, fragrance-free hypoallergenic lotion that gently moistu” (the page copy is cut off). The 18-entry list begins with water, glycerin and petrolatum and includes stearic acid, dimethicone, tapioca starch, phenoxyethanol and titanium dioxide (CI 77891). There are no plant extracts or oils. Titanium dioxide is a white pigment, so it is the one colorant-type entry. The page shows 13 oz and 20 oz sizes, which makes it a body-lotion format; we did not find a face-specific statement.

Dove Fragrance Free Moisture Hypoallergenic Lotion

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer

This was captured from the maker’s page in a browser on 2026-11-13, and we could not re-check it by fetch. The 18-entry list includes water, glycerin, squalane, dimethicone, corn starch, niacinamide, ceramide NP, stearic acid, myristyl myristate and xanthan gum. The maker’s badge row reads: “Paraben Free Fragrance Free Oil Free Drying Alcohol Free.” We captured no “hypoallergenic” wording.

We report the badge as written. The list does include squalane and several fatty entries, so check the list if “oil free” matters to you. There are no plant extracts or colorants. Size is not stated.

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer

Criteria status: Meets our criteria; the maker doesn’t call it hypoallergenic. Reason: its maker-page ingredient list (retrieved 2026-11-13) shows no fragrance entry, none of the fragrance-allergen names on our watch list, and no methylisothiazolinone, methylchloroisothiazolinone or formaldehyde-releasing preservative. This is a statement about what the maker page shows under our published criteria, not a promise about any person’s reaction.

What the label does not tell you

A maker’s claim is not a test result. We found no panel size, method or independent body behind any “hypoallergenic” statement here, and a list shows what is in a product, not how your skin will respond. Nothing on this page is advice about a skin condition; for that, and for patch testing, ask a clinician or an allergy or dermatology society. We did not check these products against any certification directory such as the NEA Seal, which works from its own criteria.