My Skin Gets So Oily in the Summer—This Cream Instantly Mattifies It

After months of unusually cold weather and rain for most of the year, we’re finally experiencing full-fledged summer in LA. This means 90-degree temps outside while air conditioners running full-blast inside. You can imagine what this is doing to my skin. Sometimes it feels super dry and tight, then an hour later, my T-zone is oily and shining bright like a diamond. I’ve even had a pimple on my lipline for over a week; it’s absolute complexion chaos!

Now that my skin is acting up, I’m like Goldilocks, looking for something that’s just right for my ornery skin. What I need is something that embodies the perfect combination of hydration while also calming my oily, turbulent skin. Something like—drum roll, please—Youth To The People Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream ($48).

How it works:

The Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream has been a longtime favorite of skin-care aficionados (Kaia Gerber is apparently a fan), but it just got its very own makeover. The face cream was recently reformulated with a new and improved formula that delivers six times more hydration, locking in moisture for 48 hours and strengthening the skin barrier in an hour or less.

According to Youth to the People’s Laura Cline, vice president of new product development, and Erin Gillin, director of product development and brand compliance, the Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream is made for people with combination skin like mine. “Air-Whip’s weightless texture makes it especially great for oily, combo, and normal skin types, but is inclusive of dry skin types with its layer-ability without pilling and its never-heavy finish,” they say. “Plus, it was dermatologist tested and found suitable for acne-prone, as well as sensitive skin types.”

The formula includes three separate molecular weights of hyaluronic acid that are able to reach different surface layers of the skin and is known to attract moisture for more intense, longer-lasting hydration. What stands out to me is the inclusion of kale and spinach, two ingredients I usually have in my salads and smoothies, but never in my face cream (until now). Kale is rich in phytonutrients and vitamins C, E, and K, while spinach naturally soothes the skin and provides a higher level of moisture content. There’s also green tea, which is an antioxidant that’s known for its nourishing, anti-inflammatory properties.

My review

Described as being “heavy on hydration, light as air,” this fluffy moisturizer is exactly what my skin needs right now to handle its ups and downs. In a way, I feel like my skin is almost going back to “normal,” as it’s usually oily and breakout-prone, but it’s been more dry for most of the year (something I suspect is related to my over-40 age). Contrary to popular belief, oily skin still needs to be hydrated, and this moisturizer delivers without overdoing it.

As for texture and feel, this cream is straight-up heaven in a bottle, or tub, to be exact. It’s incredibly lightweight, and almost gel-like, but goes on the skin easily without feeling greasy. The formula isn’t absent from fragrance but is light and lovely, like fresh vegetable juice for your face.

I use it both AM and PM, and find that it preps my skin well for makeup in the mornings, so much so that I can skip my primer when I use it the night before. My skin feels so plump and smooth with this moisturizer that my foundation goes on smoothly, and it also balances out my oiliness. As soon as rub it over my face, my skin feels luxurious and “reset” in a way—not too greasy, not too dry, but just right, which is what this Goldilocks was after all along.

A lot of the cream goes a long way, which is always good news for the wallet. Whether you have oily, combination, dry, or normal skin, you can’t go wrong with the Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream. It needs to be added to your shopping cart immediately.