Is This The Best Moisturizer To Keep Oil & Shine At Bay?

Last Updated on July 25, 2026 by Giorgia Guazzarotti

Note: The packaging has changed, but the juice inside has stayed the same. The content of this review has recently been updated to reflect what you can currently buy in store. The photos haven’t.

Where have you been all my life?! I wish I had had a tube of Bioderma Sebium Mat Control Moisturiser in high school. Back then, my t-zone was so oily, you could have fried an egg on it. Getting makeup to stay put was a struggle. Foundation would slip off my forehead every few hours, even if I powdered it up. I couldn’t leave the house without blotting papers. And don’t get me started on pimples.

Since moving to London 4 years ago, my skin did almost a complete turnaround. I say almost because, even though it’s got a little drier everywhere, as the temperatures start to rise again, my t-zone gets back into the habit of pumping out more oil than it needs. Not as much as in my school days (puberty probably had something to do with that), but enough to bother me. But now, when this happens, I turn to Bioderma Sebium Mat Control Moisturizer. Here’s why:

What’s In Bioderma Sebium Mat Control Moisturiser?

SILICONES TO ABSORB EXCESS OIL

Hear me out before you jump on the “I hate silicones” bandwagon. They’re not the bad boys of skincare they’re made out to be. Quite the opposite. Silicones are so versatile, they have a few tricks up their sleeves. For starters, they’re what gives Bioderma Sebium Mat Control Moisturizer its incredible mattifying properties. They absorb excess oil and help keep shine off your face.

Silicones also fill in fine lines and wrinkles so they look smaller to the naked eye. Plus, they give slip to a product and make your skin feel silky soft to the touch. Without giving you breakouts or suffocating your skin. It’s true silicones create a barrier on the skin. But this barrier isn’t impenetrable. Silicones are big molecules and when they join together, they leave gaps in between one another. Your skin can still perspire through these gaps. Phew!

Related: The Truth About Silicones In Skincare: Are They As Bas As They’re Made Out To Be?

GLYCERIN TO HYDRATE SKIN

The last thing oily skin needs is more oil. But without it, how do you keep skin soft and supple? Humectants. That’s how scientists call ingredients that attract water from the air and bind it into the skin. This extra moisture keeps your skin hydrated for a few more hours. Bioderma Sebium Mat Control Moisturizer uses glycerin, one of the most common humectants out there. It’s second on the ingredient list after water, so it packs a very hydrating punch!

Related: What The Heck Are Humectants And Why Should You Use Them?

Texture

This isn’t the most lightweight lotion I’ve ever tried, but I wouldn’t call it thick, either. It’s somewhere in between, has good slip that makes it glides smoothly on the skin and sinks in in seconds.

Fragrance

Floral and subtle. It’s quite pleasant and inoffensive. It doesn’t hit your nose hard and stays forever like some other lotions does. Said that, if you’re a regular here, you know my preference will always be fragrance-free. As nice as it smell, a fragrance has always the potential to irritate sensitive skin.

How To Use It

In the morning, in between serum and sunscreen. At night, it’s the last step of your skincare routine. You don’t have to use it twice a day, but if you want to, you know how to do it now. You only need a small amount of it too.

Packaging

A sleek white and green tube with green accents. It has that typical Bioderma feel, it’s practical to use, and it’s slimmer than the original, which makes it easy to travel with or keep in your pursue, in case you need touch-ups during the day.

Performance & Personal Opinion

After slathering Bioderma Sebium Mat Control Moisturiser on my face, the first thing I noticed is how velvety soft my skin was. There was also a slight blurring effect that made the larges pores around my nose look smaller. Of course the effect is temporary, but I’ll take it. It also does a good job at hydrating skin. It wouldn’t be enough in winter when my skin gets drier, but for this time of year, it’s perfect. I put it on in the morning and my skin doesn’t feel tight or dry till evening.

But does it help with oil control? Yes. As soon as you put it on, it dries to a matte finish that lasts for a few hours. Normally, I’d have to use a blotting paper after 3 or 4 hours. When I wear this, I have only a tiny amount of oil around the 5 hour mark.

Bioderma Sebium Mat Control Moisturiser isn’t a miracle potion that makes oil completely disappear for the entire day. But it absorbs enough to keep the shine at bay for longer than normal. If you’re tired of blotting your face every couple of hours, give it a go. If I had to find a fault with it, I wish it had more antioxidants. But then, this isn’t an antiaging product nor does it claim to be. I just apply an antioxidant serum underneath and I’m good to go.

What I Like About Bioderma Sebium Mat Control Moisturiser

• Texture sits in the sweet spot between light and thick, with enough slip to glide on and sink in within seconds
• Fragrance is floral but subtle, doesn’t linger or hit you in the face like some scented lotions do
• Gives skin a velvety softness immediately after application
• Has a mild blurring effect that visibly (if temporarily) softens the look of pores around the nose
• Keeps skin hydrated enough to feel comfortable, not tight or dry, from morning through evening
• Genuinely cuts down oil: instead of blotting every 3-4 hours, you’re looking at just a bit of shine around the 5-hour mark
• A little goes a long way, so the tube will last

What I DON’T Like About Bioderma Sebium Mat Control Moisturiser

• Contains fragrance, which smells nice but always carries some risk of irritation for sensitive skin
• Won’t be hydrating enough on its own once the weather turns and skin gets drier
• Doesn’t stop oil completely, it just delays it, so if you want a fully matte face all day, this won’t get you there
• Light on antioxidants, so you’ll want to layer an antioxidant serum underneath if that’s a priority for you

Who Should Use This?

This is strictly for oily skin that needs help tone down the grease and stay matte during the day. If you don’t have excess oil, this does NOT belong in your skincare routine. Period.

Does Bioderma Sebium Mat Control Moisturiser Live Up To Its Claims?

Price & Availability

$27.99 at Bioderma, Look Fantastic, Sephora,

Do You Need It?

If you have oily skin, this is a great moisturiser to consider.