I’ve Been Testing Moisturizers for My Dry Skin for Years. Here’s What Works.

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Texture:Rich cream| Base:Water-based| Active ingredients:Glycerin, hyaluronic acid, ceramides

My top pick for dry skin is also my overall pick forbody lotion(and personal go-to). My skin is sensitive to fragrance, and I struggle with seasonal eczema due to dryness. The texture is thick but not super-rich, and the creamy texture feels luxe given the price point. At $18 a tub, it’s affordable enough that you don’t have to be precious about how much you slather on. I also like the ingredients. Ceramides are key for ahealthy skin barrierand when applied topically, it helps toboost moisture levels and repair skin. It also contains glycerin and hyaluronic acid, staples in moisturizers formulated for dry skin. Glycerin is a humectant that pulls water into the skin and hyaluronic increases skin’s flexibility and elasticity while also boosting hydration. Because of its fairly simple ingredient list and mass availability (you can find it at most drugstores), it’s a good option for just about anyone needing a dependable moisturizer.

Texture:Cream |Base:Water-based |Active ingredients:Glycerin, urea, amino acids, ceramides, plant-derived lipid complex

If you have a bit more money in the budget for a moisturizer, I’d recommend splurging on Instant Angel from Dieux. It’s my desert-island moisturizer, striking the hard-to-achieve balance of being rich but not greasy and imparting a telltale glow to my skin. It has kept me moisturized longer than some of my heavier creams and carried me through the coldest days of winter and warm summery days, too. I also like the cocktail of ingredients: Instant Angel contains a blend of ceramides, glycerin, fatty acids, urea, squalene, and peptides, all of which work together to support a healthy skin barrier. The convenient squeeze tube crinkles attractively the more you use it, and it comes with a little metal tool to help you get out every last drop of product.

Texture:Cream |Base:Water-based |Active ingredients:Glycerin, ceramides, hyaluronic acid

I’ve evangelized about this CosRx moisturizer, which replaced my tube of Dieux Instant Angel. It’s straightforward as far as ingredients go: hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides, a combination I often gravitate toward and that has worked for me in the past. One of my favorite features of this moisturizer is the texture — I’ve described it as a “Goldilocks” moisturizer — which is lighter than the Dieux Instant Angel and almost instantly absorbs into skin. It also keeps my skin hydrated all day. I never end up with that tight, dry feeling, even after 12 hours spent rotating between varying indoor and outdoor temperatures.

Texture:Cream |Base:Water-based |Active ingredients:Glycerin, amino acid, peptides, urea

Dieux also makes a lighter-weight moisturizer, Air Angel, that’s just as excellent and contains lots of similar ingredients to Instant Angel. It contains a mix of peptides and amino acids, which help to support the skin’s structure and plump the skin. It also has glycerin, a humectant that helps to draw moisture in. While advertised as a gel cream, it’s a touch thicker, but not so much so that it crosses into rich territory. It’s lightweight enough for someone with oilier skin or who’s looking for a lighter formulation but also hydrating enough that it works well for someone like me with normal to dry skin. I rely on it in the summer months, when my skin is prone to acne and clogging, and always look forward to adding it back into my rotation.

Texture:Rich cream |Base:Water-based |Active ingredients:Ceramides, triple lipid complex

The latest trend in the moisturizer space is barrier repair,which I’ve theorizedis in response to the obsession with exfoliation. These moisturizers tend to have a rich consistency and are packed with ceramides and peptides, which help to support the skin’s structure and prevent moisture loss and tend to be sensitive skin–friendly to avoid further irritation. All of these properties make barrier-repair moisturizers great for extremely dry and even flaky skin. This one, from Korean skin-care brand Aestura, is a staple in my current rotation — it’s nourishing but not too heavy and doesn’t irritate my selectively sensitive skin. It’s also a favorite of Strategist writers Erin Schwartz and Brenley Goertzen, who say it’s rich but not heavy. “My skin is so sensitive that I’m working with a limited set of options, but this doesn’t feel like some weird, hypoallergenic compromise,” says Schwartz. “It’s like your skin drank a glass of water.” Goertzen agrees: “It’s rich, but it doesn’t sit on top of my skin. I swear I could feel the moisture going deep into my skin and repairing the area.” And in what feels like the ultimate endorsement, Goertzen’s partner has been stealing it and using it regularly too.

Texture:Ointment| Base:Petroleum-based| Active ingredient:Glycerin

There are those with skin that tends to get parched and flaky, particularly in the winter months, and then there are those whose skin is so dry it can actually look scaly and, as a result, is exceptionally hard to nourish. If you’re in the latter category, I recommend Aquaphor, which has carried me through many winter eczema flares. It’s the go-to for occlusives, slightly edging out the similarly formulated Vaseline because it also contains glycerin, which can help repair a damaged skin barrier. Aquaphor is also frequently recommended by dermatologists, who have suggested it for everything fromAccutane–induced drynesstoeczema. Dr. Susan Binder andDr. Katelyn WoolridgeofWestlake Dermatologyare both fans. “Ointments are the best at fortifying the skin barrier and locking in moisture,” says Woolridge, and Aquaphor does just that. Binder warns that “it can be a bit greasy” but thinks it’s “great when used immediately after the shower or bath to lock in moisture and helpheal dry, cracked skin.” It’s also fragrance-free, making it a good option for those withsensitive skinas well.

Texture:Cream| Base:Petroleum-based| Active ingredients:Ceramides

For the ultrasensitive, I often recommendVanicream, which formulates without anything sensitizing without sacrificing moisture. The main active in the skin cream is ceramides, which help to fortify the barrier and lock in moisture. Dr. Ife Rodney, founding director ofEternal Dermatology + Aesthetics, calls this Vanicream moisturizer “ideal” because it’s formulated specifically for sensitive skin, so it’s “free of lanolin, formaldehyde, parabens, and fragrances that commonly irritate dry, sensitive skin.” Even though I’ve recommended Vanicream as a solution forextremely dry skinbefore, it’s just as effective and gentle for your face. My fellow Strategist writerLauren Rohas this to say: “I was immediately impressed with how luxurious and rich the cream felt on my skin — and surprised by how easily it spread.”

Texture:Cream| Base:Water-based| Active ingredients:Glycerin, hyaluronic acid, ceramides

French drugstore brand La Roche-Posay has a strong following (I am an acolyte), and every product is formulated with selenium-rich spring water, known for helping with skin damage and inflammation. As a sensitive-skin type, I’ve known about its Toleriane line for years. It’s great for dry skin, and the double-repair moisturizer is a classic for a reason. It’s a bit lighter than Cerave’s moisturizing cream and less rich than Dieux Skin’s Instant Angel, but this is actually a good thing if you have acne-prone skin, which can be triggered by too-heavy products.Dr. Hope Mitchell, a board-certified dermatologist in Perrysburg, Ohio, also likes Double Repair for acne-prone skin, especially if you’re treating your acne with drying ingredients like benzoyl peroxide. “With dimethicone, soothing niacinamide, water-attracting glycerin, and hydrating ceramides,” it’s “perfect for hydrating dry skin associated with redness,” she says. It’s also a nice option for those with combination skin. Another bonus, it contains SPF 30 to help protect skin from environmental damage and UV rays.

Texture:Gel-Cream| Base:Water-based| Active ingredients:Glycerin, hyaluronic acid

The Hydro Boost moisturizer is a house classic here at the Strategist. I’ve written about it in posts for oily skin,Accutane users, and now dry skin. (Our readers love it too: It has been onbest-sellers listsover ten times.) This product is good for everyone because it has universally beneficial star ingredients: hyaluronic acid and glycerin. Gel textures are typically targeted toward those with normal or oily skin, but this cream is actually perfect for dry skin, and it works pretty quickly according to dermatologists. I’ve been told it delivers hydrated skin after about a week of use. The gel texture also means that it smoothly disappears into the skin, so it can be worn alone or under makeup. We’ve also recommended this product formature skin,sunburned skin, and even forpregnant women, because it’s so hydrating and gentle.

Texture:Cream| Base:Oil-based| Active ingredients:None

For those looking to keep their skin-care routine as “clean” as possible with actually effective products, Weleda Skin Food, which contains all natural ingredients, was recommended to me by everyone from makeup artists toformer Strategist writersto authorStephanie Danler. “My skin was flawless, luminous even, and not at all greasy,” Danler told us after trying it for the first time. Weleda brands the balmlike cream as a natural remedy for excessively dry skin (though it does offer alight versionfor the summer or those who need less help). Although it doesn’t feature ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides that I’ve called out before, it is chock-full of fatty acids and vitamin E, which naturally moisturize and soften the skin. On top of that, pansy soothes irritation while the calendula flower extract helps to repair the damaged skin.

Texture:Cream| Base:Water-based| Active ingredients:Glycerin, hyaluronic acid, ceramides

This moisturizing lotion is full of the ingredients needed to soothe dry, irritated skin, such as ceramides and hyaluronic acid. It has a thinner consistency than the cream, and it has the added benefit of a pump format. I like that it’s nourishing without being pore clogging: I recently added it into my rotation after a dermaplane session gone wrong and was pleasantly surprised. Most of my other go-tos stinged a bit, but this soothed my angry skin. A peek at the ingredients list explained it: “These ingredients hold cells together and strengthen the skin’s barrier, protecting it from water loss and influx of irritants as well as offer continuous 24-hour maximum hydration while soothing the skin,” says Mitchell. It also includes niacinamide, which acts as an anti-inflammatory to calm down any redness and tenderness in the dry areas of skin. On top of healing the skin, it’s also “lightweight, noncomedogenic, so it won’t clog pores, and oil-free,” which Mitchell calls “a triple bang for your buck.” And though it’s labeled as a nighttime moisturizer, you don’t necessarily have to just use it at night, but that’s when you’ll probably see the most results.

Texture:Cream| Base:Oil-based| Active ingredients:Glycerin, ceramides

This SkinCeuticals moisturizer has an ultrathick, rich feel, which felt a bit heavy on my skin but was perfect for my mom, who deals with increased dryness as she ages. She loves this stuff and has told me her skin feels supple, healthy, and smooth. It makes sense, given that it’s specifically designed to target signs of aging. It’s infused with specific lipids — like natural cholesterol, pure ceramides, and fatty acids — that are naturally depleted in the skin over time. Adding these lipids back in can “help reinforce the skin’s barrier and help the skin retain moisture,” says Dr. Deanne Mraz Robinson, a partner at Modern Dermatology and an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale New Haven Hospital.

Texture:Cream| Base:Oil-based| Active ingredients:Glycerin, colloidal oatmeal, ceramides

I’ve found that the key difference between products for simply dry skin, and those designed for eczema is that the latter typically include calming and anti-inflammatory ingredients, which makes sense given that a core characteristic of eczema is skin inflammation. The hero ingredient of this Aveeno cream is colloidal oatmeal, which is naturally anti-inflammatory and will help soothe any flare-ups. It also contains ceramides, which Dr. Nazarian told me improves the quality of skin with continued use. Aveeno’s eczema-therapy line has been recommended to me by multiple dermatologists forbody lotionsandeczema-specifictreatments, especially this itch-relief balm. I used this balm for a few nights on some itchy areas of my face and body and was pleasantly surprised at how soothing it was. It also has an interesting consistency, somewhere between a lotion and a balm, and feels like a thin ointment once it dries down.

Texture:Cream| Base:Water-based| Active ingredients:Glycerin, niacinamide, peptides, ceramides

Fading hyperpigmentation can be difficult, which is why I always recommend a multipronged approach — a mix of brightening and exfoliating actives that encourages cell turnover and lighten dark marks. I’ve gone through a tub of this niacinamide-infused moisturizer from Eadem, which helped to lighten some post-acne scarring around my chin. It also contains ceramides (great for supporting the skin’s barrier) and peptides, which help to fortify the skin and combat everything from wrinkles to inflammation.