Which moisturizers are best for dry skin?
Moisture is essential for healthy skin. If you have dry skin, though, you need some extra help to hydrate your skin. That means any old moisturizer won’t do.
When you’re buying a moisturizer for dry skin, you want a heavier formula with ingredients that attract moisture to the skin and seal it in, such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, dimethicone and urea. Adequate hydration can help smooth the skin, fight fine lines and wrinkles, and leave you with a glow even if your skin is naturally dry.
Need a high-quality moisturizer to boost your skin’s hydration? The best moisturizers for dry skin can leave you a bright, healthy complexion year-round.
Best moisturizers for dry skin 2023
Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream Moisturizer with Ceramides
With six African oils and a ceramide complex, this rich moisturizer helps provide intense hydration and strengthen your skin’s protective barrier. It also helps combat wrinkles and protects against environmental stress. The formula is also vegan.
Sold by Sephora, Kohl’s, Ulta Beauty and Amazon
Avene Eau Thermale Rich Revitalizing Nourishing Cream
This intensive moisturizer provides plenty of hydration without clogging your pores. It helps strengthen your skin’s natural protective barrier and fights damage from pollution and other environmental stressors with red fruit extract. Formulated to reduce the risk of irritation, it’s safe for sensitive skin.
Sold by Ulta Beauty and Amazon
Cetaphil Deep Hydration Healthy Glow Daily Face Cream
This affordable moisturizer can restore your skin’s hydration for up to 48 hours but is still lightweight and non-greasy. It contains hyaluronic acid, vitamin B5 and vitamin E to moisturize and soothe skin. It helps strengthen sensitive skin over time and leaves your complexion with a healthy glow.
Clinique Smart SPF 15 Custom-Repair Moisturizer for Very Dry Skin
If you want a moisturizer that can help fight fine lines and wrinkles and firm the skin, this is an excellent option. It contains no oil but features ingredients that help draw and retain moisture in the skin. It also provides SPF 15 for sun protection during the day and is non-acnegenic.
Sold by Amazon, Sephora, Kohl’s, Target and Ulta Beauty
For highly dehydrated skin, this intensive moisturizing ointment is your best bet. It provides a protective barrier for the skin that locks in moisture and helps soothe irritation and redness. It’s preservative- and fragrance-free.
Farmacy Honey Halo Ultra-Hydrating Ceramide Moisturizer
This rich cream can restore moisture to dry, stressed skin and plump its appearance to reduce the look of fine lines. It contains fig fruit extract to help bind moisture in the skin and a ceramide blend that prevents moisture loss. It’s also cruelty-free and comes in recyclable packaging.
Sold by Sephora, Kohl’s and Amazon
This creamy moisturizer doesn’t contain any fragrance, dyes or parabens, so it’s a good option for sensitive skin. It’s dermatologist-tested and non-comedogenic, too, which reduces the risk of breakouts. Despite the rich texture, it absorbs quickly, preventing any greasy residue.
Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream Plumping & Hydrating Moisturizer
An intense moisturizer, this formula is full of antioxidants and hydrating, plumping ingredients, which leave the skin with a healthy glow. The hyaluronic acid attracts moisture to the skin, while the botanical extracts help retain the moisture. It can help restore firmness and elasticity and boost luminosity.
Sold by Amazon, Kohl’s and Sephora
Keys Soulcare Skin Transformation Cream
Developed by a board-certified dermatologist, this moisturizer is clean and cruelty-free. It contains ceramides to hydrate and plump the skin and antioxidants that help improve tone and texture. It also adds instant radiance to the skin.
Sold by Ulta Beauty
Youth To The People Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream with Ashwagandha + Reishi
This vegan, cruelty-free cream provides rich hydration with squalane, jojoba and shea butter. It won’t clog the pores and can help improve fine lines, wrinkles and redness. It doesn’t contain any parabens, phthalates or sulfates.
Sold by Sephora, Kohl’s and Amazon
This highly affordable, dermatologist-recommended moisturizer is ideal for dry skin. It contains hyaluronic acid and ceramides to provide 24-hour hydration. It absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave a greasy or sticky residue. It’s also fragrance-free, paraben-free and non-comedogenic.
Sold by Amazon, Target and Ulta Beauty
Sunday Riley Ice Ceramide Moisturizing Cream
Another ceramide-rich moisturizer, this helps strengthen your skin’s natural protective barrier to lock in moisture. The included beetroot and coconut help draw moisture to the skin, where vitamin F and pomegranate sterols seal it in. It helps diminish fine lines, wrinkles, uneven texture and dullness.
Sold by Sephora, Target, Kohl’s and Amazon
Weleda Skin Food Original Ultra-Rich Cream
This rich moisturizer can hydrate and smooth dry, rough-looking skin, leaving you with a luminous complexion. It features a blend of plant-based ingredients that help nourish and soothe the skin. It’s dermatologist-tested, too, so it’s usually safe for sensitive skin.
Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Cream
This anti-aging moisturizer doesn’t just help improve existing fine lines and prevent future wrinkles. It also delivers intense moisture that lasts for up to 24 hours. Because it absorbs so easily, you don’t have to worry about a greasy residue. It doesn’t contain any sulfates, parabens or phthalates.
Sold by Sephora, Amazon, Ulta Beauty, Kohl’s and Target
Elf Cosmetics Holy Hydration Face Cream SPF 30
This lightweight moisturizer delivers a surprising amount of hydration to leave the skin looking plump and supple. It includes hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture and peptides to help boost collagen production for firmer-looking skin. It also provides SPF 30 to protect your skin from sun damage.
Sold by Amazon, Ulta Beauty and Target
Olay Regenerist Ultra-Rich Moisturizer
This fragrance-free moisturizer instantly hydrates your skin and leaves it looking firm and plump. It also features vitamin B3+ peptides that help strengthen and nourish the skin. The formula is extremely thick and creamy, but it doesn’t leave a greasy residue.
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Jennifer Blair writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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