Introducing: The Absolute *Best* Moisturizers for Dry Skin (2024)

What do editors, aestheticians, and dermatologists have in common? They're all obsessed with this moisturizer, which just so happens to rank as Cosmo's best moisturizer for dry skin, period. "I’m a genuine fan of all Skinfix products, including this moisturizer," says deputy beauty director Lauren Balsamo. "The texture is perfect for my combo skin—not too heavy, not too light—and the gentle formula layers perfectly with actives, like retinoids and AHAs."

• Key ingredients: Shea butter, jojoba oil, peptides, lipids, squalane
• Size: 1.7 oz.

THE REVIEWS: One reviewer writes that "this cream from Skinfix is amazing! First of all, the bottle is easy to use. Second, the cream itself provided me with such hydrated and brightener skin, especially during this dry and itchy autumn season."

"I've been a big fan of the Tower 28 SOS spray for a while, so I had to try the brand's new SOS Daily Barrier Recovery Cream," says Cosmo editor Olivia Truffaut-Wong. She says the moisturizer is a dream for skin that's dry and also easily irritated, thanks to presence of calming allantoin. "It doesn't irritate my skin, and I love that I can use a bigger dollop on days when I feel more dry without it the formula feeling heavy or clogging my pores."

Aesthetician Elizabeth Hand also recommends this for clients with dry skin that's acne-prone, since it doesn't contain a bunch of heavy, rich oils. Instead, it uses lightweight hydrators and anti-inflammatory ingredients to help soothe moisturize and soothe irritation.

• Key ingredients: Allantoin, ceramides, hyaluronic acid
• Size: 1.86 oz.

THE REVIEWS: "You would not believe how much my skin has calmed down from all this redness and irritation," writes one tester. "Ever since I starting using the redness line, wow, my skin has been transformed."

Once a year, my skin barrier gets absolutely wrecked, and I turn to this gentle yet moisturizing fragrance-free cream. I love that it's a gel formula, which sinks in fast and doesn't feel heavy at all. But in a few nights, I notice my dry patches have smoothed over and my skin feels less tight and irritated, all thanks to a whole lotta hyaluronic acid that pulls in water to help hydrate my skin.

• Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, beeswax, dimethicone (smoothing)
• Size: 1.7 oz.

THE REVIEWS: "I must say, the product completely surpassed my expectations," writes one tester. "It was incredibly easy to apply, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it lasted all day long without any need for touch-ups. Overall, I am thoroughly impressed with this product and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a reliable and long-lasting solution."

Low-key, this is still one of the best moisturizers for dry skin I've ever used as a beauty editor... and it's under $20. Thanks to a lineup of moisturizing ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin E, this formula is simple but legit so effective. I keep a tub on hand at all times to help moisturize from head to toe, especially during winter when my skin gets ultra dry.

• Key ingredients: Ceramides, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E
• Size: 19 oz.

THE REVIEWS: "This product is very good quality," writes one tester. "It’s fragrance free and thick, and gives my skin a silky feeling. It’s absorbs into my skin very rapidly, which means minimal rubbing in. It is surprisingly lightweight when on, leaving my skin feeling soft and fresh."

Every time I peek at a makeup artists' kits during NYFW, I always spot a tube of this moisturizer from Embryolisse. Why? Because it's legit the best base for super glowy, natural skin, IMO. It has a lightweight feel, but packs a major punch in the moisture department with shea butter and hydrolyzed soy proteins. It also helps temporarily improve rough, uneven texture and has a lil grip to help my makeup go on smoother and stay on longer.

On days my skin is extra dry, I layer it on over my morning moisturizer and SPF like a primer. It gives my skin a bit of extra hydration without making my foundation and concealer break up or smear.

• Key ingredients: Shea butter, hydrolyzed soy protein,
• Size: 2.54 fl oz.

THE REVIEWS: "Loved how hydrating this cream is. I have skin that is on the dry side and I use this at night. I'm seeing incredible results. Makes my skin so smooth!" writes one reviewer.

What's better than a single peptide serum? Um, this moisturizer which contains over 300 (!!) peptides. It's major for encouraging collagen production, which helps reduce wrinkles and fine lines over time. Plus, it's got plumping and hydrating hyaluronic acid, as well as brightening niacinamide. One tester even calls it a "miracle in a bottle," so you know it's a good one.

• Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, peptides, niacinamide
• Size: 1.7 oz.

THE REVIEWS: "This cream works wonders for hydrating skin, making it feel smooth, and also minimizing fine lines," one review reads. "My skin looks way healthier after using this for just a few weeks. Plus, a little of this cream goes a long way so it should last me months."

One time, my roommate's dog scratched her face two days before a first date. I told her to dab this all over the scratch before bed, because it'd helped me with majorly irritated breakouts and scabs in the past. By the next morning, it was barely even noticeable. Since then, I constantly recommend this to anyone who wants to quickly heal dry, scaby, or scaly skin.

Dr. Fahs recommends this moisturizer to her patients too. "This is a holy grail for dry, irritated skin," she says. "It's formulated with centella asiatica, also known as cica, which is nourishing and soothing for dry, cracked, or irritated skin. Plus, it has dimethicone to work as a skin protectant to prevent water loss when you slather it on over moisturizer before bed."

• Key ingredients: Centella asiatica, dimethicone
• Size: 1.35 fl. oz.

THE REVIEWS: "I am absolutely in love with this," writes one reviewer. "On days when my skin is particularly dry and flaky, I can apply this in a thick layer or as a spot treatment. It has been a game-changer for me, and I would undoubtedly give it a perfect score of 100 out of 10."

Self-proclaimed eczema girlie and Cosmo senior shopping editor Kim Duong swears by this moisturizer from Topicals to help soothe her itchy, irritated skin. " I just dab it on any patches where my eczema is flaring, or slather it all over before bed as a night mask if my skin is feeling super dry," she says.

• Key ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, madecassoside, green tea
• Size: 1.7 oz.

THE REVIEWS: "This product got rid of my eczema in literally two days," writes one reviewer. "I have struggled with intense redness around my body for the last five years, and no product worked. If you have any problems with eczema, get this ASAP."

"This is a rich and soothing night cream that's formulated with colloidal oatmeal and allantoin," says Dr. Fahs. These two anti-inflammatory ingredients are exactly why I swear by it when I've got an intense hormonal acne breakout. Together, they help alleviate the redness and swelling on and around my cysts, while keeping my skin moisturized and soft.

• Key ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, allantoin
• Size: 6 oz.

THE REVIEWS: One review reads, "I'm currently on Accutane and cannot describe the pain of my dry face. It hurts so much and stings so bad. I’ve tried over 10 moisturizers and everything burns. I tried First Aid Beauty for the first time, and my skin instantly soothed and my redness slowly went away."

"This is the moisturizer my clients ask me the most about, probably because it's so hyped on social media," says Hand. "Unlike a lot of buzzy products, I actually find the formula to be even better than the hype surrounding it." It uses a mix of all of the must-have ingredients for dry skin: glycerin, urea, squalane, sodium PCA, peptides, and ceramides. And it moisturizes without feeling heavy on your skin too. "It’s for the dry skin bb that wants to be hydrated but not feel like a grease ball."

• Key ingredients: Urea, peptides, ceramides, sodium PCA
• Size: 50 ml.

THE REVIEWS: "Literally nothing compares to Instant Angel," writes a reviewer. "It’s my new staple, and I have had zero breakouts or any issues with my super sensitive skin. I’ll be using this one forever. My skin feels hydrated and supple and multiple people have told me my skin is glowing!! I use tretinoin and this is a lifesaver for my formerly dry, constantly peeling skin."

This is more than just a fancy bottle, fyi. Hand introduced me to this dry skin moisturizer a few months ago during a facial appointment, and I immediately called in a sample to incorporate it into my own routine. And my, oh my, it is so good as the last step in my routine. It's loaded with good ingredients, like antioxidant coQ10, skin-like lipids, collagen-boosting amino acids, and more. I always layer this on before and after a flight to help stave off the dryness that comes from plane air and give me a major glow afterward.

"The initial investment is a lot, but it's worth it for so many, many reasons," says Hand, "especially for chronically dry skin clients who have never found a moisturizer that leaves them flake-free even in the depths of winter."

• Key ingredients: CoQ10, safflower oil, shea butter, peptides, apple stem cells
• Size: 30 ml.

THE REVIEWS: According to one tester, "I travel for work and have noticed my skin can get drier at different times. This Intensive Moisturizer is magic. I use it at night as a mask or I add a little bit of the Nutrient Face Serum in and use it during the day. You've never felt anything like this."

To help heal and moisturize extremely dry skin, dermatologists recommend following a skincare routine that's specifically for dry skin. that includes removing your makeup and applying moisturizer before bed and sunscreen in the morning every single day. But there are a few simple additions to your routine that can help improve hydration and reduce moisture loss.

Dr. Fahs and aesthetician Tanya White recommend trying the "skin flooding" technique, which involves spritzing your face with water or face mist between the steps of your routine to boost hydration, then following with a moisturizer (like Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream) to seal it all in.

If you also notice your skin gets majorly dry in the fall and winter, try mitigating some dryness by keeping a humidifier in your room while you sleep, suggests Dr. Fahs. "Toasty homes are cozy, but the heat being on in the house also means drier skin," she says. A humidifier will "moisten the air and help to keep your skin moisturized while you sleep," Dr. Fahs explains.

Look for a formula with humectants and occlusives.

Humectants—like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and urea—essentially draw water into your skin like a sponge, helping to give it a hydrated and plump feel. Meanwhile, occlusives (like petroleum jelly, shea butter, argan oil) sit on top of your skin to seal in water and hydration. This is so important for dry skin, because it's very susceptible to water loss, so make sure your moisturizer contains a mix of both humectants and occlusives, says White.

White (plus our entire editorial team) is a huge fan of Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream, which contains both humectants and occlusives to help moisturize skin and lock in that moisture for hours. Or you could opt for a light cream (I love CeraVe Moisturizing Cream), then top it off with an occlusive, like La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm.

Consider your irritation levels.

If your skin is dry, there's a good chance it's also irritated since dryness and skin barrier damage go hand in hand. "Adding products to your routine with ingredients like aloe, calendula, and centella asiatica will help soothe, heal, and restore your skin barrier," says White. Try First Aid Beauty's Ultra Repair Cream, which Dr. Fahs loves for irritation, or Topicals Like Butter Moisturizer, our editors' favorite.

• Fatima Fahs, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in Michigan. She is also the founder of the Dermy Doc Box, a quarterly subscription beauty box filled with dermatologist-approved skincare favorites.
• Elizabeth Hand is an aesthetician based in New York, NY. She's also the founder of Ställe Studios, a spa in NYC offering bespoke facials.
• Tanya White is an aesthetician based in New York, NY where she's well-versed in working with clients to help reduce acne, irritation, and dullness. She works out of her own studio in Brooklyn.