Moisturizers for Dry Skin

With fall comes lower temps, running the heat and my skin flipping it’s switch back to super mega dry mode. My dandruff is back in biz too. Cool, cool. If I’m dealing with irritated, dry skin, I thought you might be too. I wanted to share the best moisturizers for dry skin in hopes that you might get some relief along with me.

When skin is experiencing what is called transepidermal water loss, you’ll want to choose a moisturizer that ideally has both humectants, ingredients that draw moisture to the skin, as well as occlusives, ingredients that help skin retain water but also keep pollutants and bacteria out. Those that are especially acne-prone may want to go easy on the occlusives though.

Common Humectants

• Hyaluronic acid
• Glycerin
• Allantoin
• Sodium PCA

Common Occlusives

• Lanolin
• Cocoa butter
• Jojoba
• Shea butter
• Beeswax
• Dimethicone

My love for Skin Food is clear and documented but allow me to remind you. This is a rich, hydrating cream that I love to use as an overnight sleeping mask of sorts. It’s also freakin’ wonderful for hands, elbows and dry feet too.

Glossier Priming Moisturizer Rich
I don’t reach for this as much in the summer months but once temps chill out, I love using it as my night cream. I love the lavender scent but skip this if you have issues with lavender oil. My full review can be found here.
Make sure to shop via my link to save 10% on your first Glossier order.

This is my favorite moisturizer from Murad because it hydrates completely and fully. It’s well rounded and effective. Read more about why I dig it so much in this post.

This soothing French moisturizer is one of the easiest, fastest ways for me to prep clients’ skin for makeup applications. It really helps to transform dry skin quickly, making it ideal as a hydrating makeup primer.

When you’re super dry, you want to keep your skin happy and hydrated all hours of the day so a rich day cream like this is a great idea. REN’s Day Cream not only soothes dryness but calms redness for me too.

Being that First Aid Beauty is a brand pretty much built around dry, sensitive skin, there’s no doubt this does the trick. I like that this can pretty much go anywhere and the colloidal oatmeal really helps calm angry skin. I also think this a great price point for 6 oz.