Best Overall Moisturizer For Dry Skin
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Moisturizer
Best Overall Moisturizer For Dry Skin
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Moisturizer
Now 17% Off
Pros
- Super lightweight
- Oil-free formula
- Fragrance-free
Cons
- May not be good for extra dry skin
While dry skin sometimes needs heavier creams and balms, that doesn’t mean you always want to spend the day with a film on your face. This gel-cream hybrid “is ultra light, but effective,” says dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD. “It’s loaded with hyaluronic acid, which acts like a sponge to pull in hydration to the outer skin.” You can’t go wrong with this facial moisturizer and it also comes in body and hand formulas.
Size | 1.7 oz |
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Key Ingredients | Glycerin, Hyaluronic acid |
Best Dry Skin Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra Soothing Repair Face Moisturizer
Best Dry Skin Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra Soothing Repair Face Moisturizer
Pros
- Suitable for sensitive skin
- Fragrance-free
- Lightweight
Cons
- May not be good for acne prone skin
Dry skin and sensitive skin are not mutually exclusive. In fact, dry skin can become increasingly sensitive because the skin barrier may be compromised, leading to more irritation. For sensitive skin, dermatologist Morgan Rabach, MD recommends this La Roche-Posay moisturizer because “it’s water-based, non-greasy, and hypoallergenic.”
Size | 1.35 oz |
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Key Ingredients | Squalane, shea butter, glycerin, prebiotic thermal water |
Best Dry Skin Moisturizer for Anti-Aging
SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Interrupter Advanced Anti-Wrinkle Cream
Best Dry Skin Moisturizer for Anti-Aging
SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Interrupter Advanced Anti-Wrinkle Cream
Pros
- Helps address signs of aging
- Good for mature skin
- Rich texture
Cons
- May be too heavy for some
- Expensive
Not only does this luxe, rich moisturizer help protect your skin barrier and hydrate parched skin, but it also helps smooth fine lines, wrinkles, and other signs of aging. It’s innovative formula attacks glycation, a process in your skin that can cause the collagen and elastin in your skin to become weak, leading to the signs of aging. This double duty is why dermatologist Dendy Engelman, MD recommends it.
Size | 1.7 oz |
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Key Ingredients | Proxylanetm, fruit flavonoids, niacinamide, glycyrrhetinic acid, glycerin |
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Best Dry Skin Moisturizer For Body
Eucerin Advanced Repair Body Lotion
Best Dry Skin Moisturizer For Body
Eucerin Advanced Repair Body Lotion
Now 16% Off
Pros
- Lightweight and non-greasy
- Easy to apply to a large area
- Fragrance-free
Cons
- Not recommended for your face
This body lotion “delivers the benefits of a cream in a light lotion formula that easily spreads over large surface areas of skin,” says Zeichner. “It contains a combination of ceramides to repair the skin barrier along with natural moisturizing factors to pull in hydration to the outer skin layer,” he says, which translates to longlasting moisture from head to toe.
Size | 16.9 oz |
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Key Ingredients | Glycerin, urea, shea butter, ceramides |
Best Dry Skin Moisturizer for Extra Dry Skin
La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Lipid Barrier
Best Dry Skin Moisturizer for Extra Dry Skin
La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Lipid Barrier
Pros
- Safe for sensitive skin
- Ultra rich texture
- Large size
Cons
- May be too heavy for some people
This rich cream is a top pick from dermatologist Robert Finney, MD for a couple of reasons. It’s ultra-moisturizing power is ideal for winter, but it’s “non-comedogenic so it’s great for my acne-prone skin,” he says. It’s also soothing enough to help minimize irritation that can come from other skincare ingredients like retinol.
Size | 6.7 oz, 13.5 oz |
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Key Ingredients | Glycerin, shea butter, niacinamide, prebiotic thermal water, ceramides |
Best Cult Classic Dry Skin Moisturizer
Dieux Instant Angel Moisturizer
Best Cult Classic Dry Skin Moisturizer
Dieux Instant Angel Moisturizer
Pros
- Rich but lightweight
- Helps boost skin barrier
- Recyclable aluminum tube
Cons
- Dewy finish may not be for everyone
This cult classic moisturizer delivers incredible hydration and skin barrier-boosting power while still being fairly lightweight. It’s especially good for cold weather to help protect skin against harsh environmental factors like subzero temperatures and cold winds. Plus, “it’s rich and dewy and leaves skin with a beautiful glossy finish,” says aesthetician Sofie Pavitt.
Size | 1.7 oz |
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Key Ingredients | Glycerin, hyaluronic acid, urea, peptides, ceramides, free fatty acids |
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Best Dry Skin Moisturizer for Redness
Senté Dermal Repair Facial Cream
Best Dry Skin Moisturizer for Redness
Senté Dermal Repair Facial Cream
Pros
- Hypoallergenic
- Lightweight
- Helps with rosacea and broken capillaries
This deeply moisturizing cream is packed with good ingredients like vitamin E and green tea extract to help reduce redness in addition to hydrating skin. Not only that, but it can also help improve the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
Size | 1.7 oz |
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Key Ingredients | Heparan sulfate analog, green tea extract, vitamin E |
Best Dry Skin Moisturizer with Antioxidants
Cetaphil Restoring Lotion with Antioxidants
Best Dry Skin Moisturizer with Antioxidants
Cetaphil Restoring Lotion with Antioxidants
Pros
- Large size
- Suitable for sensitive skin
- Fragrance-free
Cons
- Might be too heavy for some people
Cetaphil lotions are classic dermatologist go-tos, because they’re formulated for sensitive, dry skin and provide great moisture. But this version, according to Dr. Engelman, is supercharged. “The added antioxidants and niacinamide will neutralize free radical damage and repair the skin barrier,” she says. Niacinamide is especially good with strengthening the skin barrier to help keep moisture inside, but without irritation.
Size | 16 oz |
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Key Ingredients | Meadowfoam seed oil, glycerin, niacinamide, vitamin B5, squalane, vitamin E |
Best Dry Skin Moisturizer with SPF
CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF30
Best Dry Skin Moisturizer with SPF
CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF30
Now 26% Off
Pros
- Contains SPF
- Lightweight
- Fragrance-free
Cons
- Might be slightly oily for some people
This daily moisturizer is ideal for dry skin, because “it contains ceramides, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid to moisturize skin,” says dermatologist Morgan Rabach, MD, but unlike the others on this list, it also contains sunscreen. Sun damage can make dry skin even dryer, so protecting it with a minimum SPF 30 every day can help protect it against drying out further.
Size | 3 oz |
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Key Ingredients | Zinc oxide, niacinamide, glycerin, ceramides, hyaluronic acid |
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Skinfix Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream
Skinfix Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream
Pros
- Helps strengthen skin barrier
- Comes in a variety of sizes
- Refillable
Cons
- May be too heavy for some
Pavitt, who describes her own skin as bone dry, says she “consistently returns to this emollient, uncomplicated, fragrance free moisturizer when my skin is feeling particularly parched.” It’s packed with all the things dry skin needs: hyaluronic acid, peptides, lipids and ultra-moisturizing shea butter.
Size | 0.5 oz, 1.7 oz, 3 oz |
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Key Ingredients | Glycerin, shea butter, ceramides, squalene, triple lipid complex, peptides, hyaluronic acid |
Epi Logic The Total Package
Epi Logic The Total Package
Pros
- Lightweight
- Improves skin elasticity and texture
- Creamy balm texture
This skin-fortifying cream, which is shockingly lightweight for how hydrating it is, is one of Pavitt’s top recommendations because of the peptide-packed formula that also features bioidentical collagen. “Skin is ultra nourished, smoother and even toned after using this,” she says.
Size | 1.7 oz |
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Key Ingredients | Glycerin, squalane, niacinamide, shea butter, peptides, bioidentical collagen |
Avène Cicalfate Hydrating Skin Recovery Emulsion
Avène Cicalfate Hydrating Skin Recovery Emulsion
Pros
- Ultra-healing
- Lightweight
- Suitable for sensitive skin
This ultra moisturizing and soothing moisturizer, recommended by dermatologist Evan Rieder, MD is so healing that it can double as a post-tattoo balm or be used after harsh treatments like lasers or microneedling.
Size | 1.3 oz |
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Key Ingredients | Thermal spring water, glycerin, squalane, niacinamide, postbiotics, shea butter |
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Bioeffect Hydrating Cream
Bioeffect Hydrating Cream
Pros
- Addresses aging concerns
- Lightweight
- Fragrance-free
This all-around great moisturizer is deceptively lightweight enough to wear during the day, but is packed to the brim with moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid but also has Epidermal Growth Factors derived from barley to help smooth the look of signs of aging like fine lines, wrinkles and sagging skin.
Size | 1.01 oz, 1.7 oz |
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Key Ingredients | Icelandic water, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, barley-derived growth factors |
Best Luxury Dry Skin Moisturizer
Trio Rebalancing Moisture Treatment 50 ml
Best Luxury Dry Skin Moisturizer
Trio Rebalancing Moisture Treatment 50 ml
Pros
- Supports skin barrier function
- Helps balance the skin
- Lightweight
This power-packed moisturizer “addresses three critical elements of natural skin moisture,” says dermatologist Joe McGowan, MD. It contains natural moisturizing factors to help maintain the water content of the skin, ceramides and fatty acids to help improve skin barrier function, and hyaluronic acid “which acts as the skin’s primary hydration reservoir,” he says. Plus it’s non-greasy, lightweight, and non-irritating.
Size | 1.7 oz |
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Key Ingredients | Urea, ceramides, squalane, hyaluronic acid, fatty acids |
What To Look For
The bread and butter of any moisturizer are ingredients that, well, moisturize. We’re talking things like glycerin, squalane, shea butter and natural oils. Any moisturizer worth its salt will contain at last one of those. In addition, “you should look for a product with ceramides, which are lipid molecules that seal the skin barrier and lock in moisture,” says Dr. Rabach.
Another important ingredient is hyaluronic acid, “which pulls water into the skin without adding additional oils,” she says. Other ingredients like niacinamide and fatty acids can help restore balance to the skin barrier and if you’re also noticing irritation or inflammation along with dry skin, look for soothing ingredients like oatmeal.
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What Can Cause Dry Skin?
One of the main culprits could be a compromised skin barrier, the all-important microscopic shield of lipids that sit on top of your skin. This barrier helps keep bad stuff out of your skin, of course, but also keeps good stuff like moisture inside. “Healthy, hydrated skin constantly renews itself and maintains a resilient barrier,” says dermatologist Joe McGowan, MD. It’s a cycle—without sufficient hydration, the skin can’t repair a compromised barrier and without a healthy barrier, it loses hydration more easily. The best way to help it along, says Dr. McGowan, is “the delivery of nourishment to healthy epidermal cells.”
Meet the Experts
• Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York, NY
• Morgan Rabach, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York, NY
• Robert Finney, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York, NY
• Dendy Engelman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York, NY
• Evan Rieder, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York, NY
• Sofie Pavitt, a skincare expert and licensed esthetician based in New York, NY
How We Selected
For the past two years, we consulted with Men’s Health’s Grooming editors and writers on the best moisturizers for dry skin. Experts including our Grooming Editor, Garrett Munce, and our Deputy Editor of Commerce, Christian Gollayan, tried dozens of face moisturizers and evaluated their ingredients, feel, consistency, and effectiveness. We also considered top-reviewed moisturizers that had at least 100 five-star customer ratings on e-commerce websites that we trust.
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Garrett Munce
Garrett Munce writes about men’s style and grooming. He’s written for Esquire, New York Magazine, Spotlyte, and Very Good Light and held staff positions at GQ and W. Follow his skincare obsession on Instagram at @garrettmunce.