The 14 Best Moisturisers To Soothe And Nourish Very Dry Skin
It's a fact universally acknowledged that winter can play havoc on our skin. Cue the inevitable lacklustre complexion and perennially dry skin as soon as the temperature drops. The latter is one of our biggest bugbears at this time of year, since it can leave your skin feeling tight, peeling and patchy, and in no fit state for skin tints and cream bronzers.
What causes dry skin?
Dry skin occurs when it loses too much moisture and can look differently for everyone, ranging from mild dryness to skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Dry skin can happen when the temperature drops, but it can also be caused by a number of lesser-known factors, including:
Sun damage
Hormonal changes
Ageing
Medical treatments
What's the difference between dry and dehydrated skin?
Before we delve into the best hydrating moisturisers for the job, it's important to distinguish between dry and dehydrated skin. As Dr. Alexis Granite explains, dry skin is a skin type, while dehydration can be fleeting and occur in any skin – so yes, even oily skin can be dehydrated. ‘Dry skin is lacking in natural lipids (sebum), whereas dehydrated skin which is lacking in water in the uppermost stratum corneum layer (the skin barrier). Skin may be dry without being dehydrated and vice versa.’
According to Dr. Granite, ‘dry skin is often itchy, and may be characterised by flaking with redness and irritation.’ Other issues, such as psoriasis, keratosis pilaris and eczema are common too. As with all skin types, it pays to be specific with your moisturiser to ensure it’s up to the task of hydrating and nourishing without causing further irritation.
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Which ingredients are best for dry skin?
‘Moisturising ingredients fall into three broad categories: humectants which bind water, occlusives which create a barrier to prevent water loss, and emollients, which replace gaps between skin cells, keeping the barrier intact,’ explains Dr. Granite. Dry skin types need a combination of all these.
In terms of humectants, Dr. Granite recommends hyaluronic acid for dry skin types. ‘It’s an amazing molecule (also present in skin naturally) capable of holding over 1,000 times its weight in water,’ she says. ‘When used in skincare, HA helps to bind vital hydration, locking moisture within the skin.’
To lock in all that hydration, you need something occlusive. Dr. Granite likes olive-derived squalane and ‘richly nourishing’ shea butter. And the superstar emollient to scan your bottle for? ‘Ceramides help keep skin feeling hydrated and supple; they’re a great option for those with dry skin, or suffering with skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.’
How we test the best moisturisers for dry skin
When it comes to curating a skincare routine, we know every face is different. What works glowing wonders on your friend might not work for you at all, c'est la vie. Because of this, we know it's important to test a product on multiple skin types before we recommend it (we all know the sting of wasting money on a product you'll never use again). Rest assured, these 14 moisturisers have been tried and tested for their ability to relieve dry, uncomfortable skin, and we're confident they are some of the best.
Here, see the expert-approved moisturisers for dry skin that tick all the boxes.
The very best moisturisers for dry skin
Rhode Barrier Restore Cream
It's all too easy to be lured in by the shiny packaging and promise of a celebrity beauty brand. But when it comes to the formulation, Hailey Bieber's Rhode truly lives up to the hype. This lightweight yet powerful formula combines peptides to help strengthen and restore the all important skin barrier.
Glow Cream
Dr. Barbara Sturm's philosophy revolves around bringing down inflammation within the skin. This glow-enhancing cream can be trusted to deliver only good things – even on the most reactive complexions - including a more radiant and hydrated complexion. Note that this formula contains light-reflecting pearl pigments to impart glow, which may appear like a subtle shimmer.
Repair Day Cream NAC Y2
A day cream that ticks all the boxes is hard to come by. And yet, 111 Skin's science-backed and ever luxurious formula manages to do so, protecting your dermis from pollution, warding off unwanted fine lines and adding much-needed moisture back into parched skin throughout the day.
Squalane + Omega Repair Cream
As the name suggests, Biossance's biotech-powered cream is all about repairing your skin. It's one of the moisturisers the ELLE beauty team has on rotation year-round, thanks to its deeply nourishing texture and sustainable yet science-led formula.
Cicaplast Baume
La Roche-Posay never lets us down when it comes to problem-solving formulas that really do what they promise. This is the pick of the bunch for seriously dry skin or for those dealing with eczema or dermatitis. The heavier-duty Cicaplast Baume is loaded with shea and panthenol to repair flaking, sore skin.
Dr.Jart+ Ceramidin Cream
Ceramides are lipids that make up around 30% of your skin barrier – so, if your levels become depleted, the door is left open for water to evaporate, leading to dehydration. Plenty of things can deplete your natural ceramides levels, including harsh exfoliating products, but the good news is that you can top yourself up with a ceramide-rich cream. This reliable old favourite will do the job perfectly. If you're had a run-in with a too-strong acid toner, this is your SOS replenisher.
24-7 Day & Night Cream Intense
We're fast becoming mega fans of Tula – formulated by a gastroenterologist, the line is packed with probiotics and capable of balancing the most tantrum-prone skins.
This is a heavier hitting take on the brand's everyday moisturiser, with a shea butter base and heaps of fatty acids to feed a skin barrier prone to flaking. It's exactly what skin needs in the midst of this cold snap.
Intensive Moisture Facial Cream
It should come as no surprise that Japanese skincare brand Curél excels in tackling dry skin issues. This luxurious cream has been created especially for sensitive skin types. While it may feel weightless when applied, it's a rich concoction of lipids and ceramides that will soothe a damaged skin barrier and keep your face feeling supple and smooth.
It's especially worth a spot in your routine if you find your skin tends to act up when the weather gets cold. Apply an even layer all over before leaving the house: trust us, your skin will thank you for it.
Skin Food
Loved by make-up artists everywhere, this balmy cream is a cult classic. It hydrates and plumps thanks to skin-loving ingredients including hyaluronic and polyglutamic acid. Beyond your basic moisturiser, it can also be used to soothe cracked skin on lips, elbows and knees, or as an intensive overnight mask.
Advanced Night Restore Cream
It makes sense that the ruling authority on retinol would make the perfect post-treatment moisturiser. Advanced Night Restore is a ceramide-heavy cream designed specifically to soothe skin after a retinol serum. It's brilliant at preventing those dry patches around your mouth, and will even see you successfully through the dreaded tretinoin purge.
DeliKate Recovery Cream
As the name suggests, this stressed skin saver is a godsend when your complexion won't play ball. The fragrance-free formula was originally designed as a post-treatment balm, so you're in good hands if your dry, flaky skin is in dire need of some TLC. It's a nourishing cocktail of peptides, ceramides, ginger root and fruit extracts to revive a lacklustre complexion while keeping it plump, dewy and free from scaly patches.
Moisturising Lotion
Nabbing a moisturiser that's going to sort your dry skin doesn't have to break the bank. Cult US import CeraVe's legendary Moisturising Lotion is a gift to parched, sensitive skin and a snip at £12.00. You won't get fancy extracts or an Instagrammable bottle, but you will have the glowing complexion of someone on first-name terms with a dermatologist.
Black Rose Skin Infusion Cream
You've likely heard the evangelical praise for this iconic skin cream. Infused with a host of rose extracts and oils, it's an undeniably luxurious affair, but delivers serious results too: slather it on before bed and wake up looking as though you've had a lengthy facial.
Daily Defense Cream
Murad's cream is formulated specifically for eczema, but it works just as well on skin that's flaking and sore due to an oral or topical retinoid. Rich and comforting, this balmy cream contains niacinamide, colloidal oatmeal and shea to soothe and soften simultaneously.
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