Top 13 Moisturizers to Make Dry Skin Feel Soothed
This $22 Face Cream Is Proven to Hydrate Better Than a $400 Cult Fave
If you have dry skin, regular moisturization is crucially important, according to Craig Kraffert, M.D., board certified dermatologist and founder of Dermstore. But it has to be the right moisturizer to actually heal severely dry skin. Dr. Kraffert says richer products — like thicker body creams in place of thinner body lotions — is key for quenching extreme dryness.
When you're super dry, it likely means your skin's barrier has become compromised which can make already-irritated skin feel itchy, uncomfortable and prone to infection. That's why skin hydration is so important. "Think of moisturizers as a shield: You use moisturizers to lock in active ingredients and block harmful aggressors out," says Dendy Engelman, M.D., board-certified dermatologist and director of dermatologic surgery at Metropolitan Hospital in Manhattan. "Moisturizers help to reinforce the skin barrier, making it stronger and less vulnerable," she says. In addition to picking the right product, layering on occlusive products can help lock in moisture and frequent application can help skin’s moisture levels remain balanced, says Dr. Kraffert.
To find the best moisturizers for dry skin, the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab tested body lotions and face moisturizers, parsing through nearly 20,000 data points to find the ones that proved to hydrate skin. Other picks are backed by our Good Housekeeping Seal or are reviewer favorites with thousands of rave reviews:
Our top picks
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Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream Face Moisturizer
Olay
amazon.com
$22.49
This face moisturizer is really proven to hydrate. We took 10,300 Lab measurements to find that this budget-friendly face cream effectively moisturizes 400% better than a cream nearly 18 times its price. It kept skin quenched for 24 hours and boosted hydration by 50% on average, thanks to powerhouse hydrators like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. Eighty percent of testers reported that they preferred it to expensive creams, calling it "rich" without feeling heavy or greasy.
Quench Body Lotion Ultra Moisture (2 Pack)
Olay
amazon.com
$18.20
Formulated with skin-softening shea butter and repairing vitamins E and B3, this Good Housekeeping Seal star improved skin's moisturization by an impressive 52% in Lab tests. It also got top scores for having the best scent. One tester said, "It goes on smoothly and is not too thick, yet the scent continues to linger in a pleasantly subtle way." Testers loved that it didn't make skin feel greasy. Plus, at around 30 cents per ounce, it's a fantastic value.
3) Glossier Balm Dotcom
Glossier
glossier.com
Dry, parched, cracked lips? Glossier's Balm Dotcom is the solution. Formulated with castor oil and lanolin that provide maximum hydration as well as beeswax that seals in moisture, this is one of the most thorough and luxurious lip balms to fully soothe lips that suffer from cracking.
13) Oil-Free Daily Facial Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin
Neutrogena
amazon.com
$9.52
This lightweight hydrator is formulated without oil and is hypoallergenic, noncomedogenic, and fragrance-free for light, effective hydration that won't clog pores on oily or acne-prone skin. It's proven to hydrate skin for 24 hours, and it's made with glycerin, a humectant that helps compromised skin retain moisture. One reviewer says, "It is really moisturizing, you only need one pump for your entire face, and it doesn't leave you oily after a few hours."
5) Cetaphil Redness Relieving Night Moisturizer
Cetaphil
amazon.com
This calming facial lotion is perfect for anyone suffering from chronic skin conditions. Developed and tested by dermatologists, the noncomedogenic, fragrance-free formula is formulated with licorice extract and allantoin to help repair the skin’s barrier while calming and soothing redness. Dr. Engelman even recommends it to patients with chronic skin conditions like rosacea.
Hydro Boost Water Face Gel Moisturizer
Neutrogena
amazon.com
$17.48
A winner in our 2018 Beauty Awards and the best overall moisturizer for oily, acne-prone skin, this refreshing Neutrogena gel is water-light but seriously quenches dry skin thanks to glycerin and hyaluronic acid. The oil-free formulation immediately moisturizes, with results lasting 12 hours, evaluations confirmed. Consumers love it, too: It has over 83,000 reviews on Amazon, with one reviewer raving, "I went from very dry, flaky, angry skin to soft and supple in about one week. I noticed a change instantly."
Dry Skin Hydra Silk Moisturizer
Curél Skincare
amazon.com
$20.89
If you're looking for both instant and long- lasting dryness relief, this Good Housekeeping Seal-holder is the lotion for you. Testers said it left skin feeling four times as moisturized right away and kept it hydrated for 24 hours, and Beauty Lab chemists were impressed at how quickly the silky, lightweight moisturizer absorbed into skin. This moisturizer is packed with advanced ceramide complex and aloe water to soothe and repair skin, and orange peel oil (not added fragrances) for subtle citrus notes. Over 94% of testers reported that the formula soothed their skin and left it feeling healthier and looking more radiant.
11) Advanced Repair Lotion
Eucerin
amazon.com
$8.99
The fragrance-free formula is great for sensitive skin. In the Lab, it only increased moisturization by 30%, but testers absolutely loved its texture and spreadability, and it earned a rare perfect score for spreading easily. Testers also thought that it absorbed quickly without feeling greasy or tacky. "I like the texture of the lotion. It wasn't too heavy," said one tester. Another noted it "lotion seems ideal for warmer seasons when my skin isn't as chapped or dry."
12) Advanced Therapy Healing Ointment
Aquaphor
amazon.com
$9.58
Good Housekeeping Seal-holder Aquaphor is a staff favorite for soothing dry, cracked skin and it's clinically proven to increase hydration. Unlike regular petroleum jelly, Aquaphor is formulated with moisturizing additives like panthenol and glycerin to hydrate skin without feeling overly heavy. Our experts recommend smoothing it over your moisturizer on extra-dry or uncomfortable spots to create a barrier that'll lock in moisture and protect skin from further damage.
10) Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Lotion
Vaseline
walmart.com
In our Lab tests, this top-scoring moisturizer hydrated skin by 60% (the highest score of more than 20 moisturizers), and kept skin feeling moisturized all day. The scent-free lotion was our testers' favorite. It's formulated with super-hydrating Vaseline, but it won't leave skin feeling greasy or tacky: our testers all agreed it absorbed quickly. One raved, "It went onto my skin very smoothly and spread easily and evenly," and "left my skin very moisturized throughout the day."
HydraLuminous Water Surge Gel Cream
No7
target.com
$14.99
Formulated for dry skin and suitable for sensitive skin, we found that this Good Housekeeping Seal-holder leaves skin feeling nourished and hydrated for 72 hours. It glides onto skin and instantly absorbs and hydrates, leaving skin glowing. The lightweight gel also received high scores for feeling lightweight, non-sticky and making skin feel instantly hydrated. "It immediately relieves that tight, dry feeling and truly does last up to 72 hours," raved one reviewer.
8) Resveratrol Lift Night Infusion Cream
Caudalie
dermstore.com
$76.00
If you have dry skin, you should be layering on a thick moisturizer before bed so that the ingredients can soak in overnight while skin is actively repairing itself. In Lab tests, we found that this night cream hydrates as well as an overnight face mask, increasing skin hydration 42.9% over six hours. Testers found that the grape seed oil and organic shea butter formula is completely non-irritating, non-greasy, and it beat all the competition in Lab tests in improving skin texture over four weeks' time. "This is a product that I could use year-round," said one tester. "It went on very smoothly and easily," and "left my face feeling soft in the morning," said others.
Moisturizing Cream for Dry, Sensitive Skin (3 Pack)
Cetaphil
amazon.com
$32.00
An editor favorite for hydrating angry, itchy skin, this fragrance-free, hypoallergenic formula is gentle enough to use on eczema and powerful en0ugh to actually calm flare-ups on face and body. It's made with emollients and humectants like glycerin and sunflower seed oil to repair the skin's barrier while preventing future moisture loss. Best of all, the do-it-all cream is gentle enough to use on both face and body.
Your dry, flaky skin will thank you.