For the majority of my life, I've had normal/combination skin. There were products in my skincare cabinet that had supported my skin through its ups and downs—from struggling with teenage acne to the hyperpigmentation spots that began to appear around my eyes and mouth. It wasn't until I reached my mid-twenties that I was met with a new complexion challenge prompting a clean sweep of the cabinet: dryness. Naturally, I searched for products to deliver the hydration my skin craved. Within months, it became evident that moisturizer was the key product that made the biggest difference in my routine.
Unsure of where to start the hunt for your perfect moisturizer match? We've ID'd the standouts with the guidance of celebrity aesthetician Sarah Akram. According to Akram, the answer can be found in a formula's ingredients. The key ones to look for while shopping for a dry skin–friendly moisturizer are glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides since they are all scientifically proven to lock in moisture and improve the health of the skin barrier. As you may have already probably guessed, reaping the benefits from adding said moisturizer to your daily and nightly product lineup takes consistency.
"Moisturizer application should be applied daily, twice a day. Once in the morning and at night before bed," she says. "Some might have to apply more throughout the day, and I recommend it! It’s the best way to keep your skin looking refreshed and hydrated." Akram recommends applying your face cream directly after you step out of the shower; when your skin is damp. That way; the moisture you add back into your skin can stick around all day and night. It also helps that there are face creams on the market designed specifically for use during the day, overnight, and to be layered with other moisture-replenishing products.
If you're wondering which specific products Akram recommends to her clientele, you're in luck. "I absolutely love the Environ Vita-Complex Super Moisturiser for extra hydration and it has properties that work to repair the skin barrier," she tells us. "I recommend putting it on before bed as a way of slugging that won't be too harsh on your pores." Additionally, Akram swears by Biologique's Recherche Creme Dermo-RL (a favorite of Who What Wear's beauty team), which works overtime to refresh the skin using lipids and moisture, leaving your complexion rejuvenated and glowing.
There are also several ultra-hydrating products she adores pairing with her go-to moisturizers. "I love the Neova Night Therapy for an additive boost of hydration to the face. It features DNA repair technology and copper tripeptide to deliver a strong skin barrier both to help elevate moisture retention and repair." In addition to Noeva's Night Therapy, she favors oil-based moisturizers like the Breathable Barrier Balm by KaramMD, which "has an ultra-soothing base and features potent plant oils that have antioxidants to visibly brighten and improve hydration."
Below, take a look at more aesthetician and beauty editor–approved face creams that will transform your desert dry complexion to one that's not just hydrated; but also plump, smooth, and vibrant from brands across all price points.
Shop Akram's Moisturizer Must-Haves for Dry Skin
Part of Enivron's Focus Care Moisture+ line, the Vita-Complex Super Moisturiser delivers vitamins and antioxidants; enhancing skin barrier function and offering major moisture. It also adds protection from the effects of free-radical damage and leaves the skin feeling moisturized and refreshed.
Customer Review: "I love the way this moisturizer is really hydrating without feeling heavy. It is gentle and sits well as a layer with other products. I sometimes use over a light makeup to add extra glow and hydration and it never looks greasy or pills. A staple for me. "
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Here's a lipid-replenishing, protective, and repairing cream you'll want to add to your skincare lineup ASAP. Designed with dehydrated skin in mind, using Creme Dermo-RL can improve the skin's self-defense system by providing moisture, fighting against water evaporation, and supporting the skin barrier. Its moisturizing and active repairing ingredients include hyaluronic acid, walnut extract, and glycoprotein.
Customer Review: "This cream leaves my skin so soft and smooth. It works great under the eye as well. It feels heavy going on, but absorbs beautifully and makes a nice base for your makeup to go on flawlessly. I apply in the morning and night after washing and P50."
Dry skin, be gone! Neova's Night Therapy provides overnight repair of UV damage and hydration for the skin DNA repair and copper tripeptide. These two superhero products work together to nourish the skin barrier while also delivering a unique recovery complex for strong skin resiliency against environmental aggressors.
Customer Review: "I love using Neova Night Therapy skin cream. I have dark spots from sun exposure in my younger years and this is the first skincare cream where I can see the difference myself! I have tried other skin therapies in the past but they leave my skin feeling very dry and I never see results. This cream is very healing and will be part of my nightly regimen from now on."
KaramMD's balm easily blends into the skin to add moisture and prevent dehydration for dry and distressed skin. Crafted with multitasking in mind, its powerful formula features patent plant oils with omegas, astaxanthin, and bakuchiol to soothe, hydrate, support, and brighten the skin.
Customer Review: "I am an ICU RN. I suffer from dry skin due to hypothyroidism and I have tried so many products. This is the first product that I have actually felt like worked! I woke up to skin that felt supple and normal not my usual wake up to tight dry, flaky skin. This is a game changer!"
Shop Additional Moisturizer Favorites
The Avène Hydrance Acqua-Gel Hydrating Cream-in-Gel was my entry into the world of French skincare. Created with a Cohederm Complex and Avène Thermal Spring Water, this is a must for keeping parched skin in check. It works by locking hydration into the skin for up to 24 hours while soothing irritation as pretocopheryl and dextran sulfate shield your complexion from environmental aggressors.
Customer Review: "Amazing product! Light weight & definitely has a semi-gloss/dewy glow but it's not sticky. Great for an overnight mask (use Hydrance light hydrating emulsion for morning moisturizer if you don't want the gloss). Absorbs fast if your skin is dehydrated & relieves tightness. Feels like your skin took a drink of water. Keeps eczema at bay."
Moisturizing your skin is all about fortifying the moisture barrier, and Biossance's moisturizer does it using a formula packed with ceramides, fatty acids, hyaluronic acid, and sugarcane-derived squalane. Not only will your complexion look radiant and plump, but it also doesn't leave the skin feeling greasy.
Customer Review: "I have super sensitive, acne-prone skin and this is the only moisturizer I swear by. Been using it for three years and my skin is amazing—people have noticed the difference. I think this also helps my skin stay fresh and has anti-aging properties. I also love that it is fragrance-free because scents bother my skin and create problems. Love it."
I love several of Caudalie's moisturizers, but its Premier Cru Anti-Aging Cream Refillable Moisturizer will always be at the top of my list. I apply it morning and night to help reduce and diminish fine lines and wrinkles while delivering vibrancy, improving elasticity, and boosting hydration.
Customer Review: "I have sensitive skin, so I'm usually pretty cautious when it comes to trying new products. But so far this one has been quite a treat! A little bit goes a long, long way. It doesn't feel greasy, and my skin felt soft and supple all day."
If instant and long-term hydration is what you're after, you'll want to have this First Aid Beauty face cream in your rotation. Designed for dry, distressed skin or those with eczema in mind, it instantly absorbs into the skin to provide immediate relief. Its colloidal oatmeal relieves itching and minor irritation caused by skin conditions while shea butter and emollients moisturize and protect the skin barrier.
Customer Review: "A little bit goes a long way. If you have sensitive, pimple-prone, breakout-prone skin, this is for you. One of the only moisturizers I can use. It is free of fragrance and not greasy. This soaks right into your skin. I have redness every day and this helps my redness so much!"
Overnight face creams like SkinCeuticals' Renew Overnight Dry Moisturizer work overtime to restore dry skin to a healthier state. It provides gentle exfoliation and hydration using a 10% hydroxy acid blend and a blend of botanical extracts. Every time I've used this, I've woken up with smooth, radiant-looking skin that can't be replicated by a foundation, concealer, or skin tint.
Customer Review: "This is richly moisturizing but also effective at renewing skin overnight. The hydroxy acids do their job well without being too harsh and it feels luxe and creamy. I use this about 6 nights a week and retinol (with a sleep pack) once per week. It's my go-to."
Powered by peptides, amino acids, ceramides, and collagen, Olehenriksen's daily moisturizer improves the look of fine lines and wrinkles and reinforces the skin's moisture barrier all day. It doubles hydration and visibly boosts elasticity with a fortifying blend of amino acids, peptides, and ceramides.
Customer Review: "Most moisturizers feel heavy on my skin. When I first tried this out I thought it would feel like all the others but it actually rubs in very nicely! I've also never loved a moisturizer enough to keep using it. I'm halfway through this one."
I've been on the hunt for a product that gives my dry skin the collagen boost it needs, and PCA's Skin Collagen Hydrator is the easy winner. Its transformative formula utilizes a combination of shea butter and hyaluronic acid to rehydrate dry skin plus wheat protein and sweet almond oil to improve moisture retention and support natural pH levels.
Customer Review: "I use this a.m./p.m. but occasionally switch between this and another moisturizer. This (not to) thick consistency is jsust right. My skin feels nice and taut after but is also extremely hydrated and soft. Good for anyone who wants a firming cream but also for the client looking to add it in for preventative purposes!"
This iconic moisturizer by La Mer helps heal and repair dryness using its Miracle Broth, which is a combination of sea kelp, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that undergo three to four months of fermentation and exposure to light and sound waves. Mix a couple of drops of La Mer's Renewal oil with a pearl-size scoop of the moisturizing cream for extra hydration and glow.
Customer Review: "I started using this cream six months ago as a night cream. This is by far the best night cream I have ever used. My skin is moist when I wake up and looks refreshed. I was hesitant to buy it because of the price, but a jar lasts me several months and the results are worth it. I don't know what's in it, but the proof is in the pudding. It works."
Use this intensive barrier cream to relieve dry skin by supporting the moisture barrier and visibly reducing redness caused by dryness. It's powered by colloidal oatmeal which helps soothe the skin and beta-glucan that nourishes dry, sensitized skin for a smoother and healthier appearance.
Customer Review: "Amazing for extra moisture during winter months. I use it on my face at bedtime as my last step and it has never clogged my pores. A little goes a long way! Starts as a cream and turns into a balm, no scent, and melts in like a dream. Non-irritating; will buy again."
Ideal for the face, neck, and hands, this oil-free prebiotic daily face moisturizer provides 48-hour hydration as well as repairs and soothes the skin with glycerin and niacinamide. It also has a high concentration of La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water. After using this, I'm always amazed by how plump and refreshed my normally dry skin looks (especially when I pair it with a revitalizing face oil).
Customer Review: "Have been experiencing some dryness because of retinol and this moisturizer came to the rescue. Have used it every night and my skin feels healthier and I don't see any peeling anymore. Has the perfect thickness without feeling heavy or greasy. Absorbs fast and skin feels healthy. Will continue to purchase."
More Products We're Loving
Customer Review: "I have a series of expensive brand creams I have used and they are hard to beat. E.l.f. knocked it out of the park with this one it’s super moisturizing and doesn’t leave my face feeling greasy or too heavy."
Customer Review: "This is my first product I've tried from this brand and I'm thoroughly impressed! This cream is so nourishing but feels so lightweight and absorbs easily! It keeps my dry skin hydrated and moisturized while not feeling greasy at all! I love how soft and plump my skin is while using this! I definitely recommend if it's in your budget!"
Customer Review: "I absolutely love this cream! It makes my skin feel so smooth and soft. I struggle with dry skin in the winter and this cream allows my skin to be super hydrated throughout the winter! I love it so much, I highly recommend it."
Customer Review: "Can't live without this moisturizer! Only need a small amount for my entire face so the container lasts a long time! I can feel my skin just soaking this moisturizer up. I've been using it only for a few short weeks and I already have people complimenting my complexion! This is an absolute staple in my skincare routine."
Customer Review: "Have only been using it for a few days so far but already seeing a difference. Skin looks glowy, and I've been pleasantly surprised at how the keratosis bumps on my face have actually been smoothing out. Very happy!"
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