18 Best Moisturizers for Dry Skin That'll Minimize Moisture Loss & Soothe Irritation

Editor Tip: Once you're done with the jar, restock with a refill pod (which, bonus, costs less than the original product).

Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, honey locust, viniferine | Who It's For: People with chronic or seasonal dryness

Best for Sensitive Skin: Kiehl's Ultra Facial Advanced Barrier Cream

Why It's Worth It: Yet another 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner, Kiehl's Ultra Facial Advanced Barrier Cream won for its ability to comfort and repair skin so dry that it's become sensitive. The ingredients (like beta-glucan) replicate the lipid structure of the skin's moisture barrier, which can help lock in hydration and speed up recovery.

Editor Tip: Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream has received the National Eczema Association's Seal of Acceptance.

Key Ingredients: Beta-glucan, colloidal oatmeal, niacinamide | Who It's For: People with skin so dry that it's red, itchy, or flaky

Best for Mature Skin: SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2

Why It's Worth It: The SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 Cream takes a scientific approach to dry skin: It uses a patented ratio of 2% ceramides, 4% cholesterol, and 2% fatty acids — hence the name — that's been proven to bolster the skin barrier and encourage its own repair. Despite the number of lipids in the formula, the cream moisturizer is surprisingly lightweight and sinks in quickly.

"This moisturizer is a great option to help restore moisture and strengthen the natural skin barrier, which we know weakens as we age, leading to dryness of the skin," explains Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Manhattan, New York, and Englewood, New Jersey. “By restoring these fatty molecules, the barrier is not only improved, but the skin now appears more hydrated and smoother.”

Editor Tip: It pairs especially well with retinoids, and can even shorten the adjustment period by a week.

Key Ingredients: Ceramides, fatty acids, cholesterol | Who It's For: People with age-related dryness or dehydration, or those using retinoids

Other Moisturizers We Love:

• To address deeper wrinkles: SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Interrupter Advanced, $185

Best for Eczema-Prone Skin: La Roche-Posay Lipikar Eczema Cream

Why It's Worth It: New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Shari Marchbein, MD, loves the La Roche-Posay Lipikar Eczema Cream for its skin-nourishing formula. Inside this tube is oatmeal and niacinamide that work together to soothe and hydrate the skin in no time. It can also help alleviate the itching associated with eczema flares.

Editor Tip: If you're looking for a daytime moisturizer with SPF, Dr. Garshick is a fan of La Roche-Posay's Toleriane UV Double Repair Moisturizer. "This is easy to apply and combines SPF with moisturizing ingredients and ceramides to help restore the skin's natural protective barrier," she says. "It also contains niacinamide, which can be calming and good for those with dry and sensitive skin."

Key Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, glycerin | Who It's For: People and kids (over three years old) who are prone to eczema

Best for Dull Skin: Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream

Why It's Worth It: Don't let the gorgeous indigo and gold jar fool you: Tatcha's The Dewy Skin Cream means business. Packed with antioxidant-rich Japanese purple rice and hyaluronic acid, it acts as a shield against environmental stressors like pollution and replenishes moisture, leaving the skin looking lit from within (no highlighter needed).

Editor Tip: Apply it to your neck and décolletage to smooth texture and even out tone there, too.

Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, squalane, Japanese purple rice | Who It's For: Anyone with discoloration, dullness, and dark spots

More Moisturizers We Love:

• A serum-moisturizer hybrid for irritated skin: Tatcha Indigo Overnight Repair, $92

Best Drugstore: CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion

Why It's Worth It: Ceramides are some of the most effective ingredients to incorporate into a skin-care routine due to their ability to retain moisture and improve your skin's barrier function. "Environmental factors can disrupt the lipid layer of the skin, which locks in moisture and acts as a barrier against pollution and bacteria," says Dr. Engelman. "Ceramides help to restore the skin's barrier by holding the cells together. As a result, skin feels smoother, plumper, and more moisturized." CeraVe's PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion, which also contains niacinamide and hyaluronic acid, delivers serious hydration without breaking the bank.

Editor Tip: The oil-free, non-comedogenic, and fragrance-free formula works well for all skin types.

Key Ingredients: Ceramides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide | Who It's For: Everyone

Best for Daytime: Belif The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb

Why It's Worth It: Belif's The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb is exploding with herbs, and the brand's hero Napiers moisture formula — which balances water and oil levels in skin — makes it a game-changer for anyone with dry, sensitive skin. Plus, the gel-cream has a built-in cooling sensation.

Editor Tip: It's lightweight and leaves a smooth finish, which makes it great for layering beneath makeup.

Key Ingredients: Comfrey leaf, panthenol, calendula extract | Who It's For: People who want ample moisture without pilling

Best for Nighttime: Guerlain Abeille Royale Honey Treatment Night Cream

Why It's Worth It: Inspired by honey-soaked bandages used for wound healing, the Guerlain Abeille Royale Honey Treatment Night Cream uses the ingredient to target the signs of collagen loss: lax skin, wrinkles, fine lines, and dullness. One strain of honey in the formula also promotes skin density for a boost in firmness.

Editor Tip: The jar is refillable, which also offers some savings.

Key Ingredients: Black bee honey, Ikaria honey, Royal jelly | Who It's For: Those willing to invest in aging skin

Best for Combination Skin: Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Skin Barrier Moisturizing Cream

Why It's Worth It: The Korean brand is known for its emphasis on skin-barrier protection, so it's no surprise that the Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Skin Barrier Moisturizing Cream offers just that. "This cream combines ceramides with hyaluronic acid, a humectant that absorbs water molecules from the environment and deep within the skin for improved skin hydration," says Brendan Camp, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City. [Editor's note: A recent reformulation means the cream now offers twice the number of ceramides as the original.]

Editor Tip: Even though it has a comforting, cushiony feel, it absorbs quickly, so it won't feel heavy on oil-prone areas like the T-zone and chin.

Key Ingredients: Ceramides, panthenol, glycerin | Who It's For: People seeking a more lightweight option

More Moisturizers We Love:

• To tone down redness: Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Sleepair Intensive Soothing Repair Mask, $45

Best for Acne-Prone Skin: EltaMD Barrier Renewal Complex Face Moisturizer

Why It's Worth It: Because EltaMD's Barrier Renewal Complex Face Moisturizer contains five different types of ceramides, it works super well at preventing water loss and improving barrier function in just a few uses, so skin looks less dehydrated and more on the dewy side. It also contains vitamin E, which fights free radicals, as well as squalane, biotin, and a mildly exfoliating enzyme blend that soothes inflamed skin and calms breakouts. It's helpful for the neck, too, where the skin is thinner.

Editor Tip: The non-comedogenic formula is meant for all skin types, including oily skin.

Key Ingredients: Vitamin E, squalane, biotin | Who It's For: Anyone with congested skin

Best for Retinoid Users: Biossance Squalane + Ectoin Overnight Rescue

Why It's Worth It: Similar to a hydrating sleep mask, the Biossance Squalane + Ectoin Overnight Rescue is intended to be more nourishing and soothing than your average daytime moisturizer. While you sleep, the blend of ectoin, squalane, and magnesium help offset the effects of daytime stressors for calmer, more supple skin by morning.

Editor Tip: Ectoin doesn't interact with most skin-care ingredients, so it works well alongside other actives like retinol — which typically need to be applied in the evening.

Key Ingredients: Ectoin, squalane, magnesium | Who It's For: Regular retinoid users

Best Fragrance-Free: Avène Eau Thermale XeraCalm A.D. Lipid-Replenishing Cream

Why It's Worth It: Eau Thermale Avène's intensely moisturizing XeraCalm A.D. Lipid-Replenishing Cream is so good, that it took home a Best of Beauty Award — three times in a row. Packed with I-modulia (a proprietary concoction of lipids, amino acids, and sugars), omega-6, and glycerin, the sterile, fragrance-free cream supports a healthy lipid layer, helping skin retain moisture and heal over time.

Editor Tip: It has an airless pump, which renders preservatives unnecessary.

Key Ingredients: Postbiotics, evening primrose, glycerin | Who It's For: People with very compromised or eczema-prone skin (including newborns)

More Moisturizers We Love:

• To relieve itchiness: Eau Thermale Avène XeraCalm A.D Lipid-Replenishing Balm, $36

Best for Irritated Skin: Peach & Lily Rescue Party Barrier Comfort Cream

Why It's Worth It: While you can find popular moisturizers in the Peach & Lily Rescue Party Barrier Comfort Cream — think colloidal oatmeal, squalane, and jojoba oil — what sets this formula apart is the inclusion of a proprietary calcium complex. While calcium is known for being essential for, say, bone health, calcium ions have also been associated with healthy barrier function — making it an unsung hero for barrier support.

Editor Tip: Heartleaf extract, which has been used in Korean herbal medicine practices for years, is an up-and-coming K-beauty ingredient.

Key Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, calcium, squalane | Who It's For: People with sensitized or irritated skin

Best for Seasonal Dryness: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

Why It's Worth It: Dr. Garshick also recommends First Aid Beauty's Ultra Repair Cream, which she says is "a soothing and feel-good cream that is formulated with a combination of colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, and ceramides to both hydrate and protect the skin barrier." Along with the brand's proprietary FAB antioxidant booster complex, this fragrance-free cream addresses environmental stressors and fights free radicals to give your skin some much-needed T.L.C.

Editor Tip: Try it in a TSA-approved travel-size tube to keep skin hydrated on flights.

Key Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, allantoin | Who It's For: People with very dry skin

Best Vegan: Youth to the People Polypeptide-121 Future Cream

Why It's Worth It: Youth to the People's Polypeptide-121 Future Cream is a 2022 Best of Beauty winner (and Allure editor favorite) because of its weightless yet nourishing formula. You'll find ceramides to maintain the skin's moisture and smooth wrinkles but, as you might expect, the star is polypeptide-121. This vegan peptide (which consists of 180 amino acids) works to firm skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines over time.

Editor Tip: Not only is it vegan, but the formula is also not tested on animals.

Key Ingredients: Peptides, plant proteins, ceramides | Who It's For: People seeking cutting-edge ingredients in a plant-based formula

More Moisturizers We Love:

• A Best of Beauty-winning night mask: Youth to the People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask, $52

Best for Plumping: Farmacy Honey Halo Ultra-Hydrating Ceramide Moisturizer

Why It's Worth It: Farmacy's Honey Halo Ultra-Hydrating Ceramide Moisturizer is a thick, decadent moisturizer that works wonders on stubborn flakes and dry spots. Made with buckwheat honey, propolis, and a royal jelly blend, as well as ceramides, the ultra-hydrating formula soothes distressed skin and locks in moisture so skin stays plump and dewy.

Editor Tip: Whatever packaging you can't recycle locally, you can send it to the brand and they'll do it for you. (Farmacy will take up to five empties at a time — including other brands — as long as at least one empty container is from Farmacy.)

Key Ingredients: Ceramides, buckwheat honey, fig fruit extract | Who It's For: People looking to plump and soothe

Best Multi-Use Formula: Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant

Why It's Worth It: The Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is an oldie but a goodie — and a dermatologist favorite for good reason. "The formula hasn't changed since the product was created in the 1930s, and it has definitely stood the test of time," says Dr. Engelman. "The best part is it can be used for hands, as lip balm, or anything that needs extra moisture." The occlusive formula is also beloved among makeup artists, who use it as a finishing touch on lips and eyelids.

Editor Tip: It stands the test of time, having won Best of Beauty Awards back in 1996 and 1998.

Key Ingredients: Petrolatum, vitamin E | Who It's For: Everyone

Best for Body: Vanicream Moisturizing Cream

Why It's Worth It: Dr. Marchbein says the Vanicream Moisturizing Cream is an "amazing hypoallergenic formula," and we couldn't agree more. Slather this body lotion — which has a Seal of Acceptance from the National Eczema Association — all over your body, from head to toe, for unbeatable moisture and soft skin.

Editor Tip: It's non-comedogenic and not at all greasy, so you can use it on your face as well. But, if you insist on a separate face moisturizer, Dr. Garshick recommends Vanicream's Daily Facial Moisturizer, which is also notably free of fragrance, parabens, and sulfates. "It contains hyaluronic acid and ceramides so it's going to help to hydrate and also support the skin barrier, while still being very gentle on the skin," she says.

Key Ingredients: Purified water, petrolatum, sorbitol, simethicone, sorbic acid | Who It's For: People with sensitivities

Frequently Asked Questions

"People prone to dry skin should look for facial moisturizers that contain ingredients that prevent water loss and repair the skin's moisture barrier," esthetician Renée Rouleau (and founder of her namesake skin-care line) tells Allure. "This is important year-round, but especially during the harsh winter months when dry skin can be even more sensitive." Board-certified dermatologists like Joshua Zeichner, MD, who is the director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, highly recommend creams formulated with "skin-repairing ceramides, which fill in the cracks between skin cells and help the skin heal itself," as he previously explained.

Other effective ingredients include hyaluronic acid, which plumps skin and restores lost hydration, and emollients such as shea butter, which "can help to heal cracked skin due to its vitamins A, E, and F content," cosmetic chemist Ginger King previously explained.

After washing with cleanser, layer your products in order of lightest to heaviest in texture. "A serum and a cream have different functions, and therefore [different] molecule sizes," explains New York City board-certified dermatologist Dendy Engelman, MD. "A serum placed on top of a moisturizer will not allow the serum to be fully absorbed since the smaller molecules cannot penetrate the larger ones. Start the products with the lightest consistency like toner, followed by serums and ampoules. Next, are any prescription topical treatments, lotions, creams, and finally sunscreen [with at least SPF 30]." Of course, skip the SPF in your evening routine.

Once you've found your go-to hydrator, you may also find that making small adjustments to your daily routine — such as using fragrance-free skin-care products — can make a world of difference. "If you struggle with redness or irritation, it's important to be thoughtful about how you are cleansing your skin," says New York City-based board-certified plastic surgeon Adam Kolker, MD, who recommends patients use "cool water or lukewarm water" to rinse off their cleanser to avoid exacerbating any dry patches or redness. In fact, in the morning, you can skip a dedicated cleanser and stick to a quick water-only rinse.

Outside of topical skin care, consider investing in a humidifier that goes on your desk, nightstand, or end table to boost humidity, of course, and prevent moisture loss in your own skin, according to Y. Claire Chang, MD, a NYC-based board-certified dermatologist at Union Dermatology.

When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.

For our list of the best moisturizers for dry skin, we considered each product's performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors — along with special consideration from board-certified dermatologists and seasoned estheticians. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.

A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors — in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon — is essential to reaching that goal.

After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.