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Concern guide

Best Skincare for Dry Skin

Dry skin is short on oil and barrier lipids, not just water. The fix is less about a miracle cream and more about how you wash and when you moisturize.

By Sawyer V. · Published September 10, 2026 · Last updated September 10, 2026

A hand resting on a gray surface

The short answer

Dry skin needs a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser, short warm showers, and a thick cream or ointment applied straight after washing — dermatologists favor creams and ointments over lotions. Look for glycerin and ceramides to hold water, and petrolatum or shea butter to seal it in. CeraVe Moisturizing Cream suits most people; Aquaphor handles the driest patches.

Disclosure: Glow & Gild earns a commission when you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It does not change which product we recommend, and no brand pays for placement here. Read the full disclosure.

How We Picked

We matched one product to each job dry skin needs — barrier repair, soothing, rich body care and sealing — and checked each ingredient list on INCIDecoder. We have not tested any of these.

Everyone in this category says they tested twenty of these. We have not tested any, and we say so. What we did instead: compiled the published concentrations and ingredient lists, checked each claim against what the formula can actually support, and wrote down who each product is wrong for. The full method is published so you can check it.

Dry or Dehydrated?

Dry skinDehydrated skin
What is missingOil and barrier lipidsWater
How it feelsRough, flaky and tight most of the timeTight and dull, sometimes oily at the same time
Can oily skin have it?RarelyYes
What fixes itRich creams and occlusivesHumectants, sealed in with a moisturizer

Many people have both. If your skin feels tight but you still get shine, read dehydrated skin first; if it is rough and flaky all over, this is the right guide.

Dry skin has many triggers — dry air, hot water, harsh cleansers, age — and sometimes it is part of a skin condition such as contact dermatitis. If it cracks, bleeds, itches enough to disturb your sleep or does not improve with a gentle routine, see a dermatologist.

The Routine

  1. Wash with a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser, using only enough to remove dirt and oil — no thick lather. For the body, see fragrance-free body washes.
  2. Keep showers and baths to five to ten minutes, in warm rather than hot water.
  3. Pat skin dry and moisturize immediately.
  4. Choose a cream or ointment rather than a lotion — dermatologists favor them for dry skin — and reapply whenever skin feels dry.
  5. Run a humidifier when the air in your home is dry.
Ingredient typeExamplesJob
HumectantsGlycerin, hyaluronic acid, ureaDraw water into the skin
Barrier lipids and emollientsCeramides, shea butter, squalaneSmooth and repair the surface
OcclusivesPetrolatum, mineral oil, lanolinSeal water in
No product photoNo product photograph available for CeraVe Moisturizing Cream

1 — Everyday face and body cream

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream

What’s in it

  • Three ceramides, cholesterol and hyaluronic acid
  • Petrolatum and glycerin
  • No fragrance listed

It covers all three jobs — water-binding, barrier lipids and a seal — in one cream that works on the face and the body.

Who it’s not for

Acne-prone faces that dislike rich textures; a lighter lotion may suit the face better.

No product photoNo product photograph available for La Roche-Posay Lipikar Balm AP+M

Premium Beauty listing

2 — Very dry, itchy body skin

La Roche-Posay Lipikar Balm AP+M

What’s in it

  • Shea butter and niacinamide
  • Glycerin and canola oil
  • A rich balm texture

A rich balm with barrier-supporting niacinamide, built for large areas of very dry, itchy body skin.

Who it’s not for

Anyone who wants a quick-absorbing lotion.

No product photoNo product photograph available for First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration

Premium Beauty listing

3 — Dry, reactive skin

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration

What’s in it

  • Colloidal oatmeal
  • Shea butter, squalane and allantoin
  • A ceramide listed

Colloidal oatmeal soothes itchy skin, while shea butter and squalane handle the dryness — a good fit for skin that is both dry and easily irritated.

Who it’s not for

Oily skin, which will find it too rich for daytime.

No product photoNo product photograph available for Aquaphor Healing Ointment

4 — Cracked, very dry patches

Aquaphor Healing Ointment

What’s in it

  • Petrolatum as the first ingredient
  • Panthenol, glycerin and bisabolol
  • Seven listed ingredients

An ointment is the most occlusive option there is, which is what cracked heels, knuckles and elbows need.

Who it’s not for

Large areas during the day — it is greasy and transfers to clothes.

Skip This One

Long, hot showers followed by a light lotion

A hot shower feels like the cure for dry, tight skin, and a light lotion afterwards seems like enough. Dermatologists advise the opposite on both counts: keep showers to five to ten minutes in warm water, and use a cream or ointment rather than a lotion, applied immediately after patting skin dry. The habit change costs nothing and usually does more than switching products.

Frequently Asked Questions

A cream or ointment with ingredients that hold water, such as glycerin or ceramides, and seal it in, such as petrolatum.

Sources

Who wrote this

By Sawyer V.. An enthusiast who’s genuinely into this: I read the manufacturer documentation, compile the published percentages, and do the arithmetic. No lab coat.

What I don’t do: test products, accept free product, or accept payment for placement. I hold no clinical credential and don’t claim one. How we pick.

Published September 10, 2026 · Last updated September 10, 2026

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Nothing here is medical advice. Editorial policy · How we pick · Affiliate disclosure