If the thought of dryness, itchiness, tightness, flakey skin, irritation and rough patches makes you anxious, you have dry skin. As it is exactly how your skin feels all the time, it needs proper care right away. One of the best ways to do so is by using these best moisturizers that have been specifically formulated to soothe and hydrate dry skin.
While every skin needs to be moisturised daily, dry and extremely dry skin just cannot do without it. No matter what serums and essences you incorporate in your skin care routine, nothing can replace a rich, nourishing moisturizer and honestly, nothing ideally should. An intensely hydrating moisturizer is like food for dry skin, which is essential for its health and youthfulness. And picking one that’s right for your skin is where it all begins.
How to choose the best moisturizer for dry skin?
A great moisturizer for dry skin usually has a milk or cream-based texture that’s highly nourishing (unlike gel or water-based ones meant for oily and acne-prone skin). But, they do not feel uncomfortable on the skin and are non-sticky and quick-absorbing. Look for hydrating ingredients such as moisture-attracting and hydrating humectants (hyaluronic acid, urea, glycerin), moisturising occlusives (lanolin, petrolatum, argan oil, jojoba oil) and nourishing and skin smoothing emollients (coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, palm oil, essential fatty acids).
Additionally, you can also look for other essential ingredients like barrier-repairing ceramides, vitamins C and E, aloe vera and honey. For instance, Bioderma Atoderm Intensive Baume (Buy it for SGD 29 on Amazon) is one of the best dry skin moisturisers in the market. Rich in ceramides, Sunday Riley Ice Ceramide Moisturizing Cream (Buy it for SGD 105 on Sephora) works amazingly well if you have a compromised skin barrier.
If you have extremely dry and sensitive skin, ensure that your moisturizer is not formulated with harsh chemicals, artificial fragrances and dyes or alcohol as they can further worsen your skin’s condition.
Also read – A complete guide on moisturizers and finding the best one for your skin.
How to use a moisturizer for dry skin?
You should always use a moisturizer on a cleansed face, both in the morning and for the night skin care routine. After you’ve washed your face with a face wash, apply your favourite essences and serums, which should preferably also be formulated for dry skin. Then scoop out a sufficient amount of the moisturizer on your palm and apply it generously all over your face and neck.
Gently massage in circular motions until it is fully absorbed and follow it up with sunscreen (for the morning skin care routine).
(Hero and featured image credit: Drunk Elephant)
11 best moisturizers for dry skin in 2023:
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- Kopari Coconut Face Cream
- Sunday Riley Ice Ceramide Moisturizing Cream
- Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Emulsion
- Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Balance Moisturizer
- First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream
- Cetaphil Moisturising Cream
- Bioderma Atoderm Intensive Baume
- Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream
- Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream
- Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream
- Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream
SGD 32.9
A rich moisturizer for dry skin that ensures optimum hydration and a restored skin barrier, the Kopari Coconut Cream is the perfect soothing balm for your dry and parched skin. What makes it stand out is its formula changes its consistency based on the weather and your skin’s needs. While it changes into a super lightweight moisturizer in hot and humid weather, it transforms into a buttery and creamy one in cold climates. It treats dullness and dryness effortlessly.
Image: Courtesy Sephora
SGD 88
Replenishing the skin with long-lasting hydration is the Ice Ceramide Moisturizing Cream that’s infused with barrier-repairing ceramides. While it also fights against environmental stressors responsible for premature ageing, it also leaves the skin feeling baby soft and smooth. Additionally, it is also formulated with vitamin F and pomegranate sterols that aid in keeping the skin barrier maintained while coconut, beetroot and red algae extract ensure enhanced hydration.
Image: Courtesy Sephora
SGD 53
This moisturizer does more than just keeping your skin hydrated and nourished. Absorbing instantly into the skin, it helps build and strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier while delivering intense moisturization, radiance and softness to the skin. Formulated with skin-friendly blue hyaluronic acid, it makes your skin look naturally bright and dewy.
Image: Courtesy Laneige
SGD 92
The Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Balance Moisturizer is a highly nourishing cream that treats dry and dehydrated skin perfectly. Its BioReplenish Complex enhances the skin’s natural resilience and moisture barrier with a combination of essential barrier lipids. While Chlorella Algae complex rebalances the skin’s natural microbiome for a healthy look, hyaluronic acid together with aloe vera, centella asiatica and echinacea offers deep hydration and reduces the appearance of fine lines.
Image: Sephora
SGD 156.5
The Ultra Repair Cream by First Aid Beauty harnesses the goodness of oatmeal, ceramides, shea butter and eucalyptus to deliver instant comfort to dry, dehydrated and itchy skin. Also protecting the skin against free radical damage, this face and body cream helps soothe skin suffering from eczema, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. It calms the irritated and uncomfortable areas of the skin and reduces the appearance of scaly, dry patches.
Image: Courtesy First Aid Beauty
SGD 36.81
Designed to provide immediate and long-lasting relief from extreme dryness, the Cetaphil moisturising cream replenishes even the driest skin. It’s a rich fragrance-free moisturizer that contains vitamin E and sweet almond oil leaving the skin feeling soft, hydrated and nourished. It also has a unique HELO System (humectant, emollients, lipids, occlusive) that helps bind water to the skin to prevent moisture loss. It’s a non-greasy formulation that gets absorbed immediately into the skin without clogging pores.
Image: Courtesy Cetaphil
SGD 29
Ideal for irritated, dry and extremely dry skin and recognised by the National Eczema Association, the Bioderma Atoderm Intensive Baum is one of the best moisturizers for dry skin. It is an ultra-nourishing moisturizer that provides comfort to the skin instantly, strengthens it durably and can be used on both face and body by babies, kids and adults alike. It has a non-sticky formula that seeps deep into your skin easily.
Image: Courtesy Bioderma
SGD 120
Now a favourite amongst skincare enthusiasts, this rich cream not only packs the skin with hydration but also heals it with antioxidant-packed Japanese purple rice. A blend of botanical extracts also nourishes the skin from within, alongside a fermentation of Japanese anti-ageing superfoods, such as green tea, rice, and algae, to repair and replenish the skin’s barrier from deep within.
Image: Courtesy Sephora
SGD 59
This one’s a bestseller for a reason, and it looks set to continue its reign as one of the best moisturizers for dry skin in 2023. Formulated with renewable Glacial Glycoprotein and olive-derived Squalane, this lightweight moisturiser is deeply nourishing without leaving a greasy finish and is said to help the skin barrier recover up to 55 percent faster, while delivering twice the amount of hydration.
SGD 92
Better termed as a “rescue cream”, this one by Drunk Elephant is infused with six rare African oils and a plant ceramide complex to help keep your skin’s acid mantle strong while defending it against the effects of everyday stressors. To combat dry skin, a sodium hyaluronate cross polymer sinks in immediately to quench it with intense hydration, while antioxidant-rich fermented green tea helps combat signs of ageing. Meanwhile, the omega acids from the oil keep the skin moisturised and plump, allowing it to function at its optimal level.
SGD 440
If you were going to splash some cash on only one beauty product this month, make it this. The Rich Cream by Augustinus Bader is intensely luxurious and is infused with the brand’s proprietary TFC8 that encourages the skin to become more even, firmer, and toned-looking from within. The powerhouse blend of natural amino acids, high-grade vitamins and synthesised molecules is combined with replenishing oils such as argan, avocado, and evening primrose oils, all of which are rich in omega-6 fatty acids, antioxidants, and linoleic acid to calm and soothe even the driest of skin.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answer: No matter what your skin type is, moisturising is an essential and unskippable part of a skin care routine, especially for dry and very dry skin.
Answer: Yes, coconut oil is great for dry skin as it is an emollient that’s known to have moisturising properties. Additionally, it also helps in repairing the damaged skin barrier while promoting healing owing to its antibacterial, antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties.
Answer: It is recommended to moisturise your skin twice every day. Use it post cleansing during your morning and night time skin care routines.
Answer: Some of the best natural moisturisers for dry skin include coconut oil, aloe vera, honey, almond oil, sunflower seed oil and avocado oil.
With an academic background in Public Relations, Divya has a flair for writing about topics spanning genres like lifestyle, beauty, fashion, travel, FnB, tech and entertainment. She fancies everything that's a wholesome blend of contemporary finery and timelessness. Quirky earrings and tees are her weakness. When not creating content, you will find her devouring food, snuggling in with a book and a cup-a-chai, admiring skies or revisiting Hogwarts.
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