9 best moisturisers for dry skin that hydrate without breakouts
Santa Claus might be coming to town shortly with his jolly, old sack in tow but the festive commander-in-chief’s season also brings waves of frosty mayhem for your face that needs more than a few magic elves to restore.
During the winter months humidity levels drop considerably, which makes it more difficult to keep the outer layer of your skin hydrated as there’s basically no moisture in the air for it to grab onto. So you’ve got to give it some extra love in that department.
Keep an eye on your usage of extra harsh chemicals as the temperature drops. We recommend that you continue to use your exfoliating and anti-ageing heroes, but pay close attention as they might be aiding any unforeseen chapping if you’re not balancing with extra moisture hits.
Equally, don’t use water that’s too hot and steer clear of harsh soaps and astringent products as they’ll also leave your skin starving. This advice should be applied to your skincare regime all year round but particularly when it’s colder. We’ve also left out silicones and drying alcohols to maximise the hydration benefits.
The basic rule of thumb for dry skin is to go heavy on the humectants (ingredients that reduce moisture loss) and soothing ingredients. Don’t just panic buy thicker or richer creams to do the job as they will only give you short-term results. You want to crack further than the crust to let your skin feast rather than just a quick snack.
With all this in mind, here are our favourite moisturisers for dry skin that deliver on long-term hydration.
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Dr Jart+ Ceramidin cream, 50ml: £35.50, Look Fantastic
The pioneer of the cult rubber face mask is also behind this ceramidin cream, which calms even the most rowdy of dry-skin trouble. It is literally a first aid kit in a magical Korean-founded tube.
We took this on a trip to Iceland (the country, not the supermarket) and can’t tell you how much we relied on it. As an all-over general moisturiser, a spot treatment or even for some lip service, we didn’t leave our apartment without it. It’s a real multi-tasker.
The formula contains an impressive range of ingredients from bifida ferment lysate – which protects against UV damage and helps with skin repair – and hyaluronic acid, with a hint of beetroot aiding whatever spot it hits. The thick gel feels comforting rather than cumbersome and a little goes a long way. This cream is at a moderate price point for the benefits it bestows.
Dear, Klairs rich moist soothing cream, 60ml: £22.30, Beauty and Seoul
Another find from the K-Beauty aisle is this wonder from Klairs. Its super concentrated formula includes shea butter, hyaluronic acid and beta-glucan to support the skin’s natural lipid barrier.
There’s also a wonderfully cooling sensation and, with gradual use, this left our skin feeling calmer and more balanced overall. The ingredients here are non comedogenic so it’s a great option for acne prone skin.
This is especially great when used as a mask, either night or day, as the yeast derived beta-glucan gives a significant shift in the look of redness or problematic points on the skin. The perfect antidote for all-round care.
Dr. Hauschka rose day cream, 30ml: £33.50, Naturismo
We love this iconic rose day-cream from Dr Hauschka’s ever expanding line which focuses on healing and sustainability. The brand extracts over 1075 rose petals for every tube, giving mature and sensitive skin types a lift. Soothing redness and discomfort, this thick cream needs some working into the skin but the benefits are worth it.
The rose petal extract provides a barrier to lock in moisture, preventing any further dryness. Extracts of marshmallow and St John’s wort sign off the process. Results are supple and calmed skin from this small but mighty product.
Charlotte Tilbury magic night cream, 50ml: £100, Charlotte Tilbury
The world’s most famous make-up artist’s skincare arsenal is equally as impressive as her ever expanding and beauty line. This night cream is an absolute gem of a find for keeping you soft in your slumber.
The peach gel formula is deceivingly rich, enveloping the skin into a supreme moisture surge. As it’s not a traditional cream per se, we found this particularly easy to apply for such a heavy duty product. No kneading necessary. It leaves the face extremely dewy, so give yourself a good 20 minutes or so to let it settle before nestling into bed.
Enriched with olus- and castor-seed oils for extra nourishing properties, this is the perfect choice for the uber dry. Give it a whirl too if you’re not a fan of thick creamy textures.
Peter Thomas Roth potent-C moisturiser, 50ml: £66, Revolve
This might seem like an odd choice for a feature focusing on dry skin but vitamin C is a year-round necessity. This powerhouse from Peter Thomas Roth contains an impressive blend of the stuff, which can sometimes be a tad unruly.
Luckily, the brand is one step ahead with this lightweight but lavish addition to the line. The hat-trick of vitamin C, vitamin E and ferulic is a heavyweight anti-pollution warrior, which is certainly welcomed considering we’ll be squinting in the snow trying to get from A to B. You know that face.
Sealing this in with a face oil will have you set for the day with its benefits of hydrolysed elastin, collagen and hyaluronic acid. Wonderfully effective for working on uneven skin texture while keeping dry skin at bay.
Tata Harper Creme Riche, 50ml: £170, Cult Beauty
In here we have 43 natural performing ingredients with 16 sources of hydration so we’re off to a good start. One of our favourite skincare ingredients – hyaluronic acid – features, for the most reliable moisture boost while essential fatty acids lock everything in beautifully.
A small amount is all you need, warm this up in the palms of your hands to activate the sugars and watch the cream transform into a white, velvety texture. There’s also a selection of butters in here to really moisturise any flakiness on the surface of the skin. If you’re a fan of particularly dewy skin, this is the one for you.
Malin and Goetz advanced renewal cream, 50ml: £86, Cult Beauty
When we’re not spritzing ourselves with Malin and Goetz dark rum, we’re using this. Enriched with acmella flower=-extract to help stimulate collagen production, there’s also dollops of glycerin and and macadamia seed-oil to seal the deal.
The fruit complex leaves skin feeling super soft and works particularly well on sensitive skin types thanks to a lack of fragrance and unnecessary extras. We also love that it sits well under SPF. It’s a no nonsense, get the job done affair and sometimes that’s all you need.
The Inkey List hemp oil cream moisturiser, 30ml: £7.99, Feel Unique
The team behind The Inkey List were feeling frustrated at all the silly jargon in the beauty world, so they came up with an affordable regime of products that are each led by a single ingredient. This hemp-oil moisturiser adds something a little different to the mix.
Hemp oil is a blend of fatty acids which is great for calming irritated and lacklustre skin. Green-tea extract aids in the defense department too.
The coconut oil is a potential comedogenic so beware if you’re prone to breakouts. Other than that, we loved the lightweight texture and how it left the skin feeling cared for but not overwhelmed. For the price of a couple of coffees, we can’t argue with that.
Patchology Aquaflash daily gel moisturiser, 50ml: £30, Patchology
If you want something to really quench your thirst but you don’t want to rely on thicker creams, the masters of masking at Patchology have come up with this gel-based formula. It’s a concoction of hyaluronic acid, vitamin B and aloe which is pretty much like drinking a two-litre bottle of water or indeed throwing it at your face.
The gel formula won’t clog pores either so is particularly good if you’re sceptical of adding extra moisture for fear of breakouts. Super refreshing and a pleasure to apply, this really feels like you’re doing some good.
The verdict: Moisturisers for dry skin
Dr. Jart’s multi-tasking beauty gets the top spot for surviving even Scandi Septembers. Close second is Dear, Klairs thanks to a clever and delivering formula. The Inkey List has to get a shout out for price alone but also coming up with the goods.
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