12 Best Moisturizers for Dry Skin That Lock in Instant Hydration

"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," says Dr. Garshick. “By restoring these fatty molecules, the barrier is not only improved, but the skin now appears more hydrated and smoother.”

Tester feedback: “This moisturizer feels like a cushiony cloud on my skin and leaves my complexion looking dewier than ever,” says commerce writer Jennifer Hussein. “Its dense texture makes my skin feel soft and plump, like how I imagine Moo Deng’s cheeks feel. If I could drench my whole body in this rich, hydrating cream, I absolutely would.”

Key ingredients: ceramides, fatty acids, cholesterol | Who it's for: people with age-related dryness or dehydration, or those using retinoids | Fragrance-free: yes

Best Splurge: Chanel Le Lift Pro Crème Volume

Why it's worth it: Chanel's Le Lift Pro Crème Volume is a true triple-threat—as in, it provides sculpting, plumping, and smoothing results to minimize the look of wrinkles and deep lines. Melipona enzymatic, a honey-derived compound with antimicrobial, moisturizing, and exfoliating benefits, is the star ingredient in this formula. Along with its signature ingredient, this moisturizing cream is also spiked with hydrating sodium hyaluronate (a salt derived from hyaluronic acid) and glycerin.

Tester feedback: "The Chanel Le Lift Pro Crème Volume moisturizer helps me hit glazed status every night before bed," says social media director Kassidy Silva. "With chronically dry skin—thank you eczema and psoriasis—it's my nightly staple to keep my skin supple and glowing."

Key ingredients: melipona enzymatic honey, sodium hyaluronate, glycerin | Who it's for: anyone targeting dryness and fine lines | Fragrance-free: yes

Best for Sensitive Skin: Dieux Instant Angel Moisturizer

Why it's worth it: Dieux’s Instant Angel may have a lot of fans, but those who have sensitive skin will especially appreciate its gentle yet intensively hydrating feel. This fragrance-free formula replenishes moisture with a blend of conditioning agents like lipids, squalane, glycerin, urea, and amino acids. This multi-tasking formula also has firming peptides and a compound called meadowestolide, a derivative of meadowfoam seed oil that boasts conditioning benefits. Smoother skin, right this way.

Tester feedback: "Dieux's Instant Angel is the kind of lowkey luxury moisturizer that keeps me uncapping day after day," says shopping contributor Annie Blackman. "The formula is unscented, thick without being gooey or sticky, and never irritating. A no-brainer, really. Nevermind its very aesthetic design and the fact that I'm obsessed with anything that comes in a metal tube."

Senior news editor Nicola Dall'Asen is also in love with this formula. "The magic this barrier-restoring concoction works on my dry patches in the bitterly cold New York winters has yet to be beat," she attests. "A tiny bit of this thick, gooey cream goes a long way, thanks to the seamless way it spreads and sinks into skin."

Key ingredients: hydro lipid blend (lipids, squalane, glycerin, urea), peptides, meadowestolide (meadowfoam seed oil derivative) | Who it's for: dry, sensitive skin | Fragrance-free: yes

Best Lightweight: Kate Somerville HydraKate Recharging Water Cream

Why it's worth it: If you want a cream that provides instant hydration in a barely there texture, it’s hard to go wrong with a gel-cream, like the Allure Best of Beauty Award-winning Kate Somerville HydraKate Recharging Water Cream. This weightless formula is powered by a brightening, hydrating antioxidant-rich algae extract and moisturizing marigold flower extract to plump skin and minimize the look of fine lines and sagging. Bonus: Our editors love its light, barely-there feel that still leaves our skin feeling properly moisturized.

Tester feedback: "I'm usually not a fan of heavier face creams, so I stick to lightweight water creams or gel moisturizers,” says associate editor Annie Blay-Tettey. “The reputation among gel moisturizers is that they are hydrating, but not deeply moisturizing. That is not the case with this water cream, which leaves my skin feeling hydrated and supple upon application and leaves it moisturized all throughout the day.

Key ingredients: algae extract, marigold flower extract | Who it's for: anyone who wants a lightweight cream | Fragrance-free: no

Best Balm: Rhode Barrier Butter

Why it's worth it: Rhode’s Barrier Butter has a balmy, dense texture that melts down to a veil of moisturizing goodness upon contact with the skin. We’re talking an ultra-rich cream that has a hydrating complex of five different weights of hyaluronic acid, which reach different levels of your skin and maintain its natural smoothness and bounce. To seal in moisture, it also contains conditioners like ceramides and murumuru butter.

Tester feedback: “Using tretinoin in the fall and winter makes my skin extra thirsty and sensitive,” says senior editor Jesa Marie Calaor. “It’s truly the most painful time of year for my face but this rich cream is the only product making it bearable. It ensures it stays calm and coddled for hours.”

Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, murumuru butter, ceramides, polyglutamic acid | Who it's for: anyone who wants an intensively moisturizing, balmy moisturizer | Fragrance-free: yes

More moisturizers for dry skin we love:

Best for Chronic Dryness: Caudalie Premier Cru The Rich Cream

Why it's worth it: Caudalie's Premier Cru The Rich Cream deserved its 2023 Best of Beauty Award: Much like its award-winning sister, The Cream, this luxurious formula brings even more dewiness to soothe and hydrate drier skin, thanks to humectants like hyaluronic acid. Remarkably, it's not overly heavy or greasy. Use it regularly, and you'll be on the path to firmer, more supple skin—thanks to the formula's honey locust, which instantly tightens skin for up to six hours.

Tester feedback: “As soon as I got my hands on Premier Cru The Rich Cream, it was love at first application,” says shopping editor Angela Trakoshis. “The texture is thick but not heavy—as if you're wearing a super warm jacket in the winter that manages to feel like you have nothing on. Within seconds of massaging, the white, creamy formula turns clear and there isn't any residue or greasiness in sight—just a glowy, plump finish.”

Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, honey locust, viniferine | Who it's for: people with chronic or seasonal dryness | Fragrance-free: no

Best for Redness: Kiehl's Ultra Facial Advanced Barrier Cream

Why it's worth it: Yet another 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. But that's not the only accolade—this rich treatment also has the National Eczema Association's Seal of Acceptance, meaning no surprise ingredients like fragrances or actives that irritate sensitive skin. Instead, calming ingredients (like beta-glucan) replicate the lipid structure of the skin's moisture barrier, which can help lock in hydration and speed up recovery.

Key ingredients: beta-glucan, colloidal oatmeal, niacinamide | Who it's for: people with skin so dry that it's red, itchy, or flaky | Fragrance-free: yes

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. Bonus: 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) | Fragrance-free: yes

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. The cream has recently been reformulated, so now it offers twice the number of ceramides as the original.

Key ingredients: ceramides, panthenol, glycerin | Who it's for: people seeking a more lightweight option | Fragrance-free: yes

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.

If you're looking for a daytime moisturizer with SPF, Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Manhattan, New York, and Englewood, New Jersey, is a fan of La Roche-Posay's Toleriane UV Double Repair Moisturizer. "It contains niacinamide, which can be calming and good for those with dry and sensitive skin," she notes.

Key ingredients: colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, glycerin | Who it's for: people and kids (over three years old) who are prone to eczema | Fragrance-free: yes

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 TLC.

"When my sensitive skin is feeling particularly dry, I crack open a jar of this skin-cushioning moisturizer," Hussein attests. "Its cool, custardy texture calms my skin down and makes it feel bouncy to the touch as it absorbs."

Key ingredients: colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, allantoin | Who it's for: people with very dry skin | Fragrance-free: yes

Best Night Cream: 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 New York City board-certified dermatologist Dendy Engelman, MD. "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.

Key ingredients: ceramides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide | Who it's for: everyone | Fragrance-free: yes

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 Dr. Engelman. "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.

• Shari Marchbein, MD, a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist
• Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Manhattan, New York, and Englewood, New Jersey
• Dendy Engelman, MD, a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist
• Brendan Camp, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City
• Renée Rouleau, esthetician and founder of Renée Rouleau Skincare
• Joshua Zeichner, MD, board-certified dermatologist and director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City
• Ginger King, a cosmetic chemist
• Adam Kolker, MD, a New York City-based board-certified plastic surgeon
• Y. Claire Chang, MD, an 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.

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