Dry Skin 101: How to Keep It Looking and Feeling Healthy

A good facial moisturizer is arguably the most important tool in a person with dry skin’s toolbox. However, the skin on your face is also more sensitive than the skin on your body, so you want something that’s deeply moisturizing but not absurdly heavy or brimming with active ingredients. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream hits that sweet spot: It feels amazingly creamy upon application but absorbs quickly. It’s incredibly hydrating and keeps my skin feeling soft all day (and night).

It’s a bit on the pricey side, but you get a ton of product (I’m still on one I got nine months ago), plus there are smaller sizes available for lesser prices.

It’s a thicker body butter to be sure, but it spreads surprisingly easily. It also smells amazing with elevated citrus notes, and the fragrance didn’t irritate my skin whatsoever. I noticed a real softening of my rough elbows after just a few days of use.

Writer Tori Martinet, RD, has dry skin. She says this cream left her skin “less dry-looking, not ashy,” adding that her skin “had a nice softness” after use. It’s definitely thick and leaves a bit of a residue, but that’s the protective layer I mentioned above. It comes in several sizes that are all wallet-friendly. This one may seem basic, but when basic works, I stick with it.

It absorbs quickly but leaves my skin looking plump and glowy. I love that you can buy less expensive refills to put in the elegant bottle. It’s one of the most effective products I’ve found for my skin, especially for the price.

It will leave a waxy layer on your lips, but that’s by design. Dry lips sometimes need a protective barrier to retain moisture and heal.

“It did not have an emollient feel, but it did seem as if it created a barrier between my lips and the environment,” says editor Katie Tuttle. It may not be for everyone, but if you’ve tried every other lip balm to address your dry lips, it might be time to give a barrier balm like this a go. It even secured a spot on our tested list of our favorite lip balms.

Vanicream is often at the top of dermatologists’ lists when they recommend skin care products. Dr. Viola likes this cleanser for dry skin in particular because it’s “economical, gentle for your face yet still removes dirt and makeup.” Designed for sensitive skin, it’s soap-free (i.e., no tight, dry feeling) and noncomedogenic, yet it still manages to remove makeup with aplomb.

I test a lot of skin care products, but as a sensitive skin girl, I keep coming back to Vanicream. It feels lovely and light on the skin, washes off easily, and you get so much product for the already low price. There’s just nothing I don’t love about it. 

I know what you’re thinking: “What’s a gel cleanser doing on a product list for dry skin? Aren’t they potentially drying?” Not this one, kids. I don’t know how RMS did it, but this gel cleanser foams beautifully, feels light as air, yet still removes even my most stubborn makeup, all without stripping my skin. It’s truly magical. 

Tinted sunscreen can be tricky. It’s either too pigmented, doesn’t have a wide enough shade range, or doesn’t offer significant sun protection. La Roche-Posay manages to avoid all those pitfalls with this tinted sunscreen: It has a higher-than-average SPF and wider-than-average shade range than most tinted sunscreens I’ve seen. And despite being mineral-based (which sits on top of the skin as a physical barrier rather than absorbing into the skin), it doesn’t leave a white cast.

I love how easily it applies and blends into the skin. It dries down to a matte finish but never feels stiff; in fact, it’s rather hydrating. It also works well under makeup, never pilling or settling into fine lines. It offers that perfect no-makeup-makeup look, which I love (hooray for minimal effort). Finally, it’s safe for sensitive skin, fragrance-free, and you get a ton of product for the price.

This pick from Blue Lizard is proof that you can find a fabulous, dry skin–friendly sunscreen for a wallet-friendly price. It’s another mineral sunscreen, which we love for dry skin, since it shields the skin immediately and more effectively than chemical sunscreen. It’s water-resistant for up to 80 minutes, so it’s great for active wear. It’s also hypoallergenic and contains aloe vera to moisturize and soothe sun-exposed skin.

“I did not get any sunburn during my testing, and I was outside all of those days,” says writer Raki Swanson. She also notes that it wasn’t nearly as thick as some other mineral sunscreens she’s tried, making it much easier to rub in. This one made it onto our list of best sunscreens for sensitive skin.

If you’ve never tried Supergoop’s sunscreen, it’s a world away from your average sunscreen. It feels lighter than air, disappears without a trace, and offers long-lasting, high-level sun protection.

The only things I don’t love about it are the price and that it comes in a screw-top container, making it messy, but the pros far outweigh the cons (at least for me).

You really don’t need to spend a ton on a humidifier, especially if you’re using it in a smaller room, like a bedroom or office. We love the Levoit Classic 160 because it’s easy to clean (a rarity in this category), has an automatic shut-off, and is so simple to set up and use. It’s also one of the quietest small models out there, so it’s perfect for when your skin needs its beauty sleep.

“It’s not trying to be fancy or techy or do multiple things. It’s just a well-made, easy-to-use humidifier,” says health writer Grace Gallagher. It’d be a great pick for older family members who don’t care about hooking up to an app or anything like that. And you can’t beat the price.

Want a humidifier to run all the time or one fit for a larger space? Levoit’s got you covered there, too. The Classic 300S model does pair with an app, but it’s simple to set up and helps you keep track of how it’s running and the water level. It’s a powerful model: Gallagher tested this one, too, and says it noticeably increased the humidity in a large room in under an hour.

I also have this model and love how easy it is to clean. It’s also pretty quiet considering how quickly it works. Whenever we run it, I notice my skin legitimately retains more moisture overnight than when we don’t.