The ultimate skincare basic, moisturiser offers a hydrating boost and can double up as a priming layer beneath SPF and make-up. Choosing the best moisturiser to buy depends on your skin type, and if your skin is dry, you’ll be looking for an efficient product to help counteract that.
Signs of dry skin include tightness and flaking, and a visible lack of elasticity. In case you’re wondering, dry skin is different to dehydrated skin, with the former lacking oil so it struggles to retain moisture. Meanwhile, dehydrated skin lacks water which is why it needs extra moisture. Dry skin is a skin type, while signs of dehydrated skin are temporary and can also be seen alongside oily or combination skin.
Key ingredients to help promote hydration levels in the skin’s upper layers include humectant hyaluronic acid, barrier-supporting and soothing ceramides and emollient, as well as glycerin and squalane, to help prevent moisture loss. Meanwhile, vitamin E and aloe are soothing if your dry skin feels easily irritated.
Whether you’re looking for a particularly nourishing skincare boost during the colder months or need a steer if dry is your skin type, we’re here to help. From lavish to lightweight, glossy, and creamy formulas, read on for our tried and tested list of the best moisturisers for dry skin.
How we tested
Our reviewer spent months (and in some cases years) sampling a selection of moisturisers, across all price points. We tested them underneath make-up and on bare skin, looking at formula, finish, and moisturising results. Keep scrolling for our pick of the best moisturisers for dry skin, from cream and gel to lotion and even overnight options.
The best moisturisers for dry skin in 2024 are:
The Ordinary natural moisturizing factors + phytoceramides
This rich, creamy moisturiser has an intensely nourishing effect and glides onto the skin with ease. It contains plant-derived phytoceramides and emollients and the formula offers instant hydration, which sits on the skin’s surface to help support the natural barrier. We’ve been using this product for more than a year and it is our daily go-to for a glowy finish. The moisturiser creates a smooth, fresh-looking base and dewiness, whether or not it’s worn underneath make-up.
With continued use, we noticed a plumping effect – which helps improve the appearance of tightness and fine lines – and the moisturiser feels comforting for skin prone to irritation, too.
Buy now £20.00, Lookfantastic.com
CeraVe moisturising cream
A compact tube of moisturiser, this balmy cream is best suited to those with dry or very dry skin. While its consistency is thick, the formula sinks in quickly and offers a lightweight finish. Key ingredients include hydration-promoting hyaluronic acid and ceramides to help support the skin barrier. As it’s fragrance-free, this moisturiser can also be used on sensitive skin.
We liked the lack of greasiness and speedy absorption, making it ideal to use in a rush. The no-frills moisturiser offers a reassuringly simple skincare layer, soothing and softening our skin.
Buy now £4.80, Lookfantastic.com
Perricone MD cold plasma plus+ the intensive hydrating complex
Despite being an undeniably pricey splurge, this enveloping moisturiser felt lavishly cooling during testing. Alternatively, you can warm it in your hands. Packaged in a glass jar with a twist off lid, the glossy cream is a blue-grey shade. Ingredients include peptides and brightening vitamin C.
Instantly soothing on our skin, we appreciated its speedy absorption, which was particularly helpful ahead of applying foundation. As a result, we saw smooth, supple skin with an added glow. This cream is of a midweight consistency, but is still satisfyingly hydrating, for those who don’t like an overly thick moisturiser.
Buy now £124.80, Lookfantastic.com
Skinsense hydranet hydrating day cream
Presented in a tall, square-edged bottle – with a useful pump nozzle, for mess-free application – this formula is velvety soft and gently lightweight, while still feeling nourishing. The moisturiser glided over our face, and previously tight areas seemed to have added elasticity.
Ingredients include acacia-derived collagen, and its welcoming scent is sweetly creamy. Quickly soaking in, the luminous cream was also delicate on our easily irritated skin.
Buy now £26.61, Amazon.co.uk
Espa overnight hydration therapy
Although technically an intensive treatment, we have relied on this as a regular dry-skin-relieving night cream for several years now. The essential oil blend includes cedarwood and ylang-ylang, while hyaluronic acid hydrates, and lavender soothes. All of this contributes to a spa-like scent, making the application feel ultra relaxing.
The gleaming cream covered our skin well, sinking in as we slept, revealing obvious hydration the next morning. Where dryness has made our wrinkles more obvious, these areas appeared improved, and irritated tightness felt soothed.
Buy now £39.00, Lookfantastic.com
StriVectin anti-wrinkle SD advanced plus intensive moisturizing concentrate
This small tube contains key skincare ingredients, including collagen, vitamin B3 (aka niacinamide) and hyaluronic acid. With a rich consistency, the formula is so smoothing that the glistening cream glides onto the skin without much effort. Our face felt well-coated in abundant moisture, which gradually sank in.
Under make-up, there was slight surface residue as the day went on, so we would recommend leaving extra time for it to absorb. Almost immediately, the appearance of dryness was improved, with our fine lines and wrinkles reduced and a feeling of elasticity added over the weeks of testing.
Buy now £46.75, Boots.com
Ameliorate replenishing facial cream
This lotion-like cream comes in a generously sized tube (with a useful pump-release nozzle) for its affordable price tag. Hydrating ingredients include hyaluronic acid and milk protein, so it’s not suitable for vegans. While spreading the calming moisturiser onto our skin, we picked up on a comforting, powdery scent.
This moisturiser nails the balance between being thickly nourishing and easily absorbed, and we saw an improvement to the look of frown lines straightaway. The product also offered a smoothing, primer-like base underneath our foundation.
Buy now £24.00, Lookfantastic.com
Jones Road miracle cream
More of a balm than a cream, dipping into this stylishly branded jar, we found a thick paste that felt incredibly soothing. Not easily spreadable at first, the vegan-friendly vitamins A- and E-rich shea butter formula steadily melted onto our face with the help of a rubbing motion.
The effect is that of all-consuming moisture that perked up our dull, dry skin by creating a glowing finish that was richly velvety to the touch. After a busy day and evening, we could still detect hydrating glossiness in our make-up look, which we found impressive.
Buy now £38.00, Jonesroadbeauty.com
Aesop perfect facial hydrating cream
When opening the brown glass apothecary-style pot, we immediately noticed the golden cream’s clean, botanical scent. The inclusion of vitamins A and E means this moisturiser is gently nourishing, and we could feel that on our face as this cream was gradually absorbed.
With a thick but not heavy formula, its moisturising effect left our skin looking a lot less dry, without any excess shine. We saw significant smoothness, too. An undisputed treat buy, this is the right one for those who don’t like a glowing, dewy effect.
Buy now £95.00, Lookfantastic.com
Q+A 5-HTP face and neck cream
A vegan-friendly moisturiser presented in a brown glass pot, this white cream is free from fragrances and is suitable for all skin types. Key ingredients include caffeine and plant-fermented biosaccharide gum, with amino acids coming from griffonia seeds.
Soaking into skin easily, it has the consistency of a cooling yoghurt. Appearing to even out the appearance of fine lines caused by dryness, we saw a brightened tone, too.
The cream offers refreshing skincare that you can layer up with as much product as you like, rather than being a thick, slathering hydrator.
Buy now £10.80, Amazon.co.uk
Boots dermacare daily moisturising cream
This sizeable 150ml bottle of moisturiser is specifically formulated for those with very dry skin. It is fragrance-free, so shouldn’t cause irritation, and key ingredient glycerin helps combat moisture loss.
We found the nozzle applicator releases a generous dollop of product with just one pump, and this covered our face with ease. The formula is thick and it offers a comforting layer of soothing, no-fuss skincare, which feels cooling to apply, too.
We noted the cream takes a bit of rubbing in and some excess product lingers on the skin’s surface, but that’s worth it for the intense moisture delivered with this affordable buy.
Buy now £4.00, Boots.com
Bubble slam dunk hydrating moisturiser
If you’re looking for a new moisturiser presented in fun, vibrant packaging, this product will tick those boxes. The mint-green and orange bottle has a push-down release applicator, which serves up a flower-shaped dollop of sheeny, mid-weight moisturiser. As well as looking pretty, it also means easy, mess-free use.
Key ingredients for dry skin include soothing aloe leaf juice, vitamin E and avocado oil, and we noted how gently comforting the moisturiser feels on parched patches. We saw silky, soft skin and a smooth finish, and we are big fans of the purse-friendly price, too.
Buy now £16.00, Boots.com
Thayers barrier bestie ultra whip cream
Presented in a pot with a twist-off lid, this glossy moisturiser contains ceramides and squalane derived from sugarcane, with both helping to support the natural skin barrier. A fragrance-free pick, it adds a silky layer to skin, which helps smooth dryness and improve the look of tightness, too. Once it’s absorbed, the final effect is a matte finish that offers an even base under make-up or for bare skin.
Buy now £9.40, Amazon.co.uk
Skin Rocks the rich moisturiser
A moisturiser billed as being for drier skin, this product from skincare guru Caroline Hirons’ brand Skin Rocks is available in both fragranced and fragrance-free options – so all preferences are catered for. It contains ceramides and cholesterol to support the skin barrier, as well as conditioning glycerides and essential fatty acids, and our tester noted the moisturiser feels supremely nourishing and softening.
This thick cream is ideal for signs of both dry and dehydrated skin, and the results seen are akin to instant skincare TLC. Thanks to the moisturising formula, our parched skin looks plumper (so fine lines appear lessened) and noticeably more radiant after applying this product. We’ve been reaching for it to help counteract the appearance of dullness on tired days, too.
Buy now £65.00, Skinrocks.com
Tatcha indigo overnight repair
While this cream is called overnight repair, we’ve used it for both day and night hydration. The glossy formula comes with a signature Tatcha gold spoon for bougie application. We love how lightweight yet lavish the serum-style cream feels on skin, while also being soothing and comforting.
Our tester applied a light layer in the daytime as an ultra-nourishing and refreshing moisturiser or a thicker amount before bed. Key ingredients include Japanese indigo, as well as ceramides and lipids. It’s suitable for sensitive skin and is gentle and calming on any irritated or dry areas. While it has an expensive price tag, this overnight moisturiser for dry skin does feel like a treat to apply.
Buy now £86.00, Tatcha.co.uk
Fresh rose deep hydration face cream
The first thing we noted about this rose face cream is its sweet, fresh floral scent, which lingers without being too overpowering. The thick cream delivers a serious glow and feels rich yet refreshing on the skin. It absorbs quite well, and a noticeable, light layer remains on the skin, which provides dewiness without feeling greasy. It’s an indulgent one to slather on before bed. Hydration-promoting hyaluronic acid is its key ingredient for dryness and the damask rose helps soften skin.
Buy now £42.00, Lookfantastic.com
Murad cellular hydration repair cream
One feature we loved about this one is the push-down lid, which allows for mess-free, hygienic application. Key ingredients include refined bilberry seed oil (which contains fatty acids omegas 3 and 6 to support the skin barrier) and allantoin to help the skin hold moisture. Despite feeling light, the cream soothed any flaky skin and irritated areas, as well as alleviating feelings of tightness. Suitable for all skin types, including those prone to sensitivity or oiliness, it provides hours of hydration.
Buy now £69.00, Lookfantastic.com
Alpha H essential hydration cream
This slimline tube is the perfect size for throwing in a make-up bag. As for its performance, we found the thick, almost balm-like texture absorbed well, leaving our dry skin soothed. It also helped calm redness and didn’t cause any irritation to sensitive areas.
The cream does have a slight rose geranium scent, but this is really subtle, which we appreciated.
Buy now £43.99, Lookfantastic.com
Soho Skin hydrating gel-cream
This hybrid between a gel and a cream feels instantly refreshing and absorbs rapidly. Our skin felt fresh after application and it offers a softening priming base under make-up. Key components are hyaluronic acid and vitamin D to help retain moisture and support the skin barrier respectively. We’d recommend this gel moisturiser for slight, rather than overt, dryness, because of its lightweight effect.
Buy now £55.00, Spacenk.com
The verdict: Moisturisers for dry skin
Our best overall moisturiser for dry skin is The Ordinary’s formula, which offers a smoothing and dewy base at an affordable price point. CeraVe also presents a purse-friendly pick, which is gentle and offers efficient hydration. Meanwhile, we love Skin Rocks for its intensely moisturising formula and soothing effect. Finally, for an option at night as well as during the day, Tatcha’s serum-style cream feels both lavish and nourishing.
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