Parched. Tight. Sandpaper.
If these words describe your skin amid the fall months to a T, trust us, you’re not alone. As the temps — and humidity — drops, as cooler, drier air becomes the norm, and as our skin gets lambasted by harsh winds, you’re inevitably left with dry, itchy, irritated skin; thus, making it all-too imperative that, as the seasons change, your skincare routine does, too.
Now, when choosing the right skincare products to soothe your dry skin, keep an eye out for two types of ingredients: emollients and humectants. Emollients, like ceramides, are moisturizing treatments that trap in moisture and help manage dry, itchy skin. Humectants, on the other hand, draw water into the skin and help seal in moisture. Some examples of humectants are glycerin and hyaluronic acid.
As for what to avoid? According to dermatologists, keep toners, retinols and, at times, exfoliators at an arm’s length.
“Gentle exfoliators can actually be a win for those with dry skin as it can remove the top layer of skin, the stratum corneum, to allow better penetration of moisturizing agents,” board-certified dermatologist Roberta Del Campo, MD, tells Who What Wear. “The key is to only exfoliate one to two times per week and use either a gentle mechanical exfoliation (small, fine granules versus course granules) or a very gentle chemical exfoliation (lactic acid versus a more drying agent such as salicylic acid).”
Ahead, we’ve gathered the best skin care products that’ll leave you with soft, glowy, moisturized skin this fall and winter.
Our mission at SheKnows is to empower and inspire women, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.
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EltaMD Foaming Facial Cleanser
Image Credit: Elta MD. Wash your face with a gentle cleanser that’ll not only rinse away impurities but also, and more importantly, deep-cleans without drying out your skin, leaving it softer and smoother.
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Neocutis Hyalis+ Intensive Hydrating Serum
Image Credit: Hyalis+. This Neocutis hydrating serum does it all: It minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and helps promote smooth, soft and supple skin.
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Tree Hut Vitamin C Shea Sugar Scrub
Image Credit: Tree Hut. With dry skin, try not to exfoliate often, maybe once a week; and when you do, Tree Hut’s shea sugar scrub will help remove dull, dry skin and reveal glowing, soft, nourished skin.
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La Roche-Posay Lipikar Balm AP+
Image Credit: La Roche-Posay. Accepted by the National Eczema Association, La Roche-Posay’s Lipikar Balm AP+ is great for dry and extra-dry skin, as it provides 48-hour hydration thanks to its shea butter and glycerin-based formula.
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Neutrogena Hydro Boost
Image Credit: Amazon. Boasting dry skin-quenching hyaluronic acid and an oil-free, fragrance-free formula, Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost provides rapid hydration and relieves intense dryness. What more could you want from a daily cream?
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CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
Image Credit: CeraVe. When you step out of the shower, reach for an all-body moisturizing cream that’ll provide 24-hour hydration, leaving your dry skin feeling nourished and comfortable.
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Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream
Image Credit: Amazon. Cetaphil’s moisturizing cream is also extremely popular among dry skin sufferers, and for good reason. Boasting more than 11,000 mostly positive reviews on Amazon, this particular moisturizing cream is reportedly clinically proven to provide immediate and lasting 24-hour relief.
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Vichy Aqualia Thermal Rich Face Cream
Image Credit: Amazon. Boasting hyaluronic acid and Vichy Volcanic Water, Vichy’s Aqualia Thermal Rich Face Cream deeply hydrates and refreshes your dry, sensitive, dull skin.
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Kopari Beauty 100% Organic Coconut Melt
Image Credit: Kopari. Great for the entire body, Kopari’s Coconut Melt is a 100 percent, pure organic coconut oil that does it all: moisturizes dry skin, addresses under-eye imperfections, deep-conditions your hair, and much more. According to clinical results, 97 percent of the more than 100 people who tried the product said their skin felt “dramatically more hydrated.”
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The 3-Step Skincare Routine
Image Credit: Glossier. For a three-product set, turn to Glossier, who sells the popular 3-Step Skincare Routine: Dry Skin, including a cleanser, moisturizer and lip balm. The Milky Jelly Cleanser is a pH-balanced gel face wash made with a blend of five skin conditioners that cleans, soothes and condition the skin; the Priming Moisturizer Rich is a buttery, ultra-moisturizing cream packed with nourishing shea butter, ceramides, and honey; and the Balm Dotcom is an ultra-moisturizing balm packed with antioxidants and natural emollients to soothe chapped lips.
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Aveeno Ultra-Calming Nourishing Night Cream
Image Credit: Aveeno. For an overnight treatment, Aveeno has just the product: Their Ultra-Calming Nourishing Night Cream, a soothing face and neck cream that works while you sleep to nourish and hydrate dry skin, while also soothing and calming sensitive skin.
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Kate Somerville Dry Skin Saver
Image Credit: Kate Somerville. Like the name of the product suggests, this popular Kate Somerville product moisturizes your skin, but not with the thick, Vaseline-like texture you might expect from a dry skin-saving product. As reviewers put it, the product — which boasts unique ingredients, like oat kernel flour, blackcurrant seed oil, Japanese kelp, and more — doesn’t suffocate or feel oily, and “feels like a silky hug.”
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