The winter and holiday seasons are exciting — filled with trips to see family and time cozying up in bed. But when the “magic” of the season ceases and the winter weather starts to kick in, you may start to be annoyed by the constant scratching of your dry, irritated skin.
The harsh winter weather can wreak havoc on your skin. Dropping temperatures and lack of humidity prevent our skin from retaining moisture. Itchy, dry skin and cracked lips are a nuisance, but there is an easy way to take care of your skin this season — just add a quality moisturizer to your daily skin care routine.
I have dry skin, which especially gets irritated in the winter. My eczema also flares up in cold temperatures. If you have a similar skin type or are especially sensitive to wintertime cold, this list is for you.
How to prevent dry skin in the winter
Not only do the dropping temperatures harm our skin, but so does indoor heating. Here’s how to prevent dry, itchy skin this winter.
Keep Vaseline, Aquaphor or other petroleum jelly products around. Apply to chapped lips or dry patches of skin. They’re also a great occlusive (or barrier) to use in the slugging skin care technique. For the most effective hydration, first use a layer of cream, then apply your slugging agent. The following list consists of the best hydrating skin care oils, creams, moisturizers and lotions. Consider using underneath your slugging product.
I have personally tested each product on this list, and use most of these moisturizers each day. I have sensitive, dry and sometimes acne-prone skin, and I found each product on this list to be hydrating and gentle on my skin.
Here are the best products to keep your skin hydrated this winter.
Amazon
The Honest Company was founded by actress Jessica Alba. It produces cleaning, beauty, baby and personal care products that are natural, organic and eco-conscious. All products are sustainably packaged, cruelty-free and safe for you and the environment.
Honest’s Hydrogel Cream combines two types of hyaluronic acid with jojoba and squalane oils, and both soothe and help moisturize skin. The cream is thick and feels cool upon application. I like that it is fragrance-free, made for dry and combination skin and doesn’t feel sticky.
It’s made without parabens, silicones, petrolatum, mineral oil, synthetic fragrances or dyes, so you can use this cream on your face, hands or elsewhere on the body.
Best features:
- Best for all skin types
- Contains two types of hyaluronic acid
- Dermatologist-tested, cruelty-free and vegan
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Amazon
CeraVe gained lots of attention on TikTok. Beauty gurus and TikTok users alike praised CeraVe for being both affordable and great for your skin. Among CeraVe’s universally praised products is its daily moisturizing lotion.
The lightweight and oil-free lotion is non-comedogenic, meaning it won’t clog your pores. I like that it is thin enough to wear makeup over and universal to be used on both my face and arms or legs. It contains three kinds of ceramides to restore the skin’s barrier and hyaluronic acid to help the skin retain moisture. I also like that it is fragrance-free and sensitive enough to be accepted into the National Eczema Association.
This lotion can be used on your face, hands or elsewhere on the body.
Best features:
- Best for normal to dry skin
- Made with three ceramides and hyaluronic acid
- Accepted into the National Eczema Association
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Amazon
The Honest Company appears twice on this list and for good reason. Its products are not only dermatologist-tested, cruelty-free and vegan, but its Calm and Heal Melting Balm is hypoallergenic, clinically studied and non-comedogenic.
Honest’s balm contains 0.5% allantoin, which can temporarily protect minor cuts, scrapes and burns. It can also help prevent and relieve chapped and cracked skin. It also contains hyaluronic acid and mondo grass for added moisture — all without parabens, phthalates, PEGs, synthetic fragrances or dyes. If you want to use the balm around your eyes, check out their Calm and Renew Melting Eye Balm.
I love that this balm melts on my fingers and I can spread it easily. It is best used on your face, neck and other small areas of dry skin.
Best features:
- Best for sensitive and dry skin
- Hypoallergenic and clinically tested for sensitive skin
- Dermatologist-tested, cruelty-free and vegan
You’re receiving price alerts for Honest Beauty Calm & Heal Melting Balm with Hyaluronic Acid | Ultra moisturizing, melting balm | For Sensitive Skin | Recognized by the National Eczema Association | Cruelty free | 1.7 oz.
Bodewell
Bodewell is a fairly new name in the skin care game, but it’s already making noise. Its Eczema Daily Calming Cream won one of Allure’s Best of Beauty 2022 awards for sensitive skin products. As someone who deals with eczema every winter, I had to try it out.
This steroid-free cream contains colloidal oatmeal, a natural skin soother. It also contains hydrators like vitamin E and coconut oil and uses vitamin B3 to improve the skin’s moisture barrier. I like that this cream is thick and won’t leave my skin looking or feeling greasy. I wouldn’t say it cured my eczema, but it helped to stop the itch. If your skin condition worsens or doesn’t get better, see a doctor.
I found that this cream was best to use after a shower and can be applied to eczema and rashes almost anywhere on the body.
Best features:
- Allure’s Best of Beauty 2022 award-winner
- Steroid-free
- Can be used on face and body
Ghost Democracy
Ghost Democracy offers high-quality, clean products (made without harmful synthetic chemicals or ingredients) at reasonable prices. In addition, everything is vegan and cruelty-free. I am a big fan of this brand, because all of its products contain highly concentrated ingredients.
Ghost Democracy’s Cocoon Replenishing Ceramide Cream was recommended to us by a dermatologist due to its ingredients such as ceramides, lipids, squalane, oat seed extract and murumuru seed butter. These help to restore the skin’s barrier, and can be used under heavier occlusives such as Aquaphor or Vaseline. Due to the ceramide cream’s density, a little amount goes a long way.
This cream is one of my all-time favorites. It’s for all skin types, especially dry.
Best features:
- Contains 2.2% ceramide blend and 17% lipid blend
- Includes squalane and oat seed extract
- Clean, vegan and cruelty-free
