Apply moisturizer several times a day, especially when your skin feels dry and after handwashing or bathing, while your skin is still moist. Ask your doctor about the pros and cons of various products for your skin and condition.

You may need to try several products before you find those you like, that help you and that you'll use regularly. Look for healing ingredients such as urea, ceramides, fatty acids and glycerol also known as glycerin , shea butter, and cocoa butter. Look for fragrance-free products that don't cause acne noncomedogenic and don't contain allergy-causing substances hypoallergenic.

Avoid products that contain sodium lauryl sulfate, which is drying. For the face and neck, you might want to use a cream. Choose something that's easy to apply and leaves no visible residue. If you are acne-prone, avoid products on your face that contain petroleum jelly, cocoa butter or coconut oil.

If you skin is very oily, try using a sunscreen instead of a moisturizer. If you have mature skin, you might prevent scaly, flaky skin by using products that contain antioxidants or alpha hydroxy acid. Moisturizers often form the basis for wrinkle creams, with added retinoids, antioxidants, peptides and other ingredients.

If nonfacial skin is very dry, you might want to use a thicker moisturizer Eucerin, Cetaphil, others or an oil, such as baby oil. Oil has more staying power than do lotions and prevents the evaporation of water from the skin's surface.

Another possibility is a petrolatum-based product Vaseline, Aquaphor, others. If it feels too greasy, use it only at bedtime or just on tiny cracks in your skin.

For very dry hands, apply petroleum jelly liberally at bedtime and put on plain cotton socks or gloves. Use allergen-free moisturizing soap. For handwashing, use fragrance-free hypoallergenic moisturizing soap. Then apply a moisturizing cream while your hands are still damp.

In the shower or bath, try a nonsoap cleansing cream or shower gel, and use soap only in areas where needed, such as the armpits and groin.

Avoid loofahs and pumice stones. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Choose fabrics that are kind to your skin. Natural fibers, such as cotton, allow your skin to breathe. Wool, although natural, sometimes irritates even healthy skin. For laundry, use detergents without dyes or perfumes, both of which can irritate your skin.

These types of products usually have the word "free" in their names. If these measures don't relieve your symptoms or if your symptoms worsen, see your doctor or consult a dermatologist about creating a personalized skin care plan based on your skin type and any skin condition you may have.

Dawn Davis, M. Olsen: Dermatologist Dr. Dawn Davis says that's because this odorless nearly colorless jelly is so versatile. Davis: It sits on top of the skin, like a greenhouse roof, so it's like insulating the skin so that it doesn't lose heat and so it doesn't lose moisture.

Olsen: One recent study called petroleum jelly the best way to reduce the risk of eczema in newborns. Davis says because petroleum jelly is chemically similar to proteins in our skin, it's also a good choice for treating everything from chapped lips to dry cuticles, hands and feet.

Davis: A lot of people also ask about using petroleum jelly in the nares, or in the breathing holes of the nose.

Olsen: Dr. Davis says you should never use it in the nose of infants and small children. In older kids a thin layer of petroleum jelly can even soothe a tender winter nose. For more information, talk with your doctor or visit MayoClinic.

You're likely to start by seeing your primary care doctor. Sometimes, you may be referred directly to a specialist in skin diseases dermatologist. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment.

Preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time with your doctor. For dry skin, some basic questions to ask include:. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

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Diagnosis To diagnose dry skin, your doctor is likely to examine you and ask about your medical history. Request an appointment. September 21, Simple and inexpensive ways to moisturize itchy, dry skin Dry skin occurs when skin doesn't retain sufficient moisture.

Keeping moisture in the skin Skin moisturizers, which rehydrate the top layer of skin cells and seal in the moisture, are the first step in combating dry skin. What can you do about dry skin? Here are some ways to combat dry skin that are effective if practiced consistently: Use a humidifier in the winter.

Limit yourself to one 5- to minute bath or shower daily. If you bathe more than that, you may strip away much of the skin's oily layer and cause it to lose moisture. Use lukewarm rather than hot water, which can wash away natural oils. Minimize your use of soaps; if necessary, choose moisturizing preparations such as Dove, Olay, and Basis, or consider soap-free cleansers like Cetaphil, Oilatum-AD, and Aquanil.

Steer clear of deodorant soaps, perfumed soaps, and alcohol products, which can strip away natural oils. To avoid damaging the skin, stay away from bath sponges, scrub brushes, and washcloths.

If you don't want to give them up altogether, be sure to use a light touch. For the same reason, pat or blot don't rub the skin when toweling dry. Apply moisturizer immediately after bathing or washing your hands.

This helps plug the spaces between your skin cells and seal in moisture while your skin is still damp. To reduce the greasy feel of petroleum jelly and thick creams, rub a small amount into your hands and then rub it over the affected areas until neither your hands nor the affected areas feel greasy.

Never, ever scratch. Most of the time, a moisturizer can control the itch. You can also use a cold pack or compress to relieve itchy spots. Use fragrance-free laundry detergents and avoid fabric softeners. Avoid wearing wool and other fabrics that can irritate the skin. Share This Page Share this page to Facebook Share this page to Twitter Share this page via Email.

Print This Page Click to Print. Related Content. Staying Healthy. Skin and Hair. Free Healthbeat Signup Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox! It's best for people with dry skin, as well as those concerned with the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Editor Tip: Add a few drops of serum to the moisturizer for a more targeted treatment.

Key Ingredients: Peptides, shea butter, vitamin E Who It's For: People looking to nourish skin on a budget. Why It's Worth It: "I love how lightweight the Kate Somerville HydraKate Recharging Water Cream is," associate beauty editor Annie Blay says of her go-to summer facial moisturizer.

Editor Tip: Inspired by Somerville's in-clinic micro-channeling treatment, AquaPort Technology is said to mimic micro-channeling and open up water pathways in order to deliver moisture quickly and deeply into the skin. Key Ingredients: Algae extract, marigold extract, glycerin Who It's For: Oily and combination skin types.

Why It's Worth It: If you have eczema or sensitive skin, the award-winning First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream is for you. It's won a Best of Beauty and Readers' Choice Award, so you know it's legit. Made with soothing colloidal oatmeal , this thick yet nongreasy moisturizer hydrates any dry spots or patches without irritating the skin.

Editor Tip: For daytime, we've found it a bit too tacky to wear underneath sunscreen or a full face of makeup — instead, we prefer using it as a spot treatment as needed — but you can and definitely should slather on this fragrance-free treatment before you go to bed.

Key Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, allantoin Who It's For: Eczema-prone or easily irritated skin. Why It's Worth It: A winner of our Best of Beauty Award and three-time Readers' Choice Award winner, the Lala Retro Whipped Cream by Drunk Elephant is the ultimate fancy-but-not-too-fancy, unscented moisturizer.

It'll wrap your skin in an airy blanket of hyaluronic acid, plant-derived ceramides, and moisture-boosting oils that guard against water loss for all-day or all-night relief.

Editor Tip: It's free of essential oils and fragrance, making it a good option if you tend to be sensitive, too. Key Ingredients: Marula oil, ceramides, fermented green tea seed extract Who It's For: People who need moisture without congestion.

Why It's Worth It: Glow Recipe is one of the internet's buzziest brands with the brightest formulas, and the skin-perfecting goodness of its Refillable Plum Plump Hyaluronic Cream is further proof. The whipped gel-cream gets its lavender color from three different types of plums kakadu, illawara, and burdekin and its intense moisture-replenishing powers from five weights of hyaluronic acid , meaning they penetrate the skin at different levels.

Slather it on your face and neck twice daily for a radiant glow and healthy bounce. Editor Tip: The brand also upped the ante on its sustainability pledge, offering replacement pods that pop into the glass jar when you need to restock.

Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, kakadu plum, ice willowherb Who It's For: People looking for immediate smoothing. Why It's Worth It: Consider the CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion the ultimate drugstore moisturizer.

Therefore, ceramides can help treat skin conditions such as eczema and acne, in which the skin is deficient in ceramides.

After all, this product has the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance printed on the bottle. Editor Tip: Unlike its award-winning sibling, the Moisturizing Cream , this all-over lotion comes in an easier-to-use pump bottle.

Key Ingredients: Ceramide NP, ceramide AP, hyaluronic acid Who It's For: People who want a one-and-done moisturizer.

Why It's Worth It: This weightless formula checks a lot of boxes. Landriscina explains. Editor Tip: The gel formulation makes it a great swap for summertime, whatever your skin type.

Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, glycerin, amino acids Who It's For: People with dry or dull skin. Why It's Worth It: For dry to severely dry skin, bring the heavy hydration hitters into your nighttime skin-care routine. Murad Intense Recovery Cream, a rich, seafoam-green-tinted cream, is a Best of Beauty Award winner because it puts a stop to redness and visibly calms signs of stressed skin.

Star ingredients include shea butter, macadamia oil, redness-soothing mirabilis jalapa plant extract, and fine-line-smoothing microalgae extract, making it the ideal nightcap for your skin.

Editor Tip: You can apply it around the eyes to amp up hydration and minimize fine lines, too. Key Ingredients: Shea butter, macadamia oil, microalgae extract Who It's For: Those with sensitized skin.

Why It's Worth It: Farmacy's Daily Greens Oil-Free Gel Moisturizer is a feel-good formula in every sense of the word. For starters, its lightweight gel texture is satisfyingly bouncy and glassy when scooped out of the jar, and melts into skin as you apply it.

The moisturizer also includes a cocktail of skin-perfecting ingredients like a quadruple dose of hyaluronic acid for mega hydration , papaya extract for gentle exfoliation , and moringa seed extract for removing impurities which leave skin looking dewy and brighter.

Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, moringa oil, papaya extract Who It's For: Oily and combination skin types. It's free of silicone and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores. Editor Tip: For drier skin, we recommend Skinfix Lipid-Peptide Cream , an emollient moisturizer and Best of Beauty Award winner that's packed with shea butter, sodium hyaluronate, and fatty oils to restore hydration levels.

Key Ingredients: Zinc PCA, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid Who It's For: People prone to breakouts or congested skin.

Why It's Worth It: Kiehl's best-selling Ultra Facial Cream has been a beloved skin-care staple for years and with good reason: It works. Editor Tip: Looking for a more intense formula for the colder months?

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Advanced Repair Barrier Cream is like slathering on a cozy blanket of moisture wherever you need it. Key Ingredients: Squalane, glycoprotein, glycerin Who It's For: People with especially dry or reactive skin. Why It's Worth It: Ole Henkrisen's Strength Trainer Peptide Boost Moisturizer boasts impressive numbers, with a powerful blend of eight conditioning peptides, three moisturizing ceramides, and eight amino acids to lock in moisture for the long haul, boosting elasticity and fortifying the moisture barrier.

Mango shea butter adds a subtly fruity scent that makes you feel like you're on vacation.

You can expect permanent results in all but one area. Do you know which one? If you want to diminish a noticeable scar, know these 10 things before having laser treatment. Use these professionally produced online infographics, posters, and videos to help others find and prevent skin cancer.

Free to everyone, these materials teach young people about common skin conditions, which can prevent misunderstanding and bullying. A dermatologist is a medical doctor who specializes in treating the skin, hair, and nails.

Dermatologists care for people of all ages. In many parts of the country, winter wreaks havoc on the skin. When the cold, dry air outdoors pairs with the hot, dry heat indoors, Sahara-like conditions ensue. For most people, dry skin can be easily remedied by adjusting their moisturizing routine.

But with hundreds of product options, where do you even begin? To help you decide, we asked board-certified dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology to weigh in on the best moisturizer for each skin type. Rather, moisturizer — which works by putting moisture into the skin, as well as preventing water from leaving the skin — can describe a number of different products, including lotions, gels, creams, and ointments.

There are subtle differences among them. A gel is often water-based and tends to feel lighter on the skin than a lotion. A cream is thicker and has higher oil content than a lotion and gel, making it more hydrating. An ointment is the thickest of all, making it the most effective in remedying dry skin.

Other nourishing ingredients in the moisturizer include glycerin and dimethicone. It uses ingredients like squalane oil and probiotics to help hydrate skin, reduce redness and decrease pore size, according to the company. This mask contains several moisturizing ingredients, including the humectant hyaluronic acid.

Other ingredients included are black oat, lecithin and red seaweed. Annie Chiu , a board-certified cosmetic and general dermatologist and founder of The Derm Institute in California.

Typically, they come in the form of lotions or creams, but can be gels, or ointments too. Gels, like petroleum jelly, or ointments, keep skin hydrated by sealing moisture in. Most moisturizers formulated for dry skin have a heavier, thicker texture to provide a heavy barrier on the skin.

As previously stated, typically, these ingredients fall into one of three categories, according to our experts:. Humectants, emollients and occlusives all work together to hydrate the skin and lock moisture in. Since moisturizers come in various textures and consistencies, experts also recommend choosing your formulations cream, gel-cream, balm etc.

According to our skin care experts, here are some of the ingredients you should avoid while shopping for a face moisturizer for dry skin. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.

Christina Colizza and Morgan Greenwald are former editors for NBC Select. Ashley Morris is an associate SEO reporter for NBC Select, covering skin care, wellness, home and kitchen and more. For this story, they spoke to board-certified dermatologists and aestheticians about the best moisturizers for dry skin, including product recommendations and advice on how to shop for your own.

Christina Colizza is a former editor for Select on NBC News. Ashley Morris is an associate SEO reporter for Select on NBC News. IE 11 is not supported.

For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. SKIP TO CONTENT. CNBC Select. Follow Select. By Christina Colizza and Ashley Morris.

The best moisturizers for dry skin in How to shop for a dry skin moisturizer Selected. You may also find it beneficial to reduce your time in the shower to 5 to 10 minutes.

This avoids unnecessary exposure to water, which can leave your skin drier than it was before you hopped in the shower. Avoid showering or bathing more than once a day, as this can worsen dry skin. There are several mild and moisturizing soaps without fragrances that you can try.

Syndets, or synthetic cleaning agents, are another beneficial soap ingredient. They often contain chemicals, such as sulphur trioxide, sulphuric acid, and ethylene oxide, which are gentle on sensitive skin.

Use your fingertips to gently rub your face instead of using a more abrasive sponge or washcloth. This cleanses your face after a long day of collecting dirt and helps prevent you from eliminating necessary oils from the skin.

Instead, try just once per week. This can reduce irritation associated with harsh scrubbing. Find a moisturizer that works for your skin, and use it regularly, especially after you shower.

Applying it at this time can help your skin retain moisture. Your facial moisturizer should be free of fragrance and alcohol. These ingredients can cause unnecessary irritation. You may want to try a moisturizer that includes a sunscreen to protect yourself from exposure to sunlight.

Look for products that help retain water in the skin. There are also great moisturizers for sensitive skin. To restore moisture, choose a heavier, oil-based moisturizer with ingredients that help keep your skin hydrated.

Petrolatum-based products are best for dry or cracked skin. They have more staying power than creams do and are more effective at preventing water from evaporating from your skin.

Lip balm can help relieve dry, chapped, or cracked lips. The lip balm should contain petrolatum, petroleum jelly, or mineral oil. If it does, try another product.

Try bundling a scarf around your face to prevent dryness. However, keep in mind that your skin may react to the materials in the scarf and the detergents you use to wash it.

Detergent should be hypoallergenic and free of dyes and fragrances. You may enjoy detergent formulated for sensitive skin. Use a humidifier in rooms where you spend a lot of time. Adding moisture to the air may prevent your skin from drying.

Make sure your humidifier is easy to clean, which can prevent bacteria buildup. As a low-cost alternative, you can also place a bowl of water in the room. This also avoids the risk of bacteria, fungal buildup, or unwanted microscopic particles in the air.

Conditions that appear to be mild dry skin at first but require more in-depth medical treatment include:. Your doctor may recommend a prescription treatment for your dry skin. These treatments may include:. If you experience dry skin at a particular time of year, such as during cold months, make sure you adjust your skin care routine.

It may be necessary to switch products or shower routines during certain times of the year to avoid a dry face. Switching up your shower routine or otherwise tweaking your skin care regimen should help ease symptoms of dry skin within a week or so. In order to see a permanent change, be consistent with your lifestyle changes.