16 Moisturizers for Winter to Keep Dryness at Bay
It’s that time of year again! Temperatures are dropping, and skincare routines are being switched out for more hydrating products faster than you can say “moisturizer.” Cold, dry air can be hard on already-dry winter skin (even for people with oily and acne-prone skin!). And when cold weather hits, one of the most important ways to keep your skin healthy is by upgrading the daily moisturizer you’re religiously applying.
When it comes to moisturizing during winter, there's no one holy grail product. It totally depends on your skin type. For example, moisturizers for oily skin should be water-based and oil-free. The best moisturizers for dry skin should contain rich, plumping ingredients like hyaluronic acid or shea butter, and moisturizers for sensitive skin should ideally have protective ceramides that will help protect your skin's moisture barrier without leading to flaky, irritated skin.
Ready to up your moisturizing game and face the winter months head-on? Read on for our round-up of our fave winter moisturizers, great for all skin types and cold-weather needs.
1. YOUTH TO THE PEOPLE Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream
Adaptogens are powerful botanical herbs thought to protect the body from physical stressors—which might include the frosty chill outside and the dry hot air inside. Slather ‘em on your skin to get a leg up on the drying winter months. Dry, sensitive skin will love this fragrance-free, adaptogen-rich vegan cream, packed with goodies like ashwagandha (an adaptogenic root), fermented reishi (a skincare-superhero mushroom), and holy basil.
2. H2O+ Oasis Ultra Hydrating Cream
Quench thirsty, flaky skin with this clinically proven extra-strength moisturizing cream. It's not just insanely hydrating, but also made with special illuminating pigments (so you can still look glowy and dewy, even when the weather's dry). Ingredients like water lily extract and sea grass extract help your skin retain moisture, and since it's water-based, it's perfect for dry to combination skin (and even oily skin, too).
3. FIRST AID BEAUTY Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration
Dry and sensitive skin will love this hydrating facial cream for good reasons, and we can think of at least four: protective colloidal oatmeal, fatty acid–packed shea butter, soothing allantoin, and a special antioxidant booster designed to ward off environmental aggressors. Although this cream has a range of scents, we love mango, which keeps the dream of sandy, sun-soaked beaches alive in the dreary winter months. What’s more, it’s effective for all skin types.
4. TATCHA The Water Cream
The skin of your dreams might be used to going into hibernation during the winter months, but give yourself a glow-up with this lightweight yet hydrating face cream. It’s made with powerful Japanese botanicals like wild rose and leopard lily that tighten pores, smooth texture, balance oils, get rid of dullness, and boost cell turnover to up your glow.
5. NAISTURE Water Drop Cream
You’re probably sick of the ubiquitous beauty tip about staying hydrated, but we can’t stress the importance of doing so throughout the seasons—and not just by drinking water—but by incorporating skin-quenching ingredients like hyaluronic acid into your daily regimen. This gentle face moisturizer has the effect of hundreds of beads of water drenching the skin and sinking deep into your pores to keep you hydrated all day long. If that doesn’t satisfy your thirst, nothing will!
6. BELIF The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb
This dermatologist-tested cult product has been ranked as the #1 bestselling K-beauty product in Korea’s competitive beauty market. And honestly, it has something for everyone. Beauty buffs swear by its moisturizing superpowers, which have the ability to deeply nourish angry, peeling skin and to balance oily complexions. The formula also feels yummy—it “bursts” onto the skin and delivers a surge of hydration that’ll keep you radiant for up to 26 hours.
7. 111SKIN Cryo Activating Hydra Gel
We all get frustrated with our skin from time to time, but this luxurious gel cream will make you fall in love with your face all over again. This formula is all about bringing your skin’s natural moisture levels back into balance. Lotus extract hydrates without making you greasy, while the cream’s ultra filling spheres plump up your natural beauty.
8. CERAVE Moisturizing Cream
We believe everyone should have a jar of this in their skincare collection. It’s a neutral product that will always have your back (and restore your skin barrier) whenever you need it to. If you experience a lot of dryness, redness, itchy skin, or eczema, this Cerave lotion is a must. It’s super nourishing because it’s full of ceramides and healing lipids. You might find this rich cream is ideal for your night cream, but it can also be used during the day. This is carried at nearly every drugstore and on Amazon—it’s a must!
9. DIEUX Instant Angel Skin Restoring Moisturizer
You’ve definitely seen DIEUX’s famous reusable eye patches all over your Instagram feed. But did you know they have a cult-followed cream moisturizer? Called Instant Angel, this cream is ideal for restoring your moisture barrier, and keeps skin feeling bouncy and hydrated. It uses ingredients like glycerin, squalane, and lipids to nourish skin during not only the winter months, but year-round too.
10. EADEM Cloud Cushion Airy Brightening Moisturizer
We selfishly love this moisturizer because of the little spoon it comes with (seriously, it’s so cute). Besides its amazing packaging, this rich cream is lightweight yet effective to keep your skin looking hydrated and healthy. Infused with peptides, ceramides, and snow mushroom, this plumping facial moisturizer floods skin with hydration and works to decrease fine lines and dark marks from hyperpigmentation.
11. FRECK BEAUTY Rich Bitch Cactus & Vitamin C Moisturizer
What’s more chic than a rich cream in an aluminum tube? Literally nothing. This moisturizer from FRECK BEAUTY is cult-followed and deeply loved by the beauty community. In fact, many reviewers who have oily skin note this as the first ‘rich’ product they could use without irritation and excess sebum production. It’s light-yet-rich and you’ll instantly notice a change in how hydrated and fresh your skin looks and feels after one use. Rich Bitch uses jojoba seed oil, prickly pear seed oil, kelp, and rosemary leaf extract.
12. FIRST AID BEAUTY Ultra Repair Firming Collagen Cream
FIRST AID BEAUTy knows a thing or two about hydrating skincare products. Not only are their products made with sensitive skin in mind, they’re all about skin barrier support and repair too! This cream will help with water loss and elasticity as it helps firm and plump skin with collagen and peptides over time. It’s fragrance free, cruelty free, and non-comedogenic.
13. SUNDAY RILEY C.E.O Afterglow Brightening Vitamin C Gel Cream
One of the newer products to the SUNDAY RILEY Collection, Afterglow is the ideal moisturizer if you’re looking for rich hydration without a product feeling too heavy on your face. Don’t be fooled by the gel cream description, this moisturizer is ideal for all skin types (even sensitive, acne prone, and those who experience extreme dryness) as it provides lasting hydration throughout the day...or night! Thanks to the vitamin C within it, you’re sure to notice a huge difference in your complexion and skin tone within seven days.
14. DRUNK ELEPHANT Protini Polypeptide Cream
This is another moisturizer that you can always count on! Meaning, it’s simple enough not to bother skin, yet provides amazing hydration, barrier support, and anti-aging benefits. Simply put, it’s a protein moisturizer that contains things like peptides, growth factors, and barrier supporting amino acids. You’ll be caring for your skin barrier and hydrating skin and also come to notice a more even skin tone, texture, and firmness.
15. FENTY BEAUTY Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer SPF 30 Sunscreen
Queen RiRi gave us everything we wanted and more with Hydra Vizor. It’s lightweight-yet-nourishing, and provides SPF 30. Plus it has brightening niacinamide and kalahari melon. Hydra Vizor will help fade the look of dark spots and defend against pollution thanks to its antioxidant rich ingredients. Plus, this product is refillable!
16. KATE SOMERVILLE Wrinkle Warrior 2-In-1 Plumping Moisturizer + Serum
Looking for a multi-tasking anti-aging product? This is it! KATE SOMERVILLE describes this as an all in one wrinkle fighter. Of course, while providing your skin with plumping hydration too! This moisturizer + serum combination uses three different sizes of hyaluronic acid (to help with better absorption), amino acids, and sugar copper.
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