The best moisturizers for dry skin you need to try this winter

Is the dry winter air and heating getting to your skin? Here are some of the best moisturizers at every price point to keep your skin hydrated and comfortable all winter long.

The colder months can really affect the state of your skin, no matter your skin type. If you have dry skin already, you may experience even more dehydration, flakiness and irritation. If you have oily or acne-prone skin, you might find your skin feeling dehydrated or producing more oil to compensate for the drier environment.

Though it’s only started to get cooler where I live in Canada, I’m already noticing the drying effects of the weather shift on my skin. My cheeks, legs, scalp, hands and cuticles in particular are feeling the most dry. It’s likely a combination of lower humidity indoors, continuing to wash my hands more often, indoor heating, and having hotter baths and showers daily to feel cozy.

A simple solution? Introducing moisturizers that will restore and protect your skin’s barrier, or boosting your current moisturizers with occlusives, such as oils.

What I look for in a moisturizer

For a moisturizer to be repurchase-worthy, it needs to 1) leave my skin hydrated and comfortable all day, 2) be reasonably priced for the amount and/or quality you get, and 3) not make my skin greasy. I don’t mind fragrance for my skin, but you’ll notice most of my picks are fragrance-free anyway which is great for sensitive or reactive skin types.

Here are some top-rated moisturizers on the market that I’ve personally used and would recommend. Have your own tips to share for winter skincare? I’d love to hear them. Let me know down below, or let’s chat on Instagram!

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Best all-around moisturizer: CeraVe Moisturizing Cream

What is it?

The CeraVe Moisturizing Cream is widely popular for good reason. It’s a thick cream that hydrates and restores the skin’s protective barrier with a combination of three essential ceramides, glycerin, hyaluronic acid and a patented time-release technology for all-day hydration. It’s formulated for dry, extra dry and sensitive skin with no added fragrance or oils.

Why I love it

This cream is indeed thick, but soaks into the skin effortlessly without leaving behind any greasy residue. It’s such a no-frills moisturizer that does exactly what it claims to do. I use this mainly for my body, reaching for it whenever my skin’s feeling drier than usual (especially on my legs and elbows) or after I exfoliate and shave in the shower.

I’ve also used it on my face when I’m using chemical exfoliants and I just want to drench my skin in a soothing, non-greasy moisturizer. My skin feels quenched, plump and soothed from any irritation caused by exfoliation.

I appreciate how much product you get in a full-sized tub (539g). I’ve had my tub since the start of 2020, and I’m just now halfway through the product (I rotate through a few moisturizers throughout the week). A little goes a long way with this cream!

Check out the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream here.

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Best drugstore facial moisturizer: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream (Extra Dry Skin)

What is it?

The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream (Extra Dry Skin) is a lightweight moisturizer packed with hyaluronic acid, which helps retain water in the skin. It’s formulated without oil, fragrance or dyes, making it uniquely suitable for sensitive or dry skin, while also being light enough for normal or oily skin.

Why I love it

The texture of this moisturizer is simply perfect. It leaves my skin plump and hydrated all day without making it feel greasy, and wears well under makeup because of its lightweight feel. It’s like a drink of water for your skin!

I love how easily it smooths over the skin and locks in the hydration. My favourite way to use this moisturizer is right after applying a serum, while my skin is still slightly moist. The hyaluronic acid works to keep the moisture inside your skin, which is how it stays so plump all day. If I’m having a normal skin day, I’ll use a nickel-sized amount for my face. On drier skin days I’ll use a bit more, and I love that you can customize how much moisture you want that way.

And of course, the value of this moisturizer is hard to beat. It’s about $15-20 CAD, whereas many comparable moisturizers are anywhere between $30 to $90 depending on the special ingredients they use.

Check out the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream here.

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Best splurge facial moisturizer: Sunday Riley Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream

What is it?

The Sunday Riley Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream is a lightweight gel-cream that hydrates and brightens the skin. It contains two forms of hyaluronic acid, tamarind extract, papaya enzymes (AHA) and alpha-arbutin to plump the skin while lessening the appearance of dark spots. It’s great for dry, combination or acne-prone skin.

Why do I love it?

This was one of the first pricer moisturizers I tried, and I’ve missed it dearly ever since I ran out. It feels extremely lightweight and cooling on the skin, leaving behind a silky and hydrated feeling. I did notice my skin looking and feeling smoother with daily use, likely because of the gentle AHA (important to wear SPF on top when using this moisturizer).

A little goes a long way with this moisturizer, but it may not be the most hydrating choice for extra dry skin types because of its gel-cream texture. It’s slightly thinner than the Neutrogena moisturizer mentioned above, and a bit pricy to slather on in thick layers. Because of its texture and hydrating properties, it’s absolutely perfect for combination-oily, normal, and slightly dry skin types!

Check out the Sunday Riley Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream here.

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Best moisturizer with SPF: CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30

What is it?

Yes, another CeraVe product because they’re just that good for so many skin types. The Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30 is a creamy and unscented formula that feels like a lightweight version the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream. It contains chemical sunscreen filters as well as zinc oxide, a physical sunscreen filter, to provide broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection.

Why do I love it?

This is my favourite and most repurchased daily moisturizer with SPF because of how simple and effective the formula is. It leaves my skin hydrated and comfortable all day long, wears well under makeup without getting greasy, all while giving me peace of mind that my skin is protected from the sun.

I’ve recommended this to several friends with different skin types, and every single one of them has fallen in love with it, too! At such an approachable price point ($15 CAD), it’s such a great product to try if you’re looking for a moisturizer with sunscreen.

Check out the CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30 here.

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Best nighttime body moisturizer: Lush Sleepy

What is it?

Lush Sleepy is a creamy body lotion infused with the scent of sweet lavender, almost like a lavender-vanilla. It contains glycerin, cocoa butter and almond oil to nourish the skin and lock in moisture all night long.

Why I love it

Putting on this body lotion during my nighttime routine is like a dream. It spreads so nicely over the skin and leaves behind the most comforting scent that always gets a compliment from my boyfriend. I love how nourishing it leaves my skin, though it does take a bit of time for it to completely soak in because of how rich it is!

I personally love applying this on my arms, legs, feet and hands so the skin on my torso doesn’t feel too heavy. It’s perfect for normal, dry and extra dry skin types. Also, my tub of this has lasted me over a year because of how sparingly I use it, but I have a feeling I’ll finish it over the next few months as my skin needs more moisture.

Check out Lush Sleepy here.

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Best moisturizer for sensitized skin: La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5

What is it?

The La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 is a multi-purpose cream that effectively soothes and hydrates dry, irritated or itchy skin. It’s a rich formula with shea butter, glycerin and a derivative of the Centella asiatica plant to leave behind a non-greasy, matte finish. Great for all skin types and doesn’t clog pores.

Why I love it

Ok, this moisturizer is quickly approaching holy grail territory for me. I’m now on my second tube, and I love the way it heals and soothes my skin when I need it the most. Whether it’s dry, flaky, irritated, dehydrated, picked and scabbing, or breaking out, this moisturizer calms everything down and speeds up the healing process so much.

The texture is thick but melts into the skin pretty easily. If you use too much, it can leave behind a slight white cast and some shine, so I start with a small amount and massage it into the skin. It’s especially amazing on top of chemical exfoliants like my favourite Maximum Glycolic Meta Serum from Consonant Skincare, making my skin so supple and hydrated by the next morning.

Check out the Cicaplast Baume B5 here.

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Best hand cream: L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream

What is it?

This world-famous Shea Butter Hand Cream is known for its ultra-moisturizing formula that never feels greasy. It contains 20% organic shea butter, honey and almond extracts, and coconut oil to deeply nourish dry skin and cuticles. Apparently, one of these creams are sold every two seconds around the world?!

Why I love it

This hand cream has been my go-to for years ever since I worked at a L’Occitane en Provence store during university. People would walk in, walk straight towards the hand cream display and and tell me how they can’t live without it. In between customers, my coworkers and I would wash our hands and reapply the Shea Butter Hand Cream all shift long, and go home with seriously the softest hands and cuticles.

I love how deeply nourishing this hand cream is, without being greasy or too heavy. My cuticles never look as good as they do when I use this cream daily. It smells really soothing to me, somewhat powdery, and makes me really enjoy pampering my hands throughout the day. Love!

Check out the L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream here.

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