Best Moisturizers for Dry Winter Skin
Dry January takes on a whole new meaning when you live in a dry climate like Idaho! It’s dry here year-round, but I really feel it during the winter months. My hands, elbows, feet (!!!), and face are all in need of regular hydration. Even my sinuses are tired of it (Korri and I are both getting bloody noses, argh); any suggestions for a humidifier?! Ha!
If you’re also struggling with dry skin in the winter, here are some of the best moisturizers I’ve tried to combat dry winter skin! Below, I rounded up six facial moisturizers and two hand and body lotions I love and use regularly. Please share your favorites in the comments!
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Best Moisturizers for Dry Winter Skin
Facial Moisturizers
The Daily Greens moisturizer by Farmacy Beauty is one of my FAVORITE moisturizers ever. It has the most lovely, crisp scent (moringa and papaya!) that feels cooling when applied, which is wonderful layered over retinol and other strong serums. It’s one of my most-used! It is a little sticky until it dries. It’s a little bit lightweight and one I use most often in the warmer months, but the hydration makes it great for dry winter skin, too. It’s a fabulous everyday moisturizer!
Farmacy Beauty’s Honey Halo is a hydrating ceramide moisturizer that makes it perfect for dry winter skin. It has a thick consistency reminiscent of whipped butter and a light honey scent. It’s the moisturizer I use most often following any retinols or other strong serums. I’ve found this moisturizer doesn’t soak into the skin quite as well as others, so it makes my skin look sort of oily, even the next morning. I still love it, though!
I received this product courtesy of Kiehl’s a while ago and found it to be a great wintertime moisturizer! If a product is called cloud cream, you can pretty much guarantee I’m going to try it (and hopefully love it, haha). This night cream is infused with Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids and soothing botanicals that work to plump and replenish skin overnight. The cream has a whipped, lightweight texture that absorbs nicely into skin without any residue.
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream (another product I was gifted a long time ago and have since repurchased) is one of my favorite moisturizers EVER. It’s sooo good. This moisturizer contains squalane and glycerin to deeply hydrate and soften skin. Plus, it works well on sensitive skin types. (And Kiehl’s uses plant-derived squalane in its products!) The texture is so creamy, you’ll be tempted to eat it! My skin loves this stuff year-round. It’s a fabulous lightweight, everyday moisturizer and another one that feels especially good after a retinol treatment.
The Laneige Water Sleeping Mask and has been one of my favorite travel beauty products that I use right before bed. I suppose it is technically a mask and not a moisturizer, but I swear my face looks hydrated and ready for the day every morning! It is lightweight and feels cool as it’s applied. It does make my face feel a little bit sticky until it’s dry. This one is slightly less hydrating than the others on the list (it dries fairly quickly) but still great in a pinch and one of my favorite travel beauty products. Layer a moisturizer with it for maximum hydration!
I also have a sample size of The Dewy Skin Cream by Tatcha that I love using while traveling! While the Laneige is more of an everyday mask/moisturizer, I use this skin cream more sparingly. It has a wonderful texture and is very hydrating; my skin loves this stuff. The full-size product is definitely on the spendy side but I’m so tempted to splurge!
Hand + Body Lotion
If you’re looking for a great everyday hand lotion that is super hydrating for winter, THIS is a perfect option! It’s a super rich hand cream that contains avocado oil, sesame seed oil, and shea butter for lots of hydration. I keep a small bottle at my desk in the office because the soap in the bathroom always makes my hands dry. I’ve repurchased this lotion multiple times!
A fun and somewhat unexpected body cream that I’ve really been enjoying is the classic Bum Bum Cream by Sol de Janeiro! It’s not super thick and may not be your first choice for a winter lotion, but the scent is heavenly and reminds me of vacation… and that’s why I love it so much, ha. I do find it to be hydrating without being heavy; it soaks into the skin really well. I don’t like it when my hands feel greasy after applying and they don’t with this cream!
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