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The 9 Best Moisturisers For Protecting And Hydrating Dry Skin

— by
reese witherspoon

Cooler weather calls for a number of change-ups — heavier coats, heartier meals and most importantly, heavier moisturiser for dry skin. Winter beauty tips come in abundance around this time of year, and one that you’ll always hear us endorsing? Recruiting a rich day cream formulated with hydration heavyweights like glycerin, vitamin E and hyaluronic acid to ensure you’re giving your dry skin the best possible chance at a better, glowier life.

Here, we’ve rounded up nine of the best moisturisers for dry skin to help you on your way to healthy, hydrated skin. So take your pick and prepare for the plumpest complexion of your life.

2024’s Top 3 Dry Skin Moisturisers

  1. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Sensitive Riche Facial Moisturiser, $36.95, Adore Beauty
  2. Go-To Very Useful Face Cream, $78, Go-To Skin Care
  3. Natio Daily Defence Face Moisturiser SPF 50+, $21.95, Myer

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Sensitive Riche Facial Moisturiser

From $36.95 at Adore Beauty

la roche-posay toleriane

If your skin is not only dry, but also sensitive and easily irritated, opt for La Roche-Posay’s soothing and hydrating day cream. What the moisturiser lacks in fragrance and alcohol, it makes up for in glycerin and protective ceramides. 

Want to read more? Read La Roche-Posay Toleriane Sensitive Riche Facial Moisturiser reviews here…

Key features:

  • Non-irritant formula
  • Enriched with hydrating glycerine and ceramides
  • Microbiome-balancing prebiotic formula

Available at:

Go-To Very Useful Face Cream

From $78 at Go-To Skin Care

go-to cream dry skin

Lather this day cream on and load up on hydration. The Very Useful Face Cream is exactly that: very, very useful, especially when it comes to dry winter skin. It harnesses the power of ingredients such as vitamin E and amla berry, known to have 30x more antioxidants than oranges, to nourish your complexion and comes in particularly handy when you’re trying to combat and replenish stubborn dry patches. 

Key features:

  • Antioxidant-rich Coenzyme Q10 formula
  • Enriched with brightening Amla Berry Extract
  • Buttery feeling texture

Available at:

Natio Daily Defence Face Moisturiser SPF 50+

From $21.95 at Myer

natio face moisturiser for dry skin with SPF

If you’re looking for a protective moisturiser with SPF that won’t dry your skin out, this is it. The Natio Daily Defence day cream is enriched with aloe and vitamin E to protect your skin against environmental damage whilst hydrating and nourishing. This lightweight SPF-moisturiser hybrid is perfect for those looking to minimise their skin care routines; but if you want a little more coverage without the extra step, you can always opt for a moisturising BB cream.

Want to read more? Read Natio Daily Defence Face Moisturiser SPF50+ reviews here…

Key features:

  • Aloe vera and vitamin E rich formula
  • Non-greasy feel
  • Deeply nourishing and protective design 

Available at:

esmi Skin Minerals Nourishing Moisturiser

From $79 at Esmi

esmi skin minerals dry skin moisturiser

The esmi Skin Minerals Nourishing Moisturiser works to enhance the skin’s moisture levels and leave it feeling nourished, soft, and smooth. The key ingredients in this day cream soothe and nourish dry skin in summer or winter, and help to improve barrier protection and moisture retention.

Want to read more? Read esmi Skin Minerals Nourishing Moisturiser Reviews here…

Key features:

  • Shea butter rich design 
  • Infused with 24k gold flakes 
  • Enriched with skin-boosting bakuchiol

Available at:

Clinique Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator

From $62 at Myer

clinique moisture surge moisturiser for dry skin

Clinique’s Moisture Surge gel-cream is a cult favourite for a reason. It delivers an instant moisture boost and provides 100 hours of non-stop hydration, even after cleansing the face. The day cream is formulated with hyaluronic acid and activated aloe water to help your skin create its own internal water source for continuous hydration.

Want to read more? Read more Clinique Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator reviews here…

Key features:

  • Oil-free moisturiser 
  • Can also be applied as a hydrating mask
  • Works to help maintain moisture levels for 100 hours

Available at:

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Firming Collagen Cream

From $72 at Adore Beauty

first aid beauty cream

Plump, firm and brighten dry, ageing skin with this collagen-packed moisturiser. It’s formulated with peptides and niacinamide to sculpt your face and strengthen the skin’s barrier, making dry patches a thing of the past. Glycerin also goes a long way in this day cream to hydrate your compexion and minimise the appearance of fine lines.

Key features:

  • Peptide-rich formula
  • Colloidal oatmeal helps to soothe skin
  • Enriched with skin plumping niacinamide 

Available at:

Cetaphil® Optimal Hydration Healthy Glow Daily Cream

From $29.99 at Adore Beauty

cetaphil dry skin moisturiser

There’s something to be said about old and faithful supermarket skin care products. Namely that they always deliver and never disappoint. In true Cetaphil style, they’ve sacrificed the bells and whistles in place of a formula that does what it says. Offering intense hydration and restored glow in as little as one week, this is the formula to help your dry sensitive skin survive winter unscathed. 

Want to know more? Read Cetaphil® Optimal Hydration Healthy Glow Daily Cream reviews here…

Key features:

  • HydroSensitiv™ Complex works to soothe and hydrate
  • Vitamin E-rich formula
  • Works to defend against the 5 key signs of skin sensitivity

Available at:

Dermal Therapy Very Dry Face Cream

From $18.99 at Amazon Australia

dermal therapy dry skin cream

There’s dry skin, and then there’s ‘don’t touch anything except Dermal Therapy’ dry skin. Enriched with colloidal oatmeal (the ultimate irritation saviour) and hyaluronic acid, this rich moisturiser will deliver visible results in just 24 hours.

Want to know more? Read Dermal Therapy Very Dry Face Cream reviews here…

Key features:

  • Ulta-hydrating urea-rich formula
  • Enriched with ceramides and hyaluronic acid
  • 4-in-1 formula

Available at:

BIODERMA Sensibio Soothing Ultra-Nourishing Defensive Rich Moisturiser

From $32.99 at Adore Beauty

Bioderma sensibio rich moisturiser

It’s French, it’s pink and it’s got our seal of approval as one of Bioderma’s best products within their extensive range. Using a unique defensive technology, the moisturiser will arm dry skin with the power to defend itself against environmental and lifestyle factors that trigger dehydration and irritation.

Want to read more? Read BIODERMA Sensibio Soothing Ultra-Nourishing Defensive Rich Moisturiser Reviews here…

Key features:

  • Defends against external aggressors
  • Ultra-rich formula
  • Fragrance-free formula

Available at:

John Plunkett’s Skin Treatments JP Psor-Asist Cream

From $33.59 at Healthy Life

Suffering from seriously dry, flaky skin but normal moisturisers don’t seem to be nourishing enough? We’ve got the fix! With an active coal-tar solution to help to soothe itchy dry skin, this scaly-skin solving treatment helps to treat the irritating symptoms that come with dry skin and psoriasis.  

Want to read more? Read John Plunkett’s Skin Treatments JP Psor-Asist Cream Reviews here…

Key features:

  • Coal Tar solution helps to soothe skin
  • Precipitated Sulfur and natural fish oil encourage ‘normal’ skin cell turnover
  • Salicylic acid sloughs away dead skin

Available at:

E45 Face Moisturiser

From $14.99 at Chemist Warehouse

e45 face moisturiser

This UK-fave moisturiser is ready to show off its hydrating powers. With long-lasting effects (we’re talking 24 hours of hydration), the antioxidant-rich formula is full of skin-boosting ingredients. Hyaluronic and polyglutamic acids work together with a blend of nourishing oils to leave your skin feeling oh-so-hydrated. Oh, and it’s even got dermatological-backing. Yep, major news.

Want to read more? Read E45 Face Moisturiser Reviews here…

Key features:

  • Nourishing sweet almond and jojoba oil-rich formula
  • Enriched with antioxidants
  • Provides 24 hour hydration 

Available at:

What ingredients should you look for in a dry skin moisturiser?

If your skin is perpetually dry and/or dehydrated, trying to find the holy grail moisturiser that actually does what it says on the pack can be tough. So, it’s best to keep your eyes peeled for hard-hitting hydrating ingredients instead. The best for dry skin? Glycerine, shea butter, hyaluronic acid, urea and niacinamide. 

Main image credit: @reesewitherspoon

What is your favourite moisturiser for dry skin?

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Share your thoughts

Comments 102

      • I’m always shocked when I hear that people can’t manage to drink enough water. I drink about 4L a day! It’s not a medical condition – my sister & I have drunk buckets of water since childhood. If I got lost in the desert, there’s no way I’d survive for 3 days, haha!

        • Haha, I’m the same. I regularly drink 3L a day but I was the first one to get heat stroke when out hiking and no one listened to my advice that we needed more water and I had to share my rations with everyone. I think your body gets accustomed to being well hydrated

        • Haha, I regularly drink 3L a day but I was the first one to get heat stroke when out hiking and no one listened to my advice that we needed more water and I had to share my rations with everyone. I think your body gets accustomed to being well hydrated

  11. I think my skin is dehydrated rather than dry – I don’t get flaking etc. So I should drink (lots) more water – it’s always a plan but I’m not so good at implementing it.

  14. I have tried a lot of moisturizers, but surprisingly none of these. I have very dry skin in winter and am always looking for products that work well for me. I will give some of these a try when my current products run out.

  33. I do find my skin feeling dry in winter, I’m sure it’s the cold wind that does it. I’m using the Cetaphil moisturiser at the moment and I have used (and liked) the la Roche posay one in the past.

  36. I am in my 70’s and have had dry skin all my life, I try to use all the right thing, never going out in the hot sun without some kind of protection (I live in Perth WA! and I grew up in Africa) and in winter I use everything I can lay my hands on to help my dry skin but nothing much clears it up.I use only dry skin products to help but I think its now a bit too late for me.But heaven help me I will keep on trying anything.

  39. There are a couple of brands on this list that I haven’t tried yet. So far my favourite has to be Olay mainly because it is so light and absorbs quickly.