We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process.
A quality moisturizer can go a long way when it comes to fixing dry, dehydrated, and irritated skin. But with so many products out there promising miracles, where do you begin?
We’ve got you covered with our top picks to keep every inch of you hydrated and glowing no matter what your skin type or budget.
Because we all have different skin types and budgets, we aimed to include a variety of high-quality products at different price points to help meet different skin care needs.
All the products we chose have been vetted by our medical team and are rated highly in user reviews. We gave preference to products that don’t have artificial fragrance and irritating preservatives, though people react differently to each.
Pricing guide
$ = under $20
$$ = $21–$40
$$$ = over $40
For face
Splurge: La Mer Moisturizing Cream
Price: $$$
This is a hero product coveted among celebrities and avid beauty fans comes with a lot of hype. The nutrient-rich, thick cream is known for quickly improving very dry skin.
Its proprietary “Miracle Broth” is made with seaweed, an ingredient known to nourish.
Buy La Mer Moisturizing Cream.
Save: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream
Price: $
Specifically designed for restoring super dry skin, this drugstore find will keep your face feeling soft and plumped thanks to its hydrating ingredients. The key is hyaluronic acid, a powerful moisturizer that holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water, making sure your skin feels instantly quenched.
Pro tip: Apply it to a wet face for the best bang for your hyaluronic acid buck.
Buy Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream.
For body
Splurge: La Lotion Infinie Body Cream
Price: $$$
This luxurious body cream works to lock in water leaving you hydrated and baby soft from head to toe.
Buy La Lotion Infinie Body Cream.
Save: Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion
Price: $
This formula uses oatmeal (known for skin care benefits) to soothe parched skin, plus it absorbs quickly so you get that healthy glow without a greasy residue.
Buy Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion.
For hands and feet
Splurge: L’Occitane Almond Delicious Hands
Price: $$
Nourish and soften skin with this silky lotion for dry hands enriched with almond oil and almond milk from cult skin care brand L’Occitane.
Buy L’Occitane Almond Delicious Hands.
Save: Vaseline Petroleum Jelly
Price: $
You don’t have to get fancy to see results. A good ol’ tub of Vaseline (petroleum jelly) will do the trick since it’s a sealant and helps to lock in moisture. Apply after showering, then put socks on your feet for maximum softness.
Note that sometimes layering an oil-based moisturizer under petroleum jelly is even better. Vaseline doesn’t add moisture, it just locks in what’s there.
For face
Splurge: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Riche Soothing Protective Moisturizer
Price: $$
This lightweight lotion is gentle and has a short ingredient list, making it ideal for anyone with skin conditions like rosacea or eczema. Among its hydrating ingredients is shea butter, an emollient.
Buy La Roche-Posay Toleriane Riche Soothing Protective Moisturizer.
Save: CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion
Price: $
The oil-free moisturizer is approved by the National Eczema Association and is easy on sensitive skin. Hyaluronic acid and ceramides keep moisture locked in for long-lasting softness without irritation.
Buy CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion.
For body
Splurge: Eau Thermale Avène Xeracalm A.D Lipid-Replenishing Cream
Price: $$
Suitable for both face and body, the lipid-replenishing cream specifically targets itching, redness, and irritation, making it a good choice for those with sensitive skin or eczema.
Buy Eau Thermale Avène Xeracalm A.D Lipid-Replenishing Cream.
Save: Eucerin Advanced Repair Cream
Price: $
Slather on this this cream for relief from itchy and dry skin. Its formula helps to break down flaky and dry skin cells. Plus, it’s free of fragrances, and dyes so it’s less likely to cause irritation.
Buy Eucerin Advanced Repair Cream.
For hands and feet
Splurge: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream
Price: $$
Developed with sensitive skin in mind, this cream will do well on your hands, but can also be used anywhere on your body or face. It can even help reduce flaking that comes with conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
Buy First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream.
Save: Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Unscented Lotion
Price: $
It’s not called intensive care for nothing. This classic has micro-droplets of Vaseline’s petroleum jelly in it to help fix dry and cracked hands without causing irritation.
Buy Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Unscented Lotion.
For face
Splurge: LovelySkin Luxe Mattifying Antioxidant Moisturizer
Price: $$$
Lightweight and airy, this moisturizer tames excess oil to minimize shine and give skin a matte finish without drying you out.
Buy LovelySkin Luxe Mattifying Antioxidant Moisturizer.
Save: Proactiv Green Tea Moisturizer
Price: $$
Sure, the commercials are borderline unbearable, but we can’t deny that this moisturizer works well for some people.
Ideal for those who experience frequent breakouts, the lightweight and non-greasy formula won’t clog pores and includes antioxidant-loaded green tea to soothe.
Buy Proactiv Green Tea Moisturizer.
For body
Splurge: TreeActiv Acne Eliminating Body Lotion
Price: $$
The name of this lotion really says it all. This product hydrates while working to prevent and clear acne on your body. Say bye bye to that pesky back-ne, chest-ne, or (no judgment) butt-ne.
Buy TreeActiv Acne Eliminating Body Lotion.
Save: Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion
Price: $
Like CereVe, this one’s a dermatologist’s go-to brand. For people with blemish-prone skin who still want something gentle, reach for Cetaphil. Not only does it contain a blend of six moisturizers, it also has vitamins E and B5 for smooth, baby-soft skin.
For face
Splurge: Dr. Barbara Sturm Darker Skin Tones Face Cream Rich
Price: $$$
Like tinted sunscreens, there are moisturizers that sink in and blend with more skin tones so you don’t end up looking like you have a mask on.
Specifically designed for darker skin tones, this rich version of their traditional face cream delivers intense moisture through a combo of vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Buy Dr. Barbara Sturm Darker Skin Tones Face Cream Rich.
Save: Jacq’s Organics Nourishing Face Moisturizer
Price: $$
Created by black-owned beauty brand Jacq’s, this moisturizer is gentle but still deeply hydrating thanks to its power-packed combo of ingredients including peptides.
As an added bonus, the brand’s DIRTY30 guarantee means you won’t see any harmful chemicals or cheap fillers found in many beauty products.
Buy Jacq’s Organics Nourishing Face Moisturizer.
For body
Splurge: Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter
Price: $$
When it comes to that dry body skin, lotions are often beaten by butters. Keep skin comfy all day with this rich cream that’s still gentle enough to use on eczema-prone skin.
Buy Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter.
Save: Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula
Price: $
A tried-and-true favorite, this daily lotion made with cocoa butter softens rough, dry skin and contains vitamin E, known for its skin-improving properties.
Buy Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula.
For hands and feet
Splurge: L’Occitane 20% Shea Butter Hand Cream
Price: $$
Thanks to shea butter, honey, almond extracts, and coconut oil, this rich hand cream is très effective.
Buy L’Occitane 20% Shea Butter Hand Cream.
Save: Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Intensive Hand Cream
Price: $$
Your hands will be soft and supple thanks to this cream that whips in pure argan oil. It’s also formulated with shea butter and olive fruit oil for extra moisture.
For face
Splurge: Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Moisturizer
Price: $$$
This rich cream contains ceramides AP, EOP, and NP, which is a fancy way of saying it will help your skin retain moisture and protect against water loss.
Fermented green tea, a blend of rare African oils, and sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer also pack a punch to fix dryness and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Note: It’s pretty thick, so if you tend to break out, stick to less rich formulas.
Buy Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Moisturizer.
Save: Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream
Price: $$
Containing powerful ingredients like hyaluronic acid, amino-peptides, and vitamin B3, this drugstore find will help keep skin looking plump and dewy.
Buy Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream.
For body
Splurge: philosophy Amazing Grace Firming Body Emulsion
Price: $$
This product works to keep you moisturized with its shea butter and natural oils.
Buy philosophy Amazing Grace Firming Body Emulsion.
Save: Aveeno Positively Ageless Anti-Aging Firming Body Lotion
Price: $
Aveeno rocks another good formula for improved skin texture, elasticity, and firmness.
Buy Aveeno Positively Ageless Anti-Aging Firming Body Lotion.
For hands and feet
Splurge: Chantecaille Retinol Hand Cream
Price: $$$
We often forget to protect our hands from aging. Sunscreen is king, of course, but retinol is one of the few skin care ingredients scientifically shown to help.
Treat your hands to wrinkle-preventing retinol and Chilean tree bark extract, which smoothes texture and hydrates.
Buy Chantecaille Retinol Hand Cream.
Save: Supergoop! Forever Young Hand Cream with Sea Buckthorn Broad Spectrum Sunscreen
Price: $
Not only does this hand cream include SPF (yes, please!), which is essential for preventing damage and preserving younger-looking skin, it also packs in ingredients like argan oil to help nourish and keep skin supple.
Buy Supergoop! Forever Young Hand Cream with Sea Buckthorn Broad Spectrum Sunscreen.
For face
Splurge: Jack Black Double-Duty Face Moisturizer with SPF
Price: $$
All of the products above work for men, of course, but sometimes beards and lifestyle give folks different needs.
The marine algae extract in this gem is noted for potential skin benefits,
Buy Jack Black Double-Duty Face Moisturizer with SPF.
Save: Neutrogena Triple Protect Men’s Daily Face Lotion with SPF
Price: $
Calm razor burn, protect with SPF, and hydrate skin all in one step. Simplicity is underrated.
Buy Triple Protect Men’s Daily Face Lotion with SPF.
For beards
Splurge: Hydrate: Daily Facial + Beard Moisturizer
Price: $$
Say goodbye to itchy beards with a combo of soothing ingredients like aloe, chamomile, green tea extract, and hyaluronic acid.
Buy Hydrate: Daily Facial + Beard Moisturizer.
Save: Beardoholic Beard Balm
Price: $
Style your beard and take care of pesky strays while also eliminating any itch or dandruff with this hypoallergenic formula.
For hands and feet
Splurge: Burt’s Bees Ultimate Care Hand Cream
Price: $
For men that work with their hands and struggle with dry, cracked skin, this moisturizer with baobab oil will have them silky smooth in no time.
Buy Burt’s Bees Ultimate Care Hand Cream.
Save: O’Keefe’s Working Hands Hand Cream
Price: $
This heavy-duty product will quickly repair overworked hands and keep them nice and moisturized by creating a protective layer over the skin.
Whatever type of moisturizer your parched paws and face need, don’t forget to follow up with sunscreen as your final step. Here’s a sample product order for your skin care routine in case it’s confusing. We know all too well that it can be daunting at first.
Always test new skin products on a small area of your skin before committing to your whole face or body. Sometimes ingredients will work for others but not for you.
Don’t forget to hydrate from the inside out with lots of water. Seek out what works for your skin and your budget for silky skin bliss.
