Dry skin is frustrating in a specific way — you moisturise religiously and somehow still end up tight, flaky, and uncomfortable by midday. The problem usually isn't that you're not moisturising enough. It's that your routine is missing a layer. Maybe two.
Dry vs dehydrated (and why it matters)
These get used interchangeably, but they're different things. Dry skin is a skin type — your skin naturally produces less oil. Dehydrated skin is a condition — your skin lacks water, regardless of how much oil it makes. You can actually have oily, dehydrated skin. Confusing, right?
Why does it matter? Because the fix is different. Dry skin needs more oil and richer occlusives. Dehydrated skin needs more water and humectants. And a lot of people have both, which means you need to address both layers. This is where most routines fall short — they focus on one and ignore the other.
The ingredient trio that fixes everything
There are three categories of moisturising ingredients, and you need all of them working together:
Humectants pull water into your skin. Hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and panthenol are the heavy hitters. They grab moisture from the environment and from deeper skin layers and hold it in the outer layer.
Emollients fill in the cracks between skin cells, smoothing everything out. Think squalane, ceramides, jojoba oil. They make your skin feel soft rather than rough.
Occlusives seal the deal — literally. They form a physical barrier that stops all that moisture from evaporating. Petrolatum is the gold standard (it prevents up to 99% of water loss), but shea butter and beeswax work too. See our full occlusive ingredient guide.
The order matters: humectant first (on damp skin ideally), then emollient, then occlusive. Layer them wrong and the humectant can actually pull moisture out of your skin instead of in.
Morning routine
Skip the foaming cleanser. Seriously. A gentle cream or milk cleanser is enough in the morning — or even just rinsing with water if your skin is particularly dry. Follow with a hyaluronic acid serum on slightly damp skin, then a moisturiser with ceramides and emollients. Finish with SPF. If your sunscreen feels drying (some do), look for one with added glycerin or squalane.
Evening routine
This is where you go heavier. Oil or balm cleanser first to break down SPF and makeup, followed by your gentle cream cleanser. Then the same layering principle: hydrating serum, rich moisturiser, and — if you want to go the extra mile — a thin layer of something occlusive on top.
This is also when you'd use any actives. If you're dealing with fine lines or texture, a retinol can work brilliantly for dry skin — just buffer it by applying moisturiser first, then retinol on top. It slows the absorption slightly and reduces irritation.
Your cleanser might be the problem
This is genuinely the most underrated piece of advice for dry skin. That "squeaky clean" feeling after washing? It means your cleanser has stripped your skin's natural lipids. Sulphate-based cleansers (look for SLS or SLES on the ingredient list) are the usual culprits. Switch to something gentle and non-foaming, and you might be shocked at how much better your skin feels even before changing anything else.
The "slug" method — worth it?
Slugging means applying a thin layer of petrolatum (like Vaseline or CeraVe Healing Ointment) as the last step of your evening routine. It's not glamorous. But for genuinely dry, compromised skin, it works remarkably well. The occlusive seal locks everything in overnight and you wake up with noticeably softer skin.
The caveat: don't slug over actives like retinol or AHAs — the seal intensifies their effect and can cause irritation. And if you're acne-prone, test it on a small area first. But for straightforward dry skin? It's one of the most effective things you can do for free.
If you want to find a moisturiser that actually covers all three layers, we score products on exactly that — check our best moisturisers for dry skin to see which ones get the hydration balance right.