Best Products for Dry Skin

"Your skin may start to feel tight even before you notice visible symptoms, like mild flakiness," says Alexa Boer Kimball, director of clinical trials in dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston. You need gentle products that hydrate without making your skin feel greasy.

On Your Face, Use:

Kiehl's Centella Skin-Calming Facial Cleanser, $28.50
"Avoid soaps, which strip skin's natural oils," says Ann Marie Cilmi, director of education and development for Bliss Spa, in New York City. This soap-free cleanser has aloe and chamomile, which are soothing.
To buy: kiehls.com.

Zia Skin Basics Nourishing Crème, $35
The key ingredient in this lightweight cream, sodium hyaluronate, seals water into the skin. Wheat-germ and jojoba oils soften.
To buy: vitacost.com.

On Your Body, Use:

St. Ives Mineral Therapy Body Wash, $5
With a moisturizing body wash, you can use less body lotion. Minerals like potassium help keep skin hydrated.
To buy: At drugstores.

Olivella Moisturizer, $22
This combination of olive, orange, and lavender oils adds moisture to spots such as knees and elbows, and it sinks in quickly.
To buy: olivellastore.com.

On Feet and Hands, Use:

Eucerin Plus Intensive Repair Foot Creme, $6
The soles of the feet lack oil glands and require potent products. This one has glycerin, to hydrate, and alpha hydroxy acids, to exfoliate.
To buy: At drugstores.

Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv Intensive Smoothing Hand Creme, $45
The best hand creams hydrate but aren't slick. This contains nongreasy exotic oils to maintain moisture.
To buy: esteelauder.com.

"When you're prone to moderate dryness, your skin might get scaly patches and feel itchy," says Arielle Kauvar, an associate professor of dermatology at New York University. You can afford to use richer hydrating products.

On Your Face, Use:

Shu Uemura Skin Purifier Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/I, $34
When mixed with water, this combination of safflower and corn oils forms an emulsion that removes dirt but won't clog pores.
To buy: shuuemura.com.

Orlane Intensive Nurturing Care, $115
Drier skin can feel tight in the morning, due to nighttime indoor heat. This night cream's hyaluronic acid helps skin feel supple when you wake up.
To buy: Unfortunately, this item is no longer available.

On Your Body, Use:

Olay Body Wash Plus Body Butter Ribbons with Jojoba Butter, $5
Drier skin does best with a body wash (not soap). With moisturizers infused in the formula, this one keeps skin soft and scale-free.
To buy: At drugstores.

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, $15
Occlusive moisturizers (ones that form a film on the skin) help lock in water. This one is lightweight but includes the effective ingredient petrolatum.
To buy: At drugstores.

On Feet and Hands, Use:

• Weleda Foot Balm, $12.50
• With peanut oil and beeswax, this balm soothes itchy feet (a common concern with drier skin). Apply before putting on socks.
• To buy:usa.weleda.com.
• Talika Hand Therapy Gloves, $69
• The gloves are lined with ceramides and grapeseed and avocado oils. Slip them on at bedtime. (They last for 30 wearings.)
• To buy:skinstore.com.

"People with severely dry skin experience cracks and inflammation," says Susan Taylor, a dermatologist in Philadelphia. That means you need intensely hydrating products, like oils, creams, and butters.

On Your Face, Use:

Make Up For Ever So Divine Moisturizing Cleansing Cream, $27
A moisturizing, tissue-off cleanser is your best bet, as it doesn't require water (which can dehydrate skin as it evaporates).
To buy: Unfortunately, this product is no longer available.

Clinique Zero Gravity Repairwear Lift (Very Dry to Dry), $56
Its rich texture soothes dry, raw skin, while ingredients like linoleic acid help prevent moisture loss.
To buy: clinique.com.

On Your Body, Use:

• Gabriel Couzian Washing Oil Shower and Bath Wash, $45
• This oil-based cleanser leaves behind a protective (but not greasy) layer that also soothes irritation and redness.
• To buy:gabrielcouzian-usa.com.
• Shea Terra Dry Skin Nature’s Formula Shea Butter, $16
• Shea butter helps keep cracked skin soft and pliable, so fissures don't get worse. This one has no chemical preservatives, which can be irritating to already compromised skin.
• To buy:sheaterraorganics.com.

On Feet and Hands, Use:

• Kerasal One Step Exfoliating Moisturizer Therapy Foot Ointment, $10
• With salicylic acid, this ointment sloughs off dead skin cells that dry out and crack. This allows the urea in the formula to penetrate deeper into the skin and seal in moisture.
• To buy: At drugstores.
• Burt's Bees Hand Salve, $9
• This nearly solid beeswax and olive-oil balm softens and protects painful skin.
• To buy:burtsbees.com.