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As soon as the temperature dips below 50, my oily skin rebels. Dry patches and scaly texture are its go-to ways of showing its disagreement with the chilly weather. Both love to show up on my face, lips, hands and legs (a.k.a. everywhere), and for a while, I just ignored them. That is, up until I moved to Boston for college. That was like a skincare awakening for me because I started to do my research. With lots of trial and error, I have found five products that soothed my dry skin so well that I continue to repurchase them time and time again.
Keep reading for five tried-and-true dry skin saviors that you can shop at Amazon—and keep an eye out for the one that even Hailey Bieber swears by. Almost all of them are from drugstore brands, meaning they have drugstore price tags. You won’t be breaking the bank with any of these must-have formulas, so whip out your wallet for the sake of preventing and repairing dry winter skin.
RELATED: The 10 Best Face Moisturizers For Avoiding Dry, Cracked Skin This Winter—According To Dermatologists
Photo: Neutrogena.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Face Moisturizer
If you’re wondering if the Hydro Boost moisturizer is worth the hype, it 100 percent is. Every time I try a new moisturizer, I can’t help but compare it to my little blue jar of Neutrogena heaven.
Its gel-cream texture is absolutely divine, especially if you have oily skin like me. The moisturizer glides right on and immediately hydrates my skin. It’s like a tall glass of water for my complexion, which is exactly what my skin needs during the winter.
What makes its formula so universally loved? It quenches dry skin in a heartbeat thanks to the hero ingredient, hyaluronic acid. Glycerin also helps a ton with increasing hydration. The goop is super lightweight and absorbs into the skin quickly. This face moisturizer never misses.
“It is a reliable, cooling gel that delivers hydration and is great for everyday use, especially in warmer weather,” Dr. Corey L. Hartman, founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, Alabama, previously told StyleCaster.
“It hydrates, is not oily, and is good for all skin types. It is also non-comedogenic,” Jeanine Downie, MD Director of Image Dermatology PC in Montclair, New Jersey and board-certified dermatologist, also previously told StyleCaster.
Photo: Aquaphor.
Aquaphor Lip Repair Ointment
You might think I have a problem after hearing this, but I have gone through almost 15 tubes of this magical balm. Aquaphor Lip Repair Ointment is a product I will never—I mean never—leave the house without. I’m sure this sounds dramatic, but I promise I’m not the only one who is a lifelong Aquaphor stan. None other than Hailey Bieber, who’s known for her plump pout, uses Aquaphor. She previously told Glamour, “It just does the job every time.” I couldn’t agree more.
The formula taps castor seed oil, glycerin, panthenol, shea butter and other nourishing ingredients. Aquaphor carries a chapstick version as well as one with SPF, but the O.G. balm is my ride-or-die.
My pro tip is to buy a few tubes and put them in places you go to often. That could be your everyday bag, bathroom and nightstand. Or maybe it’s your desk, gym tote and car. It’s whatever works for you and is most convenient so that you never have to find your lips chapped and without a quick solution.
CeraVe.
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
After applying CeraVe’s Moisturizing Cream for the first time, my legs never felt softer. Even if I accidentally skip days, my skin still feels silky smooth. That just goes to show how the body moisturizer really does provide long-term results. It strengthens the skin barrier with the help of three essential ceramides, while hyaluronic acid delivers deep hydration.
I rub this body cream all over my arms and legs and boy does the product deliver on its promises. Make sure you get the big tub. Trust me, it’ll last forever.
Photo: Neutrogena.
Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream
I just bought two more boxes of the Norwegian Formula Hand Cream because my other drugstore hand cream wasn’t cutting it. There’s a cool story about how this product came to be, but I’ll tell you the abridged version. Decades ago, Norwegian fishermen created a glycerin-powered hand cream to help their hands endure harsh winters. In 1969, Lloyd Cotsen, the president of Neutrogena at the time, was tasked with advertising the fishermen’s O.G. recipe. He tried their concoction on his own hands and couldn’t believe how well it worked. That’s the birth story of the Norwegian Formula Hand Cream and why you’ll notice Norway’s flag on the product’s packaging.
With a 40 concentration of glycerin, all you need is a tiny dot of product to feel its moisturizing effects right away. Per the brand, each tube contains around 200 applications, so basically, you’re set for the entire year.
I can attest to this hand cream’s superpowers and have liked it so much that I put my mom and sister onto it. I know buying a six-pack seems excessive, but I swear it’s worth it. They’ll get a lot of use, and just like my Aquaphor tip, you can put a tube in all of your most-frequented places for easy access.
Photo: BeautyStat Cosmetics.
BeautyStat Cosmetics Universal Moisture Essence
This last product is my most recent find, and it’s made by a brand that Hailey Bieber uses. BeautyStat Cosmetics’ Universal Moisture Essence smoothed this one extra stubborn dry area on my face when no other product could. I tried a shea butter product that has previously helped vanish dry patches for me; I tried a TikTok-viral balm; I tried even my beloved Neutrogena Hydro Boost. When one of my coworkers handed me this essence, I didn’t think much of it.
Now that I’ve been using it for some time, I realize I should’ve never underestimated it. After the very first application, I noticed the dryness around my nose had disappeared. I was so shocked that that was all it took. Since then, I’ve been using it every day, twice a day on my face. Although the dryness pops up every now and then, this essence has it under control for the most part.
It’s made from 100 percent pure squalane that comes from sustainable plant sugars. Squalane is a skincare essential, since it’s known to provide lots of moisture, support the skin barrier, fade hyperpigmentation, minimize visible signs of aging and (somehow) more.
