If you’ve experienced dry or dehydrated skin, you know the telltale signs—itchiness, redness, and peeling that can feel downright uncomfortable and painful.
Fortunately, there is an assortment of buttery-smooth, skin-soothing creams, hydrating face masks, milks, and serums fortified with natural and hydrating ingredients that saturate your sensitive skin with moisture and nutrients.
If you’re on the search for the holy grail of skincare, we’ve lined up the six best ingredients for dry skin to help you achieve that dewy glow.
Top Ingredients for Dry Skin
1) Aloe Vera
This prickly succulent plant is more than a beautiful accompaniment to your kitchen counter. In fact, when sliced open, its stalks contain a gooey pulp that’s incredibly beneficial to dry dehydrated skin. Aloe vera contains more than 75 active compounds, including:
- Vitamins A, C, and E
- Alkaline phosphate
- Calcium
- Potassium
- Zinc
- Fatty acids
Combined, these hydrating ingredients may soothe dry, sun-kissed skin, restore irritated patches, and stimulate the production of hyaluronic acid to keep your skin supple. Plus, it’s incredibly water dense, making it an ideal all-natural moisturizer.
2) Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is a natural oil extracted from the seeds of the jojoba plant. It’s chock full of health-supporting compounds like antibacterial iodine, anti-inflammatory vitamin B, and the antioxidant vitamin E.
Chemically, jojoba oil is very similar to sebum (the human body’s natural skin oil), which makes it an ideal moisturizing ingredient in topical skin care products. That means it’s noncomedogenic, of course, so it won’t clog your pores.
You can partner with jojoba oil to:
- Moisturize dry skin
- Alleviate chapped lips
- Soothe sunburn
- Reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Remove makeup
3) Shea Butter
Shea butter is a calming, vitamin-rich extract made from the nuts of the shea tree. It’s most often touted for its moisturizing and anti-inflammatory qualities and is a common skin care product ingredient in many face creams. Shea butter has also been observed to promote collagen production, which is a fantastic tactic to fight fine lines and wrinkles.
If you’re searching for an ingredient that will moisturize and soothe, shea butter is your best friend. However, if your skin is sensitive or blemish-prone, tread cautiously: shea butter, while sometimes identified as low comedogenic, has occasionally been known to clog pores.
4) Manuka Honey
Bees of the Southern Hemisphere—specifically the pollinators of Australia and New Zealand—curate this thick, nutrient-filled nectar (in collaboration with an evergreen shrub called the Manuka tree).
As a result, this honey is strong, earthy, and touted as a succulent skin care solution. When applied to the skin, Manuka honey helps to remove dead skin cells, ward off bacteria, and maintain an even-toned appearance.
It may also help to soften your skin and retain its natural moisture.
5) Lactic Acid
Lactic acid is an exfoliant, specifically an alpha hydroxy acid, or AHA. It’s an ingredient that has been utilized to great effect in skin care routines since the time of Cleopatra (lactic acid comes from lactose, and milk baths were all the rage back then).
Unlike most exfoliants, lactic acid moisturizes while it works. It naturally strips away dead cells, leaving behind firmer, softer, dewier skin. It may also have antimicrobial properties. This combination of properties distinguishes lactic acid as a clear frontrunner in the race for the best skincare ingredient.
Lactic acid is a common ingredient in countless skin care formulations and is also used to aid blemishes and dry skin.
6) Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is a true hero for dry skin. Imagine it as a magnet for moisture, attracting and holding water like a champ. This natural molecule, found in your skin, works wonders by hydrating and plumping up those parched areas. By locking in moisture, hyaluronic acid not only relieves dryness but also supports a smoother and more radiant complexion.
Moisturized, Healthy, HPPY
In your search for skin-moisturizing ingredients, identify those that are natural and soothing to your skin. At HPPY, we’re all about unrefined skin care.
Our Refresh Mask is crafted with clean, preservative-free ingredients to keep your skin feeling fresh. Our ingredient labels are completely transparent—no surprise additives or tricky language to be found. And our face masks are cold water-processed to preserve the ingredients' potency and dermatologist-approved. Oh, and did we mention that they’re cruelty-free?
Feed your face with high-quality, healthy ingredients, and reward yourself with a luxurious spa treatment at the same time. Healthier skin and a happier you, made possible by HPPY Skin
Sources:
Good Housekeeping. How (and why!) You Should Use Jojoba Oil… https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/anti-aging/a33604821/jojoba-oil-benefits/
Healthline. Shea Butter for Your Face. https://www.healthline.com/health/shea-butter-for-face#benefits-for-your-face
WebMD. Lactic Acid for skin care. https://www.webmd.com/beauty/lactic-acid-for-skin-care
Chemical Safety Facts. Mineral Oil. https://www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/mineral-oil/
Healthline. What you need to know about lanolin oil. https://www.healthline.com/health/lanolin-oils
Indian J Dermatol. Aloe Vera: A Short Review. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2763764/
