Until now. Whether your dry skin is a year-round issue or just a seasonal flare-up, knowing which ingredients hydrate and nourish—and which ones may be sneakily making things worse—is essential. This will help you choose the best formulas that support both balanced, bouncy skin and your complexion goals.
To be strategic about your skincare (and say goodbye to skincare limbo), follow this primer from Michael Krathen, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in Natick, Massachusetts, and Chief Medical Advisor for Cottonball.
What causes dry skin?
There is more than one type of dry skin, each with its own causes.
If your skin type is dry, then your skin doesn’t produce enough sebum, the oil that lubricates it. Sebum also plays a key role in maintaining a healthy skin barrier, which is the outermost layer responsible for holding in moisture and keeping out irritants. People with this skin type typically experience dryness year-round, regardless of the weather—though cold temperatures and low humidity can make things worse.
Some people's skin only gets tight and flaky in the winter or when they're in chilly or arid conditions. That’s usually due to an increase in transepidermal water loss (TEWL), meaning your skin is dehydrated. Spending too much time in high heat—like taking long, steamy showers—can also trigger dry skin. In most cases, skin becomes dehydrated because the barrier is damaged, which allows more moisture to escape.
When dry skin is accompanied by redness, itching, or sensitivity, it could be due to irritation. There are a variety of potential causes: an allergen in a product, being overzealous with potent skincare, or a sign of a skin condition such as psoriasis, eczema, or atopic dermatitis. It's best to give your skin a break from foundation and other skin makeup (like blush) for a day or two while using a heavier cream for treatment.
If you’re suddenly experiencing irritation that doesn’t go away after a week or so, it’s a good idea to see a dermatologist.
The best ingredients for dry skin
Tackling dryness requires a multi-layered approach, with a mix of skincare ingredients that deliver hydration and those that lock in moisture. The key actives that support dry skin typically fall into three categories: humectants, emollients, and occlusives.
Humectants
Humectants are hydrators that attract and bind water to the skin. These lightweight, fast-absorbing skincare ingredients are ideal under makeup and work wonders to plump and soften the skin.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is one of the best humectants. Despite its name, it is not an acid. Rather, HA is a naturally occurring substance in our bodies that helps our joints move smoothly, lubricates our eyes, and is the key molecule that allows our skin to retain moisture, keeping it smooth and supple, with good elasticity.
Our skin’s natural levels of hyaluronic acid start to decrease as early as our 20s, and by the time we’re in our 50s, our HA levels are half of what they were in our youth. Using skincare that contains hyaluronic acid can help your skin retain moisture better, but there are different kinds of HAs.
Hyaluronic acid is often referred to by its “weight,” which is the size of the HA molecule and determines how deeply it can penetrate the skin. Larger, high molecular weight HA molecules sit on the skin’s surface and draw water to the outermost layer, known as the barrier. This fortifies the barrier for long-lasting hydration and has an immediate plumping effect, smoothing the look of lines. Smaller, low molecular weight HA molecules can penetrate through the barrier into the skin for deeper hydration that helps the skin appear more supple.
It’s ideal to have a mix of different size HAs in your skincare regimen. Which is why all Cottonball products contain both low and high molecular weight HA molecules. You get both instant silkiness and long-term moisturization.
Glycerin is another excellent humectant that’s a staple in many skincare products. It has a low molecular weight, so it absorbs past the outer layer of skin to deliver deep hydration. And when paired with hyaluronic acid, the two together deliver maximum benefits.
Glycolic Acid may be best known as an exfoliant, but it’s also a humectant because it increases the synthesis of glycosaminoglycans, molecules that draw water into the skin. So, it’s a good choice for keeping dry skin smooth. Start with an exfoliant or toner that contains just 4% or 5% glycolic acid, enough to dissolve dead cells (to smooth and brighten) but at a low-enough dose that it shouldn’t aggravate dry skin.
Emollients
Emollients are ingredients that lubricate and soften rough skin. They also help soothe dryness and irritation.
Ceramides are one of the best skincare emollients because they mimic the natural ceramides found in your skin’s barrier, which are often depleted in dry skin. Ceramides make up about 50% of the outer layer of skin and are essential for helping it hold in moisture and keeping irritants and environmental aggressors from entering the skin.
Our skin’s natural ceramide levels decrease significantly with age, so restoring them with skincare can help strengthen the skin barrier, prevent moisture loss, and improve skin’s resiliency. The Cottonball VX.5 Undereye Smoothing & Brightening Balm and VX.6 Precision Neck-Sculpting Complex are both rich in ceramides—ideal for the thin skin of eyes and neck.
Squalane, with an “a,” is a powerful yet lightweight emollient that is the skincare version of squalene, a key component of our skin’s sebum (its natural oils). Natural squalene helps the skin stay soft, supple, and moisturized. The skincare equivalent squalane delivers these same benefits along with antioxidants to protect the skin against damage.
Research indicates that squalane may help increase skin’s collagen production and thicken the skin, particularly when paired with vitamin C, as it is in Cottonball VX.5 Undereye Smoothing & Brightening Balm.
And because squalane mimics our skin’s own oils, it absorbs quickly and doesn’t clog pores.
Occlusives
Occlusives form a protective layer on the skin’s surface to seal in moisture and prevent it from evaporating from the skin. They’re typically oily or waxy substances like petrolatum, shea butter, and facial oils.
Some emollients also function as occlusives, but keep in mind that ingredients that are strictly occlusive don’t actually hydrate—they simply lock hydration in. So always apply a moisturizer first before layering on an occlusive like a facial oil.
The worst ingredients for dry skin
This wouldn't be a proper best-worst list without the other side of the equation. In general, you want to steer clear of exfoliating skincare toners unless they’re labeled as hydrating. If you’re using retinoids, be sure to smooth on a rich, basic moisturizer afterward to help counteract dryness.
And whenever you start a new skincare treatment that addresses signs of aging, ease into it. Apply it one night for the first week, then two nights the second week, and so on until you've reached the full number of nights as specified by the directions. Gradually building up this way allows your skin time to adjust and reduces the chances of dryness.
From there, avoid these moisture zappers as best you can:
Alcohols (some of them)
Not all alcohols dry the skin. In fact, fatty alcohols are often nourishing emollients and are generally considered good for the skin. These include stearyl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, and cetearyl alcohol.
Simple alcohols, on the other hand, won’t do dry skin any favors. They’ve been shown to trigger irritation and inflammation by promoting free radical damage within the skin. They also deplete skin’s lipids, which hold in moisture.
Simple alcohols are often in skincare preservatives and solvents, such as in quick-drying products like facial toners. They include ethyl alcohol, denatured alcohol, benzyl alcohol, SD alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol. If you see any of these on a skincare ingredient label, move on. Your skin will thank you.
Fragrances
Fragrances in skincare, even natural ones, are among the most common triggers of skin reactions that cause dryness and irritation. Use skincare that’s labeled “fragrance-free,” which is different from the label “unscented.” Unscented skincare formulas often contain fragrances that mask unpleasant odors, whereas “fragrance-free” means no artificial fragrances have been added.
Salicylic Acid
This all-star acne-fighting ingredient can be drying and cause temporary irritation, particularly when there’s a high concentration of the ingredient in a formula. People with normal or hearty skin are usually fine using it. Bu if your skin is sensitive or prone to dryness, target breakouts instead with azelaic acid, which is less likely to cause irritation.
Cottonball VX.1 Advanced Anti-Aging & Repair Complex, VX.2 Wrinkle-Smoothing & Prevention Complex, VX.3 Hormone Renewal Complex (menopausal zits, anyone?), and VX.4 Daily Skin-Brightening Formula can all be customized to include azelaic acid to address acne.
Surfactants
Skincare surfactants act as cleansing agents in face washes and soaps. While not all parch the skin, one of the most common surfactants, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), is known to disrupt the skin barrier, which leads to dryness and irritation. When in doubt, choose a sulfate-free cleanser to be gentle to your skin.
A little ingredient wisdom can make all the difference in managing a dry face. It'll set you on the path to bouncy, balanced skin that feels as good as it looks.
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