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I thought my dry skin last year was pregnancy-related, but I'm finding that I really do need extra moisture on my face. I haven't yet taken the plunge on something serious like La Mer in part because I really like my affordable Burt's Bee's option. It's 99% natural, moisturizes with “Royal Jelly,” which Amazon describes as thus: “Fed to the queen bee, Royal Jelly contains 8 essential amino acids, vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, D & E along with Niacin and Folic Acid. It is the reason she lives 40 times longer and is 50% bigger than worker bees.” Alrighty then! A 2-oz. jar of Burt's Bees Radiance Night Cream with Royal Jelly is $14.59 (and even less with a Subscribe and Save order).
Ladies, what are your favorite products for dry winter skin?
Psst: see my other maternity skincare picks.
Ellen
Yay! I totaly LOVE Burt’s Bee’s! Dad say’s he lives up in the woods in Maine but used to work in NYCity! He is kind of back to nature, but it work’s for me when it is VERY dry outside and inside b/c of the DRY HEAT we have! Burt’s bee’s helps to moisturize my skin, and the judge think’s I look JUST like the Ivory Girl (whoever she is). The judge also say’s I could be a model, but I only think I could be a law school model — Rosa put’s me to shame and she does NOT even have to try to look gorgeus. Ed got a winner when he convinced Rosa to marry him. Rosa says Ed has a guy for me. I am NOT lookeing forward to find out what kind of a schlub he is goeing to show me. The last few guys all were to busy stareing at my boobie’s! What kind of looser does that? FOOEY!
Anyway, I wanted to tell the hive that I got a blast from the past when Sam texted me. Sam was the guy from the UK who showed me his winkie. Myrna think’s he is circumscribed, but I do NOT think so. DOUBEL FOOEY!
IDoNotLiketheConeofShame
I forgot my cosmetics bag on a recent trip (d’oh!) and had to buy some drugstore products and could not find my usuals.
One of the products I bought – and now like – is Neutogena deep moisture night cream. http://www.neutrogena.com/product/deep+moisture+night+cream.do?sortby=ourPicks
I don’t think it does anything else but moisturize, but it does that really well and I have noticed a big difference with my dry skin in January. I also use a little bit of it during the day, as a first layer under my usual SPF moisturizer. This time of year I need the extra boost of moisture.
Duchess
I use this at night, and love it.
De (Germany)
Lush’s Dream Cream. I use that for every part of my body.
Anonymous
+1, and very soothing for my eczema prone skin.
Baconpancakes
I love that stuff, but it’s so expensive! I ask for it for every holiday, but no one ever gets my hints.
Anon
I might try this next. I have to be really careful with moisturizers, particularly at night, because my skin is oily and acne-prone. It has been really dry, though, so I just picked up Sephora’s Instant Moisturizer and have been using it as a night cream and love it! I also used it on my noise, on top of my regular moisturizer, when it got red and dry when I had a cold.
Rebecca
My skin is also oily/acne-prone but gets dry patches in the winter. I like Burt’s Bees, but have also discovered the Body Shop’s tea tree line. I really like the moisturizer, it’s more of a gel and absorbs quickly. (Both brands are cruelty-free, too!)
new anon
I have shine issues and I really really love Cetaphil’s oil control moisturizer. Better than anything else I’ve tried, and has SPF (15? 30? not sure), which I appreciate. I use it whenever I wash my face, regardless of time of day, and generally wear it under primer and foundation for work.
ACD
I’ve used that as my “travel moisturizer” for a couple years. I was surprised how much I liked it — and how pleasant the scent was.
First Year Anon
I like Vichy’s Aqualia line for dry winter skin. It’s not greasy at all.
Does anyone else think that La Mer is complete bs? There are only a handful of skincare ingredients clinically proven to help with anti-aging- retinoids, sunscreen (UVA and UVB protection), vitamin C, glycolic acid..maybe a couple more. I’m pretty sure La Mer has none of them.
Anonymous
I was skeptical of La Mer but got a free sample (the lighter “soft” cream, not the original formula) with a Nordstrom cosmetics order and it totally suckered me in. My skin just GLOWS when I use it and I feel totally comfortable going out without makeup and just the La Mer (for reference, my usual skin routine is a pretty full coverage foundation because without it I have the color of someone whose just fainted, with the exception of red patches around my nostrils). The soft cream is also a great weight to moisturize my skin in winter but not go ovverboard since I’m pretty oily–I’ve tried Kiehl’s Ultra Facial and the Multi-Corrective cream as winter creams, and they both give me cystic acne.
I have no anti-aging expectations for it, but I also can’t say that I really look for that in OTC products anyway because I have retin-A for acne.
Lily student
I have incredibly dry skin and I like the dry/ very dry variant of the Garnier Moisture Match line (in the pink tube) as a night-time heal-all. For daytime, I recommend Feel Good Factor from Soap and Glory; it’s light but nourishing and has SPF 25
Anon in NYC
Clinique Moisture Surge has served me well during the winter over the past couple of years. I start with Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer Gel and use that year round. If I need additional moisture, I’ll layer the Moisture Surge on top of that.
Blonde Lawyer
I love Moisture Surge and my initial comment about it is in moderation. I love that it can go under or over makeup so I can use it throughout the day. It is also light and airy but lasts.
Cora
Another vote for Clinique Moisture Surge. My skin tends toward the oily side, so not sure how it would work for people who are super dry, but I love how it feels somehow light and super moisturizing at the same time. And it can be used day or night (I layer with spf during the day) and works great under and over makeup.
Rebecca Blunden
I too love Moisture Surge. With tending to dry skin, use the MS Intense during the winter and the regular MS during the hot southern summers. Not a huge fan of the MS CC cream – too thick.
lawsuited
+1 for Clinique Moisture Surge. Love that stuff!
Lexi
Kate Sommerville Goat Milk Cream. Love, it’s a winter favorite. I also discovered recently, Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream/Intense Hydration version. Lightweight but hydrating enough for daytime and works really well under sunscreen and makeup.
Frannie
What about other good moisturizers for day time? Preferably with SPF? And preferably on a drugstore budget?
HSAL
My daytime moisturizer is the Aveeno Positively Radiant with 15 SPF. Started it a few years ago and have never looked back. My skin looks awesome with it.
ACD
I used that for a few years on the recommendation of my dermatologist, but I never could quite get over the smell!
Philanthropy Girl
I use Aveeno ultra-calming, which also has an SPF of 15. I have dry skin that is sensitive so I breakout easily. This is only drugstore product I’ve found that moisturizes without causing breakouts. And it feels great.
Jess
I live by Loreal RevitaLift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Day Cream SPF 18. I usually find it at Target for around $14 and it lasts awhile. It is not too heavy and it has the SPF.
cbackson
I swear by CeraVe AM.
LilyStudent
Soap and Glory Feel Good Factor – they call it a translucent BB cream but it’s a moisturiser with SPF.
EB
Eucerin Daily Protection Moisturizing Face Lotion. It’s light, has SPF 30 and has been amazing for my sensitive skin. It’s $7 or $8.
In the Pink
Oil of Olay – the research shows it outperforms at a drug store price
anon
Ole Henricksen nurture me. I got some from my sister and a tiny bit goes a long way. Very soothing, smells a little like baby aspirin, but I wish I could afford it again.
In lieu, I try to just use coconut oil when I need moisture.
I have started keeping various hand creams at my desk and in my purse, and so far, I’ve liked several: CeraVe therapeutic hand cream (doesn’t even wash off easily), Borage therapy hand cream and Seeds hand cream
TO Lawyer
I really like Kiehls Skin Rescuer when your skin just feels so dry and destroyed by the wind.
I find if I use good products at night, my skin is usually better during the day. So I either use this serum/oil from the Body Shop which is amazing, or put argan oil (I like Josee Maran) over my moisturizer before I go to bed. It really lets the moisturizer penetrate and I wake up to really soft and smooth skin.
Zelda
I do the same thing with either argan oil or rosehip seed oil when my skin needs extra moisture. It feels great!
Oily girl
What I hate about winter is that my skin looks both oily and slick on the surface but totally dehydrated and parched underneath. The only thing that worked for me was to go to a warm (no indoor heating) and humid place for a week, but that’s not going to be a permanent fix (Hola Miami, if it were).
May have to try this.
Zelda
I have combo skin and when that happens to me when I haven’t exfoliated enough. I like mixing a little baking soda in with my regular face wash for gentle yet effective exfoliation.
PolyD
I used to get this, too. You need to exfoliate, either mechanical (with scrubs and the like) or chemical (retin-A, mostly). I started using RoC night cream with retin-A and have not had nearly the problem with this sort of thing this winter. For day time, I use Clinique Even Better moisturizer.
Alana
Not sure of your schedule, but I have a friend who uses a visit to the steam room at her gym as a post-exercise reward.
cbackson
I am a huge fan of Innisfree Olive Oil Cream, which is from South Korea – you have to order it on Amazon, and (if you are me and have no knowledge of Korean), you have to take it on faith that the ingredients list does not contain something terrifying. But it’s a lovely moisturizer.
I bought an olive oil night cream from Fresh Line Cosmetics in Athens on a recent trip, and I’m going to give it a solid try-out when my current jar of Innisfree is done – I loved it on the trip.
k-padi
My absolute favorite hand cream is Lollia. It is mostly Shea butter but is non-greasy. It is available at fancy boutiques and Amazon. It is pricey but my last tube lasted 2 years.
Tax devil
Fresh Creme Ancienne – expensive but worth it in freezing temps!
Mrs. Jones
The only thing that keeps my hands decent in winter is O’Keeffe’s Working Hands.
purplesneakers
I go with Ponds cold cream on my face before I go to bed every night, and Vaseline lotion for everywhere else. It’s simple/old-fashioned but seems to work… I’m in my late 20s but get taken for a teen on a regular basis.
Pink
I love Khiels Panthenol Cream for the winter. It’s cheaper than the ultra facial cream but provides what I feel is a more protective barrier for the cold. I also find the ultra facial cream not that great for my skin.
LondonLeisureYear
Day face moisture: Lush Enzymion- I have dry but oily skin and this does an amazing job of adding moisture but not looking greasy or oily. It also has zero smell which I know is weird for Lush products but I can’t handle too many smells close to my face. Even hairspray gives me headaches, and this passes the test.
Night face moisture: Earth Tu Face Nourish and Balance face serum. This is a California based brand. I wash my face and put this on before bed and it helps it from drying out and doesn’t break out. I used to use Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery which I think does the same thing.
Body Moisture: Kiehl’s Creme de Corps. I hate how long this takes to sink in, but i guess thats every lotion for me. I also hate the price. But my skin says so soft and so smooth all winter long its worth it to me.
mascot
I though coconut oil worked well, but I still had some dry, itchy spots on my legs and torso. I now swear by the CeraVe cream for my body lotion. I apply it to my face probably once a day and haven’t noticed any break-outs. Once or twice a week, I use the Amlactin lotion on my body. My skin has been happy since I started this routine 2 months ago.
Anonymous
The woman in the pedicure chair next to me a few months ago recommended CeraVe, so I bought a tub on this complete stranger’s recommendation. I LOVE IT! My feet haven’t been this soft in years. Best $9.99 I’ve spent at Target in ages . . .
PolyD
Gold Bond Rough and Bumpy Skin moisturizer is really living up to its name for me. I had mild red bumpiness (keratosis pilaris) on my upper arms and backs of thighs and using this moisturizer has really made a difference. Plus my legs aren’t itchy this winter.
It’s very no-frills, kind of sticky, and basically scentless, but does the trick!
ACD
LOVE LOVE LOVE the original CeraVe cream (not lotion! lotion is not the same!). I originally used it on my face on top of a prescription Retin-A product, but now I use it for body since I don’t need quite as much moisture on my face anymore. Sometimes if I’m really dry I’ll use it during the day on my face, but the “finish” isn’t quite as good as pricier moisturizers intended for the face.
Jenny
I use Algenist in the morning and plain olive oil at night. Algenist is pricey but I find one jar lasts me a year — so overall, not too bad. I can’t comment on its purported anti-aging properties (my lifeguarding days haven’t caught up to me yet, though they will soon), but I’m happy with the moisturizing performance.
Sunshine
A few months ago, I switched to a Korean skincare routine with a mix of Korean and US products. The whole idea behind the Korean routine is layering, starting with the products with a thin consistency (think serums and oils) and then moving to the thickest (lotions, creams). All in all, there are about 10-12 steps in the routine, but it seriously takes no more than 15 minutes.
I’m loving the combination of hyaluronic acid, First Aid Beauty cream, and Missha snail cream at night. In the morning, I use CeraVe AM moisturizer instead of the creams.
For dry skin on my body, I swear by CeraVe cream. My favorite thing is to start with The Body Shop mango oil and put the CeraVe cream on top.
Jennifer
The best cream I’ve found for beating the dry itchy winter skin is Palmer’s Cocoa Butter with Vitamin E. The smell is not overpowering and it is a nice thick consistency. I will put it on in the evenings before bed and wake up still feeling moisturized! My son is particualarly prone to dry skin which if not addressed can progress into what looks like eczema, and I started using this on him all over and have had great success in keeping his skin looking and feeling healthy. It has really helped him during the winter months. Added bonus it’s fairly inexpensive!
christineispink
hard to comment on other people’s face skin – but I’m obsessed with Aveeno Active Naturals Skin Relief hand cream (intense moisture) for the 2nd winter in a row. it’s close to no-fragrance. And although it feels thick and creamy, it absorbs beautifully. I keep one at my desk and one in my purse. I used to have TERRIBLY dry (cracking/peeling, though luckily no bleeding) hands.