Moisturiser for Dry Skin and the Routine Around It
Does your face feel tight before you've even put the towel down? By the time you reach your desk, there are dry patches on your face, usually beside your nose, that make-up won't sit on. Your skin isn't producing enough oil to hold moisture in, so it slips away soon after you wash. We built our skincare for dry skin around three steps. Our Hydrating Gentle Face Wash is a light gel face wash for dry skin with jojoba, babassu and glycerin. Our Hydrating Face Toner is a dry skin toner with hyaluronic acid. Then our Hydrating Face Cream, the moisturiser for dry skin we'd reach for first, helps hold it all in with cocoa butter and plant oils. Morning and evening, that's a dry skin treatment routine you can keep up all year.
Which of Our Dry Skin Products Is Right for You?
| Your concern | Product | Key ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| Tight and dry straight after washing | Our Hydrating Gentle Face Wash for Dry & Sensitive Skin | Jojoba, babassu, glycerin, sandalwood, ylang ylang. Our face wash for dry skin rinses off without that squeaky feel. |
| Skin that still feels thirsty after moisturiser | Our Hydrating Face Toner for Dry & Sensitive Skin | Hyaluronic acid, glycerin, lactic acid, aloe, calendula, oat kernel, willow bark, sandalwood. Contains lactic acid, so wear SPF during the day. |
| Rough, tight patches that need a richer layer | Our Hydrating Face Cream for Dry & Sensitive Skin | Cocoa butter, babassu, jojoba, aloe, glycerin, saccharide isomerate, sandalwood, frankincense. Our everyday dry skin moisturiser: a hydrating moisturiser for morning and night. |
| Flaky skin on your face that catches make-up | Our Gentle Face Scrub for Dry & Sensitive Skin | Bamboo exfoliant in babassu, jojoba, cocoa butter, aloe and sea kelp, to lift dry, flaky skin once or twice a week. |
| A weekly face mask for dry skin | Our Sandalwood & Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Face Mask | Pink clay, hyaluronic acid, shea, avocado, babassu, jojoba, sandalwood. Helps replenish dry, dehydrated-feeling skin and purifies gently without over-drying. Contains Parfum, so patch test first. |
| A lighter rose toner | Our Rose & Glycerin Facial Toner | Rose flower water, glycerin, rose geranium and clove oils. Contains alcohol, so if your skin is very dry or cracked, choose our Hydrating Face Toner. Patch test before first use. |
| A pure rose water at home | Our Rose Hydrolat Floral Water | 100% Rosa Damascena flower water. |
| A top-up you can carry in your bag | Our Rose Hydrolat Floral Water Spray Mist | Rose flower water with added preservatives, in a fine mist. |
Why Choose Our Natural Dry Skin Range
- Moisture in, and kept in. Glycerin for skin works like a sponge, so we put it in our wash, toner, cream and mask to draw water in. The cocoa butter, babassu and jojoba in our cream help slow how fast it escapes.
- Hyaluronic acid in the toner and mask. Our Hydrating Face Toner and Hydrating Face Mask both contain sodium hyaluronate, a form of hyaluronic acid. The toner adds water to your skin just before your dry skin moisturiser goes on.
- Sandalwood in every step. Each product is scented with sandalwood and other essential oils, so patch test on your inner arm first.
- Cold-pressed oils. We only use cold-pressed plant oils, and we don't use mineral oil.
- Dermatologically tested. Our Sandalwood Hydrating wash, toner, scrub, cream, and mask have all undergone this testing, and every product on this page is PETA-certified, vegan, and cruelty-free.
How to Build a Dry Skin Treatment Routine
You'll probably feel the difference in comfort within a few days. Rough, flaky patches are slower to settle, so give your dry skin routine at least four weeks.
| Step | How often | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Start with our Hydrating Gentle Face Wash | Morning and evening | Work a little over damp skin, rinse, then pat dry with the towel instead of rubbing. |
| 2. Press on our Hydrating Face Toner | Morning and evening | Use your hands or a cotton pad while your face is still slightly damp. It contains lactic acid, so follow with SPF in the day. |
| 3. Smooth on our Hydrating Face Cream | Morning and evening | Cover your face and neck after the toner. On the driest patches, add a second thin layer at night. |
| 4. Buff with our Gentle Face Scrub | Once or twice a week | After washing, massage lightly over damp skin and rinse. Press gently, and skip any cracked or sore areas. |
| 5. Add our Sandalwood & Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Face Mask | Once or twice a week | Smooth over clean skin, rinse with lukewarm water, then tone and moisturise. Patch test before first use. |
| 6. Mist with our Rose Hydrolat Floral Water or Spray Mist | Whenever your skin feels tight | Spritz over bare skin or make-up during the day. At home, follow with a little cream. |
Key Ingredients and What They Do
| Ingredient | What it does | Where you'll find it |
|---|---|---|
| Glycerin | A humectant. Glycerin for skin draws water into the upper layers and helps them stay soft. | Hydrating Gentle Face Wash, Hydrating Face Toner, Hydrating Face Cream, Hydrating Face Mask, Rose & Glycerin Facial Toner |
| Hyaluronic acid | Holds water on the skin's surface, so it feels more hydrated. | Hydrating Face Toner, Hydrating Face Mask |
| Pink clay | A soft clay that gently purifies without over-drying. | Hydrating Face Mask |
| Cocoa butter & shea | Rich plant butters that help seal moisture in. Cocoa butter gives our dry skin cream its comforting feel on tight patches. | Hydrating Face Cream, Gentle Face Scrub (cocoa butter); Hydrating Face Mask (shea) |
| Jojoba & babassu | Light plant oils that help soften rough patches without a greasy finish. | Hydrating Gentle Face Wash, Gentle Face Scrub, Hydrating Face Cream, Hydrating Face Mask |
| Sandalwood | Used in Ayurvedic skin care for centuries and valued for its warm, woody scent. | Every product in our Sandalwood Hydrating range |
Which Moisturiser for Dry Skin Suits You?
A good cream for very dry skin has something to draw water in (glycerin, hyaluronic acid, saccharide isomerate) and something rich to hold it there (cocoa butter, shea, plant oils). If your cheeks still feel tight by mid-morning, you probably need a rich moisturiser, and a thicker layer at night. You can compare textures across our face moisturisers.
Dry Skin in Winter and Other UK Conditions
- Central heating. Heated rooms feel cosy, but the air in them is dry. You'll often notice the tightness most first thing, so keep your morning layer of hydrating cream even when you're rushing.
- Cold and wind. Put your cream on 10 minutes before you head out so it has time to settle.
- Hard water. If your kettle furs up, your tap water is hard, and your face may feel tighter after you wash in it. Keep your toner and cream by the basin so they go on within a minute of drying off.
Shop our skincare for dry skin above, or get the wash, toner and cream together in a Hydrating Face set from our skin care sets. If your skin reacts easily, see our skincare for sensitive skin. For lines and creases, see our skincare for fine lines.
FAQ
What causes dry skin on your face?
Is it dry skin or dehydrated skin?
Why is dry skin in winter so much worse?
What's the best moisturiser for dry skin?
How to get rid of dry skin on your face?
What helps cracked dry skin?