The Ultimate Guide to Cure Dry Skin

For the past few months, the cold weather has wreaked havoc on my skin - I always have to give my skin some extra TLC in the colder months, but for some reason this winter has been way harder to deal with! There's nothing I hate more than dry skin... I'm borderline obsessed with trying/using different moisturizers and seeing what works best, and most importantly what makes my skin feel the best. I decided to try a TON of different hydrating, moisturizing lotions and cremes. In fact I've been working on this since late November - I wanted to give each product I was trying a fair chance to work and while I still have a lot of the ones I've bought to try out further, I wanted to share this guide now in hopes of helping some of you dealing with winter skin cope for the rest of the winter!
I gave each product about two weeks to judge how it worked, and I'll update this as I try more products and add more into my daily routine too. It's hard to know what to buy and what'll work for you - even with a ton of reviews on websites, you never know if it'll work for you too!

H2O Beauty On the Move Intensive Hand Cream: the best part about this hand cream is that it's $10. It is very hydrating but it requires re-application if you have super dry hands. I've always hated hand cream because of the feeling it leaves - I'm sure someone can relate! I hate the "sticky" or "thick" feeling, and this is the exact opposite of those things so it's a winner in my book. It isn't the intensive product you'd want to use overnight necessarily, but for during the day it's my favorite. It doesn't make your keyboard greasy and it smells SO GOOD. For $10, it's worth it even to keep in your bag or to travel with.

LANOLIPS All-Over Everywhere Cream: I had only heard of this brand recently and I can't believe it took this long for my to try it! I LOVE this stuff. This is the "all-over" version so it's great for your hands, feet, body - anywhere. They also have a nourishing lip ointment that I'm trying out (and loving!). It's extremely rich and a little heavy, but not necessarily in a bad way - and that's coming from someone who hates the feeling of most hand creams. (I've accepted that I have to get over that with how awful this season has been to my skin though!) It's especially great for sensitive skin because it's non-irritating and I have VERY sensitive skin, especially when it's dry.

The LANOLIPS Skin Salve is comparable (a little more expensive) but it works just as well as the All-Over cream. My biggest pro for this brand is how hydrating it is and how long it keeps your skin looking moisturized, and my main con about it is the scent, but that's a stretch!

Aquaphor: the OG; this stuff is the real deal. I swear by it for pretty much everything... Blemishes, dry skin, cuts, chapped lips, burns; the list goes on for EVER! I go through tubs of this stuff way quicker than you'd think is possible, but this 3-pack is only $14 and a life saver/repeat buy! I thought I'd find something that worked better than this but I really haven't yet. It's made with/of Vaseline, so it is greasy and it doesn't soak into your skin quickly - one of the few cons to using it.

It's my go-to for overnight use though - I put it on my hands and even any dry spots I have on my face and lips. I literally drench my hands in it and sleep with it on with these Aloe gloves (that come in so many cute colors!). I mean, I'm totally aware that sleeping with gloves is NOT cute - HA. But my hands never feel as soft and moisturized as they do the following morning when I do this. Aquaphor comes in smaller tubes too that are perfect for keeping in your bag, which I highly recommend!

Eucerin Advanced Repair Hand Creme: this is the most recent product I tried; I randomly saw it in the mall one day and got it to try. It's made by the same brand as Aquaphor so I assumed it'd work well and it really does! It's a "light feel" formula which drew me into trying it and it definitely is very light. Especially compared to Aquaphor! It's not greasy and makes your hands feel super refreshed and has a very cooling feeling which is so nice if your hands are dry and/or if you've been out in the cold weather.

The only downside to this moisturizer I've noticed so far is that if you have cuts on your hands or super dry spots/cracks, it burns. It may just be my sensitive skin, but a couple of nights ago I put it on before bed and a couple of spots on my hands burned like crazy! Although the next morning I tried it again, and it was fine -- not all products work for everyone and all skin types, but this is definitely worth a try. It also comes in this travel sized tube which is great for on the go.

Aveda Hand Relief Moisturing Creme: when I began researching (and trust me, I've done a LOT of research on this!) something that may work better than Aquaphor, this was most recommended. The smallest tube is $9 and that's what I'd recommend trying first to see how you like it. At first I didn't like the scent (still don't) and couldn't stand how it made my hands feel... The second time I tried it I put a little bit less, and it was more doable. A little bit definitely goes a long way, but I'm not convinced that it's better than Aquaphor yet. I still use it but haven't used it overnight yet - the first time I tried it, my hands were super chapped and it burned a bit so I washed it off. All of the times I've tried it since, my hands haven't been as chapped/cracked and it's felt fine. A lot of reviews say it doesn't burn no matter what, so again, I think it's different for everyone.

That being said, it does work and I used this for a week straight with no other cremes (during the day and not counting using Aquaphor overnight) and I did see a difference!

Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion: I LOVE this stuff! When it was first released, it was marketed as a lotion for people who hate the feeling of lotion. I jumped right on that bandwagon and I haven't stopped using it since! You apply it in the shower (preferably at the end of your shower) and massage it into your skin like you would with any other cream - the only difference is you rinse this off. It works very well with keeping your skin moisturized throughout the day and the smell is SO. DAMN. GOOD. I go through bottles of this way quicker than I should... Luckily it's !

Clinique Happy Gelato Cream: as a Clinique fanatic (seriously, I use so many Clinique products in my every day routine!) I was so excited when I first tried this body butter. It comes in three different scents (all smell equally amazing) and it's so rich and moisturizing for your entire body! I've been using this after my showers and on my hands, and it's super soothing, not at all irritating and it gives long lasting moisture which I've been looking for in every product. It's expensive at $35, but it's long lasting and worth the price!

Paula's Choice Ultra-Rich Soothing Body Butter: I talk a lot about Paula's Choice products and I always end up loving one of their products more than the last! I was very excited when I first tried this body butter and had high hopes for it... It does work well, but it is heavier and a bit greasier. It's better for night time or when you're not using your computer/phone (if that's a concern for you!) but it is a front runner for super chapped skin. It may be thick, but it works well, is only $19 and a little bit goes a very, very long way.

Jack Black Industrial Strength Hand Healer: it's still too soon for me to completely critique this one because I just started using it a few days ago, but so far I REALLY like it! It's a great size to carry around with you and it's very soothing on your hands.

Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve: this is another product that it's too soon to judge on, but I first tried a sample of this (from a Nordstrom purchase where you can choose three free samples) which is what made me think to try this one out. It isn't greasy at all and I love that it has barely any scent!

I would LOVE to know what you use on your super dry hands/skin! I'll always be adding to this page as I try more products - I'm determined to try everything out there to find the very best! ;) XOXO -A