The Best Ingredients to Hydrate Dry Skin This Winter

The temperature has dropped, and Christmas songs are already filling shopping malls and grocery stores. It’s official: winter is here.

While there are many things to love about winter (hello, cozy movie nights, and glitzy, festive celebrations), our skin certainly doesn’t appreciate it.

Changes in temperature and humidity levels can leave our skin dry, flaky, and undernourished. Therefore, it’s important to include hydrating and nourishing ingredients in your routine to maintain soft and supple skin.

The right ingredients can hydrate your skin and prevent moisture loss, thus improving the skin’s barrier function for healthy and happy skin all winter.

Before you rush out to update your skincare collection for the winter months, here are some key ingredients to keep an eye out for.

1. Hyaluronic Acid

This deeply hydrating ingredient is one of the best to include in your skincare routine this winter. Hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in the skin and can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. It’s also included in skincare products to help draw moisture to the skin’s surface, helping it become super soft and plump.

Plus, this trending skincare ingredient is suitable for all skin types.

The Marvellous Nocturnal Resurfacing Hyaluronic Facial Serum by Avant targets multiple signs of aging in one potent yet lightweight formula.

The intensely moisturizing serum is inspired by research into skin volume and line-relaxing. It aims to significantly re-establish volume, visibly firming, and re-contouring for smoother skin.

2. Argan Oil

Argan oil is another highly popular skincare ingredient. The oil is extracted from the kernels of Argan trees and is packed with minerals and vitamins, helping to counter the dryness the winter months bring.

While argan oil is high in fatty acids and vitamin E, it boasts a very light texture and absorbs easily into the skin without leaving it feeling uncomfortable and sticky.

Argan oil has a smaller molecular formula, so the oil penetrates the skin much more easily to target dryness from within.

3. Squalane

In skincare products squalene, is primarily derived from plants like olives and rice bran. While squalane is an oil, the ingredient is light and won’t clog up your pores.

This hydrating ingredient is a powerful antioxidant that nourishes, softens, and relieves dry, itchy skin in the winter months. Likewise, squalane has anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties to help treat fine lines, swelling. and redness.

And, like many other ingredients on this list, squalane is suitable for all skin types.

4. Ceramides

Everyone’s skin naturally contains ceramides, meaning the ingredient can benefit every skin type. Ceramides work to improve healthy skin barrier function. But ceramides work particularly well for dry skin because they help lock in moisture.

The Neova Crème De La Copper is an intense patented moisturizing cream full of powerful nourishing agents to help transform dry and mature skin. This rich cream helps to retain elasticity and firmness and visibly smooth and treat uneven skin tones.

5. Shea Butter

Shea butter is primarily grown in West Africa and works wonders as a moisturizer. Today, shea butter is used in many cosmetic products thanks to the high levels of fatty acids and vitamins that help smooth and soothe the skin.

Applying shea butter helps you lock a barrier between the skin and the environment, so those blustery winter nights won’t further aggravate your delicate skin.

6. Glycerin

Glycerin is an ingredient used in many skincare products, including moisturizers. It’s excellent for dry skin, helping reduce flakiness while balancing the skin's pH levels.

With consistent use, glycerin helps reduce water loss from the skin. It also keeps the skin nourished and radiant and protects it from harmful UV rays. Phew – what can’t this ingredient do?

Find a night cream featuring glycerin, like the Obagi Clenziderm MD Therapeutic Moisturizer, and enjoy waking up with silky smooth skin every morning.

7. Pataua Oil

While not as popular as many other oils, pataua oil is widely used to nourish and hydrate dry skin in need of a little TLC. The oil has superb moisturizing properties to treat dry skin along with skin-firming properties thanks to its rich vitamin E, vitamin A, and amino acid protein content.

Pataua oil also has a very light texture, making it easy to absorb into the skin.

8. Panthenol

Panthenol is a B5 provitamin, meaning the body transforms it into vitamin B5. This ingredient softens the skin and functions as both a humectant and an emollient. That means panthenol helps skin cells draw in moisture and seal it in.

The result? Hydrated skin cells and an improved moisture barrier. Win-win!

Do you want more skincare advice? Here are the best oil-absorbing ingredients for your skin .