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Men’s Skin Care Routine for Dry Skin: The Best Products and Practices
Fixing dry skin is as much about changing habits and preventing moisture loss, as it is about adding moisturizing products back to the skin.
July 01, 2024
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We’ve all experienced dry skin at some point—maybe the shower was too hot, the air too dry, the weather too cold—but that’s nothing compared to what some dry-skinned people experience every single day. Those individuals who experience routinely dehydrated skin have to live with rough, itchy, and flaky skin. Well, they don’t have to live with it. The best skin care routine for dry skin (as in, the right products and habitual changes) can go a long way in improving matters.
In the simplest terms, you need to improve your moisture retention as much as you do your moisturizing products. So that means changing the things that deplete moisture—the things that compromise skin’s barrier function—as well as add a product or strategy for trapping moisture in the skin, too. By reinforcing the skin, you allow it to trap and retain moisture by blocking outside environmental factors.
The below tips are advice for all cases of dry skin, but if you’re experiencing dry skin seasonally or from a one-off situation, then taper this advice accordingly. It’s all helpful, promise. Also, if you’re here for an ideal regimen tailored to sensitive skin (particularly eczema or psoriasis), then please check my article on sensitive skin. Some of the advice here will help you too, but I think it’s more important for those inflammatory conditions to start with a sensitivity-friendly approach.
Alright, so here are the things to consider and/or change in your skincare routine if you have dry skin.
The Best Products for Dry Skin
These are some of the dry skin products that appear throughout the article.
- The Best Face Wash for Dry Skin: Aesop Gentle Facial Cleansing Milk
- The Best Exfoliant for Dry Skin: Naturium Glycolic Acid Resurfacing Gel 10%
- The Best Retinoid for Dry Skin: Medik8 Crystal Retinal Serum
- The Best Serum for Dry Skin: Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost+ Niacinamide Serum
- The Best Moisturizer for Dry Skin: TULA Skincare 24-7 Moisture Intense Ultra Hydrating Day & Night Cream
- The Best Night Cream for Dry Skin: Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Omega Rich Cloud Cream
- The Best Soap and Body Wash for Dry Skin: Dove Men+Care Clean Comfort Soap and Body Wash
- The Best Body Exfoliant for Dry Skin: AmLactin Exfoliating Body Lotions (12% AHA / 15% AHA)
- The Best Hydrating Body Lotion for Dry Skin: Nécessaire The Body Lotion (Fragrance Free)
- The Best Face and Body Moisturizing Cream for Dry Skin: CeraVe Dry Skin Moisturizing Cream
- The Best Humidifier for Dry Skin: Levoit Top-Fill Humidifier 2.5L
- The Best Shower Filter Head for Dry Skin: AquaBliss High Output Shower Filter
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Audit Your Environment (Like Humidity and Bathing)
Whether your skin is dry because of seasonal changes, habitual reasons, or because it’s just in your genes, I think it’s extremely important to make some adjustments to the air and water you encounter on a daily basis.
1. Audit the Air Around You
The air around you plays a huge role in your skin’s moisture retention, namely whenever this air is dry. There’s a reason skin looks and feels better in humid weather (nevermind how sticky we might feel in humidity): It’s because the moisture in the air isn’t pulling any moisture from the skin. There’s no dry air trying to “stabilize” itself by sucking out water from every possible source.
So, in winter, you might crank up the heater to accommodate for the cold temps. But do yourself a favor and add a humidifier to the mix, too, because you also need moisture in that air for your skin’s comfort, not just heat for your general comfort. Do the same in summer, if you’ve got the air conditioner cranked. Better yet, sleep with a fan if you can, instead of the A/C (some people will even sleep with a large, shallow bin of water in the room for similar benefit).
One warning: Ventilate the room and the sheets each morning if you sleep in a super humid room. It’ll help prevent mold, and could even inhibit the proliferation of dust mites in your bed and pillows.
Levoit is the brand name to trust with humidifiers. You probably don’t need more than a 2.5L option for your bedroom or office space.
As for the daytime: Unless you work from home, you probably have less control over how “moisturized” the company’s air is, but in an ideal scenario, you’re well moisturized to avoid depletion to dry or overly air conditioned rooms. If you do have some sway, try to keep the A/C on low to satisfy all parties. Oh, and as a bonus, any houseplants in the room might flourish, too!
2. Overcompensate for Hard Water
If the water in your home is hard (meaning it’s mineral dense), then you may be more prone to dry skin. Specifically, calcium and magnesium in hard water can deposit onto your skin, the same way they might leave chalky, cloudy residue on your shower walls. As this happens each time you shower (or wash your hands and face), the long term impact can be extremely drying for skin—not to mention your hair and scalp, too.
You can check for water hardness through tons of different online water utility sites like Aquasure. While the results won’t necessarily mean a lot to you, they may explain why you have to use lots of anti-calc spray on your shower tiles, or even why your hair breaks so easily and you have such dry skin. If you do, in fact, have hard water, then double down on your moisturizing products, and consider a water filter head, too.
I don’t put a ton of stock in shower filter heads, because there’s no way you’re going to filter out everything the fraction of a second that it spends in the shower head. Still, you can at least reduce the mineral quantity with these heads a bit, so stick with a reputable, low-cost option that fits your exact shower head. (The best way to filter your water is in an actual water purification or filtration system for the entire house or building—understandably, I won’t be making any recommendations in that department here.)
Not all shower head filters will fit every shower, so you need to scan your actual shower and understand where to screw in the actual head. If you have a fixed shower spout or a rain shower, then a passthru filter like this AquaBliss will probably suffice. It seems like the best gamble, with a 4.4 out of 54,000 reviews as of the time I’m writing this. We even had an identical option in our old shower that was a maneuverable shower head, so the little filter grenade attached to the base of that hose, where it was connected to the bathtub spout.
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3. And Limit Water Exposure, Too
Despite all this talk about humidity being good for your skin, the other big culprit behind moisture depletion is water—specifically as it pertains to bathing. You’d think a simple shower or bath would be moisturizing for skin, but quite the opposite. It actually rinses away skin’s natural moisture—the sebum (oil) secreted that keeps skin soft and supple. So, try to take cooler and shorter showers, for this reason. And moisturize quickly thereafter! Speaking of moisturizer…
The Best Skincare Products for Dry Skin
Jump to:
Cleansers | Exfoliants | Serums | Moisturizers/Night Creams | Soap and Body Wash | Body Exfoliants | Body Moisturizers
Again, there are two key priorities for dry skin: adding moisture and retaining/trapping moisture. And so your big-picture regimen needs to serve these priorities, even with the cleanser you choose or the exfoliant you use to rid of buildup of dead cells.
Here are the types of products that most people will use, or should consider using—and the strategy that dry skinned people should put into each one.
1. Cleansers for Dry Skin
While the best thing to do is look for cleansers that specifically state “This is for Dry Skin!” or use indicator words like “hydrating” and “gentle”, the truth is that most brands will use those words even if they sell a one-size-fits-all face wash.
So I suggest framing your search around the type of cleanser you buy. Look for oil-based face washes, cleansing balms, or milky cleansers, all of which deliver on that promise to nourish skin simply by the nature of their formulas.
My gut-reaction favorites in each of those buckets: CeraVe’s oil cleanser for perpetually dry skin, Paula’s Choice Cleansing Balm for more sensitive skin and makeup wearers, or Aesop’s milky cleanser for seasonal dryness or frequent washers who risk dehydration. Gentle, effective, replenishing, all of them. If I had to pick a “most universal” of the trio, it’s Aesop. I adore it.
2. Exfoliants for Dry Skin
If anyone needs to buff away dead skin, it’s people with perennially dry skin. This will lower your risk of clogged pores and improve surface texture. By keeping tabs on this process, you improve the absorption of nourishing ingredients into the various layers of skin. So… stay on top of it! Primary exfoliation efforts should always be done at night, so that you can give skin a chance to recover while you sleep.
Here are the different types of exfoliating products to consider (notice the lack of abrasive scrubs—the chemical exfoliants below are much more uniform and controlled).
AHAs and BHAS:
Again, I always prefer chemical exfoliants for the face over physical facial scrubs. Scrubs are a bit more difficult to use evenly and correctly—though it’s also easy to use too much chemical exfoliant, so start slow.
If you are acne-prone, prioritize salicylic acid (a beta-hydroxy acid, or BHA) which will keep pores clear of dead cells with some surface-level benefits too; these are oil soluble so they get past the lipid layer of your skin. Otherwise, look for an alpha hydroxy acid (or AHA, like glycolic acid or lactic acid) to focus on surface-level smoothing; AHAs won’t seep deeper into your pores.
Between AHAs and BHAs, AHAs are most important for all dry skinned people across the board. However, if you are also acne prone, then that will determine if you use salicylic acid in addition to AHAs.
If you’re acne prone, use COSRX’s blemish balls with AHA and BHA; twice a week should be fine, but adjust as needed—maybe once a week to start.
If you aren’t acne prone, then a standalone AHA solution like Naturium’s 10% Glycolic Acid Resurfacing Gel twice a week should suffice. It even uses fruit enzymes for added exfoliation benefits.
Retinoids:
Or, better yet, get a retinoid product to regulate exfoliation. Retinoids are often referred to as retinol, which is actually one type of retinoids. These Vitamin A derivatives improve cellular turnover, ensuring that your skin stays smooth, and it can also reduce existing signs of aging like fine lines and dark spots, as well as mitigate acne by regulating this cellular regeneration.
There are plenty of OTC options, and it’s good to start slow with retinoids. And know that it can take up to three months to really be in your results-era groove with retinoids; keep using them after the fact in order to maintain clearer, smoother skin, too.
But I think everyone should speak with their board certified dermatologist about incorporating retinol into a regimen, since we all have different sensitivities to the ingredient, and a doc can help determine which level of retinoid you should start with (highly tolerant skin can often go right to a prescription [called tretinoin] while others might start with an OTC or a more gentle, natural alternative, bakuchiol).
Medik8 nails the OTC retinoid game—they have this great Crystal Retinal serum in a variety of intensities. 1 is for sensitive, 3 is for beginners, 6 regular/well-adjusted, 10 advanced, 20 expert. Start with 1 or 3, obviously.
If you want a prescription (and have a green light to try one from your doc) you can use a telemedicine site like Apostrophe or Hims. Again: Start slow, even in terms of how frequently you use a retinoid. Maybe every second or third night, since it takes a couple weeks to adjust to retinol at these higher grades. Within three months you’ll notice serious results in the skin clarity department. But keep using the product to maintain those results, and always wear SPF in the daytime, since retinol can make skin a bit more sensitive to the sun.
3. Serums for Dry Skin
Serum is your chance to add targeted “treatment” ingredients into the skin, and which will then be “trapped” by the next step, the moisturizer. I think the ingredients you should prioritize in a serum for dry skin are hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, ceramides, and squalane. You can also get these from moisturizers and night creams, but serums will allow the ingredients to penetrate more deeply and make a longer and more corrective impact.
a. Hyaluronic Acid: Perhaps you’ve heard the rumors that hyaluronic acid can attract and retain moisture up to 1,000x its own weight. In theory, this is true; while it’s probably unlikely that you experience a 1K boost against your daily usage, in reality you will have softer, more supple, and more resilient skin. (There are different types of hyaluronic acid with differing molecule sizes. I won’t get too in those weeds here. But know that you might see Sodium Hyaluronate on the ingredients label, which is one type of hyaluronic acid.)
b. Niacinamide and Ceramides: These two ingredients both improve the skin’s barrier function. That is to say, they help reinforce the skin’s ability to trap moisture inside the deeper layers and prevent toxins and bacteria from getting in. (Niacinamide in particular has like a billion benefits, but this barrier boost is topmost, especially for dry skin; it also famously satisfies almost all skin types and pairs well with almost all other ingredients.)
Many formulas will advertise niacinamide and ceramides given their popularity, so look for formulas that front load them (midway or higher on the roster of ingredients).
c. Squalane: Squalane mimics the skin’s natural sebum (specifically it mimics something called squalene, so this conversation gets confusing, fast). But in short, it also locks in moisture and makes your skin softer and smoother thanks to its emollient properties.
You can get these ingredients morning or night, or both. I like having hyaluronic acid by day as a baseline, and try to incorporate niacinamide in my evening routine, since it plays nicely with some of the harsher active ingredients in my nighttime routine.
Some favorite serums of mine:
Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost+ Niacinamide Serum is a quick fix of both niacinamide and hyaluronic acid—the best combination someone with dry skin can seek out, in my opinion. (And that price point! So attractive.)
The Ordinary’s 100% Plant-Derived Squalane is easy to mix in with other serums (or even into your moisturizer) like a booster shot. Or just apply it like a serum underneath your moisturizer.
Drunk Elephant’s Goldi-B Niacinamide Serum is goldish-bronze on application, but doesn’t tint the skin. Instead, while it floods cells with 5% niacinamide (the perfect concentration for desired niacinamide results), it also gives skin a really healthy looking glow. Definitely for daytime use so that people can see you beaming.
4. Moisturizers and Night Creams for Dry Skin
While oily skin types might use differently weighted moisturizers for morning and night, dry skin needs to double down on occlusive (moisture-trapping) hydrators all day. These can also trap the serum ingredients you applied prior. Most dry-skin moisturizers will also be emollient in nature too, meaning they help soften skin. Of course, seasonality may influence how heavy of a product your skin can tolerate; the colder and drier the air, the denser the product should be—in general. Just make sure to use generous amounts of moisturizer if you are using lighter formulas.
Many times, night creams will have a higher concentration of ingredients in order to sync with the body’s regenerative cycle. So, if you do choose to separate morning and evening moisturizers, be sure your nighttime one is chock full of those moisturizing actives. Just remember: In the daytime, you need SPF, so if your moisturizer doesn’t have SPF 30+, make sure to get a standalone facial SPF product that you can layer over top of it.
One terrific daytime SPF moisturizer for dry skin is Neutrogena Hydro Boost SPF 50 (yes, I’m touting two Neutrogena products on this roster—it’s a fantastic solution for most dry skinned folks). This moisturizer gives you mega UV defense as well as a dose of hyaluronic acid.
And if you use a dedicated daytime moisturizer like the one above, look for a rich night cream like Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Omega-Rich Cloud Cream, which feels pillowy soft and incredible, with its blend of squalane and fatty acids. It’s an all-time favorite product of mine (so get used to me talking about it).
As for a product that works brilliantly both day and night, year round, give Tula’s Moisture Intense Day and Night Cream a shot, with its blend of squalane, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and probiotics to keep skin hydrated, plump, fortified, and balanced.
TULA Skincare 24-7 Moisture Intense Ultra Hydrating Day & Night Cream
buy on:
5. Soap and Body Wash for Dry Skin
Like your facial cleanser of choice, the key here is moisturizing properties. But since the contact time with your skin is so brief, you want products that don’t actively deplete moisture while they flush away sweat, dirt, and excess oil.
Honestly, I always default to Dove here—Dove+Men Care kind sticks the landing in terms of its Clean Comfort soap and body wash formulas, since the brand’s signature is its hydrating formulas. If your dermatologist disagrees, fire them, because all the docs I source for expertise love Dove best of all.
Should you want to minimize your regimen and combine body wash with facial cleansing, these specific Dove products allow you to streamline, having been formulated with the face’s more sensitive nature.
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6. Body Exfoliant for Dry Skin
I think body scrubs are so easily wasted; you might get three or four applications from a single vessel. And similar to face scrubs, physical body scrubs can be too inconsistent or risk skin irritation, so nix any loofahs or brushes. Instead, find a body cream with exfoliating ingredients like the ones mentioned above in the facial exfoliation section. (Or quickly: Seek out AHAs, like lactic acid and glycolic acid.)
AmLactin’s body lotions are the key player here; their baseline one has 12% lactic acid in its formula. (And it has hyaluronic acid, too!) Meanwhile, their “Intensive Healing” option ups the ante to 15% lactic acid in a denser, ceramide-rich formula.
AmLactin Exfoliating Body Lotions (12% AHA / 15% AHA)
buy on Amazon:
7. Body Moisturizer for Dry Skin
Don’t underestimate body serums and their ability to deeply penetrate and deliver necessary ingredients to your parched skin. Speaking of “necessary”, my favorite is Nécessaire’s Body Serum, which uses most of the key ingredients I outlined above under “serums”: hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and ceramides.
Whether or not you use body serums, it’s imperative to layer on an occlusive but breathable body cream to trap that moisture in. (I just think if you do use serum, you should layer something over it.) I have to call out Nécessaire again, as they are the masters of this domain. The Nécessaire Fragrance-Free Body Lotion is so fantastic, and also uses niacinamide along with peptides for stronger, smoother skin—plus omegas 6 and 9, and Vitamin E to keep you soft and supple.
Here’s one dual hydrator for face and body:
Multitaskers and minimalists, take note: CeraVe’s Dry Skin Moisturizing Cream for Face and Body is also one of my favorites, and of course uses the brand’s signature blend of three different ceramides to improve skin’s moisture retention. (This ceramide-dense roster of products makes them a dermatologist favorite brand for all things skin related, for all skin types, too.) Also, at the time of my writing this, it’s got like 130K reviews on Amazon averaging 4.7… there’s not much that can compete with those numbers.
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