This is an archived article and the information in the story may be outdated. Please check the time stamp on the story to see when it was updated last.
For years, one brand of moisturizer has been regarded by those of us who suffer from extremely dry skin as a lifesaver: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream. This bestselling, classic moisturizer is everything to everyone — whether you have dry, oily, normal, combination, or sensitive skin, this brand keeps your skin hydrated and protected from the elements for 24 hours. It’s number one function is as a luxurious cream that absorbs rapidly, but leaves even the driest skin types flake-free and soft as silk.
Kiehl’s is so special it even earned the distinction of being the facial cream used by six explorers who completed the first-ever ascent of Greenland’s crazy-cold peaks in 2005. Needless to say, it isn’t easy to find another moisturizer that can compete with Kiehl’s rich formula, which includes desert plant extracts and squalane, which restores your skin’s natural moisture barrier. But there are some pretty great moisturizers out there that offer amazing protection to very dry skin types.
Here are 4 Kiehl’s moisturizer dupes you need to keep on your radar.
1) First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer
Made with soothing colloidal oatmeal and shea butter and especially ideal for sensitive, reactive skin types, First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer is the product that can instantly banish dry skin flakes from your life and calm inflammation. Its other star ingredients include ceramide 3, which locks in moisture for the smoothest skin imaginable, and a blend of antioxidants that improve your skin’s texture and help brighten your complexion. In clinical studies, this cream was actually proven to increase hydration by 169 percent immediately after applying it — if that isn’t enough of a reason to give it a whirl, consider this: it can even help relieve itch and discomfort from eczema.
It can tricky to find a lotion that eliminates dry patches in oily and normal skin types — most creams are a little too rich and can clog pores and cause pimples and blackheads. But Amarte Aqua Lotion is that perfectly rare combination of light and just soothing enough to relieve occasional bouts of dryness in otherwise oily skin. Its key ingredients include purified nano-sulfur, which purifies and soothes (but also helps heal acne), allantoiin to soothe skin, and brightening arbutin. Its impressive list of flower extracts and essential oils is nothing to laugh at, either.
One of the best things about many Korean beauty products like Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream is that they offer incredible bang for the buck and often contain revolutionary ingredients that are especially gentle on sensitive skin types. This cream, which is ideal for all skin types, considers ceramides its secret weapon and these molecules support your skin’s barrier with time-release moisture that lasts up to 26 hours. This cream also has licorice root extract and aloe vera to relieve redness and irritation.
4) Olay Complete All Day UV Moisturizer SPF 15 Sensitive Skin
When your skin requires a dose of moisture and sunscreen for daytime protection, you needn’t sacrifice one for the other. Olay Complete All Day UV Moisturizer with SPF 15 is ideal for sensitive skin because it’s made with zinc oxide, aloe vera, and vitamin E. It’s also free of fragrance, oil, and PABAs and delivers a satisfying moisture barrier that never feels greasy or sticky.
