The Best Cleansers for Dry Skin

The skincare industry has a way with marketing, targeting each and every product launch to a specific type of skin—including dry, oily, sensitive, and combination. But this isn't just a ploy to sell products: There's something to be said about tailoring your products to suit your skin's specific needs.

We often think of serums, moisturizers, and masks as the workhorse products of our skincare regimen, but given that cleansers are the first step in said routine, it's important to recognize their role, too. With that in mind, let's take a look at the best cleansers for dry skin. Having a dehydrated, flake-prone complexion means your moisture barrier is weak—in turn, you'll find that retaining hydration is anything but easy. Fortunately, there are many cleansers on the market designed to specifically replenish that moisture loss. The trick is to look for formulas made primarily with hydrating ingredients (like hyaluronic acid, jojoba seed oil, and ceramides), as well as gentle exfoliating ingredients that are able to slough away any dead skin cells to clear the path so moisture can reach those dehydrated cells. Calming ingredients, like rose extract, are just as critical; they ward off any irritation, which can result from the dryness.

Here's the thing: There are a ton of options out there. To save you from trial and error—and to direct you straight towards the products you need to know about right now—we culled several of our favorite hydrating facial cleansers for dry skin. Whether you prefer a gel, oil, or cream base, with added scent, natural aromas, or no fragrance at all, you're sure to find a worthy match, here.