A routine for dry skin: shorter showers, damp skin and the right moisturizer

Routines by skin type · Published 2026-10-11

Orange sand dunes under a pale blue sky in the Sahara — Dry air pulls water from skin, whether in a desert or an air-conditioned office. Photo: Andrzej Kryszpiniuk, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.

Dry skin feels tight after washing, looks dull or flaky, and can itch or crack. Sometimes it is simply your skin type; often it is the environment: winter heating, air-conditioning, hot showers, harsh soaps or a move to a drier city. The fixes that dermatologists recommend are surprisingly ordinary, and most of them are habits rather than products.

At a glance

Keep showers and baths to 5 to 10 minutes, with warm rather than hot water.
Apply moisturizer within a few minutes of drying off, while skin is still damp.
Ointments and creams are more effective and less irritating than lotions for dry skin.
Choose gentle, fragrance-free cleansers and moisturizers, and consider a humidifier in dry rooms.

Why skin gets dry

The outer layer of skin keeps water in with a mix of natural moisturizing factors (small water-binding molecules inside the cells) and a structured layer of lipids between them: ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids. When that barrier is disturbed, water escapes faster than it can be replaced. Dry air speeds the escape. A large review by Engebretsen and colleagues (2016) concluded that low humidity and low temperatures weaken barrier function and make skin more reactive to irritants and allergens. Hot water and strong surfactants (the foaming agents in soaps and some cleansers) remove barrier lipids directly.

The habits that do most of the work

The American Academy of Dermatology's tips for dry skin start in the bathroom:

Shorter, cooler showers. 5 to 10 minutes, warm water, once a day at most.
A gentle, fragrance-free cleanser instead of deodorant or antibacterial soaps. On the body, you may only need it on the armpits, groin and feet.
Pat, don't rub, with the towel.
Moisturize immediately, within a few minutes, while the skin is damp, to trap the water.
Use ointments or creams rather than lotions; look for ingredients such as shea butter, ceramides, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, lanolin, mineral oil or petrolatum.
Wear lip balm, and protect hands with gloves for cold weather and for washing up.
Use a humidifier in the bedroom if indoor air is dry.

Moisturizers, decoded

Moisturizers combine three types of ingredients. Knowing which is which makes labels easier to read.

The three moisturizer ingredient types
Type	What it does	Examples on labels
Humectants	Attract and bind water in the outer layer	Glycerin, hyaluronic acid / sodium hyaluronate, urea, lactic acid, panthenol, propanediol
Emollients	Fill gaps between cells, soften and smooth	Ceramides, squalane, plant oils, fatty alcohols (cetearyl alcohol), esters
Occlusives	Form a film that slows water loss	Petrolatum, mineral oil, dimethicone, shea butter, beeswax, lanolin

A humectant on its own, in very dry air, can leave skin feeling tight once the surface water evaporates. That is why dermatologists recommend applying hydrating products to damp skin and sealing them with a cream. A hyaluronic acid serum, for example, works best under a moisturizer, as explained in our guide to the Naturium hyaluronic acid serum.

A simple routine

Morning

Rinse with water, or a creamy cleanser if needed.
Hydrating serum (optional) on damp skin.
Cream moisturizer.
Sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher; moisturizing formulas suit dry skin.

Evening

Gentle cleanser, or a cleansing balm followed by a creamy wash if you wear water-resistant sunscreen.
Treatment (optional), such as a retinoid, two or three nights a week.
Richer cream, or a thin layer of ointment on very dry patches.

Actives and dry skin

Most actives dry the skin. If your skin is already dry, start slowly. Lactic acid and urea are both humectants and exfoliants, and are often better tolerated than glycolic or salicylic acid. With retinoids, a "sandwich" of moisturizer, retinoid and moisturizer reduces irritation. Avoid layering several actives; our guide to sensitive skin explains how to strip a routine back when skin is reactive.

Dry skin and climate

Cold, dry winters and hot, dry deserts both pull water from skin, as does air-conditioning in a humid tropical city. People who relocate often meet dry skin for the first time in a new climate. If that is you, a quick skin-type check after a month is useful, and our guide to moving to a new climate includes a table by climate type and a three-month plan.

Hands, lips and feet

These areas have fewer oil glands, or take more abuse, and often crack first in dry weather. For hands, the AAD suggests applying hand cream after every wash and wearing gloves outdoors in cold weather and for household chores; a thick layer of ointment under cotton gloves overnight helps badly chapped hands. For lips, a plain, fragrance-free balm or petrolatum works better than flavoured products, which tempt you to lick your lips; outdoors, use one with SPF 30 or higher. For cracked heels, a cream containing urea or lactic acid, applied after a shower and covered with socks, softens thickened skin over a few weeks. Deep, painful or bleeding cracks, especially if you have diabetes, need a doctor.

Indoor air

Heated rooms in winter and air-conditioned rooms in the tropics can both have very low humidity. A simple hygrometer, which is inexpensive, shows how dry a room really is. A humidifier in the bedroom, cleaned regularly as the manufacturer instructs so it doesn't spread mould or bacteria, helps many people with dry skin, chapped lips and dry eyes. Keeping bedroom air-conditioning a little less cold, and not sleeping with a fan blowing directly on your face, also reduces overnight water loss.

When dryness is something else

See a doctor if dryness comes with intense itching that disturbs sleep, cracking or bleeding, open sores, signs of infection, or large areas of scaling. Eczema (atopic dermatitis), psoriasis, contact dermatitis, thyroid problems and some medications can all cause or mimic dry skin, and they need specific treatment.

Sources

American Academy of Dermatology, "Dermatologists' top tips for relieving dry skin", AAD, consulted October 2026.
Engebretsen K.A. et al., "The effect of environmental humidity and temperature on skin barrier function and dermatitis", Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2016.
Purnamawati S. et al., "The role of moisturizers in addressing various kinds of dermatitis: a review", Clinical Medicine & Research, 2017.