The Best Moisturizers to Survive the Transition into Dry, Chilly Weather
Crisp weather doesn't have to be synonymous with dry skin. Below are the products that will save your skin as fall's colder temperatures roll in.
Face creams are like marriage—it’s important to shop around before you settle down for the right product. Nevertheless, navigating creams is not for the faint at heart. Because they’re so crucial to skin’s health (moisturizer is one of the most important steps to keeping your skin’s pH balance in check), creams are usually costly and thus, should be thoroughly researched. As we spring forward into colder temperatures, the air gets dryer and your skin needs its nourishment now more than ever. Lucky for you, I’ve done the investigation and the product-testing. Below is a list of the ten best moisturizers, all of which are here to make sure your skin looks and feels its best as you navigate the remaining trials of 2019.
This cream lives up to its name, as its effects are truly magical. Made for dry skin, this moisturizer supports natural collagen production and cell energy, wrapping the skin in a blanket of softness and moisture. I like to think of it as the cashmere equivalent of face creams. To add to its pampering effect, it’s infused with a subtle rose scent that will give your skin the love and attention that it deserves.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream Moisturizer, 100$, Available at Charlotte Tilbury
This one is perfect for sensitive or redness-prone skin, as 100% of this product derives from natural ingredients. It works gently on the skin while still providing enough moisture to last till the AM, meaning this hyaluronic acid moisturizer is the secret for dewy, youthful-looking skin.
Tata Harper Repairative Moisturizer, $116, Available at Tata Harper
Danuta Mieloch, the founder of Rescue Spa, calls this a Holy Grail cream for dry skin, “a winter classic on the ski slopes used by jet setters in Gstaad, St. Moritz, and Verbier…the ultimate SOS for your skin.” Hydration is one of Valmont’s specialties. Prime Regenera II has a slight cosmetic aroma, but nothing offensive or unnatural-feeling.
Valmont Prime Regenera II, $240, Available at Rescue Spa
Tatcha’s bestselling water cream is ideal for acne-prone skin— its oil-free formula provides the perfect amount of moisture without clogging the pores. Infused with Japanese anti-aging superfoods such as Uji green tea, Okinawa Mozuku algae, and Akita rice, this cream leaves the skin feeling fresh, nourished, and glowy.
Tatcha Water Cream, $68, Available at Tatcha
A return from Kiehl’s founding family member and skin genius Jami Morse Heidegger, this stem cell-rejuvenating formula took her and her team of chemists 15 years to perfect. Its texture is more like a thick treatment serum. Smelling delicately of citrus, this moisturizer is one of my all-time favorite anti-aging products. It’s rich in squalene and Vitamin C, two famously effective antioxidants and skin brighteners. My mom loves this moisturizer for East Coast winters, and I love it for a Bianca Jagger look à la Studio 54.
Retrouvé Intensive Replenishing Facial Moisturizer, $445, Available at Net-A-Porter
If you believe that skincare is an investment, this product is worth every single penny. The return: the powerful effects within the combination of ingredients that make up La Mer’s Miracle Broth, such as sea kelp, calcium, and wheat germ conceived through the process of biofermentation. This crème de la crème product is truly the gift that keeps on giving.
Crème de la Mer, $180, Available at La Mer
This cream combines a unique blend of brightening ingredients with a patented melanin-blocker from Korea called Dermapep. This is a fan-favorite fader of dark spots that is regularly sold out online and in-stores. Get it when you can, and you’ll experience some seriously next-level skin-lightening science, all without the need for a derm’s pricey prescriptions.
Eve Lom Brightening Cream, $110, Available at Sephora
Biologique Recherche's products are made in small batches in Paris, and they work. In addition to their P50 PIGM 400 toner, BR came out with this product specifically for correcting dark spots. Although it’s not meant for fading post-inflammatory redness (the red mark after a breakout), I’ve found it helps with that too.
Crème PIGM 400, $212, Available at Rescue Spa
Women of color deal with dark spots and hyperpigmentation that can oftentimes be difficult to treat, due in-part to a lack of product presence in the marketplace. Thankfully, Dr. Barbara Sturm created a product line to help correct that. This nourishing formula was specifically formulated for women of color with normal and combination skin. While Dr. Sturm is not a woman of color, she has studied the science and alchemy of ingredients to a level of mastery, and she understands the essential recipes necessary for skin that is rich in melanin.
Dr. Barbara Sturm Darker Skin Tones Face Cream, $215, Available at Molecular Cosmetics
Indie-brand Avya’s relatively new, chemical-free moisturizer with SPF is suited for all skin tones, but especially those with higher melanin levels and the unique skincare challenges they face. A blend of peony, turmeric and neem extract (powerful skin-clearing herbs in Ayurveda), this cream stabilizes melanin and gives skin a purported all-day glow.
Avya Face Moisturizer with SPF20, $85, Available at Avya Skincare
