ry skin can show up as tightness, flaking, rough patches, or an overall feeling of discomfort. For many people—especially in dry climates like Colorado—dryness is a year-round concern. While moisturizers, oils, and creams are often marketed with big promises, the real question is this: which ingredients actually work for dry skin, and why?

We’ll look at the most effective, proven skincare ingredients for dry skin—how they function, what makes them work, and how to use them in your routine for real results.

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Understanding Dry Skin: Hydration vs. Moisture

Before diving into ingredients, it helps to understand what dry skin really needs:

  • Hydration: Refers to the water content of the skin. Ingredients that attract and bind water are called humectants.

  • Moisture (or emollience/occlusion): Refers to keeping that water from evaporating. Ingredients that soften skin and create a protective layer are emollients and occlusives.

The most effective routine for dry skin layers hydration first, then moisture-locking ingredients. That’s why pairing a hydrating mist with a face oil is so powerful.

1. Hyaluronic Acid

What it is: A substance that naturally occurs in your skin and body tissues, where it helps hold water and keep things cushioned and flexible.

Why it works: Hyaluronic acid is a powerful humectant—it pulls water into the outer layers of the skin. Because of its unique molecular structure, it can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. Different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid penetrate to different levels of the skin, with low molecular weight hydrating deeper layers and high molecular weight staying closer to the surface.

 

Hyaluronic acid molecule

Benefits for dry skin:

  • Boosts hydration in the stratum corneum (outermost layer).

  • Helps plump the skin, reducing fine lines caused by dehydration.

  • Improves elasticity and comfort.

How to use it:

  • Apply to damp skin (after misting) to give it water to bind.

  • Works best when sealed in with oils or creams to prevent evaporation.

  • Look for formulas combining multiple weights of HA for both surface and deeper hydration.

Pro tip: Found in our Daily Hydrate Face Mist, where it works alongside botanical hydrosols to boost hydration.

2. Glycerin

Why it works: Glycerin is another powerful humectant. Unlike hyaluronic acid, it is a smaller molecule that penetrates deeply. It also supports aquaporins—proteins that regulate water movement between skin cells—helping improve skin’s long-term hydration capacity.

 

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Benefits for dry skin:

  • Improves hydration consistently, even in very dry environments.

  • Softens rough, flaky patches by restoring suppleness.

  • Helps repair barrier function over time.

How to use it:

  • Found in a wide range of skincare product—mists, serums, creams.

  • Very safe, well-tolerated, and effective even at high concentrations.

  • Works synergistically with hyaluronic acid for layered hydration.

Pro tip: Also featured in the Daily Hydrate Face Mist for reliable hydration in dry climates.

3. Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)

What it is: A water-soluble form of vitamin B3.

Why it works: Niacinamide improves the skin’s natural barrier by increasing ceramide production and reducing transepidermal water loss. It also calms irritation and helps skin resist environmental stressors.

 

Niacinamide-Vitamin B3 molecule

Benefits for dry skin:

  • Strengthens the skin’s protective layer, keeping moisture in.

  • Calms redness, irritation, and sensitivity often linked to dryness.

  • Supports smoother, more even texture.

How to use it:

  • Compatible with most ingredients, including retinol, AHAs, and vitamin C.

  • Found in mists, serums, and moisturizers.

Pro tip: A key ingredient in the Daily Hydrate Face Mist, where it works to support hydration and skin resilience.

4. Rosehip Seed Oil

What it is: Oil cold-pressed from the seeds of wild rose bushes (Rosa canina), rich in linoleic acid (omega-6), alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3), and carotenoids.

Why it works: Rosehip oil is not hydrating itself, but it helps seal in hydration by preventing water loss. Its fatty acids strengthen the skin’s natural lipid barrier, while carotenoids and tocopherols offer antioxidant support.

Rosehips on a wooden table with a bottle of rosehip oil

Benefits for dry skin:

  • Softens rough patches.

  • Helps skin stay supple and comfortable.

  • Delivers antioxidants that protect against environmental stressors.

How to use it:

  • Best applied after hydration (such as a mist).

  • Lightweight and absorbs quickly, making it suitable for daily use.

  • Particularly effective for skin that feels tight after cleansing.

Pro tip: One of the stars of our Daily Nourish Face Oil, chosen for its ability to soften skin and help prevent moisture loss.

5. Sea Buckthorn Oil

What it is: Oil coldpressed from the berries and seeds of the sea buckthorn shrub (Hippophae rhamnoides).

Why it works: One of the rare oils containing omega-7 (palmitoleic acid) alongside omega-3, -6, and -9. It’s also very rich in carotenoids and tocopherols.

Benefits for dry skin:

  • Omega-7 helps restore softness and elasticity.

  • Antioxidants help reduce oxidative stress linked to dryness.

  • Supports skin comfort in harsh climates (wind, sun, cold).

How to use it:

  • Potent and deeply pigmented—often blended with other oils.

  • Excellent for people with very dry, weather-exposed skin.


Pro tip: Found in the Daily Nourish Face Oil, where its rare omega-7 content supports skin comfort and resilience.

 

 

6. Chia Seed Oil

What it is: A nutrient-dense oil extracted from chia seeds, high in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, omega-3).

Why it works: Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and improve skin’s ability to hold onto water. Chia seed oil also contains antioxidants and phytosterols that calm irritation.

Bowl of chia seeds

Benefits for dry skin:

  • Reduces flakiness and itching.

  • Restores comfort to irritated skin.

  • Helps maintain a healthy lipid barrier.

How to use it:

  • Ideal in oil blends for everyday nourishment.

  • Absorbs quickly without heaviness.

Pro tip: Another nutrient-rich oil in our Daily Nourish Face Oil, offering deep nourishment for dry, sensitive skin.

 

7. Squalane

What it is: A stable form of squalene, a lipid naturally produced in human skin (but declining with age).

Why it works: Squalane mimics natural sebum, softening skin and reducing water loss. Unlike heavier plant oils, it is lightweight and fast-absorbing.

Benefits for dry skin:

  • Softens without clogging pores.

  • Restores comfort and suppleness.

  • Works even for combination or sensitive skin.

How to use it:

  • Common in serums, oils, and creams.

  • Great as a finishing step in a routine.

Pro tip: Present in our Gentle Glow Cleansing Oil, which cleanses without stripping and leaves skin comfortably soft.

 

8. Coenzyme Q-10 (CoQ-10)

What it is: A fat-soluble antioxidant and energy cofactor (ubiquinone).

Why it works: CoQ-10 neutralizes free radicals, supports skin’s repair processes, and reduces oxidative stress that weakens the barrier. It also helps energize skin cells, indirectly improving hydration retention.

Benefits for dry skin:

  • Protects against environmental damage that worsens dryness.

  • Helps maintain skin’s elasticity and resilience.

  • Reduces visible signs of stress in mature skin.

Pro tip: Included in the Daily Nourish Face Oil for extra antioxidant defense and long-term skin support.

 

9. Hydrosols (Rose, Cucumber, Helichrysum, Frankincense)

What they are: Distilled plant waters containing water-soluble aromatic compounds.

Why they work: Hydrosols hydrate on contact and deliver gentle plant actives that soothe and refresh.

Pink Rose damascena flowers

Benefits for dry skin:

  • Rose hydrosol balances and comforts.

  • Cucumber hydrosol cools and calms tightness.

  • Helichrysum supports stressed, mature skin.

  • Frankincense helps with resilience and comfort.

How to use them:

  • Mist generously before applying oils.

  • Reapply throughout the day to replenish hydration.

Pro tip: A blend of organic hydrosols is the foundation of our Daily Hydrate Face Mist.


10. Green Tea Extract

What it is: Extract from Camellia sinensis leaves, rich in catechins, especially EGCG.

Why it works: Green tea provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory support. While not a humectant, it protects skin from oxidative stress that can worsen dryness and irritation.

Benefits for dry skin:

  • Reduces oxidative stress from sun and pollution.

  • Calms redness and irritation.

  • Provides long-term protective support.

How to use it:

  • Found in mists, serums, and creams.

  • Works well when combined with humectants and oils.

Pro tip: Another supportive ingredient in the Daily Hydrate Face Mist.

Building a Routine for Dry Skin

The most effective strategy is layering hydration and moisture:

  1. Cleanse gently – Use a non-stripping cleanser (oil cleansers are ideal).

  2. Hydration step – Apply humectants (HA, glycerin, niacinamide, hydrosols).

  3. Antioxidant & repair support – Add CoQ-10 or green tea for resilience.

  4. Moisture seal – Finish with nourishing oils (rosehip, chia, sea buckthorn, squalane).

This routine addresses both hydration and moisture retention while protecting against environmental stressors.

 


 

The Bottom Line

Dry skin isn’t solved by “more moisturizer.” The most effective approach is combining hydration plus moisture retention, supported by proven ingredients. Humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin attract water, oils like rosehip, chia, and sea buckthorn seal it in, and antioxidants like CoQ-10 and green tea defend against stressors.

The most effective approach is combining hydration plus moisture retention, supported by proven ingredients. That’s exactly what our simple three-step system delivers:

Healthy, comfortable skin—without the 12-step routine.  The result? Skin that feels healthier, calmer, and more comfortable every day.

 

Laura Coblentz