CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, Face & Body Moisturizer for Dry Skin, 19oz

Why it's worth it

A thick, fragrance-free cream with three ceramides and hyaluronic acid that sinks in within a few minutes instead of sitting on top of your skin. It works on your face, your body and your hands, and the big tub lasts months.

This is the cream we'd hand to almost anyone with dry skin. Ceramides make up roughly half the lipids in your skin's outer barrier, and dry skin is often short on them. CeraVe includes ceramides 1, 3 and 6-II in ratios meant to mirror what's already in your skin, plus hyaluronic acid to pull in water. It's fragrance-free, allergy-tested, non-comedogenic and carries the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance.

The texture is the reason people stick with it. It's a thick, velvety cream that looks like it should feel greasy, and then it doesn't — owners with dry skin describe it disappearing in about five minutes with nothing tacky left behind. That matters more than it sounds. If a lotion makes you feel slimy at bedtime, you stop using it, and a lotion you skip does nothing.

From our review of 8 body lotions for dry skin, by Sarah Wright, Editorial Associate

What we like

• +This is the cream we'd hand to almost anyone with dry skin
• +The texture is the reason people stick with it
• +The MVE delivery system releases moisturizing ingredients gradually rather than all at once, which is how CeraVe supports its…
• +It's also the most versatile thing here

What to know

• –The tub is a hassle. You dig in with your fingers, which is messy and less hygienic than a pump, and it's awkward when your…
• –It's a cream, not a treatment
• –Some people find it too rich in humid weather