Moisturizing Cream

What it does

Plain, cheap, and skipped by almost everyone. The skin below the neck loses water the same way the face does, and hot showers speed that up considerably. This is a thick cream rather than a thin lotion, which is what you want on shins, elbows and anywhere that goes tight after a shower. Fragrance free is the default recommendation for a simple reason: fragrance is a well known irritant and adds nothing to how well a cream works. The tub lasts months.

What it will not do

Too heavy for the face if your skin is oily, and it does nothing about body spots. For that, take one of the body washes on this list.

How to use it

Within a few minutes of getting out of the shower, on skin that is still slightly damp. That timing matters more than which cream you pick.

Key ingredients

Ceramides plus hyaluronic acid. Humectants pull water in, the thicker base slows how fast it leaves.