Choosing by product category

Choose the category first, the brand last. Within a category, a product with a short, transparent ingredient list and a single purpose is usually enough. The table compares categories only — no brand recommendations; check official product pages for price and size.

Commercial relationship: None (no affiliate links, no sponsorship, no paid placement)

Ointment

Use & texture: Most occlusive and water-retaining; for very dry or cracked skin and overnight use.
Typical ingredients: Petrolatum, mineral oil, lanolin, waxes
Cautions & limits: Greasy, may stain clothing; lanolin allergy in some; not for weeping or infected wounds.
Good for: Cracked hands/feet, lips, very dry shins, winter nights
Not for: Oily or acne-prone areas, large areas in hot humid weather
What the evidence says: Clear evidence that occlusives reduce transepidermal water loss (NHS lists ointments among the most effective emollient types).

Source: NHS — Emollients · Checked: 2026-10-23 · Commercial relationship: None (no affiliate links, no sponsorship, no paid placement)

Cream

Use & texture: Balanced oil/water, spreads easily; the everyday default for most dry skin.
Typical ingredients: Glycerin, petrolatum or plant oils, ceramides, urea (5–10%), emulsifiers, preservatives
Cautions & limits: Water content means preservatives are needed — choose short formulas if preservative-sensitive; use clean fingers or a spatula with jars.
Good for: Daily face and body moisturising, applied within 3 minutes of washing
Not for: Severe cracking (use an ointment instead)
What the evidence says: AAD advises cream or ointment right after washing, over lotion; evidence for extra benefit from specific “active” ingredients is mostly low-to-moderate.

Source: AAD — Dermatologists' tips for relieving dry skin · Checked: 2026-10-23 · Commercial relationship: None (no affiliate links, no sponsorship, no paid placement)

Lotion

Use & texture: Lightest, high water content; for mild dryness, summer and large areas.
Typical ingredients: Water, glycerin, small amounts of oils, emulsifiers, preservatives; often fragranced
Cautions & limits: Limited moisturising power, evaporates quickly; fragrance is a common irritant; insufficient for obvious cracking.
Good for: Mild dryness, oilier skin, hot climates, when fast absorption matters
Not for: Very dry, cracked skin or eczema flares
What the evidence says: For obvious dryness, lotions generally underperform creams and ointments (AAD).

Source: AAD — Dry skin: overview · Checked: 2026-10-23 · Commercial relationship: None (no affiliate links, no sponsorship, no paid placement)

Gentle cleanser / soap substitute

Use & texture: Removes sweat and dirt while sparing skin lipids; an emollient cream itself can be used as a soap substitute.
Typical ingredients: Mild surfactants, glycerin; soap-free, low-foaming, fragrance-free
Cautions & limits: “Natural” bar soaps are usually alkaline and over-strip; antibacterial soaps offer no extra benefit for most people.
Good for: Dry/itchy skin, eczema, older adults, frequent hand-washers
Not for: May not remove oily sunscreen or heavy make-up alone (use a remover first)
What the evidence says: NHS recommends soap substitutes instead of regular soap for eczema and dry skin.

Source: NHS — Emollients (soap substitutes) · Checked: 2026-10-23 · Commercial relationship: None (no affiliate links, no sponsorship, no paid placement)

Sunscreen (mineral / chemical)

Use & texture: Broad-spectrum (UVA+UVB), SPF 30+, generous amount, reapply every 2 hours.
Typical ingredients: Mineral: zinc oxide, titanium dioxide; chemical: various UV filters
Cautions & limits: Sensitive skin and children often do better with mineral filters; under-application is the commonest failure; sunscreen is not a licence to stay in the sun.
Good for: Everyone outdoors in daytime; especially important after transplant or on photosensitising drugs
Not for: Infants under 6 months (rely on shade and clothing)
What the evidence says: Clear evidence that sunscreen reduces skin-cancer and photo-ageing risk; transplant recipients have markedly higher skin-cancer risk.

Source: AAD — Sunscreen FAQs · Checked: 2026-10-23 · Commercial relationship: None (no affiliate links, no sponsorship, no paid placement)

“Enhanced” moisturisers with urea or ceramides

Use & texture: Urea 5–10% softens keratin and binds water; ceramides replenish barrier lipids.
Typical ingredients: Urea, lactic acid, ceramides, cholesterol, fatty acids
Cautions & limits: Urea ≥10% can sting and should not go on broken skin or children's faces; usually pricier but not guaranteed more effective.
Good for: Thick heel skin, ichthyosis-like dryness, when basic moisturising is not enough
Not for: Broken skin, acute eczema flares, infants
What the evidence says: Cochrane review: moisturisers work overall, but no single ingredient was shown to be clearly superior to another.

Source: Cochrane — Emollients and moisturisers for eczema · Checked: 2026-10-23 · Commercial relationship: None (no affiliate links, no sponsorship, no paid placement)

Five questions to ask about any skin-care product

What is it for? One job is usually better than many.
What are the first five ingredients? Any fragrance, essential oils or alcohol?
After converting size, price and daily amount, what does a month cost?
Does it say who should not use it? Be wary if not.
Do the claims go beyond cosmetics (treating or curing disease)?