How to Choose a Dry Skin Cream: A Dermatologist Explains Urea, Ceramide and Petroleum Jelly, and Which Suits Which Skin
Dry skin cream, or moisturizer (emollient), is a product that puts water and oils back into the outermost layer of the skin and seals them in so water does not evaporate. It is used to treat and prevent dry skin (xerosis). Choosing a cream that works means looking at three groups of ingredients: humectants (which draw in water), emollients (which add oils) and occlusives (which seal the skin), along with the concentration and texture that suit your level of dryness and the part of the body, rather than looking at brand or price.
This article is a guide to choosing a cream by ingredient and skin condition: whether to use urea at 5–10% or 20–40%, who 12% lactic acid suits, whether ceramide really helps eczema-prone skin, what to use for older adults, children and cracked heels, how to apply it so it works, and the signs that your dry skin has become a rash that needs medication. If you want to understand the causes of dry skin first, read Dry Cracked Skin (Xerosis): Causes, Symptoms and Care
How dry skin cream works: 3 mechanisms to know before choosing
The outermost layer of the skin (stratum corneum) works like a brick wall. The skin cells are the bricks, and the fats between the cells, which are ceramides, cholesterol and free fatty acids, are the mortar. When the mortar is lacking, water escapes from the skin faster (transepidermal water loss), so the skin feels tight, flaky and itchy. A moisturizer helps in 3 ways.
Humectants: draw water from the deeper skin layers and from the air and hold it in the outer layer of the skin, for example glycerin, urea, lactic acid, hyaluronic acid and panthenol.
Emollients: fill the gaps between cells and make the skin smooth and soft, for example ceramide, cholesterol, fatty acids, shea butter and sunflower seed oil.
Occlusives: form a thin film that stops water from evaporating, for example petroleum jelly (petrolatum), mineral oil, dimethicone and lanolin.
First rule of choosing: an effective cream should contain at least 2 of the 3 groups, especially a humectant together with an occlusive. A humectant alone in an air-conditioned room with low humidity may pull water up from the deeper skin and let it evaporate, so the skin stays as dry as before.
Humectant ingredients: what percentage of urea do you need
Urea is one of the best-studied ingredients for dry skin because it is part of the skin's natural moisturizing factor. Its action changes with the concentration.
Urea 2–10%: works mainly by drawing in water. Suitable for dry skin all over the body, on the arms, legs and trunk, and can be applied 1–2 times a day, every day.
Urea 10–20%: draws in water and starts to help dissolve scale. Suitable for scaly shins, elbows and rough, coarse skin.
Urea 20–40%: breaks down thickened skin (keratolytic). Use on specific spots only, such as cracked heels, corns and thick skin on the soles, once a day before bed. Do not use it over the whole body.
Urea above 40%: used for thick nails or very hard, thick skin, as advised by a doctor.
Signs that it is working: skin feels softer within 3–7 days, scaling clearly decreases within 2 weeks, and thick heel skin becomes thinner within 2–4 weeks.
Precautions: urea stings on broken skin, inflamed red skin or a flaring eczema rash, so wait until the skin has calmed down. It is also usually avoided in infants and young children because they sting more easily than adults.
Exfoliating ingredients: lactic acid, ammonium lactate 12% and salicylic acid
For skin that is not just dry but has thick, rough scale like sandpaper, ingredients that help remove excess skin cells work better than an ordinary moisturizing cream.
Ammonium lactate 12% or lactic acid 5–12%: an AHA (fruit acid) that draws in water and helps the built-up skin cells come off. Suitable for scaly shins, ichthyosis vulgaris and keratosis pilaris. Apply twice a day. It may sting for 1–2 minutes at first. The skin usually becomes smoother within 2–4 weeks. Use sunscreen on sun-exposed areas as well, because the skin becomes more sensitive to light.
Salicylic acid 3–6%: dissolves thick skin well. Use only on small spots such as the heels or thick palms. It should not be applied over large areas or used in children, because it can be absorbed into the body.
Precautions: do not apply on broken or inflamed skin, and do not use in infants. If it stings for more than 10 minutes or the skin turns redder, stop using it.
Emollient ingredients: does ceramide really help
Ceramides are the main fats between skin cells, making up about 50% of the lipids in the outer layer of the skin. People with atopic dermatitis often have less ceramide in the skin than other people, so a cream with added ceramide can help repair the skin barrier.
Suitable for: dry skin that is easily irritated, atopic dermatitis, skin after using retinoid acne medication, and dry, tight facial skin.
A formula that works better: ceramide combined with cholesterol and fatty acids in a ratio close to natural skin, about 3:1:1, repairs the skin barrier better than ceramide alone.
Limitation: ceramide does not seal the skin as firmly as petroleum jelly. If your skin is very dry, the formula should also contain an occlusive.
Read more about ceramide and the skin barrier at Ceramide: Why It Matters for the Skin Barrier
Occlusive ingredients: petroleum jelly, dimethicone and mineral oil
Occlusives are the group that helps very dry skin fastest, but they are often overlooked because of their greasy texture.
Petroleum jelly (petrolatum, white soft paraffin): reduces water evaporation from the skin by more than 98%. It rarely irritates or causes allergy and can be used from infants to older adults. Suitable for dry cracked skin, heels, hands and lips, and for layering on top before bed. It does not clog pores, contrary to what many people worry about.
Dimethicone: a silicone that seals the skin without feeling sticky. Found in lotions and hand creams. Suitable for people who dislike a greasy feel.
Mineral oil (paraffinum liquidum): seals the skin well. Used in baby oil and ordinary creams.
Lanolin: a fat from sheep's wool. It seals the skin very well, but some people are allergic to it. People with atopic dermatitis or chronic leg wounds should be careful.
Tip: if you dislike the sticky feel during the day, use a cream containing glycerin or urea in the morning, then layer a thin coat of petroleum jelly only on the very dry spots before bed.
Glycerin, hyaluronic acid, panthenol, niacinamide and colloidal oatmeal
These supporting ingredients are often seen on labels, and each plays a different role.
Glycerin: a gentle humectant with good evidence, usable at any age. Effective creams often contain about 5–20% glycerin.
Hyaluronic acid (sodium hyaluronate): draws in a lot of water, but evaporates quickly without an occlusive on top. Suitable for dehydrated facial skin more than very dry body skin.
Dexpanthenol 5% (provitamin B5): helps irritated skin recover faster. Suitable for dry, red skin after frequent hand washing or after a procedure.
Niacinamide 2–5%: helps the skin make more ceramide. Suitable for dry facial skin with redness.
Colloidal oatmeal: helps reduce mild itching. Suitable for dry itchy skin and easily irritated skin.
About natural oils: sunflower seed oil can support the skin barrier, but studies have found that olive oil weakens the skin barrier with continued use, so pure olive oil should not be used on the dry skin of infants or on eczema-prone skin.
Ingredients to avoid in a dry skin cream
Dry skin is skin with an impaired barrier, so it reacts and gets irritated more easily than normal skin. Avoid the following ingredients, especially if the skin is already itchy or red.
Fragrance (parfum) and essential oils: a common cause of allergic contact dermatitis from cosmetics. Choose labels that say fragrance-free, which differs from unscented, as unscented products may contain masking agents.
High amounts of alcohol (alcohol denat., ethanol) near the top of the label: makes the skin dry out faster.
Some preservatives, such as methylisothiazolinone: a common contact allergen.
High concentrations of propylene glycol: causes stinging on cracked skin.
Bead scrubs and strong exfoliants: irritate skin that is already dry.
How to read the label: ingredients are listed from the highest amount to the lowest. If glycerin, petrolatum, urea or ceramide is in the first five, it is present in an amount that can really help. If it comes at the end of the label after fragrance, there is usually too little to notice an effect.
Choose a texture by level of dryness: ointment, cream, lotion or gel
The texture of a product shows its ratio of oil to water. The more oil, the longer it seals the skin.
Level 1, mildly dry: skin feels tight after bathing but does not flake. A lotion 1–2 times a day is enough.
Level 2, moderately dry: flakes as white scale and itches a little. Use a cream containing glycerin or urea 5–10% twice a day.
Level 3, very dry: skin cracks into lines, is rough and itches until you scratch. Use a rich cream or ointment 2–3 times a day, and layer petroleum jelly on top before bed.
Gel: has almost no oil. Not suitable for dry skin. Better suited to oily skin or very hot, humid weather.
If you could choose only one thing for very dry skin, a fragrance-free rich cream will help more than a light lotion.
Ordinary dry skin cream for adults (arms, legs, trunk)
Appearance: skin feels tight after bathing and flakes as small white scale, most visible on the shins, arms and backs of the hands. Often worst from October to January.
Causes: dry air, air-conditioned rooms, very hot showers, and soaps that strip away a lot of oil.
Severity/urgency: not urgent. Can be managed at home.
Suitable cream: a cream with glycerin or urea 5–10% together with petroleum jelly or dimethicone, fragrance-free, applied twice a day. The skin should improve within 1–2 weeks.
When to see a doctor: you have applied it correctly for 2 weeks and it still itches, there is a red rash, or the skin is dry all year round even when the weather is humid.
Cream for itchy dry skin, sensitive skin and atopic dermatitis
Appearance: dry skin with a lot of itching, especially in the elbow creases, behind the knees, on the neck and on the face. Easily stings or turns red when you try something new.
Causes: an inherited skin barrier defect with little ceramide, often with a family history of allergy, rhinitis or asthma.
Severity/urgency: moderate. If the itch keeps you from sleeping or you scratch until there are sores, treatment with medication should be added.
Suitable cream: ceramide cream with cholesterol and fatty acids, or petroleum jelly ointment, fragrance-free and lanolin-free. Avoid urea and lactic acid while the rash is flaring. Apply at least twice a day. Adults with whole-body involvement often need about 250–500 grams per week.
When to see a doctor: a thick red rash, oozing, blisters, or itching that affects sleep, school or work. Read more at Atopic Dermatitis: What Causes It and Sensitive Skin: How to Care for It and Keep It Healthy
Dry skin cream for older adults
Appearance: thin, dry skin that peels in sheets, with the shins cracked into lines like dry earth or broken tiles, and itching at night.
Causes: the skin makes less oil with age, together with some medicines, such as diuretics and statin cholesterol drugs, and underlying conditions such as diabetes, kidney failure or an underactive thyroid.
Severity/urgency: if the skin cracks into red lines (asteatotic eczema), it is already an inflammatory rash and needs medicated cream as well.
Suitable cream: a rich cream or ointment, urea 10% or ammonium lactate 12% on unbroken skin, with petroleum jelly layered on top before bed, applied 2–3 times a day.
When to see a doctor: the skin cracks into red lines, there are sores on the legs, there is itching all over the body without a rash, or itching comes with weight loss or yellow skin, which may come from a medical illness.
Safety: applying a greasy cream right after bathing makes the bathroom floor and the soles of the feet slippery. Apply it after leaving the bathroom and wear non-slip footwear.
Dry skin cream for children and infants
Appearance: dry, rough skin on the cheeks, arms and legs. Some children have a red itchy rash on the cheeks and in the skin folds.
Causes: children's skin is thinner than adults' and loses water faster. Children with a family history of allergy are more likely to develop atopic dermatitis.
Severity/urgency: mostly manageable at home, but a rash with oozing, yellow crusts or fever needs to be seen by a doctor soon.
Suitable cream: a fragrance-free cream or ointment, such as petroleum jelly or ceramide cream, applied twice a day and after every bath. Avoid urea, lactic acid and salicylic acid in infants. Avoid creams containing peanut oil or pure olive oil.
When to see a doctor: the rash does not improve within 1–2 weeks, your child scratches until unable to sleep, or you suspect an infected rash. Read more at Eczema in Children: Symptoms, Causes and Care
Cream for cracked heels, elbows and thick, rough skin
Appearance: hard, yellow, thick skin that cracks into fissures, some deep enough to be painful or to ooze blood.
Causes: pressure from standing and walking for long periods, open-heeled shoes, higher body weight, dry skin, and in some people a coexisting fungal infection or psoriasis.
Severity/urgency: deep fissures with blood or pus in a person with diabetes are urgent, because they become infected easily.
Suitable cream: urea 20–40% or salicylic acid 3–6%, applied only to the thick skin once a day before bed. Layer petroleum jelly on top and wear cotton socks. The thick skin should become thinner within 2–4 weeks. If a fissure has become a sore, use petroleum jelly alone until the sore closes first.
When to see a doctor: a sore does not heal within 2 weeks, the skin peels in rings with itching, or you have diabetes. Read more at Cracked Heels: What Causes Them and How to Treat Them
Cream for dry hands from frequent hand washing
Appearance: dry red backs of the hands, cracking at the knuckles, fingertips split into fissures, and stinging when exposed to alcohol gel.
Causes: frequent hand washing or contact with water, soap, detergent, dishwashing liquid and rubber gloves.
Severity/urgency: if there are itchy clear blisters, or the skin cracks so much that you cannot work, it is an inflamed hand dermatitis that needs medication.
Suitable cream: a hand cream with glycerin, urea 5–10% or dimethicone, applied after every hand wash (about 10–15 times a day), and a thick layer of petroleum jelly before bed under cotton gloves. Wear cotton gloves under rubber gloves when washing dishes.
When to see a doctor: no improvement after 2 weeks of use, blisters appear, or the rash spreads to the wrists.
Cream for dry facial skin
Appearance: tight face, flaking beside the nose and on the cheeks and forehead, and foundation that goes patchy over makeup.
Causes: frequent face washing or harsh cleansers, using retinoid acne medication (adapalene, tretinoin) or oral isotretinoin, or having seborrheic dermatitis.
Severity/urgency: mostly not urgent, but if there is greasy yellow scale with redness beside the nose and in the eyebrows, it may not be dry skin.
Suitable cream: a light cream with ceramide, glycerin or niacinamide. If you are acne-prone, look for non-comedogenic on the label. Apply twice a day. While using acne medication, apply the moisturizer before or after the medication to reduce peeling. High-concentration urea should not be used on the face.
When to see a doctor: greasy scale keeps coming back in the same place, there is a red rash, or the peeling is so bad it stings. Read more at Flaky Face: What Causes It. For dry lips, read Dry Peeling Lips and Cracked Lips: What Causes Them
Dry skin cream during pregnancy and breastfeeding
Appearance: dry itchy skin on the belly, thighs and enlarging breasts.
Causes: the skin stretches quickly, together with hormonal changes.
Severity/urgency: severe itching on the palms and soles without a rash, especially in the third trimester, needs to be seen by a doctor soon, because it may be intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.
Suitable cream: petroleum jelly, glycerin, ceramide and low-concentration urea can be used safely. Avoid high-concentration salicylic acid over large areas, and avoid products containing retinoids.
When to see a doctor: severe itching all over the body, raised red bumps within stretch marks, or itching on the palms and soles.
How to apply dry skin cream so it works
A good cream will not work if it is applied the wrong way. Many people's skin does not improve simply because they apply too little or at the wrong time.
Apply within 3 minutes after bathing. Pat the skin until just damp, then apply right away to trap the water the skin has just absorbed.
Apply enough. Use the fingertip unit: a line of cream squeezed along the last joint of an adult's index finger, about 0.5 grams, covers an area of 2 adult palms. A whole-body application in an adult usually takes about 15–30 grams each time.
Apply at least twice a day, morning and before bed. Increase to 3 times for very dry skin, and apply to the hands every time after washing.
Stroke gently in the direction of the hair, without rubbing back and forth hard, to reduce clogged pores and keratosis pilaris.
Medicine first, cream after. If a doctor gives you a rash medication, apply a thin layer only on the rash first, wait about 15–30 minutes, then apply the moisturizer over the skin.
Keep applying even after the skin improves. Dry skin can return every winter. Continued use helps prevent flares.
Choose a pump bottle or squeeze tube instead of a jar that you dip your fingers into, to reduce contamination.
How to try a new cream without an allergic reaction
Dry skin reacts more easily than normal skin. Before using a new cream all over the body, test it first.
Apply the cream to the inner forearm, in an area about the size of a ten-baht coin, twice a day for 5–7 days.
If there is no red rash, itching or bumps, then extend it to the whole body.
If it stings for only 1–2 minutes and then goes away, this is usually mild irritation from urea or lactic acid, not an allergy.
If a red itchy rash appears on day 2–3 and spreads beyond the area applied, stop right away and write down the ingredient names to show your doctor.
If you react to several brands of cream repeatedly, you may be allergic to a shared ingredient such as fragrance or a preservative. A doctor can test this with a patch test.
When dry skin becomes a rash that needs medication, not just cream
A moisturizer is not a treatment for an inflamed rash. If your dry skin starts to show these signs, see a dermatologist.
The skin cracks into red lines, or there is a thick red rash that you scratch until it is raw.
Itching keeps you from sleeping for several nights in a row.
A rash in a ring with a clear edge and scaling at the edge may be a fungal infection, which spreads more if a steroid is applied.
There is oozing, yellow crusts or pus, which are signs of a bacterial infection.
Dry, scaly skin since childhood, or dry all year round even when the weather is humid.
Medicines doctors commonly use:
Hydrocortisone 1%: a mild steroid, used on the face, skin folds and in children. Apply a thin layer once or twice a day, for no more than 1–2 weeks.
Triamcinolone acetonide 0.1%: a moderate-strength steroid, for cracked dry skin rash on the legs and trunk. Apply twice a day for 1–2 weeks, then go back to the moisturizer alone.
Tacrolimus 0.03–0.1% or pimecrolimus 1%: non-steroid creams for eczema on the face and thin skin. Can be used for longer than steroids. It may sting or burn at first.
Signs that the medicine is working: itching decreases within 2–3 days and the red rash settles within 1–2 weeks. If there is no improvement within 2 weeks, go back to the doctor. Choosing the type, strength and duration of medicine is the doctor's job, because a strong steroid used for too long thins the skin and causes stretch marks. Read a comparison of each group of creams at Itch Creams: How to Choose the Right One, and if the itch is severe at night, read Itching at Night: Just Dry Skin, or a Sign of Disease
In short
An effective dry skin cream should contain both a humectant (glycerin, urea) and an occlusive (petroleum jelly, dimethicone), and be fragrance-free.
Urea 5–10% is used over the whole body, while 20–40% is used only on heels and thick skin.
For itchy dry skin or eczema, choose ceramide or an ointment, and avoid urea and lactic acid while the rash is flaring.
The drier the skin, the richer the texture to choose: ointment > cream > lotion.
Apply within 3 minutes after bathing, at least twice a day, and apply enough.
If you have applied it correctly for 2 weeks and still itch or have a red rash, see a dermatologist, because it may be a rash that needs medication.
Frequently asked questions about dry skin cream
Which brand of dry skin cream is best
Dermatologists advise choosing by ingredients, not brand. A good cream should be fragrance-free, contain a humectant such as glycerin or urea 5–10%, and have an occlusive such as petroleum jelly or dimethicone in the first five places on the label. If your skin is sensitive or you have atopic dermatitis, choose a formula with ceramide. A cream with the full set of ingredients often works well without needing to be a special product. What really makes the difference is applying enough and applying consistently twice a day.
What lotion should I use for very dry skin
For very dry skin that peels in sheets or cracks into lines, lotion is often too thin, because it is mostly water and evaporates quickly. Switch to a rich cream or ointment, such as petroleum jelly or a cream with urea 10%, applied 2–3 times a day and right after bathing. If you dislike the sticky feel, use a cream during the day and layer an ointment only on the very dry spots before bed. If it still cracks and itches after 2 weeks, see a doctor, because it may be an inflamed dry skin rash that needs medicated cream as well.
What cream should I use for dry, flaky skin
Skin that flakes as white scale needs both moisture and gentle help for the scale to come off. A cream with urea 10–20% or ammonium lactate 12% helps well, especially on the shins and arms, applied twice a day. Scaling usually decreases within 1–2 weeks. Do not scrub the scale off with scrubs or loofahs, because that irritates the skin more. If the scale is in a ring with a clear edge and itches, or is greasy and yellow on the face and scalp, it may be a fungal infection or seborrheic dermatitis, which needs specific medication.
What lotion should I use for dry itchy skin
Dry itchy skin should use a cream that is fragrance-free, alcohol-free and contains ceramide, colloidal oatmeal or petroleum jelly. While the itch is severe, avoid urea and lactic acid because they may sting. Keeping the cream in the refrigerator and applying it in the evening can reduce itching temporarily. If you scratch until there are marks, the skin is red, or you cannot sleep, there is already inflammation, and a moisturizer alone is often not enough. A doctor may add a short course of a mild steroid cream or another type of cream.
What cream should I use for rough, dry skin
Rough skin like sandpaper is often caused by built-up skin cells, for example on the elbows, knees, shins and upper arms with keratosis pilaris. Creams that help are urea 10–20%, ammonium lactate 12% or lactic acid, applied twice a day. The skin usually becomes smoother within 2–4 weeks. For very thick areas such as the heels, use urea 20–40% on the spot only, before bed. Use sunscreen on sun-exposed areas when using lactic acid, and stop if the skin turns red or stings for a long time.
Can I use urea cream every day
Urea cream at 5–10% can be applied every day, 1–2 times a day, on the arms, legs and trunk. It suits continuous use throughout the winter. Urea 20–40% should be used only on thick skin such as the heels, once a day, and once the skin has thinned, cut back to 2–3 times a week. Do not apply urea on cracked sores, inflamed rashes or around the eyes, and it is usually avoided in infants and young children. If it stings for more than 10 minutes or the skin turns redder, stop using it.
Read more skin condition articles at All Skin Condition Articles
Written by Dr. Patara Voravutinon, Dermatologist · Last reviewed October 13, 2026
The information in this article is general knowledge and is not a diagnosis or a personalized prescription. The choice of medicine, dose and duration of treatment should be assessed by a doctor. This article does not recommend any particular product brand.
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