When My Dry Skin Is Out of Control, I Reach for This Type of Moisturizer

Formulated with plant extracts and minerals, Simple's gel cream is super light and not sticky at all. It's supposed to reduce dryness, dullness, and that tight feeling you get when you're skin is parched.

Garnier has two options of gel cream for dry and normal/combo skin types. Both formulas contain vitamin C and a fruit antioxidant complex—and they lock in moisture for 24 hours.

I keep Versed's Dew Point moisturizer in my gel-cream rotation. I normally use it as a daily moisturizer along with sunscreen, and it leaves my skin feeling so cool and refreshed. It's formulated with sodium hyaluronate, aloe leaf juice, and green tea extract.

Neutrogena's Hydro Boost gel is another one of my drugstore standbys. While on vacation in humid Southeast Asia last year, my skin was so dry and irritated because of sun exposure and all the plane travel. I popped in a local drugstore, bought the gel, and put it on every night before going to bed. Within a few days, my skin felt much happier. The gel contains hyaluronic acid and is oil-, dye-, and fragrance-free.

Formulated for oily and combination skin, this gel not only hydrates but also minimizes pores, evens out skin discoloration, and fights the effects of aging. Ingredients include vitamin C, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, oat extract, and licorice extract.

Origins' oil-free moisturizer hydrates for a whopping 72 hours, combating dryness and preventing extra moisture loss. Caffeine and ginseng are added to reenergize skin.

This gel cream contains ingredients that hydrate, retain moisture, smooth, and protect skin from free-radical damage. It also reduces the appearance of oil, so your skin will look its healthiest.

Laneige's hydrating water gel contains antioxidants and mineral water with extracts from kale, watercress, and beet. The super-light formula doesn't have parabens or phthalates, either.

This daily moisturizer is oil- and silicone-free—it's best for normal, combination, and oily skin types. Ingredients like moringa seed extract and water, papaya extract, and hyaluronic acid work to remove impurities, exfoliate, and refresh.

Good for pretty much all skin types, including sensitive, this vitamin C gel cream not only locks in hydration for 24 hours, but it also helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. You can apply this morning and night to your face and neck.

This gel is formulated with probiotics, which are supposed to support the skin's moisture barrier and renewal process. Plus, ginger extract and red seaweed calm any redness or irritation.

Éminence's gel moisturizer leaves your skin matte and not sticky or oily. Its main ingredients include the antioxidant mangosteen to minimize environmental stress and leave your skin radiant; red clover flower extract to improve skin tone and minimize pore size; and ribose to smooth.

For lovers of vitamin C in their skincare, this lightweight formula works to brighten dark spots and discoloration.

Like all of Tatcha's products, this water cream has nourishing and hydrating Japanese botanicals—Japanese wild rose, Japanese leopard lily, and Hadasei-3 (a mix of green tea, rice, and algae). It's also formulated to minimize the appearance of pores and improve dull and uneven texture.

This moisturizer contains pineapple enzymes and sodium hyaluronate to combat dry, dull skin. And putting a layer on can act as a makeup primer of sorts, making it easier to apply your favorite products smoothly.

Tata Harper's ultra-light daily moisturizer contains chia seed water, marsh samphire, and tremella mushroom, which create a layer of protection to minimize more water loss. It also contains the antioxidant banana flower and vitamin E–rich safflower oleosomes to smooth and even skin tone.

At over $300, this one's a big investment. The gel is formulated with La Mer's Miracle Broth, which contains sea kelp and other sea ingredients that are fermented. Applying to your skin morning and night will hydrate and smooth fine lines and wrinkles, leaving your skin glowing.