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Having dry skin means the skin barrier is constantly disrupted because the lipid mantle is simply not produced.
Since the lipid mantle is not intact, the acid mantle and natural moisturizing factors are also not present in healthy amounts.
Because of this physiological disruption, hydrating dry skin isn’t an option or even a “spa moment”, it’s a part of a mandatory daily ritual to exist and to not keep scratching your skin, as you probably lack enough fat to keep the skin’s stratum corneum together, which leads to desquamation and subsequent itching.
When this disruption reaches the level at which it becomes clinical, it becomes atopic eczema and not just dry skin.
Get to know the best body washes for dry skin to take care of your skin.
The 15 Best body washes for dry skin
1. Bioderma Atoderm Ultra-Nourishing Anti-Irritation Cleansing Oil
The Bioderma product is one of the best body washes for dry skin.
This cleansing oil has a soothing effect on skin and its mild formula increases skin strength and resistance starting from the shower.
It’s ideal for very dry, sensitive, and irritated skin since it’s enriched with vegetable biolipids, Bioderma’s own vitamin PP complex, and skin barrier therapy, a patented combination of ingredients that provide a nourishing, smoothing, and protective action.
This oil cleanses while reinforcing the skin barrier and alleviating irritation. Creating a feeling of immediate and long-lasting comfort.
If you’re not used to milder body wash formulas, this is one we recommend for you to start with, since it foams ever so slightly and has a magnificent soft scent that does not feel like a medicated experience at all.
This shower oil is suitable for the whole family, from babies to children and all adults, everyone will love it!
Read also: Good body washes for black skin.
2. Bepanthen Sensicontrol Daily Gentle Wash Gel
Most people associate Bepanthen with its repairing ointment which has been around for a long time and is beloved by many families. Bepanthen, however, has many other products in its portfolio that are just as great as its classic ointment.
This Sensicontrol daily gentle wash gel has been formulated with eczema-prone skin in mind and would make any dry-skinned person very happy as well. It is formulated with a prebiotic that stimulates the skin’s microflora and reestablishes the skin’s health, preventing dryness and atopic skin outbursts as well.
Formulated for the whole family, babies from one month old and children included, it has dexpanthenol and niacinamide to increase the skin’s defense and soothe irritation.
Provides a gentle cleanse that stimulates cell regeneration, and calms irritation and itching with a very high tolerance. This shower gel is fragrance and soap-free, making it appropriate for people with very sensitive and dry skin simultaneously.
3. Dexeryl Atopic Skin Shower Cream
A top-rated body wash for dry skin and one of the best-kept secrets from French dermatologists – Dexeryl atopic skin shower cream preferably coupled with its moisturizer because of its moisturizing action, making it the ideal shower gel choice for dry, very dry, and atopic skin.
With a very mild and protective cleansing base, this soap and fragrance-free shower cream is suitable for the whole family: from the newborn to the grandfather and everyone in between.
Provides a gentle wash by combining glycerol (the fatty alcohol derived from glycerin), vaseline, and liquid paraffin providing a repairing and soothing action.
Suitable for the whole family, newborns included because of its physiological pH and absence of fragrance in the formula.
A top-rated shower-gel for hard water this formula is also biodegradable so it’s both good for your skin and the environment.
4. Xeratop Plus Duche Soft Shower Gel
This Xeratop shower gel is ideal for dry, sensitive, or sensitized skin (when there is a transitional state of sensitivity due to an external or internal factor, e.g. sun exposure, dermatitis, or weather changes…).
It provides a gentle cleansing action without drying, due to its soft detergent base and moisturizing ingredients.
This shower gel also has a physiological pH to balance dry skin and reduce itching.
5. Eucerin Urea Repair Plus 5% Urea Wash Fluid
Eucerin has a whole line of body care with urea as its star and this is not a coincidence. Urea can act as an exfoliant in high percentages (usually above 30%) but it is used as a humectant in lower percentages, meaning it helps skin retain moisture and keep it inside where it should be. As such, this 5% urea wash fluid helps repair and soothe skin, while maintaining it moisturized.
The urea in the formula has been coupled with a gentle cleansing base and natural moisturizing factors, to provide a soothing cleansing action.
The result is a cleansed skin without a drying effect, improving skin’s natural hydration and relieving itching and discomfort. It can be used on children from 3 years old and the whole family as well.
After using this shower gel, the skin feels clean, smooth, and comfortable for hours.
6. A-Derma Ultra-Rich Shower Gel
The A-Derma ultra-rich shower gel is nourishing and preserves skin moisture due to its oat extract that is a patent from A-Derma, which prevents water loss right in the shower.
This is an excellent body wash enriched with a clean care complex to cleanse without any damage or any dryness. It has been developed for sensitive skin and can be used in everyone that is older than 2 years of age.
This shower gel has such a gentle formula that it can also be used to cleanse the face without leaving it dry.
It’s also one of those shower gels for dry skin that is a good starting point if you’re still a “foam addict” as it produces a soft and gentle foam that leaves you feeling washed, but not necessarily squeaky, that’s not what we’re going for with dry skin, since it tends to “squeak” just by existing.
7. Uriage Xémose Cleansing Soothing Oil
This whole Uriage skincare line is called Xémose in association with xerosis, which is the medical fancy term for dry skin.
So, if you see the prefix “xera-“ in a product, it’s a great clue that it has probably been formulated with very dry skin in mind.
Actually, this Uriage Xémose cleansing soothing oil has been formulated with dry and atopic skin in mind, since it has been enriched with celastrol-2F which is an association of omega-ceramides and phytosterols patented by Uriage and the brands’ thermal water that results in a soothing, restructuring and nourishing cleansing action.
Fragrance and paraben-free, this formula is super pleasant to use and fast to rinse off, without leaving any residue.
Read also: Dermatologist-recommended body washes for eczema.
8. Ducray Dexyane Protective Cleansing Oil
Looking for a good body wash for dry skin from Ducray? Look no further!
The Ducray Dexyane cleansing oil protects the skin while it’s being washed since it’s been formulated with very dry to atopic skin in mind.
Ducray Dexyane Protective Cleansing Oil cleanses, softs, and comforts the skin, due to its unique oil-rich formulation that includes:
- glycerin (20%)
- safflower oil
- coconut oil
- shea butter
- β-Glycyrrhetinic acid
- isoleucine
These ingredients are combined to provide a nourishing, anti-irritating, regenerating, and protective action.
The combination of all of these moisturizing ingredients in a shower oil allows for it to have a rich texture, leaving the skin comfortable while still in the shower.
This protective cleansing oil also stimulates the skin’s natural regeneration and allows It to become more robust over time. This is once again a high tolerance formula that is suitable for the whole family, soap and fragrance-free.
9. SVR Topialyse Lipid-Restoring Micellar Cleansing Oil
This SVR lipid-restoring micellar cleansing oil is part of the Topyalise line from SVR, which is dedicated to atopic skin.
Its goal is to be anti-itching and to restore the skin’s lipids while cleansing since 35% of its formula is made up of omega 3, 6, and 9, natural fatty acids that are essential to the formation of our acid mantle and most of our physiological processes.
The formula has also been enriched with niacinamide, which has a calming effect and helps to restore the skin barrier, a prebiotic sugar that helps feed good bacteria on our skin. This results in skin that is hydrated for up to 24 hours, preventing skin dryness and preserving the skin barrier while naturally reducing irritation.
This micellar oil is one of the best body washes for dry skin suitable for the whole family and free from sulfates, preservatives, colorants, or parabens.
10. La Roche Posay Lipikar AP+ Cleansing Oil
This body cleansing oil by La Roche Posay has a cult following, and we do understand why. It washes the skin while replenishing it and leaving it comforted, with reduced itching and irritation.
Formulated for dry, very dry, and atopic skin, has been tested in the most extreme circumstances a person’s skin can be subjected to cancer therapy. The Lipikar cleansing oil and the Lipikar AP+ Baume have been tested in people undergoing chemo and radiotherapy and they help to preserve the skin barrier even in these extreme circumstances.
Enriched with niacinamide to reduce skin’s irritation and itching, shea butter to replenish the skin’s lipidic film, aqua posae filiformis, which is La Roche Posay’s thermal water that has a positive effect on the skin microbiome.
This cleansing oil is a top body wash for dry skin that provides a gentle wash that will leave the skin soft and can be used by everyone in the house, babies included.
It has been formulated with a physiological pH and has a very soft hypoallergenic perfume, which transforms the shower experience and makes you forget that you’re using a more “medicalized” shower experience.
- Did you know that this La Roche Posay product is one of the best body washes for pregnant?
11. Lipoleum Daily Moisturizing Gel Wash
This body moisturizer by Noreva has been developed for dry to very dry and atopic skin.
It has a very lipidic base, containing mild surfactants coupled with calming and replenishing ingredients like glycerin, sodium pidolatye, and glycol for a nourishing, protective, soothing, and antioxidant cleansing action.
It cleanses gently without irritation and prevents the skin’s dehydration while protecting against external aggressors. Soothes, softens, and comforts skin while washing it.
12. Lauroderme Bath Gel
This is a top body wash for dry skin for the little one, the Lauroderme gel bath helps to gently cleanse without drying or harming the baby’s fragile skin.
This Lauroderme Bath Gel has a physiological pH and is ideal for sensitive skin. We’ll let you in on a little secret: if it’s good for babies, your skin will love it too!
This is a great criterion to choose a body wash in case you’re feeling lost: everything that says that it’s suitable for babies will probably make your dry skin very happy.
13. ISDIN Ureadin Calm Protective Shower Oil
The Ureadin Shower oil by ISDIN has been formulated for dry to very dry skin to nourish and protect.
The rich gel-in-oil has a unique ingredient combination which includes a procomfort complex, dexpanthenol, omega 3 and 6, soybean oil, castor oil, and vitamin E.
All of these ingredients help to reestablish the skin barrier and skin health, protecting against dryness and relieving itchiness.
14. Babé Oil Soap For Atopic Skin
The Babe oil soap for atopic skin has an acquired taste. At first, you find it odd to shower with an oil that barely foams, and you are left confused and wondering if you have washed properly. However, after a while, you find that you start dreading the day that the bottle comes to an end.
This oil soap has been formulated for dry to very dry and atopic-prone skin and is even suitable for children and newborns.
Its oily texture is no accident since it has been formulated with over 40% emollient oils, omegas 3,6, and 9 to deeply nourish the skin and provide an anti-inflammatory effect due to the presence of inca inchi and soybean oil.
This shower oil has a physiological pH and is hypoallergenic.
15. Avéne Xeracalm AD Lipid-Replenishing Cleansing Oil
This cleansing oil by Avéne has been formulated for very dry and atopic skin at every age: from babies to children and adults.
The Xeracalm AD lipid replenishing cleansing oil includes a cer-omega complex that provides a protective film to the skin and keeps it moisturized and protected while respecting the skin’s pH. It is fragrance and soap-free.
Whatever shower oil, gel, or cream you choose, what matters is that shower time no longer means dryness time and that you find a formula that you find pleasant and are willing to stick with in the long run. Because in skincare like in life, great results come with persistence.
How to choose a good body wash for dry skin
So, before we start with our suggestions on the best body washes for dry skin, we’ll have to let you know about some unavoidable dry skin ground rules:
- Look for moisturizing ingredients: Opt for body washes that contain moisturizing ingredients such as shea butter, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, coconut oil, or olive oil. These help lock in moisture and prevent your skin from drying out.
- Avoid harsh ingredients: Stay away from body washes with harsh chemicals like sulfates (such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or SLS) or alcohol, as they can strip away natural oils from your skin and exacerbate dryness.
- Hypoallergenic and fragrance-free: Fragrances can sometimes irritate dry skin. Consider hypoallergenic and fragrance-free body washes to minimize the risk of irritation or allergic reactions.
- pH-Balanced formulas: Look for body washes that are pH-balanced as they are gentler on the skin’s natural barrier, helping to maintain hydration.
- Creamy or oil-based formulas: Body washes that are creamy or oil-based tend to be more hydrating than gel-based ones. They provide an extra layer of moisture while cleansing.
- Natural or organic options: Some natural or organic body washes use ingredients like aloe vera, oatmeal, or chamomile, which can be soothing and moisturizing for dry skin.
Conclusion
Navigating the world of body washes for dry skin is about finding more than just a product—it’s discovering a companion in the journey towards healthier, more comfortable skin.
These carefully curated body washes, rich in nourishing ingredients and tailored formulations, offer not just cleansing but a daily ritual of replenishment and care.
From addressing specific concerns like eczema to catering to delicate baby skin, these options promise hydration, protection, and a soothing touch.
Choosing the right body wash for dry skin isn’t just a step in skincare; it’s a pivotal part of embracing a daily routine that nurtures and restores the skin’s health and vitality.