This article references skincare guidance from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) and is intended for general informational and educational purposes only. It has not been medically reviewed or endorsed by the AAD and is not a substitute for individualized advice from a board-certified dermatologist or other qualified healthcare professional.
Dry, tight, or flaky skin can make your complexion feel uncomfortable and look dull. The right skincare routine can help replenish moisture, support your skin barrier, and leave your skin feeling softer, smoother, and more comfortable.
The key is keeping your routine consistent: start with gentle cleansing, add nourishing hydration, seal in moisture, and protect your skin from the sun. You can also incorporate gentle exfoliation when your skin tolerates it.
In this guide, we’ll walk through a simple morning and nighttime skincare routine for dry skin, explain which ingredients to look for, and show you how to build a nourishing routine with House of Hilt.
What Causes Dry Skin?
Dry skin occurs when your skin lacks sufficient moisture and natural oils to maintain a comfortable, smooth surface. It may feel tight after cleansing and appear rough, flaky, or dull.
Common contributing factors include:
- Cold weather and low humidity
- Hot showers and harsh cleansers
- Aging and natural changes in oil production
- Over-exfoliating or using too many active ingredients
- Skincare products that irritate or dry out your skin
Dry skin and dehydrated skin are related, but they aren't exactly the same. Dry skin is a skin type characterized by a lack of oil, while dehydrated skin lacks water. You can experience both at the same time.
A routine focused on gentle cleansing, hydration, and nourishing moisturizers can help improve the look and feel of dry skin.
The Best Ingredients for Dry Skin
When choosing skincare products, look for ingredients that help attract water, soften the skin, and reduce moisture loss.
Glycerin and hyaluronic acid: These humectants help attract and retain water in the skin, supporting a plumper, more hydrated appearance.
Shea butter and nourishing plant oils: Ingredients such as avocado, jojoba, rosehip, and evening primrose oils help soften skin and provide nourishing lipids.
Ceramides: These skin-identical lipids help support the skin barrier and reduce moisture loss.
Niacinamide: This versatile ingredient can support the skin barrier and improve the appearance of uneven tone.
You don't need every ingredient in every product. A gentle cleanser, a nourishing moisturizer, and daily sunscreen are a great foundation.
Your Morning Skincare Routine for Dry Skin
Your morning routine should cleanse without stripping the skin, provide nourishment, and protect against daily UV exposure.
Step 1: Cleanse Gently
Start with a gentle cleanser that removes overnight buildup without leaving your skin feeling tight or uncomfortable.
House of Hilt's Carrot Citrus Cleanser is a non-foaming cleansing milk formulated with ingredients including glycerin, shea butter, aloe, and carrot root extract. Its creamy texture makes it a fitting option for a routine centered on comfort and moisture.
How to use: Massage a nickel-sized amount over your face and neck, then rinse with lukewarm water or remove with a soft, wet washcloth. Avoid hot water and vigorous rubbing.
If your skin feels particularly dry in the morning, you may prefer rinsing with lukewarm water rather than cleansing again, depending on your skin's needs.
Step 2: Tone and Prep With Wildflower Hydrating Mist
After cleansing, spritz House of Hilt's Wildflower Hydrating Mist over your face and neck. This refreshing mist helps tone the skin and prepare it for the nourishing ingredients in the rest of your skincare routine.
Think of this step as a bridge between cleansing and treatment: it refreshes your complexion and helps prepare your skin for the serums, facial oils, and moisturizers that follow.
How to use: Mist evenly over clean skin and allow it to settle before applying your next skincare product. Follow the product's directions for use.
Step 3: Apply a Hydrating Serum (Optional)
After cleansing, apply one pump of Firming Peptide Serum to slightly damp skin. Formulated with hyaluronic acid, peptides, glycerin, and niacinamide, this lightweight serum helps attract moisture, leaving skin feeling hydrated and looking plumper and smoother.
It’s a great option if you want your dry-skin routine to do more than moisturize alone, with added support for the appearance of firmness and fine lines.
How to use: Gently massage one pump over your face and neck, allowing it to absorb before applying facial oil. Use morning and evening as directed.
Step 4: Apply Facial Oil
For dry skin that needs extra nourishment, facial oil can be an important part of your routine.
House of Hilt's Amber Primrose Facial Oil combines evening primrose, apricot kernel, argan, rosehip, and avocado oils with vitamin E and an oil-soluble vitamin C derivative.
House of Hilt recommends applying 1–3 drops to the face and neck and massaging until absorbed.
Step 5: Brighten and Nourish the Eye Area
The delicate skin around your eyes can benefit from its own targeted skincare step. House of Hilt's Illuminating Eye Crème is a thoughtful addition to a dry-skin routine, particularly if the eye area looks dull or feels dry.
Applying eye cream before your moisturizer allows you to give this delicate area focused attention as you complete your routine.
How to use: Gently apply a small amount around the eye area, following the product directions. Avoid getting the cream directly into your eyes.
Step 6: Moisturize to Help Lock In Comfort
After your facial oil, apply a nourishing moisturizer. Moisturizer helps soften the skin and reduce moisture loss, making it a key step for dry skin.
House of Hilt's Avocado Rosehip Moisturizer features avocado oil, shea butter, jojoba oil, and other nourishing ingredients. It is designed to provide rich moisture for dry, thirsty skin.
Apply a nickel-sized amount to your face and neck, adjusting the amount to your skin's needs. House of Hilt recommends applying the moisturizer after its facial oil.
Step 7: Finish With SPF 30 Sunscreen
Sunscreen is an essential final step in your morning routine, regardless of your skin type or the season.
House of Hilt's SPF 30 Sunscreen uses 15% non-nano zinc oxide as its active sunscreen ingredient and is formulated to provide UVA and UVB protection.
Apply generously and evenly to exposed skin according to the product directions. Reapply at least every two hours when outdoors and after swimming or sweating, following the sunscreen label.
Sunscreen always goes last in your morning skincare routine.
Remember the order: Cleanse → Wildflower Hydrating Mist → Hydrating Serum, if desired → Facial Oil → Illuminating Eye Crème → Moisturizer → SPF 30 Sunscreen.
Your Nighttime Skincare Routine for Dry Skin
At night, focus on removing sunscreen, makeup, and daily buildup while replenishing your skin with nourishing products.
Step 1: Cleanse Away Makeup and Sunscreen
Use your Carrot Citrus Cleanser to remove makeup, sunscreen, and impurities. Massage gently over your face and neck, then rinse with lukewarm water or use a soft, wet washcloth.
If you wear heavy or water-resistant makeup or sunscreen, you may need an appropriate first cleansing step before your regular cleanser. Avoid scrubbing to remove stubborn residue.
Step 2: Tone and Prep With Wildflower Hydrating Mist
Once you've cleansed away makeup, sunscreen, and daily buildup, refresh your skin with House of Hilt's Wildflower Hydrating Mist.
This step helps tone the skin and prepare it for the nourishing products in your nighttime routine. Applying your mist after cleansing creates a natural transition to your hydrating serum and other targeted treatments.
How to use: Spritz evenly over your clean face and neck, allowing the mist to settle before continuing with your routine. Follow the product's directions for use.
Step 3: Apply Your Hydrating Serum (Optional)
After cleansing, apply one pump of Firming Peptide Serum to slightly damp face and neck. Its hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and peptide blend helps hydrate the skin while supporting a smoother, plumper-looking complexion.
Let the serum absorb before moving on to your facial oil and moisturizer.
Step 4: Apply Amber Primrose Facial Oil
Massage 1–3 drops of Amber Primrose Facial Oil over your face and neck, allowing it to absorb before applying moisturizer.
Its blend of botanical oils is designed to nourish the skin and give it a softer, more supple appearance.
Step 5: Care for the Delicate Eye Area
Your nighttime routine is an opportunity to give the delicate skin around your eyes some extra attention. House of Hilt's Illuminating Eye Crème adds a targeted step before your final layer of moisturizer.
Whether your concern is a dull-looking eye area or skin that feels dry, an eye cream can complement the rest of your routine without requiring additional steps across your entire face.
How to use: Apply a small amount around the eye area according to the product directions, avoiding direct contact with your eyes.
Step 6: Follow With Avocado Rosehip Moisturizer
Finish your nighttime routine with a nourishing moisturizer to help keep your skin comfortable overnight.
Apply the Avocado Rosehip Moisturizer after your facial oil, using enough to cover your face and neck without leaving your skin feeling uncomfortably heavy.
Your nighttime routine: Cleanse → Wildflower Hydrating Mist → Hydrating Serum, if desired → Facial Oil → Illuminating Eye Crème → Moisturizer.
Should You Exfoliate Dry Skin? How to Use a Gommage
Exfoliation can help improve the appearance of rough, dull skin, but dry skin often needs a gentler approach. Too much exfoliation can worsen flaking, redness, and irritation.
If your skin tolerates exfoliation, consider introducing a gentle treatment occasionally rather than exfoliating every day.
Try House of Hilt Ocean Berry Gommage
House of Hilt's Ocean Berry Gommage is an exfoliating mask formulated with ingredients including glycerin, jojoba esters, marine-derived extracts, and botanical ingredients.
Use it after cleansing and before applying your facial oil and moisturizer.
House of Hilt provides different application directions depending on skin sensitivity:
- For non-sensitive skin: Apply a quarter-sized amount evenly over the face and neck. Leave it on for 2–3 minutes, or until almost dry, then buff upward and outward using the product's directions.
- For sensitive skin: Apply a thick layer and leave it on for 3–5 minutes, then gently remove with tepid water. Do not vigorously buff sensitive skin.
Rinse thoroughly and follow with your usual nourishing skincare. For the full dry-skin routine, apply the facial oil first and the moisturizer afterward, following the individual product directions.
How often should you exfoliate? Start conservatively and follow the product label—for instance, incorporating a gommage mask or physical exfoliant into your routine about 1–2 times per week. Reduce frequency or stop if your skin becomes tight, red, stings, or flakes more than usual. Avoid combining exfoliation with other irritating treatments until you know your skin can tolerate them.
Tips for Keeping Dry Skin Comfortable
A thoughtful skincare routine works best when paired with habits that help protect your skin's moisture.
- Use lukewarm water. Hot water can strip away skin oils and make dryness worse.
- Moisturize consistently. Apply moisturizer while your skin is still slightly damp if that feels comfortable, following your product's directions.
- Avoid over-exfoliation. Scrubs and exfoliating treatments are not a solution for every dry patch.
- Introduce products gradually. Add one new product at a time so you can notice irritation or sensitivity.
- Adjust to the season. Cold weather and indoor heating may leave skin feeling drier, so you may need a richer moisturizer or an extra layer of nourishment.
- Protect your skin every day. Apply broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher and reapply as directed.
- Pay attention to irritation. Botanical ingredients and essential oils can still irritate some people. Patch-test new products and discontinue use if you develop a reaction.
If dryness persists despite a gentle routine, or you experience cracking, significant itching, inflammation, or a persistent rash, consult a dermatologist. Conditions such as eczema can require more than cosmetic skincare.
Shop Our Dry Skin Solution
Building a routine for dry skin doesn't have to be complicated. Start with gentle cleansing, add nourishing facial oil, follow with moisturizer, and finish your morning routine with sunscreen. Use exfoliation only as tolerated.
House of Hilt's Dry Skin Solution makes it easier to build a consistent routine with skincare essentials selected for dry-skin care. Explore the collection to find the products that best suit your routine and skin's needs.
Whether you're refreshing your existing routine or starting from scratch, choose products that leave your skin feeling comfortable and make consistency easy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best skincare routine for dry skin?
A simple routine includes gentle cleansing, an optional hydrating serum, facial oil, moisturizer, and sunscreen in the morning. At night, cleanse and follow with your nourishing products. Add exfoliation only if your skin tolerates it.
Should I wash my face in the morning if I have dry skin?
It depends on your skin. A gentle cleanser can remove overnight buildup, but some people with very dry skin prefer a lukewarm-water rinse in the morning. Avoid harsh cleansers and hot water.
Is facial oil enough to moisturize dry skin?
Facial oils can help soften skin and provide nourishment, but they don't replace every function of a moisturizer. For House of Hilt's dry-skin routine, apply Amber Primrose Facial Oil first, followed by Avocado Rosehip Moisturizer.
Is hyaluronic acid good for dry skin?
Hyaluronic acid is a humectant that helps attract water. It can be a helpful ingredient in a dry-skin routine, especially when followed by a moisturizer to help maintain hydration.
How often should I exfoliate dry skin?
There is no single schedule that works for everyone. Start infrequently, follow the product directions, and reduce use if you notice irritation or increased dryness. Skip exfoliation when your skin is inflamed or uncomfortable.
What is the difference between dry and dehydrated skin?
Dry skin is generally associated with insufficient oil, while dehydrated skin lacks water. Both can make skin look dull or feel tight, and a person can experience both at once.
Can I use a gommage if I have sensitive or dry skin?
Some people with dry or sensitive skin may tolerate a gentle gommage, but exfoliation can also cause irritation. Follow the product's sensitive-skin directions, avoid vigorous buffing, and stop if your skin reacts. If your skin is actively irritated, focus on gentle cleansing and moisturizing first.
Ready to Give Your Skin the Nourishment It Deserves?
Healthy-looking, hydrated skin starts with a routine that works with your skin, not against it. By choosing a gentle cleanser, nourishing facial oil, and rich moisturizer, you can help support your skin's natural moisture barrier and maintain a softer, smoother, more comfortable complexion. Add daily SPF protection and gentle exfoliation as tolerated to round out your routine.
At House of Hilt, we believe skincare should feel as nourishing as it is effective. Our Dry Skin Solution makes it easier to build a consistent routine with skincare essentials selected for dry-skin care. Whether you're addressing seasonal dryness or simply giving thirsty skin a little extra care, the right products can help make your daily ritual something to look forward to.
Give your skin the extra care it deserves and discover a more nourishing approach to your everyday skincare routine.
Resources
For additional guidance on caring for dry skin, choosing a moisturizer, and understanding the role of exfoliation, consult these trusted resources:
