Alexandra Anele has tested a lot of dry-skin products, and her record shows she likes most of what she tries. She gave the thumbs up to 31 out of 41 products, with 6 mixed takes and just 4 skips. When she does skip something, she explains exactly why.
What does Alexandra Anele recommend for dry skin?
She comes back to products that layer well. She uses CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion as her daily prep base, calling it what gets her skin ready for everything else. On dry, rough hands, she credits The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum with fixing the cracked, itchy skin that moisturiser alone never solved. A humectant pulls moisture into the deeper layers, she explains, and then a moisturiser seals it in. She also praises Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado for the dry patches that build up around the eye area on heavy makeup days. And she rates Paula's Choice Resist Barrier Repair Moisturizer with Retinol as an accessible option built around tripeptides and ceramides.
In her words
"I just did my Bioma hydrating mist or balancing face mist and then my CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion. It's pretty much been what I do to prep my skin for everything."
"Serum serum camid Skin Barrier moisturizing I see moisturizing I buy it"
"Then I will go in with my Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado, which is super nice and creamy and rich. You don't need to use a lot, a little bit goes a really long way. I really like using it on the days when I'm filming or doing really glam makeup, because [...] I tend to get dryness around my eyes, and [...] I need that extra moisture because I like coverage there. It helps to counterbalance the powders or coverage that I'm applying in the delicate eye area."
"I've been really liking this blush. I think it's really really pretty. The actual blush itself, like the way that it's made, the component really does allow for you to just sort of dab it on, which is nice. So if you're one of those dab it on and go kind of people, it's really good for that."
"I use the hyaluronic acid [...] on my hands before I moisturize. The hyaluronic acid really helped with the really dry hands and itchy eczema I would get [...] in between my fingers from washing my hands all the time. [...] Applying the hyaluronic acid first and then sealing it in with a moisturizer made the biggest difference. When I used to just use a moisturizer, it kind of felt like it was just sitting on top of my hands and it wasn't penetrating the deep layers of the skin. Having that humectant to really draw in that moisture made such a difference. My hands have not [...] had that [...] itchy dry eczema problem basically since I started using it. I love the Inkey List because the products are really good and it's super affordable."
"I also really like the Paula's Choice Barrier Repair Advanced Moisturizer which is with tripeptides and ceramides, really great and just like a little bit more accessible."
How many products has Alexandra Anele reviewed for dry skin?
Alexandra Anele has reviewed 41 products for dry skin, for an approval rate of 76%. 31 approved, 6 mixed, and 4 skipped.
What has Alexandra Anele skipped for dry skin?
She skipped the ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 after getting a batch she said smelled rancid, and she was honest that skin tints are a tricky category for her. The Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Moist Sun Serum SPF 50+ PA++++ was a real letdown: she loved how hydrating it felt, but the eye stinging was so bad it was a dealbreaker. The Prequel Multi-Quench Plumping Hydration Serum pilled on her no matter what she did, and she traced it back to how glycerin behaves on her skin in leave-on products. She also skipped the Make Up For Ever HD Skin Hydra Glow Foundation, where even the palest shades she was sent read yellow-orange on her very fair skin.
"I bought one like a long time ago and it smelled rancid. I think I got [...] a bad batch or something. I heard from some other people who had that problem as well, and then I tried it later on and it didn't have that scent, so I'm pretty sure I got a really bad batch. But I [...] have a complicated relationship with skin tint to be honest with you."
"I was really excited because it is such a nice hydrating formula and I thought oh this could be so nice especially for winter when my skin is a little bit drier but no I couldn't. The second it got near my eyes it stung like crazy. So if you're someone who's really really really sensitive to sunscreens and you've been curious I would not recommend it. It is extremely hydrating, like it gives a shine, like it really gives a shine, but the eye stinging is a dealbreaker for me. I would recommend the Sun Relief sunscreen over this any day."
"I've been trying so hard to love Prequel. I understand that basically one of the ingredients that Prequel revolves around is glycerin and I love that idea. I want to love it. It doesn't work for me. This is the Multi-Quench Plumping Hydration Serum. It doesn't matter what I do, doesn't matter how little I use, doesn't matter what layering, if I use it on its own, it doesn't matter. It pills on me no matter what. And that seems to be the case with glycerin products. In leave on products, it just doesn't work for me. And even if I wear it at night, when I'm just going to bed, the second I touch my face because I have a little scratch or like a cat hair, it pills. I just hate it. I hate it. And I want to love it and I want to love all of the products from Prequel, but for whatever reason, the vast majority of them just don't really work for me that well."
"Makeup Forever has always had this problem with me. I'm a very pale person, so my experience with the shades is going to be more so in the pale range, but even the colors that were sent to me are quite yellow and [...] orange. [...] So I'm going to use the shade Mont Blanc, which you can even just see from the packaging is a little bit too on the orange, yellowy orange side. [...] The formula does feel quite nice, [...] hydratingish for a matte."
What should you take from Alexandra Anele's picks?
Alexandra Anele's dry-skin reviews are a practical shortlist. She approves most of what she tests, with an approval rate of 76%, so a product she skips is worth paying attention to. Her reasoning is always specific, whether it is an ingredient that pills, a stinging reaction, or a shade range that simply does not work for pale complexions.
Watch Alexandra Anele say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40Skipped itWatch at 20:10
- Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Moist Sun Serum SPF 50+ PA++++Skipped itWatch at 6:39
- Prequel Multi-Quench Plumping Hydration SerumSkipped itWatch at 2:02
- Make Up For Ever HD Skin Hydra Glow FoundationSkipped itWatch at 3:20
- CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing LotionRated itWatch at 6:32
- Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30Rated itWatch at 28:46
- Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with AvocadoRated itWatch at 3:12
- Merit Flush Balm Cheek Color in Beverly HillsRated itWatch at 9:43
- The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid SerumRated itWatch at 29:41
- Paula's Choice Resist Barrier Repair Moisturizer with RetinolRated itWatch at 10:09
- Anua Rice 70% Glow Milky TonerRated itWatch at 1:31
- Anua 3 Ceramide Panthenol Moisture Barrier CreamRated itWatch at 12:55
- The INKEY List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing & Plumping Moisturizer + Barrier StrengtheningRated itWatch at 28:29
- Skin Aqua Super Moisture Barrier UV Gel SPF50+ PA4+Rated itWatch at 12:06
- BYOMA Balancing Face MistRated itWatch at 2:14
- Milk Makeup Hydro Grip PrimerRated itWatch at 15:47
- L'Occitane Almond Sublime Softening Shower OilRated itWatch at 8:46
- NYX Born to Glow Serum ConcealerRated itWatch at 13:46
- Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer Hydrating PrimerRated itWatch at 4:58
- Beauty of Joseon MaskRated itWatch at 1:17
- One/Size Secure the Glow Tacky Hydrating PrimerRated itWatch at 7:05
- SkinFix Eczema Extra Strength Body CreamRated itWatch at 15:47
- Rare Beauty Eye patchesRated itWatch at 2:45
- COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One CreamRated itWatch at 6:20
About this expert
See everything Alexandra Anele has reviewed
Related guides
This guide reflects what Alexandra Anele said across her videos about 41 products for dry skin, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products she approved. It is general information, not medical advice.