AliceintheRabbitHole has worked through 90 dry-skin products, and their record earns a Guru Score of 67%. They approve more often than not, but they do not hand out praise easily. Eleven of those reviews ended with a named winner.
What does AliceintheRabbitHole recommend for dry skin?
The through-line in their approvals is barrier repair, and petrolatum keeps showing up at the centre. It is the thick, occlusive base in products like Aquaphor. What it does is seal moisture into dry skin rather than just adding water, which makes richer, overnight formulas a strong fit. Fragrance-free formulas also earn praise from them reliably, especially those with calming and moisturising ingredients like centella asiatica and panthenol.
In their words
"I use Aquaphor a lot. There's nothing quite like slugging for treating my barrier issues. The holy grail here, it is Aquaphor. There's a lot of petrolatum based options out there, but I always end up with this as my holy grail because frankly I think that ingredient, petrolatum, is the winning ingredient."
"Their Lip Balm is still my absolute favorite. I prefer the clear Lip Balm from them and I love using it overnight, before bed. I feel like this really stays on through the night."
"I finished another Axis-Y Vegan Collagen Eye Serum. It's my favorite eye serum, both for the packaging and for the formulation."
"There's nothing quite like slugging for treating my barrier issues. The holy grail here, it is Aquaphor or CeraVe's Healing Ointment. There's a lot of petrolatum based options out there, but I always end up with those as my holy grails because frankly I think that ingredient, petrolatum, is the winning ingredient."
"This is the Purito Wonder Relief Centella Serum, unscented, the brand new reformulation and updated formula from Purito. I never fell in love with the original, I thought it was good but it didn't really blow my mind. I love this one. I feel like it might be a little thicker than the original, and I do feel like it is even more soothing, which makes sense since they say it now has more centella asiatica even if the packaging lists less. It's a really beautiful formula featuring panthenol, centella asiatica, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid, all in a fragrance free formula."
"That set contains one of the thickest and most nourishing eye creams I have ever tried, the Kiehl's avocado eye cream. It is super thick."
How many products has AliceintheRabbitHole reviewed for dry skin?
AliceintheRabbitHole has reviewed 90 products for dry skin, for a Guru Score of 67%. 60 approved, 20 mixed, and 10 skipped.
What has AliceintheRabbitHole skipped for dry skin?
AliceintheRabbitHole skips products that cost a lot and deliver only average results, and they are plain about why. When they tried the Glow Recipe Avocado Ceramide Recovery Serum, they found it fine but not worth $45. The Rhode Glazing Milk Ceramide Facial Essence got the same verdict, with AliceintheRabbitHole calling Rhode one of the most overhyped brands they have ever seen.
"It's so funny that I like the Hydrogrip Gel Tint so much, because I really did not like their primer."
"I got to try the VT Reedle Shot along with some sheet masks that go with them, and I remain convinced that it's just one of many ways to increase absorption. I've had strange experiences with them getting too close to my eye area, and I do not like feeling those needle sponges in my skin all day. If you like the Reedle Shot products, that's great, more power to you, but they're not for me."
"Rhode sent me just a little mini of the viral glazing milk essence, and it's fine, it's fine. I think Rhode is just one of the most overhyped brands I've ever seen, when I tried their products I was just kind of baffled that they were so popular. I think Cycler's essence is just as good."
"This is the Avocado Ceramide Recovery Serum, and this never did it for me. I like ceramides, I really do, but I can't quite tell you why I'm not the biggest fan of this one. It's just another fine product, and forty five dollars for fine, no, I'd rather pay that for something great."
What should you take from AliceintheRabbitHole's picks?
For dry skin, AliceintheRabbitHole's track record is a useful place to start. Their praise lands on formulas that genuinely repair the skin barrier, and they are plain when something falls short. They named 11 winners across these 90 reviews, and that is a meaningful signal. Anyone whose skin trends dry or stripped will find their takes worth reading.
Watch AliceintheRabbitHole say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Summer Fridays Lip Butter BalmNamed a winnerWatch at 13:54
- Beauty of Joseon Ground Rice and Honey Glow MaskNamed a winnerWatch at 4:57
- Drunk Elephant Bora Barrier Rich Repair CreamNamed a winnerWatch at 22:37
- Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Probiotics Barrier EssenceNamed a winnerWatch at 14:03
- Isntree Yam Root Vegan Milk CleanserNamed a winnerWatch at 13:22
- Stratia Liquid GoldNamed a winnerWatch at 13:08
- AXIS-Y Vegan Collagen Eye SerumNamed a winnerWatch at 13:55
- Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Airy Sun StickNamed a winnerWatch at 9:41
- Edom Lip BalmNamed a winnerWatch at 5:58
- Sulwhasoo Overnight Vitalizing MaskNamed a winnerWatch at 24:01
- BYOMA Barrier Repair TreatmentNamed a winnerWatch at 7:32
- Milk Makeup Hydrogrip PrimerSkipped itWatch at 32:10
- VT Collagen Reedle Shot 100Skipped itWatch at 17:08
- Rhode Glazing Milk Ceramide Facial EssenceSkipped itWatch at 10:53
- Glow Recipe Avocado Ceramide Recovery SerumSkipped itWatch at 19:43
- Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration SerumSkipped itWatch at 15:31
- Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 SerumSkipped itWatch at 2:45
- Glow Recipe Avocado Ceramide Moisture Barrier CleanserSkipped itWatch at 17:11
- The Ordinary Soothing & Barrier Support SerumSkipped itWatch at 7:51
- Prequel Skin Utility OintmentSkipped itWatch at 12:10
- Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud CreamSkipped itWatch at 13:47
- Aquaphor Healing OintmentRated itWatch at 18:00
- CeraVe Healing OintmentRated itWatch at 18:02
- Purito Wonder Relief Centella Serum UnscentedRated itWatch at 5:13
About this expert
See everything AliceintheRabbitHole has reviewed
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This guide reflects what AliceintheRabbitHole said across their videos about 90 products for dry skin, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The Guru Score is our read on how warmly they talk about them. It is general information, not medical advice.