What is Dry Skin?

Dry skin, known clinically as xerosis, occurs when the skin does not produce enough sebum, the natural oil that forms part of its protective surface layer. Without enough oil, the barrier cannot hold water effectively and moisture evaporates into the air.

The Science, Simply Explained

Your skin's outermost layer, the stratum corneum, works like a brick wall. Skin cells are the bricks, and a mix of lipids including ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids is the mortar holding them together. That mortar is what keeps water in and irritants out.

When ceramide levels drop, whether through age, cold weather, over-exfoliation or harsh cleansers, the mortar thins. Water escapes more freely, a process called transepidermal water loss, or TEWL. Skin then feels tight, looks dull and flakes.

Replenishing those lipids is the single most effective thing you can do for dry skin. It is why ceramides sit at the centre of this guide.

Key Terms To Know

• Sebum - the skin's natural oil. Dry skin produces less of it.
• Stratum corneum - the outermost layer of skin, your first line of defence.
• TEWL - transepidermal water loss, water evaporating out through the skin.
• Ceramides - lipids that hold skin cells together and keep moisture in.
• Humectants - ingredients that draw water into skin, such as hyaluronic acid and glycerin.
• Emollients - ingredients that soften and smooth, filling gaps between cells.
• Occlusives - ingredients that form a seal on the surface to slow water loss.

A good dry skin routine uses all three of the last group. Draw water in, soften the surface, seal it all in.

This is the distinction that changes everything about how you treat it.

You can have both at once, and many people with dry skin do. If your skin is tight but also shiny in places, read our full guide to dehydrated skin, which covers the condition side in depth.

How it feels: Tight, particularly after cleansing. Rough to the touch. Occasionally itchy or stinging when products are applied.

How it looks: Dull rather than luminous. Visible flaking, especially where skin is thinner. Makeup clings to patches and sits unevenly. Fine lines appear more pronounced because the surface is not plump with water.

Where it shows up first: Around the nose and the creases beside it, where skin folds and product often gets missed. Across the cheeks. Around the eyes, where skin is thinnest. On the forehead at the hairline. In winter, often all of these at once.

Dry patches on the face are usually the first visible sign. Severe or persistent flaking that does not respond to a consistent routine is worth discussing with a GP or pharmacist, as it can indicate eczema or another condition needing different treatment.

1. Genetics and skin type. The most common reason. Some people simply produce less sebum, and no routine changes that. What a routine does change is how well the skin holds onto the moisture it has.

2. Age and hormones. Sebum production declines with age, and ceramide levels drop alongside it. This is why skin that was never dry can become dry in your thirties and beyond.

3. Weather and central heating. Cold air holds less moisture, and indoor heating strips what remains. The combination of the two, moving between cold outdoors and heated indoors, is why dryness peaks in winter.

4. Over-cleansing and hot water. That squeaky-clean feeling is not clean, it is stripped. Harsh surfactants and hot water remove the lipids your barrier depends on.

5. Harsh actives without barrier support. Exfoliating acids and retinoids are effective, but used too often or without a supportive moisturiser they compromise the barrier faster than it rebuilds.

6. Medications and health conditions. Some medications reduce oil production as a side effect. Speak to your doctor if dryness started alongside a new prescription.

7. Skipping moisturiser. Hydrating serums draw water in. Without something to seal them, that water evaporates, and in dry conditions humectants can pull moisture from deeper skin layers instead of the air.

Ceramides

Ceramides are the lipids that hold your skin cells together and keep moisture in. Dry skin is typically low in them, which is why replenishing them delivers the most noticeable improvement.

Our Bio-Active Ceramide Moisturiser uses Bio-Active Ceramide NP, a shorter-chain ceramide that works through multiple layers of skin rather than sitting on the surface. It is clinically proven to strengthen the skin barrier from first use and deliver 24-hour hydration.* Glycerin draws water in, Shea Butter locks it down.

£20 / 50ml · 4.7 stars (2,099 reviews) · Shop now

The same technology is available for the eye area in Bio-Active Ceramide Eye Cream, where skin is thinner and dryness shows sooner.

Ectoin

Ectoin is an extremolyte, originally found in desert bacteria, that hydrates while actively stabilising the barrier. It is particularly useful when dryness comes with sensitivity or reactivity.

Ectoin Hydro-Barrier Serum pairs 2% Ectoin with 2.5% Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Acid and a 1% Barrier Blend of three ceramides. Clinically proven to hydrate and strengthen the barrier in 15 minutes.**

£16 / 30ml · 4.6 stars (444 reviews) · Shop now

Hyaluronic Acid

A humectant that holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water. It fills the tank. It does not put the cap on, which is why it always needs a moisturiser over the top.

Hyaluronic Acid Serum uses 2% Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Acid across different molecular weights, plus Matrixyl 3000 Peptide. Apply to damp skin.

£12 / 30ml · 4.7 stars (3,147 reviews) · Shop now

Oat Kernel Oil

Oats have long been used to calm dry, irritated skin. Oat kernel oil delivers ceramides and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, cleansing without stripping.

Oat Cleansing Balm - 150ml contains 5% Oat Kernel Oil and Sea Buckthorn Oil. Clinically proven to support barrier function and leave skin hydrated for up to 12 hours.*** Holds the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance.

£15 / 150ml · 4.7 stars (513 reviews) · Shop now

Rice Milk

Rice milk softens skin and supports the barrier through cleansing, the step where dry skin is most often damaged.

Milk Cleanser - 180ml uses 5% Rice Milk and Hyaluronic Acid. Clinically proven to hydrate for 24 hours and support the barrier for 12.**** Also National Eczema Association accepted.

£15 / 180ml · 4.8 stars (240 reviews) · Shop now

At a Glance

The layering rule:attract, then seal. Humectants like hyaluronic acid go on damp skin first. Ceramides and emollients go on top to lock everything in. Skip the second step and the first one can work against you.

Morning

Shop:

• Milk Cleanser
• Ectoin Serum
• Hyaluronic Acid Serum
• Eye Cream
• Moisturiser
• SPF

Evening

Shop now:

• Oat Cleansing Balm
• Hydrating Cream to Milk Cleanser
• Ectoin Hydro Barrier Serum
• Eye Cream
• Moisturiser

Just Starting Out

Three steps, morning and night. A gentle cleanser, a hydrating serum on damp skin, a ceramide moisturiser to seal. Add SPF in the morning. Build from there once that is consistent.

Dry and sensitive. Reactivity often comes from a weakened barrier rather than the products themselves. Lead with Ectoin, keep the routine short, patch test anything new.

Dry and blemish-prone. Yes, both at once is common, and over-drying blemishes makes it worse. Keep the barrier supported and treat blemishes in a targeted way rather than stripping the whole face.

Dry and ageing. Ceramide levels and sebum production both decline with age. This combination responds particularly well to consistent ceramide use.

Dry around the eyes. The thinnest skin on the face, with almost no oil glands, so it dries first and shows it most. Bio-Active Ceramide Eye Cream strengthens the barrier and supports moisture retention, which is what dry or crepey skin around the eye area needs. Our full guide to dry, flaky skin under the eyes goes deeper.

Dry in winter. Cold air plus indoor heating is the hardest combination. Move to richer textures, cleanse less aggressively, and add an occlusive layer at night.

Dry and dehydrated. Both at once. Layer humectants under ceramides, and see our dehydrated skin guide.

"Drinking more water will fix it." Hydration matters for health, but you cannot drink your way out of a lipid deficiency. Dry skin needs topical oil and barrier support.

"Oil equals hydration." Oils are occlusive, they seal. They do not add water. Used alone on dehydrated skin they seal in nothing.

"Dry skin can't use actives." It can. It needs them buffered. Apply a hydrating layer first, moisturise after, and build frequency slowly.

"A heavy cream is all I need." Sealing an empty tank does not fill it. Hydrate first, then seal.

"Dry and dehydrated are the same." The single most common mistake, and the reason so many routines underperform.

Bio-Active Ceramide Moisturiser - £20 / 50ml · 4.7 stars (2,099 reviews)
Clinically proven to strengthen the barrier from first use and deliver 24-hour hydration.* Fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, suitable for sensitive skin.

Ectoin Hydro-Barrier Serum - £16 / 30ml · 4.6 stars (444 reviews)
Hydrates and strengthens the barrier in 15 minutes.** Ideal where dryness comes with sensitivity.

Hyaluronic Acid Serum - £12 / 30ml · 4.7 stars (3,147 reviews)
Instant and lasting hydration. Apply to damp skin, always follow with moisturiser.

Oat Cleansing Balm - 150ml - £15 · 4.7 stars (513 reviews)
Removes makeup and SPF in 30 seconds without stripping. National Eczema Association accepted. Doubles as a 10-minute nourishing mask.

Milk Cleanser - 180ml - £15 · 4.8 stars (240 reviews)
Cream-to-milk texture, 24-hour hydration post-cleanse.**** National Eczema Association accepted.

Bio-Active Ceramide Eye Cream - £15 / 18ml · 4.8 stars (290 reviews)
Bio-Active Ceramides strengthen the barrier and support moisture retention, effective for dry or crepey skin around the eye area.

• Is Niacinamide Good for Dry Skin?
• Sunscreen for Dry Skin
• Dry, Flaky Skin Under Eyes
• Dry Skin and Blemishes
• Dandruff or Dry Scalp?
• What is Dehydrated Skin?
• Damaged Skin Barrier
• What's Your Skin Type?

If you are starting from scratch, begin with the moisturiser. Bio-Active Ceramide Moisturiser does the heaviest lifting for dry skin, and everything else builds around it.

Prefer a complete routine? The Intro Routine for Dry Skin bundles the essentials at £36.75. Not sure where you sit? Take our skincare quiz.ally around your skin, we're here.

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