Alexandra Anele has tested a lot of dry-skin products, and her record shows she likes most of what she tries. She has reviewed more than 40 and given most of them the thumbs up, with a handful of mixed takes and a handful of 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.
Alexandra Anele's dry skin picks, in her words
"This is the cream cleanser hydrating cream cleanser so this is what I keep in here obviously to cleanse my face especially on the nights when I'm using my tretinoin"
"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 use a little bit of a hyaluronic acid serum from Vichy underneath my eyes"
"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."
"I'm going to go in with a tiny bit of the Aveeno Calm + Restore serum. This is great for helping with redness. [...] I like when I do skin care, I like to work it into the fingertips and then kind of dot it around the face. I feel like it's the easiest way to apply it evenly without having to apply a ton."
"It's funny, I'll use it, finish it, and move on to something else, but I always end up repurchasing it because one use, like if my barrier is ever in a state of disrepair, then I use it one night, the next morning my skin is so supple and soft. It really is just one of those products that I'm like, I need to have this for those times. [...] I don't like using it many times in a row because I feel like it's a little too moisturizing. But when I really need it to come in clutch, it does."
How many products has Alexandra Anele reviewed for dry skin?
Alexandra Anele has reviewed 39 products for dry skin, for an approval rate of 69%. 27 approved, 5 mixed, and 7 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 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."
"It contains dimethicone, 1.2%. I have a difficult time with any kind of skincare product that contains silicone or some kind of a cone in it. It can be really, really great, it's a great ingredient, it's great for skin, especially for people who tend to be a little bit more on the oily side but need that hydration. However, the combination of the cone in the Aveeno moisturizer and the E.L.F. Power Grip Primer to me sounds like a bad combo. It feels like that's where we're going wrong."
"It's fine for breaking down sunscreen, but waterproof mascara, absolutely not. [...] It took ages for me to work this into my lashes to be able to break down my waterproof mascara, and even then I had flakes left over and I just couldn't rub my eyes anymore. So I personally would not recommend this product. [...] I used it to remove sunscreen and stuff and then do my regular cleansing, but it definitely doesn't remove waterproof mascara, so I wasn't really a fan of this."
"This Makeup Forever Foundation, I mean are you freaking kidding me, listen [...] I got a lot of problems with makeup forever. This is so incredibly orange, like so incredibly orange. It doesn't have any gold in it, it's just orange, you know, like straight up."
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 69%, 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.
- Prequel Multi-Quench Plumping Hydration SerumSkipped itWatch at 2:02
- Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body LotionSkipped itWatch at 1:06
- BYOMA Melting Balm CleanserSkipped itWatch at 5:06
- Make Up For Ever HD Skin Hydra Glow FoundationSkipped itWatch at 26:00
- Naturium Smoother Glycolic Acid Body LotionSkipped itWatch at 15:34
- COSRX Centella Toning MistSkipped itWatch at 17:03
- First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub with 10% AHASkipped itWatch at 17:23
- La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle CleanserRated itWatch at 13:35
- Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with AvocadoRated itWatch at 3:12
- Vichy Mineral 89 Prebiotic Recovery and Defense ConcentrateRated itWatch at 3:16
- The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid SerumRated itWatch at 29:41
- Aveeno Calm + Restore Triple Oat SerumRated itWatch at 2:51
- The INKEY List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing & Plumping Moisturizer + Barrier StrengtheningRated itWatch at 28:29
- L'Occitane Almond Sublime Softening Shower OilRated itWatch at 8:46
- Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass SerumRated itWatch at 28:46
- NYX Born to Glow Serum ConcealerRated itWatch at 13:46
- Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer Hydrating PrimerRated itWatch at 4:58
- Avène Cleanance Hydra Soothing CreamRated itWatch at 19:13
- One/Size Secure the Glow Tacky Hydrating PrimerRated itWatch at 7:05
- SkinFix Eczema Extra Strength Body CreamRated itWatch at 15:47
- Lano Lips 101 OintmentRated itWatch at 20:03
- Sustain Ultra PF Lubricating Eye DropsRated itWatch at 3:35
- Rare Beauty Eye patchesRated itWatch at 2:45
- Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics SPF 50+ PA++++ (Korean formula)Rated itWatch at 5:51
About this expert
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This guide reflects what Alexandra Anele said across her videos about 39 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.