15 Best Ceramide Moisturizers & Serums to Nourish Dry, Irritated Skin

Why It's Worth It: "This is one of the originals and the best in my opinion," Dr. Ansell says of La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5. "It also contains shea butter and glycerin, making your skin feel hydrated and nourished with application." If that wasn't enough to convince you, dimethicone (a silicone-based polymer) protects your skin against chapping, cracking, and chafing — a godsend during the colder months. It's also gentle enough to use on babies as young as one week old.

Editor Tip: Slather this ceramide cream anywhere skin needs TLC, like your cuticles and elbows.

Key Ingredients: Shea butter, glycerin, dimethicone | Fragrance-free: Yes

Why It's Worth It: What's better than one ceramide? A blend of five ceramides to intensely nourish and strengthen skin, which, in Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream, help leave skin feeling supple and hydrated. Combined with hyaluronic acid and shea butter, the face cream will make your skin feel and look healthier with each coming day. “My skin is visibly more hydrated and less irritated,” said our rosacea-prone tester. "Without sounding too enthusiastic, I was really impressed by the results, which were noticeable after just three days."

Editor Tip: It comes in a jumbo size to last you all season (and beyond).

Key Ingredients: Ceramides, panthenol | Fragrance-free: No

Why It's Worth It: EltaMD's PM Therapy Facial Moisturizer goes above and beyond: It's an "oil-free, fragrance-free, and non-comedogenic moisturizer that contains ceramides to strengthen the skin's natural protective barrier, as well as niacinamide and antioxidants to improve skin tone and complexion," says Dr. Chang, who notes that it's particularly great for sensitive and acne-prone skin types. One such antioxidant in question is vitamin E, which is great for cellular restoration and speeding up your skin's natural repair processes. Rice protein peptides also work on the side to promote collagen production, so you can head to bed knowing your skin is in good hands.

Editor Tip: For daytime, consider the brand's beloved EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46, which is one of our all-time favorite sunscreens.

Key Ingredients: Ceramides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide | Fragrance-free: Yes

Why It's Worth It: Vitamin C, retinol, and ceramides team up in Paula's Choice Clinical Ceramide-Enriched Firming Moisturizer to turn up the glow in your complexion, in addition to providing long-lasting hydrating and firming benefits. While vitamin C and retinol should typically be applied 30 minutes apart (in that order) or alternated between morning (vitamin C) and night (0.1% retinol), Paula's Choice has nailed down a formula that lets you apply both powerhouse ingredients at the same time.

Editor Tip: As always, follow up with SPF during the daytime.

Key Ingredients: Ceramides, retinol, vitamin C | Fragrance-free: Yes

Why It's Worth It: Believe it or not, dryness and congestion can coexist. Thankfully, Cocokind's Ceramide Barrier Serum is an impactful (and affordable) treatment that keeps skin hydrated and baby-soft. To tackle dryness, there's a deeply penetrating blend of five ceramides (NP, NS, AP, EOS, and EOP) to minimize moisture loss, as well as ceramide precursors (caprooyl phytosphingosine and caprooyl sphingosine), which are molecules that encourage ceramide production. For a dose of gentle exfoliation, there's lactic acid to remove dead skin cells, address breakouts, and help the aforementioned ingredients sink in more quickly.

Editor Tip: For the rest of your body, try Cocokind Ceramide Recovery Balm, which won a 2023 Best of Beauty Award in the Sensitive category. It serves as a satisfying slugging alternative to petroleum jelly, according to one of our testers.

Key Ingredients: Ceramides, squalane, beta-glucan | Fragrance-free: Yes

Why It's Worth It: Allure contributing editor Marci Robin was impressed with the way the Glow Recipe Avocado Ceramide Recovery Serum toned down the redness and soothed her reactive skin. A potent blend of five ceramides works hard to mimic your skin barrier to maintain moisture levels and prevent water loss, while other calming ingredients like avocado, rice milk, and allantoin play important (and hydrating) supporting roles. Plus, anti-inflammatory niacinamide and turmeric help even out your skin tone with regular use.

Editor Tip: It uses plant-based cholesterol to boost your skin's moisture barrier.

Key Ingredients: Avocado butter, ceramides, allantoin | Fragrance-free: Yes

Why It's Worth It: Dryness is one thing, but redness is a whole other beast to tackle. That's where Dermalogica's Stabilizing Repair Cream steps in. This cushiony moisturizer, of course, features a proprietary ceramide-building complex to support your skin's natural ceramide production levels — but there's so much more goodness. A lineup of irritation-soothing ingredients, including but not limited to resurrection plant, Tasmania lanceolata, and boerhavia diffusa root work overtime to calm skin and restore a redness-free complexion.

Editor Tip: It's earned the National Eczema Association's Seal of Acceptance.

Key Ingredients: Jojoba oil, Centella asiatica, shea butter | Fragrance-free: Yes

Why It's Worth It: The name “CeraVe” was inspired by ceramides, so it's little surprise that the brand's entire lineup—CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion included—contains them. This moisturizer with SPF streamlines your routine with a blend of ceramides, niacinamide, and chemical sun filters. Former Allure editor-turned-dermatologist Laurel Naversen Geraghty, MD, is a fan, noting that it doesn't clog her pores and sinks into skin within seconds.

Editor Tip: Please note that this product was not formulated by actor Michael Cera.

Key Ingredients: Ceramides, niacinamide, glycerin | Fragrance-free: Yes

Why It's Worth It: All of KraveBeauty's products are formulated to address a damaged, weakened skin barrier, but Great Barrier Relief is one of the crowd favorites from this Korean skin care-inspired brand. "The creamy elixir leaves my complexion calm and hydrated with a subtle glow that lasts for hours," said our tester. Spiked with an ultra-nourishing blend of ceramides, niacinamide, glycerin, squalane, and nourishing oils (including safflower seed and tamanu), the surprisingly lightweight serum calms and brightens the skin without causing further irritation.

Editor Tip: Like the rest of KraveBeauty's offerings, this treatment is vegan, cruelty-free, and fragrance-free.

Key Ingredients: Ceramides, niacinamide, tamanu oil | Fragrance-free: Yes

Why It's Worth It: While Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Moisturizer doesn't contain parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, or petrolatum, it does have a nourishing trifecta of ceramides AP, EOP, and NP to ensure skin is hydrated deeply without feeling clogged. Sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer and antioxidant-rich fermented green tea provide even more hydration. "Though its label touts 'six rare African oils,' it doesn't feel the least bit oily — even on my oily/combination skin," said our tester.

Editor Tip: It won a 2016 Best of Beauty Award and is a three-time Readers' Choice Award winner.

Key Ingredients: Ceramides, hyaluronic acid, fermented green tea | Fragrance-free: Yes

Why It's Worth It: As always, don't forget to moisturize the rest of your skin below the neck. After hopping out of the shower, Dr. Chang vouches for slathering on Bioderma's Atoderm Intensive Balm. She says the soothing, rich balm contains "an exclusive Lipigenium complex composed of bio lipids and ceramides" designed by France-based NAOS Research. It works wonders on extremely dry, irritated, or eczema-prone skin.

Editor Tip: It can be used on the entire family (aside from premature babies, as the website states).

Key Ingredients: Ceramides, sunflower seed oil, glycerin | Fragrance-free: Yes

Packaged in rose-gold capsules to preserve the potency of retinol (which is sensitive to light and air), Elizabeth Arden's fragrance-free Retinol Ceramide Capsules Line Erasing Night Serum targets and diminishes the appearance of fine lines with ease and grace. To help combat any potential dryness and irritation associated with using retinol, each single-dose capsule is spiked with three types of ceramides (NP, NS, and phytosphingosine) to replenish your skin's natural ceramides and restore your barrier.

Editor Tip: The capsules are biodegradable.

Key Ingredients: Retinol, ceramides, avocado oil | Fragrance-free: Yes

Why It's Worth It: Hydrate and nourish skin with TonyMoly's Wonder Ceramide Mocchi Toner. This milky, alcohol-free toner is formulated with reparative ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and panthenol (vitamin B5) to ensure your skin has all of the hydration it needs. Not to mention, there's even cica to soothe any potential irritation you're experiencing.

Editor Tip: There are plenty of ways to apply this liquid: While you can dispense a few drops into your palms and pat the formula into your skin, you can also soak a few cotton pads and create a makeshift sheet mask, but one that targets your driest areas.

Key Ingredients: Ceramides, macadamia seed oil, hyaluronic acid | Fragrance-free: No