My skin is so dry, it’s embarrassing. I go to have my legs waxed, and the Italian beautician practically has a nervous breakdown over the state of my legs – and my feet!

I don’t believe my skin could be any drier if I tried! I have what is called very mature, dry skin. So, I am constantly trying to find new face and body moisturisers because moisture makes you look younger.

There are a few anti-aging ingredients that can really make a difference. For instance, if you spray your face with water, you look younger. NuSkin NaPCA Moisture Mist is a product I especially like as I once saw it plump up a jar of dried apricots. It works miracles!

Having said that, and working on the principle that some of these companies may actually be right, you should still read about the efficacy of purportedly anti-aging peptides and retinol to help smooth lines and boost cell renewal.

Inside out, antioxidants are a must to protect the skin from the environment by day and repair it at night; eat them and apply them. In other words, drink water, eat fruit and veggies high in anti-oxidants, and use skin care products that work for your skin.

I have selected 5 of what I consider to be amongst the best moisturisers for dry, mature skin. I have tried all of them, and I’m certainly the right age to report on their efficacy and efficiency!

Benefit’s Total Moisture

I love Benefit’s Total Moisture Facial Cream because it provides immediate as well as long-term hydration. After application my skin looked plumper and felt smoother. It contains mango butter, and the scent is wonderful and fresh! This is my #2 choice as the hydration effect was about 7 hours.

Aesop

Aesop has a great palette of products for parched skin! Yes, you read it correctly – parched skin. The one I tried absorbed quickly, and left my skin feeling soft and smooth. The hydration effect lasted for about 3 hours. It has a better and longer lasting effect on medium dry skin.

L’Occitane and Their Ultra Riche Comforting Cream

The Ultra Riche Comforting Face Cream by L’Occitane made my skin feel very smooth and soft. The hydration effect is reported to last about 8 hours, but for me it was approximately 3 hours.

It contains 25% Shea Butter which is wonderful for ultra-dry skin. But not mine! This is why you have to try all these products for yourself.

L’Oréal

The Age Perfect Day cream by L’Oréal says it lifts sag, removes age spots and hydrates. I probably didn’t use it long enough, but nothing happened, per se, and it certainly didn’t do anything for the age spots.

It does hydrate, but not for long enough. Again, this is another product that will have a longer lasting effect on medium dry skin.

Ella Baché – My #1 Choice

My #1 choice is Ella Baché’s Eternal Very Rich Reconstructing Cream. I felt my skin plumping, and the hydration effect lasted all day! This product is very rich in texture. It is an expensive cream, but is also the most economical because you use so little.

If you want to try different moisturisers, visit your local beauty counter and ask for samples. If they don’t have them pre-packaged, ask for a sample in a small pot; they will usually give you about a week’s supply, depending on the product – you need less of some products than others.

Or you can take my advice! Don’t forget, you can also sample eye creams or gels. It’s very important to get these ones right too.

I must add, all of the above are subjective opinions. I’m sure there are people who have found any/all of these product good, bad or ugly! Try them for yourself, and see what really works for you.

On a final note, it’s good for your skin if you change your range of cosmetics and skin care every 6 months. Your skin gets used to the same products used time and again, and the efficacy of any product you use is diminished because of that! It’s a good idea to create two different packages and just rotate them. It sounds like an expensive exercise, but you’re worth it!

What are your favorite moisturizers? Do you use a product that’s different and unique? Do you have any special recommendations? What tips do you have for taking care of mature skin? Please join the discussion below!