Stick with a sulfate-free formula

Sulfates (typically noted as sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate on ingredient lists) are foaming surfactants that help remove oil and debris from your skin. They help make your body wash super sudsy—but sulfates can also strip away your skin’s natural oils and compromise its protective skin barrier. As dermatologist Karan Lal, MD, explains, "They can be problematic if you have dry skin since dry is already void of skin oils and natural moisturizers."

Simply put, using a body wash with sulfates can make dry skin even more dry. So just you do your skin a favor and stick with a sulfate-free formula, mmmkay?

Look for moisturizing ingredients

In addition to being sulfate-free, the best body washes for dry skin are made with skin-loving ingredients like glycerin, stearic acid, and petrolatum, says Dr. Lal. "Both glycerin and petrolatum will help moisturize your skin," he says, "and stearic acid is a magical ingredient—is both an emulsifier and surfactant, so it cleans skin and helps it retain water at the same time."

Stearic acid can be found in a number of natural sources, such as shea butter and coconut oil, while petrolatum (better known petroleum jelly) acts as an occlusive emollient, which means it does a stellar job of sealing in moisture.

Consider the texture

Body washes with a creamy texture often have more oil-containing ingredients that help moisturize the skin, making them a safe choice for dry skin types. On the other hand, foam and gel body washes tend to have more surfactants, which remove oils from your skin. "If you like using a foaming or gel body wash, don’t fret—just aggressively moisturize after showering," Dr. Lal suggests.

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