If your moisturizer isn't helping or seems to be making your dry skin problem persist, these ingredients might be to blame. Many popular moisturizers contain ingredients that actually damage your skin's protective barrier, creating a frustrating cycle where you need more product but see less improvement.

Skin Barriers

Your skin works like a brick wall: skin cells are the "bricks" and natural oils (ceramides, cholesterol, fatty acids) are the "mortar" holding everything together. When harmful ingredients damage this protective barrier, your skin loses moisture faster than you can replace it.

Ingredients to Avoid

Drying Alcohols

Examples: Alcohol denat, SD Alcohols, Isopropyl alcohol, Ethyl alcohol

Why they're harmful: These literally dissolve your skin's protective oils and evaporate quickly, taking moisture with them. Products with more than 20% alcohol content cause immediate irritation.

Problematic Preservatives

Examples: Methylisothiazolinone (MIT), Quaternium-15, DMDM Hydantoin, Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives

Why they're harmful: These can trigger allergic reactions and sensitization. MIT was banned in EU leave-on products in 2017 due to dramatically increasing allergy rates.

Fragrances and Essential Oils

Examples: Parfum/Fragrance, Linalool, Limonene, Citronellol, Tea tree oil, Lavender oil

Why they're harmful: Despite "natural" marketing, both synthetic and natural fragrances are common allergens. They can increase skin penetration by up to 100-fold, disrupting your moisture barrier.

pH Disruptors

Examples: Sodium hydroxide, Ammonium hydroxide (in high concentrations)

Why they're harmful: Your skin needs to stay slightly acidic (pH 4-5.8) to function properly. These ingredients can make products too alkaline, disrupting essential repair processes.

Ingredients That Actually Help

Barrier-Repair Heroes

• Ceramides (especially Ceramide NP, AP, EOP): Rebuild your skin's protective barrier

• Hyaluronic Acid: Holds 1,000 times its weight in water

• Niacinamide (2-5%): Reduces inflammation while supporting barrier repair

• Glycerin (3-5%): Draws moisture to skin without irritation

Safe Moisture-Lockers

• Dimethicone: Creates protective seal without clogging pores

• Petrolatum: 95% reduction in water loss, hypoallergenic

• Fatty alcohols (Cetyl, Stearyl): Smooth and condition without drying

• Squalane: Lightweight, mimics skin's natural oils

Our advice

Read labels carefully. If alcohol, SLS, MIT, or fragrances appear in the first 7 ingredients, skip that product. Your dry skin needs barrier repair, not just hydration, and that's impossible when your moisturizer contains ingredients that actively damage your skin's protective barrier.

You can use the pom app to scan the ingredient labels of your moisturizers and flag for these and many other concerning ingredients before you buy them!