Best Ointments for Dehydration

Ranked by community score across 92 mentions on Reddit

Top picks· 3

The heaviest layer — a thin coat on dry patches, last step.

Reddit’s top pick

Vaseline53 mentions

The why

A single-ingredient occlusive for sealing moisturizer over dry, compromised skin, especially overnight. It suits lips, flaky patches, eczema-prone hands, and retinoid-sensitive zones, but acne-prone or rosacea-prone users may find the heavy film triggers bumps, heat, or irritation.

One minus

Heavy, glossy film transfers to bedding and clothing

Good forDry Skin, Sensitive Skin, Oily Skin

Healing Ointment
41% petrolatum seals hydration and calms barrier damage; excellent for lips.
Aquaphor29 mentions
Healing Ointment
46.5% petrolatum seals moisture over ceramides; HG for tretinoin dryness and flaking.
CeraVe10 mentions

Want something richer? Aquaphor Healing Ointment

Community take

For dehydration, Redditors often recommend a thin layer of Vaseline or Aquaphor over moisturizer or humectants to seal in hydration. Some say slugging leaves their skin looking better by morning and helps with peeling.

What works

A thin final layer helps seal hydration over moisturizer or humectants.
People praise slugging for leaving skin looking better by morning.
Some say Vaseline helps reduce peeling on tretinoin nights.

Watch out for

Some users report Vaseline can clog pores and trigger breakouts.
Applying it near the eyes may cause irritation if it gets inside.

What the research says about dehydration ingredients

Some evidence

2 ingredients

Some studies found a benefit for dehydration, but the evidence isn't settled.

Hyaluronic Acid
Both studies that tested it on its own found it helped dehydrated skin
3 studies
Urea
Most studies found urea helped dehydrated skin hold more water
14 studies