11 Best Foundations to Hydrate Dry, Flaky Skin

This foundation blew away the competition in Lab testing: It earned a perfect score for having the smoothest texture, and got top scores for being easily blendable and providing smooth, nearly undetectable coverage. It's also a favorite of numerous editors in the Beauty Lab, who say it blends into the skin seamlessly to give medium coverage and a silky finish that works well on both dry and mature skin. Testers and pros alike love that it seamlessly glides over skin and perfects complexion without making it look like you're wearing makeup.

• Coverage: Sheer to medium
• Shades: 40
• Finish: Radiant
• SPF: None

This pick is a hybrid of Olay moisturizer, hyaluronic complex and vitamin C for hydrated, nourished skin that looks even-toned. Although it's lightweight and "goes on like a face moisturizer,” testers love its medium- to full-coverage formula and SPF 28 for added protection from sun damage. And with over 15,000 reviews on Amazon, reviewers say they "like how soft, creamy and dewy it goes on and STAYS that way, without settling into fine lines."

• Coverage: Medium to full
• Shades: 12
• Finish: Radiant
• SPF: 28

This drugstore buy goes on smoothly and leaves a dewy, satiny finish on dry skin. It's packed with firming and brightening ingredients and has anti-aging benefits to smooth fine lines and blur imperfections. In our Institute's research, professional makeup artists said it works best for dry, sensitive and mature skin types. Experts love that it can provide buildable sheer or medium coverage and ranked it highly for ease of use and performance.

• Coverage: Sheer to medium
• Shades: 13
• Finish: Radiant
• SPF: 15

Of all the products we tested, It Cosmetics' foundation scored highest for mature, dry and sensitive skin. It creates a dewy, satin-like finish, and it got perfect scores for providing smooth, even coverage on dry skin. Our testers loved that it dispensed the exact right amount of product and blended easily over skin. Not to mention, it's a 2-in-1 product with enough SPF to protect your skin from the sun. For best results, apply it with your fingers or using a sponge.

• Coverage: Full
• Shades: 12
• Finish: Radiant
• SPF: 50+

Tinted moisturizers are skin care/cosmetic hybrids, which means that you should expect serious hydration power but lighter coverage. We haven't tested this pick in the Lab yet, but it's GH Beauty Director April Franzino’s go-to — sheswears it hides imperfections and discoloration "without settling into lines or caking," while adding a gorgeous glow.

• Coverage: Light
• Shades: 15
• Finish: Natural
• SPF: 23

CC creams (or "color correcting" creams) are a combination of skin care and foundation, that offer very lightweight coverage while perfecting skin. This Good Housekeeping Seal-holder is a standout for its moisturization abilities: In Lab tests, it boosted skin hydration levels by an impressive 36%. Bonus: Over time with continued use, the Lab found that it minimized the appearance of brown spots and pores. Its only pitfall? It's only available in one light shade.

• Coverage: Sheer to medium
• Shades: 1
• Finish: Radiant
• SPF: 15

"BB" stands for "beauty balms," and BB creams are known to even skin tone and correct blemishes without being as heavy as traditional foundations. Testers loved the "natural" look of this super affordable BB cream, and it really works to increase hydration: It amped up skin moisturization by 11% in Lab tests. The one downside is its limited shade range.

• Coverage: Sheer
• Shades: 3
• Finish: Natural
• SPF: 30

For a truly perfect shade and formulation match, look no further than this 2017 Beauty Award-winner from Lancôme, which not only allows you to choose your perfect tone, but hydration level as well: the brand says there are 72,000 possibilities for an exact color and texture match. "I chose the most hydrating formula and found it felt softening and more like a face cream than makeup on my skin," says GH Beauty Director April Franzino. In Lab tests, it matched a range of light, medium and dark skin tones, and testers loved the finish on skin.

• Coverage: Customizable
• Shades: Customizable
• Finish: Customizable
• SPF: None

This hydrating, silky-smooth pick by Givenchy is perfect for the dead of winter. Made with glycerin and coconut oil, "it feels really hydrating, and has been perfect for this final stretch of winter where my skin is even drier than usual," said one tester. "I’m always wary of foundation looking patchy on my dry skin, but this one is light coverage, wears like a second skin and doesn’t sink into my pores."

• Coverage: Light
• Shades: 30
• Finish: Radiant
• SPF: None

This cult favorite brand caught everyone's attention when it presented its foundations in order from darkest to lightest shades. This full-coverage-yet-hydrating offering from the brand gives a "dewy, glass-skin look," and while we haven't tested it in the Beauty Lab yet, reviewers can't get enough. "Lightweight and a little goes a long way (a tiny dot is more than enough to cover my face)," says one. "It also covers EVERYTHING: blemishes, fine lines... gone. It isn’t heavy looking at all either."

• Coverage: Full
• Shades: 30
• Finish: Dewy
• SPF: None

With 50 different shades to help you find your perfect match, more than 10,000 reviewers have raved about this foundation. "I have super dry skin and any other foundation cracks and breaks off around my nose, but not this one!" said one reviewer. "It feels hydrating and leaves a glowy finish." We haven't put it to test in the Lab yet, but the brand claims this foundation is formulated with hyaluronic acid to hydrate dry patches and adaptive technology to adjust to your complexion.

• Coverage: Medium
• Shades: 50
• Finish: Natural
• SPF: None