Summer skin care is about protecting your skin from sun, salt and sweat. But when winter comes, comes a new set of challenges. Cold weather and dry indoor air can leave skin dehydrated at best, or flaky, irritated and even painful at worst. But proper skin care ingredients can lock in moisture and protect you from the elements. It’s just a matter of drawing in moisture and caring for the skin barrier so that it stays put. It requires using a combination of three classes of ingredients: humectants, emollients and occlusive.

“For deep hydration, it’s all about combining humectants to draw in moisture, emollients to smooth and soften, and occlusives to lock it all in,” says board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD. “Together they create the perfect hydration trio.”

This all sounds very technical, but fear not. Ahead, three experts share their favorite ingredients for hydrating dry winter skin, and exactly how to combine them.

Moisturizing ingredients to look for

Hyaluronic acid

Type: Humectant
Good for: All skin types

Although it may sound like a harsh exfoliation, hyaluronic acid is a humectant that draws water into the skin. It can last 1,000 times its weight in waterso even a small amount can provide deep hydration. All three experts named it among their favorite ingredients for dry skin. And while it’s deeply hydrating, it doesn’t clog pores, so those with breakout-prone skin can use it without worry.

Ceramides

Type: Emollient
Good for: Mature skin and/or very dry skin

Ceramides are a class of fatty molecules that help repair the skin barrier, says Gershoony. They are found naturally in the skin and are added to skin care products to strengthen the skin barrier and help prevent moisture from escaping. They are particularly useful for more mature skin, as the body’s natural ceramide production declines with age.

Niacinamide

Type: Humectant
Good for: Irritated and acne-prone skin

Technically a form of vitamin B3, niacinamide is a hero ingredient for soothing angry skin. Gershoony recommends it for both acne-prone and irritated skin, as it fights inflammation and targets redness. Dr. Nazarian explains that it can also help prevent water loss and pairs well with hyaluronic acid.

Colloidal oatmeal

Type: Emollient
Good for: Red, irritated skin

Both Dr. Gohara and Gershoony recommend colloidal oatmeal for its soothing and anti-inflammatory properties, which can calm angry, red skin. It is made from ground oats and contains a variety of vitamins, minerals and fats that support skin health. (The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) even recognizes it as a skin protectant.)

Centella asiatica

Type: Moisturizing and softening
Good for: Flaky skin

Although it has only recently become a common part of Western skin care, the herbal extract Centella Asiatica has been a staple of Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Dr. Gohara recommends it for its soothing and anti-inflammatory properties, similar to colloidal oatmeal. Dr. Nazarian adds, “For people who have visibly flaky skin, it’s good to combine their moisturizing ingredients with anti-inflammatory ingredients, like vitamin B5 or Centella asiatica, which soothe irritated skin.”

Glycerin

Type: Humectant
Good for: All skin types

Avoid drying alcohols (such as ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol) and synthetic fragrances. “They can make dry skin feel worse. Look for products that are fragrance-free and formulated for sensitive skin,” says Dr. Gohara. Also harsh exfoliants such as AHA, BHA and glycolic acid can be beneficialthey can also worsen dry skin. The same goes for retinoids. “I recommend avoiding high-strength retinoids because these can over-exfoliate and disrupt the skin barrier, exacerbating dryness,” says Gershoony. She also warns against sulfates, which are commonly found in cleansers and shampoos, because they can strip essential oils from the skin.

Order to apply

The order you apply the ingredients also matters. “Apply those with humectants (hyaluronic acid) before emollients that seal it and close the barrier. This maximizes the supply of moisture to your skin,” says Dr. Nazarian. Another way to look at it is to use products with more water first, and those with more oil last. Or, as Dr. Nazarian says: essence, serum, gel, lotion, cream, ointment. (You don’t necessarily need to use all of these products, but try to follow that order.)