18 Best Foundations for Dry Skin, Tested by Makeup Pros

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. This pick is 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, but the trade-off is that the texture is a bit drippy.

This GH Seal Star 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 21,000 reviews on Amazon, reviewers say they "like how soft, creamy and dewy it goes on and STAYS that way, without settling into fine lines."

In Lab evaluations, pro evaluators all agreed that this silky smooth foundation felt "satiny" on even dry skin types — "dewy but not too dewy," raved one, making it ideal for normal to dry skin. Testers especially loved the texture, saying, "It feels like a light beauty balm." In tests, it subdued redness, gave true medium coverage and lasted all day without making dry skin look (or feel!) drier.

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, but didn't love that the product is fragranced. Our pros wish the shade range was more inclusive, but love that this 2-in-1 product has a high SPF to better protect your skin from the sun. For best results, apply it with your fingers or using a sponge.

A favorite of multiple GH editors, Lancôme's hydrating formula blends seamlessly even onto dry complexions. "This formula is infused with skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid, so it feels softening and gives skin a natural-looking dewiness but still provides great coverage," says GH Beauty Director April Franzino, who swears this foundation doesn't make her dry skin feel more dehydrated. Another GH editor says, "this foundation is one of the most lightweight I've tried, but still gives great, skin tone-evening coverage that's easy to build up."

"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, though it may be too sheer for some, 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.

We haven't Lab-tested this new release from Haus Labs, but it's another favorite of multiple GH beauty pros. "It provides dewy, medium coverage that keeps my skin glowing all day," says GH Beauty Assistant Catharine Malzahn. "I love that it has arnica in it to help minimize redness, as well as nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid and squalane so it doesn’t emphasize any dry spots." For the same reason, another editor says, "this is my favorite foundation to not only disguise dryness, but treat it as well." We love that it comes in an impressive 51 shades to match virtually all skin tones — "I’ve never found a foundation that matches my skin tone/neck as well as this one," says Malzahn.

A GH Beauty Award-winner and GH Seal holder, this balmy base has smoothing, hydrating and anti-aging properties. Our Beauty Lab evaluations showed it instantly made skin look smoother. While its main claim to fame is firming and smoothing skin, it's also formulated with proven hydrators like glycerin and hyaluronic acid, making it perfect for anyone with dry skin and fine lines.

For a light coverage finish that won't cling to dry patches, Associate Products and Reviews Editor Jacqueline Saguin recommends this tinted moisturizer all year round "for its lightweight feel on my sensitive skin," she says. "I rate it high for its natural finish that makes my skin look like exactly that, but smoother." We haven't Lab tested this pick, but we love that it's made with skin-friendly ingredients that hydrate skin, SPF to protect from UV rays (though we tend to prefer SPF 30 and above) and gives a nice radiant glow to skin.

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.

For a foundation that's packed with skin-friendly benefits, opt for this multi-tasking skincare makeup hybrid combines niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, squalane and SPF with buildable light coverage. The dropper allows you to better control how much foundation you use. "I’ve found it very easy to blend and build up," says Saguin. "The end result is a super dewy finish. Though lightweight, it’s super pigmented, so I like it for more medium coverage looks. " If you're looking for full coverage, though, this likely isn't the pick for you.

True to its name, this barely-there skin tint gave skin light, dewy coverage that lasted all day in Beauty Lab evaluations. Testers found that the light, gel-like formula spread easily and subtly blurred imperfections while evening skin tone. "I liked the dewy light coverage I get with this tinted moisturizer-like formula," said one tester. It's made with hyaluronic acid, glycerin and mallow to hydrate and boost skin's glow.

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 Franzino's go-to — she swears it hides imperfections and discoloration "without settling into lines or caking," while adding a gorgeous glow.

For light, glowing coverage, Beauty Lab Executive Director Birnur Aral loves this skin tint that "provides sheer to medium coverage with one coat," and says it's "buildable with a second coat without caking, and evens out skin with a dewy glow." We haven't Lab tested its moisturization ability, but Aral says, "it feels moisturizing to skin possibly thanks to emollients such as olive fruit oil, squalene, moringa seed oil and hazelnut seed oil within its first eight ingredients."

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.

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. The tradeoff, of course, is that it's very pricey.

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."