10 Best Drugstore Foundations for Dry, Dehydrated Skin
Most of these hydrating foundations are under $15.
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There are countless foundation formulas lining drugstore aisles, but finding the best foundation for dry skin can be a challenge. How can you tell which will be moisturizing — and which will be dehydrating? We asked the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab's scientists and top makeup artists to share their expertise on choosing a drugstore foundation that will soften skin, not parch it, as well as even its tone and perfect its look.
"Liquid and cream foundation formulations tend to be better choices for those with dry or dehydrated skin than powders, as their bases are, by nature, usually made with emollient ingredients," says GH Beauty Lab senior chemist Sabina Wizemann, who conducted the Beauty Lab's most recent foundations test. Liquids can also be infused with added hydrating ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid and vitamin E.
When shopping for foundations for dry skin at the drugstore, look for key words such as cream, creamy, hydrating, moisture, moisturizing, moisturizer, dewy, or glow on product packaging. Avoid any formulations labeled matte, oil-free, or for oily or acne-prone skin, which tend to contain less softening ingredients and more pigment or oil-absorbing ingredients, and can dry out skin.
How we test foundation
The GH Beauty Lab has decades of experience testing makeup formulations. When testing the efficacy of foundations, Lab scientists, and professional makeup artists first scan the market for the newest launches across price points. The brand labels on the packaging are then masked to eliminate bias. Next, each foundation is assessed and graded on a variety of attributes, including ease of dispensing and application, formulation texture, spreadability, blendability, buildability, and coverage look and feel on skin.
For products that make skin moisturization claims, such as BB creams, CC creams, and tinted moisturizers, Beauty Lab chemists may also use the Corneometer device to measure the change in skin's hydration levels before and six hours after application. Here, the best drugstore foundations for dry skin you can buy, including full coverage, mineral, and stick formulas, as tested and recommended by the GH Beauty Lab.
Best Overall Drugstore Foundation for Dry Skin
No7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Serum Foundation SPF 15
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Best Anti-Aging Drugstore Foundation for Dry Skin
CoverGirl + Olay Simply Ageless Instant Wrinkle-Defying Foundation SPF 20
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No7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Serum Foundation SPF 15
No7's liquid foundation, a Good Housekeeping Seal star and Beauty Lab test winner, goes on smooth and works best for those with dry skin, professional makeup artist evaluators found. It earned points in testing for its believable, radiant finish, easy application, and smooth blending. Makeup artist Birgitte Philippides called the formula “very impressive” and “flawless.”
Coverage: Light to Medium
Shades: 17
Formula: Liquid
CoverGirl + Olay Simply Ageless Instant Wrinkle-Defying Foundation SPF 20
This CoverGirl cream compact foundation, a Good Housekeeping Seal star, contains Olay moisturizer with vitamin E swirled right in. It feels velvety and blends flawlessly, and though it's lightweight, testers praised its great coverage, which is pigmented enough to double as concealer. “It goes on like a face moisturizer,” our Lab expert says.
Coverage: Medium to Full
Shades: 11
Formula: Cream
Maybelline New York Dream Fresh BB Cream SPF 30
The GH Beauty Lab rated this BB cream highly for its hydration superpowers. The formula offers sheer to medium coverage that blends well. Best of all, it scored high for providing real hydration benefits, increasing skin moisturization by 11% over six hours —an impressive number for a color cosmetic product.
Coverage: Light
Shades: 5
Formula: Cream
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint
A moisturizing favorite, this light foundation claims to plump up dehydrated skin with hyaluronic acid, which draws in moisture. And it's not just those with dry skin who love it. "This is great on my sensitive skin and so lightweight that I don't even know it's there," one five-star Amazon review says. GH beauty editors also love this formula for its soft, "no-makeup" feel on skin.
Coverage: Light
Shades: 10
Formula: Liquid
Almay Smart Shade CC Cream SPF 35
With hydrating and brightening ingredients like niacinamide, Almay's tinted CC cream ranked highly in the Beauty Lab's test for not irritating skin, absorbing quickly, and evening skin texture and tone long-term. Test results showed it smoothed skin texture in four weeks of use.
Coverage: Light
Shades: 3
Formula: Liquid
Olay Total Effects Tone Correcting CC Cream SPF 15
This Olay formula with the Good Housekeeping Seal is swirled with foundation pigment and skincare cream that contains hydrating glycerin and vitamin E. The best hydrator of the Beauty Lab's CC cream test, this sheer tinted cream improved skin over time, too. According to Lab measurements, it moisturized better than any other CC cream tested, increasing skin hydration levels by 36% over six hours (a number that's high even for skincare products).
Coverage: Light
Shades: 1 (light to medium)
Formula: Cream
Lumene Instant Glow Beauty Serum
A favorite of GH Beauty Lab senior chemist Sabina Wizemann, who has dry skin, this “light, serum-like formula disappears into my skin, yet makes it look brighter and dewier,” she says. Other benefits of the liquid, infused with peptides and botanical extracts: “It is easy to apply and I only need a few drops for a natural look, thanks to its dropper applicator.” It’s also easy to wash off of fingers and application tools like sponges, Wizemann reports, unlike heavier creamy foundations.
Coverage: Light to Medium
Shades: 3
Formula: Liquid
Burt's Bees BB Cream with SPF 15
Made with natural mineral pigments and sunscreens plus plant-derived ingredients like sunflower oil, this rich Burt's Bees cream is one of the go-to bargain foundation formulas for GH's beauty editor who has extremely dry skin. "It makes skin instantly feel soft and hydrated, plus it evens out skin tone very well without being too heavy," she says.
Coverage: Light
Shades: 3
Formula: Cream
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Foundation Stick
If you're a fan of stick foundations, look no further than this Neutrogena magic wand, which does double duty as concealer thanks to its buildable medium to full coverage. It's a GH beauty editor favorite for a reason: Unlike some heavily-pigmented cream stick formulas, this version made with hyaluronic acid easily glides on and blends into skin, yet won't emphasize or cake on dry, flaky patches on your face or settle into lines.
Coverage: Full
Shades: 8
Formula: Cream
Almay Best Blend Forever Makeup SPF 40
Fragrance-free and hypoallergenic, Almay's liquid foundation infused with moisturizers like glycerin and antioxidants such as vitamin C contains a high level of broad-spectrum sunscreen for a makeup formula, SPF 40. It also comes with a built-in applicator and blending sponge that one reviewer said "glides easily over skin and adjusts to facial contours".
Coverage: Light
Shades: 12
Formula: Liquid
April (she/her) is the senior beauty and style director at Good Housekeeping, Prevention and Woman's Day. She has over 15 years of experience under her belt, starting her career as an assistant beauty editor at GH in 2007, and working in the beauty departments of SELF and Fitness magazines.
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