Neutrogena HYDRO BOOST WATER CREAM for dry skin

Hyaluronic Acid
Glycerin
Dimethicone
Cetearyl Olivate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Superior
- HighDry Skin Fit
- SuperiorEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
One of the best moisturizers for dry skin.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Excellent for your dry skin as the high concentration of hyaluronic acid and glycerin provides superior hydration, effectively addressing dryness and flakiness.
- Dimethicone further enhances this by creating a smooth emollient layer, complementing the humectant action for lasting comfort.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components ensuring no irritation for your dry skin.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and work your way up to daily use.
- Apply your moisturizer after your toner and before your sunscreen in the morning. At night, use it as the final step after your serum.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer into your skin. Avoid rubbing to keep your dry skin happy.
- Apply the moisturizer on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra hydration. This is great for soothing dry and flaky areas .
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a patch test before your first use .
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 2.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this fragrance-free moisturizer is highly recommended by users with dry and sensitive skin for its lightweight, non-greasy texture that provides deep hydration and leaves skin plump and dewy. A significant number of recent reviews express disappointment due to a formula change, with some long-time users reporting new issues with irritation or texture differences compared to the original.
Highlights
Intense hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “Skin looked plumper and radiant”
- “Flooded my skin with moisture”
- “Leaves face feeling refreshed and bouncy”
Lightweight texture Often Mentioned
- “Absorbs quickly into the skin”
- “No greasy residue”
- “Melts into water upon application”
Formula change Often Mentioned
- “Formula change ruined it”
- “Bring back the original”
- “Not as good as the old Gel-Cream”
Fragrance-free Sometimes Noted
- “Perfect for sensitive skin”
- “No scent is a huge plus”
Makeup compatibility Sometimes Noted
- “Works well under makeup”
- “Creates a smooth base”
- “Foundation lays better on top”
Price vs. quantity Sometimes Noted
- “Runs out quickly”
- “Too expensive for the amount”
- “Jar was half empty”
Skin irritation Sometimes Noted
- “Made my face very red”
- “Stung my skin immediately”
- “Caused a burning sensation”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Broke me out in cysts”
- “Caused tiny red bumps”
- “Not safe for acne-prone skin anymore”
Sources: lovi.care, neutrogena.com, ulta.com, amazon.com, skinsort.com, youtube.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream one of the best fits for dry skin?
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream is an exceptional fit for dry skin because its high concentration of hyaluronic acid and glycerin delivers deep hydration to quickly relieve dryness and flakiness. Additionally, dimethicone forms a smooth protective layer that locks in moisture for long-lasting comfort without causing any irritation.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for dry skin?
Hyaluronic acid and glycerin make this cream a great fit because they provide deep hydration that helps smooth away dryness and flakiness. Dimethicone adds a smooth layer that seals in moisture for lasting comfort.
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for dry skin?
Hyaluronic acid draws moisture into dry skin, giving an immediate and lasting boost in hydration that helps smooth out fine lines and soften rough patches. It is very gentle and unlikely to cause irritation while improving overall skin smoothness and plumpness.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2021Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011
What does Glycerin do for dry skin?
Glycerin helps dry skin by drawing in moisture and keeping it locked in, which makes the skin feel much softer and smoother. It also supports your natural skin barrier to stop water from escaping easily. A product for dry skin needs extra ingredients like hyaluronic acid and soothing plant extracts to truly calm and hydrate dry patches.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
For dry skin, use this moisturizer as the final step before sunscreen in the morning and as the last step in your evening routine. Daily use of a moisturizer significantly improves clinical dryness and helps maintain skin comfort.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol, and applying it after your retinol helps keep your skin comfortable and reduces dryness. Preconditioning and continuing application with a barrier-enhancing moisturizer like this may facilitate facial retinization and improve your skin's tolerance.
How often should I use this cream?
Use this moisturizer twice a day, in both your morning and evening routines, to keep your dry skin comfortable and well-hydrated. Daily application helps improve moisture levels and supports your skin barrier.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on dry skin because it features a very safe formula with soothing ingredients. While some shoppers report breakouts, it generally helps keep dry skin calm and comfortable without causing irritation.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
Yes, you can use this cream around the eyes and on your body, as its gentle ingredients and excellent safety profile suit those thinner and broader skin areas well. The high concentration of hyaluronic acid and glycerin helps provide lasting hydration, while dimethicone creates a smooth layer that keeps moisture locked in.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012Wearing an N95 mask alone compared to using dimethicone cream or hydrocolloid dressing caused more adverse skin reactions among 73 military health care workers, with no significant differences in fit test failure rates between groups.
Military Medicine, 2024Treatment with a moisturizer containing dimethicone and glycerine increased epidermal thickness by 0.019 mm, improved barrier function by decreasing transepidermal water loss by 13%, decreased melanin intensity, and induced keratins 6 and 16 in fifteen women with moderately photoaged forearms.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2007Externally applied substances such as ceramides, hyaluronic acid, licorice extracts, dimethicone, petrolatum, and paraffin wax treat skin disease resulting from damage to the skin barrier.
Clinics in Dermatology, 2012
Ingredients
Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Dimethicone Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Carbomer, Hyaluronic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, C12-14 Pareth-12, Sodium Hydroxide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Chlorphenesin
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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