Dry skin (xerosis) accompanied by itching occurs when your skin loses too much moisture. According to the Cleveland Clinic, people with very dry, itchy skin often have a damaged skin barrier, which makes it harder for the skin to retain water.¹, Many external factors (such as cold weather and overcleansing) can weaken your skin’s protective barrier, leaving it less able to keep moisture in and external irritants out. Research also shows that the skin barrier becomes thinner as you age.² Additionally, studies suggest that dry, itchy skin may be associated with a lack of natural moisturizing factors (NMFs) in your skin.^3,4

When your skin barrier is weakened, it may not be able to effectively trap moisture—this can cause water to evaporate off your skin’s surface too quickly. So, if your skin feels dry shortly after applying moisturizer, it’s possible that your skin barrier may be compromised. CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion contains Hydro-Urea™ (a blend of natural moisturizing factors), as well as hyaluronic acid, dimethicone, and three skin-identical ceramides. It’s designed for extra-dry skin and is formulated to help restore the skin’s natural moisture barrier.

Our Intensive Moisturizing Lotion also features MVE Delivery Technology for continuous, long-lasting hydration. Together with the blend of NMFs, MVE Delivery Technology helps rehydrate the skin barrier. After just one application, it leaves skin feeling deeply hydrated and moisturized for up to 72 hours.

But remember: There are many reasons why your skin may feel dry even after moisturizing—such as overcleansing, aging, and certain skin conditions. If your skin feels chronically dry, itchy, or painful, it’s best to speak with a board-certified dermatologist for an accurate assessment of your skin. Your dermatologist can help rule out any potential skin conditions and recommend an appropriate and effective moisturizer for your dry skin’s needs.

Natural moisturizing factors (NMFs) are substances that help keep your skin barrier healthy and hydrated. These essential components are naturally found in the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of your skin. They play an important role in attracting and binding moisture. Applying a moisturizer with NMFs may help support comfortable, healthy-looking skin. CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion for extra-dry skin is formulated with 5% Hydro-Urea™, which features a blend of natural moisturizing factors.

Hydro-Urea™ is designed to hydrate deep within the skin’s surface layers. It features a blend of amino acids (serine, glycine, and alanine), sodium PCA (pyrrolidine carboxylic acid), and hydroxyethyl urea (a derivative of urea). Amino acids and PCA are some of the most abundant NMFs in healthy skin and are often lacking in those with dry skin.

CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion is formulated with beneficial ingredients that help address five key signs of dryness: tightness, flaking/scaling, itching, roughness, and redness or discoloration due to dryness. Like all CeraVe products, it contains three essential ceramides, which are a key component of your skin’s natural moisture barrier. It also features a blend of natural moisturizing factors (Hydro-Urea™) and dimethicone, an occlusive ingredient that helps seal in moisture.

You’ll also find emollient ingredients such as glycerin and shea butter, which can help soften and smooth dry, flaky skin, and humectants like hyaluronic acid. Lastly, our Intensive Moisturizing Lotion features MVE Delivery Technology for continuous, all-day hydration. To learn more about our ingredients, head to Ingredients in CeraVe.

Urea is an NMF and humectant that can help moisturize your skin and improve the appearance of dry, rough skin. You can find urea included in several CeraVe products, such as CeraVe Diabetics Dry Skin Relief and CeraVe Psoriasis Moisturizing Cream. The main difference between urea and Hydro-Urea™ is that urea is a singular NMF ingredient and Hydro-Urea™ contains a blend of NMFs—including a derivative of urea known as hydroxyethyl urea.

CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion is suitable for use by adults and teens (13+). The easy-to-apply formula is developed with dermatologists and is fragrance-free, pH-balanced, paraben-free, and allergy-tested. It can be used by all skin tones and skin types (including sensitive skin) to deeply hydrate dry to very dry skin.

We recommend adding this moisturizing lotion to your skincare routine if you’re dealing with extra-dry skin, flaking, scaling, rough texture, and redness or itching due to dryness. CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion is also an excellent moisturizer for mature skin that feels very dry (sometimes known as mature xerosis). Our Intensive Moisturizing Lotion leaves mature skin feeling firmer, softer, and smoother with a more radiant and even-toned appearance. The fast-absorbing formula also helps improve the appearance of ashy skin, which can be a common issue among those with mature, dry skin.

CeraVe offers several moisturizing creams and lotions to meet the needs of all skin types and preferences. Our Moisturizing Cream and Daily Moisturizing Lotion make excellent options if you’re looking to hydrate normal to dry skin while helping to maintain your skin’s protective barrier.

On the other hand, CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion may be a better fit if you have very dry, dry/itchy, and/or mature skin. This formula offers advanced hydration and is specifically formulated to help restore the skin barrier. It also includes a complex of natural moisturizing factors (NMFs) that help hydrate deep within the skin’s surface layers. CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion helps relieve five key signs of dryness to promote more comfortable skin, including itching, tightness, roughness, scaling/flaking, and redness or discoloration due to dryness.

With that said, all three of these dry skin moisturizers are developed with dermatologists, gentle on your skin, allergy-tested, and fragrance-free. They all contain CeraVe’s three essential ceramides and other beneficial ingredients for dry skin. Any of these options can make an excellent addition to your moisturizing routine for hydrated, healthy-looking skin. For help choosing the right products for your skin’s needs, head to our Skincare Solution Finder.

1. “How To Tell if Your Skin Barrier Is Damaged and What To Do About It.” Cleveland Clinic, 13 Dec. 2022.
2. “Dry Skin.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2024.
3. “Why Is My Skin So Dry and Itchy? The Science Behind Dry Skin and How to Care for It.” Northwestern Medicine, Oct. 2023.
4. Douladiris N, Vakirlis E, Vassilopoulou E. “Atopic Dermatitis and Water: Is There an Optimum Water Intake Level for Improving Atopic Skin?” Children (Basel). 2023 Jan 31;10(2):273. doi: 10.3390/children10020273. PMID: 36832402; PMCID: PMC9954916.