Winter is on its way, and with winter, comes dry air. When the air is dry, there is far less moisture in the air, which leads to dry skin, along with things like having a dry throat. You can find all kinds of lotions that solve the problem of dry skin, but the easiest, and most cost-effective, the solution is to buy a humidifier.
In this article, you’re going to learn how to find the best humidifier for you, to make your skin nice and healthy, while also being able to reap the various other benefits that humidifiers bring to the table.
Our Recommended Humidifiers for Dry Skin in 2023
3. AquaOasis Cool Mist Humidifier
As far as humidifiers go, the AquaOasis Cool Mist Humidifier is one of the most basic units out there. It sports a hefty 2.2-liter tank that holds enough water to dispense mist in a room for up to 24 hours consecutively.
Despite its large tank, this unit is only effective in rooms of up to 150 square feet, meaning that it won’t work very well in standard-sized living rooms. What’s neat about the AquaOasis is its 360-degree nozzles, which lets you direct a cool mist in any direction you want it. Plus, it produces a soothing 30-dBa of noise on its lowest setting, which is perfect for sleeping.
- IMMEDIATE DRY AIR RELIEF! Want to eliminate the suffering from the terrible effects of dry...
- OPERATES IN TOTAL SILENCE – SLEEP LIKE A BABY! No humming, whistling, or crackling as...
2. GENIANI Top Fill Cool Mist Humidifier
The GENIANI is a top-filled humidifier, which makes refilling the tank a lot easier than other humidifier designs. This unit comes with a massive 4-liter tank and can distribute cooling mist across rooms of up to 220 square feet for 18 hours per refill. It’s a 2-in-1 unit that comes with a diffuser, so if you want to perfume the air with your favorite essential oil, this unit gives you that option.
Also, because of its smart sensor, the GENIANI has an auto-mode that lets you determine your desired relative humidity levels. When those levels are achieved, the humidifier will stop what it’s doing until it receives further instructions or if the humidity levels drop.
- ✅ BECAUSE YOU DESERVE THE BEST: Our classic, dual-function air humidifier delivers...
- ✅ INNOVATIVE AUTO-FUNCTION FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE: This cool mist humidifier features an...
1. Pure Enrichment MistAire
The Pure Enrichment MistAire is one of the simplest humidifiers available. To begin, it lacks advanced functions, such as voice commands and even a timer, and it does not include an oil tray for your favorite essential oils. Essentially, you’ll receive a unit with a small 0.7-liter tank capable of humidifying a 175-square-foot space for 10 hours.
Due to the absence of intelligent features, maintaining this machine is a breeze—simply empty the tank and scrub all components thoroughly before drying it off with a clean towel. If you’re looking for a humidifier that requires absolutely no thought to humidify the air and moisten dry skin, this is it!
- SLEEK, COMPACT SIZE: Ultrasonic cool mist technology safely and quickly moisturizes dry...
- 10-HOUR RUN TIME: Allows for continuous overnight operation while you sleep without...
Buying Guide
Cool Mist
Generally speaking, there are two types of humidifiers. Warm Mist, and Cool Mist. Warm Mist tends to be the more popular type of humidifier, but when it comes to dry skin, it’s best to get a Cool Mist humidifier.
Warm mist is known to make certain skin conditions – namely eczema – worse, and it has been shown that it doesn’t do a great deal when it comes to reducing the dryness of your skin because the air doesn’t have nearly as much moisture as when using cool mist humidifiers.
On top of that, warm mist humidifiers are also known for having more germ and bacteria buildup, because the warm temperatures are ideal for the growth of those types of contaminants. This can lead to contaminated air that leads to illness.
You’ll have to clean a warm mist humidifier a lot more than you would a cool mist humidifier, which can be inconvenient.
Humidity Controller
Humidifiers that allow you to control the humidity levels tend to be slightly more expensive than humidifiers that lack this feature, but it’s worth it.
Too little humidity can be problematic, in that it won’t get rid of your dry skin, but too much humidity might exacerbate your dry skin.
This is why it’s so important to find a humidifier with a humidity controller because then you can alter the settings for the room that you are in, and find the perfect levels.
For most people, a humidity level of fifty-percent is ideal, but some people put theirs at forty-percent, and some people put theirs at sixty-percent. Anything more than sixty-percent is usually too much, though.
Humidifiers without these controls tend to be less effective, because you never know just how much humidity is being produced, and sometimes, this is okay, but most of the time, it isn’t, and you may end up with more problems than you started with.
If you have the money, you might want to invest in a humidifier with a humidistat, which shows you the humidity being produced, and the overall humidity levels of the room you are in, allowing for you to adjust accordingly.
Good Filtration System
Too many people underestimate the importance of good filtration. Good filtration prevents germs and other contaminants from getting into/growing in the water, and contaminating your air, leading to illness.
Right Size For Your Room/Home
If you are going to be humidifying a single room – such as your bedroom – then you can get a nice, small humidifier. However, if you intend to humidify your entire home, then you’ll want to look for a bigger model.
Sleep-Friendly Features – Optional
Some people don’t mind a loud humidifier, but if you aren’t one of those people, then you should be looking for a humidifier with sleep-friendly features, such as minimal noise production and either minimal lighting, or a night-light feature.
The reason for this is because chances are, you’ll be using your humidifier at night, while you sleep, which allows your skin to moisturize for a good five to nine hours.
Of course, if you work from home, then you might not need to run it at night, and so these features are less important.
A Built-In Diffuser – Optional
The reason this is at the bottom of the list is because this feature is significantly less important than the others. However, if you intend to use things like essential oils – which have been shown to help with dry skin, and they smell very nice – then this is a good option.
You can buy a separate diffuser unit, but purchasing a humidifier with a built-in diffuser is more convenient and saves electricity.
Ultimately, when looking for the best humidifier for you, look for all of those features, as well as the optional ones if they are important to you, and then look at your price range and the size you need, and you will find the best humidifier for you!
FAQs
Dry skin can be a telltale sign that you need a humidifier at home. Between warm and cool mist humidifiers, cool mist is the better option to rehydrate dry skin. Even though neither type can affect a room’s temperature, warm water molecules can worsen eczema symptoms.
The only time you should consider using a warm humidifier is when you or a loved one has the flu. A study has shown that children exposed to a warm humidifier required fewer nasal suctions.
Yes, they certainly do. Even though there are several conditions where a person can have dry skin, one common cause is prolonged exposure to dry air. Introducing moisture back into the air with a humidifier might help you deal with the itchiness, cracked skin, and ashy skin, or it might even help solve the core problem of dry skin.
Of course, you shouldn’t miss your daily recommended intake of between 9 and 13 cups of water for adult males and females, respectively. Drinking more water will help hydrate your skin and internal organs.
It can be, especially if the humidifier has a built-in timer and humidity detector. There’s only so much night creams can do for you, and if toss and turn in your sleep, you can guarantee that your facial cream will end moisturizing your pillowcase instead.
Before heading off to bed, fill the humidifier with a full tank of water, set the timer for as long as you think you’ll sleep, and set the humidity range to between 40 and 60 percent. If the relative humidity of your bedroom exceeds the 60 percent mark, the humidifier will automatically shut off.
Low-humidity air or dry air absorbs moisture wherever it can, including your skin. This includes the natural oils the sebaceous glands secrete. When the air robs our skin of its natural oils, our skin will can become dryer, can crack more easily, and appear ashy from up close. Dry air is more common during the winter months since cold air retains less moisture and end up robbing us of our skin oils.
If you leave your air conditioner running 24/7 during the scorching-hot summer months, then you’re putting you and your family at risk of dry skin. However, there are several things you can do to compensate for the loss of skin moisture.
• Turn your AC off for a couple of hours
• Drink plenty of water
• Apply non-fragrant moisturizer liberally and frequently
• Incorporate more fruits and veggies into your diet
• Keep an open bowl of water in the air-conditioned room
Do not use a humidifier in an air-conditioned room. Both appliances will fight to maintain dry (AC) and humid (humidifier) air and might cause strain both appliances to the brink of irreparable damage.
Yes, you can. Running your humidifier for too long without breaks and constant tank refills can raise the relative humidity of a room beyond the comfortable 40-to-60-percent range. Also, excess humidity can promote mold and bacteria growth, as well as potentially cause muscle cramps and exhaustion.

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References
Best Humidifiers for Large Rooms – HouseholdMe
Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate (2005) – nap.edu
Last Update: 2023-03-23 | Affiliate links/Images from Amazon Product Advertising API