Skin

The Best Drugstore Moisturizers

It’s easy to get pretty overwhelmed with the cost of skincare. The truth is there really are only a few steps of your skincare regimen that you need to really invest in, and a few that you don’t need to fork over a hefty percentage of your monthly income for.

Moisturizer really has one simple function — to moisturize. It’s not meant to reinvent the wheel. The new moisturizers of 2017 did not come to mess around, so here are some of our favorite drugstore offerings that rival the luxury brands.

La Roche-Posay
Double Repair Moisturizer, $20

La Roche-Posay brings the new wave of prebiotic skincare to Target in a super affordable power-packed moisturizer. Your skin has a layer of “good bacteria,” exactly like your gut flora, and when prebiotics are applied topically they can support and protect this delicate “microbiome,” resulting in a healthier, more balanced complexion.

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Peach Slices
Citrus Honey Aqua Glow, $12

The CVS exclusive brand Peach Slices, of parent company Peach & Lily, FINALLY brings Korean skincare into US stores. Their first major launch includes this gel consistency serum-moisturizer hybrid that feels like a sip of cold lemonade on a sweltering summer day while instantly plumping skin, giving you an immediate and undeniable glow.

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CeraVe
Skin Renewing Gel Oil, $24

If you’re waking up with dull skin in the morning, your current moisturizer is obviously not cutting it. The gel oil consistency from CeraVe’s new moisturizer is specifically formulated for evening use, combining ceramides and their patented sunflower extract blend to guarantee a brighter complexion by morning.

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Garnier
SkinActive Moisture Bomb, $15

The antioxidant-rich gel moisturizer is a dream product for thirsty skin that also has a lot of stress and pollution to face during the day. It layers flawlessly under SPF and makeup. Keep it in your refrigerator for an extra boost of refreshing hydration each morning.

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E.L.F.
Daily Hydration Moisturizer, $8

Shea butter and Vitamin E infuse this antioxidant-rich featherweight daily moisturizer with calming cucumber extract for the perfect blend of moisture and protection. Ideal for drier skin, it’s also just under the TSA volume restriction for liquids, making it the perfect moisturizer for traveling.

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St. Ives
Timeless Skin Collagen Facial Moisturizer, $7

I feel like I can’t be alone in the temptation to throw a wad of cash at any product that contains “collagen” in its title, as collagen is paramount in the battle against aging. Luckily, with this particular offering from St. Ives, the wad of cash wouldn’t be very thick, despite delivering a dose of collagen and elastin proteins.

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Olay
Regenerist Luminous Light Hydrating Lotion, $24

If you suffer from dark spots, redness from the ghosts of blemishes past, uneven tone, sun damage, patchy areas, or dullness, then you’d be remiss to skip on the latest lightweight moisturizer from Olay. While this particular brand tends to focus mostly on anti-aging, they’ve shifted focus for this particular product aiming to bring you a glow in a bottle.

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Bioderma
Sensibio Anti-Redness Care Cream, $24

French skincare is the impending craze thanks to beauty editors and bloggers alike, so be ahead of the curve with this particularly stellar moisturizer. If your skin is easily irritated with a penchant for redness, you’ll be using this to combat everything from the ever-present humidity of summer months to the sensitive skin terror of central heating in the winter.

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Neutrogena
Hydro Boost Gel-Cream, $18

Hyaluronic acid is definitely having a moment right now, and we are here for it. This staple hydration ingredient is certainly no rookie in the game, but more and more brands are finally making it their main focus. Neutrogena offers one of the best drugstore formulations on the market with HA at front and center.

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What are your favorite drugstore moisturizers?  Share your recommendations in the comments!