This $18 Moisturizer Healed My Desert-Dry Skin Better Than a $200 Cream

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Between the chilly winter weather, holiday travel, and lack of sleep, my skin has been put through the ringer. It’s become as dry as a desert, so much that I have flaky patches on my chin and rosacea-like redness on my cheeks. My dryness got to the point where my face burned any time I applied moisturizer—that is, until I started using CeraVe’s Face and Body Moisturizing Cream.

CeraVe Face and Body Moisturizing Cream

$18 at Amazon

My 73-year-old mother-in-law recommended the famous cream, swearing by its hydrating, skin-reparing properties. And she’s not exaggerating—the now-$18 moisturizer is formulated with three essential ceramides: Ceramide EOS, Ceramide NP, and Ceramide 6-II.

This trifecta helps “the skin retain moisture, [protect] it from external forces, and overall, [permit] it to function properly,” Rachel Westbay, M.D., FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist at Marmur Medical, previously told InStyle. CeraVe’s Moisturizing Cream also includes hyaluronic acid, another powerhouse ingredient that retains moisture, improves dryness and dullness, and reduces wrinkles and fine lines.

While the face and body cream offers a rich, velvety texture, it seamlessly melts into the skin, leaving it soft, smooth, and non-greasy. In fact, it heals my dry skin so well that I’ve started skipping serum and eye cream altogether (a huge perk considering that I’m a busy mom and don’t have the time or energy to spend on a longwinded routine). I’d even go so far to say that CeraVe’s moisturizer, which holds the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance, hydrates better than my $200 La Mer face cream.

With more than 109,000 five-star reviews, shoppers agree. One reviewer wrote that the under-$20 moisturizer is “very effective” and “way better than any expensive face creams.” Another shopper said it “worked wonders” to repair their “damaged and chapped elbows and knees in a matter of weeks when other more expensive products couldn’t do this in months.” A final 67-year-old shopper said it “seriously helped my skin look less wrinkled.” They added, “I look years younger.”

Snag CeraVe’s Face and Body Moisturizing Cream while it’s on sale for $18 and kiss dry, patchy skin goodbye. Plus, shop more skin-nourishing products under $20, below.

La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+ Triple Repair Cream

$20 at Amazon

Bliss Drench and Quench Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizer

$20 at Amazon

L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Hydra Nutrition Face Moisturizer

$18 at Amazon

E.l.f. Cosmetics Holy Hydration Face Cream

$13 at Amazon

Read the original article on InStyle