I Ditched My $200 Cream for This $18 Moisturizer—and Never Looked Back

Yep, 100,000+ rave reviews prove you don’t need to spend $200 for hydration miracles.

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Between harsh winter winds, holiday jet-setting, and sleepless nights, my skin was suffering. Dry patches on my chin, redness on my cheeks, and that dreaded burning sensation when applying moisturizer made me desperate for a fix. Enter CeraVe’s Face and Body Moisturizing Cream, the under-$20 miracle my mom (and TikTok dermatologists) swear by.

Packed with three essential ceramides (Ceramide EOS, NP, and 6-II) and hydrating hyaluronic acid, this cream works overtime to lock in moisture, repair the skin barrier, and leave your face baby-soft. The velvety texture melts into your skin without any greasy residue—and it hydrates so well, I’ve ditched serums and eye creams altogether.

With over 109,000 glowing five-star reviews, I’m not alone in my obsession. One shopper said it worked better than expensive creams to heal dry, chapped skin, while another raved it made them “look years younger.” Affordable, effective, iconic.

Grab CeraVe’s Face and Body Moisturizing Cream for just $18 and say goodbye to dry, flaky skin for good. Need more budget-friendly skin savers? Check out these under-$20 hydration heroes below!

Here’s my holy grail of all moisturizers: CeraVe. It’s the only face cream that’s helped me battle dry, flaky skin throughout all my travels. Snag it on sale for less than $18.

•”If you’re looking for a this is it! My friend recommended this as she’s a dermatologist and I was a bit skeptical at first but it’s amazing! Huge container, feels great on the skin, smooth, and honestly a great purchase, my skin isn’t too sensitive, but it gets clogged easily.”

•”This cream is wonderful. My skin had dried out horribly. This cream is so light, it goes on so smoothly. It absorbs wonderfully, it’s not greasy or oily. My skin was replenished in 2 days.”

•”CeraVe Moisturizing Cream has become a staple in my skincare routine. It’s incredibly hydrating and provides long-lasting relief for dry, itchy skin. The unique formula with ceramides helps to repair and strengthen my skin’s natural barrier, leaving it feeling soft, smooth, and healthy. I love that it’s fragrance-free and non-greasy, making it perfect for sensitive skin. This cream is a true lifesaver during the winter months when my skin tends to get extra dry.”

La Roche-Posay also deserves a special shout-out from me. Formulated with shea butter and niacinamide, it claims to help restore the skin’s barrier and can be used as a face, body, and hand cream. This moisturizing cream is another great option to help heal my dry as a desert skin post travels.

Wake up to softer, smoother skin with this rich night balm featuring Manuka Honey Extract, designed to comfort and hydrate mature, very dry skin for 48 hours. Dermatologist-tested and paraben-free, it leaves skin visibly firmer, more elastic, and irresistibly supple.

Get a bouncy, radiant complexion with the e.l.f. Skin Holy Hydration Face Cream, packed with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and squalane for intense moisture and pore-perfecting magic. This vegan, cruelty-free moisturizer works day and night to leave skin soft, smooth, and glowing—without breaking the bank.

The E! Insider Shop editors and writers search the internet to find the best products out there. We interview expert sources, comb through customer reviews, and use our own personal experiences to make shopping easier for our readers.

As an editorial team, we independently create content and determine coverage based on research, reporting and what we think our readers would like to read about. The goal of our content is to provide a service and inform readers who are on the hunt for the latest products to help make their life better. Items are sold by retailer, not E!. Pricing and availability are accurate as of publish time.

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