In this article
The first moisturizer I ever used was a Cetaphil lotion, back when I was a pre-teen anxious about sprouting pimples. Now, over a decade later as a full-blown beauty writer, I’ve experimented with dozens of moisturizers, including ones with eye-watering price tags. Yet in a pinch, I’ll always fall back on Cetaphil’s old reliable formula, which I can confidently say won’t irritate my skin or cause me to break out.
In fact, when I spoke to a panel of over 15 dermatologists about the best moisturizers, drugstore brands like Cetaphil, CeraVe, Aveeno, and Neutrogena kept cropping up, even when they had the option to recommend much more expensive products. Whether your skin is dry, oily, or a combination of both, the fact is you can find plenty of cost-effective moisturizers on the shelf of your local Target or Duane Reade. Their formulas or packaging might not be quite as fancy, but they contain everything you need — ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and other skin-quenching ingredients — without the high price point. To help you sort through the many options, I’ve homed in on the best of the wallet-friendly best. The names that follow will probably all be familiar, but now just may be the time you give them a second look. But if you’re in the mood to treat yourself, I’ve also written a guide to the best face moisturizers that includes some higher-end formulas.
Update on December 17, 2024: Updated prices and checked stock for all products.
What we’re looking for
Texture
The consistency of a moisturizer can range anywhere from watery gels to midweight lotion to heavy creams. “Most of my oily-skin patients hate applying moisturizer because it makes them feel heavy and greasy,” says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Divya Shokeen, who recommends they try lighter formulations that absorb quickly and don’t sit on the skin. On the other hand, she tells her dry-skin patients to reach for thicker, more occlusive moisturizers and ointments to really replenish and hydrate the skin.
Active ingredients
You won’t find as many fancy ingredients such as botanical extracts or peptide complexes in drugstore moisturizers, but you will find the solid, basic building blocks: emollients such as ceramides, which trap and lock in moisture, and humectants, such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid, which draw water to the skin’s surface. From there, however, variations start to crop up. People with oily or acne-prone skin should seek out formulations that are noncomedogenic and oil-free so as not to exacerbate problem areas, while those with sensitive skin should look for an ingredient list that leaves out potential irritants such as dyes, fragrance, and parabens.
Price
The definition of a drugstore moisturizer is that it won’t break the bank, but if you really want to get into the nitty gritty, we’ve noted the size and the approximate price per ounce of each product.
Best drugstore moisturizer overall
Texture: Gel cream | Active ingredients: Glycerin, hyaluronic acid | Price: 1.7 ounces (Approx. $9/ounce)
Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost has been recommended by over a dozen dermatologists we’ve talked to over the years, including Dr. Sapna Palep of Spring Street Dermatology, who loves it because it’s loaded with hyaluronic acid and glycerin that “act like a sponge” to soak up moisture and deeply hydrate the skin. It’s also our top pick for a facial moisturizer of any variety, drugstore or otherwise, because it’s compatible with pretty much any skin type: oily, dry, combination, mature, and even acne-prone. Because it’s almost impossible to go wrong with Hydro Boost — Dr. Corey L. Hartman, the founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology, says it’s hard to beat for its accessibility and price point — it’s my top pick for the best drugstore moisturizer overall.
Best drugstore moisturizers for oily skin
Texture: Gel | Active ingredients: Ceramides, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, glycerin | Price: 1.75 ounces (Approx. $9/ounce)
According to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Rebecca Marcus, moisturizers with a gel-like texture will absorb the fastest and feel light and weightless on the skin, making them especially suited to oilier skin. This CeraVe gel has an ultra-light texture that won’t feel heavy (in contrast to a thicker, more occlusive cream), but still includes the brand’s signature blend of hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and glycerin. It also comes recommended by board-certified dermatologist Dr. Shari Marchbein, who notes that it is a good moisturizer for people with facial hair, who often have oilier skin due to higher testosterone levels.
Texture: Lotion | Active ingredients: Zinc, micropearls | Price: 4 ounces (Approx. $3.50/ounce)
For a moisturizer that will help mattify a greasy complexion, Dr. Palep likes this Cetaphil option for its “micropearl” technology that absorbs surface oil and reduces shine while moisturizing the skin. It’s noncomedogenic, so it won’t clog pores and potentially cause acne, and it has broad-spectrum SPF for extra UV protection (though you should always use a dedicated sunscreen, too).
Best drugstore moisturizers for dry skin
Texture: Cream | Active ingredients: Glycerin, hyaluronic acid, ceramides | Price: 19 ounces (Approx. $1/ounce)
CeraVe’s moisturizing cream is a best seller among Strategist readers, and for good reason: Five different dermatologists we spoke to mentioned it, and it’s our pick for the best moisturizer for dry skin. Its simple, straightforward formula is packed with ceramides that help to boost moisture levels and repair skin, while glycerin and hyaluronic acid also work to “restore the skin’s natural barrier without leaving a greasy feeling,” says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Marisa Garshick. It works especially well at providing “round-the-clock” moisture for dry, flaky patches, adds Dr. Palep.
Texture: Ointment | Active ingredients: Petrolatum, glycerin, bisabolol | Price: 14 ounces (Approx. $1.30/ounce)
If you have extremely dry skin, Dr. Katelyn Woolridge of Westlake Dermatology recommends that you try an ointment over a cream. “Ointments are the best at fortifying the skin barrier and locking in moisture,” she explains. Aquaphor is her go-to because it’s a sensitive-skin-friendly, multipurpose ointment — the formula is mainly petrolatum, which is a skin protectant — that actually repairs cracked, flaking skin from the inside out.
Best drugstore moisturizers for combination skin
Texture: Lotion | Active ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, ceramides, niacinamide | Price: 3 ounces (Approx. $5/ounce)
It can be tricky to find an all-in-one moisturizer for combination skin, due to the different needs of dry and oily skin. Dr. Ope Ofodile, a co-owner of Dermatology and Surgery Specialists of North Atlanta, recommends starting with an oil-free, noncomedogenic moisturizer that can address dry skin without causing additional oil production, and recommends this cream-based CeraVe lotion because it contains non-occlusive ingredients that won’t clog pores, and is oil free, so it won’t worsen any oily patches. As with the Cetaphil moisturizer recommended for oily skin above, this CeraVe formula also has broad-spectrum SPF for extra UV protection on top of your daily sunscreen.
Texture: Gel | Active ingredients: Ceramides, niacinamide | Price: 2.5 ounces (Approx. $9/ounce)
La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane line is a favorite of board-certified dermatologist Dr. Claire Wolinsky because “it’s very well-priced and does the job,” she says, adding that it’s recommended often by dermatologists because the formulas complement a lot of prescription medications that can be irritating. This mattifying one has a light gel texture that’s super lightweight and absorbs really quickly, Dr. Wolinsky says, helping to hydrate dry areas while reducing shine. The fragrance-free formula includes anti-inflammatory niacinamide and ceramides to support the skin barrier, as well as soothing thermal-spring water.
Best drugstore moisturizers for sensitive skin
Texture: Cream | Active ingredients: Ceramides, petrolatum | Price: 16 ounces (Approx. $0.80/ounce)
According to Woolridge, sensitive skin can be difficult to manage because it can be hard to determine which ingredient is the culprit behind any irritation you might be experiencing. While you’re figuring out what, exactly, you’re sensitive to — or if you just want to play it safe — she says Vanicream is an excellent option. It’s free of the most common allergens within skin-care products, like “fragrance, dyes, formaldehyde, and formaldehyde releasers,” so it limits (or basically prevents) your chances of reacting. But it’s no less effective, says Woolridge, and the petrolatum (also the main ingredient in Aquaphor) immediately hydrates dry, cracked skin.
Texture: Gel | Active ingredients: Prebiotic oat, feverfew | Price: 1.7 ounces (Approx. $9/ounce)
Sensitive skin that’s red and inflamed will be calmed by the ingredients in this Aveeno gel moisturizer, says Dr. Mitchell. They include glycerin, panthenol (a soothing B5 vitamin), and oat extracts (which are often recommended to treat persistent patches of eczema.) It’s also been recommended as a suitable moisturizer for teens with sensitive skin that’s being ravaged by hormones.
Best drugstore moisturizer for eczema
Texture: Cream | Active ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid, lactic acid, ceramides, niacinamide | Price: 12 ounces (Approx. $2/ounce)
Dermatologists often recommend that people with eczema — a condition that causes inflammation, itching, and dryness on the skin — look for products with naturally anti-inflammatory colloidal oatmeal, explains Dr. Rachel Nazarian of Schweiger Dermatology. As a bonus, colloidal oatmeal also contains ingredients like ceramides, which will hydrate the flaking skin those with eczema can experience. Aveeno has multiple products within its eczema-therapy line, including a cream and a body wash, but this fragrance-free, hypoallergenic balm (which we also recommend in our guide to the best eczema treatments) is the brand’s thickest formula, intended to soothe even the driest, itchiest skin.
Best drugstore moisturizer for psoriasis
Texture: Cream | Active ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid, lactic acid, ceramides, niacinamide | Price: 12 ounces (Approx. $2/ounce)
Psoriasis is another finicky, unique condition that, like eczema, needs to be monitored by your dermatologist. There’s “no way to moisturize psoriasis away,” says Nazarian, but there are over-the-counter options that can soothe the affected skin in the short term. Nazarian recommends that patients look for a cream that contains salicylic acid, like CeraVe SA, “to resurface the scaling” that appears with psoriasis and help remove the excess skin that causes the “scaly appearance” of psoriatic plaques. But she doesn’t suggest patients use this daily — more like once a week, along with a daily moisturizer. Even with such limited use, you should notice a “smoothing out” of psoriasis plaques, Nazarian says.
Best drugstore moisturizer for aging skin
Texture: Cream | Active ingredients: Retinol, niacinamide | Price: 1.7 ounces (Approx. $18/ounce)
For people age 40 and older, Dr. Hartman highly suggests using a retinol product to enhance cellular turnover and increase collagen and elasticity in the skin. “It’s the closest thing we have to a holy grail,” he says. “It helps with acne breakouts, it helps with more effective exfoliation, it gets rid of dullness, it helps with fine lines and wrinkles. It really does it all.” Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Zenovia Gabriel recommends Olay’s Regenerist Retinol Moisturizer because it also contains niacinamide, an antioxidant that prevents the irritation sometimes brought on by retinoids. If you’re new to using retinol, it’s a great beginner product, she says.
Our experts
• Dr. Zenovia Gabriel, dermatologist and founder of Zena Medical
• Dr. Marisa Garshick, dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology
• Dr. Corey L. Hartman, dermatologist and founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology
• Dr. David Kim, dermatologist and founder of Lightsaver Skin
• Dr. Shari Marchbein, dermatologist at Downtown Dermatology
• Dr. Rebecca Marcus, dermatologist and founder of Maei MD
• Dr. Hope Mitchell, dermatologist and founder of Mitchell Dermatology
• Dr. Rachel Nazarian, dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology
• Dr. Wallace Nozile, dermatologist at Epiphany Dermatology
• Dr. Ope Ofodile, dermatologist and co-owner of Dermatology and Surgery Specialists of North Atlanta
• Dr. Sapna Palep, dermatologist at Spring Street Dermatology
• Dr. Divya Shokeen, dermatologist and founder of Ocean Skin and Vein Institute
• Dr. Claire Wolinsky, cosmetic dermatologist at Spring Street Dermatology
• Dr. Katelyn Woolridge, dermatologist at Westlake Dermatology
Additional reporting by Chloe Anello
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
