I Get So Many Skin Compliments—and It’s Thanks to This $20 Moisturizer
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If you’ve ever spent way too much money trying to find the one when it comes to face moisturizers, same. But after years of testing everything from fancy department store creams to buzzy TikTok brands, I always come back to the same under-$20 product: CeraVe’s Moisturizing Cream. It’s not flashy, but it’s absolutely earned its spot in my skincare routine—and on my bathroom shelf. I get compliments on my skin all the time, and this unassuming tub is the reason why.
I have sensitive, dry skin that reacts to everything, plus a long history of dealing with Keratosis Pilaris (those annoying little bumps, especially on my arms and sometimes cheeks). A lot of moisturizers either clog my pores or leave me feeling greasy, but this one strikes the perfect balance. The texture is rich enough to hydrate flaky areas and smooth out rough patches, but still lightweight enough to wear under sunscreen or makeup.
The formula is fragrance-free, noncomedogenic, and made with dermatologist-approved ingredients like three essential ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and petrolatum, which work together to restore your skin barrier and keep moisture locked in all day. CeraVe’s signature MVE Technology means the hydration keeps going hours after you apply it. I almost never have to reapply.
It’s also accepted by the National Eczema Association, so it’s gentle enough for seriously sensitive skin. And I’m not the only one singing its praises—it has over 110,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, with shoppers saying it transformed everything from dry winter skin to full-body flare-ups.
If you’re searching for the best moisturizers for dry, sensitive, or KP-prone skin, you’ll want to add this drugstore legend to your cart ASAP. Scroll ahead for more top-rated face and body moisturizers that reviewers (and us) swear by—including picks from Clinique, La Roche-Posay, and more.
This under-$20 CeraVe Moisturizing Cream is my go-to for keeping my dry, sensitive, and KP-prone skin smooth, calm, and hydrated all day. Packed with ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and petrolatum, it’s rich without being greasy and gentle enough for daily use—even on irritated skin.
La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer is a lightweight cream that soothes and strengthens sensitive skin without clogging pores. It’s made with ceramides and prebiotic thermal water to restore your barrier and give you that dewy, healthy glow.
Another top fave of mine that I’ve recently tested, Olay’s Super Cream with SPF 30 delivers glow, hydration, and sun protection in one easy step. The formula is loaded with peptides and niacinamide to smooth, brighten, and keep your skin feeling bouncy all day.
I’ve been testing The Ordinary’s Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA, and it’s become my go-to on days when my skin needs hydration without the heaviness. It sinks in fast, feels super refreshing, and keeps my skin soft and smooth all day.
This moisturizer is a major throwback for me—it was one of the first that felt truly lightweight and made my skin extra dewy. Clinique’s Moisture Surge 100H is still a fave thanks to its gel-cream texture, oil-free formula, and serious hydration that actually lasts.
CeraVe’s PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion is my nighttime essential—it’s lightweight but deeply hydrating, so I wake up with skin that feels soft, calm, and balanced. The niacinamide-rich formula helps soothe irritation while ceramides and hyaluronic acid work overnight to restore your skin barrier.
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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