The Budget Dermatologist has reviewed more than 70 products for dry skin, and she approves of most of them. Her approval rate sits at 90%, with only a handful of mixed takes and very few outright skips. When she does pass on something, her reason is almost always the same: you can get the same result for less money elsewhere.
What does The Budget Dermatologist recommend for dry skin?
She keeps coming back to barrier-repair ingredients: ceramides, lipids, niacinamide, and shea butter. These are the things that actually put moisture back into dry skin and hold it there. She also strongly prefers fragrance-free formulas, because fragrance is a known trigger for inflammation, especially on eczema-prone skin. Price matters to her too. She named more than 10 winners in this category, and they skew affordable. La Roche-Posay Lipikar Balm AP+ Intense Repair Moisturizing Cream is one she calls her go-to and says she uses all the time. La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Moisturizing Cream and the La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+ Gentle Foaming Moisturizing Wash both earned her stamp of approval. She described the wash as incredible and said she is obsessed with it. For vitamin C, she named Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster a holy grail. She praised it as a stable form of L-ascorbic acid with vitamin E and ferulic acid, at a fraction of the price of higher-end options.
In her words
"The other cleansing balm I love so much I'm out of it is by Remedy, around $13 on Prime Day. It's good for eczema skin, works every bit as well as the Elemis Cleansing Balm, which I've used a lot in the past, and it's better than that, for $13 versus $72 on sale for $50."
"A lip peptide I absolutely swear by is from Paula's Choice. It has the right kind of peptides in it, unlike a lot of lip peptide products, especially for lips, that use junk peptides, this is not junk. It's 30% off, the cheapest you'll find it all year from any website, an actual great deal. [...] If you put this on your lips before bed several nights in a row, you'll fix damaged lips and they'll become soft and supple. I swear by this stuff."
"The C15 Super Booster is a holy grail from Paula's Choice because it is a stable form of vitamin C, L ascorbic acid, and it has vitamin E and ferulic acid in it as well. It's a great product at a fraction of the price of the SkinCeuticals one. I like to use vitamin C in the morning skincare routine to help build new collagen, to help lighten dark spots and fade hyperpigmentation, and just brighten and tone the skin."
"You can see it goes on really lightly like a foam and then [...] when you blend it in, it feels like an ointment on the skin but it's just applied a lot more quickly and easily with a lot less rubbing and tugging. [...] This is an absolute must-have in my skincare stockpile ever since I first discovered it. I love it for myself and children and I highly recommend this. It's so cool."
"The Lipicar AP Plus Wash is absolutely amazing and so gentle on the skin and very hydrating. It has niacinamides, shea butter, and other ingredients that are hydrating on the skin. It is fragrance free and does not contain anything that is known to be a trigger or irritant for inflammation and eczema prone skin, so this is an incredible product. [...] I am obsessed with this one."
"No other product can nourish and hydrate the skin quite like the [...] La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP Plus Body Balm. It is my go-to and I use it all the time."
How many products has The Budget Dermatologist reviewed for dry skin?
The Budget Dermatologist has reviewed 77 products for dry skin, for an approval rate of 90%. 69 approved, 5 mixed, and 3 skipped.
What has The Budget Dermatologist skipped for dry skin?
She skipped the Avène Hydrance Cream because she believes you can get the same hydration from a simpler, more affordable moisturizer. She also skipped the Avène Cleanance Hydra Soothing Cream, saying it is essentially a barrier repair moisturizer but not worth the price when CeraVe, Eucerin, and La Roche-Posay offer more affordable options that do the same job. She skipped the Olay Retinol 24 Max Night Moisturizer too, and her reason is worth knowing. Retinol has to go through two chemical conversions before it becomes active in the skin. Retinaldehyde only needs one, which makes it closer to prescription strength. She says retinol can still work and comes with fewer side effects, but it is not her first choice.
"The cream and emulsion are at a higher price for essentially just a moisturizer. I believe you can get incredible hydration of your skin in a simple moisturizer without spending a fortune."
"The Cleanance Hydra Soothing Cream is essentially a barrier repair moisturizer. It is not mattifying. I do not think this one is worth the spend. Instead, I would opt for a more affordable barrier repair moisturizer by CeraVe, Eucerin, or La Roche Posay."
"The reason I say this is not my first choice is because retinol has to undergo two conversions to get to retinoic acid. [...] Retinaldehyde has to only undergo one, so this is closer to prescription strength. Now retinol can still be effective and you'll get even less side effects with that, but it's not the strongest option. But if you still want to go with a retinol product I support that."
What should you take from The Budget Dermatologist's picks?
If you have dry or eczema-prone skin and want to know which drugstore and mid-range products are actually worth buying, The Budget Dermatologist's record on this category is one of the most useful guides around. She approves of most of what she reviews, so her skips carry real weight. Her consistent advice: look for ceramides and lipids, skip the fragrance, and do not assume a higher price means better hydration.
Watch The Budget Dermatologist say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Vaseline Original Healing JellyNamed a winnerWatch at 2:23
- La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5Named a winnerWatch at 12:32
- La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Moisturizing CreamNamed a winnerWatch at 6:25
- Versed Day Dissolve Cleansing BalmNamed a winnerWatch at 9:59
- SkinFix Barrier+ Restoring Gel CreamNamed a winnerWatch at 8:43
- Paula's Choice C15 Super BoosterNamed a winnerWatch at 3:18
- Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery CreamNamed a winnerWatch at 12:59
- CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil CleanserNamed a winnerWatch at 16:12
- CeraVe Invisible Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50Named a winnerWatch at 0:02
- La Roche-Posay Lipikar Balm AP+ Intense Repair Moisturizing CreamNamed a winnerWatch at 10:21
- Cetaphil Healthy Renew Purified Peptides Night CreamNamed a winnerWatch at 12:48
- EltaMD UV Skin Recovery SPF 50Named a winnerWatch at 3:31
- Avène RetrinAL 0.05% SerumNamed a winnerWatch at 2:39
- Avène Hydrance CreamSkipped itWatch at 19:45
- Avène Cleanance Hydra Soothing CreamSkipped itWatch at 16:04
- Olay Retinol 24 Max Night MoisturizerSkipped itWatch at 2:54
- Remedy Derm Dissolve Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 15:42
- Paula's Choice Peptide Lip BalmRated itWatch at 16:50
- Aquaphor Healing Ointment Body SprayRated itWatch at 6:41
- La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+ Gentle Foaming Moisturizing WashRated itWatch at 2:12
- Paula's Choice C5 Super Boost Vitamin C MoisturizerRated itWatch at 1:42
- Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate CreamRated itWatch at 3:20
- Remedy Lip BalmRated itWatch at 10:12
- Vanicream Moisturizing CreamRated itWatch at 4:21
About this expert
See everything The Budget Dermatologist has reviewed
Related guides
This guide reflects what The Budget Dermatologist said across her videos about 77 products for dry skin, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products she approved. It is general information, not medical advice.