Skincare Steals

The best products under $25 that your skin will thank you for

There’s no excuse not to take care of your skin, including a tight budget (which, let’s be honest, most of us are probably on nowadays). But think of it this way—you can spend money on a good moisturizer now or Botox and a facelift later. And I’ve heard the latter is a tad more expensive.

That’s why I want to let you in on a little secret: Skincare products don’t have to contain 24-karat gold shavings or be made in a supermodel’s secret underground lab to be miracle workers. Below, some real-woman-tested-and-approved skincare steals that won’t overdraw your checking account.

Best Cleanser
Taking your makeup off before bed is a must if you’re a fan of avoiding breakouts and keeping skin fresh and young looking. Jenna Rosener, 31 (who appears 25, tops), says she can’t live without Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser. “I love it because it really is just one step. It always gets all my makeup off. And it leaves my skin clean and soft and smells good, too!”  This busy mom of a 2-year-old says it’s also a timesaver. She can skip the makeup when using it. “I’m confident my skin looks good. And at $20 I can’t complain!”

Best Eye Cream
The skin around your eyes is more delicate than other places, which is why a specially formulated eye cream is imperative to keeping fine lines and wrinkles at bay. Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect Eye Cream contains a

pro-retinol complex to firm the skin, plus an antioxidant complex to shield your eyes from those pesky free radicals. ULTA reviewer “Garbanzo” gives it five kisses, commenting, “A little dab does wonders to look refreshed.”

Best Moisturizer
You entire body, not just your face, craves moisture. A good moisturizer helps you avoid flaky, dry skin and ward off wrinkles and protects your skin from the elements (think: pollutants).

Especially in winter’s dry air, skin can use a slightly heavier moisturizer like Neutrogena Body Oil. At only $10, it’s 33-year-old Virginia Tzortzos’ favorite way to moisturize. “In my opinion it works better than lotion, smells fantastic and doesn’t leave that film like lotion does. It’s one of the best after-sun moisturizers I’ve found as well. Your skin just soaks it up."

Best Face Mask
Possibly the best “steal” under $25 is way under $25. One Montagne Jeunesse Dead Sea Anti-Stress Mud Pac is only $1.99. A friend of mine, who shall remain nameless by request (he doesn’t think face masks are manly or something), says he throws a few of these into his suitcase when he travels, ensuring a convenient do-it-yourself facial at the hotel. Though it may sound a little less than luxurious, the mask’s combo of sea kelp and dead sea mud, when left on for 10 to 20 minutes, will extract grime that builds up in your pores, leaving skin looking fresh and new, as if you just got home from a day at the spa.