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Drugstore Skin-Care Buys Better Than the Pricey Stuff

Keep your skin polished, plumped and pampered for less

6-minute read

Lois Joy Johnson,

Updated October 08, 2026

AARP

Updated October 08, 2026

A collage with photos of Sheryl Lee Ralph, Mariska Hargitay and Nicole Kidman.

(From left) Want glowing skin like Sheryl Lee Ralph, Mariska Hargitay and Nicole Kidman? Beauty products from the drugstore are top-quality and more affordable.

AARP (Getty Images, 3)

Key takeaways

Inexpensive or “drugstore” skin care contains ingredients like peptides, hyaluronic acid and ceramides.
Targeted serums, transforming cleansers and hydrogel eye patches address hydration, discoloration, puffiness and skin barrier concerns.
Fragrance-free moisturizers and body oils for sensitive, dry or crepey skin on the face and body are available at more affordable price points.

Did you watch the Emmys? Every female star over 50 glowed like a light bulb, with their faces, bare arms, cleavages and legs looking dewy and plumped. Pro lighting and a behind-the-scenes boost from dermatologists, plastic surgeons, aestheticians and makeup artists clearly helped, but you don’t need a megabucks TV contract, a team of pros or a bathroom filled with luxury products to get five-star skin. How do I know? I’m a beauty and style editor and personal shopper for women over 50 who avoids expensive skin care that’s high on promises, low on delivery. Make budget-friendly skin care — a.k.a. drugstore picks — your ride or die, whether you shop at Walgreens, Kohl’s, Ulta or Target. Here are the six best drugstore buys to snap up now.

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Two different facial moisturizer creams.

(From left) Paula’s Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Plumping Gel-Cream Moisturizer; Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide Max Face Moisturizer.

AARP (Kohl’s, CVS)

1. Affordable face creams with all the right stuff

Do you wonder how a $40 face cream could possibly be as good as a $150 one? Sure, expensive creams with “secretive” brand formulas (known as “proprietary” in the biz) and gorgeous packaging are appealing, but women over 50 are practically DIY cosmetic chemists. Savvy shoppers want to know what’s in a jar of moisturizer and what isn’t. They understand that ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin (humectants that draw water into the skin) matter more than a prestige label. Drugstore buys make it easy, with clear shout-outs on the package.

Right now, one of the best drugstore buys is a collagen-boosting moisturizer, like Paula’s Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Plumping Gel-Cream Moisturizer ($49, kohls.com); Honest Beauty Ageless Firm + Smooth Cream ($30, ulta.com); and Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Max Face Moisturizer, Fragrance-Free ($45, cvs.com), that can be applied day and night. Collagen is the skin’s natural scaffolding, and as the skin ages, it loses elasticity and becomes lax. It is the peptides in these collagen creams that help plump skin for a firmer, smoother look.

Different types and brands of facial serums.

(From left) The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Face Serum; CeraVe Skin-Renewing Super Boost Serum With 3 Essential Ceramides; Bubble Skin Care Dream Fade Discoloration Rescue Daily Facial Serum; Vanicream Vitamin C Serum for Sensitive Skin.

AARP (Kohl’s; Target, 2; CVS)

2. Extra-help serums

At first, most women thought layering a hyaluronic serum under their face cream was unnecessary. They asked, “If my moisturizer doesn’t do enough, shouldn’t I just get a better moisturizer?” Well, that extra step became a must once the soothing, line-plumping results rolled in. Hyaluronic serums like The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid (HA) Hydrating Face Serum ($13, kohls.com) are thinner and penetrate the skin more deeply, so when a cream is layered on top, it increases hydration, giving your face has a smoother, fresher look.

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But they’re only the beginning. You can elevate any basic day or night cream just by adding a targeted problem-solving serum. Layer a brown spot–correcting serum, like Bubble Skin Care Dream Fade Discoloration Rescue Daily Facial Serum ($16, target.com), with fade hero azelaic acid, under your moisturizer; try a vitamin C serum like Vanicream Vitamin C Serum for Sensitive Skin ($20, cvs.com) to brighten dull, lackluster skin; or a barrier repair serum like CeraVe Skin Renewing Super Boost Serum with 3 Essential Ceramides ($27, target.com), with hyaluronic acid and peptides to strengthen fragile, thin skin. Remember: Use only one serum at a time under your moisturizer.

Different types and brands of facial cleansers.

(From left) Skinfix Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid; La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+ Gentle Foaming Cleansing Oil; Olay Super Facial Cleanser; CeraVe Cream-to-Water Makeup Melter With Squalane and Ceramides.

AARP (Kohl’s; CVS; Target, 2)

3. Cleansers that pamper and prime

The best drugstore cleansers do way more than clean. They’re transformers that start as one texture and change to another when activated by water. Drugstore brands now do an all-in-one sweep with products that clean and leave a moisturizing primer for whatever comes next, whether it’s a serum and cream or sunscreen and makeup. Take a look at La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+ Gentle Foaming Cleansing Oil ($20, cvs.com), an oil-to-lather wash that contains shea butter, niacinamide (a water-soluble form of vitamin B that strengthens the skin barrier) and thermal water; CeraVe Cream-to-Water Makeup Melter With Squalane and Ceramides ($14, target.com); Skinfix Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid ($30, kohls.com), a creamy-to-milky formula with aloe that soothes red, tight or sensitive skin; and Olay Super Facial Cleanser ($13, walgreens.com), a do-all cream with hyaluronic acid and peptides that yields frothy suds.

Different types of body and hand lotions.

(From left) Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Face & Body Cream; Aquaphor Hydrating Daily Body Lotion.

AARP (CVS, Target)

4. Sensitive skin rescue workers

If you have frequent allergic reactions or deal with eczema or psoriasis, trying a new moisturizer is about as relaxing as walking a tightrope. We all wait for the burn, itch, tingle, sting or rash that indicates a problem. Drugstore brands are known for developing safe formulas for sensitive faces and bodies, backed by extensive dermatological research. Stay calm with new fragrance-free staples such as the Avène XeraCalm Eczema Calming Relief Balm ($18, walgreens.com), an oatmeal-infused soother designed for eczema but perfect for anyone experiencing reactive skin on their face, neck, décolletage or hands; Aquaphor Hydrating Daily Body Lotion, Unscented ($17, target.com), a fast-absorbing hydrator for the face or body that contains hyaluronic acid, glycerin and ceramides and was given the Seal of Acceptance by the National Eczema Association; Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Face & Body Cream ($13, cvs.com), with vitamin B and sunflower seed oil to protect the skin barrier; or CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Cream ($20, walgreens.com), a huge tub of what looks like vanilla cake frosting but is a serious body cream packed with ceramides, shea butter and 5 percent urea (a moisturizer and exfoliant) that restores dry to very dry skin and eliminates flaking and itching pronto.

Different types and brands of under eye products.

(From left) Mario Badescu Hydrogel Under Eye Patches; Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel Eye Patches.

AARP (Macy’s, Target)

5. Fatigue-erasing eye patches

You know how new throw cushions can restore a much-loved but worn-out sofa? The same thing happens when you throw on a quick-fix eye hydrogel mask: instant makeover. The eyes tell all, and under-eye patches are your first and fastest line of defense when it comes to puffiness and discoloration. These crescent-shaped patches, infused with problem-solving ingredients in a serum format, take 15 minutes to work and can be applied to clean skin while you catch a few winks, or right over makeup for an instant lift anytime.

6. Special-effects body oils

It’s easy to get starstruck by a pricey Dior body lotion or a luxurious La Mer body cream, but these will probably not be regulars on your bathroom shelves. If price doesn’t deter you from a splurge, maybe this will: Low-cost body care can be even more innovative than the pricey stuff. Look for nongreasy oils that help crepey legs and flaky torsos feel smoother. Or try swapping your usual lotions and potions for Cetaphil Nourishing & Hydrating Oil-Infused Body Cream With Vitamin E ($17, target.com), a huge 16-ounce tub of fragrance-free hydrating lipids that lasts months; Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant Body Vitalizing Body Oil for Glowing Skin, Signature Cocoa ($15, walgreens.com), a nongreasy gel-oil hybrid; and Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Oil Mist ($13, ulta.com), a light oat-and-jojoba spray-on oil that locks in moisture when used right after a shower. .

The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

Lois Joy Johnson is a beauty and style editor who focuses on women 50 and older. She was the beauty and style editor at Ladies’ Home Journal and a founding editor of More magazine. She has written three books: The Makeup Wakeup, The Wardrobe Wakeup and The Woman's Wakeup.

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