The Skin-Care Product a Derm Says You Should Save Your Money On

Even though everyone has one skin-care product they’d love to splurge on someday, being expensive does not necessarily mean that the beauty product is better than one that’s more affordable. Actually, dermatologists often rave about skin-care essentials that you can snag on the cheap. For your quarantine regimen, one dermatologist believes that buying the best drugstore body lotion for dry skin is the smartest way to save your bucks.

In the latest episode of Dear Derm, board-certified dermatologists Mona Gohara, MD, and Melissa Levin, MD reveal that inflammatory skin conditions have been on the rise ever since the pandemic began. This means people have been experiencing more breakouts, and even rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis flare-ups, all because of the massive changes in everyday life. To help soothe that stressed-out skin? Moisturize.

“This is a great time to moisturize your body,” says Dr. Levin. Read: Don’t just give the hydrating love to your face. And this is where you can stock up on a drugstore beauty product to do the job. Dr. Gohara’s absolute favorite body moisturizer? La Roche-Posay Lipikar Balm ($20). “I’ve always been a huge fan of La-Roche Posay, and this is one of their really heavy moisturizing creams. It’s a great place to save [in your routine],” she says.

Since quarantine life has forced everyone’s skin to be more exposed to the light from technology, Dr. Levin notes that she has heard more patients asking about tech neck—aka pain and dryness and fine lines that accumulate in the area from looking down at screens all day long. “Body skin care is something I’ve been talking more to my patients about,” she says. “This is a really great time to moisturize your body—that, to me, is pampering yourself.” She recommends slathering on a good, thick moisturizer (like the Lipikar Balm) all over your décolletage, hands, feet, and elbows (plus anywhere else that needs some extra love) before bedtime.

While the world may yet know when life will return to normal, indulging in a moisturizing skin-care routine—from head to toe—is one way to nourish and care for yourself.