Every single year, it seems like just when you get your skincare routine down, the seasons change and suddenly you're back to square one. Dry, flaky patches start showing up out of nowhere, and redness starts rearing its ugly head. The culprit around this time? Harsh winter weather, and probably a healthy dose of holiday season stress. But before you go booking an expensive spa treatment, give one of the best drugstore serums for dry skin a try.
If you're someone who likes to keep her beauty routine minimal, you may shy away from the whole idea of serums. They can ring in at pretty steep prices, and adding a whole extra step into your morning or nightly regime might seem like overkill — plus, what exactly do they do that your other products can't? You've likely heard about serums that exfoliate, or brighten, or fight the signs of aging, among other promised benefits, but so what?
Think of them as an extra helping hand, like a supercharged boost that works in tandem with your other essential skincare products to make sure your skin gets to take in all the goodness when you apply them. When you consider the toll that winter takes on your face, an effective (and affordable) moisture-boosting serum sounds pretty good, right?
And as it turns out, your most-frequented drugstores carry cheap moisturizing serums that pack a seriously hydrating punch — just one look at each of the product's incredibly positive reviews is proof enough that they're worth a try. It doesn't hurt that they'll all run you less than $40 a pop, either, so your holiday shopping budget can stay intact while your skin gets saved.
Case in point, Neutrogena's Hydro Boost Serum, which comes in at a manageable $14.99 per bottle at Target. The serum has over 300 glowing reviews on Target's site, with feedback praising it for healing winter skin of dryness and irritation. One user even says the serum has made the rest of her skincare essentials, from moisturizers to masks, more effective — so it sounds like it's basically a holy grail product you'll want to pick up ASAP.
Fans of E.l.f. Cosmetics' Hydrating Serum, $12, left similar reviews on the product where it's available on Ulta's website. The serum gets top marks for bringing an extra boost of moisture that solves winter skin woes with minimal financial investment. Plus, users love that it soaks in quickly and feels lightweight on skin (so much for needing rich, heavy creams in the winter). Ulta shoppers loved Aveeno's MaxGlow Infusion Drops, $19, for the same reasons, and gave it two thumbs up for giving skin a dewy, radiant appearance even in the dead of winter. Considering it typically requires a tropical vacation to achieve any kind of glow mid-winter, the product sounds completely worth it.
If you've previously knocked products that seem superfluous, now's the time to rethink that approach — especially when it comes to serums. With winter headed this way full-force, a "more is more" mentality may be what it takes to get your skin through the season, so stock up on some of the best cheap serums below for supercharged moisture that actually works.
