These high-quality, dry-skin quenchers are all on serious sale for Black Friday. (Amazon)
There's something about Black Friday shopping that makes me (and maybe you too?) go temporarily insane. Suddenly, I believe I need to own things I never thought of purchasing before, just because they're on sale (looking at you, compression boots from Black Friday 2019). But getting older means — hopefully! — becoming wiser and, over the past few years, I've narrowed my post-Thanksgiving spending sprees to two categories: gifts I want to give to others and products I truly use and need, at lower prices than I see all year. For the latter, right now I'm looking to score serious Black Friday beauty deals on the kind of reliable creams, lotions and balms to get me through the upcoming winter and its accompanying dry flaking skin.
Of the many anti-aging products I test and recommend as a beauty editor, basic moisturizers and lip balms tend to be the most commonly used. But with so many options on the market — and a swell of new brands and formulas — it's hard to know which will satiate your skin through winter. "Cooler temperatures, lower humidity and increased exposure to indoor heating can all lead to skin dryness and irritation," Dr. Marisa Garshick, a board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in New Jersey, told me last month. "During these months, the skin often requires extra hydration, protection and nourishment to maintain its moisture barrier."
To streamline your buying process, I sifted through hundreds of Black Friday skin care deals and asked Garshick and other experts for advice on how to choose quality hydrating products. The following are their — and my — picks for the best moisturizing formulas you can find, many at the lowest prices I've seen all year.
While it's not exactly meant as a face cream, this ultra-rich moisturizer is used for that purpose by most every seasoned beauty expert I know. It's extremely hydrating, packed with nourishing plant-derived ingredients and is especially good as a nighttime treatment for faces, hands, feet, necks and the décolleté area.
"It hydrates for 48 hours," Mian says. "It's formulated with hydrating ingredients such as glycerin, niacinamide and panthenol that work to improve the resilience of sensitive skin."
Cetaphil's affordable cream is made with the brand's HydroSensitiv Complex, a combination of hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, vitamin B5, and vitamin E — a solid checklist of nourishing ingredients you want in a cool-weather moisturizer. For those with sensitive skin, niacinamide does a great job of soothing. There's also blue daisy extract — this pretty, flower-bearing plant has antioxidant benefits that can help with redness and discomfort, from say, a cold wind burn.
Yet another affordable and versatile face and body lotion that experts love is this tried-and-true gem from CeraVe. "It contains effective moisturizers like hyaluronic acid and ceramides that trap in moisture and prevent evaporation over the skin barrier," says Dr. Angela Lamb, a dermatologist and director of the Westside Mount Sinai Dermatology Practice in New York City.
Albolene's inconspicuous, no-frills moisturizing face cleanser is one of those in-the-know beauty secrets, a product you'd never think to buy for yourself until a friend says, "YOU MUST GET THIS. IT'S CHANGED MY LIFE." Well, I am that friend, telling you this lush, velvety, mild, no-fragrance cream is about to transform your entire night skin-care routine and make your face a whole lot softer and happier in the process.
The gentle, century-old cleansing product removes makeup effortlessly, without water (though you can choose to take it off by using a damp washcloth or cotton pad). It's particularly effective for older women concerned with damaging delicate under-eye areas and causing fine lines by scrubbing away mascara and eyeliner. It's also safe for all skin types. Trust me, if you buy it now (for just $10!) it will become a can't-live-without beauty staple on your bathroom shelves and — if you're a good friend — those of every woman you know.
"This moisturizing cream is a great option for those with dry or sensitive skin as it is free of dyes, fragrance, masking fragrance, lanolin, parabens and more, reducing the potential for irritation or sensitivity," says Garshick. "It helps to soothe and hydrate without leaving the skin feeling greasy. It's also non-comedogenic and can be used on the face or body."
For just a few bucks, this dermatologist-recommended savior is clinically proven to relieve dryness and soothe cracked lips. Bonus: It's also a sunscreen that protects your pucker with broad-spectrum SPF 30.
This is the lowest price I've seen all year for La Roche-Posay's potent, moisturizing, fragrance-free treatment. The famous French formula is packed with hydrating shea butter to soothe and soften dry lips. It's excellent for anyone with sensitive skin and would make a great stocking stuffer or an easy small gift.
O'Keeffe's formula is legendary for its heavy-duty hydration of even the driest feet. The texture is thick — more balm-like than standard lotion. It's unscented and nongreasy, a boon for this area of the body (I despise the sensation of greasy soles).
This salve is particularly good for stubborn cracked heels. It's hypoallergenic and safe for diabetics and those with sensitive skin. A little of this stuff goes a long way, and the cream doesn't go bad — this two-pack will last months.
Do you have a moisturizer you absolutely love? If not, I'd certainly give this award-winning, highest-quality "repair cream" a try. We named it one of our best facial moisturizers for a reason: It's dermatologist-tested and recommended, good for even the most sensitive skin types and ultra-hydrating too.
If you're one of the millions of eczema sufferers in the U.S., it's made with colloidal oatmeal, which soothes instantly and protects and strengthens the skin barrier. This is an ample size for a top-notch product that will last you months — and you can't beat this price.
If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage here. Shop the best expert-picked Black Friday deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. And find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.
