Skin care doesn’t have to cost a fortune to be effective. We cover the basics anyone might need in their skin-care regimen, and our favorite drugstore brands that we’ve tested.

Guests: Dr. Nikhil Dhingra, board-certified dermatologist at Spring Street Dermatology, and Rory Evans, Wirecutter’s senior beauty writer.

Products we recommend:

Facial Moisturizers: 

• Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer
• La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Matte Face Moisturizer
• CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
• Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream

Retinols:

• SkinMedica Retinol Complex 1.0
• Trader Joe’s Retinol Night Serum

Vitamin C Serums: 

• SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic
• Timeless Skin Care 20% C + E Ferulic Acid Serum
• Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum
• La Roche-Posay’s 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum

Dr. Dhingra likes these facial cleansers: 

• Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
• CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
• La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Facial Cleanser

Rory likes: 

• East Fork Everyday Bowl

Additional Reading:

• The 7 Best Moisturizers of 2025
• The 6 Best Vitamin C Serums of 2025
• The 5 Best Retinol Products of 2025
• So You’re Ready to Start Using Retinol. Here’s What You Should Know First.
• The 12 Best Sunscreens for Your Face of 2025

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Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast