Splurge or Save? Skincare, Makeup & Haircare Products

Cetaphil, a great drugstore moisturizer

Save on both cleansers cleansers and moisturizers. Surprise, surprise. There's no reason to open your wallet wide for quality cleansers and moisturizers. In fact, even the fanciest dermatologists and skincare specialists recommend basic drugstore cleansers and moisturizers to clients. "There have been no studies to support that expensive face creams do better than a good mid-level brand," says Rebecca Kazin, medical director at Johns Hopkins Dermatology and Cosmetic Center at Green Spring Station in Lutherville, Md. in the Huffington Post. "Typically a moisturizer is a moisturizer."
Miami Beach dermatologist Leslie Baumann's favorite moisturizer is an $11 bottle of Cetaphil (according to O Magazine). In Vogue Magazine, Manhattan dermatologist Lisa Airan (clad in Manolos, a Hermes bag in hand), mentioned her cleanser of choice is Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash (less than $6). This happens to be my favorite cleanser as well, which recently caused my friend Laura to exclaim, "I can't believe you're a beauty expert and you use a cleanser made by Johnson & Johnson!" I explained to her that basic drugstore cleansers do an excellent job of removing excess oils and dirt. You don't need fancy ingredients for that.
When considering moisturizers, you'll want one for body and one for face. Consider your skin type for facial moisturizer -- products are formulated by skin type. For body lotions, consider your needs. Do you have ultra-dry skin that needs super hydrating, or are you looking for a light moisturizer that will soak in fast? Either way, you can find a great buy for under $10 at a drugstore. There's no need to dump $44 on a bottle of Kiehl's Creme de Corps (a body lotion I'm partial to)-- unless you just love the product (I do love Kiehl's lotions).