I’m Repurchasing This $14 French Moisturizer That Saved My Dry, Flaking Skin

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Sarah Jessica Parker has used the brand.

Last summer, I developed acne for the first time ever. In trying to combat it, I spent way too much money on products people swore stopped pimples dead in their tracks, but — shocker! — they had no effect on my zits. Eventually, I did what I should’ve done prior to umpteen products and pimples: go to a dermatologist. In two minutes, she created a routine that eliminated almost everything I was using and introduced tretinoin, a prescribed vitamin A-derivative.

My derm warned me that tretinoin might cause a little dryness, but nothing could’ve prepared me for how flakey my skin became; not to be too harsh on myself, but I looked a little like a molting reptile. I needed a thick moisturizer but struggled to find a non-comedogenic one (damn acne!) that could tackle serious dryness — that is until I came across La Roche-Posay’s Cicaplast Balm B5 Moisturizer, which is currently on sale for just $14 at Amazon.

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5 Moisturizer

$14 at Amazon

$17 at howl.me

I first thought to look toward the French skincare brand because 1) it’s affordable and 2) it’s a favorite among InStyle editors and celebrities, including Sarah Jessica Parker — and I’m happy I did. The Cicaplast Balm B5 Moisturizer is described as being reparative for dry, cracked skin (like mine) with a nourishing shea butter, glycerin, and dimethicone formula that doesn’t clog pores. With that alone, I was 90 percent sold, but what finally got me to add it to my cart was seeing other shoppers with tretinoin-induced dryness call it a “holy grail” product.

“It really helps with redness and peeling,” wrote one customer, while another said it “can cure the driest of dry skin.” Within just a few applications, I experienced those same effects. The flaking dry patches that had popped up across my skin disappeared and my skin no longer felt tender to the touch. But I’m not alone in swearing by the moisturizer, nor is it just for those using tretinoin — between Amazon and the brand, this cream boasts more than 11,000 perfect five star ratings from shoppers who claim that it even “erases wrinkles.”

“Within a week, my acne started clearing up, my wrinkles [became] less noticeable…[and] the overall texture of my skin looked so much healthier,” raved one fan, while someone else said that it “leaves [their] skin looking firm, smooth, and much younger.” And per another customer, this now-$14 moisturizer has outperformed far more expensive wrinkle creams they’ve tried.

After using La Roche-Posay’s Cicaplast Balm B5 Moisturizer to its last drop, I’m grabbing another while it’s on sale for $14 at Amazon. Shop more staples from the editor- and celebrity-loved French skincare brand, below.

Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer

$19 at Amazon

$24 at howl.me

Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser

$15 at Amazon

$15 at howl.me

Retinol B3 Pure Retinol Serum

$35 at Amazon

$45 at howl.me

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Read the original article on InStyle.