The 14 Best Affordable Skincare Products of 2024

9 MIN READ

In recent years, affordable skincare products have exploded in popularity, thanks to the rise of quality mass market brands offering products with impressive ingredients and performance without the luxury price tag. With so many great budget-friendly options wildly available, it can be daunting to identify which ones are genuinely worth your hard earned money.

As a skincare blog dedicated to finding bargain beauty buys that really work, we reviewed many affordable skincare products to find those that offer the most bang for your buck. In this post, we reveal our picks for the 14 best affordable skincare products that deliver noticeable results without breaking the bank.

Table of Contents

What Defines an “Affordable Skincare Product”?

When we refer to affordable skincare, we mean products that meet these criteria:

• Priced under $20 for the full size
• Found at budget-friendly online shops like amazon.com 
• Offered by mass market brands, not high-end prestige brands

The products featured here are from brands like CeraVe, Cetaphil, and Neutrogena, which offer prices friendly to a variety of budgets.

Notable Ingredients to Look For

Though affordably priced, quality skincare still relies on key active ingredients to target specific skin concerns:

• Vitamin C – Brightens skin and builds collagen
• Hyaluronic acid – Deeply hydrates and plumps skin
• Retinol – Reduces fine lines, wrinkles, and sun damage
• Jojoba – A humectant that helps moisturize skin
• Ceramides – Repair and strengthen skin barrier

When shopping for affordable skincare products, make sure they include proven ingredients at effective concentrations to achieve real results.

After extensive testing, we’re excited to reveal the 14 best affordable skincare product picks for flawless, glowing skin on a budget in 2024:

Best Affordable Cleanser: Cetaphil Hydrating Foaming Cream Cleanser

With its creamy texture, B vitamins, and prebiotic aloe vera, this gentle cleanser removes dirt, oil, and makeup without drying the skin. It hydrates and soothes, preserving the skin’s moisture barrier and maintaining its natural pH. And at just $15 for a 16-fluid ounce bottle, it offers unbeatable value.

Best Affordable Vitamin C Serum: Tree of Life Vitamin C Serum

Major payoff for $17! Its luxuriously silky formula provides gentle exfoliation and deep hydration, leaving your face feeling supple and velvety soft while giving the skin a radiant glow and fading dark spots in weeks. Its creamy serum texture absorbs quickly without oiliness or irritation.

Best Affordable Scrub: Aveeno Positively Radiant Brightening Scrub

This facial scrub is designed to gently exfoliate the skin, improve tone, texture, and clarity, revealing softer, brighter, and more even-toned skin. It contains moisture-rich soy extract, jojoba, and castor oils, along with naturally derived granules to remove impurities, all for a mere $12.

Best Affordable Eye Cream: L’Oreal Paris Eye Defense Eye Cream

This light, non-greasy gel eye cream helps smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Priced at just $16, this eye cream is formulated to defend against signs of premature aging around the eyes

Best Affordable Rosehip Oil: Radha Rosehip Oil

This $15 rosehip oil is enriched with vitamins, antioxidants, and fatty acids, acting as a multivitamin for the skin. It aids in replenishing moisture and leaves a silky smooth finish for a younger appearance.

Also read: The 10 Best Moisturizers That Really Remove Stretch Marks

Best Affordable SPF: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen

Shield skin from UV damage without breaking the bank. For $13, this matte finish sunscreen gives strong broad spectrum SPF 70 coverage with UVA and UVB protection.

Best Affordable Retinol: The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane

Newbies can ease into retinol with this $10 gentle formula, The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane, targeting signs of aging with its potent yet gentle formula. With 1% retinol, it improves fine lines, texture, and tone.

Best Affordable Mask: SHVYOG Vitamin C Clay Mask With Turmeric

This cult-favorite $15 clay mask delivers spa-worthy detoxifying results. Infused with vitamin C and turmeric, the clay draws out impurities for ultra-clear, refined pores and smoother texture.

Best Affordable Makeup Remover: Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water leaves skin looking and feeling nourished and moisturized for just $12. It removes makeup without causing excessive dryness, as micelles act as magnets, gently cleansing and eliminating impurities, sunscreen, and excess oil in a single step—no need for rinsing or harsh rubbing.

Best Affordable Treatment: Minimalist 10% Vitamin C Face Serum

Transform your skin with the Minimalist $13 Vitamin C daily serum designed to boost radiance. It contains a combination of key ingredients, including moisturizing and antioxidant components, formulated to address issues such as dull, sun-damaged skin.

Best Affordable Night Oil: ACURE Radically Rejuvenating Rose Argan Oil

Pamper your skin overnight with this Vitamin-E enrich organic oil. At just $19, the ultra-hydrating formula leaves your skin looking plump and dewy when you wake up. It’s lightweight and easily absorbed.

Best Affordable Body Lotion: CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion

Quench dry skin with this beloved $20 body lotion, which contains skin-restoring ceramides. The rich, creamy formula provides over-night hydration without feeling heavy or greasy

Best Affordable Hand Cream: CeraVe Therapeutic Hand Cream

Heal hardworking hands with this highly effective $11 hand cream. The therapeutic formula helps relieve frequently-washed or over-worked hands and forms a protective barrier against irritants.

Best Affordable Lip Treatment: Aquaphor Lip Repair Ointment

The $5 tube that never disappoints, providing instant lip hydration and repair. Apply this vitamin-nourished ointment overnight or throughout the day to banish flaky, chapped lips.

Also read: 9-Step Korean Skincare Routine: The Best Products for Glowing Skin

The Takeaway

You really can achieve great skin with budget-friendly products—you just have to know which ones live up to their claims. We hope this list of our 14 favorite affordable skincare products helps you look radiant without breaking the bank. Remember to focus on quality key ingredients and proven formulas when building your collection of bargain beauty buys. Happy shopping!