Augustinus Bader's cult-loved face creams—both The Cream ($265) and The Rich Cream ($265)—have been on the market for almost two years now (which is kind of unbelievable because we don't really remember life before Bader). Honestly, we'd be sick of hearing about the investment-worthy formulas if they weren't pretty damn spectacular. But, of course, they are indeed spectacular and then some.
Including celebrities like Victoria Beckham and makeup artists like Pati Dubroff, both iterations of the face cream have many A-list fans and have fast and furiously risen to holy-grail status. (There simply isn't a more strategic formula to prep your face with pre-makeup.) In addition to covetable side effects like the perfect ratio of dew and glow plus a nice flood of hydration, Bader's concoction is composed of unique complexes and ingredients that work in tandem to activate the regeneration of the body's own stem cells. The goal? The natural shift to a Benjamin Button–esque aging process.
Of course, as amazing as they are, Bader's creams aren't the only face moisturizers that can instantly hydrate a dull or thirsty complexion with tons of amazing ingredients. So we thought we'd share the wealth and shed light on 15 additional face creams that grant similar results at a variety of different price points. Because everyone—regardless of budget—deserves radiant and amply hydrated skin this winter. Whether you have $20 or $200, we have all the amazing recs waiting for you below. Keep scrolling!
If you have less than $50 to burn, try:
This brand-new launch is spiked with 24-karat gold, vegan collagen, and moisturizing glycerin to instantly revive sallow skin while quenching the driest of complexions. Plus, we'd venture it costs you less than your weekly matcha habit.
My mom loves super-rich, fancy face creams from luxe brands like Augustinus Bader, La Mer, La Prairie, RéVive… Need I continue? So it's telling that she's recently become absolutely obsessed with Versed's way more affordable option. It's a dream for combatting dryness, and it's chock-full of anti-aging moisturizing ingredients like red algae extract, squalane, vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid.
We don't need to introduce you to cult-loved French beauty brand Bioderma. However, you might be unfamiliar with the brand's rich face cream your dry skin (and skeleton wallet) is begging for. Noncomedogenic and fragrance-free, it's strategically developed to target, soothe, and nourish even the driest and most sensitive of complexions.
This beloved face cream from Weleda might be even more iconic than Augustinus Bader's formula but comes in at a fraction of the price. It helps achieve a buttery and plump complexion even in the dead of winter thanks to Scandinavian staple ingredients like essential fatty acids, vitamin E, organic pansy, and organic calendula flower.
Celebrities, beauty editors, and makeup artists alike hoard this little jar of French skin magic. Ultra-rich in texture, it moisturizes dry skin for an impressive 24 hours and boasts velvety ingredients like shea butter, alfalfa, lupine extract, hyaluronic acid, omega-9, and vitamin E.
If you have between $50 and $100 to burn, try…
Sunday Riley's newest launch is its richest, thickest, face cream formula yet, and it's a saving grace for anyone suffering from dry skin this season. It's loaded up with vitamin F, coconut, and ceramides to not only soothe and moisturize but heal and replenish compromised lipid levels. Plus, it dries and absorbs into a pretty matte finish so you're not left looking greasy or oily.
If you haven't heard of The Route, fear not—it's brand new! That said, it's already making major waves within the industry, and Mandy Moore even wore its magic underneath her makeup for this year's Emmy Awards. This face cream is a multitasking standout and simultaneously firms, brightens, and hydrates for a super-charged glow.
IS Clinical is famous for its dermatologist- and celebrity-loved serums, but it's this game-changing face cream we're dubbing as a serious dark horse from the brand. It's rich but not too rich (aka even someone like me with acne-prone skin can wear it!) and is basically a luxurious and moisturizing facial in a bottle. Thank pharmaceutical-grade botanicals, peptides, marine extracts, and antioxidants for the formula's plumping and hydrating powers.
As one of the most luxurious CBD-meets-skincare lines out there (and these days, there is a lot of competition), Beboe Therapies delivers when it comes to glowing-skin results. Its face serum is already well-loved, and just in time, the brand launched this exciting new face cream for dry skin anchored with 250 milligrams of hemp-derived CBD, squalane, shea butter, glycerin, niacinamide, vitamins C and E, plus a pro-peptide complex.
This soothing face cream from Pai is one of our absolute favorite picks from the clean beauty space. It smells wonderful, it feels amazing, and it's brimming with all the nutrients dry skin needs come fall and winter. We're obsessed with wearing this pick during the day thanks to omegas-3, -6, -7, and -9; a superior CO2 extraction of German chamomile and rose hip; plus matricin and azulene for maximum soothing perks.
If you have over $100 to burn, try…
Fans of Augustinus Bader also love Hungarian skincare brand Omorovicza and its sumptuous face creams. However, this illuminating formula is one of our favorites thanks to its hero ingredient, radiance-promoting ruby crystals. Plus, it's a little more affordable than the brand's other offerings.
We're so excited about this amazing new face cream from all-natural brand Kyrpis that we're telling you about it before it's actually available. (Although, you should definitely preorder it because we're predicting it will sell out.) We got our hands on the formula a few weeks ago, and we're obsessed with the mix of hemp, active botanicals, a fermented ocean extract called bacillus, and antioxidant powerhouse glutathione. Kypris makes some of the dreamiest products out there, and its newest debut is no different.
We love that Dr. Barbara Sturm has created two iterations of her best-selling face cream—one for darker skin tones and one for lighter. Both contain the highest-quality extracts and ingredients to hydrate and protect dry skin against free radicals and inevitable cell damage that ages us. Both creams are investments, but bear in mind that a little goes a long way and one jar will last you forever.
This is one of the most under-the-radar face creams when it comes to reviving dry skin and contributing to a truly amazing face glow. This Chantecaille's jar features dullness-busting vitamin C, two types of plant stem cells, and other clarifying ingredients to keep your winter skin clear and its immune response strong.
Sisley-Paris's other hydrating formulas tend to get a little more love and attention, but we're super partial to this face cream when it comes to finding an antidote for flaky, chapped skin. It low-key has an amazing cult following, makeup artists love using it pre-makeup, and it's fortified with ingredients like horsetail, ginseng, rosemary, and Centella Asiatica to gift skin with environmental and aging protection, plus a glowy matte finish to boot.
Up next: The 7 Most-Wanted Face Creams—and Their Less Expensive Drugstore Dupes
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