The best bang-for-your-buck skincare products to buy before tariffs hit, according to dermatologists

Beauty sales may have persevered through recent tough economic times. The “lipstick effect,” however, will be no match for tariffs.

For one, many cult skincare favorites hail from South Korea and Japan, both subject to US tariffs. Plus, plenty of American products are manufactured and packaged in Asia, which will raise the costs on nearly every luxury product, from serums to sheet masks.

Some consumers are stocking up on skincare, especially on pricey multipurpose products that promise to do it all.

Luckily, you don’t have to rush to stockpile high-end products. You can keep up your skincare routine by mixing and matching drugstore and luxury brands. Here’s how.

Save on drugstore cleansers and moisturizers

Best-selling beauty brands like Aestura, COSRX, and Laneige all have luxurious face creams and moisturizers. They’re also all based in South Korea, a country that is still negotiating with the US over potential tariffs.

While US drugstore options may not have the same feel or scent as your go-to favorite, they’re likely just as effective and safe for your skin.

Cleansers and moisturizers have a pretty straightforward purpose: cleaning and hydrating your skin. Unlike most expensive anti-aging products, “they’re not making any performance claims” like smoothing wrinkles, Dr. Shannon Humphrey, a board-certified dermatologist and clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia, told Business Insider.

Whether you have sensitive, oily, or dry skin, the best options all generally fall under similar price points. She said popular drugstore brands like Cetaphil and CeraVe, which are both US brands, carry cost-effective options.

For sensitive skin, Vanicream, a brand that manufactures and packages its products in the US, makes a “beautiful gentle cleanser,” Dr. Kate Viola, a board-certified dermatologist practicing in Maryland, told BI.

Try local anti-aging serums

While tariffs will most certainly impact French brands like Caudalie, La Mer, and Avène, you don’t need to navigate potential tariff costs on top of already-expensive vitamin C serums. Some US-made anti-aging products are just as effective.

One “gold standard” item to splurge on is US-made Skinceuticals vitamin C serum, Humphrey said. At almost $200, it has a light texture and some solid published research to back its claims of reversing pigmentation and stimulating collagen, she said.

Viola said that the serum is a “holy grail” product, but added that if you’re really in a pinch, it might be worth waiting a few months. The company’s patent recently expired, opening the formula up for cheaper copycat options. “There are going to be a lot of dupes out there,” she said.

Another item worth shelling out on is quality retinol. All retinol products are a form of topical vitamin A, Humphrey said. The one with the most research behind it is tretinoin, a prescription-strength retinoid.

While booking an appointment with your dermatologist requires an extra step, Viola said it can ultimately save you money. Instead of getting a $90 retinol serum, you can get tretinoin. At her practice, which works with a compounding pharmacy, the out-of-pocket cost for tretinoin is $55.

“That little tube is going to last six months,” she said.

If you have the budget for it, Humphrey also recommended Plated Intense Serum, a US-based brand, which costs over $250 and “has strong science behind it.” It uses exosomes derived from platelets, which signal healing in the body, to reduce redness and smooth skin texture.

While it might be tempting to just get drugstore versions of these anti-aging products, Humphrey said many large-scale commercial companies “really don’t have controlled clinical studies” to back up claims of brightening skin or smoothing skin texture.

“They don’t publish their data, and their claims are marketing claims, which are not the same as scientific claims,” she added. Trying to buy a cheaper serum might end up being a waste of money.

Sunscreen is up to personal preference

Quality sunscreen might be the trickiest to obtain without encountering tariff prices. Sunscreen enthusiasts know that Asian and European brands are better at blocking certain UV rays due to ingredients that aren’t approved by the FDA.

Viola’s a fan of La Roche-Posay’s sunscreens, including the French brand’s face moisturizer with SPF 30, usually a little over $20. “I recommend it to everyone,” Viola said, referring to it as her personal go-to. “I’ve never had a complaint, ever.”

Viola said some mid-range American options, especially ones that are tinted to match your skin tone, are great. The iron oxide in tinted sunscreens “blocks out blue light that we get from our screens,” she said, including computers and phones. She loves the one from the Swiss-American brand EltaMD, usually around $35-$45.

If that still feels a touch too much for a product you’re reapplying multiple times a day, she said Eucerin’s tinted version, which costs under $20, is “a hidden gem.”

Ultimately, you can always go cheaper for sunscreen, as long as it’s the recommended SPF 30 and up. The point is to wear it every day, so it’s good to find something that doesn’t feel greasy, isn’t hard to apply, or leaves a white cast. “If you find something that you love, that is truly what matters,” Viola said.

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