I Tried the $265 Moisturizer Beauty Editors Swear By, but Is the Updated Formula Worth It?

Here's the million-dollar question: should you buy it? My answer is if you can afford it, then absolutely yes. If you can't manage the nearly $300 price tag, then perhaps one of the smaller bottle sizes is your best bet — and instead of using the moisturizer twice a day, restrict it to your nighttime routine and make the most of the tinier bottle. The latter is exactly what I do and plan on doing until my free sample runs dry. Once that happens, I'll have to decide if I should purchase another bottle or opt for a more affordable option until I can set aside enough cash to replenish my stock.

Rating:

★★★★

Or if you're looking for alternative options until you make up your mind about The Rich Cream, I've collected some tried-and-true favorites ahead.

Are you tired of hearing about how good CeraVe skin-care products are yet? I'm not, because the proof really is in this pudding, er, moisturizing cream. Similar to Augustinus Bader, the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream ($19) uses a patented technology to deliver its ingredients deep into the skin. It also uses ceramides to restore the skin barrier and hyaluronic acid to help retain moisture, so dry skin looks replenished almost immediately. Bonus: it's fragrance-free!

I've spent a long time experimenting with moisturizers that try to do too much, but the Superegg Sound Renewal Moisturizer ($60) does the least — and I love it so much. It's one of those products that you don't realize you love until you skip using it for a day or it runs out and you notice just how good you had it. Since that single mistake, it's become a staple in my routine.

I originally found Superegg on Instagram, and the brand story drew me in immediately: it modernizes the ancient Asian beauty traditions of using eggs as a smoothing skin-care secret. Essentially, it duplicates the nutrients naturally found in egg yolks with vegan alternatives. This, alongside additional soothing ingredients, like squalane, panthenol, and vitamin E, gives this moisturizer its gentle but effective power.

Most French beauty secrets are worthy of a spot in your skin-care lineup, and the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 Soothing Repairing Balm ($15) is no exception. Not only is it a recent favorite among TikTok creators looking to repair their skin barrier, but it's also a long-time favorite among beauty editors. If you deal with chronic dryness and irritation, this lotion is for you. The combination of panthenol (to reduce damage), glycerin (to attract moisture), and shea butter (to soothe dryness) makes this formula feel as powerful as a prescription treatment, just, you know, without the actual prescription.

Again, the French will never let you down on gentle, nonirritating moisturizers, and the Caudalie Vinosource SOS Intense Hydration Moisturizer ($42) is another example. It shares a similar richness as The Rich Cream, but instead of stem-cell research, this moisturizer uses grape water, grape-seed polyphenols, and squalane to nourish skin and provide both instant and long-term moisture. And yep, this one is vegan, too.

From the outside, there's nothing sexy about the Bioderma Sensibio Rich Cream ($20), but I swear by the no-frills lotion hiding inside. Powered by vitamin E, glycerin, and canola oil, this stuff is deeply — and I mean deeply — hydrating. In short, it's perfect for sensitive skin — and sensitive budgets.