If I’m in need of a new razor, nail polish or birthday card, you can find me at CVS. It’s my drugstore of choice over all others for the essentials, but even I was skeptical when I first heard about their new proprietary brand, Skin+Pharmacy. It’s not that I believe brand-name, pricier skin care products always work better than their less-expensive counterparts, but when I frequent any drugstore for anything beauty or skin-related, I never think twice about choosing a brand name over generic. Until now.
My curiosity over one Skin+Pharmacy product in particular—Advanced Anti-Aging Therapy Retinol Wipes ($20 for a pack of 20 pre-soaked wipes)—peaked after it was featured in not one, but two, stories here on NewBeauty.com. (I was looking for a new retinol cream after a bad reaction to another left my skin red and reeling.) As fate would have it, a girlfriend of mine had just also tried a Skin+Pharmacy moisturizer for the first time and loved it so much she bought almost the entire line of their products. Between her recommendations and rave reviews from NewBeauty editors, I knew I’d found the retinol I’d been searching for.
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Each wipe is individually packaged and pre-soaked, making applying the right amount of product convenient and foolproof. (Bonus: they’re TSA-friendly!) One wipe, twice a week for two weeks was all it took to notice a visible difference in my skin. It was clearer, softer and brighter without any of the dryness or irritation some retinols can cause. (If you do happen to experience signs of irritation, stop using.) Did I mention 20 nights worth of wipes is only $20?
Surprising no one, my drugstore beauty hauls look a lot different these days. Gone is the girl who beelines the drugstore aisles for brand-name beauty products at marked-up prices without giving the budget alternative right next to it a second thought. (My wallet doesn’t miss her.)
