It’s True: This Under-$20 Moisturizer Is a Tried-and-True Dupe of La Mer

Photo credit: Weleda
Photo credit: Weleda


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Some products show up everywhere: subway ads, Instagram, celeb endorsements. With this series, we're testing such products to conclude one thing: Does it live up to the hype?

Photo credit: Hearst Owned
Photo credit: Hearst Owned

Weleda Skin Food has become a signature moisturizer in everyone's medicine cabinets for two major reasons: It's under $20, and it has an all-natural formula that will hydrate any part of your skin (face and body!) instantly. It’s built a fan following of beauty editors, celebrities, and influencers over the past few years, but has recently spiked in popularity.

Photo credit: Hearst Owned
Photo credit: Hearst Owned

When we hear the term "clean beauty," most of us think of the newer, more expensive vials of serums, elixirs, and moisturizers that are wrapped up in an adorable millennial-pink packaging. But, what if I told you that there's a clean beauty staple that: a) actually works, and b) won't empty your bank account?

Well, there's been an all-natural skincare staple that you've probably been missing out on: the Weleda Skin Food cream. This ultra rich moisturizer is beloved by the likes of Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Victoria Beckham, and more for its hydrating formula that has been compared to the legendary La Mer Créme de La Mer — which costs $180 for a single ounce, by the way.

Its nourishing blend of skincare favorites like calendula and chamomile is impressive, but the biggest reason why this moisturizer is so popular is its price: It’s less than $20!

Photo credit: Hearst Owned
Photo credit: Hearst Owned
Photo credit: Hearst Owned
Photo credit: Hearst Owned
Photo credit: Hearst Owned
Photo credit: Hearst Owned
Photo credit: Hearst Owned
Photo credit: Hearst Owned

When it comes to my skincare routine, I have Champagne taste with beer pockets. Though I do get most of my beauty products issued gratis and am eternally grateful for that, sometimes when I’m on the run, I forget to pack essentials. As much as I'd love to make a quick $100 splurge on a single skincare item, I'd rather save my bucks and head to the aisles of the supermarket — especially since those are some of the few places open at the moment with beauty supplies.

And that's where I came across the famed Weleda Skin Food moisturizer. I've heard the urban legends passed down from beauty editor to beauty editor about the magic of this under-$20 cream: It's known to give you the dewiest glow and hydrated skin, it's safe to use on your body and face, and it has one of the greenest formulas on the market.

While the brand has recently gained traction around the mainstream beauty-sphere, Weleda's naturally derived skincare concoctions have actually been around for nearly 100 years, according to Byrdie — that makes Weleda one of the oldest and longest-running brands at the forefront of the clean beauty movement. In 1926, Skin Food's 100% natural formula was born, and has stayed the same ever since, but has recently become more popular than ever thanks to recent spread via word-of-mouth by a plethora of celebrities and their makeup artists, like Katie Jane Hughes. And if it's good enough for Mandy Moore, then it's good enough for me.

At that point in time, I’d only heard of this cream but — gasp — never tried it myself. So, I decided to impulse-buy it during my trip to Whole Foods and give it a whirl.

First off, I can't write this without highlighting how impressive the price is. It's less than $20 — at Whole Foods, that's a nearly-nonexistent price point — for 2.5 ounces. To put that in perspective, you only get 1.69 ounces of Drunk Elephant's famed Lala Retro moisturizer for $60.

So, the price is low, but my expectations were high. And overall, Weleda's famed moisturizer definitely lived up to them: It was ultra hydrating, it had a thick and rich texture with a subtle tint, and it smelled like oranges. It was great for the roughest patches on my body, like my elbows and knees, and it even gave my hands and cuticles some solace after slathering them constantly in hand sanitizer.

But, I will say that it felt very heavy when I applied it on my face as a moisturizer. I'm an oily-skin type, so the radiant sheen of this cream made my skin look more greasy than dewy, which I can't say I loved. If you're an oilier skin type like me, then I suggest subbing Skin Food into your nighttime skincare routine for some extra moisture while you sleep.

Photo credit: Hearst Owned
Photo credit: Hearst Owned

If you have dry skin, or rough patches that need to be smoothed out, then the Weleda Skin Food moisturizer is definitely a great, budget-friendly option for you to use whenever you'd like. However, if your skin type tends to be on the oily side of the spectrum, then you may want to try it out overnight first, or opt for the brand's lighter formula.

Read More:

This Under-$10 Daily Moisturizing Lotion Is the Cure to My Extremely Dry Hands

The Best Body Lotions That’ll Have You Saying Bye to Dry Skin

Does the Insta-Famous Ordinary Peeling Solution Actually Deserve Its Glowing Reputation?

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