Our favourite skincare products for winter under ₹500
Caring for your skin without breaking the bank
Winter in India isn’t just a season, especially if you’re North Indian, like this writer: it’s an event. The razais come out as you pile up on the same takhat, eating garam roasted peanuts with green chilli and salt, with a tall flask of masala chai on the side. You can’t tell one person apart from the other behind their monkey caps as they power walk through their morning exercise routines. And when you don’t feel like doing anything other than cuddling with a garam paani ki bottle and reading Harry Potter in bed, you can always blame the fog… or smog.
Your skin decides this is the perfect moment for a round of dum sharaaz, pulling off its best reptilian impression, shedding skin and moisture faster than ganji chudail gets outwitted. Finding winter skincare that gives you what you need without turning your face into an oil extravaganza can take some trial and error. You need to switch to heavier, more nourishing products, just like dermatologists recommend. And if you’re trying to stick to a budget as part of your New Year’s resolutions, it gets complicated.
We hunted for winter skincare under ₹500 that will make your skin glow without making your wallet groan.
10 winter skincare products under ₹500
Simple Active Skin Barrier Care Replenishing Cream Cleanser, ₹399
With a blend of ceramides and hyaluronic acid, this cleanser is going to become a fast favourite for dry skin folk. Cleansing can sometimes strip away essential oil, leaving your skin feeling like it’s auditioning for a desert survival show. But with ceramides in the mix, they swoop in to replenish and fortify your skin’s defences, ensuring it stays hydrated and resilient even after a good clean.
What we like about this, as random as it might sound, is the fact that it comes with a lock clip around the pump. No more bottle explosions in your suitcase when you travel.
Earth Rhythm Aqua Surge® Face Wash, ₹349
A creamy cleanser might feel like too much if you have very oily skin, even with a chill in the air.
Pick a gel cleanser like this one that has hyaluronic acid to infuse some hydration into your skin while cleansing the day’s grime without disrupting your skin barrier.
Minimalist Polyhydroxy Acid (PHA) 03% Toner, ₹399
Your skin barrier is a lot more sensitive to exfoliants during the cold dry months, but you can deal with the crusty flakiness by adding an exfoliating toner into your winter skincare routine that also has a gem of an ingredient like polyglutamic acid, which helps draw moisture to your skin.
A gentle exfoliant like polyhydroxy acid is also more suited for people with sensitive skin.
Quench Birch Please Moisturizing Face Mist, ₹449
If you feel like your skin is feeling dry or a bit stretchy and dehydrated through the day, you can give yourself a phoosh of this face mist with hydrating birch juice, nourishing and soothing ingredients like sea buckthorn, sodium hyaluronate and witch hazel which also work on your pores to keep them clear.
Quench also does a mini version of their face mists if you want to pop one into your handbag.
Dr Sheth’s Haldi & Hyaluronic Acid Serum, ₹499
A unique concoction designed to give your skin the best of both worlds. Turmeric, a beloved ingredient in Indian traditions, brings its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant goodness to the mix. It’s like having a calming, brightening superhero in your skincare routine.
On the other hand, hyaluronic acid steps in with its incredible ability to lock in moisture, ensuring your skin stays hydrated and looks its plumpest best. Together, they create a harmonious blend that nurtures your skin.
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, ₹399
Cult favourite CeraVe is finally in India, and if there’s one thing you add to your winter skincare routine, make it the moisturising cream, especially if you have dry skin.
This cream is like the Swiss Army Knife of skincare. Packed with ceramides to strengthen the skin barrier and hyaluronic acid to keep skin hydrated and plump; it’s also non-comedogenic making it safe for people with acne-prone skin. Bonus: it’s fragrance-free. It gets our vote for being the perfect no-frills face cream that gets the job done.
Foxtale Hydrating Moisturizer, ₹445
If ceramides are what you’re looking for, but the thought of putting a cream on your face triggers your sebum production, then you can try this one by Foxtale, which gives you the ceramide goodness without making it feel like your skin is wrapped in cellophane.
The addition of vitamin E gives it antioxidant power to prevent free radical damage as well as moisturises the skin.
Fixderma Shadow Lip Shield SPF 50, ₹235
The Fixderma Shadow Lip Shield SPF 50 acts like a protective barrier for your lips, shielding them from harmful UV rays and helping prevent signs of ageing.
You might have mastered sunscreen reapplication on your face, but our lips are often neglected, leading to pigmentation, collagen loss, damaged skin and even more dryness. In winter, chapped lips need extra RnR, and layering your sunscreen under a thick balm can potentially leave behind a goopy mess. So why not tackle two problems with one product?
Cipla Rivela Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50, ₹499
What’s neat about this sunscreen lotion, besides its high-level protection with SPF 50, is that it’s light on the skin while moisturising. While better suited for people with normal to dry skin, it doesn’t feel heavy or greasy.
The addition of vitamin E gives it an additional antioxidant boost and strengthens your skin barrier.
Dr Sheth’s Ceramide & Vitamin C Sunscreen, ₹499
With this sunscreen you get good sun protection, a moisturiser (unless you have very dry skin and need additional hydration) and vitamin C as well – the trifecta of a great morning skincare routine – in one tube. It’s a one-and-done product ideal for oily skin folk that combines all the steps into one; ensure you’re using an adequate amount to reap the benefits of all three.
