This Drugstore Buy Should Be A Staple In Your Routine

Cerave is a drugstore staple. From the brand's sunscreen to its moisturizing cream and its foaming facial cleanser, you've probably had at least one of its products in your medicine cabinet at one point or another. And this winter, Cerave has added another must-have (and, of course, budget-friendly) item to its roster: Cerave Healing Ointment, which couldn't have come at a more perfect time. Chapped lips, dry elbows, tight skin, cracked feet — ugh, it's all happening. (How many days until spring?) Luckily, this jar of goodness soothes all of the above — plus, it's good for cuts and such. It's certainly not the first all-healing ointment out there (duh), but this new formula has a unique quality (or lack thereof) that makes it stand out from the rest. Unlike a different blue-packaged balm we all know and love, CeraVe Healing Ointment is not sticky. Seriously, no stick at all. And it's not too greasy, either. As someone who suffers from an irrational fear of being covered in sticky stuff (long story), this scores big for me. Achieving a silky smooth texture was one of the main goals Cerave had when creating this product — a process which took three years working with some of the country's top derms. In the end, the brand came up with a lightweight, non-comedogenic formula that is free of lanolin (the fatty stuffy found in sheep's wool and many beauty products) and includes three moisturizing ceramides. It's also fragrance-free and hypoallergenic, so it's great for people with sensitive skin and other skin issues, like eczema. In fact, it's earned the National Eczema Association seal of acceptance, which is a big deal. But my final selling point goes back to my sticky-phobia. I have heard that many people (including one Jennifer Aniston) use Vaseline instead of eye cream, but personally, the thought of that texture on my face gives me the heebie-jeebies. And even though Cerave's new ointment was also designed to be used on your face and is safe for the undereye area, the idea still made me squeamish. But since I was already so impressed with the feel and wanted to experience the product's full effect, I clenched my teeth and went for it. As you may have guessed, I was pleasantly surprised. My eyes didn't instantly look like I'd slept a full eight hours or anything, but the ointment did feel soft on my skin and absorbed in easily — not greasy at all. It's up in the air whether I will keep the ointment-as-eye cream thing in my skin-care regimen long enough to see any results, but I will undoubtedly be slathering it on my hands, feet, and elbows all winter long.

CeraVe Healing Ointment, $14.99; available at CVS.com.