I Tried CVS's Retinol Wipes and They're the Best Drugstore Skin Product I've Ever Used

If I'm in need of new razors, nail polish or a 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 believed brand-name, pricier skin care products always work better than their less-expensive counterparts, but when I frequented CVS for anything beauty or skin-related, I never thought twice about choosing a brand name over generic.

My usual beauty shopping habits aside, I became increasingly intrigued by one Skin+Pharmacy product—Advanced Anti-Aging Therapy Retinol Wipes ($20 for a pack of 20 pre-soaked wipes)—after it was featured in not one, but two, stories here on NewBeauty.com. Then, as fate would have it, one of my very best friends tried a Skin+Pharmacy moisturizer and loved it so much she bought almost the entire line of products. Between her recommendation and rave reviews from NewBeauty editors, I knew I'd found the retinol I'd been looking 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!) When I rubbed that first wipe on my face and neck, I didn't know exactly what to expect, but I can tell you it wasn't that my skin would feel immediately refreshed (anti-aging superstar ingredient hyaluronic acid is included in every wipe!), and I expected to wake up the next morning with red, irritated skin, but the symptoms never showed. (If you do happen to experience signs of irritation, stop using.) After two weeks of using the wipes twice a week, all I was left with was clearer, brighter and more even skin than I've ever had before, and it cost me $20.

I don't know how CVS was able to make such an impressive product for the price, but gone is the girl who beelines for brand-name products without giving the cheaper alternative right next to it a second thought.