As with most aspects of aging, the best skin care predictor for how your face and skin will hold up is some combination of genetics (congratulations if you and your mom were born with good skin), lifestyle, environment, and proactive measures. You can assume that as an older adult, you’ll likely have to deal with such issues as skin sensitivity, dry skin, fine lines, wrinkles, sun spots, and possibly skin cancer. Even if you take measures to address these challenges, you may still face problems if you don’t exercise, eat well, sleep well, and keep sufficiently hydrated. In fact, your lifestyle may be as responsible for the current condition of your skin as any potions or lotions you have tried. While your age (and peri or postmenopausal status) means your body is no longer producing collagen the way it used to, lack of exercise, leading to poor sleep, then leading to poor diet can all conspire to further degrade the collagen that remains in your skin. That’s a perilous situation, given that we know collagen is essential to keeping our skin vibrant, structured, and elastic, especially as we lose 1% of our collagen each year after age 20. For a good overview of what your skin endures as we age and how to protect it from harm and declining appearance, slather on some moisturizer and listen here.

But the best strategy for dealing with these skin challenges is likely not found in the expensive products available from exclusive producers. Expert dermatologists and skin influencers seem to agree that keeping it simple is likely the best (and most budget-friendly) way to approach aging skin. Whether it’s a gentle, drugstore cleanser for mild facial cleansing (make sure you’re not using anything harsh, or really, any soap with chemical foams or fragrances that can irritate your skin or lead it to revolt) or a drugstore moisturizer, simple products with the active ingredients that work are likely all you need. As The New York Times recently stated as part of a comprehensive Wirecutter review of skin care, “The beauty industry has always preyed upon our insecurities.” That means we need to resist the urge to jump on every new skin care bandwagon or put into our carts every new product that promises skin magic.

Instead, we need to remember, especially as owners of aging skin, that every product piled on may irritate our increasingly sensitive skin, and the cost of the product in no way guarantees its benefit. What the Wirecutter recommends is a simple 4-step daily routine that relies as much on consistency as it does on cosmetic brilliance. So, the recommended strategy is to cleanse (remember no soap!), treat (they recommend a Vitamin C antioxidant serum), and moisturize both morning and night) and protect- no matter the weather, sunscreen is a must. To find out which products they recommend, clear your counter and look here for sunscreens, look here for moisturizers, and look here for retinols. And FYI, when it comes to retinols, they can be initially drying on your skin or difficult to use on a daily basis. So you may want to try a moisturizer to calm down your skin when you’re starting, or you may want to use a retinol that’s part of a serum or moisturizer that your skin will tolerate. And if you’re on a budget, you may want to try the prescription-strength retinol sold on Amazon and in drugstores that’s now available over-the-counter.

Finally, you can never go wrong with a good, basic moisturizer, whether you’re shopping in Walmart or perusing the aisles in Sephora. So grab a basket and get ready to toss in one of these.