It’s supercharged with 13 skin-brightening ingredients, nine antioxidants, seven peptides, and an algae complex. Together, they dial up brightness while protecting, firming, and smoothing the skin. This do-it-all serum uses peptide-rich plasma, glycolic acid, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid to target 10 signs of aging.
Best Serum for Hyperpigmentation: PillowtalkDerm Major Fade Hyper Serum
This dark-spot-correcting serum walks a fine line between gentle and effective. It uses natural phytonutrients to brighten the skin, so it’s safe for all skin tones. There are no harsh lightening ingredients that could do more harm than good. This high-performance eye cream is clinically proven to decrease puffiness, wrinkles, and sagging skin in (wait for it) one week. It’s thanks to biomimetic peptides, retinol, and amino acids—all of which work together for a 360° approach to lifting, contouring, and smoothing the delicate eye area.
This peptide-packed serum is clinically proven to reduce expression lines and improve lines and wrinkles. Inspired by actual injections, it dramatically improves skin texture and radiance. It calms inflammation, hydrates dryness, and reduces redness in one go. It’s all thanks to Mevalonic Acid, an active ingredient that kicks the skin into repair mode at the molecular level.
With a combination of precious oils, it boosts the skin’s resilience, elasticity, and luminosity. It’s basically the skin’s version of a fluffy blanket, a cup of tea, and a good book.
“As someone with sensitive skin, I’m always cautious of at-home peels, but U-Beauty’s Resurfacing Flash Peel is one I can trust. A hardworking blend of glycolic acid, AHAs, and vitamin C exfoliates and brightens without irritation, giving me a radiant glow in just minutes. Plus, it never leaves my skin feeling stripped or dry—just refreshed and smooth.” —L.V. We often preach that good skin care takes time to see real results; however, this sleeping mask from Clinique literally delivers the goods while you snooze.
Best Hydrating Mask
A trio of peptides plus 12% hyaluronic acid and skin-soothing adenosine work during your body’s reparative cycle to hydrate, plump, and smooth the complexion — meaning you wake up to visibly dewier, glowier, and more moisturized skin. As much as we love cleansing balms for their ability to get rid of waterproof/sweatproof/lifeproof makeup formulas, we don’t love having to dip our mitts into jars, contaminating the formula with our not-so-clean digits. This genius balm solves that issue with a mechanism that grinds out a fresh portion with just a twist of the top, letting you get the exact amount you need of the gentle, yet powerful formula. It uses camellia sinensis seed oil, grape seed oil, madecassoside, and centella extract to cleanse and condition, soothing redness and irritation as it dissolves even the most hardcore makeup, dirt, and sunscreen. They don’t call Sofie Pavitt the “Acne Whisperer” for nothing, and this genius mask is just another reason why the New York City-based aesthetician is so beloved for keeping her clients’ skin crystal clear.
La Bronne Bosse N.03 The Essential Soft Hair Brush
These futuristic formulations feature new ingredients and high-tech molecules that are almost beyond belief. This mineral SPF uses non-nano zinc to protect the skin with SPF 40. There are also peptides and ceramides to plump and smooth, plus hyaluronic acid and allantoin hydrate and soothe. The universal tint erases the potential for a white cast, giving the skin a smooth, glowing base. This sheet mask is beloved by beauty editors and makeup artists alike.
Best Multitasking Serum
The addition of sodium hyaluronate is what will give you plump, juicy, hydrated AF skin. This serum amplifies the results of traditional retinol by combining it with a powerful antioxidant called malassezin. Together, the all-star ingredients target lines, wrinkles, texture, discoloration, loss of firmness, and more. “This sheet mask is super hydrating and plumping. I usually dry out like the Sahara Desert when I fly, but when I put this on mid-flight, I land looking like a delicious, dewy dumpling.” —N.V.
Best Anti-Aging Serum
For starters, senior beauty editor Margaux Anbouba just got a laser treatment for the first time, which meant her skin needed special TLC to get back to its youthful glow. Beauty editor-at-large Arden Fanning Andrews, on the other hand, has found renewed love in Tatcha’s The Silk Sunscreen—its mini version is perfect for summertime travels to reapply sheer mineral UV protection. And if it’s an anti-frizz hair treatment you’re after, I cannot recommend Color Wow’s Dream Coat spray enough. Available in regular, extra strength, and curly-specific variants, each helps keep hair shiny, smooth, and sleek despite what’s on the weather forecast. Low on lather but big on moisture, this calming cream cleanser from Drunk Elephant helps break down makeup and sunscreen without stripping the skin of its natural balance.
“This one gets a lot of hype—but for good reason. It’s a dewy dumpling classic that delivers a glowy, glazy finish with anti-aging benefits. Plus, it wears beautifully under makeup.” —N.V. “Anytime I’m doing an early-morning television segment, these cryo wands are a godsend. I store them in the fridge so I always have them super-cold and ready to depuff, sculpt, and awaken my face when I need it most.” —K.J.B. WhatsApp Business helps you reach your customers globally to deliver compelling experiences at scale. Showcase your products and services, increase sales, and build relationships all with WhatsApp. The skin is vulnerable to everything from environmental pollution to emotional stress, but this oil is the ultimate soother and balancer.
- With so many red-light masks on the market, it takes a lot to impress us these days.
- They don’t call Sofie Pavitt the “Acne Whisperer” for nothing, and this genius mask is just another reason why the New York City-based aesthetician is so beloved for keeping her clients’ skin crystal clear.
- It has a skin-friendly pH of 5.0, vanilla fruit extract for built-in antioxidant protection, and an oh-so-subtle sweet scent our testers found utterly invigorating.
- Trust these staples to be the architects of your best skin ever.
- This genius balm solves that issue with a mechanism that grinds out a fresh portion with just a twist of the top, letting you get the exact amount you need of the gentle, yet powerful formula.
- The plumping effect of this formula is more than just hydration — it actually volumizes your skin equivalent to one cubic centimeter of hyaluronic acid.
Best Brightening Mask: Kate Somerville Mega-C Vitamin C Brightening Mask
- Shea and murumuru seed butters cushion dry lips in moisture, while vegan wax smooths rough skin.
- That means more defined contours, improved facial volume, and visibly filled fine lines after 12 weeks of consistent use.
- It’s all thanks to Mevalonic Acid, an active ingredient that kicks the skin into repair mode at the molecular level.
- Low on lather but big on moisture, this calming cream cleanser from Drunk Elephant helps break down makeup and sunscreen without stripping the skin of its natural balance.
Below, take a look at our 2021 Beauty Award Winners in the skincare category. “There’s hyaluronic acid, and then there’s this Noble Panacea face oil’s proprietary Organic Super Molecular Vessel (OSMV) technology, which enhances delivery by encapsulating HA in a protective molecular vessel for deeper penetration. Alongside squalane, sea fennel extract, and retinol, this silky and fast-absorbing oil supplies a well-rounded dose of hydration, nourishment, and replenishment. Not to mention, the individual, single-dose capsules preserve the potency and ensure each application is the perfect amount.” —L.V. “I may not get nearly as much sleep as I should, but I make sure my skin always looks like I did. This mask is one of those saviors. It cloaks skin in a layer of peptied, hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid, and lipids to plump, smooth, and strengthen.” —K.J.B.
This is a best-selling, TikTok-viral product, and for good reason. The watery liquid exfoliant contains 2% salicylic acid and green tea. It’s clinically proven to unclog pores, prevent breakouts, minimize enlarged pores, and control excess oil in as little as one week. Without further ado, we can’t wait to give proper due to the formulas we brought with us through this rollercoaster of a year. They’re the ones that made us feel best, whether that’s cleansing, toning, hydrating, evening, firming, or a myriad of other adjectives that give us those same aforementioned tingles.
With four types of collagen (each small enough to penetrate the skin), this mask boosts plumpness and elasticity, while delivering a dose of hydration. Each mask contains a full firming ampoule for maximum benefits. This exfoliator promises professional-level results in as few as five minutes. The fast-acting formula resurfaces the skin for a brighter, tighter, and more even complexion on the fly.
“This is a great new sunscreen. It works well for all skin types and is my new favorite for active patients who play tennis, run, etc.” —D.B. She began her career at Well+Good, where she spent five years evolving from editorial intern to news writer to beauty writer. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English rhetoric from Binghamton University and a master’s degree in health and science journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. She is also a certified fitness instructor and teaches barre in Brooklyn. Luminous skin may look effortless, but behind every glowing complexion is a well-honed routine. Trust these staples to be the architects of your best skin ever.
Best Makeup Remover
Soaked in the brand’s proprietary ferment filtrate, it’s essentially a facial in mask form, revealing brighter, smoother, and plumper skin in just 15 minutes. This lightweight formula is spiked with eight amino acids, eight peptides, and three ceramides. What can we say about this lip mask that hasn’t already been said? Wear it while you sleep (or anytime, really), and the formula’s antioxidants, berry fruit complex, murumuru seed, and shea butter will go to work, giving you better lips by morning.
“Transform your bathroom into a Japanese spa with this mask, which uses Japanese volcanic ash to warm, konjac to gently exfoliate, and Okinawa Kucha clay to absorb excess oil. It’ll leave your skin clean and refined without over-drying.” —K.J.B. Good skincare is practically a religion at this point—it’s personal, it’s intimate, and it helps build community around us. Finding a product that’s efficacious and fun to use makes a difference in our happiness (it really does!). This year, as always, we tried every product that came across our desks to narrow this list down to the formulas lexatrade that make us feel best (and really work). Below, take a look at our 2022 Beauty Award Winners in the skincare category. Wildfleur innovated a solution to that issue by creating a super-stabilized form of 15% L-ascorbic acid — the most potent form of vitamin C — using a patented technology that features xanthophyll from marigolds.