Hundreds of products come across our desks every month, but not all of them deliver on their claims or live up to the hype. (Not everything that goes viral on TikTok is a miracle worker.) This is our exclusive curation of the best-in-class skin-care products receiving rave reviews from our team and hitting shelves right now.
Augustinus Bader The Light Cream ($175)
Joining the brand’s iconic Cream and Rich Cream is this new lightweight, mattifying formula designed for those with oily skin or those who live in humid climates and don’t need a hefty dose of moisture. It boasts the same proprietary TFC8 technology the brand is known for—a mix of amino acids, vitamins and synthesized molecules that support cellular renewal—this cream keeps overactive sebaceous glands in check so skin doesn’t look like an oil slick by midday.
It’s also vegan, fragrance-free and packed with antioxidants to protect skin from environmental aggressors like pollution. In a clinical study, after 12 weeks of daily use, skin hydration improved by 213 percent and wrinkles were visibly reduced by 45 percent.
Rhode Peptide Glazing Fluid ($29)
Known for her “glazed donut skin”—I’ve met her in person and it truly is next-level radiant—Hailey Rhode Bieber is bottling her signature dewy glow with this fragrance-free serum-gel hybrid, launching today as part of her new skin-care brand. Super lightweight and quick to absorb—it feels like a water cream and very refreshing on my skin—it’s good for all skin types, even sensitive, and infused with niacinamide, peptides, hyaluronic acid and marula oil to help make fine lines, rough skin and dullness fade over time.
Solara Suncare Fortune Teller Brightening Sunscreen Serum ($64)
The brand’s most requested product ever—they had more than 1,000 people on the waitlist before it launched and have been working on it since 2020—this gel-to-milk serum is the sunscreen for people who hate sunscreen. Three things I love: It’s a mineral-based SPF 30, it has a flexible, universal tint that adapts to all skin tones, and it contains top-tier skin-care ingredients like vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, argan oil, aloe vera and antioxidants. It’s double-duty suncare that also acts as an everyday anti-aging essential. The finish is dewy, but I don’t look greasy, and it also makes a great makeup primer.
The Skinny Confidential The Pink Balls Face Massager ($99)
Leave it to glam-girl Lauryn Evarts Bosstick to create a pink disco-ball face massager—Elle Woods definitely would have traded up her pink quartz roller for this. But, this is no average roller: Bosstick spent four years designing and perfecting the divots to glide over skin without tugging to deliver sculpting and circulation boosting for a serious glow. And if you already use the brand’s beloved Ice Roller, this is meant to be used after.
“THE PINK BALLS is a game-changer,” says Bosstick. “It’ll chisel and sculpt the face, making you look super contoured before you even put on your makeup. It eliminates toxin through lymphatic drainage and toughens up your muscles. Plus, doing facial massages stimulates the blood flow creating juicy, plump skin, relieves tension, releases toxins, boosts circulation, improves product absorption, is relaxing and just feels damn good!”
Aloisia Beauty REVITALIZE Eye Cream ($95)
Housed in a pretty recyclable glass jar, this luxe eye cream from the celeb-loved K-beauty brand is super light with big-time brightening power for dark under-eye circles thanks to niacinamide, green tea and a proprietary blend of fermented probiotics. Together, they also help tackle dryness and a lack of firmness that makes delicate under-eye skin look crepey, as well as fine lines. Sweet almond oil helps reduce puffiness, too—it truly does revitalize tired eyes first thing in the morning.
In a third-party study on 32 participants ages 18 to 65, 94 percent reported a reduction in fine lines around their eye area after just 10 days.
Beautycounter All Bright Triple Acid AHA Toner ($68)
The newest addition to the brand’s beloved All Bright collection, this acid-rich toner—salicylic, glycolic, lactic and phytic—is a miracle worker for clogged pores, as it gets all the gunk out, while also brightening skin with niacinamide, for a fresh, rejuvenated look. Kombucha (fermented black tea) lends a smoothing effect as well, setting the perfect canvas for the rest of your skin-care routine. After four weeks of use, 93 percent of users in a clinical study said their skin looked radiant and luminous, and felt supple and smooth.
After washing your face, soak a cotton pad with toner and swipe it all over your face (or just areas you need extra help with like your T-zone) to let your skin drink it up. With any acid-rich product, start twice a week and work up to once a day depending on how your skin adapts.
Peter Thomas Roth FirmX Collagen Hydra-Gel Face & Eye Patches ($65)
Last year, Peter Thomas Roth’s Instant FirmX Eye Temporary Eye Tightener went crazy viral on TikTok with more than 30 million views, as users marveled at its ability to temporarily smooth out puffiness and bags. Now, the brand is adding to its cult-favorite FirmX collection with these new firming gel patches that can be used not only under the eyes, but also between the brows or on the folds around the mouth (there are two different shapes included).
Packed to the brim with collagen—marine collagen, plant collagen and hydrolyzed collagen—peptides, squalane and 5-percent hyaluronic acid, the patches help reduce the appearance of fine lines by plumping up the surface of the skin. These are definitely a secret weapon to keep on hand before a date night, Zoom presentation or any other occasion when you just want to look your best and feel rejuvenated. And just like any other gel patches, I like to keep them in the fridge for extra depuffing after a long night (or too much pizza!).
Glo Skin Beauty Oil Free SPF 40+ ($46)
I was a fan of Glo Skin Beauty’s OG Oil Free SPF 40, which was a mix of mineral and chemical UV filters, but after numerous customer requests for a 100-percent mineral formula, the day has finally come. The new version is still lightweight, oil-free and noncomedogenic, making it top-notch for those with oily skin, though any skin type can use it. I’m combination, and I love this even on my dry days, layered on top of a hydrating moisturizer.
It also boasts the same invisible finish we all loved in the previous formula, and it’s chock-full of hyaluronic acid, allantoin and antioxidants to keep skin hydrated as it simultaneously fights free-radicals.
Solawave BYE ACNE ($79)
If you’re tired of having your sulfur-scented pimple cream rub off onto your pillowcase, try this new bacteria-killing device instead. FDA-cleared to deliver red and blue light—red helps reduce inflammation and redness; blue banishes bacteria that causes acne and regulates sebum production—it’s super compact and easy to use. Just hold it over the area you want to treat for three minutes and it will automatically shut off when it’s done. According to the brand, most users have experienced visible results within one to three sessions.
And to celebrate Pride Month (starting today; it’s also Acne Awareness Month), BYE ACNE is launching in an exclusive Periwinkle color that will only be available throughout June, or until it sells out. The device’s core colors, including Charcoal, will be launched July 1 as part of the brand’s permanent collection.
Dermalogica Daily Milkfoliant ($64)
Launching on June 9, this vegan, skin-smoothing exfoliating powder is the new sister to the brand’s best-selling Daily Microfoliant, which is largely made up of rice and papaya enzymes. This new product features different key ingredients, including oat, which is known for its calming properties, as well as coconut and botanical extracts that naturally contain alphahydroxy and betahydroxy acids to gently slough off all the dull skin. It’s a perfect product for anyone who quivers at the word exfoliate, but wants their skin to feel super soft. It also incorporates hyaluronic acid to keep the skin’s moisture barrier happy.
In a clinical study on 30 participants using the cleanser once a day for one week, 90 percent reported significant smoothness after just one use.
Ameliorate Transforming Clarity Facial Serum ($39)
Another anti-acne launch during Acne Awareness Month, this lightweight serum is a perfect pick to battle blemishes while caring for your skin this summer (just make sure to always wear sunscreen on top because it does contain a retinoid). The brand’s exclusive LaB6 Skin Clearing Complex helps reduce the appearance of pores and discoloration from past pimples, as well as remove excess sebum so your skin doesn’t shine like a disco ball. In a consumer trial on 120 people with all skin tones across the Fitzpatrick Scale and mild-to-moderate acne, oily skin and large pores, 96 percent agreed their blemishes and blocked pores appeared reduced, 95 percent agreed it helped their skin tone appeare more even, and 94 percent agreed it left their skin looking less oily.
“Using the latest research into the power of marine plants, we have designed a six-component complex that can target not only the blemish itself, but also the main causes of blemishes,” says Robin Parker, director of R&D for THG Labs, Ameliorate’s parent company. “One of these components is derived from noni and has been shown to tackle blemish-prone skin by working in partnership with the skin’s own microbiome, helping to fight excess sebum and balancing some of the bacteria that can cause problems. Combined with a natural salicylic acid from white willow bark and lactic acid, the regime has been shown to deliver healthier-looking, more radiant and refined skin within three weeks.”