We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. Klairs Midnight Blue Calming cream for targeting any irritation you have. It's recommend for use as a spot treatment, especially for acne, and after extractions, laser treatments, sun exposure, and shaving, but reviewers also love it for reducing redness and calming and soothing rosacea.
2. Cosrx’s snail mucin repairing essence that may seem like it would give you the ick, but is totally worth adding to your routine. No snail-like results here: Just pat it in the evening, and you’ll be appreciating the moisture boost right away.
3. And the matching Cosrx snail mucin gel-cream moisturizer to continue to replenish your skin's moisture and protect your skin barrier, while soothing irritated or sensitive skin, whether you're dealing with a breakout, rosacea, or just plain ole dry skin.
4. Prescription-strength (but not prescription-priced) Differin Retinoid gel, because it's a true classic for a reason. It is designed to promote and "normalize" skin cell turnover, which can help clear existing breakouts, combat inflammation and prevent the actual production of acne in the future.
5. Or CeraVe's Retinol Serum, which lives up to the CeraVe name and uses *encapsulated* retinol to reduce the appearance of scars and pores without flaking or redness. If you haven't gotten into retinoids yet or are worried about irritating your skin, this gentle but effective serum is a great option — and reviewers say they like it better than other more expensive options (like Murad's Retinol Serum, which retails for $92).
6. Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum with over 2,500 5-star reviews touting its ability to give that crystal clear mythical "glass skin" with powerhouse actives like niacinamide (a personal favorite) and hyaluronic acid, and frankly delicious-sounding ingredients like peach and East Asian mountain yam.
7. Vanicream, a sensitive skin-friendly moisturizer free of common irritants (and fragrance free!) reviewers love to use on their face *and* body.
8. Juno & Co.'s Clean 10 cleansing balm, a non-irritating makeup remover formulated with Japanese pearl barley to help brighten skin as it cleanses. Just scoop out a pea-sized amount (it comes with a lil' spatula!) and massage into your skin — it'll become a luxurious oil and gently dissolve allllll the makeup, SPF, dirt, oil, and more, leaving no residue behind *and* not overly stripping skin of moisture.
9. And after that first cleanse, CeraVe's Hydrating Facial Cleanser, which lives up to the CeraVe name, with a blend of super hydrating and gentle ingredients including ceramides, glycerin and hyaluronic acid. And don't worry that it doesn't foam up — it'll remove all the dirt, grime, and excess oil from your skin, without depleting the moisture. It's truly my holy grail cleanser!
10. Human Benzoyl Peroxide 10% treatment, which packs a punch with the maximum dose of benzoyl peroxide — aka it's NAHT for sensitive skin — so it's a great (and cruelty-free) option that'll clear pores and kill bacteria to give you long-lasting results for the most stubborn acne.
11. TreeActive Invisible acne treatment, because it goes on CLEAR so you can wear it under makeup or on its own — no one will know the peppermint and tea tree oil formula is going to town on your zits, reducing size and redness.
12. LilyAna Naturals retinol moisturizer with a powerful blend of hyaluronic avid, retinol (obv!), green tea, and jojoba oil. Reviewers swear by it to help fade acne scarring, reduce fine lines on the face and neck, diminish skin texture and stop breakouts in their tracks. Hello soft, moisturized skin; goodbye irritation that often comes with retinol products.
13. Honeyskin Ultimate Face and Body cream to soothe and rejuvenate skin — and can help address concerns like rosacea, dry skin, eczema, flaking, and acne. We're talking key anti-inflammatory ingredients like manuka honey, Australian cehami, and shea butter.
14. Hyper Skin's Brightening Clearing Vitamin C serum with a blend of 15% vitamin C and vitamin E to address skincare concerns from dull skin to fine lines to rough texture — while fighting breakouts.
15. Dr Dennis Gross Peel Pads that may be pricey, but are pre-soaked with a blend of gentle-but-powerful chemical exfoliants to diminish fine lines, refine texture, and reveal brighter, clearer, and healthier skin. Just take a look at the almost 1,000 5-star reviews on Sephora that also swear by these bbs.
16. A tube of Lanolips ointment if your winter chapped lips are really making you POUT. You'll notice a difference in just one use.
17. A pack of Avarelle pimple patches formulated with tea tree oil and calendula oil (to heal and shrink zits faster overnight). AND they come in two sizes — classic circular patches and large, square patches so you can easily treat and shrink clusters of pimples all at once.
18. A Briotech spray with the same magical ingredient as the very beloved Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Spray: hypochlorous acid. Just spritz it on whenever your skin needs a little de-stressing, and it'll help soothe inflammation, tone down redness, and strengthen your skin's barrier.
19. La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume Soothing Repairing balm, because if you've ever dealt with irritated skin, this is your new BFF. Over-exfoliated your face? Got a peel but went too far? Skin way too dry and nothing is helping? Tried a new mask that did *not* turn out well? This balm has your back.
20. A jar of cult-status Aztec Secret Healing clay mask to deep clean your pores, ~pulsating~ as it works its magic and banishes the toughest acne.
21. An exfoliating First Aid Beauty Bump eraser body scrub reviewers with KP (aka keratosis pilaris) swear by to get rid of those tiny red bumps, without slathering on any additional creams or products — just use in the shower instead of your regular soap.
22. A bottle of Tend Skin to stop ingrown hairs and skin irritation in their tracks, making it the perfect post-shaving product with a cult following for a reason.
23. A box of skin-lifting, pore-tightening Skin1004 face masks with results that reviewers swear by — not to mention the fact that it's weirdly fun? The mask tightens as it dries on your face, giving you the titular "zombie" effect. Just wait 15 minutes and rinse to reveal your glowiest glow yet, thanks to the albumin (aka egg white) and aloe formula.
24. Nip + Fab Daily Cleansing Pads, which contain 2.8% glycolic acid for gentle chemical exfoliation, revealing brighter and clearer skin every day — plus hyaluronic acid for moisture and witch hazel to tone and soothe.
25. Nature Republic's soothing aloe vera gel, the multi-use product you didn't know you needed until now — it's mild enough to use on your face, but also soothes and reduces irritation wherever you need it. (I love putting it on my legs after shaving!)
26. A jar of O'Keeffe's Working Hands Lotion for making dry hands a thing of the past, healing cracked skin and protecting against new damage in no time flat. This stuff is basically a miracle for people who wash their hands a bunch.
27. A nongreasy eye cream designed to deflate your under-eye bags, hydrate your delicate skin, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and brighten your under eyes, thanks to a blend of aloe, rosehip seed oil, and vitamins C and E.
28. Miznon Snail Repair Intensive ampoule, which harnesses all the moisturizing properties of the snail — with none of the s l o w n e s s. It has a super-concentrated 80% snail mucus for a powerful to improve your skin's texture, appearance, and elasticity.
29. Paula's Choice 2% BHA liquid exfoliant (all of your favorite skincare TikTokers swear by it) that'll unclog pores, banishe dead skin cells, and even out skin tone. It even works on my very allergy-prone sensitive skin. A whopping 70 reviewers used the word "miracle."
30. CeraVe Moisturizing Cream for keeping your skin from ~flaking~ on you, helping restore your skin's barrier to lock in moisture *without* ever turning greasy or oily. Reviewers *love* it for their eczema too!
31. Radha Rosehip Oil with over 13,000+ 5-star reviewers who say it not hydrates their skin, but also reduce redness and breakouts, thanks to the rich blend of fatty acids and antioxidants.
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.