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. Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel Exfoliant helps shed built-up layers of dead skin without any mess (you don't rinse it!) without feeling overly abrasive (it has a pH range of 3.5–3.9) and promotes firmer, clearer, and glowing skin (hello, chamomile and green tea!).
2. Glossier Solution is truly the ~solution~ (you knew it was coming) to your endless battles with acne- and dark spot–causing pores — we could wax poetic about the whole formula, but glycolic acid is the hero brightening and tone-improving AHA that breaks apart water bonds that attach dead cells to your skin. Your face = ✨✨✨.
3. Bliss That’s Incredi-peel Glycolic Resurfacing Pads are basically expert-grade peels filled with texture-improving ingredients like glycolic acid, Vitamin E, licorice root extract, calendula flower extract, and witch hazel — so you can reveal your smoothest skin EVER.
4. Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm is basically a spa in a jar — its luxurious rose and mimosa waxes are infused with nine nourishing essential oils (Nine of them! Hello, elderberry!!) to gently lift away makeup and dirt, so your skin feels soft as a baby's bum.
5. Supergoop City Sunscreen Serum, true to its name, feels more like a serum or lightweight lotion than it does a sunscreen, which means you're way more apt to apply (and reapply!) it — because it just feels super nice, not chalky at all, and doesn't leave any white cast. Your skin thanks you for the protection.
6. Dr. Jart Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment turns from green to beige and masks redness/blemishes in a flash, all while also providing SPF 30 and a dust barrier to protect skin against environmental aggressors — so, um, does your moisturizer also make you feel comfortable wearing nothing else on your face? 😍
7. Skyn Iceland The Antidote Cooling Lotion douses your oily/stressed-congested/redness-prone skin in a cooling, minty dose of hydration that feels akin to standing next to an Icelandic waterfall — and I'm not just saying that, it actually contains Icelandic kelp in its formula (as well as aloe vera, meadowsweet extract, and white willow bark).
8. Korres Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser fortifies your skin with essential proteins and amino acids, while honeysuckle and amaranth seed extract make sure your skin feels nothing but soothed after the fact — all while actually cleansing your skin (duh) and promoting an even skin tone!
9. TonyMoly The Chok Chok Green Tea Watery Cream is a ridiculously light gel-based cream that contains over 63% fermented green tea extract that retains moisture all day and night by forming a thin layer on top of dry skin — this is literally the key to dewy skin.
10. Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion helps shrink cystic pimples like no one's business with its potent blend of B vitamins, amino acids, and anti-inflammatory herbal extracts for fast healing — so no buggers can stop you from feeling 100%.
11. Mad Hippie Antioxidant Facial Oil works non-comedogenic, non-GMO, and vegan wonders on your skin by delivering ample hydration, minimizing the appearance of acne scars, neutralizing free radicals, and evening out your skin tone — mix it in with your moisturizer, and BAM, instant skincare magic!
12. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Dual Action Acne Treatment Cream fights acne like a dang superhero with a potent, oil-free formula of benzoyl peroxide and micro-exfoliating LHA (lipohydroxy acid) to penetrate clogged pores and clear all of those pesky blackheads and whiteheads. Cystic acne, who?
13. Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream is like adding a protein shot to your skincare smoothie concoction — it seriously works when it comes to improving the tone, texture, and firmness of your skin so it always stays lookin' fresh (and less like it's taken a beating from the sun, stress, lack of sleep, and overall time).
14. Foreo Luna Mini 2 Facial Cleansing Brush keeps your face looking fresh by digging deeper and gently scrubbing ~all~ of the gunk off of your face — plus, it just feels so damn satisfying, so it's really a win-win situation.
15. Laneige Water Sleeping Mask starts soothing and intensely hydrating as soon as you apply it, and works well into the night and the next morning overnight — plus, it basically lulls you to sleep with its Calming Sleepscent™, which is infused with relaxing ingredients like orange flower, rose, and sandalwood. Cheers to waking up with still-plump skin!
16. Peach & Lily Power Calm Hydrating Gel Cleanser lathers into a ridiculously soft, milky foam that hugs your skin and leaves it feeling exceptionally clean, crazy soft, and smooth — I use this following an oil-based cleanser every day and my face has never felt tight afterwards.
17. iS Clinical Active Serum contains a boatload of pharmaceutical-grade botanicals, like mushroom extract and sugarcane — which to you means effective results, increased cell turnover, improved skin texture and tone, and an overall healthier complexion over time!
18. Amorepacific Treatment Enzyme Peel is a powerful (or should we say powderful?) yet gentle exfoliator that uses natural papaya enzymes to break down dead surface skin cells to reveal smooth AF skin, while green tea extract and allantoin help soothe skin — heads up, you won't be able to stop touching your skin or staring into the mirror.
19. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream instantly (and long-term) relieves dry, stressed skin with its super-soothing blend of colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, allantoin, and ceramides — it's even safe to use on children and babies, so you can rest easy knowing you're actually treating your skin.
20. Coola Mineral Face SPF 30 Sunscreen Matte Tint protects your lovely face with a whipped mousse-like formula that *fully* rubs in, doesn't leave a white cast, and dries down to a matte, never-greasy finish that's perfect for any makeup you might put on afterwards — and it's especially clutch if you're sensitive to chemical-based sunscreens, so apply (and reapply) away! Summer days are no sweat, literally.
21. Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask exfoliates with pumpkin enzyme, AHA, and aluminum oxide crystals so you get not only one method of exfoliation, but three — manual, chemical, and enzymatic. Three is the magical number...for baby-soft skin, that is!
22. Patchology FlashPatch Rejuvenating Eye Gels and Restoring Night Eye Gels are infused with caffeine and hydrolyzed collagen and only take five minutes to deliver intense hydration and reduce puffiness and deep-set fatigue — hello, wake-up call!
23. Eau Thermale Avène Skin Recovery Cream calms your skin THE HECK DOWN whenever it's feeling sensitive and irritated — its fragrance-free, non-comodogenic, and hypoallergenic formula powered by thermal spring water works wonders on any bad skin situation you can think of. No wonder people swear by French beauty products!
24. Dr Roebucks Tassie Anti-Pollution Serum packs in the antioxidants to protect your skin from natural elements, and it's infused with a boatload of natural ingredients: myramaze, blueberry extract, aloe vera, and amino acids to rejuvenate and strengthen stressed skin — hellooo, skin reset!
25. EltaMD UV Clear Facial Sunscreen Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 gives sensitive, acne-prone skin a healthy dose of sun protection without feeling thick, greasy, or overall unpleasant — and over 3,000 reviews (with 75% being five-star) don't lie.
26. Glow Recipe Pineapple-C Bright Serum transforms dull skin into bright, evened out goodness — thanks to a potent yet lightweight blend of hero brightening products like Vitamin C, AHA, and pineapple juice. Sensitive skin types, have no fear, because chamomile will keep your face extra happy, so all you have to do is show off your ~glow~.
27. Malin + Goetz Detox Face Mask foams up and cuddles your face in bubbly bliss, which means oxygenating cleansing agents are lifting all the dirt, makeup, and oil off your face — plus, like the picture suggests, there's stable Vitamin C and natural almond extract to help brighten and soothe skin upon getting rid of the preliminary gunk.
28. Boscia Exfoliating Peel Gel revitalizes and clears your skin in three (!!!) ways: as a physical peel to remove the outer layer of dead skin using exfoliating molecules, a chemical peel to penetrate deep into skin for in-depth exfoliation using multi-fruit AHAs, and a facial treatment promoting brightening and firmer skin using pomegranate enzymes.
29. Klorane Floral Water Makeup Remover's star ingredient is cornflower water, which soothes and gently decongests your skin — so your face isn't left red/aggravated/tight, especially if you go in with a water-based cleanser afterwards — while leaving behind zero residue. And of course, it's alcohol-, paraben-, and fragrance-free!
30. Pür Dirty Girl Detoxifying Mudd Masque uses calcium bentonite clay to seriously unclog pores, salicylic acid to gently exfoliate your face, and cucumber extract to keep skin looking soothed and calmed — people will think you just walked out of a spa treatment!
31. Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream is The Cure for dry skin — if you're ready to let Japanese purple rice, an algae blend, and hyaluronic acid to plump up your skin to its fullest, healthiest glow, look no further. Slather your face in this now!
32. Sunday Riley Good Genes is your all-in-one skincare hero: it's a lactic acid treatment that helps to exfoliate dull skin, unclog pores, and make skin look smoother and fresher — there's a new skincare sheriff in town!
33. H2O+ Beauty Oasis Ultra Hydrating Cream quenches super dry, parched skin with a fast-absorbing water-gel proven that's clinically proven to double the moisture in your skin — plus, it's free of parabens, phthalates, and mineral oil.
The results will have you like:
Need more for your skin? Check out Korean skincare products you need to know, drugstore products that actually fight acne, products to help deal with dry skin, or check out all of our beauty content for even more great stuff for your hair, skin, and more.
Shopping for something specific? Check out BuzzFeed Reviews to find the best things for every budget!
