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In no particular order, these are the favorites we rely on time and time again eyelash growth liquid
Along with coveted cleansers, serums, moisturizers, and more, the best skincare brands offer many effective treatments that make creating customized routines a no-brainer.
“I always take a bird’s-eye view when it comes to a skincare program, and recommend a less-is-more, streamlined approach, where you want to use fewer products that work smarter and harder for your skin,” board-certified dermatologist Whitney Bowe tells Bazaar. “A big part of that is thinking about products in terms of how they complement one another—not only in terms of how you’re layering on any individual morning or evening, but more along the lines of looking at your skincare program cyclically throughout the week. That’s one of the reasons why I coined the term skin cycling.”
With so many routine favorites available to shop, it can be tricky to narrow down what’s truly worth your hard-earned cash without a little trial and error. The following list of selects from some of the best skincare brands—like Augustinus Bader and La Mer—can help narrow down your options while introducing you to buzzy products worth trying.
It may be tempting to jump into a new routine, but we recommend slowly incorporating one or two new items at a time and seeing how your skin fares. Here, read on for a few of the top skincare brands Bazaar editors have tested and love that also come highly recommended by professionals and beauty shoppers alike.
Nothing works harder to heal sensitive skin than Avène’s products, which is why we consider it one of the best skincare brands ever. Once a staple of chic French pharmacies, the brand is now widely available in the States. The products rely on thermal spring water to help calm and soothe all skin types.
What the experts say: “I count Avène as one of my favorite skincare brands because its staples are as gentle as they are effective. I always keep a bottle of the Thermal Spring Water on hand for an instant hydration boost, or to calm redness and irritation.” —Tiffany Dodson, associate beauty commerce editor
Featured item: Thermal Spring Water
While Le Mer is arguably the brand most synonymous with skin cream, we’d actually argue that the best product from the marine-inspired line is its Regenerating Serum. Centered around the brand’s nutrient-rich Miracle Broth, the serum delivers a quicker and more potent dose of the cream’s skin-renewing effects.
One satisfied customer writes: “I wish this didn’t make my skin amazing. I wish i didn’t notice a difference after the first use. I wish I could find a reason not to buy this. Sorry bank account…” —Mrig1979
Featured item: The Regenerating Serum
The brand behind the cult-favorite the Rich Cream was developed by a stem-cell scientist with an innovative approach to skincare. Made with TFC8, this PPC cellular renewal cream is luxuriously hydrating—worth the price and the hype.
One satisfied customer writes: “I began my Augustinus Bader journey two years ago around my 43rd birthday. Using it day and night religiously for two years along with a healthy diet, exercise, great hydration, and adequate sleep, it has allowed me to experience a ‘glow up.’ At age 45, I’ve never felt more confident.” —Anonymous
Featured item: The Rich Cream
Why use eight different products when you can use one? That’s the thinking behind U Beauty, started by Bag Snob’s Tina Chen Craig. Her products combine cutting-edge ingredients with simple, easy-to-use formulas to deliver major skin transformations with minimal effort.
What the experts say: “There’s a reason Bazaar editors have crowned U Beauty with skincare awards year after year: The brand’s products work. Along with its coveted Resurfacing Compound, I’m a big fan of its Super Hydrator moisturizer, which sinks right into my skin, along with U Beauty’s transformative eye cream, which is equally lightweight and nourishing.” —TD
CeraVe has found a new cult following thanks to viral TikToks and social media skincare stars like Hyram. The signature blend of essential ceramides and derm-favorite ingredients like SPF and hyaluronic acid make for simple yet effective products that won’t break the bank.
One satisfied customer writes: “CeraVe has been my go-to for years now. My dermatologist recommended it for my overly sensitive skin. I use this as a face moisturizer, all-over body lotion, and keep a small bottle of it in my purse for my hands.” —Vanessa M.
Featured item: Daily Moisturizing Lotion
It’s no surprise that one of our favorite fashion, makeup, and perfume companies also makes some of our favorite skincare products. This primer/serum hybrid is one of the best-selling skin products from the entire brand. Layered under foundation as the last step in your skin routine, Dream Skin blurs fine lines, mattifies, practically filters skin right away, and then continues to work harder over time.
One satisfied customer writes: “This primer was my gateway product to the whole Dior skin care line and I’m here for it. I’ve used it daily for 9 months and still can’t quite describe what it does. It’s skin care and skin repair in one. Some people say it’s pricey but few say it’s not wonderful.” —JustMolly
Featured item: Dreamskin Care & Perfect
One of the leaders in antioxidant-based skincare, SkinCeuticals has a science-first philosophy that makes it one of the most trusted brands by dermatologists. While some of its serums are known to be professional-grade potent, this one in particular is ultra-effective.
One satisfied customer writes: “I’ve been using this product for years. When I first started using I was getting compliments like your skin looks like it is glowing and now people are always asking me how I look so young. I highly recomend this product for anyone looking to improve the aging of their skin. It is pricey but you cannot put a price on your skin.” —Shanshan
Featured item: C E Ferulic
The name of this brand makes a whole lot more sense once you learn that every product is centered around marula oil. (Legend has it elephants eat the marula fruit and get tipsy in the wild.) But Drunk Elephant is so much more than a cute name—it’s a skincare powerhouse that combines proven natural ingredients with safe synthetic actives for products that truly work miracles. The T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial chemical peel is a must-have for anyone with acne-prone skin, dark spots, or fine lines.
One satisfied customer writes: “I absolutely adore the drunk elephant line. It has drastically changed my skin and I am glowing! I was nervous about using the Babyfacial, but it was so worth it! It tingles for a few minutes, but by the end of the 20 I couldn’t even feel it anymore. Such an amazing product.” —KingCait
Featured item: T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial AHA + BHA mask
Chanel introduced its anti-aging hero Sublimage La Crème back in 2006, and it’s been popular ever since. Each of Chanel’s skincare products is centered around an ingredient its scientists discovered and use exclusively: Vanilla planifolia PFA. Die-hard fans can confirm the claims it gives you smoother, brighter, and more supple skin are undoubtedly true.
One satisfied customer writes: “I have been using Chanel since I was 30 I am now 70 but people think I am 20 to 30 years younger than I am. I do not have wrinkles.” —Lynn
Featured item: Sublimage La Crème
Olay’s reputation for efficacy crosses generations and national borders—it’s one of the most recognizable and accessible names in the global skincare game. In fact, industry testing has suggested the brand’s cult-favorite Regenerist face cream moisturizes better than some luxury competitors 12 times more expensive. The line relies on proven active ingredients like peptides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide to make skin look visibly younger at drugstore prices.
One satisfied customer writes: “I love Olay. I’ve been using it for years. It’s the best thing that I’ve used for aging. I wouldn’t use anything else. Great price for people who can’t afford high priced products.” —Anonymous
Featured item: Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream Hydrating Moisturizer
Each of SK-II’s offerings centers on a unique proprietary ingredient called Pitera. Legend has it that employees in a Japanese brewery were exposed to a fermented liquid that gave them shockingly ageless, spotless hands. The secret sauce was bottled up and delivered in a slew of anti-aging creams, serums, masks, and—most famously—a skin-brightening facial treatment essence.
One satisfied customer writes: “I have rosacea and recently learned all the acids and masks I was using for fun were making my face a total mess. So I went back to this essence and nothing else, and it’s wonderful. My skin is crystal clear.” —HGinNYC
Featured item: Facial Treatment Essence
Bazaar beauty director Jenna Rosenstein swears by this vitamin C serum from the science-backed brand BeautyStat. It was created by cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson to help brighten and balance skin. Robinson is also one of the driving forces behind Rhode, Hailey Bieber’s cult-y skincare brand.
One satisfied customer writes: “This stuff is really good. My skin is glowing, hydrated, smooth. I noticed instant results. Will not be leaving my routine. I use it in the AM and it’s done wonders for my skin.” —Bella
Featured item: Universal C Skin Refiner
Perhaps the only moisturizer ubiquitous enough to be recognized by its abbreviated nickname, DDML, Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion is touted as one of the best skincare products of all time. The brand prides itself on not just creating effective and accessible products for all skin types, but also making sure those products are easy to use as part of an entire skin-perfecting routine.
One satisfied customer writes: “Literally, my favorite daytime moisturizer! I’ve used it for years and it works for me. After cleansing my face in the morning, I put this stuff on; it sinks in quickly, doesn’t sting, and within about eight minutes, I do my makeup. Another bonus, a little goes a long way and it’s not outrageously expensive.” —Patsy61
Featured item: Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+
Sunday Riley destroys the notion that natural products are less effective than their more chemical-y counterparts. With catchy product names like Luna, Juno, and UFO, it’s no wonder the brand is a staple on the bathroom shelves of It girls everywhere.
One satisfied customer writes: “Sunday Riley is my favorite skin care brand for sometime now and it’s for a reason. The good genes lactic acid serum is all in one perfect or for my skin. I have been using this for a month now; my skin is glowing, less visible pores even though I am yet to see any visible firmness.” —Anonymous
Featured item: Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment
Estée Lauder solidified itself as a skincare juggernaut when it released the Advanced Night Repair formula (then just called Night Repair) way back in 1982—which has since become a staple in our makeup bags. In fact, it’s credited as the first-ever serum, the first product to use skin-plumping hyaluronic acid, and the first product to recognize and address the link between DNA-damaged skin and aging skin.
One satisfied customer writes: “I love this product! Estée Lauder is a trusted name in beauty and the brand never disappoints. The texture of the serum is perfect; it dries quickly and does not make your face sticky. My skin looked supple and radiant.” —Danielle1989
Featured item: Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex
Caudalíe is a French skincare brand that relies on all-natural grape extracts from the regions of Bordeaux, Champagne, and Burgundy. Red wine drinkers already know this to be true: Grapes are high in antioxidants and compounds resveratrol and polyphenol, which give the entire line its unique and effective anti-aging philosophy.
One satisfied customer writes: “This natural cream is a fantastic product for dark spots and acne scars. I use it with the serum. I love Caudalie because of its ingredients. Great quantity!” —Clea
Featured item: Vinoperfect Instant Brightening Moisturizer
La Prairie’s roots go back to 1931, when Professor Paul Niehans began treating patients using cellular therapy in the Swiss countryside. Today, the brand expands on his groundbreaking scientific work to create anti-aging products that straddle the line between cosmeceutical and luxury skincare—just look at the line-plumping cream dubbed Absolute Filler.
One satisfied customer writes: “I have been using this line of skincare for just two weeks but I am impressed with the results already. My skin is hydrated, soft to the touch and tone is evening out. Small blemishes are clearing up and fine lines are diminishing.” —CamillainCA
Featured item: Skin Caviar Absolute Filler
If glowy, hydrated skin is what you’re after—let us introduce you to the Japanese-American brand Tatcha. Inspired by the beauty secrets of geishas, Tatcha’s line of cleansers, creams, and serums is built around three ingredients: green tea, rice, and algae. The line is gentle enough for sensitive skin and pregnancy; natural; and wildly effective.
What experts are saying: “It’s hard to go wrong with any of Tatcha’s face and body care products: They’re each formulated with clinically backed ingredients that make it easy to develop a new routine or improve an old one. And if you’re looking to get your skin extra glowy, consider adding the celebrity-loved Dewy Skin cream to your rotation.” —TD
Featured item: The Dewy Skin Cream
No Japanese skincare brand is better known or more trusted than Shiseido. With over 140 years creating skin products, it has hundreds of offerings that have become hits with beauty gurus all over the world. It’s hard to choose a favorite, but if you’re going to splurge on just one purchase from the brand, try the Pure Retinol Express Smoothing Eye Masks.
One satisfied customer writes: “I love Shiseido products and this is one example why...it really works. Takes the undereye bags away and I also spread [the serum] on my face and it does a great job softening wrinkles.” —Elviz
Featured item: Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Pure Retinol Express Smoothing Eye Mask
One of the pillars of luxury French skincare, Sisley Paris blends botanical extracts with anti-aging formulas that feel uniquely lush and decadent. This black rose dry oil is a savior for ultra-dry or sensitive skin. Just tap two or three drops over your favorite moisturizer to lock in moisture all day long. (The price feels a little less shocking when you realize just how long a single bottle lasts.)
What experts are saying: “My combination skin loves Sisley Paris’s range of luxe and effective products. Along with the hardworking Ecological Compound, the Eye Contour Mask, and more, its Black Rose collection is absolutely a must-try.” —TD
Featured item: Black Rose Precious Face Oil
Jenna Rosenstein is the Beauty Director at Harper's BAZAAR across both print and digital. While attending NYU, she held internships at Women’s Wear Daily, Bloomingdale’s, Harper’s BAZAAR, and Allure, the latter of which she parlayed into her first job as the Beauty Assistant. She left Allure three years later as the Senior Beauty Editor. She spent a few months at Refinery29 overseeing branded content in the same title, before finally landing back at BAZAAR to manage all beauty content. When she's not testing every lipstick known to mankind, getting zapped by new lasers, or interviewing experts and celebrities, you can find Rosenstein at home in New Jersey with her son, husband, and black cat named Maddie.
Tiffany Dodson is currently the associate beauty commerce editor at Harper’s Bazaar, where she specializes in trend forecasting, building relationships with major and emerging brands, and crafting shopping stories—from holiday gift guides to product road tests. Tiffany's work has previously been featured in outlets like SELF, Bustle, and Teen Vogue, and she's been quoted as a commerce and beauty expert in publications and platforms like The Business of Fashion and NPR’s Life Kit podcast.
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