The 28 Best Skincare Products of 2020, According to Health Editors

Great for all skin types, this gel
transforms into an oil on the
skin, melting away dirt and
makeup. The star ingredient,
squalane (ethically sourced
from sugarcane), calms, protects,
and locks in moisture.

The brand is known for its
adaptogenic and plant blends
that promote whole-body
wellness
(supplements inside and
topicals outside). This vitamin E
and reishi-mushroom
cleanser
wards off free radicals and
reduces inflammation, leaving
thirsty skin soft and supple.

Calling oily, congested complexions:
This potent antibacterial
combo of kaolin clay and tea tree
oil helps absorb excess sebum
and clear blemishes without
zapping skin dry. During breakouts,
leave on for five minutes
for a clarifying boost.

This milky liquid packs all of
the benefits of a rich cream in
a convenient spray. Mist onto
bare skin post-cleansing to
seal in moisture, or on top of
makeup throughout the day
as a refresh.

Watermelon and hyaluronic
acid hydrate, while PHA and
BHA (polyhydroxy and beta
hydroxy acids) smooth skin and
unclog pores. The best part:
You don’t need a cotton pad.
Pour into hands, press onto
skin, and you’re good to glow.

This potent serum contains
20 percent vitamin C, which
brightens dark spots and prevents
new ones from forming,
while full-spectrum
CBD calms
sensitivity. Derms recommend
pairing an antioxidant with SPF
for max protection benefits,
so layer this free-radical
fighter
under sunscreen every a.m.

You’ll wake up to softened lines
and brighter skin with this
serum, says Debra Jaliman,
MD, a dermatologist in New
York City and Health Advisory
Board member: It marries anti-aging
retinol with vitamin B3.

While you can’t turn back the
clock, this splurge-worthy
serum comes close, smoothing
lines, brightening spots, and
firming skin (one of our testers
swears she can wear less
makeup because of it). Its star
ingredient, HX-1—developed by
stem-cell researchers—fights
chronic inflammation and helps
skin cells function optimally.

Pores may be tiny, but they can
stretch like a pair of leggings
on Thanksgiving when dirt,
oil, and pollution are trapped
inside—leading
to breakouts.
This pink purifier uses kaolin
and bentonite clay to suck out
gunk and calamine to soothe.

Prebiotic oat tackles redness
and irritation, but you can thank
cooling cucumber and seaweed
extracts for the surge of
instant hydration, says Joshua
Zeichner, MD, a dermatologist
in New York City and Health
Advisory Board member. Apply
to clean skin and rinse off after
just five minutes.

Whether you want to buy time
in between Botox appointments
or you’re not into injectables,
you’ll love this temporary, line-smoothing
serum, which has a
peptide (XEP-018) to minimize
muscle contractions. Rub onto
clean skin, and you’ll notice
softer lines in about two hours,
with results lasting for eight.

The brand’s gentlest scrub
yet! You get mechanical
exfoliation from finely ground
walnut shells and crushed
rose petals that slough away
dead skin, resulting in a
smoother, glowing complexion.

Even oily-skin types need
moisturizer, since dehydrated
skin can produce more oil to
compensate (it’s a bad cycle!).
This lightweight, noncomedogenic
gel quenches skin’s
thirst while calming irritation.
Salicylic acid helps fight acne,
adds Michelle Henry, MD, a
dermatologist in New York City.

The Japanese botanical-rich
cream is great for all skin
types, says Dr. Jaliman. We
love its unique feel upon
application: When you start
rubbing it in, you’ll experience
a water-bursting sensation—
that’s the sign that the ingredients
(green tea, rice, and
algae) are penetrating the skin.

The British makeup artist’s OG
Magic Cream was beloved for
its intense plumping and glow-boosting
effects but was too
rich for some. Meet its new
baby sister—
a lighter, more
mattifying formula with the
same skin-loving qualities plus
SPF 20, perfect for oilier skin
and warmer-weather
use.

Pimples stink, but it’s the lingering
dark marks that can
really get you down. This patch
contains 24 self-dissolving
microdarts that push brightening
ingredients like niacinamide
right where you need
them. Place one on clean, dry
skin for two hours. “The patch
protects from further irritation,”
points out Dendy
Engelman, MD, a dermatologist
in New York City and
Health Advisory Board member,
“providing a sealed environment
for skin to heal itself.”

Apply in the morning and this
clear, 2.5 percent micronizedbenzoyl-
peroxide formula will
treat breakouts throughout the
day as it penetrates pores and
kills acne-causing
bacteria.
After a few hours, you’ll notice
a reduction in redness and
inflammation.

These tiny vials punch way
above their weight class, thanks
to potent salicylic, glycolic, and
lactic acids that offer a clinical-grade
exfoliation safe for
at-home use. For brighter, more
even-toned skin, use one vial
every two weeks. Swipe the
liquid onto dry skin, wait 10
minutes, then rinse. “It instantly
clarifies my skin when it’s in
desperate need of a reset,”
says Ni’Kita Wilson, a cosmetic
chemist in New York City.

A sweet (and sour) solution
to dullness: Swipe one of
these lemon-and-manukahoney-
infused biodegradable
rounds over skin to remove
leftover makeup as well as
clear, brighten, and soothe.

Non-nano zinc oxide offers
mineral broad-spectrum
UVA
and UVB protection to shield
skin from the sun, pollution,
and blue-light
exposure,
explains Dr. Zeichner. Its peach
hue counteracts chalkiness.

In addition to sun protection,
this sunscreen/skin-care hybrid
brightens and strengthens,
thanks to probiotics, pineapple,
and papaya. Have oily skin?
This noncomedogenic formula
and light gel texture is for you.

Overnight is when your skin is
able to regenerate and repair.
This lavender cream helps kickstart
the process by speeding
skin-cell turnover and tackling
lines, wrinkles, dryness, and
loss of firmness.

One surefire way to get skin to
produce more collagen is by
using a retinoid. Though some
prescription versions can be
costly and irritating, this drugstore
gem provides comparable
wrinkle-reducing
results
without the peeling.

Developed by one of the
world’s leading stem-cell and
biomedical scientists, this
formula taps science and
nature with its TFC8 amino-acid
complex and botanicals
such as babassu, argan, and
hazelnut oils. The oil offers
a variation from the line’s
already wildly popular creams.

Facial tools are all the rage, but
they’re not all created equal.
This weighty, medical-grade
stainless steel device is FDA-cleared
to help boost collagen
with daily use. Apply your fave
cream, then glide it over contours
to sculpt and lift skin.

Gently roll over cheeks, chin,
and forehead—tiny
hypoallergenic
stainless steel
needles
puncture the skin so your
serum can penetrate deeper
and work even better. Flip, and
use the rose-quartz
acupressure
bulb to reduce tension.

Remember the viral video of
an influencer using red lipstick
to counteract dark under-eye
circles? That was Deepica
Mutyala, and it inspired her line
of multiuse sticks that cater
to everyone. “It gives an option
for color correction in skin
tones that have been underrepresented,”
says Dr. Henry.
“And I love the versatility.
You can use it everywhere—lips,
eyes, cheeks.” Choose
from seven diverse shades.

Available in 36 hues, this full-coverage,
radiant matte liquid
concealer covers imperfections
so skin still looks like yours,
only better. Hyaluronic acid and
ceramides prevent it from
caking and settling in creases.