Cassandra Bankson, medical esthetician: 600 products reviewed

Every review.

All 600 products Cassandra Bankson has reviewed, grouped by product type. Click a product to see the full guru consensus.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Against the gurus

Type

Serums109 reviews

La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Corrector Serum

"They essentially have this Mela B3 serum and it's kind of like this light purple color and it's a vitamin B serum that is niacinamide and it's not very special it has fragrance it's gone viral on the internet but it's like 44 to 50 bucks. And they also test on animals which is why I don't use them. If you buy it here it's like 40, 50, 60 bucks like what the La Roche-Posay can be a no no."

✕Nay

69%Guru Score

COSRX 23% Ascorbic Acid Pure Vitamin C Serum

"Well there's another option that we got to talk about that rivals some of the clinical stuff. This right here is from COSRX, this is the 23% Ascorbic Acid Pure Vitamin C Serum. Let me tell you, this is like the budget version of Skin Suitical. This is so good as a dupe for the Skin Suitical."

✓Yay

67%Guru Score

Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil

"The Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil is a really basic oil, it is the squalane and vitamin C rose oil, and it's literally squalane which is the oil our skin produces. It's got killic triglycerides which are found in moisturizers and then some fragrancing rose ingredients and it's pink and it smells really good. They call it like a firming and glowy face oil and it is. But it's also 78 bucks. It's really good and Biossance as a brand I love them because they are eco-friendly, they have these really nice packages, but sometimes it's just a little expensive."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Facial Oil

"Haruharu Wonder has another really good one that I find are better for dissolving the oil in this area. I would recommend using like your knuckles as opposed to your nails just because we don't want to cause any damage here, and you're just kind of massaging these things out."

✓Yay

65%Guru Score

Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil

"Drunk Elephant's marula oil is $68 to $78. Is it any cheaper in quality? Is it worse? No, it's the exact same stuff, just without the fancy packaging and fancy marketing."

✕Nay

59%Guru Score

The Ordinary Virgin Marula Oil

"The Ordinary Virgin Marula Oil, these are really basic really gentle and people can mix and match these into a routine really well."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Medicube PDRN Booster Gel

"This right here is the PDRN Booster Gel from Medicube. It's from Korea and it's actually made with researchers and it has ingredients that are actually beneficial to the skin. This has cell extracts in it for firmer, more elastic skin. When you use this with one of the devices, the low-level or the high-level ones, oh you feel it, you feel it like it actually works. You can see how this gel actually has form, it kind of tents up on the skin, it allows you to do the treatment but you can wipe it off or you can leave it on and it literally has such amazing benefits. Because it's from Korea it's less expensive, the price of this is fantastic. Yes it works with the Medicube devices but it literally works with any other devices as well. It's hydrating but it's not greasy, it just works so well on the skin and it's so versatile for multiple people. It doesn't make you sticky, it absorbs. I actually feel like this does work well on the skin and it's definitely supporting skin. I absolutely love this."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Fresh Day Serum

"Should kids even be using products like Drunk Elephant? They're retinoid creams, they're intense vitamin C's. [...] I've got beef with that brand for many reasons. [...] The problem is the types of skincare they're using and the manner in which it's being used. [...] If we have people, specifically children, putting retinoids and vitamin C on their face, that can actually sting."

✕Nay

70%Guru Score

Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum

"Drunk Elephant also has a B-Hydra hydration serum and this is a vitamin B hydration serum. Again, ingredients are not bad. It's just for $48 it's a little much. And if you don't want to spend that you don't have to, but for kids or twins if they want to use it, go for it. And when you see vitamin B, remember that niacinamide is a B vitamin and panthenol are B vitamins. These are great for the skin and this is a really solid choice if you wanted to spend the money."

~Mixed

60%Guru Score

First Aid Beauty Alter Repair Hydrating Serum

"First aid Beauty has a repair hydrating serum that is literally 38 not the cheapest of the cheap but you're saving yourself 10 buckaroos and the formula is very very similar it has some of the same vitamins it has some of the same ingredients and it works well"

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum

"This is the Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum and this blue comes naturally from the copper. This is so good if you have fine lines or wrinkles, if you need wrinkle support, if you need hydration, this is amazing for the skin. Copper peptides can be really hard to come by, but they're phenomenal at plumping up the skin. If you want plumped up skin but you're not going in for fillers, or even if you are going in for fillers and you just want more, this can really plump and rehydrate the surface layers of the skin and actually support layers deep down. I love that it's blue, it's like fun to use. Even though it's the most expensive product that The Ordinary has, it is honestly one of the best for the price. This is one of those that is best tolerated when used regularly, like morning and evening. You do have to be a little bit careful about what you layer it with, just because copper peptides are very wonderful but can be a little bit finicky. But copper peptides have some amazing research behind them."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

The Ordinary Soothing & Barrier Support Serum

"This soothing barrier serum is one that I've liked but I've really started to love it, especially as I use it on others who have different skin. When I use it on people with dry skin I have to use it with a moisturizer, but when I use this on people with oily skin they can just kind of use it and go. For $16, $17, this is really good. It's also really fun to apply, and if you can have fun with your skin routine in the morning or in the evening it's just better off overall. This can be used morning or evening. The color in here is actually from vitamin B12, which is naturally a pink color, so there's no artificial dyes in here. It has B12, it has a bunch of other antioxidants, and it does help to soothe out your skin barrier. They say that it helps support a healthy skin barrier and I can see that. From the way that I've used this to the way that people respond when I put it on them, this is fab, this is really really good, and it does make it to a medical aesthetician top 10."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Hyaluronic Acid Serum

"The Ordinary actually has some great peptides. This has got both peptides and hyaluronic acid and this is so good. This is kind of a tried and true and I love this for mature skin, I love this for dry skin, and you can use this on oily skin as well. You can use this day or night. This is hydrating, this is soothing, and this is their rebranded Buffet serum essentially. The hyaluronic acid in here, it's not overly sticky like it doesn't irritate the face and it doesn't dry the skin out more. There's some conversation about how certain hyaluronic acids can dry out the skin, but there's also new research about how exactly hyaluronic acid at different weights works within the skin. One analogy that The Ordinary's chief scientific communicator actually said is that hyaluronic acid is not a magnet, it's not sucking water out from your skin or from elsewhere into your skin, it's more like a velcro mesh. It's kind of creating this little filter on top and holding things in. This is also made with water, so with hydration, so it actually gives that to your skin. It's a nice hydrating serum that I love to finish off a treatment with or to use at night."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5

"This is one of the Ordinary's best sellers. For hydration it's one of the best that they make and one of the most hydrating. It does get a little bit goopy so just be aware of that. Again, if you're more oily you might not love this as much, but for those who are dry or for those who are dehydrated this is amazing. This has three different weights of hyaluronic acid it has low, medium, and high molecular weight hyaluronic acid which means they're basically different sizes that can get into the skin and provide hydration. Hyaluronic acid is not an exfoliating acid so no need to worry about exfoliating the skin with this, non-exfoliating, just purely hydrating, and it's also got that B5 in."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide

"If you want K Beauty there's a beauty of Joan or beauty of joen they actually have a very good Alpha arbutin serum I've seen amazing reviews on it online"

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Real Barrier Intense Moisture Hyaluronic Acid Cream

"The Real Barrier from Korea, they have the Intense Moisture cream, the barrier solution. This K Beauty option has panthenol, which is that vitamin B, as well as hyaluronic acid, but it's also got a little bit of jasmine in here. Look at how thick and creamy this is. This ends up kind of feeling like melted butter on the skin, but if you're in cold temperatures it does tent up a little bit more. These are some of the best if you are looking for K Beauty that layers well but also actually feels thick on the skin instead of feeling thin on the skin."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Torriden Dive-In Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum

"Torriden is a brand that has hyaluronic acid products. This is the Dive-In Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum. When it comes to hyaluronic acid weights, you can think of them like cookies - sometimes big, sometimes tiny like mini chocolate chips. Hyaluronic acid comes in different sizes. It sounds like an acid, but it doesn't exfoliate and it's not dangerous. Some people are afraid of it, but it's actually made naturally by our bodies - it's in our synovial fluid and cartilage. When it's introduced to the skin, it can hold onto water molecules and bring them deeper into the skin, as long as it has that moisture available. If you live in a dry desert climate, maybe don't use it, but if you live in humid weather or you're traveling, it's phenomenal. This is the Dive-In Serum with low molecular weight, so those little cookies are really tiny, which means it can theoretically get deeper into the skin as long as the other conditions and the rest of the formula are right. When I look at this, the ingredients look good. It hydrates and soothes. It's won three different beauty awards - Clean Beauty Award in the trend category, Glow Pick award, and Huawei Beauty award. I don't even know what these awards are but I'm so here for it. It's a blue colored hydrating serum. I know the color is dumb and I know it doesn't help, but when they're pretty, you want them."

~Mixed

69%Guru Score

Biossance 100% Squalane Oil

"I love the jojoba and the squalane, but you know what, if you want to be bougie, Biossance has it in a way that doesn't destroy the planet for literally $65."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

The Ordinary Power of Peptide Set

"The Ordinary Power of Peptide Set is phenomenal if you want to spend $40. I would say that it is better for someone with more mature skin or who's worried about fine lines and wrinkles. It has the multipeptide eye serum, though I tried it for 30 days and I don't feel like I saw a huge difference, but some people looked in the video and the commenters said I saw a difference. The Lash and Brow Serum is always sold out, this set has it, and they've also got their face serum."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel with Hyaluronic Acid

"Neutrogena released this water gel formula but then it broke me out because it had tons of chemicals and fragrance."

✕Nay

84%Guru Score

Philosophy Dose of Wisdom Bouncy Skin Reactivating Serum

"This is the Dose of Wisdom Bouncy Skin Serum from Philosophy. I didn't use them for almost 6 to 8 years because they weren't cruelty-free, but they're now cruelty-free. They have a leaf extract in here, they have multiple hydrators, and they plump up the skin like nobody's business. And the great thing is that this doesn't peel up under the skin either. This is a luxury option, it's like $60, $70 now."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Cocokind Ceramide Barrier Serum

"Some of the best ceramide products I've ever used is Cocokind serum, it's a ceramide serum. It's so good."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Johnson's Baby Oil

"Even though I don't like Johnson's Baby Oil because it's not cruelty-free, that's what she uses and it's cheap, drugstore cheap, inexpensive, cheap, even quality cheap. [...] That's how she actually gets her real gorgeous body glow."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

Face Reality 8% L-Mandelic Acid Serum

"One that's also pretty good is the mandelic acid serum from Face Reality. This one's lightweight but it still gives you a good hold as a base for makeup. Face Reality is one brand that I use as an aesthetician and a lot of other aestheticians do as well. Basically if you're looking for an aesthetician acne brand this would be the one."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Dr Sam's Flawless Brightly Serum

"For benefits it's just so good for pigment and redness and you know keeping my skin calm"

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum

"The INKEY List, the way they formulate this, it doesn't cause your skin to dry out the way a lot of other inexpensive hyaluronic acids do. We've done a video on the best and worst HA products and this is definitely not the best of the best, but for The INKEY List and for the price this is a good one. Because I can mix it into so many things, it's so versatile, it does work. I get why this is the best seller. For my oily prone skin it is a hit, it's not like a slam dunk though, but if you are looking for something to add to your routine to hydrate this winter, especially if you use this mixed in with a moisturizer or under a moisturizer, this is it. And again, it's already like seven dollars so I think it's worth it either way. I'm at the point where I don't think you should be spending tons of money on hyaluronic acid. If it's more than thirty or forty dollars for just a Hyaluronic Acid Serum, I'm like why, especially when we have things like this [...] that are the answer."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

The INKEY List Mandelic Acid + Hyaluronic Acid

"The mandelic acid treatment which is so good and inexpensive and beginner friendly if you want something that actually helps to hydrate the skin and if you have dry skin and acne this mandelic acid's treatment is so phenomenal for dry skin. This actually has glycerin in it as well so it's a more hydrating formula and because it's an AHA it actually doesn't dry out the skin. So if you do have big honking whiteheads that are really inflamed or even little blackheads this is so good and so gentle and if you do have dark spots that's really who this is for. If you are someone that gets the pimple and it leaves the mark behind you are going to love this."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

Westman Atelier Skin Activator Serum

"It claims that it's a hyper potent three in one serum that floods skin with 12 actives to soften fine lines boost firmness and deeply hydrate for 150 dollars, but looking at the ingredients, it's basically water and glycerin, which are some of the cheapest things you can find in drugstore moisturizers. For a hundred and fifty dollars you can literally get these exact same ingredients in something so much cheaper. I'm not impressed."

✕Nay

62%Guru Score

The Ordinary Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution

"If you don't want or don't have that kind of money to spend, especially on a vitamin C serum that you don't know if you're gonna like, try this one. This is an oil soluble version from The Ordinary, and as you can see it leaves my skin a little bit greasy, but this is an anhydrous solution, meaning not or without [...] water. It's fragrance free, really simple ingredients, and it has this active but stable form of vitamin C. Yes, this can help with brightening, it can help with pigmentation, it works really great under the eyes if you tend to have [...] pigmentary issues, but this can also help with fine lines and wrinkles if it can get into the skin and help you stimulate that collagen over time. [...] This vitamin C being oil soluble is a great way to do so. This is the isolated ascorbic acid at 15, so 15 is pretty potent, but this soaks in so well and this is a great choice for anybody who wants to build collagen topically, especially with something they can use during the day."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Finacea Azelaic Acid Gel 15%

"But another option is phenicia gel phenicia gel is literally prescription [azelaic] acid it usually comes at higher percents"

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3%

"The Ordinary's Resveratrol and Ferulic Acid, this little serum is about ten dollars, it might have gone up to like twelve, and this is a wonderful antioxidant serum for people who want to add it in for dark spot care, for redness, for wrinkle care, or just an antioxidant boost over sunscreen."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

Allies of Skin Mandelic Pigmentation Corrector Night Serum

"This pains me to say because it's actually a decent serum, but it's kind of at the bottom of my list. Although it's a decent serum, I don't think it's worth it for the price, and there's other mandelic acids that work way better. This is over a hundred bucks and I just couldn't justify the price. This has mandelic acid but it also has rose hip, salicylic acid, and niacinamide, and I found that they were just throwing so much stuff in here that the mandelic acid wasn't really able to shine or do its job properly. If you have a lot of money and you want to spend it on bougie skincare, this is definitely an option, but the other acids just kind of took away from the mandelic. I really feel like the mandelic is a little hero in here, and they tried to make it super fancy and worth a hundred dollars and it just ended up broken on the back of my skincare shelf."

~Mixed

83%Guru Score

The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA

"The Ordinary has a mandelic acid serum at one of the best prices I've ever seen. I think this is like eight or nine dollars. I'm actually shocked this is not top of the list, but if you are on a budget, if you're looking for a good easy-to-use mandelic acid, this is it. This serum is so easy to use. It is a little bit potent, so I would say only use this at night. It's a ten percent, whereas the Wish Trend was more of a five. But this also has hyaluronic acid in it, so it can actually bind onto moisture and pull that deeper into the skin. That's why this isn't at the tippy top of my list. I do feel like I need to layer this with other products in order to get that hyaluronic acid to really work. I wish that this was sold in a version that doesn't have the hyaluronic acid. Then this may be the absolute top. But the mandelic acid plus hyaluronic acid fragrance-free formula is a really good one, and it's simple, it's easy to use. It's a little bit oily on the skin, but overall it is really nice."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Wishtrend Mandelic Acid 5% Skin Prep Water

"This is their mandelic acid five percent skin prep water, and this is a very gentle five percent mandelic acid that's so easy to use that you can put it on and then go out during the day if you put sunscreen over the top. And this is just refreshing in a way that's not overwhelming or irritating to skin. You can put it on like a little cotton pad and then swipe it on your face. I like to put it on my hands and just press it on so I get the most of it. This is a really gentle leave-on way to use mandelic acid night or day, as long as you have that sunscreen. I would recommend this for anyone who doesn't want to complicate their skincare routine. In addition to the mandelic acid, this has licorice, and licorice can really help with pigment and uneven skin. If you get little red marks after blemishes, if you're prone to hyperpigmenting, or if you get sun spots, absolutely fantastic."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The Ordinary Marine Hyaluronics

"This is from The Ordinary and this is an absolute must. The Marine Hyaluronics are fantastic. This is a wonderful serum for hydration and to help repair a damaged skin barrier. This also has an algae extract which is extraordinarily supportive to skin and again very hydrating. This is a water-soluble form of hyaluronic acid and a water-soluble algae extract in this little bottle. So whenever you use this you need to follow it up with some form of a skincare oil or you need to make sure that this is sealed in with something else on top of it. Remember that hydration is different than moisturization. Hydration is literally adding hydration or water into the skin and then moisturizing is kind of sealing it in. With this hyaluronic acid, it's honestly perfect because hyaluronic acid binds to water. The hyaluronic acid has all of the moisture to bind to. You just need to make sure that it stays on and in your skin by sealing it in with an oil."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C Perfecting Serum

"This is the 35% Vitamin C Perfecting Serum and what's amazing about this is that it's an oil-soluble form of vitamin C. This can actually absorb into the skin because our skin is made up of oil and most vitamin C is water soluble, meaning it has a hard time getting in. Using an oil soluble vitamin C it can actually penetrate into the skin and get into the nucleus of the cell where it needs to work on things like hyperpigmentation fine lines and wrinkles. As a bonus because this is oil soluble it actually works for living under the water because if you don't seal it in with an oil it's all gonna get washed away. This is an expensive option at one hundred and forty dollars, but this is fantastic. It's a waterless base so for dry skin and for living under the sea this is an absolute slam dunk. The main ingredients include different forms of vitamin C, ascorbic acid and tetrahexadecyl ascorbic which is the oil soluble form, superoxide dismutase and a glutathione complex."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Good Molecules Niacinamide with Ectoin Serum

"If you want something that's great for combo skin, the Good Molecules Niacinamide Serum is excellent. It's formulated with 10% niacinamide and really helps reduce the look of pores. This is beautiful."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Clarins Double Serum Eye

"I do not understand the Clarins Eye Serum. Clarins does have a vegan line, some of their products are nice and really good, but they're very expensive, they're very fragrant, and this eye serum, why why are we spending so much money to rub this around our eye area? A lot of these products don't even say what they're good for. If it's a wrinkle that's very different than a color versus an under eye bag. A lot of these products don't even distinguish as to what benefit they're going to give you. We've done a video on eye creams that are actually worth the money. They're like under thirty dollars too, not hundreds like this one."

✕Nay

72%Guru Score

Biossance Squalane + Lactic Acid Resurfacing Night Serum

"If you're more prone to pigmentation or actual discoloration in the skin, I really like lactic acid. This comes from fermented bacteria and there are some great options. This one from Biossance is super, super potent."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

JLo Beauty That Glow Serum

"This serum is seventy-nine, almost eighty bucks for just one ounce, not even one point seven. I like that it's not five hundred dollars, that's good, but I would not buy this serum. While it does not look absolutely terrible, it looks like an oily glittery potentially skin barrier disruptive mess. I mean I like the niacinamide in there, I like the squalane, but for eighty dollars when brands like Dermalogica and Biossance exist, when Dermalogica is what a lot of estheticians use, they have a pro line and an at-home line, if you want something brightening get their vitamin C, there are so many products for this price that would be better and get more product for the money."

✕Nay

65%Guru Score

Bubble Day Dream Vitamin C + Niacinamide Tone & Texture Serum

"They have a vitamin C and niacinamide that are formulated together and stabilized, which is truly wonderful."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

The INKEY List Redness Relief Super Solutions 10% Azelaic Acid

"The Inky List launched these Super Solutions, which are a little bit more expensive at around seventeen dollars, but it is worth every cent. This is the Azelaic Acid 10 Redness Relief Solution. If you have rosacea, this is amazing. It can be used alongside your prescriptions; obviously speak to your doctor or dermatologist first. But this is one of the main active ingredients that is used to treat rosacea. It's also pregnancy safe. This is so good, super potent, and really helps with redness. It's also great if you do have redness associated with acne or pustular rosacea. This can be a really safe over-the-counter option to use. It also doesn't get gritty or sticky the way a lot of other azelaic acid products do. It can be really hard to formulate with; this one is super smooth."

✓Yay

91%Guru Score

Minimalist Alpha Arbutin 2% Face Serum

"For her hyperpigmentation and dark spots, I'm getting her on the Minimalist inexpensive really good alpha arbutin 2 percent face serum. This also has ferulic acid and hyaluronic acid. This is great, it is moisturizing. I think she's gonna love this. It's much less expensive than this Lancôme one and I think this is going to be a lot better."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Dr Sam's Neutralizing Azelaic Acid Gel

"There's also the Dr Sam Bunting neutralizing gel which is so freaking good, the neutralizing gel which is good for acne and rosacea is probably what I would recommend. This is phenomenal for both acne and rosacea."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum

"The one product that is worth it even when it's not on sale, but it just happens to be on sale, is the Murad dark spot correcting serum. This is so good. It has vitamin C, it has tranexamic acid. It actually works to support the skin. Excellent. Again, worth it even when it's full price."

✓Yay

68%Guru Score

Isntree Ultra Low Molecular Weight Hyaluronic Acid Serum

"Their hyaluronic acid serum, which I actually stopped using, but is amazing. One of the best hyaluronic acid serums I've ever used. It has eight different forms of hyaluronic acid."

✓Yay

71%Guru Score

Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Serum

"It smells good in like an extract way, not like an artificial added scent way that would literally make me break out. I really like this stuff. It doesn't feel greasy but it definitely feels hydrating, and it makes me feel like I know what I'm doing even though I don't."

✓Yay

71%Guru Score

Differin Dark Spot Correcting Serum

"You can also get Differin for five to ten dollars as a spot treatment option."

✓Yay

64%Guru Score

Rhode Peptide Glazing Fluid

"I absolutely love this Peptide Glazing Fluid. You can see it leaves such a dewy glowy look on the skin and has peptides and marula oil and hyaluronic acid so it has all these really beautiful amazing ingredients that are great for hydration."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum

"Some Collagen Peptide Serum could save the day. The Collagen Peptide Serum from the Inkey List does not label itself as a hyaluronic acid serum but it does have hyaluronic acid in it and when you actually look at it, it is extremely plumping, helps to support the skin barrier, helps to nourish the skin, grabs hydration and pulls it into the skin because of the peptides and collagen in here. Collagen and peptide sides are humectants and they can draw moisture into the skin for 72 hours. This one from the Inkey List does this for a fraction of the price, and it is also vegan collagen which we love to see. It's not $90, which also makes this much better and more affordable to use regularly because you need to use skincare regularly in order for it to work."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

SKKN Vitamin C8 Serum

"Kim Kardashian has a vitamin C specifically a C8 serum that is supposed to smooth and firm the skin, supposed to give a radiant glowing complexion with thioethyl ascorbic acid, and it actually looks pretty decent. However, it costs $90."

~Mixed

68%Guru Score

SKKN Hyaluronic Acid Serum

"Kim Kardashian launched this Hyaluronic Acid Serum for $90 and they boast molecular hyaluronic acid and a bunch of things about how this is like super super hydrating, well I have thoughts about that and my face has thoughts about that."

~Mixed

66%Guru Score

SKKN Night Oil

"This is the last step in Kim K's routine. For $95 this has jojoba oil, apricot, grape seed oil, and sweet almond oil. Sweet almond oil is one of the most inexpensive oils that you can use. This oil blend is great, it's just not worth that kind of money. It also has sunflower seed oil and triglycerides."

✕Nay

52%Guru Score

SKKN Vita C Glow Oil Drops

"The Kardashians have oil drops called Vita C Glow. It is very nice to see a vitamin C oil because this is actually a very interesting product. However, it's not worth the price for a blend of oils."

~Mixed

62%Guru Score

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Capsules

"The Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Capsules are very innovative. They are these encapsulated skincare little micro doses put into these little drops of gorgeousness, but they cost eighty to like a hundred dollars."

~Mixed

78%Guru Score

Medicube Age-R Booster Pro

"And then I also have this one from Metacube, which is basically this microcurrent device. And this is way more powerful than what you can get in America. This is going to make your face twitch. Like this is intense. This is what I use for like my shoulders and my neck. I have one of the tightest sternoclyomastoids and platismas in the history of humans as well as my trapezius. I hold a lot of stress in my neck and my shoulders. And this one actually has this gripping action that feels so good. And then it shoots microcurrents of electricity into your face. Very similar to the Nuface, only the Nuface doesn't grip. This has an added bonus because it comes with a massager. This feels so freaking good. And this shocks you like no others."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Acid Serum

"She is going in with hyaluronic acid from Dr. Barbara Sturm. Dr. Barbara Sturm is an amazing doctor, creator of the Vampire Facial, brilliant in what she does. But does she create good products? She creates overpriced products. Most of her products are grossly overpriced, including this hyaluronic serum. This hyaluronic serum is a whopping $300 on Saks Fifth Avenue. It is ridiculous. Are the ingredients good? Absolutely. But are they worth $300? No. The ingredients are water, butylene glycol, lactobacillus ferment extract, phenoxyethanol, sodium hyaluronate, ethylhexylglycerin. These are simple ingredients and I understand that sourcing and formulation matters, but overall her products are just extremely overpriced, including this one."

~Mixed

66%Guru Score

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + Hyaluronic Acid

"The Ordinary has a lactic acid. Both of these are under $10. These are gorgeous on the skin, and they can still give you a wonderful hydrated glow that makes you look like you just worked out and did yoga."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum with HA Pro Complex

"This is the serum that doctors and derms have used after medical microneedling. This is one of the best serums to use for a good skin barrier or post micro needling. It's just very expensive. Now I don't currently use it because it does have beeswax and that's not something I put on my face, but we use this all the time in clinic post microneedling treatments. This would fly off the shelves. Everyone literally loves this. And PCA Skin is a really good brand. It is one of the brands that's often sold in dermatology clinics kind of like SkinCeuticals because it's like it's expensive but it does actually work. And it's cruelty free which SkinCeuticals is not. It's even a better version of Obagi."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Summer Fridays Dream Oasis Deep Hydration Serum

"Summer Fridays also came out with a new product called Dream Oasis Deep Hydration Serum and this is kind of like what I wanted the omega water cream to be. I'm still going to be testing this out, but this beautiful little bottle reminds me of the Malibu coastline. The entire Summer Fridays line is pretty fantastic. This serum is almost like the result that you ask for from a moisturizer but in serum form. You can really easily layer this under a sunscreen. You could just wear this on your own if you wanted to, and it really is a dream oasis for the skin. This has squalane, oat, ceramides, and amino acids, which can hold onto water and be nourishing to the skin and might help with cellular signaling to stimulate other changes in the skin potentially from rebuilding a skin barrier to helping with collagen or elastin production by stimulating fibroblasts. It really does deliver on its promise of being a weightless jelly serum that is oil-free. If you don't want the oils but you want hydration, this is an oily skin's best friend. If you're oily but dehydrated, this is fantastic. I think it's fragrance-free. This is fantastic and if you have a damaged skin barrier or you're looking for hydration that doesn't make you overly oily, Summer Fridays is coming through. I bought into the hype with this one and I am so far not disappointed."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

OSEA Hyaluronic Acid C Serum

"This is the Hyaluronic C Serum in this nice little glass package. This is one of my favorites if you're looking for skin support and hyaluronic acid hydration. This almost feels like a cactus serum that I've used before but this easily absorbs into the skin and it really helps with fine lines and wrinkles and hydration and it makes the skin glow. The fact that this is fragrance free, we normally don't see a lot of luxury priced products being fragrance free nor do we see them being made in California and made ethically and sustainably."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum

"I legit wanted to love this, but that just didn't impress me much. I love that it's in glass packaging, I love that it's made in San Francisco, it's good, but it's not great. This one is very basic, fragrance free, and the price is right. This is like almost what you wanted this to be, but then it wasn't. It's basic, but I don't think it's revolutionary. This is one of those that if you got it, you could still use it and finish the bottle, whereas those other ones you can't even finish. But at the same time, this is nothing really special. If you really wanted to do something with this in your routine, you would have to layer this with another moisturizer or use this alongside another active. This one is fragrance-free and at least it follows through with that, it's not horrible, but it's not my favorite and it's not one that I'm going to purchase again."

~Mixed

74%Guru Score

Tarte Maracuja Oil

"The Maracuja Oil from Tarte is really exciting. It has these little gold flecks in it and it's a beautiful oil. While the gold flecks don't do anything miraculous for skin, they do kind of dissolve inside of this oil and leave you with this really nice dewy glow. If you have sensitive skin or god forbid a gold allergy, which is rare but possible, you want to steer clear of this. But if you're someone who says I want skincare that's fun, I want something that looks beautiful on my shelf, that looks gorgeous on my skin, and literally gives me almost like a makeup light iridescence, this is for you. It gives you that oil layer but then it also has these little gold flecks and as they dissolve into skin, they literally give you almost this highlighter like shimmer. It's very very subtle, you can barely see it, but it looks absolutely gorgeous and it just has this warm little gold tint that kind of reflects when it hits the light. I absolutely love this one, it's super fun to use."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

BeautyStat Universal C Skin Refiner 20% L-Ascorbic Acid

"BeautyStat has the Universal Vitamin C serum. This feels like a primer on the skin."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum

"This is an $85 vitamin C serum. It's tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, which is a very good form of vitamin C, but there are other vitamin Cs that have this form of vitamin C that work very well and actually have a light sealed container, whereas this one's just clear glass. I also tried these products—the C.E.O. oil and the C.E.O. cream—and both of them broke me out horribly. I'm a little bit more sensitive to citrus and maybe that's why this broke me out. I just don't recommend this and it's really expensive for what it is. If you are looking for a tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate that's really good and not like $85, The Ordinary has one that's like 10 bucks and I would highly recommend this."

✕Nay

64%Guru Score

Paula's Choice Niacinamide 20% Treatment

"If you are struggling with more like dark spots, I would really recommend niacinamide from Paula's Choice. They have these little purple clinical bottles that are so beautiful and they specifically have a 20% niacinamide that has, you guessed it, Chameleia Japonica. And it's got a lot of other ingredients that are actually going to help. Paula's Choice does such a great job researching their ingredients, actually creating products that people will love and actually testing them to make sure that they work and looking at the data and studies behind things. Chameleia is great. They put it in this product, but they also added niacinamide. They also added licorice. They also added regular green tea. And when [Paula's Choice] actually tested this with people, they're saying that 95% of people saw that pores looked smaller, they had more elasticity in the skin. 90% said that the wrinkles looked smoother, and their skin looks younger. And with Paula's Choice, I actually believe those claims. The [Paula's Choice] Nyinomide one is $50, so it's a little more expensive than something like these, but it is worth every every scent."

✓Yay

67%Guru Score

Dior Prestige Advanced Serum

"This is an eighty-five dollar intense serum. I do like to see niacinamide in this one, but similar to all the other Dior products, it's a bunch of fragrance and basic ingredients. If you want a really good niacinamide-based product, use any of these alternatives, they'll arguably be more potent and better for you, less fragrance, and way less expensive than this. The answer is absolutely not."

✕Nay

55%Guru Score

Paula's Choice Clinical Discoloration Repair Serum

"Paula's Choice Clinical came through with bakuchiol products. This is the Discoloration Repair Serum with tranexamic acid and bakuchiol. Bakuchiol has been shown to help with hyperpigmentation, it specifically stops the melanocytes, those little cells from producing the melanin pigment, it stops that pigment from being created. This is phenomenal because it also combines that tranexamic acid which is fantastic when it comes to dark spots and hyperpigmentation. So if you're someone who struggles with those little blemishes that leave behind marks, if you are more prone to hyperpigmentation in your skin, then if you want something that isn't a retinoid because maybe it was too irritating for you, this is a great combination that actually works and actually has the levels of bakuchiol to back it up."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Dr Sam's Flawless Vitamin C NAD+ Serum

"If you do have oily skin or acne and you want something that doesn't break you out more but has ingredients that can support the skin, this one from Dr Sam is great, the Dr Sam Brightly Serum. You can use this during the day but you could also use this at night, and this has bakuchiol as well as niacinamide and it does have ingredients that we normally find in moisturizers such as caprylic triglyceride, so this is a really nice one if you're looking for something super lightweight. All of Dr Sam's products are made for adults who still break out and her products are so luxurious, they absorb so well, they are so kind to skin. This is just such a wonderful blend, it feels like luxury on the skin but it doesn't cost 350 bucks. You could use this if you have dry skin under a moisturizer but especially if you're oily and super greasy this is going to be enough. It has niacinamide so it helps with oil regulation and azelaic acid, so if you do have rosacea, if you do have acne, it can help."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Boots Vitamin C Serum with 3-O Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

"The Boots Vitamin C and the hyaluronic acid line, the sleep mask, the hydrator, and the serum have been amazing. Specifically, the little serums from Boots. I like to mix them and I can apply them in layers. That has worked really well for my skin this year, especially since I've been trying out the vitamin C recently and I really really like it on my skin. Boots is making skincare accessible and affordable and inexpensive and at Target. Like everything is under 10. I love the Ordinary and I love the Inky List, but you can't even say that their products are under 10. I agree I understand the sizing can be smaller, but slam dunk. They did something right and I'm so glad that it is on shelves near me."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops

"We have the Glow Recipe Niacinamide Dew Drops. It's amazing how many people like that product."

✓Yay

68%Guru Score

Glow Recipe Avocado Ceramide Recovery Serum

"Glow Recipe Avocado product is on the wishlist."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

Sunday Riley UFO Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil

"I got the Sunday Riley UFO, and someone knows that I have acne, but they just don't know my beef with Sunday Riley. Also, I'm vegan, so that's pretty funny about the product."

~Mixed

60%Guru Score

NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum 2:1

"The copper peptides from NIOD are so fun. You get to mix them and activate them together. You should use them within 30 to 60 days, so if I'm buying this, if I'm mixing it end of November, I'm probably going to use it during December."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

The Ordinary Squalane

"The B oil is also really good. The Ordinary's B oil is fantastic. I am stocking up on it. If you're looking for a great oil that actually supports skin, that nourishes and really invigorates, as well as smoothing over those dead keratinocytes, the B oil is the babe. If you're doing the retinoid oil at night and the B oil during the day, especially for winter for those of us who are getting little dry patches, if you're not extremely oily, this one's a winner."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

NIOD Modulating Glucosides Serum

"The modulating glucosides—I love these. Oh my god, if you want some nice hydration, if you want something luxurious on the skin, this is it. Beauty Within made me buy this, and you know that for 23 percent off I am buying this again."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

NIOD Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex

"The Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex is the only thing in here that I really, really, really like. What I would say is, instead of spending 50 dollars on the set, just get the 23 percent off of the Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex."

✓Yay

69%Guru Score

L'Oreal Revitalift Derm Intensive 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum

"The ingredients in here are not bad, it's just for me there's nothing that is really stand out, and I'm glad that it's on sale, but for the price knowing that they test on animals it's a no for me, especially when things like this exist that are so much less expensive. Why am I going to spend three hundred dollars for the glass bottle? I think not."

✕Nay

75%Guru Score

Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Dark Spot Serum

"I have the Vino Perfect Brightening Essence and I am loving this. Glass bottle really beautiful. Ingredients has some glycolic acid in here to help smooth things out and to help brighten hyperpigmentation. This is a really great essence if you're into essences. I love this."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

La Mer Concentrate Serum

"This is called the Concentrate Serum and it's 400 bucks, 400 dollars for one ounce, for 30 milliliters. We have cyclopentasiloxane, algae extract, glycerin, dimethicone, all of the basics that you would find in a good moisturizer, sesame seed oil, sweet almond oil, sunflower oil, all of this is lovely but none of this is worth 400 dollars. La Mer, it is about the marketing, it is about the brand, it is about the prestige because you want to stand there and look like some celebrity and wipe it on your face. Don't think that you need to go into debt or be pressured by some swanky sales marketing person to part with your hard-earned money for something like this. I am not buying it and that is why you will not find it anywhere in my bathroom or skincare routine. Bullshit, I call it as I see it."

✕Nay

56%Guru Score

Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Serum

"The Dear Klairs vitamin C that I'm using in my routine that I love, that's not in a dark container either."

✓Yay

61%Guru Score

d'Alba White Truffle First Spray Serum

"I came across this first spray serum that was a best seller at the store that I was in and this is a truffle serum from d'Alba. It's white truffle from Italy and this is actually a mixture of white truffle as well as avocado but this is an absolute bestseller and a lot of people from Italy to Korea to those who are now discovering it in the states are spraying it on for this glowy fresh skin look. Now that's amazing because it gives the skin this nice radiance all over and that's the main thing when it comes to looking greasy versus looking glowy. Glowy skin tends to have this radiance and this shine kind of on the forehead and the tops of the cheeks a little bit on the chin but it's not overdone on the corners of the nose in the middles of the cheeks in the middle of the eyebrows or on the corners of the eyebrows and that's really how you can tell if someone looks hydrated and healthy versus greasy."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

d'Alba Double Serum All-in-One Multi Balm

"This is the most recent product I've tried from d'Alba and look at this, this is like a two-in-one. This has got to be one of the coolest moisturizers I've ever used and it's because you can specifically mix how much hydration, basically this water formula versus moisturization and oil that kind of locks everything in that you want. So this has two different compartments essentially. One of them is this gorgeous torous tinted glow. The best way I would compare this is like I would call it a honey gel. It's completely vegan and cruelty-free so there's no honey in it but it has this honey jelly texture and look and the color is actually because of turmeric and fig that is in the product. But this side is my absolute favorite for anyone who's super super oily or for someone who wants that hydration and that glow without the grease. It comes with a little spoolie and I'll take just a touch but look at how gorgeous this is on my skin. It blends in so flawlessly and it actually soaks into the skin so it doesn't make you overly greasy. On the other side they have this cream base. This cream base is phenomenal. This side has a blend of like eight different superfood but like super skin ingredients as well. So this has anti-oxidants, it has vitamin E, it has that white truffle, it has hydrators."

✓Yay

Notverified

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

"The Ordinaries niacinamide and zinc, that is literally like one of the bestselling serums in the entirety of America and it's like $8, so that is another great option."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Brightening Treatment Serum

"The one that is the guava vitamin C, that one has no fragrance added, it's like a natural fragrance. That one can be a little intense though."

~Mixed

69%Guru Score

The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%

"This azelaic acid suspension is so good for the price it's under $10 and for anyone who has rosacea that is diagnosed by a doctor or a Derm, anyone who has redness in the skin, anyone who wants a pregnancy safe acne option, this is so good. It kind of feels like a moisturizer on the skin, so this is one that's not a serum but you can layer this with other serums or you could put this on first as a serum step and then use a really thick moisturizer over the top. If you are someone who has dry skin or if you're working with someone who has dry skin, this is so good. It is a 10%, so it's a decent amount, and the best part is that you can use this little skin hero morning or evening, very versatile, absolutely phenomenal. This is definitely very close to the top of the list. I would say that this is in the top five."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

The Ordinary Pycnogenol 5%

"This is fantastic. It's a super potent antioxidant serum that I feel really rivals vitamin C and can often be better than vitamin C because some people have issues with the stinging and burning of the l-ascorbic acid which is what's in a lot of vitamin C serums. This pycnogenol is super tiny but super mighty. I love this especially for morning time. It has this dark amber color because it's literally made from pine trees. You can take one or two dots and apply it to the skin right as you start your day. This can help slightly boost up sunscreen and protect you from free radical damage, so if you live in a polluted city or if you're someone who's out and about all day this is so nice to have on skin. It's inexpensive but effective. It also has kind of an earthy smell, so if you're super sensitive to smells be careful. It is fragrance-free so it smells like the actual formula, but I absolutely love this especially under sunscreen. You can use this day or night. I recommend it in the morning because it kind of gives a boost to sunscreen. For anyone who just can't use vitamin C either because certain formulas burn their skin or the ones that don't burn their skin are too oily on the skin, this is an antioxidant powerhouse."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + Hyaluronic Acid

"This is the alpha arbutin 2% plus hyaluronic acid from the ordinary. This is a really good one, it's inexpensive and effective. It's a really nice one. It's fantastic for pigmentation and acne scars, and you can use this alongside other products to layer well and get such good benefits out of this for the hyperpigmentation, that acne scar response, and that inflammation while also supporting the skin."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

The INKEY List Squalane Oil

"The INKEY List has squalane for under 10 dollars. Oh my God, you could buy 11 of these from The INKEY List for the price of one Dior."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Good Molecules Discoloration Correcting Serum

"This is the discoloration correction serum and this is fantastic if you ever get like a blemish or a little bit of pigmentation spot you don't have to hate yourself for it, you don't have to worry about it, but you have an option. This is from Good Molecules, they're made here in San Francisco. It's so inexpensive, just $15. This is actually a new active for you to try in your routine: tranexamic acid, or TXA, which is actually used in emergency medicine if someone comes in with a gunshot wound or major hemorrhaging, they get tranexamic acid, but it actually works as a discoloration corrector as well. The packaging is really nice, so pretty. It's inexpensive but so effective."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

April Skin Carotene Clarifying Serum

"This is one that I absolutely love, this is from April Skin, they're a Korean brand, and this is the Carotene Clarifying Serum. I love this because it's made for acne prone skin like mine that tends to be more oily and breakout prone, and this not only has beta carotene but it also has niacinamide. And because it's a K Beauty formula it's really gentle. There are some niacinamide formulas that if they're too potent can actually irritate some people's skin, this one does not do that. And this is a fantastic option if you can't use a retinoid or if you just don't want to use one."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

The INKEY List CoQ10 Serum

"This protects the DNA and the mitochondria in your skin cells from damage from the sun. While this is not a sunscreen, this is not a sun protector, you can use this underneath a sunscreen to support the sunscreen's effects and also to help against environmental damage. If you're going on a hike, if you're going to the beach, if you live in a polluted city, this is an amazing antioxidant that's really easy to use. And coenzyme Q10 is something that almost everyone's skin can benefit from, especially since we naturally lose it as we get older and we can use a little bit of replenishing. And do you see how lightweight and beautiful that is on my skin? It soaks in so wonderfully."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic

"SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic is really good. This is $160. It does have fragrance and I don't recommend this for a lot of people because their skin can't handle fragrance, but you mentioned that you love it. It has a slightly different texture - it's a little bit more like a cream, very silky, very fresh, and it's very lightweight on the skin."

~Mixed

77%Guru Score

The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2%

"This is my first and favorite one, this is ascorbic acid and alpha arbutin, and this is only $10 but it works like a $200 option. This one actually has fragrance and I don't recommend this for a lot of people because their skin can't handle fragrance, but you mentioned that you love it. This is also a slightly different texture. This one's a little bit more like a cream, very fresh, and very very lightweight on the skin."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

TruSkin Vitamin C, E and Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum

"I love this serum. It has sodium ascorbyl phosphate, which is the best form of vitamin C for acne. Regular vitamin C can have magnesium ascorbyl phosphate or ascorbic acid, and those are great and very potent, but sodium ascorbyl phosphate is super stable and excellent for acne and oily-prone skin."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

VT Green Fragrance-Free Nature Mucin Serum

"This is vegan snail mucin—the snail goo that people have been putting on their face because some people say that it's hydrating and it's wound healing and it's good for acne. This is a vegan version. All of the hydration, all of the same main ingredients that support the skin with zero cruelty. There are some K Beauty brands out there that say snail mucin isn't mean to the snails, but I've kind of looked into it and seen some people electrocuting the snails to get their secretions and then other people putting them in washing machines. Until then, I am using yam-based snails. The green is such a great brand with a lot of great fragrance free options. This is one of the most hydrating and skin reparative serums that literally has all of the benefits of snail mucin without the cruelty factor."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster

"Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster with salicylic acid would not be recommended if you're pregnant or breastfeeding just because it does have that salicylic acid which might not be good for baby, but for just about anyone else including people who have active breakouts and acne this is a great one. Azelaic acid is a pretty friendly ingredient if you wanted to layer it with other things or mix it with other things. [...] It really plays well with other things and there aren't any major concerns when it comes to putting it into your routine. I would recommend it in leave-on products and not in rinse-off products. You could use it morning or evening, but night is probably better because you'll have it on your face and you can lock it in with a moisturizer."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Maelove Glow Maker Vitamin C Serum

"This is thirty-two dollars and this has ascorbic acid in it. It smells and looks and feels just like the SkinCeuticals, which is basically hot dog water, oily, stingy, and burning on the skin. This gives the same vibes and the only difference is that this one is thirty-two dollars. The ingredients are not identical, but this is one of the best dupes that you can get if you're trying to get the SkinCeuticals CE ferulic but a less expensive price. It includes CE and ferulic as well as sodium hyaluronate, which is hyaluronic acid, and it even has grapefruit in it. I find that this one works just as well and feels just as burny on the skin. If you've always wanted to try the SkinCeuticals but just never wanted to spend that much money, this is what I would recommend."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Peach & Lily Power Cocktail Lactic Acid Serum

"Whereas this one from Peach & Lily helps to resurface, but isn't quite as intense."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum

"For dry skin this is wonderful. This Glass Skin Refining Serum has this peach extract and this peptide complex. It is super nourishing to skin and the peptides in here literally penetrate into the skin and plump up those layers. It also gives you this glass skin look. This was one of the products that I think really just knocked K Beauty out of the park and onto the internet. This has gone viral on TikTok so many times and again viral doesn't mean good, but this product does give you that dewy glass skin look. And if you're dry and dehydrated, this doesn't dry you out further. It plays so well with the cleanser and with the moisturizer and the sunscreen. This is gorgeous. They have the large one and the little one. I would recommend getting both on sale."

✓Yay

74%Guru Score

Beauty Pie Youthbomb Extreme Retinyl Triple Renewal Serum

"Another great option is from beauty pie. The beauty pie youth bomb is what's in my current routine. It also has a blend of ingredients that are fantastic."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Hyaluronic Clay Pore-Tight Facial

"This is the glow recipe watermelon hyaluronic clay pore tight facial. This is actually a clay mask that is really great. I wouldn't recommend this mask for oily skin that is hydrated deep down. I would recommend this for oily hydrated greasy skin through and through. It has clays in it that are really good at wicking away hydration. The AHAs in here and the watermelon have antioxidants and exfoliation benefits. You would only want to use this a couple times a week, but overall this is a fantastic choice that plays really well with a cleanser."

✓Yay

Notverified

True Botanicals Pure Radiance Oil

"She has combination skin that is acne prone, so the fact that she likes this oil probably means that it's not going to have that greasy feeling for most people. It is a hundred and ten dollars, but I know why she likes it because it has jojoba which we love, one of my favorite oils. Yes, it is amazing. We have safflower, we have hemp, pumpkin, argon, grape, sunflower, barrage, avocado, all of the seed oils including raspberry, cranberry, sandalwood for scent, watermelon. This actually looks really good. It does have some fragrancing oils, we do specifically have cypress oil, we do have rosemary, some other things, we do have red algae in here. I actually think this one is kind of worth it. Is it expensive? Yes. Do you need it? No. Is it gonna clear your acne? No. But it is hard to find algae in some products, specifically red algae. This product has it. I would say it's more of an antioxidant boost, can have some anti-aging, some brightening properties, really great as an antioxidant. You know, is this going to clear your acne? No. It's probably good for acne prone skin because of the jojoba or it's safer for acne prone skin. You shouldn't be spending a paycheck on it. Like if you're struggling, there are many other oils that are great."

~Mixed

Notverified

April Skin Vitamin ACE Brightening Serum

"The vitamin AC serum is amazing for brightening and for kind of soothing and smoothing out texture. Even for scars, amazing."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

True Botanicals Chebula Active Serum

"This isn't a horrible product. I just don't know if it's worth 90 dollars. The main ingredient is green tea, and we also have aloe, glycerin, echinacea, and ginger. There's not any fragrance in here, which is good. However, I don't know how this is talking about immunity unless you're going with ayurvedic medicine and how that plays into things."

~Mixed

Notverified

True Botanicals Vitamin C Booster

"This is tapioca starch, then you have your l-ascorbic acid and ferulic acid, which is very interesting. I like that they have ferulic because the ordinary and other brands don't always do that, so I could see that this is a little bit more expensive. I don't know if I'd pay 90 for it, but a ferulic powder plus a vitamin C powder that stabilizes it, and then it does have this little glass packaging, makes it somewhat justified."

~Mixed

79%Guru Score

Dermalogica BioLumin-C Serum

"This one from dermalogica is expensive but I like it. It's not my favorite favorite but it is good. It was Caroline Hynes who originally made me try this years ago and it's still around today. It was one of the first vitamin C that was supposed to be heavily penetrating and less irritating. It is really good and it does make you look luminous. If you do have dark spots or hyperpigmentation, this one should treat you well."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Night Treatment

"Holy guacamole, this stuff works well. This is a night treatment, but if you are looking for skin support or something that can help boost up scar treatments or hyperpigmentation, this is so good. It goes on to the skin flawlessly. The texture reminds me of royal jelly from a beehive. It works so freaking well. If you do have skin that is really struggling, this is definitely something amazing. It's a little bit thick so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it during the day."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

The Ordinary B Oil

"If you're looking for an oil that makes you glow, most oils make you glow when you first put the product on because you have oil on your face, but even when you remove this, when you take this off, I found that over time my skin is more glowy. It's more supported. It has a better moisture barrier. My acid mantle is protected with this one. It has made my skin better both when I'm using it and when I'm not. This B Oil is just phenomenal and fun."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Sunscreen75 reviews

Supergoop Mineral Sheer Screen SPF 30

"This does not get the cast pass but the original does is cheaper"

✕Nay

67%Guru Score

Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture Airy Fit Daily Sunscreen SPF 50

"This feels like that moment where you're starting to whip the cream and it's starting to tent up and become actual whipped cream. [...] I love this so much and you definitely feel it a little bit more on the skin but if you're someone who's looking for something that works under makeup it blends in seamlessly and it works throughout different climates this is going to be your best friend because it works in so many different versatile ways. [...] It even says on the front non-greasy velvet finish it is so good. [...] This one's way better and if you are in your wonder last world explorer miss nomad adventurer era this is like the one thing that you're going to pack along with your laptop on your trip. This is so good."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sunscreen SPF 50 PA++++

"This is from Round Lab and it literally has Birch inside of it. If you thought that you loved the rice and probiotic from Beauty of Joseon, you are going to love this, this is so much better. It does come out kind of this cream color but it is extraordinarily lightweight. If you want something that works under makeup you can literally just pat this in and it absorbs so beautifully into the skin. Because this is a chemical, organic sunscreen it works on all skin tones so it doesn't leave any white cast. I found that if you actually pat this formula into the skin it gives you like this dewy soft finish, whereas if you rub it into the skin it gives you more of a glowy, glassy finish. I love that it's so versatile. I can see why this is one of the top sellers in Korea. This is absolutely one of the best. It's an SPF 50 PA++++."

✓Yay

90%Guru Score

Beauty of Joseon Matte Sun Stick SPF 50

"This is titled the matte sunstick with mugwort and chamelia and let me say this is the most mattifying sunstick I've literally ever used. I am an oily babe, look at how this cuts down the grease on my cheeks, look at how this literally cuts down the grease on my nose. Now if you're dry you're going to hate this but if you loved the purple protector you are going to love this. If you're oily this is like a dream come true, forget blotting sheets, like you don't need blotting sheets anymore, you just swipe this on. It has mugwort and chamelia, both of those are great antioxidants. Mugwort is actually used in Korea for blemish prone skin. It's a good antioxidant and at the very best it's wonderful for blemishes and hormone balance if you want to believe that."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Stick

"This gives you a glow while giving you hydration and sun protection. I feel like sun sticks are better used as reapplication, it's better to go in with like a base and then reapply. You could use this as your base and then use this to reapply over or under makeup throughout the day, absolutely wonderful. If you're looking for a sun stick, the Hyalu-Cica is one of the best, and they have all this water on their marketing. Unfortunately it's not water resistant or waterproof, which is unfortunate. But these do have a whole bunch of hydrating ingredients including centella from Madagascar. They literally source it ethically and sustainably from Madagascar and put it in these products and it is so good."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

Abib Quick Sunstick Protection Bar SPF 50+ PA++++

"They also have this Abib stick, this is the Quick Sunstick Protection Bar. This one is just an SPF 50, it's not the waterproof one. I feel like this one is more of like a Vaseline if you want Vaseline in a stick with sun protection go with this. Again, it has the really cool half moon shape and it is absolutely invisible too. This is still really good."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

Abib Airy SunStick Smoothing Bar SPF 50+

"I discovered this and it is so good. Based on all of the sunscreens I've tested, I am declaring this to be the sunscreen for summer 2024. This is the Airy SunStick Smoothing Bar SPF 50+ PA+++, and it's water resistant for 80 minutes. It might look like a deodorant for your face but it is literally one of the most beautiful sun sticks in the entire world. You can use it on your face, you can use it on your chest, you can use it on your neck. It goes on like a dream. It's this half moon shape so it's really easy to apply, especially to the contours of your face. It feels like mango butter on the skin. This is one of probably the best sunsticks I've ever used. It's great for combo skin, it's great for all skin types. This one is great for something right in the middle. You can layer it well over or under makeup, over or under other sunscreen. This is absolutely one of the best Korean beauty sunscreens I have ever used. The sun filters it uses are both Korean and American so you're kind of getting the best of both worlds because you're not getting the greasy nastiness and the white casty that comes from America."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

K-Secret Soul 1988 Pine Tree and Ceramide Sun Cream

"The brand is called K-Secret, that sunscreen is phenomenal. This is actually a serum because that sunscreen is literally in my suitcase. I'm planning a trip for tomorrow and I cannot go without it. I need the sunscreen in my life and it's small enough that I can actually carry it onto the plane with me. If you want facial protection in a lightweight sun cream that you can use every single day, the K-Secret sunscreen is literally one of the best. I don't know where this was years ago. I get it off of Amazon nowadays, but it is absolutely one of my favorites. And hands down, the only thing that could make this better is if it were waterproof. If you love pial as much as I do, that little antioxidant boost that is super, super potent, or if you wanted to love it but you hated it in the Ordinary's product because it was too greasy, the K-Secret, it's like 18 bucks. I've gotten it on sale for 15. You can find it on Amazon. So good. And this is one of those brands that's actually used in Korea that can be kind of hard to get here, but it's because it's always selling out."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Sun Stick

"If you want glass glowy skin and if you want something that smells like a Jolly Rancher, this is it. [...] This is [...] probably one of the best products that Glow Recipe even sells. [...] I actually like to apply this over makeup on my highlight areas because you see how it gives you that sheen. It will give you that K Beauty glow. This really smells like candy and if you just want to have fun with your sunscreen, this is the one."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face Serum SPF 60

"Neutrogena launched this sun serum and it's good that it's an SPF 60, it's good that it is fragrance free, it's actually a decent product. It's just not cruelty-free or vegan and it's expensive. And their whole claim is that it has green tea and it's amazing. It's literally a basic sunscreen, has a little bit of chamomile leaf extract which is green tea leaf extract, boring."

~Mixed

76%Guru Score

Purito Daily Soft Touch Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA++++

"These literally feel like they are not even on the skin, this breathable protection is only $16, I've seen it as low as $12.99 on Style Vanana, and this is so so good. If you are looking for one of the lightest weight softest touch sunscreens, why spend more on an American beauty when you could spend it on K Beauty from Purito? Don't waste your money on some expensive American sunscreens unless you're looking to splurge on yourself. If you're just looking for something great every day that you can actually afford to reapply multiple times a day, this is where it's at, and at these prices you will actually be able to afford to reapply your SPF."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica SPF 50

"This is the ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica SPF 50 and this is so good, it is phenomenal, especially if you have actinic keratosis. ISDIN specifically designs these products for actinic damage and this is a mineral formula. You got to shake, shake, shake it because of how lightweight and liquidy this is. What's fantastic about this formula is not only is it a sunscreen that protects you and your skin from actinic keratoses and skin damage and precancerous growths, but it also has a little bit of dimethicone in there, a couple of silicone products that just feels so nice on the skin. This is beautiful and this is lightweight and it feels luxurious, which is why a lot of doctors and derms recommend it."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Alastin HydraTint Pro Mineral Sunscreen SPF 36

"Alastin is a very fancy dermatologist recommended sunscreen and skincare brand. This is a broadspectrum SPF 36 that is supposed to be a super hydrator. It's $65, but it is a slightly larger size which we normally don't see from luxury beauty, this is actually 2.6 ounces. It is a tinted formula, and their whole thing is that it's supposed to be super hydrating, absorbent into the skin, and beautiful."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

Derma B Everyday Sunscreen SPF 50

"This is an SPF 50, and the formula is so gorgeous. I wore this at the beach, I rubbed it in, I went in the water and splashed it off and then I rubbed it in again. It is so beautiful and it protected me so well. It's just as hydrating and just as nice as higher-priced options. The biggest difference is that this one does have a scent to it, so if you have super sensitive skin you might want to stick with a fragrance-free option. But this is so good, and at $11.99, it's a no-brainer for me."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

EltaMD UV Facial Broad-Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen

"This is from EltaMD, which doctors and derms always recommend. It has this airless pump and this is basically a UV lotion broad spectrum 30 full body sunscreen. And does it sunscreen? Yes it does, and it does the sunscreening very very well. Now this is great, and for the size of 7 ounces, it is definitely a winner, even at like the 43 to 45 bucks that this entire tub is. Again, you can get it on sale for like 40 something, and I think that regularly it's like 45 or 50."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Bubble Solar Mate Daily Mineral Sunscreen with Broadspectrum SPF 40

"This is one mineral formula I've never found something like it doesn't feel goopy on the skin, doesn't sting the eyes, and it is completely mineral. This is the Bubble Solar Mate Daily Mineral Sunscreen with Broadspectrum SPF 40 and it is so good. This will actually get kids and teens to want to use their sunscreen and it's in a cute bottle, and again adults love this too. This has also been used on so many different skin tones and it works for all skin tones, and I've never found a mineral sunscreen like this. It is phenomenal."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

Summer Fridays Shade Drops Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Mineral Milk Sunscreen

"So I mean I like this one too but I actually think this is fraud. This one's only 9% zinc oxide and I heard it's they can claim it as SPF 30 because they have an ingredient called... which is chemical at that point, it's just a hybrid. We tested it and under UV it came back closer to 49 and 50 but we didn't want to overstate it because it wasn't 100% at 50 all the time, we're like it's definitely 40 something, but a lot of brands do that. I don't think there's anything wrong with adding that but for me it's marketing."

~Mixed

84%Guru Score

Blue Lizard Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50

"This one leaves a little bit of a cast, but [...] for darker skin tones it's so difficult. It turns purple. Even though it feels like you're putting on lotion, doesn't feel greasy, blends in seconds, and is super moisturizing, this is not brown girl approved."

✕Nay

74%Guru Score

Hero Cosmetics Force Shield Super Light Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30

"This is the mineral sunscreen I use this is amazing"

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Sun Bum Face Mist SPF 45

"I use the sunbum one. [...] My issue is again I have sensitive skin but so I prefer looking for reapplication mists that don't have alcohol in it but it's really difficult to find one without alcohol that's also not greasy and has a high SPF. Unfortunately this does have alcohol in it. It's slightly annoying but like it is SPF 45."

~Mixed

62%Guru Score

Isntree Purple Protector Sunscreen SPF 40

"I ended up reaching out and we ended up working together to formulate this and it is the Purple Protector Sunscreen, which yes has red onion extract. When this finally came out there were a lot of questions about it because it is a very weird, strange product. It is a purple onion sunscreen and it did sell out multiple times. One of the main questions is why onions and does it smell like onions. I'm so happy that this is fragrance-free. I wanted it to be good for more sensitive skin types, especially since organic or chemical sunscreens can sometimes be really irritating to both skin and eyes. This was tested for literal years and I rubbed this into my eyes as well as other people's eyes. It's not 100% sting-free for everyone, again everybody's eyes are different, and it's never a good idea to rub sunscreen directly into your eyes, but I did."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30

"The inky list is made by Mark and Colette they actually used to be co-workers and they fell in love and they created the inky list to literally help people with their skin to be affordable and effective"

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

Cocokind SPF 30 Sunscreen

"This is a different type of formula and for some people who have more sensitive skin they need different sun filters. I wanted to give you this because it is made by another amazing female entrepreneur who actually used to work in the finance sector. She decided she wanted to create a brand that had transparent ingredients, was made by a badass female entrepreneur, had recyclable packaging, and had ingredients she felt good using on her skin. So she created this entire line called Cocokind. It's about being kind to yourself in the earth. This is great for your body specifically."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Black Girl Sunscreen Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30

"I'm also using black girl sunscreen for my sunscreen today I absolutely love this as the SPF 30 gives me a little bit of a glow"

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

ZitSticka Mega Shade Sunscreen Serum SPF 50

"There's also the ZitSticka Mega Shade sunscreen, that one's really nice and lightweight if you want something super super sheer on the skin."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Cocokind Daily SPF 32 Mineral Facial Sunscreen

"This is an SPF 32, it's only 25 bucks, it has a microalgae extract and rice in it, it's very hydrating, I would say it's better for combo to dry skin but it is a mineral formula. This Coco kind sunscreen is so good."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Vacation Classic Whip SPF 30

"When you rub it in there's so much air in there I don't actually know if I'm covering my body enough and I think that did lead to me getting a little bit pinker than I wanted. [...] I didn't feel like this protected me as well and I don't know if it's the formula, if it's an SPF 30 or if it's the fact that it's aerated so I couldn't figure out how much to apply to my skin. This would be one of my absolute favorite sunscreens if it didn't break anything out, but if you're sensitive to coconut this has coconut in it and if you're acne prone, fragrance sensitive, stay away. If you want to have fun with your sunscreen, if you're going to a bachelorette party or beach vacation [...] or if you're trying to have fun with your routine, you're sick and tired of the same old grubby lotions, you have kids you want to get them excited about using sunscreen, this is so fun as a use case. [...] It does kind of make me a little bit sticky. I think it's the coconut oil in here. [...] I wanted to love it and I do love certain aspects, but I don't think it was perfect for my body."

~Mixed

65%Guru Score

Supergoop Play Spray SPF 30

"I really did love this"

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

EltaMD UV Aero Broad Spectrum SPF 45

"This protects me like an SPF 50 or even 50 plus"

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Supergoop Glow Screen Sunscreen SPF 40

"The super goop glow screen is very similar to the Unseen sunscreen, it has a very similar texture. The difference is that this has glowy pigments in it and it's a little bit less heavy on the skin, feels more like a light weight foundation rather than a primer. Now it is gorgeous, it is glowy, but it is also a little expensive. The super goop comes off a slightly darker color and it actually blends in a little bit better. There are multiple shades depending on what skin tone you have."

✓Yay

68%Guru Score

Trader Joe's Daily Facial Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40

"The internet went wild over this, and I tried this on my skin literally back to back with a super goop trying to see how it worked. This is an absolute dupe almost down to every last detail, except the Trader Joe's one broke me out and the super goop one did not. It's an absolute dupe from texture to the way it wears to the way it feels. The problem is it broke me out and it's always sold out. In-store it's eight dollars if you can find it; I found it on Amazon for sixteen. It's waterproof, SPF 40, vegan and cruelty free, oil free."

~Mixed

82%Guru Score

e.l.f. Suntouchable Whoa Glow SPF 30

"For the majority of people who are trying to save money especially if you're using this for like a glowy look under Foundation the elf woglow is an absolute dupe"

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Supergoop Play Everyday Lotion SPF 50

"Supergoop actually sells a gallon version of sunscreen. It's legit like a gallon that you pump out. Especially if you are prone to polymorphous light eruptions, aka sun allergies, you should get that. But honestly, if you love sunscreen and you love Supergoop, like everyone should get that. Amazing. Can more brands make gallon jugs of sunscreen? This is like the twenty-first century version of the milk cartons that people used to get delivered to their doors with, like, the milk boy. This is the sunscreen gallon. Like, we have entered a new era."

✓Yay

63%Guru Score

Good Molecules Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30

"This is one that I love. It's twelve dollars from Good Molecules. It's the Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30, and this is one of the only mineral sunscreens that is completely sheer on all skin tones. This is amazing. Even Good Molecules as a brand: number one, they keep their prices cheap; number two, they disclose all of their active ingredients to help people understand their skin; and number three, the images on their website and the way they show their products actually shows people with acne, with different skin tones, with textures, and that's what I want to see."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Dr Sam's Daily Sunscreen SPF 50

"This is one of my favorites from Dr Sam, the Dr Sam Bunting Daily Sunscreen. It's so thick that the two finger rule is going to be more than enough."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

CeraVe Invisible Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50

"This zero Rom and I know this is good for mature skin based on what I'm seeing here I didn't see a lot of spread of oils in this so this kind of makes me point to this. You know but this zero Rom, and I know this is good for mature skin based on what I'm seeing here, I didn't see a lot of spread of oils in this."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

The Ordinary UV Filters SPF 45 Serum

"The Ordinary really only has one sunscreen, whereas BeMinimalist has a sunscreen but actually has multiple cleansers."

~Mixed

65%Guru Score

Hero Cosmetics Force Shield SPF 30 Sunscreen

"Hero Cosmetics has this sunscreen, this is the Force Shield, it's the SPF 30. Granted this is only good enough for like a day or two, like this is gonna last Shu like not even a week, but if you're looking to try a new sunscreen for yourself or get a little something for somebody else or there's that one person in your life that won't wear sunscreen because they say it's greasy and nasty and they don't like it, you can get them these little minis so they can try them out and actually find something that works for them."

~Mixed

76%Guru Score

EltaMD UV Physical Broad-Spectrum SPF 41

"By far the most common sunscreens that I reach for are from Elta MD and it's because there's like an endless supply. Many dermatologists and doctor's office sell Elta MD and so it's like available and on hand. But the great thing about Elta MD is that they have so many different sunscreens for so many different skin types and then they have the tinted and the untinted. Especially if you just came in for a laser treatment, number one you need to wear sunscreen but number two you should not be wearing makeup and a lot of people have such a hard time with that so the Elta MD is like the perfect solution. They have the UV physical broad spectrum 41 which is literally made for post-procedure skin and you can get it tinted or untinted. When you do you can literally use this as if it were makeup and they have some that give you a glow."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

EltaMD UV Restore Broad-Spectrum SPF 40

"They also have the UV restore, which is going on sale. This is amazing for anti-aging."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

EltaMD UV Glow Broad-Spectrum SPF 36

"They have the glow sunscreen, which again normally $45, $50. They're on sale for 30. EltaMD is amazing for anti-aging if you're looking for really good cruelty-free sunscreens that doctors and derms recommend."

✓Yay

71%Guru Score

Versed Guards Up Daily Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30

"This is the Versed Guards Up Daily Mineral Sunscreen, and when I first got this, I was like, oh my god, this is just such a terrible tinted sunscreen. Like this looks and feels disgusting. I can't put this on my face. The grit in this is so disgusting when you do it. It feels like you're exfoliating your skin. It feels like sandpaper."

✕Nay

60%Guru Score

The Ordinary Mineral UV Filters SPF 30

"If you are like Cassandra, I literally have less than ten dollars to spend, I don't want to spend money on sunscreen, the ordinary is this my favorite? No. Is it like four or five out of ten? Yes. But if you are trying to find something inexpensive for your face, for your body, for whatever it is you need, this is a good one to go to. If you're looking for an inexpensive mineral filter that's under 10 bucks, this is an SPF 30, and it has antioxidants in it. This is one of the best basics. It also is great for more sensitive skin. It doesn't have fragrance, it doesn't have dyes or colorants. If you're someone where everything burns you can use this on the chest, on the back, on the face, etc. It's inexpensive but it's a good way to go."

~Mixed

48%Guru Score

SkinBetter Science Advanced Mineral Protection SPF 75

"This is one of the best things I have ever used. This is like a thick, beautiful, luxurious foundation sunscreen. If you are looking for something that covers texture, if you're looking for something that covers color, if you have even like liver spots or melasma or rosacea, this is going to cover it. This sunscreen is expensive, but it's an SPF 75, so you can really leave it on like all day. It really is a leveled up version of what the Australian Gold offers at the drugstore. If you're someone who hates the feeling of sunscreen yet you wear makeup all day, this makes it really easy to transition into that."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Australian Gold Botanical Mineral Sunscreen

"As far as mineral sunscreens go, Australian Gold is great if you have a little bit more money to spend."

✓Yay

68%Guru Score

Apostrophe Hybrid Sunscreen SPF 43

"This is made for acne prone and sensitive skin. Although again there's nothing in here that's actually going to fight breakouts, it contains zinc oxide which is the best sunscreen ingredient for preventing hyperpigmentation. The bottle says that this sunscreen is so moisturizing it perfectly complements acne treatments which can also sometimes be drying. While it doesn't sting or burn the eyes or the face, if you have a big open lesion and if you are super sensitive it might bite back a little tiny bit, but overall it's absolutely gorgeous, it keeps you protected and it does work with a lot of those prescription ingredients. This doesn't have that thick greasy lotiony feel that makes your skin feel like it's suffocating."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Cay Skin Isle Glow Face Lotion SPF 45

"Even when I shake this for a full 60 seconds, it still separates into a groddy chunky mess. It's disgusting all the way through. It looks like dijon mustard was eaten by a seagull and shot out on your car windshield. When I apply the recommended amount for proper sun protection, it leaves me looking like a bronzed statue with a yellow hue, it emphasizes my pores and texture, it's so streaky, and it pills regardless of what I wear it with. I cannot believe this product has nearly 5 stars when the actual reviews show people saying it separates on skin, pills, makes them look greasy, looks muddy and clumpy in indoor lighting, and feels like it could crease and crack. I would rather put out a campfire with my face than wear this again."

✕Nay

72%Guru Score

Purito Centella Green Level Unscented Sun SPF 50+

"I had purchased like eight of the Purito sunscreens because everyone was like, listen, tell a green level unscented SPF 50 PA+ is the best, and then we all found out that because of the manufacturer being a shady shady liar liar pants on fire, this wasn't actually the SPF 50 that they claimed."

✕Nay

51%Guru Score

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops SPF 50 Sunscreen

"This has a bunch of amazing ingredients that not only make your skin protected from the sun and look good and glowy but it's also got niacinamide in skin care that actually works almost like a serum on your skin. I do find that this product pills up a ton if you try to layer it with other things and it really works best when it's on its own, but seeing as it has such a great list of ingredients, you actually can use this on its own and it acts as a serum plus a sunscreen. It's a treatment plus a sunscreen that keeps you safe and protected. I really love this. I really do recommend using this in singularity and if you're looking for a product that just does it and you don't have like a lot of super sensitive reactions to getting sunscreen in your eyes or having something sting an open blemish or a little wound, Glow Recipe really did it with this one. And not to mention, it smells amazing."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

Bliss Blockstar Tinted Daily Mineral Sunscreen

"The Bliss sunscreen is perfect for someone who doesn't have sensitive skin. It's an SPF 30 and it does have a little bit of rosemary or lavender in it. It comes out with a tint but it's kind of a light coverage, it's not like a full coverage thing, so when you actually blend this in, it kind of comes out with this glow similar to that self tanner but it isn't overbearing and it doesn't look like foundation, it's more like a tinted BB cream. This kind of gives that skin some luminosity as well as protection."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Colorescience Total Eye 3-in-1 Renewal Therapy SPF 35

"The SPF 35, I wouldn't do with a mask, I would just use that kind of almost as makeup."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield Flex SPF 50

"Another really good one that helps you fake a makeup look with no makeup is from Colorescience. That one's a really thick one. If you have rosacea or redness, oh my god, that is basically foundation in a sunscreen. It covers everything."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Kinship Self Reflect Probiotic Zinc Oxide Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 32

"This is the Self Reflect Probiotic Zinc Oxide Broad Spectrum Sunscreen from Kinship, and this is beautiful. It smells like a marshmallow candy land, and it actually looks very, very unsuspicious. But as you can see, it is this white texture that kind of has a slight shimmer, a little bit of pink tint to it. And if you are someone who has dark under eye circles, or if you just want to use this all over the face and you want something luminous, it's technically labeled as a sunscreen. It's not labeled as a brightening luminizer or a highlighter, but it's a highlighter. This is phenomenal. It is beautiful on the skin, but it is technically skin care, not makeup."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Bliss Block Star Daily Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30

"The Bliss has a little bit of lavender in it. It's also tinted. We used this in a Trader Joe's haul which was super fun, but this SPF 30 is great."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

Dr. Dennis Gross All Physical Lightweight Wrinkle Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30

"The Dr. Dennis Gross, this is also fantastic. The lightweight wrinkle defense SPF 30, especially if you're a little bit more mature skinned, if you're looking for something that glides on nicely."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

EltaMD UV Daily Tinted

"The Elta MD UV Daily Tinted Moisturizer is on the wishlist."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

Paula's Choice Super Light Daily Wrinkle Defense SPF 30

"Paula's Choice has this one which our beautiful butterfly Paula actually loves. This is the Super Light Daily Wrinkle Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30. And it also has antioxidants and resveratrol. This one is again fragrance free and this one is hyaluronic acid free as well. So really, really good for rosacea prone skin. I would say this is phenomenal if you want a regular sunscreen, this is excellent."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Brush-On Shield SPF 50

"I've tried Colorescience and it's excellent, but it has some of the same problems with getting the powder out of the brush or the brush not being smooth enough."

~Mixed

67%Guru Score

Supergoop Resetting 100% Mineral Powder SPF 35

"I've tried Super Goop and it's excellent, but is it just me or are they all very similar and some of them have the same problems with getting the powder out of the brush or the brush not being smooth enough. I do still recommend these and I do still absolutely love these, but when they work you see my point."

~Mixed

62%Guru Score

Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40

"This is their Unseen Sunscreen that actually has a very similar texture to the original Unseen Sunscreen however the ingredients are different. These don't have any organic or chemical filters in them, they only have the physical or mineral ones at zinc oxide 17.42% and titanium dioxide at 1.33%. They do say that it helps with the sunburn, it's an SPF 40 as we expect and it does feel pretty nice on my skin. It's $40 [...] for the packet. [...] This does not get the cast pass but the original does, is cheaper, the original is on sale more and the original doesn't give that whiteness."

✓Yay

69%Guru Score

Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics SPF 50+ PA++++

"It's a gel, refreshing formula, it makes your skin actually feel moist but then it absorbs so beautifully, and when you compare it to the other rice and probiotic, this one's just so much better if you want something lightweight. This one actually comes out like a translucent cream, almost a tinge of yellow because of those antioxidants, and then it just blends in with barely a touch. If you are someone who hates blending in your sunscreen or hates the feel of sunscreen, this SPF 50 is so good, and it's PA++++, meaning it prevents from the UVA and UVB rays, one of the best, so much better than the other ones that people are talking about. I feel like people are sleeping on this, but this absolutely gets an award for the best lightweight gel texture."

✓Yay

92%Guru Score

Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum SPF 50+ PA++++

"This is the [centella] hia waterfit sun serum hands down one of the best K Beauty sunscreens I've ever tried this has been a top seller for years and it's been on my favorites list."

✓Yay

90%Guru Score

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel SPF 50+ PA++++

"If you have oily acne-prone skin and you need a sunscreen that feels good on your skin and gives you a nice satin finish, this is absolutely one of my favorites, one of the best."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Airy Sun Stick SPF 50

"This is from Isntree, this is the Hyaluronic Acid Airy Sun Stick SPF 50. This is more of like a reapplication sunscreen but you can apply this over makeup, under makeup. It feels so lightweight on skin and literally whatever the texture of the moisturizer or the thing you have on underneath it just maintains that throughout the day. This is one of the top selling sunscreens that I've heard of from Korea and it's so good. It works for dry, for oily, for basically any skin. This almost feels like a deodorant sometimes, kind of feels like that in a nice way."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46

"I haven't started using it yet, it just got one."

✕Nay

82%Guru Score

Iris and Romeo Weekend Skin SPF50+ with Vitamin C and Glow

"If you're looking for a tinted sunscreen and you want that coverage, this is the best one I can recommend. This is the Iris and Romeo Weekend Skin, but it's not just an SPF 50. It's also a vitamin C and it's also basically a dewy glowy foundation. I've used this in San Francisco, I've used this in the hot hot heat of Arizona, I've used this in the pool, I've used this in a river. This is so good. She wanted to create a sunscreen that made her look fantastic and could replace her foundation but also protected her and literally had vitamin C and skin care benefits. Vitamin C is amazing to use."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

Supergoop Zinc Screen 100% Mineral SPF 40

"This is the zinc screen 100% mineral ocean SPF 40. This is so good, only problem is that it's like $40. Dr. Andrea, Dr. Dre on YouTube, she recommended the Supergoop zinc sunscreen and she got me hooked on this. She specifically spoke about how great this is as not only a tinted sunscreen but to be used around the under eyes. When it comes to putting sunscreen around the under eye area, you do not want it to sting your eyeballs, you do not want it to hurt. And if you do have purpleness or puffiness, you want something that has ingredients that's either going to take that puffiness down or disguise it, disguise the purpleness. You can literally put this on the eyelids as well and it doesn't crease up majorly. Now it is slightly hydrating but it's also vegan and cruelty free and SPF 40. This is a fantastic option for those sensitive areas like around the under eyes. Even though it's a little bit more expensive for the small amount that you use, this is worth it. You can use it all over the face too, but this is keeping me protected and neutralizing my purple."

✓Yay

Notverified

Colorescience All Calm Clinical Redness Corrector SPF 50

"This is from Colorescience and this is the All Calm Clinical Redness Corrector. This was literally made by experts, it's been ophthalmologist and dermatologist tested, like eye doctor tested and approved, not just tested but approved. Because you think about it, a derm can test a product and say this is good and chuck it against a wall, they still tested it, doesn't mean they liked it, right? This has been tested and approved by doctors for the skin and doctors for the eyeballs. This is so good and it's made for rosacea. If you have rosacea or redness, look at how this covers, this is thick. It's not like concealer thick, but it's thick. Like if you want to build layers, it's thick and it has the consistency of skin. Look at how this covers up redness, literally beautiful. If you're someone who struggles with rosacea and you have such a hard time getting that redness under control, and rosacea is flared by the sun, this is a two in one. It prevents that flaring from happening and it color corrects the redness. Again, you have to make sure that it is your tone, I would recommend trying it out for you, buy it to make sure. But look, for people who struggle with redness, like literally have such bad issues, especially ocular rosacea, a lot of people don't realize how life-altering it can be to have this red irritated patchiness and itchiness by your eyes. It gets flared by the sun and then you can't even use sunscreens because it's making you itch more. This is eye safe and it's made for rosacea-prone skin in mind. I know it's expensive, it's not for everyone. You can find cheaper alternatives, but I would be lying to you if I was saying that this SPF 50 is not one of the best tinted options out there."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Black Girl Sunscreen Make It Matte Sunscreen Gel SPF 45

"Black Girl Sunscreen Make It Matte is much more affordable and it is a mattifying sunscreen. So on these other areas where I'm still oily but my pores aren't as large, I can use these to keep things mattified. I absolutely love this. It's only one fluid ounce. If I could afford to do the two finger rule three times a day with this on my face, I absolutely would, but for the price, I just need to be cognizant of how I'm using this in my routine. Absolutely worth every single penny. And if you have large pores, if you struggle with like blackheads or sebaceous filaments, those little white or like golden amber nuggets in your nose or on your chin, especially if you're prone to period breakouts, this is a must-have. You need to get this. But if you're someone who's on a budget, I'd recommend using it in specific areas like the forehead or the eyes, just because it does get really expensive if you try to use it all over."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Dermalogica Invisible Physical Defense SPF 30

"Dermalogica used to make one of my favorite physical sunscreens, the SPF 30 Invisible Physical Defense, which is good. I would give it like an 8 out of 10 on the white cast scale. But this poor screen, I would give a 9 out of 10. The best part is that it's an SPF 40 and it literally has niacinamide, microalgae, and vitamin E that help to blur pores, help to reduce the sebum and the oil that my nose creates naturally, hydrate it with that algae, and then also help with any scarring and irritation with that vitamin E. This is fantastic. I can use this all over my face, but my biggest issue with this sunscreen is how tiny it is. I wish this came in a jumbo bottle and this is a little bit expensive, but holy guava only, I would pay five times the amount for this for a tube five times as big. This is also completely mineral, so I can literally put it on and practically in my eyes without irritation. For me, because I do want to keep my cost and budget down, this is so perfect to apply to the middle of my face and my sensitive eye areas."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Paula's Choice Youth Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50

"The Youth Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 is the closest thing that American beauty has ever gotten to K Beauty. This goes on so sheer, this is so beautiful. It's an SPF 50, it is lightweight, and Paula's Choice just knocked it out of the park with this one. I've recommended this to so many people, who all say that not only do they love it, but they go back and buy like five more. It's a really good price, especially if you apply enough of it every single day. Sunscreen can get expensive because we're reapplying and we're making sure that we put it on all areas that are exposed to the skin. This one protects against UVA and UVB rays, but then it also has ingredients like oat that actually nourish the skin with beta glucans to hydrate. This is so so good."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Rovectin Skin Essentials Aqua Soothing UV Protector SPF 50 PA++++

"This is phenomenal. This is from Rovectin. It's the Skin Essentials Aqua Soothing UV Protector, SPF 50, PA plus plus plus. If you're looking for a K-beauty sunscreen that does the job, we have an editor named Doris who has really, really, really, really sensitive eyes and sensitive everything, and she has literally rubbed this in her eyes and it works. It's a base of zinc, so it is a mineral sunscreen, but it actually blends in quite well. This is so beautiful, it's so wonderful."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Natural Sun Cream SPF 50+ PA++++

"I like this one too, but I don't find this one to be as sheer as the other sunscreen options, so these are what I'm going to be using today."

~Mixed

78%Guru Score

COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50+ PA+++

"This is the COSRX Aloe Soothing Sunscreen. It's an SPF 50 PA++++++++ and this one says it is formulated with aloe extract, butylene glycol, and the sunscreen protects skin against UVA and UVB rays while hydrating skin. What's amazing about this is that it doesn't pill. You could use this over a moisturizer and under a foundation, or you could use this in place of a moisturizer, but this one does not gum up. I had to try a lot of sunscreens to find ones that work under foundation. This one is a dream. It doesn't flash back. It works well under the thickest of foundations or the thinnest. And on top of that, it actually has ingredients that support the skin. It has glycerin, silica, and sulfonic acid. These can be very hydrating, and especially that silica gives us a nice slip, but it doesn't ball up no matter what you apply. And if you are someone who wears makeup every day, or if you haven't been able to wear sunscreen every day, even though SPF is your BFF, it just doesn't work under your makeup, and makeup has kind of been there for you when sunscreen hasn't, trust me, I understand. This is one that actually works."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Thank You Farmer Sun Project Water Sun Cream SPF 50+ PA++

"This is amazing if you want a sunscreen that is a hydrator. I don't even think of this as a sunscreen. I basically think of this as a moisturizer that has the benefits of an SPF 50. This has soothing ingredients such as Centella but it's also got mistletoe extract that's really nice. We have multiple types of oil including sunflower oil and soybean lipids. And if you are someone whose skin is constantly dry, this helps to give moisture and soothing ingredients to the skin. But then it also kind of locks them in as a moisturizer with these oils. It glides on nicely to the skin and it gives you that waxy serum finish. So it doesn't make you a grease ball, but it does give you, you know, that oily touch. And for me, being a little bit more on the oily side, it's too much for those areas. But when I get a dry patch, this is phenomenal. And it's because it does act like a moisturizer on skin. If you always use sunscreen and you have dry patches and like the sunscreen cakes up and gets white in those little patches or little flakes, this is going to be your favorite. And I absolutely adore this."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Moisturizers71 reviews

SkinFix Barrier+ Triple Lipid & Peptide Cream

"The SkinFix Barrier+ Triple Lipid + Peptide Cream is so good. SkinFix is a Canadian brand, they're female founded. I love the pump tops because it gives you the perfect amount. It's literally like a butterball, so thick and dense, and it just hydrates and smooths onto the skin. It's fragrance-free and wonderful. It is a little bit more on the expensive side, but it's worth it."

✓Yay

95%Guru Score

Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Probio-Cica Enrich Cream

"I am obsessed with this right here, it's a probiotic moisturizer from Skin1004, and you've heard me talk about this but this has got to be one of the coolest formulas I've ever used. This right here, literally one of my best purchases I've ever made, and I have purchased multiple bottles of this at this point. It reminds me of a snail mucin cream but there's no snail in it, and it's actually just a probiotic moisturizer. Now for me I am more oily prone but I can get away with using this especially on some of the drier areas like around my lips, and also I love to use this during the evenings or at night especially when it's a little bit drier outside or when I'm traveling. This is a fantastic budget option. I'm obsessed with this no snail snail mucin texture, and as someone who doesn't use snail mucin I'm so happy that I finally have an alternative."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Isntree Onion New Pair Gel Cream

"This right here is the Isntree Onion New Pair Gel Cream from Isntree. This is fantastic especially if you have oily prone and acne prone skin."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Biossance Squalane Probiotic Gel Moisturizer

"There's similar textural differences with the Biossance and I do love these although they are a little bit more pricey. This right here is the Squalane and Probiotic Gel Moisturizer and as you can see it's this really lightweight very water-based gel. It actually feels gorgeous on the skin and for me being oily it soaks right in."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Biossance Squalane Omega Repair Cream

"I use this at night as like a thick moisturizer for my oily prone skin. If I can get a little scraping of it you can see that it tents up way more, it almost stands up thick and has its own shape and form, and that just shows you how insanely hydrating and lipid dense this one is."

✓Yay

90%Guru Score

iUNIK Centella Calming Gel Cream

"This iUNIK Centella Calming Gel Cream, I love love love this as well, and if you have oily skin that is prone to more redness, this really helps to bring that redness down."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream

"Dermalogica is what we use in Aesthetics all the time. This is the Stabilizing Repair Cream. This actually has Pro-ceramides and shea. Look at how textured that is. [...] It's literally [...] like squeezable butter for your skin, and this is just so amazing. For me on a day-to-day basis this is way too thick, but I can use this at night on my oily-prone skin almost like a night mask and it works so well because I wake up with the most hydrated, supple skin. But for someone with dry skin, this could be perfect to use every single day, especially if you have more mature skin. This has those ceramides that really help replenish that outer layer of your skin barrier."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA

"This is the Natural Moisturizing Factors plus HA and this is a great moisturizer. It has ingredients that your skin naturally uses and produces like hyaluronic acid and it's inexpensive and lightweight. It has a nice fluffy texture but it's not the most moisturizing, so if you have combo skin you can use this, which also means if you're oily or if you're dry this is a great choice. It won't treat acne but it supports a healthy skin barrier."

✓Yay

69%Guru Score

Dr Sam's Flawless Moisturizer

"This is from Dr Sam who is amazing, a cosmetic derm from the UK, and she created the Flawless Moisturizer. [...] Her products are geared towards those who want the luxurious lifestyle but without having to pay a luxury price, and they actually have products with science that actually work. [...] It's got panthenol which is vitamin B5. It's a medium moisturizer, not the thickest but not a gel. If you have redness in the skin, if you have adult acne, this is one of the best. [...] If you're looking for a moisturizer that just works well and doesn't clog the pores, doesn't break you out, doesn't make the white heads explode out of the cheeks, so good for adult acne. [...] One of the derms that I work with [...] is absolutely obsessed with [...] this and recommends it all the time."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Bubble Cloud Surf Water Cream Moisturizer

"If there is a teenager who is oily, struggling with acne and needs a moisturizer that works with almost any other active, this is it. When they launched this Cloud Surf, oh my God, it's squirting, this is the best. This is like a cream that feels just like a gel. Do you see how lightweight and hydrating that is? It soaks in like a dream. Again, it's artificial fragrance free. You can use this morning or evening. Such a beautiful formula. I absolutely love this. I wish that I had this around when I was 16. This has been around for less than a year but it should have been around since the beginning of time because this is better than new Neutrogena in my opinion, better than all of the Clean and Clear. I love this stuff so much and it's kind of fun to use it."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream

"The polypeptide moisturizer from Drunk Elephant is a $68 debacle and while it's not terrible you could use it on young skin because it has peptides which are naturally found in the human body, it's $68."

~Mixed

65%Guru Score

BYOMA Moisturizing Gel Cream

"This right here is a Moisturizing Gel Cream. It's a tri ceramide complex with niacinamide, remember it's that B vitamin our body naturally makes, as well as that green tea antioxidant, and this is just a nice fluffy lightweight moisturizer. With one pump you're getting the perfect amount. It's a great choice, you get a lot for your money, you can get it at Target, and this is very similar to Drunk Elephant at a fraction of the price."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream Rescue & Recovery Moisturizer

"This is a moisturizer with ceramides, it's not bad, it's decent, it's just expensive for what it is. Part of the lore of this is of course it's a brand name, it's been going around the internet, kids have been seeing it, they want what's in or what's trendy. But it's also this cool little pump top."

~Mixed

68%Guru Score

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Phytoceramides

"This is one of the best and it's inexpensive. [...] This is the natural moisturizing factors plus phytoceramides and if you are looking for one of the richest most hydrating but inexpensive creams that The Ordinary has to offer this is going to be it. This is kind of the updated version of their NMF moisturizer which I personally love but this is the phytoceramides, phyto coming from plants and ceramides relating to those fatty acids that are so amazing in our skin and they actually make up half of the very outside layer of our skin. The problem is as we get older as weather changes as temperature changes and as our stress levels change our skin can kind of start breaking those ceramides down or not building them back and replenishing them as needed and that's why a great moisturizer is essential. This is so good but it is so hydrating. For me acne and oily prone, not my top one, not my favorite, [...] but this one is amazing for dry skin. [...] It's like butter, it's like vegan ceramide butter. [...] It is so nice and I have used this as like a night mask but for dry skin this is perfect for everyday. What's great about this formula is that it's also got glycerin, remember that's that humectant that we also found in the cleanser, so this is giving you a leave on form of the same ingredient that was in here that's so good for the skin."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Aestura Atobarrier 365 Cream

"This is from Aestura, and it's a 365 and I recently got this from Stylevana and it is so good. It is supremely hydrating on the skin. It's barrier supportive, this feels like butter in a creamy soup, and this is literally meant to both moisturize and to protect the skin. It does kind of leave a little bit of a film on the skin, so if you don't like that it might not be for you, but it's not an oily film. It's more of like a dry touch film that supremely hydrates. I recently found this but I have been in love with it, and I have a feeling that this is going to be one of my staples this winter."

✓Yay

95%Guru Score

COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream

"I understand a lot of people are interested in snail mucin right now but some people have been having like legit reactions. If you are allergic to dust mites or crustaceans, don't put snails on your face. And a lot of people are putting this on hoping it'll clear blemishes, but there are no medical studies showing that snail mucin is good for eczema, blemishes, redness, dryness, all of the things that people mention."

✕Nay

74%Guru Score

Haruharu Wonder Centella Asiatica Vital Miracle Healing Multi Balm

"Haru Haru is a fantastic brand, they're made by a woman named Jane and I'm in love with their sunscreens and their cleansing oil. I appreciate that this has Sea Buckthorn fruit extract which can be phenomenal for skin, which is high in vitamins A, C, and E. Remember that vitamin A is that retinoid, vitamin C is amazing for pollution and it's necessary for collagen production in our bodies. Vitamin E is otherwise known as tocopherol, it can be really good for scars and for wound healing, and vitamin K which is phenomenal for skin barrier support. I don't see vitamin K in a lot of products. It has olive oil. I'm liking this, and I'm adding this to cart and I want to compare this to what I saw in Korea. I'm excited to try this too because I think this is a new product from Haru Haru Wonder."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

Heimish All Clean Balm Mandarin Orange Limited Edition

"I've been a huge fan of the regular all clean balm, but apparently they have this mandarin orange limited edition one. I want to get my hands on this so bad. In Chinese culture mandarin orange is actually considered lucky."

✓Yay

71%Guru Score

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream

"This is one of my holy grail products. My skin drinks this up. I was going to say I'm so glad that you've tried this because this is one of these products that I would like love to hate on but that works so well that I have to love it. It's $100, it's from Charlotte Tilbury. She's a makeup artist, but if you want something that is hydrating, beautiful like silk ribbons, but that works under makeup, this is it. This is the only cream-based moisturizer I would use before makeup because any other cream-based one will pill or act weird with primers and foundations, but this one is, I understand why they call it Magic Cream. It's one of those that I wish I would love to hate, but the Magic Cream is so fantastic."

✓Yay

57%Guru Score

Cocokind My Matcha All Over Moisture Stick

"Even Coco kind has an all over moisture stick that is really beautiful this one's actually really fun it smells like a straight up wheat grass shot smells like a walk around the perimeter of a Whole Foods"

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Cream

"This right here is from dear Claire's, this is the Rich Moist Soothing Cream and I would say that this is the closest thing that gets you to feeling like the way your skin feels after you slug. So when you slug you need to remove the goo before you go outside and that removal process is like the best part because the way your skin feels after is glorious. This gives you that feeling without having to go through this like you could literally just put this on and go. This is a K Beauty moisturizer, it does have ceramides in there which is why I would compare it to this but it is K Beauty it is so soft and nourishing and I feel like it is a little bit more liquidy. I feel like it absorbs a little bit better than this whereas you can see this was kind of chunky. She a little bit more liquidy as you can see it gives your skin that."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Peach Slices Oil Control Mattifying Moisturizer

"I just got one in the mail from Peach Slices and it's so good. It's a moisturizer that hydrates the skin but leaves you looking more mattified. Peach Slices is actually owned by Peach and Lily, so if you want less expensive Peach and Lily products, Peach Slices is basically your brand. They're like a little sister brand."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Beta Glucan Lightweight Formula

"This entire bottle is like 10 bucks. It hydrates the skin well, it has amino acids, it actually supports the skin barrier. This is one of the best moisturizers from The Ordinary. The Ordinary has always had a top spot in my book for their serums, but this is a new launch that is phenomenal. I'm obsessed with it. After you microcurrent you can just leave this on, you can apply it underneath sunscreen and it works so well throughout the day. [...] Already inexpensive but even better when it's on sale."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Caudalie Resveratrol Lift Lightweight Firming Cashmere Moisturizer

"Resveratrol Lift Cream, this is good. Caudalie is known for their use of grapes and things. I would say this is good but I don't know if it's hardworking enough for you. I could see something maybe a little bit more hydrating. Resveratrol is fantastic, it's what's found in red wine, it's found in grapes and it's a good antioxidant, but this is also an antioxidant so we're kind of doubling up."

~Mixed

73%Guru Score

The INKEY List Omega Water Cream

"The Omega Water Cream is an excellent moisturizer. I don't think it's one of the best moisturizers in the entire world, there are some other moisturizers that I do like better, but for the price it is a good one."

~Mixed

75%Guru Score

Epiduo Epiduo Gel

"There is a medication called Epiduo. Epiduo is literally adapalene, which is a form of retinoid, plus benzoyl peroxide, and it works really great for acne. It's a prescription. A doctor or provider might say, hey, we're going to blend a retinoid in with benzoyl peroxide to help you get the most out of your skin care. If prescribed by your doctor, go for it."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

First Aid Beauty Dew Point Moisturizing Gel Cream

"This is the First Dew Point Moisturizing Gel Cream, and this is a fantastic gel moisturizer that is not only inexpensive and fragrance free, but it works really well with the pycnogenol because of the way it mixes in. You can actually get this pycnogenol to really disperse and now this helps to take away some of that orange color but still give you hydration on the skin. It's definitely more of a lightweight gel feel, so I would recommend this for those who are oily or combination skinned. But the First Dew Point is really perfect to mix in with this, and as a bonus you could also put this on the body if you do want to mix it with something a little bit thicker."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream

"The CeraVe tub of moisturizer just sits there in a lump and balls up on the skin. It doesn't have those active ingredients that are going to help with acne, so it might not be the best choice for helping acne-prone skin. However, the ceramides in this moisturizer could be really good, soothing and hydrating to put on after you've used a benzoyl peroxide cleanser or something that is a little bit more harsh."

~Mixed

87%Guru Score

Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Moisturizer

"This Biossance Squalane plus vitamin C Rose moisturizer is fantastic. It does have squalane and skin naturally creates squalene, and squalene is fantastic because it mimics that squalane so this is an oil that really supports the skin with antioxidant benefits. This also has vitamin C which works on hyperpigmentation works on sun spots works on fine lines and wrinkles. This is absolutely mermaid approved. Biossance as a brand the name stands for Biology Renaissance and they care so much about what goes into their products and they really care about ocean conservation efforts. They teach you how to recycle their packages and all of their stuff comes in glass. They promote recycling and they actually work towards ocean conservation efforts."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5

"This is my favorite moisturizer. I haven't personally tried this product before, but I know it's sold at a lot of French pharmacies. Dr Shereene Idris is a dermatologist that you should absolutely know who has a skincare line that we need to review, and she actually loves and swears by this product. It looks like it's sold on Amazon and it has everything from aloe vera to shea butter to soy proteins which are great. It doesn't look bad. The price is right at 26 bucks. This appears to be a very creamy thing with thick texture, so I'm assuming Salem probably has more dry skin naturally or she really loves a hydrated glow, but whatever she's doing like it is working for her skin."

✓Yay

91%Guru Score

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

"Mario Badescu's Drying Lotion is something I can actually get behind. It's good, it's drying, and within a couple hours your spots are dried, which is amazing. It's a good acne care routine that doesn't cost 420 dollars."

✓Yay

53%Guru Score

Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream

"The Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream is retinaldehyde and it is phenomenal because it's the most potent thing you can get over the counter without going to prescription. It is wonderful. It has antioxidants and ceramides. Yes, you can use it for fine lines and wrinkles around the eye, but use it all over the face. The fact that it's available on Amazon is the kind of thing that you want to restock on a monthly basis."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

L'Oréal Revitalift Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizer

"Aging is a privilege and being able to afford this product is a privilege because it's $21 and if this works for Lucy's skin I'm happy. I know a lot of people have said this is a powerful moisturizer and it is good, but it's not cruelty free so you know it doesn't really get my coin, it doesn't get my money. But if you want to keep using that, Lucy, go for it."

~Mixed

77%Guru Score

La Mer Crème de la Mer Moisturizing Cream

"La Mer is literally made with the same ingredients that you find in something like Nivea cream, yet costs significantly more, so it's not worth the premium price."

✕Nay

48%Guru Score

Nivea Creme

"Nivea Cream is an inexpensive option with good basic moisturizing ingredients."

✓Yay

74%Guru Score

Topicals Faded Cream

"This is called the Faded Cream from Topicals, and there's a reason that everyone's talking about this because it does fade stuff. If you basically want all of the anti-hyperpigmentation stuff they took it and they shoved it in here. I love what this product does for my face but I hate the way it smells. It smells so bad. It smells like rotting food that you left in old tupperware, like the tupperware that the rotting food soaked into with that plasticy little bit gross leftover tupperware smell. When I wear it it makes me smell wretched and therefore I feel like I can't wear it around. I really want to love it and support this because it really does what it says it does, but the smell is atrocious. Topicals did come out with a new formula of this that is unscented, so I will be purchasing that one."

~Mixed

79%Guru Score

Rhode Barrier Restore Cream

"This looks like a really good product and I want to try it. This is good, I think it's a great moisturizer, but I would almost call it like an antioxidant peptide moisturizer. I don't know if I'd call it a Barrier Restore Cream because it will restore the barrier but there are things that would do that better. It doesn't have ceramides, which I think are essential to our skin barrier. However, it does have glycerin, shea butter, squalene, hyaluronic acid, and various peptides that are hydrating and moisturizing."

~Mixed

72%Guru Score

The INKEY List Peptide Moisturizer

"The Inkey List's Peptide Moisturizer has shea butter, peptides, glycerin, and is very hydrating. This moisturizer is also really lightweight, so it's not overly thick if you're someone who hates a thick under-eye cream. It's excellent as an eye cream or a face cream. The Peptide Moisturizer is raising the tide and the expectations of what we can get for inexpensively priced but quality skincare. You can absolutely use this right up here for some peptide plumping goodness."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

SKKN Face Cream Firming Moisturizer

"Kim Kardashian has this face cream and the packaging reminds me of the Beauty Pie Pokéball. However, the formula inside with little refillable packaging, my face has not totally been loving. They say that this has a retinol alternative and the title is the Face Cream Firming Moisturizer, but I don't feel that it firms or lifts. It has a lot of apricot in here, coconut oil, carrot, alfalfa, and squalane, and they basically claim that it's like a retinol alternative."

✕Nay

62%Guru Score

SkinFix Barrier+ Restoring Gel Cream

"Another one that has a really good top like this is SkinFix. They have their barrier repair, it's blue. That is another excellent one to do this with and mix in acids."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Lancôme Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Acid Cream Moisturizer

"I move on to my moisturizers, so first I use Lancôme's waterbank blue hyaluronic cream. The first time I used this I woke up and I thought my skin was a baby's bottom, it was so soft. Everyone on set started using them and becoming addicted and got them all hooked."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream

"The product that she's using is again this Tatcha Dewy Skin one. I trash talk this one a lot because it's so expensive and based on the ingredients, I don't see a lot of what's in it. Now, I know that people love it. If you love it, if it looks pretty on your countertop, you do you. Is it my favorite? Absolutely no. But am I going to be giving it another try? Yes, I am. When it comes to this Dewy Skin Cream, I also don't love this for dry dry skin. I feel like there are such better options for dry skin that are much more occlusive and hydrating. This one does say that it's antioxidant packed and it's plumping and hydrating. There are some water gel creams that are much better and that don't cost $69. These are not bad ingredients. They are just so overpriced for what's in here in my opinion."

~Mixed

81%Guru Score

Versed Dew Point Moisturizing Gel Cream

"This is one of the funnest moisturizers if you're looking if you have oily skin and you're looking for something lightweight but that actually hydrates, this is so good. It has green tea, and it's basically water and glycerin. Everyone loves hyaluronic acid and including me like I love hyaluronic acid, but glycerin is arguably a better humectant than hyaluronic acid. This is fresh, and do you feel how it's fresh on the skin?"

✓Yay

74%Guru Score

BYOMA Moisturizing Rich Cream

"The rich cream has triceramides boccochiol and shea butter. That's much thicker. It feels just like CeraVe to me. I kind of wish that I could have this gel formula with the boccochiol ingredient, but I will take what I can get. It feels a lot softer than CeraVe on the skin."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Atopalm MLE Cream

"This is the MLE Cream from Atopalm. If you want something thick, this is something thick. This moisturizer is made for dry skin, but this repairs a skin barrier like nothing else. And because of the ingredients and because of how soothing and thick this is, it literally smooths over pores and imperfections. If you have dry skin, I would recommend this. Or if you're like me and you have combination to oily skin and you just like something really thick at night or to fake the look of a really thick primer during the day, this is going to be your thick primer swap that is technically not a primer. It is technically skin care. But even with nothing else on, it gives us that same look."

✓Yay

71%Guru Score

Sunday Riley ICE Ceramide Moisturizing Cream

"She says that this is the key to dry skin. Let's take a look at the ingredients and see if they would be great for dry skin. We have an extract blend as our first ingredient, red algae. This is actually good. We have squalane, some sugarcane glycerin, some sunflower. We have coconut fruit extract, ceramide NP and EOP. I'm still not going to be purchasing Sunday Riley for the current time being, but this actually looks really good. Specifically, what I'm seeing are those ceramides. Ceramides are essential to our skin function. Our stratum corneum is like 50 percent ceramides, and sometimes if you have dry skin, it's a little bit less, which is why putting them back in there is great. Red algae is phenomenal. Algae is fantastic for skin care and an antioxidant. This actually looks like a bomb ass ingredients list. I love the melon."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream

"The Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Night Cream is super popular and it's a good price at $16. I've heard a lot of people use this for underneath makeup. This is basically a less expensive, better version of things like Vaseline or petroleum jelly, or even La Mer in a twisted way. The main ingredient in here is water, then we have paraffinium liquidum which is what's in Nivea and La Mer. We do have some shea butter and some hydrolized soy protein, which we do like. The only thing that's in here that I'm not a super huge fan of for her is the perfume. But seeing as this is paraffinium liquidum, I feel like this would be better for the dry-skinned days, and there's a lot that she could use. I'm really glad that she likes this one, it's inexpensive and you know what, it works."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

La Mer Eye Concentrate Cream

"If there are two things that I think are the biggest scams of the entire industry it is La Mer and eye creams. La Mer was created by an astrophysicist that didn't understand skincare. He burned his own hand in a lab and then six years later he's like this seaweed magically saved it. When he died Estée Lauder purchased it and they used like a psychic medical medium to summon him from the dead to share their magical formula. That video explains why they charge 400 for a little tiny sample cup of eye cream and why I think it is absolute trash. If there is ever a time to use La Mer eye cream it would be because it makes someone feel bougie, but otherwise for the rest of us who have skincare issues and want products that are actually going to work for us, La Mer in my personal subjective opinion and actually objective when you look at the ingredients list, it's Nivea plus seaweed. Stop. Especially for acne prone skin types I do not recommend it."

✕Nay

59%Guru Score

Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream

"This looks like a calming, hydrating toner made by a doctor and the reviews are five stars. I'm going to get this for her and also for me because this sounds awesome."

✓Yay

65%Guru Score

Kate Somerville Nourish Day Moisturizer

"I got the Kate Somerville Nourish Day Moisturizer and I love this gift because I love a good expensive day moisturizer, and I'm so grateful to receive it."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Tata Harper Illuminating Moisturizer

"This is an Illuminating Moisturizer for 135 dollars. I'm just like, what is in this that makes it so expensive? Tata Harper does all of this clean marketing and remember clean doesn't mean better, doesn't mean safer. Most of the time it actually means less preserved, which is actually dangerous, and it means that it expires quicker so you have to spend more money. If you're sensitive to plant extracts, you are going to want to avoid this. We have lactobacillus fermented filtrate, which is great—this is lysed or dead bacteria but it can be very soothing to the skin. We have some shea butter ethyl esters, which can be very expensive to formulate with but very good and soothing to the skin. We have some safflower oleosomes, which are less greasy than safflower oil so this actually looks pretty light on the skin. We have glycerin, mango seed butter, and then all of the plant extracts. At least this has a lot of antioxidants and phytonutrients. What's interesting is that we also have mica in here. They call this an Illuminating Moisturizer. What's illuminating about it is the mica. You're spending 135 dollars for some plant oils and some mica. I do like the safflower oleosomes, I do like the lactobacillus, but everything else in here I'm just like we don't need this. This is a very luxury product. It's like makeup disguised as a moisturizer and I hate it when brands do this. This is makeup disguised as a moisturizer."

✕Nay

67%Guru Score

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

"First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream is loaded with ceramides and anti-inflammatory ingredients as a calming emulsion that relieves dry prickly skin, but I was not a huge fan of this. For my skin, which is oily and acne prone, it just was not it for me. I felt that it kind of balled up on the skin. I didn't feel like it was really moisturizing and hydrating. I do like that it has ceramides in it, but there are a lot of other products with ceramides that I like better."

✕Nay

75%Guru Score

Wishful Honey Whip Peptide Moisturizer

"This is our honey whip, it's a peptide moisturizer, but the reason why I love it so much is it's packed full of amazing ingredients. I struggle with moisturizer, almost all moisturizers break me out. I've never had a moisturizer I can use consistently without fail and it would make my skin be moisturized, I would feel moisturized but then I also wouldn't get the dryness throughout the day and then I would also not have breakouts. But this has been created just to do that. Every single person who's tried this has said it is their favorite moisturizer. My sister Mona and I can never agree on skincare, she has stolen many bottles of this from me. How do I describe it? It feels so light but also incredibly nourishing for the skin but it's not heavy. A lot of those really fancy moisturizers I feel like they just can be really really heavy for the skin and just too intense, and this one is just it's just that perfect amount of moisture. It's so good."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

Tatcha Water Cream Oil-Free Pore Minimizing Moisturizer

"If I am going through a phase where my skin's very, very hydrated I will use this during the day underneath my makeup and it works beautifully underneath makeup. This also works surprisingly well on the body. The dry down is like not oily but it just gives this dewiness to the skin that is like no other. It is stunning. But I am not notoriously the biggest fan of the Tatcha Water Cream. It's expensive so I cringe at giving them my money. Out of all of the creams out there it is a halfway decent one. It is hydrating, but is it going to be anytime soon, absolutely not. But if you are like Tati and you want that experience, it's not a bad one."

~Mixed

78%Guru Score

Rovectin Clean Lotus Water Cream

"Rovectin's Lotus Water Cream is really good, that is an excellent humectant inside of actually a moisturizer, which is great."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

SkinCeuticals Phytocorrective Gel

"She uses the SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrector Gel to correct redness. For 67 dollars, that is not an arm and a leg. I don't personally purchase SkinCeuticals because they are not cruelty-free and that matters to me, but looking at this, the price is much better than their other stuff. This is basically a hydrating serum with water and glycerin as humectants, sodium hyaluronate which is hyaluronic acid, so another humectant. There's some olive fruit extract, grapefruit, cucumber, flour and thyme. Eucalyptus can be very irritating. For someone who has sensitive skin, which she is saying that she does, I would not be applying this. It has linalool and citronelle, which are literally fragrancing ingredients that can irritate some people. This looks like a very fancy green hyaluronic acid serum. I don't see why this is amazing. This doesn't even have all of the antioxidants that I would want in here. I don't know that it's going to get my money, but if you have 67 dollars it's probably one of the more affordable SkinCeuticals products."

~Mixed

66%Guru Score

Bubble Slam Dunk Hydrating Moisturizer

"Bubble is really affordable and fun and donates to Teen Mental Health. I love the application of the Slam Dunk Hydrating Moisturizer [...] because it gives you the perfect amount every time. [...] The gel is almost more clear, it's very stringy and it has high water content."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Ole Henriksen Strength Trainer Peptide Boost Moisturizer

"The strength trainer from Ole Henriksel, I love this so much. It smells divine, if you're sensitive to fragrance you're going to want to avoid this, but this was the best seller at Sephora because it is literally one of the most beautiful textures. I actually made a skincare routine for someone who used to work at YouTube and I recommended that she use this moisturizer and she's told me that she fell in love with this so much that she's repurchased this almost five times at this point. This is such an amazing moisturizer. The founder has been in the skincare industry for like 40 years plus, he used to whip up formulations in his kitchen and then ride his bike and deliver them on bike to his clients. But this strength trainer moisturizer has peptides, it is so fantastic for the skin, and I love this as a nice medium weight."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

NuFACE Hydrating Aqua Gel

"This is probably my favorite NuFACE conduction gel and I'm like how is this so good. This is something that I loved on first impression and as I continued to use it I was like holy this is amazing. It's called the Hydrating Aqua Gel, it has hyaluronic acid and glacial water, but this works if you're dry, if you're oily, if you're mature, if you're young, you name it. What's great about it is that it literally is that microcurrent gel texture that we're looking for, but you can leave it on the skin after you're done and just pat it in and it actually provides hydration without grease throughout the day. I absolutely love this. It works so well and it doesn't get gummy on the skin, doesn't gum up, but it doesn't just disappear. It stays for long enough for you to do your treatment and then it absorbs into the skin and gives you that benefit all day long. This is such a good one and it actually conducts really well. It works like it actually conducts the electricity. At the end of the day that's what we want it to do. If we don't conduct the electricity it's not going to work."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Purito Deep Sea Pure Water Cream

"Look at how thick this is, this is phenomenal. I like this on my face, you know, I can pat it on, it's fine, but this is amazing after my everything showers. [...] When I get done with my everything shower my skin is already a little bit hydrated, a little bit moisturized. This is one of the most amazing body moisturizers I've ever used. [...] Because it has this texture and because it's so inexpensive I can actually afford to put this all over my body. If you need a lightweight body moisturizer and you love K Beauty, this is one of the best priced and the most fun to use right after the shower. It makes my skin look and feel amazing. It actually absorbs but it keeps my skin soft and it doesn't leave me feeling sticky. This has revolutionized my everything shower."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Mixsoon Bean Cream

"This is fantastic if you're super dry. I would say that this probably isn't going to stay in my routine because while it's really good, it's just too hydrating for me. It is like a thick basically like a ceramide Bean Cream with minimal ingredients built on K Beauty staples. It has capric triglyceride, metofoam, turmeric for brightening and the main ingredients do make this like a very hydrating moisturizer. I did like this and I would say this is fantastic for me as a night mask but if you're dry this is going to be your new like everyday hydrating cream. You could also layer it under the sunscreen because the centella sunscreen doesn't peel up and you could literally push hydration deep into your skin while also protecting yourself from the sun with the anti-redness of the centella. [...] For my oily skin I don't know if this is going to stay in there forever but I am going to hold on to this especially for wind and winter because it doesn't expire for 12 months. I'm going to give this a go in like really dry climates and dry weather. If you're dry I think you're gonna love this but if you're oily like me this probably isn't the best fit."

~Mixed

73%Guru Score

Topicals Faded Brightening & Clearing Gel

"Topicals does have their Faded serum, which was a bestseller for so long and it does work so well. This actually includes a lot of those ingredients that are non-prescription that can help with pigmentation. Specifically, it has azelaic acid, licorice root, niacinamide, and tranexamic acid."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Colorescience Total Eye Firm and Repair Cream

"This is from Colorescience and it's the Total Eye Firm and Repair Cream. If you are looking to firm and repair this is the best one that I know to do it. This does that with different peptides without being overly dehydrating. It soaks into the eye area really well, doesn't peel up or ball up under makeup, and doesn't have any of those ingredients that could trigger milia. It has antioxidants and peptides specifically peptides that can firm and tighten, and antioxidants specifically caffeine which can constrict blood flow when applied topically so any puffiness coming from capillaries or lymphatic fluid is kind of sloped away. This is going to be the next best thing if you're not using under eye patches."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Goodal Apricot Collagen and Youth Firming Cream

"This cream from Goodal, from K-beauty, is a fraction of the price. It is literally a youth-firming cream. When I look at these ingredients, they might not be an exact dupe, but they look so similar, they feel so similar, and I would say this one does what it has got to do better than the one from Kim Kardashian. If you want Kim Kardashian without the Kim Kardashian price, there you go."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Versed Weekend Glow Daily Brightening Moisturizer

"This is brand new for summer and my face freaking loves it. It is hydration, it is glow. It has a very special form of vitamin C, BVOSC, otherwise known as tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, and based on studies that have been done on this form of vitamin C, it appears that it helps with collagen synthesis up to 50% better than just regular vitamin C alone. It also has arctic cloudberry oil, which my face actually likes. All of the squeezes that I have done thus far have been phenomenal."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Moisturizer

"The Watermelon Plump Moisturizer from Glow Recipe has a refillable container and this serum goes so well with that."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Bubble Level Up Balancing Gel Moisturizer

"If you have acne-prone or oily skin, the Level Up Balancing Moisturizer is a lightweight gel texture, and this works really, really well for oily skin."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Pacifica Vegan Ceramide Barrier Repair Cream

"If you are someone who's super sensitive to skin care and you're using a retinoid but you're prone to having a damaged skin barrier, the Pacifica vegan ceramide one is one of my favorites. It's such a nice, beautiful, fluffy formula and it has ceramides and things that are nourishing to your skin and skin barrier. This is a really great one if you are prone to irritation if you're trying to take it gentle."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Gel Cream

"The ISNTREE sunscreen is so good that I really don't need a moisturizer underneath it, but for the sake of playing with things today and having a relaxing morning, I am going to use this."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

April Skin Artemisia Squalene Hydra Gel Cream

"This is a hydro gel cream and it does have squalane which I do love very much. One of our editors is also obsessed with it and her skin just drinks it up. This to me is kind of like a K-beauty version of the Neutrogena water hydrogel cream. It is a bit more of a cream but when you actually rub it in the texture is very similar. I would say this is slightly more hydrating but it kind of blends down into this water and it seals everything onto the skin. It's lightweight which is what I love from K-beauty. I find that most K-beauty formulas don't weigh down the skin and even when layering multiple formulas together these don't ball up on each other or start to pill on the skin."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Augustinus Bader Rich Cream

"I understand that it's vegan, I understand that they have some really good peptides, but holy crap you have to be rich to afford this Rich Cream. Three hundred dollars for this? For literally one point seven fluid ounces, two hundred sixty-five dollars? Let me pull up the ingredients because maybe I'm missing something. The base of this is a whole bunch of oils, and we do have some peptides and some zinc PCA which is really good for acne and inflammation. But I don't understand why it needs to cost close to three hundred. The whole reason that they claim this is worth three hundred is because of their patented technology comprised of amino acids and high-grade vitamins, but I don't understand why that is so expensive. I do understand patents need to protect intellectual property, but I mean it is vegan and cruelty-free. If I'm ever going to spend three hundred on something it might be this, but mark my words, I am not recommending this. There are very comparable options out there."

✕Nay

65%Guru Score

Cleansers58 reviews

Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil

"Such a good cleansing oil when it's cold it actually uses a little more chunky so just keep that in mind if you live in a cold environment. It's normally $20 to $21, it's on sale for $15 to $10. For Prime day you can actually bundle it for additional discounts so it comes out to like $11 to $12 if you use coupons."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash

"It has 2% salicylic acid and fragrance but it's honestly super basic so I still don't know why they raised the price. I do think it kind of worked, it was salicylic acid it was fine, but when my acne was at its worst it was severe it was chronic it was cystic and it took over my face chest and back and the Neutrogena cleanser just didn't cut it. I remember it being like $5... it's no longer $5."

~Mixed

61%Guru Score

The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser

"The Squalane Cleanser is especially good for dry skin and it's super super gentle."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

PanOxyl 4% Benzoyl Peroxide Cleansing Wash

"Pan oxal was still inexpensive that was like $10"

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

BYOMA Milky Jelly Cleanser

"This right here is the Milky Jelly Cleanser. This has a tri ceramide complex so it doesn't strip the skin, and remember, cleansers are an absolute essential for all skincare routines. This also has licorice root extract, that is not the same as vitamin C but it can brighten the skin and have a similar benefit to vitamin C but without the stinging and the irritation. There's also green tea, which really helps to nourish a skin barrier and has antioxidant support. It's a really fun texture, it's really fun to use, and again, skincare is health care, hygiene is essential. This is a great choice, you get a lot for your money, you can get it at Target. And again, if it's the product package they like, this is very similar to Drunk Elephant at a fraction of the price."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

The Ordinary Glucoside Foaming Cleanser

"This is one of my favorites. If you are looking for a simple effective and affordable cleanser, this is one of the best. When I use this on myself it's nice, it's gentle, it's foaming, it's still hydrating but it breaks down dirt and gunk and sunscreen really well. The glucoside foam in here is also very very gentle and it's really only got like five ingredients and no fragrance. I can actually use this as a body cleanser as well. This has very quickly replaced many of my other cleansers as a favorite."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

"I never thought I would love micellar water from Garnier but I actually fell in love with this. You can find some really inexpensive but effective skincare."

✓Yay

66%Guru Score

Garnier Micellar Gentle Peeling Water with PHA and Glycolic Acid

"These have literally given me exfoliation and vitamin C at a time that I needed them"

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

Versed Purest Antioxidant Cleanser

"They have blueberry, raspberry, cucumber, and apple fruit extracts, and what I liked about this is that they didn't have any orange, bergamot, or citrus. My skin is a little bit more sensitive to that. I can usually get away with it in a cleanser, but I liked that this was a superfruit antioxidant booster that didn't have that citrus in it. It's more of the blues and the berries, so I'm actually really excited to try this and rub it on my skin and hopefully get back into cleansing my skin."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser

"Something new that is an absolute hit is the Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser. It's amazing if you have oily, combo, or acne prone skin. If you're looking for an excellent, inexpensive cleanser that gets the job done but actually helps to hydrate the skin, or works for combo to dry skin, this is it, oh my God. Though for summer this wasn't really a hit for me, I am going to see if I can start incorporating this more in winter, because as a brand that does inexpensive skincare right, this is such a good cleanser."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Tula Acne AllStar 3-in-1 Acne Cleanser, Mask & Spot Treatment

"Tula I hear everyone speaking about and I haven't tried a lot of their products but they have this product called the breakout star that's supposed to have sulfur in it seems really really good and I constantly hear people talking about Tula but sometimes I've looked at it and I'm like um too expensive or just like it's not calling my name today"

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser

"If you look at the CeraVe salicylic acid cleanser and you know that this salicylic acid, also known as BHA, is medically proven to kill the acne bacteria that actually causes acne to exist in the first place, then you can say yes, this is something that is worth my money that I should try for my acne and for my skin condition."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Youth to the People Kale and Green Tea Spinach Vitamin Superfood Cleanser

"I actually purchased this as part of a Sephora shop with me. These cellulose products gum up on the skin but they gum up in your hand even with a glove regardless of whether or not they touch your skin. These can be amazing if you are someone who likes physical exfoliation but doesn't want to scratch off your face. This isn't the product peeling off your skin—this is the product having a liquid evaporate and leaving behind beneficial skincare ingredients like enzymes that do exfoliate, and then you almost have this physical, it's almost like a gomage or a paste that you can rub across the skin."

✓Yay

64%Guru Score

Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser for Combination to Oily, Sensitive Skin

"I use Cetaphil daily facial cleanser, it's a pretty basic drugstore brand and I love it because if it's not broken don't fix it. I'm really happy to see a celebrity using something that is affordable and accessible for people. The problem is Cetaphil is not cruelty free, and I really care about cruelty free skincare. While it is great and very basic, there are other products that are just as great and very basic that don't leave any sticky film on the skin and are cruelty free and don't harm animals."

~Mixed

79%Guru Score

SkinFix Barrier+ Foaming Oil Cleanser

"For my breakout days, this Skin Fix cleanser does not disappoint. If you have acne, if you have rosacea, if you have redness in your skin, this is so good."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes Fragrance-Free

"I have literally used these exact same products before, the Neutrogena makeup remover wipes removed the tough makeup for me but are they overall good for your skin? No, they're so bad. The whole thing about makeup wipes is that they're not eco-friendly, they're really just pushing makeup and dirt deeper into your pores or across your face unless you're doing something like a legit double cleanse where you're using some sort of an oil cleanser or micellar cleanser and then removing that with some sort of a treatment cleanser. A lot of that dirt and grime can just be pushed around and shoved in, and then makeup wipes don't really have a lot of things that dissolve if they did they would be too irritating. Think about like applying a cleanser with a detergent on your face, you wouldn't leave that on your face, right? Because of that, makeup wipes don't include those detergents, but some of those detergents or sulfates or those cleansing items are what actually help to break down makeup, dirt, grime and gunk. So if you don't have that in the makeup wipe, number one it just looks clean, it's not actually breaking things down, and then you're just leaving fragrance and like oils and goo on your skin."

✕Nay

61%Guru Score

PanOxyl 10% Benzoyl Peroxide Wash

"The Panoxyl 10 wash is really really really potent. This is not for everyone, this is going to be drying. I would recommend this for like the body or something, whereas the cushion cleanser is what can actually be used both morning and evening in a double cleansing routine."

~Mixed

84%Guru Score

The INKEY List 5% Benzoyl Peroxide Cleanser

"The Inkey List launched a benzoyl peroxide cleanser that is better than the Panoxyl one I've always reached for. This is the Inkey List Super Solutions 5% Benzoyl Peroxide Cleanser and you can use this on the face, on the chest, and on the back. When you rinse this off it actually rinses off well and I think that this is even more hydrating than the Panoxyl one. This is fragrance-free, five fluid ounces. Benzoyl peroxide is an ingredient that is medically proven to help with acne because acne bacteria are anaerobic, meaning they live in no oxygen environments. Benzoyl peroxide directly kills acne bacteria by going into the skin, and when you look at the chemical structure of this molecule it has peroxide in the middle that actually breaks and releases oxygen, and the oxygen kills that acne bacteria. For people who struggle with leaving benzoyl peroxide spot treatments on, this is a wash-off formula that works excellently and I love this."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser

"It is gentle and it is dermatologist approved and doesn't have fragrances so a lot of people like it. But for me it is not cruelty free which matters, and I've also found that it's not bad, it's just not revolutionary. If your derm recommends it and it's what you want to spend money on and you can afford two to five dollars, go for it, but there are some other options that I absolutely love."

~Mixed

78%Guru Score

Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser

"This right here is the AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser. This is so good. I've used this professionally on others."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

Dr Sam's Flawless Cleansing Water

"This is a cleansing water that is oil free and it's wonderful because it cleanses off sunscreen, waterproof eyeliner, even those eyeshadows that kind of stick to your face. You don't have to tug at the eye, which is very important when washing your eyelashes."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Cocokind Oil to Milk Cleanser

"This is almost the identical texture in that it is hydrating, it is soothing on skin, it gives you that first cleanse of a double cleanse feel, but it does not separate. It doesn't separate in the bottle or in your hands. It has sunflower oil and grape seed oil and some lactobacillus ferment. This is hydrating and best for really dry skin, or if you're oily like me you can use this as a double cleanse. I find that this really breaks down oil and makeup extraordinarily well. The formula is amazing and very comparable if not a level up from the Inkey List."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

Le Domaine Cleansing Emulsion

"This Cleansing Emulsion is actually a decent cleanser with antioxidants, but it's not worth €70. You can get something like this for $10. The main ingredients are just grapefruit water, regular water, glycerin, and various plant extracts that cost pennies. I don't understand why they're charging this kind of money for ingredients that are this inexpensive."

✕Nay

62%Guru Score

Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil

"This cleanser is not terrible, but it's literally rice bran oil. The second ingredient is rice bran oil, and you can go to Target and get rice bran oil for three dollars, or if you want to be bougie you can go to Thrive Market and get it for eight. I love that she can afford this and loves it for her skin, but this is basically very cheap inexpensive rice bran oil with a couple of other ingredients and some fragrance in it, and people are paying fifty dollars for it. I would say save the expensive steps in your routine for the stuff that actually sits on and soaks into your face. A cleanser you just wash off. There are so many great silky cleansers. The Heimish All Clean Balm is like eleven dollars, and it gives you such a similar feel but it's way less expensive."

✕Nay

70%Guru Score

The INKEY List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser

"This is a phenomenal cleanser, a gel-to-cream cleanser with ingredients that help to brighten and even skin tone such as licorice and fulvic acid. Fulvic acid is wonderful and can actually help with inflammation in the skin for people who deal with eczema or psoriasis. It's not going to cure that because there is no cure for psoriasis and eczema, but it is something that would be a good option to include in a routine. The glycerin in here is hydrating, the aloe vera in here is soothing, and you get all this for $10, which is $25 cheaper than the SKKN option."

✓Yay

74%Guru Score

SKKN Gentle Foaming Cleanser

"This cleanser boasts 17% glycerin and aloe vera and is supposed to be super hydrating to the skin with turmeric for brightening and helping with uneven and dull skin, but what's inside of it is not revolutionary in my personal opinion. It's hydrating and soothing, but it costs $45 when you could get a cleanser with comparable or better ingredients for a quarter of that price."

✕Nay

63%Guru Score

PanOxyl Acne Creamy Wash for Face and Body 4% Benzoyl Peroxide

"This is a benzoyl peroxide wash that is made for drier skin types, but I wouldn't go as far as to say that this is great for dry acne prone skin. Yes, this will annihilate breakouts, but it could also really dry and irritate the face of someone who is dry. I would actually recommend this for the chest and back of people who have dry skin, this is excellent for the body, but I would say that this can be a lot for the face. They have a four percent and a ten percent, if you have dry skin I would only recommend the four percent."

~Mixed

87%Guru Score

Pacifica Vegan Ceramide Extra Gentle Face Wash

"This is a fragrance-free ceramide cleanser with nothing acne active about it, but that's the point. We have other things inside of this routine that are going to target the acne, but for the cleansing we just want to make sure that we are cleaning the face we don't want to over strip or over damage that barrier. We want to build that barrier back. Even though this doesn't have an acne active inside of it, this is excellent for dry skin, it's not going to irritate acne and it helps to replenish some of those ceramides, some of that moisture. It's sensitive skin type approved, fragrance free, dermatologist tested. This is one of my favorite Pacifica products hands down, but especially if you're struggling with dry skin, this is going to be a lifesaver."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

"I started to be so gentle to my skin. I did use Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser and that one works for me."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser

"CeraVe is often used because it is very basic, but there are some other ones that I would personally recommend instead because these are cruelty free and I find them to be a little bit more gentle."

~Mixed

85%Guru Score

SkinFix Acne Plus 2% BHA Cleanser

"They launched this cleanser that literally works for acne, rosacea and fungal acne, and this is the Acne Plus 2% BHA Cleanser but this also has azelaic acid in it. This has azelaic acid, niacinamide, green tea, salicylic acid and basically if you're struggling with one of these conditions or multiple this is so good. It is this milky kind of pinkish color and it goes onto the skin so well and actually helps to deal with these conditions in an over-the-counter way. For those who are confused about what's going on with their skin or don't have telehealth or haven't had a chance to get a diagnosis and you either know that it's acne, rosacea or fungal acne or you think it's one of the three but you're not sure which, this is a really great place to start. They're available at Sephora and they're relatively affordable, all vegan and cruelty-free with recycled packaging. Overall, Skinfix has been delivering since their blue line with their Barrier Plus products and they did it again with the acne, rosacea, pityrosporum folliculitis ones."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging Hydrating Cleanser

"Paula's Choice has a few good ones that are fragrance-free."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

The INKEY List Squalane Cleanser

"This one is better for more dry to combo skin. This is the Squalane Cleanser that I personally don't love on my oily prone skin."

~Mixed

75%Guru Score

Joanna Vargas Vitamin C Cleanser

"A vitamin C face wash is a great idea in the morning, but I don't see why this is like an amazing Vitamin C Cleanser. I would not spend 45 on this. I'm glad that it works for her, it's not terrible, but if you have sensitive skin you're going to want to stay away. If anything, they're trying to say that these oils have vitamin C, which they do, but that is not the same as ascorbic acid. I would recommend the Jumiso Vitamin C Cleanser or Juice Beauty's Vitamin C Cleanser. Even Oolea Hendrickson's Truth Juice would be a better Vitamin C Cleanser than this one."

✕Nay

70%Guru Score

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm

"I am obsessed with this, it's the Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm and it smells like freaking heaven. Based on the ingredients, I kind of feel like this is overpriced for $64 - this is not what I would spend my money on if I were to buy an Elemis product. But it's nice that she's using it."

~Mixed

68%Guru Score

Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover

"Because I only wear waterproof mascara, this is like the only thing that gets the waterproof mascara off - it's the oil-free Neutrogena eye makeup remover."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Biore Ultra Deep Cleansing Pore Strips

"These can be fun, there is a safe way to use them, but are they ideal? Absolutely not. This is Biore and bad and something I would not recommend. You're using exfoliating acids, you say that you have exfoliants, why the pore strips? Why the pore strips? Poor strips can actually damage your skin and cause broken capillaries."

✕Nay

60%Guru Score

PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash 4%

"Panoxyl is amazing. They have different percentages but their creams are basically like cream cleansers and they are with benzoyl peroxide. Panoxyl's great, it's inexpensive, it's at the drugstore. A lot of doctors and derms I work with recommend it. I've recommended it to a lot of people who've struggled with acne and it works very well."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser

"The ingredients look like it would be a more hydrating cleanser and it actually looks like a better cleanse than the first cleanse, but oh the pain of drunk elephant. We have an entire video on why drunk elephant is no longer supported. There's still the frustration that they say you have to use their products and only theirs, and then people were being attacked by the founder or social media person on Instagram allegedly. That's just not chill. The elephant isn't drunk; the person who was running the social media is."

✕Nay

57%Guru Score

Farmacy Clearly Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm

"The ingredients look good but this is just testament that you can't always judge a product solely by the ingredients because you don't know the formulation or how it works. Based on her beautiful face it looked a little bit raccoonish and I don't believe that the cleansing balm really got rid of all that makeup, and then a little tug with the washcloth, not good for the delicate eye area. But not my favorite, though I have hope in her actual cleanser."

~Mixed

66%Guru Score

iS Clinical Cleansing Complex

"I know a lot of people love this, the ingredients are not bad, this is one that I feel like I need to try. It's the Cleansing Complex and I do think that it's expensive as compared to other things on the market."

~Mixed

79%Guru Score

AcneFree Oil-Free Acne Cleanser

"Their cleanser is amazing. It's like a non-stripping benzoyl peroxide."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Caudalie Vinoclean Micellar Water

"This is a micellar water that I have mentioned time and time again and I am still hooked, I am still loving it. It's 28 dollars. It is a clean product if you go on Sephora they will do that clean stamp where you know that it is formulated without a lot of the nasties that can potentially be irritating to the skin. I really like it, I feel good about it. This is really great for all skin types, it's very gentle on the skin. I always like to do a quick clean in the morning before dashing to do whatever I do. I really love a micellar water for that because it's so gentle."

✓Yay

71%Guru Score

The INKEY List 2% Salicylic Acid Cleanser

"Inky list has some fantastic ones that are under $10"

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Dermalogica PreCleanse

"This is the oil to foam cleanser from Dermalogica, it's an esthetician best friend. This is literally an oil that ends up foaming up on your hands and your face. The way you use it is just by mixing it with water. I absolutely love this. As an aesthetician, I want to make sure that I'm cleaning someone's skin so that their other products can really soak in, and you usually do that through foaming, which can also make the skin barrier stripped. But this one cleans without that stripping feeling."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser

"I'm stocking up on the COSRX cleanser, one of my favorites, the Good Morning pH cleanser."

✓Yay

61%Guru Score

Heimish All Clean Balm

"This formula is fantastic, it melts sunscreen and makeup off my face, it literally feels like a memory foam cushion and I love this little container. It's one of the funnest skincare design things that I've come across in quite a while and it feels so good on my skin. This is one of the most effective K Beauty cleansing balms that I've ever tried. It does have a little bit of fragrance, so if you're super sensitive be aware, but I don't hate fragrance and this rinses off so it doesn't irritate my skin. It smells like you're running through a field of daffodils and daisies and butterflies, it is so nice and springy. Of course it's vegan and cruelty free, and the best part is the price—you can literally get this for under ten dollars."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

Dermatica Balancing Glycerin Gel Cleanser

"They have a Balancing Glycerin Gel Cleanser, which if you have acne and you're using like a prescription strength retinoid for your acne, this is such a good cleanser because it's non-irritating, it's non-stripping, it's fragrance-free, it's supportive to skin."

✓Yay

Notverified

Dermatica Caring Squalane Cream Cleanser

"Or instead of having oily skin, if you have super dry skin and you need something even more hydrating, they have this Caring Squalane Cream Cleanser, which is amazing for like mature or more dry skin, and I love that they call it caring like it cares about my skin."

✓Yay

Notverified

Dr Sam's Flawless Cleanser

"The Dr Sam's Flawless Cleanser is super wonderful and great for acne prone skin. I absolutely love this and it was immediately what I repurchased."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Shawnee Darden Cleansing Serum

"This is from Shawnee Darden who's an esthetician. This is at Sephora as well. If you get it on sale, that is even better. I would highly recommend getting this on sale. This is the Cleansing Serum. It is literally like a serum texture but in a cleanser. It is silky, it is smooth. This removes makeup and sunscreen really well. You could of course pair this with a cleansing balm, but I feel like this is fantastic and it's made by an esthetician who really understands and cares about skin. This has ingredients like oat kernel extract which has beta glucans which are really hydrating to the skin especially when they penetrate deep. It's also got oils like Macadamia and olive leaf extract, not just straight up olive oil. This is absolutely wonderful. With the Macadamia in here, it is super super hydrating to skin. I always recommend the olive leaf extract over straight up olive oil. The Macadamia glycerides in here are so beautiful. This is a really wonderful gentle cleanser and it's perfect for mature or dry skin."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm

"This right here is the Inky List Oat Cleansing Balm. This is really good for dry skin. I'm oily, so I use it as the first step in a double cleanse."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Papa Recipe Eggplant Clearing Enzyme Powder Cleanser

"I was very excited about this as a really great alternative to another enzyme cleanser. The main ingredients in here are actually corn starch and rice powder which are much more gentle on the skin. However, unfortunately you guessed it, this also contains tiny fragments of walnuts. I'm so mad. Even though this is a come to mama product I started using this powder exfoliator and I actually love this, and I kind of did love the scrubby-dubby feeling. This has sake and the enzyme part is from papain from papayas, and it's at almost 2,000 parts per million in this product. But it's also got fragrance which was kind of a disappointment since most of the other products didn't have it. This is a perfect example of a product that I used and thought I knew my ingredients but I obviously didn't look at them critically enough, and I ended up actually kind of liking it but then feeling horrible about it. The fragrance was a disappointment, and for me this was bottom level, not for my face. There are other exfoliating scrubs that I like better."

✕Nay

70%Guru Score

True Botanicals Ginger Turmeric Cleansing Balm

"This is a nice oil cleanser for 48 dollars. I would normally say get a cheaper oil cleanser for the same amount of money, but this does have lactic and azelaic which you couldn't really get in a lot of others, so I do feel like this is unique. It does have a base of sunflower seed oil and vegetable oil, avocado, jojoba. However, I would be worried for people who are super sensitive because ginger can be irritating to the skin. I would personally just stick with the turmeric. The brand does do this clean beauty marketing that I don't love, but the products themselves I don't hate."

~Mixed

75%Guru Score

Beauty Pie Japan Fusion Cleanser

"I got the Japan Fusion Cleanser and I still stand behind this. It's like the inside of a grape that you get to rub on your face. I love this."

✓Yay

Notverified

Good Molecules Instant Cleansing Balm

"This cleansing balm is explosive to dirt, oil, and makeup. If you are looking for a fragrance-free version of like the Heimish All Clean Balm, this is it. This is such a lovely melty and milky formula that just makes your face look and feel amazing. This removes sunscreen, this removes makeup, this removes the dirt, the oil, and the impurities."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

belif Aqua Bomb Jelly Cleanser

"This one does not have sulfates. The main ingredients here are water, glycerin, and potassium cocoa glycinate. These are great, they are not as stripping as SLS or SCS and they're actually pretty soothing to the skin so I'm really happy that this works so well for her. However this doesn't have any acne clearing ingredients in it so I wouldn't recommend it for acne prone skin. It's extremely gentle, it's very moisturizing, it doesn't strip the skin and the skin doesn't feel dry or tight after using it and your skin will feel clean. Overall it's not a horrible one but again it's not my favorite and for someone who is prone to having acne prone skin I would recommend a cleanser that has benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, maybe something like sulfur or those active ingredients that can actually do some help."

~Mixed

Notverified

belif Aqua Bomb Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm

"At 38 dollars this seems like a decent product. I would personally recommend something like the Heimish All Clean Balm, it's much less expensive. There's also the Glow Recipe Papaya Cleanser which is phenomenal. When we look at the ingredients they seem pretty basic, we have a lot of plant extracts, we have shea butter which is really nice. There's nothing in here that I'm super concerned about. It does have natural fragrances in it that could sensitize some people. Overall I don't hate this but I don't love it either. I'm happy that it works for her and I'm happy that she's double cleansing. But sadly Belief is not a cruelty-free brand and I believe in putting my money where my morals are so they are not getting my coin."

~Mixed

72%Guru Score

Other48 reviews

Frownies Forehead and Between the Eye Wrinkle Patches

"It does not work as well as retinoids, does not work as well as your LED mask, does not work as well as chemical peels or your sunscreen, but for $25, and then it goes on sale for Prime for 20, if you want to tape your face at night you might as well, it's worth a cast. It's not the best thing in the world but it works. I used to use the seal patches, I still do, they're great, those are like reusable eco-friendly silicone ones. These you have to dispose of, but Frownies get the cast pass. They're kind of weird, they're kind of funky, they're kind of fun too, and especially if you work from home or if you're like practicing your scripts."

✓Yay

62%Guru Score

Dr. Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite LipWare Pro

"It's difficult for me to use, I never know if I'm doing it right, it kind of hurts to use, it's inconvenient, and the battery is always dead. One of them broke completely. When I actually take it off, I do see results literally from 3 minutes before to when I stopped using it. The problem is I don't think it's worth that kind of money. [...] I used this for 9 months and [...] I would have expected to see better results for $150. At this point, I'm [...] going to use LED face masks that cover the lip area instead."

~Mixed

71%Guru Score

Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch Original

"Hero Cosmetics is very very close to being one of the best pimple patches I've ever used. Hero Cosmetics is made for sensitive skin, they are efficacious, they are good at what they do. You can get them at Target, they're inexpensive, and I really love them. [...] If you have a variety of pimples, this is the variety pack for you. [...] All of these are really good, they're efficacious, and some of these do have active ingredients that actually help with the acne. [...] I do find that they are probably the most efficacious for the price. They're relatively inexpensive."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Allergan Latisse

"Latisse is the brand name and Allergan is the parent company. This happens to be bimatoprost, which is the active ingredient inside of this, and this is actually the prostaglandin analog that is doing the work. [...] Even though when they were using these eye drops and testing them and finally got them for over-the-counter use, people also started noticing other side effects, and that's why you always hear Latisse being advertised like on TV and it's like might cause darkening of the eye. That's actually true. When they were studying Latisse, they found that it caused a little bit more pigmentation, not just in the iris, that donut-shaped colored ring in your eye, but also around the eye. When you apply this Latisse, it comes with these little spoolie brushes and you're meant to paint these onto the eye area, but some people saw that the areas that they painted it on had a little bit of darkening and pigmentation. The pigmentation of the iris, the donut-shaped color ring, those didn't reverse when they stopped using it, but for some people, they did see a reversal of the pigmentation that was actually on the eyelash lid. When you actually use Latisse, it says specifically do not apply to the under lash area or the under eye area, only apply to the top."

~Mixed

56%Guru Score

The Ordinary Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution

"If you have sensitive skin and acne the aloe and nag solution is so good and that's what I'm going to be restocking as a medical SD"

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Skin1004 Zombie Pack

"This is something that I'm not going to be finishing, [...] and it's something that I won't be purchasing again. A lot of people gave it five star reviews, I don't know if that's because the product actually worked for them or because it was such an experience. For the experience, 10 out of 10, like 9 out of 10, but for the actual ingredients and the results, they were temporary, like 6 out of 10. Maybe if I used it more regularly and used all of the packs, I would see something different."

✕Nay

65%Guru Score

Weleda Skin Food

"This is the Weleda Skin Food and Weleda is a UK-based brand that's literally drugstore both in the UK and here. The Skin Food has some really great ingredients. [...] This is the $15 moisturizer from the drugstore that Gwyneth Paltrow has openly stated that she uses multiple times. [...] It's got things like sunflower seed oil. This is a thicker formula so this is better for dry skin. I personally won't be buying it because it does have both fragrance and Beeswax, but this is honestly quite comparable and quite good."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Haruharu Wonder Haruharu Wonder

"The Yogo from Wishful skin or the Haru Haru wonder that basically has cellulose basically plant fiber inside of the product and it kind of balls up on itself now the product balls up on itself it can exfoliate the skin"

~Mixed

78%Guru Score

The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%

"Argireline is said to work in a similar way to Botox. Obviously something that you put on your skin that is absorbed, even if it does get into that neuromuscular junction, probably won't work as well as Botox, and if you don't use it regularly it's not going to work. But if this is 10 or 15 dollars versus Botox at a couple of hundred, and if you're scared of needles and you don't want to do Botox, this is an option that doesn't make you do that. If it doesn't work, push comes to shove, you hydrated your face for 10 or 15 bucks, and if it does work, maybe you have a serum that's going to be a staple in your routine and helps you prevent wrinkles and fine lines in the long run. It's not Botox in a bottle, even though people claim it is. It's not the same as getting injections, but it is a really good option, especially if you're on a budget, and it's one of my top picks for fine lines and wrinkles specifically prevention."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

Versed Dermaplane System

"I love the Versed ones. This is really lightweight, it's hollow on the inside. These blades are more eco-friendly because you can just buy the new ones and kind of recycle them, really really good, and you can use these multiple times. Also these are like under thirty dollars whereas other female face shavers from like Dermaflahs they're good but they're like 300 bucks, and this is cheap and inexpensive but effective for me, especially because some of the other razors that I've gotten online did not work for my face. I have very hairy chin hairs, and for me once my face has gone through that oily phase and it's gotten hairy again, it is time to shave."

✓Yay

90%Guru Score

Nude Sticks Nude Sticks

"Nude Sticks, I love it when celebrities and people with their own brands actually show us that yes they use other brands. Nude Sticks is amazing and I actually love that Kylie is sharing this because a lot of times if someone owns their own skincare brand they just push it on you, they're like this is the only thing I use, no if you look in any influencer, any celebrity, anyone's cabinets they have multiple brands."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Curology Emergency Spot Patches

"I love these Emergency Spot Patches."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

JLo Beauty JLo Beauty

"The JLo Beauty brand is not bad, I just don't want to spend that kind of money with her telling me that this is what gives her this glowing skin when we have all of this evidence and years of results that are probably more likely contributing to the final glowing goddess look that she does give off. Do I think that this skincare line is what's giving JLo the gorgeous radiant JLo glow? No, I think it is many of these other things including sleep, food, exercise, many other treatments that we probably don't know about just yet."

~Mixed

53%Guru Score

ZIIP Halo 2.0

"This is really good and if you're looking for a travel friendly device I would recommend this. I don't recommend the gel, the golden gel. If you're dry you'll love it, but for me and my oily prone skin, this did not absorb. It was just super super oily. The zip itself was actually really good. When it comes to charging, it's one of the more universal chargers so you can kind of plug and go. It does come with like a little carrying case. I actually really like this and I like the way that the probes are spaced. Everyone has a different face shape and a different face size. This one actually has things spaced nicely if you want to do the jaw, if you want to do the cheeks, if you want to buy the eye area, by the brow area, frontalis muscles, this actually works and the way that it's curved, it fits nicely into your hand. The ergonomics are important. I really like the button. I found that this was a great product and I would recommend it."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

70 Wellness MyoLift Mini

"This is the MyoLift Mini and this is the one that's actually made for at-home use. 70 Wellness makes these like professional ones in clinic. This is absolutely wonderful because it's a little at-home use one. You don't even need to plug it in. You can charge the battery and take it on the go. But this actually has two individual probes that you can literally use to isolate your muscles. I identify as a skin intellectual. I love the anatomy and biology of skin. I know where the zygomatic major and minor are. I know where my resource muscles are. I know how to stimulate my masseter. If you know facial anatomy or if you're willing to learn it, they do provide like Zoom lessons and training. They have like a training guide on their website. Then this is perfect. What's amazing about this is that you can literally control every aspect of the microcurrent. You can control the time. You can control the intensity. You can control the type of current. They have the erase and educate settings. When you turn it on, it actually gives you a conduction bar so you can see if you're actually getting conductivity and creating and maintaining a circuit. That actually allows you to see if your treatment is working. This is absolutely wonderful. It's not as intense as EMS, obviously. Even at the highest setting, I use this on 350 and I cannot get this to like overly shock my face. It doesn't taste overly metallic. This is advanced. This is absolutely the best for me. It's the best price and it's wonderful. I absolutely love this. As I think about my usage case where I am an intellectual, I want to target, tone, and lift my face. I do use this on others. This is absolutely the best for me. You can take it on the go because if you charge it up, you can literally use it in a cordless manner. You can also plug it directly into a wall so you don't have to worry about like losing a charger. I absolutely love this."

✓Yay

90%Guru Score

Dermalogica Daily Milkfoliant

"The milk foliant is amazing if you have more sensitive skin or if you want something a little bit more calming. It has vegan coconut milk in it."

✓Yay

93%Guru Score

Grande Cosmetics GrandeLASH-MD

"The lash serum is really good. If you want to grow your lashes, if you want to try it, DermAngelo has spoken a lot about it. He really likes it. I was not into it and he was the one that was like convincing me. It worked. It was good."

✓Yay

47%Guru Score

PMD Clean

"Now, this is one of those products that you don't absolutely need. It's basically a fancy skin brush. The good thing is that it is antimicrobial and antibacterial, so it doesn't hold on to like bacteria and gunk. If you have always wanted to try the Foreo facial scrubber, but you're like it's too expensive, use this instead. Is it an essential? Absolutely not. I would only buy it if it's on sale."

~Mixed

71%Guru Score

Josie Maran Makeup Wipes

"Makeup Wipes are for emergencies, for fannies, and for festivals. They're not an alternative to washing your face. They literally are wiping things across your face, they're not removing them. Think about the fragrances, the irritants, the things inside that wipe that are being deposited on the skin."

✕Nay

56%Guru Score

Tatcha Luminous Skin Softener

"I like to apply this to a cotton ball on my face. It's a plumping skin softener with a concentration of pure micronutrients that softens and plumps skin with deep hydration while maximizing the performance of the tatcha skincare ritual. This is a 95 dollar essence. It is nice and it does have excellent ingredients such as some ferments, some yeast extracts and some green tea. It is fantastic but I don't think this is worth 95 so I always roll my eyes at Tatcha. They're cruelty free, yes. Do they have vegan options, yes. Are the formulas decent, yes. But to me they're nothing revolutionary."

~Mixed

56%Guru Score

Youth to the People Yerba Mate Resurfacing Energy Facial

"This is from Youth to the People and I do love some Youth to the People products but I haven't spoken a ton about the brand. I love their glass packaging and I love this formula. This right here is the Yerba Mate Resurfacing Energy Facial. It's an instant facial and this has lactic acid. This facial, it is potent and it is fun. This is a scratchy little mask that you can put on your face as an instant facial at home. When you wipe it off, it really helps with those large pores and texture. This has passion fruit, it has turmeric, and for exfoliation it also has papaya. It's basically a papaya enzyme so it helps to gently exfoliate the skin and then the lactic acid helps to draw moisture into the skin, helps with hyperpigmentation, but also helps to clean things out."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

Epiduo Forte

"If I have a pimple or anything that I feel like coming, I have this. It's prescribed to me and I've had it for a really long time, but it's the Epiduo Forte and I do not put it all over my face. My dermatologist told me to put it all over my face in high school and my face reacted terribly and then I just started doing spot treatment and that changed the game for me. I just put it where it needs it."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

SKKN By Kim

"The entire nine steps consists of a cleanser, a toner, an exfoliator, hyaluronic acid serum, a vitamin C serum, a face cream, an eye cream, oil drops, and a night oil, totaling 630 dollars without tax. This sounds more like a cash grab than a necessity to me. The ingredients don't look bad on first impressions, but the question is are they worth 60 to 90 dollars that people are going to be charged for them. I don't understand why all of these steps are necessary. Even if one product is phenomenal, some of the other ones kind of look like cash grabs. I don't understand why we need two different night oils or why we need an eye cream. This just feels like another Cody cash grab and another consumer product that is going to just get acquired and go out of business in a couple of years."

✕Nay

61%Guru Score

Dermaflash LUX

"I used to use the Dermaflash, but that was like 150 bucks and like the replacement blades bothered me."

✕Nay

74%Guru Score

Glossier Solution

"I will say I love this product. This is an excellent toner. It's a little expensive, it's closer to 30 bucks, but it doesn't actually break the bank. This is a PHA very mild gentle exfoliating toner in a beautiful shiny pink package."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

iS Clinical IS Clinical

"She uses a lot of iS Clinical oils and serums that cost two hundred to two hundred and fifty dollars each, and her eye cream is from iS Clinical at a hundred and five bucks."

✓Yay

74%Guru Score

Three Ships Dew Drops

"Three Ships has these Dew Drops. Oh my god, these are phenomenal. If you want a skin glow, you can wear this under sunscreen or under makeup, but you can also just wear this as like a second skin. It's all made in glass packaging with actual paper packaging as well. It's from Canada. Love this brand, and it's at Target. It's inexpensive. The whole thing behind the Three Ships brand is literally, we believe in luxury at affordable prices. And that's what they do. Female founded, mushroom hyaluronic acid, vitamin C. If you want hydration and brightening that actually works, that doesn't break the bank, and that doesn't destroy the environment, there are so many great options out there."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Preparation H Preparation H

"I don't think this is going to send someone to the ER even if you use the version that has the steroids in it, but at this point it's not something that I would do, and based on my understanding of it having not tried it personally, it doesn't look like it's that effective. If you've got hemorrhoid cream and you are itching to put it under your eyes, I would say please call a doctor even just get on like a teledoc thing and speak to a doctor first before doing it."

✕Nay

60%Guru Score

Clarisonic Clarisonic

"It's literally a toothbrush for your face, a glorified toothbrush for your face. It oscillated and it cost like 350 bucks. I didn't just buy one, I bought like three of them and then they sold the sensitive brush head so I was like I need the sensitive brush head and then they sold the makeup brush head so I was like I need the makeup brush head. Nope you needed to get your consumerism under control and stop trying to spend your way to self-esteem because it wasn't working. I didn't even love using the Clarisonic like it would actually irritate my skin. We would all try to use it underneath our foundation to make our foundation look better when really we were just allowing our foundation to soak deeper into our skin and irritate our pores."

✕Nay

50%Guru Score

Neutrogena Wave

"Their Neutrogena Wave, remember the sandblaster for your face, I was knee-deep in that and it was knee-deep in my dermis. I mean that thing was just like a power tool to destroy your skin."

✕Nay

61%Guru Score

Caudalie Beauty Elixir

"This is from Caudalie and Caudalie does have some very good products but Caudalie also charges a lot of money for things that I don't agree with. This is water, straight up alcohol so alcohol can help other ingredients penetrate deeper and it can help to stabilize and preserve a product, but in this case it is the second ingredient and it is just drying the out of faces. This is straight up just a fragrance balm. If you use it because you like fragrance and it makes you feel fancy and empowered then go for it, but this is not something that is conducive to skin health in my personal opinion and professional opinion. For the sensitive skin, no no no. Even for general skin I do not love. If you're struggling with acne, 0 out of 10 do not recommend."

✕Nay

63%Guru Score

Fenty Beauty Skin

"Fenty Skin launched a lot of amazing products that have refillable things."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

Good Molecules Good Molecules

"This kind of 'nothing to hide' from Good Molecules or this transparency - it's very important to us as consumers."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Alpha-H Liquid Gold

"The Alpha-H Liquid Gold is a glycolic acid product. Some people say it works and they love it, but others say it's disappointing. One review mentioned it was cheaper before at 59 dollars and now costs 72, which is expensive, and they didn't see a difference after finishing the first bottle."

~Mixed

76%Guru Score

Kora Organics Kora Organics

"Katy Perry uses Kora Organics from Miranda Kerr, and changing her diet also helped. She avoids really heavy emollients and she avoids La Mer because they do make her break out."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

Bare Minerals Bare Pro

"I love Bare Minerals Bare Pro because I have such sensitive skin and their stuff is just so clean and doesn't make me break out."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

The Ordinary EUK 134 0.1%

"The EUK from The Ordinary is one that I used to use in the past, not much anymore. It's a little bit finicky because it's hard to use. But she's like a little secret agent—she's got some tricks up her sleeves. The EUK can't be used with a lot of acidic products. You do have to be careful when adding it to a routine. I always need to like look at every single product and make sure that I know what I'm combining. But it's a wild card for a good reason, and it's related to that superoxide dismutase. If you want that in like a serum form, really, really good. They say that it's a mimetic of superoxide dismutase and catalase and that it's a regenerating molecule, so basically it refreshes itself. If you're looking for like a next level antioxidant, this is probably going to be it."

~Mixed

76%Guru Score

NIOD Sanskrit Saponins

"Sanskrit Saponins—I first used this along with the Flavonoid Mud when I think it was Wayne Goss who recommended it in one of his videos like four or three years ago. Sanskrit Saponins are so nice. It takes these principles from Ayurvedic medicine and they have these plant-based surfactants that help to cleanse the skin. I loved this in the past. I think that I have a little bit of a bias, which as humans we always do. Punjabi and Hindi are Sanskrit-derived languages, and so I just see those as so beautiful, so I have an affinity towards them. But taking that out, I want to try the product start to finish and try to remove those biases and see how the mud actually works on my face, because the tube that I had, I tried it and I loved it back then, but the formula changed since then."

~Mixed

78%Guru Score

NIOD Photography Fluid

"The Photography Fluid—to me is basically like a serum makeup. Photography Fluid—like what does it do? Does it take pictures of me? No, okay, please explain. This is an absolute no from me."

✕Nay

56%Guru Score

Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate

"The bottle on this radiance boosting serum from Lancôme is giving me the same silvery vibes. She is radiant, she's boosting up my personal life quality by serving the beautiful looks that she is. The Lancôme is doing it for me."

✓Yay

57%Guru Score

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate

"The ingredients don't look half bad. There's jojoba oil, squalane, caprylic triglyceride, and evening primrose oil which are all great things. But there's a lot of essential oils in here like rosemary leaf oil and rose oil, so it's basically a fragranced night serum. If you want to use that then fine, but this is not something that I would get behind. For me it's more irritating. This is a more sensorial product and for Ricky this is probably perfect because he loves skincare being self-care, but for me who is acne prone or wants to work on acne blemishes, scars, fine lines, wrinkles, or hyperpigmentation, this is not going to be for my skincare tastes. Why are you paying fifty-two dollars for a bottle of essential oils?"

~Mixed

59%Guru Score

Mario Badescu Drying Patches

"Mario Badescu, I never thought would make it on the list but it did. These were really good, they're really tiny but there are 60 of these in here and they're called the Drying Patch. Out of all of the patches that I've tried, it's not the best the best but this is a really good one. I know that a lot of people hate Mario Badescu but they do make some good products and I really feel like this one stands out among the others because not only is it a pimple patch but it has hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and vitamin C along with salicylic acid. The salicylic acid in here is actually what helps with the acne bacteria and kills the bacteria but the niacinamide and vitamin C kind of help with any of the dark spots that are left over. To have niacinamide and vitamin C in a patch and to get 60 of them for like under 20 bucks, really good. I was really impressed with these and I purchased this but I think I will purchase them again once I run out. There's a lot of them in here for the price. The efficacy, if you have period breakouts or specifically if you're more prone to pigmentation and you get like the red purple marks, this might be your pimple best friend."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

The INKEY List Alpha Arbutin 2%

"This one from the INKEY List is so good, so potent, I absolutely love it. Alpha arbutin is such a little hero ingredient that so many people don't pay attention to. Alpha arbutin is fantastic for pigmentation because of how it transforms itself into hydroquinone. Hydroquinone is what's prescribed by doctors and dermatologists."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Agency Custom Dark Spot Formula

"One of the best things that I've ever used for pigmentation is a blended serum that has basically all of the actives that help with hyperpigmentation in one and this one specifically doesn't have a lot of major exfoliants and this is perfect for any hormonal pigmentation that my skin personally has. This is from Agency, it's the Agency Custom Dark Spot Formula and this is custom blended to my skin so what's in mine might not be the same as someone else's but I love this. This specifically has hydroquinone at four percent which is prescription only, it has kojic acid, [azelaic] acid which can help with pigmentation but it's not an exfoliating acid the way that most people think of them, and this also has Resveratrol which is an antioxidant that is fantastic for your skin. This is a nice fluffy little moisturizer. I find that if I put this under my armpits it does kind of feel a little bit moist like a little bit sticky so I don't do this during the day but I'm happy to do this at night. This is also fantastic for acne marks. You can of course use this on the face that's what it's meant for but if you do have pigmentation in this area this blend for me is perfect."

✓Yay

Notverified

Agency Dark Spot Formula with Hydroquinone

"Hydroquinone is a powerful little ingredient that is wonderful. It's actually related to alpha arbutin and it works against tyrosinase enzyme. Hydroquinone is potent, yes it works for the dark marks the acne leaves behind, but some doctors and dermatologists also prescribe hydroquinone for things like sun spots, for melasma, for uneven pigmentation. Hydroquinone is one of those ingredients that was literally the gold standard and it still is if you can get your hands on it. If you have melasma, acne marks that leave behind darkness, pigmentation, this stuff is good just use it and follow directions."

✓Yay

Notverified

Medicube Age-R Ussera Deep Shot

"This is the Usera Shot from Medicube. This is supposed to be like skin tightening. I've been playing around with this, and when it comes to the way things feel and the results I see, nothing comes close to this."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Dermatica Personalized Skincare Formula

"Dermatica is one of the prescription brands that I've been using. They have doctors online who can actually take a look at your skin, help assess it digitally, and then provide you a custom blended prescription with actives that are actually chosen for your skin so they have a better chance of working for you. They come every single month, so every 28 days, and they are 25 a month, but they do have a discount where you get the first month completely free, the second month is 19.99, and then it goes up to 25. I've been using this for my acne but it does work for rosacea, and yours is not going to be the same as mine because everyone's is different because it is custom blended."

✓Yay

Notverified

The Ordinary Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F

"This first one is from The Ordinary. This is a really great budget one. This is the Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F, and this is great because this is a stabilized form of vitamin C. This is really lightweight on the skin, so if you're trying to apply this right before you go out each day, it's a really good option and it also pairs very well underneath a sunscreen."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

Masks & Peels40 reviews

Murad Rapid Relief Acne Sulfur Mask

"Murad has one of my favorite masks the only thing is that that's kind of like a clay mask too so if that clay gets stuck in your nose you're like getting rid of sebaceous filaments but then you have like clay pieces and you don't want to have to dig those out"

~Mixed

76%Guru Score

Bubble Overnight Hydrating Sleep Mask

"This one from Bubble, the Overnight Hydrating Sleep Mask, I absolutely love because of the applicator you can twist it on or off so it's really easy to carry with you on the go, but it's also something that I can keep by my bedside. One pump and it's so gooby and hydrating. It doesn't tent up the same way that other ones do, but this one is so good and so luxurious on the skin. I would say that this is the best luxury option that doesn't cost a luxury price. They also recommend that you use this over damp skin, so if you do have a toner in your routine or a serum or some other form of moisturizer, this is fantastic to layer with. This is an absolute slam dunk."

✓Yay

65%Guru Score

e.l.f. Holy Hydration! Sleep Mask

"A night mask is basically a super heavy-duty moisturizer that you wear overnight. This is one that I've loved for a few years, it's the e.l.f. Holy Hydration! Sleep Mask. This has hyaluronic acid and peptides which are great and hydrating, but that's not what makes this feel like butter on the skin. It's the shea butter in here that literally gives it this toothpaste-like appearance. This stuff is thick. It's pretty budget-friendly and it's really good. Some people don't like hyaluronic acid because they find that it can dry them out a little bit more, so if that's you, you might want to avoid this one. But I have found this one to be fantastic, and especially because it's a good drugstore option if you're looking for something over a moisturizer or over a serum or just something on its own, this can help lock it in."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

SK-II Facial Treatment Mask

"I don't like these face masks. These are the SK-II face masks, they're a Japanese skincare brand that's supposed to have Pitera, which is supposed to be this magical ingredient. SK-II is made by L'Oreal. Like, I'm gonna call it as I see it, it's marketing and they use this marketing to get you to spend money. You can literally find these beneficial bacterial ingredients and peptides in other products for so much less money. This one is a no from me."

✕Nay

59%Guru Score

Wishful Yo Glow AHA BHA Facial Enzyme Scrub

"This one is from Wishful skincare and this is actually made of cellulose. Cellulose is essentially plant fiber and our bodies can't break it down and neither can our skin but when it's on the top of the skin and the liquid from this formula evaporates the cellulose in here actually kind of gums up and it feels like dead skin cells but it's actually the product gumming up on itself. However it can grab some dead skin cells in the process and if you have sensitive skin and you want to exfoliate a cellulose based product can be really really good for that."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Dermalogica Hydro Mask Exfoliant

"The Hydro Exfoliant Mask makes me feel like one of those kids in a McDonald's play pen but like as an adult who spent seventy dollars on skincare, I love this. It has bamboo beads and bursting spheres with a nice hydrating formula, and it's so good if you have dry skin and need exfoliation because a lot of exfoliating products are more dehydrating to the skin and can actually make dry skin worse. This exfoliates while it hydrates, and it has these little bubbles that pop with bamboo particles that gently exfoliate the skin."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Three Ships Soothe Vitamin C Clay Mask

"This has to be probably my favorite Three Ships product of all time, specifically the soothe one is a little bit better than the detox one for me. The soothe one is rosehip and vitamin C and it's this beautiful clay mask that when you put it on your skin it sucks out the oil in a visible way. I love this so much and I've purchased so many of these and I will continue to do so. These are excellent alternatives to some of the much more expensive counterparts."

✓Yay

90%Guru Score

Three Ships Detox Mask

"One of my favorite products of all time from Three Ships is the Detox Mask and the soothe mask. Both of these are amazing from the eco-friendliness because it's literally a powder that you mix together with water, but this formula is so good, it is so non-irritating, it works so well, and it literally rivals some of the viral products out there. The detox one has green tea and antioxidants, which is a great choice."

✓Yay

90%Guru Score

Zit Sticker Press Refresh Sheet Mask

"One of my favorite face masks ever and this one doesn't slip off the face. This one actually has graphene so it like grips to your skin and it's like a biocellulose mask that like grips on it, annihilates acne. It's the first mask that I found that does not slide off my face. You can get these on sale at Target, you can get them on sale at Ulta, I've gotten them on sale at Amazon but this is wonderful and worth every penny. It has salicylic acid, it has AHAs, it has niacinamide for sebum control and for brightness. This also has hyaluronic acid and allantoin really helps with redness and calming and soothing. This is one that I've loved for myself, fell in love with it so much that I introduced it to clinic. Especially for people who are struggling with acne, this is always a favorite and a pick of mine."

✓Yay

90%Guru Score

Medicube Zero Pore Mask

"This is from Medicube and boy is this strong. I don't usually use it on my face. I use it on my neck. You never want to use it over your thyroid. It is like a high dose of microcurrent or literal electrical current, and it literally makes my skin jump and it feels so good."

✓Yay

71%Guru Score

Tatcha Rice Polish

"The rice powder from Tatcha is actually not terrible. I do want to try it because I know I talk a lot of smack about it, but you don't have to spend that much money. I love the Dermalogica, I recommend it. There's also one from Wishtrend that's pretty good as well, that's much less expensive. If you're on a real beauty budget, the K Beauty option will make your face feel like it is baby smooth soft. But the Tatcha, yeah, I'm glad she likes it and she does look glowy."

~Mixed

88%Guru Score

Biba Sulfur and Zinc Mask

"This zinc mask is 59, which is not bad. It's basically bentonite clay, titanium dioxide, glycerin, zinc oxide, witch hazel, eucalyptus oil, and some sulfur. I don't know if I would spend my money on this. You could definitely get like a clay mask or a sulfur mask, but with the eucalyptus oil I wouldn't do it. I would do the Face Reality plus The Ordinary and I would still be saving my money."

~Mixed

67%Guru Score

SKKN Exfoliator

"This exfoliator is more than questionable. It has granules and grape seed oil, pumpkin enzymes, pomegranate, which actually looks kind of good, but I'm kind of worried about that physical exfoliation. Not to mention it has fragrance in it. Fragrance in an exfoliator is a little bit more suspicious, especially when Kim Kardashian has very openly shared her struggle with psoriasis and the other items in the line are fragrance-free. So why did we have to fragrance this one? It costs $55, and I say bye bye no thank you."

✕Nay

49%Guru Score

Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask

"One of my favorite ones is the Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask. This is like the little travel size one. It's so good. It's really really hydrating. My skin's been a little bit dry on the drier side lately so I've been using this one a lot more."

✓Yay

71%Guru Score

I Dew Care Tea Tree Soothing Sheet Mask

"This tea tree sheet mask from I Dew Care is great. There's so much extra serum in the packet that you can use on your face, chest, shoulders, or anywhere you get breakouts."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub

"At first I saw the St. Ives Scrub, and I still remember that as the first product that I thought was going to cure my acne. I thought when I have acne I need to scrub my face until it goes away, but actually it becomes so much worse on my skin. My acne kept getting worse and worse, so of course I was panicked back then because I didn't know how to treat my acne. I kept scrubbing every single day until my skin barrier was damaged."

✕Nay

39%Guru Score

Fenty Skin Cookies and Cream Kaolin Clay Mask

"This is a kaolin clay mask that has charcoal pieces in it and salicylic acid in it and it's fragrance free. I love this so much. It has like these little black charcoal dots in it. When you blend it in, it starts to melt away and it turns into like a gray cookies and cream mask. This is such a fun mask to use. It feels amazing on my face. It makes me look amazing when I take it off. It has salicylic acid for acne. This is literally one of my favorite masks of all time, and from the texture to the fragrance freeness of it, I am obsessed. This is literally one of the best face masks I have used and it is so much fun."

✓Yay

92%Guru Score

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow AHA Night Treatment

"If you are interested in Glow Recipe and if you really wanted to buy this for the brand—I love the brand, I love what they stand for, it's amazing, and it's going to look super cute on my counter—then go for it. This is a fantastic product and I would still recommend it. One thing is like a liquid Jolly Rancher, this definitely looks more aesthetic on your bathroom countertop, and it smells a little bit better. Honestly, they are both almost identical in terms of results, but if you're trying to splurge, got a tax refund, you got an extra paycheck, then this is definitely a great splurge for your routine."

✓Yay

66%Guru Score

Trader Joe's Watermelon Overnight Face Mask

"I honestly feel like these are so similar and this is an excellent dupe for Glow Recipe. When it first goes on, it kind of feels a little bit more liquidy, but it leaves my skin just as soft. Neither of them peel up, both leave my skin just as glowy. The ingredients are almost the same except for that seaweed. This really is a fantastic dupe, especially if you're looking at the logistics of it. If you can get your hands on this, this is an absolute dupe for the Glow Recipe. It is fantastic, it is slightly less bougie but it gets the job done. And if you are an avid addict of this but it's hurting you in the wallet, this is the way to go. For the price it's literally $6.99 versus $45, I can't not recommend it. Both leave my skin just as glowy, and if you're trying to save money, this is the way to go."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One AHA Lactic Acid Treatment

"Good Genes is a lactic acid treatment that I tried on a live stream. They redid the packaging which is great, but I still think it's ridiculously expensive for a lactic acid serum. It's 122 dollars for some alpha hydroxy acids. The ingredients are basically alpha hydroxy acids, we also have some yeast, we have some lemongrass oil which could be irritating for some, we have some agave. These are not bad ingredients, they're just not worth 122 or even 80 dollars. If you want some really great lactic acid products, the Inky List has one of the most basic ones, The Ordinary also has a really great lactic acid, and if you're looking to spend a little bit more, Paula's Choice has stuff for like thirty dollars and Bioscience has some for sixty, so you're still saving like forty to sixty compared to the Sunday Riley one."

~Mixed

67%Guru Score

Medicube Super Cica Daily Quick Mask

"This right here is fantastic. This is from Metacube, the Super SEA Daily Quick Mask. It's literally like a tissue box of face masks. You can keep this in your fridge and depending on how cold your freezer is, you can actually keep this in the freezer. When you put them in the freezer they are so cooling, they are invigorating to the face, they are chilly. This takes good formulated product that contains aloe vera and green tea and actually puts it on the face and it literally locks it in. Instead of just rubbing stuff on the face that melts off, this actually holds it to the face and it penetrates. Sheet masks are basically serums in mask form. The price of this is also not terrible. It's 29 bucks, but you can get it on sale for like 20, and it's for 30 sheet masks. When you think about that, it's like a dollar per mask. This is a fantastic formula, vegan and cruelty-free, it's K beauty, it's really, really good and it actually works and it's budget friendly. I freaking love this stuff."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Ren Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic

"I do like this as an AHA tonic, but it has azelaic acid in it as well. This is really the only liquid azelaic acid product that I could find. Unfortunately, it doesn't hold up to a lot of those claims. It smells very orange citrusy, and I tend to have more irritation to citrus, so maybe that was another reason that this didn't work for me, but this was just kind of a disappointment from the azelaic acid perspective. For the azelaic acid, I just didn't find this to have the benefits. Again, with azelaic acid we want it to help with that redness, we want it to help with acne, and we want it to help with that brightening. But I found that this not only didn't do that for me, but it really doesn't do that for others. It's more of just like an exfoliating liquid."

✕Nay

71%Guru Score

Haruharu Wonder Rice Wonder Peeling Gel

"This one is from the Haruharu Wonderline. This has a bunch of antioxidants and black rice. I love a lot of the products from this line although these peeling gels are not my favorite ones."

~Mixed

76%Guru Score

AcneFree Acne Clearing Sulfur Mask

"There's the Acne Free Clearing Sulfur Face Mask on the wishlist."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

NIOD Flavanone Mud Mask

"I prefer the Flavonoid Mud over the cleansing ester."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Water Sleeping Mask

"My absolute favorite sleeping mask with hyaluronic acid for oily acne-prone skin has to be the one from Isntree. I love it so much that I used it all up and I'm waiting for my next shipment. The Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Water Sleeping Mask is amazing for skin that is acne-prone, whether you are dry and acne-prone or oily and acne-prone. This formula doesn't over-saturate the skin or make you feel overly greasy, but it actually supports the skin with really wonderful ingredients. The water sleeping mask has five different types of hyaluronic acid at different molecular weights so they can sit on the skin and into the skin differently. It also has ceramides, so we're actually helping that skin barrier and giving our skin some of the lipids and ceramides that maybe it's losing naturally. This formula has beta glucans, fig extracts, corn starch, and different sugars, which is amazing because all of these different ingredients can hold on and grab onto water as well as those hyaluronic acid ingredients. It also has Centella, also known as tiger grass, which is so amazing and soothing for skin. If you are looking for something that is soothing, acne-prone skin safe and friendly, doesn't seem to clog pores but still gives hydration, if you're oily it's amazing, if you're dry it can still work, especially if you're dry and have breakouts. K-beauty has done it again, they are fantastic, and this product is a must-have for the winter."

✓Yay

90%Guru Score

Caudalie Vinohydra Deep Hydrating Face Mask

"Something that is crazy, crazy expensive that I will say I am loving but I didn't see such a significant difference in my skin that I would be so jazzed to go and buy more and it didn't remove makeup any more effectively than some of the other oil cleansers that I've tried in the past. This is 147 dollars for a face mask. I use it sparingly but it does work. It's really, really gorgeous. If you have drier skin that also tends to break out from anything way too heavy and hydrating, you don't like that greasy feeling on your skin, this actually dries down not quite like a clay mask. The ingredients are beautiful, the formula is beautiful, everything about it is gorgeous, stunning. It just makes me feel like I'm having an A-plus facial kind of a skin day."

~Mixed

73%Guru Score

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Sleepair Intensive Mask

"We have a 39 dollar product here which is not bad, especially comparing to everything else that was in this routine. This is the Tiger Grass Sleep Pair Intensive Mask. Tiger grass, otherwise known as Centella Asiatica or gotu kola, is this plant that is very anti-inflammatory, very soothing to the skin, it is amazing for sensitive skin types, so this would be perfect for him. We have propandial, glycerin, et cetera. This does have niacinamide which we love. We do have some different oils in here, we also have panthenol. Niacinamide is our vitamin B3, panthenol is our vitamin B5, love to see it. We've got eggplant, we've got turmeric, we've got ivy, we have a couple of different acids again all fine things. But this isn't going to be getting my money for the morals and the ethics. Now is it fine? Yeah, it actually doesn't look bad as long as you're not sensitive to a lot of these plant things."

~Mixed

74%Guru Score

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

"This gets a full cast pass even if you pay full price for it it is so worth it"

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

Isntree Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid

"They have a chestnut BHA liquid that's really nice and lightweight."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution

"This is a fragrance-free option that I rely on and share with clients. You can start off with 1 minute before you do all 10. This actually gives you results, skin looks clearer, more fresh, glowy, hydrated. It helps with blackheads and acne because of that BHA, and especially if you do this regularly over time it can really help with skin resurfacing. I struggled with bad acne for so many years, and I do think it's because of treatments I've done including chemical peels including this one for the past 3 years almost non-stop that my acne scars do not look as indented or as obvious as they could be. After I use this peel my skin, my pores, they just all look better and other people have noticed that too. Of course don't use this and go in the sun, use this at night and then sunscreen responsibly the next day. The AHA BHA peeling solution is fantastic because it has that salicylic acid, but sometimes there are people who have dry skin and acne and that's really rough to treat because a lot of acne treatments including BHA can be a little bit more drying. Well, The Ordinary has an anhydrous salicylic acid, this is basically BHA in oil, and I'm so happy they launched this because this is so good. It has no water in it so it's anhydrous."

✓Yay

58%Guru Score

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliating Peel

"If you're afraid of the ordinary peel or don't think it'll work, Paula's Choice has a galactic unicorn one that's also a good alternative."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant

"We have some Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. This actually has 6,000 reviews. I already know that this is good. This is fantastic. I've used it before. Enzyme salicylic acid, amazing. It's a little expensive. I already have it. I would rather get it when it's on sale."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

SkinFix 2% BHA Acne Spot Treatment

"This from SkinFix is absolutely wonderful. It's made for acne prone skin, it's from the acne plus line, and I absolutely love this. I can literally just spot this on where I need it and it helps to drive a pimple, but it's not as drying as the Terminator 10."

✓Yay

Notverified

Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel Pads

"Almost everything from Dr. Dennis Gross's Alpha Beta peel line is so good, but the peel pads are great because they have an advanced peel pad, they have like a light peel pad, and if you want something that is intense, you can get it, or if you want something that's even gentle enough to use almost every other day, Dr. Dennis Gross has you covered. If you've always wanted to try Dr. Dennis Gross and it's been just out of budget, I would highly recommend starting with the peel pads. Just start with a lighter one and you can build your way up."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Bubble Deep Dive AHA PHA Exfoliating Mask

"This is actually brand new from Bubble and this has been phenomenal. This is a Deep Dive AHA PHA Exfoliating Mask, so this one doesn't make you look like you committed a crime, but this is a very very nice slightly hydrating AHA, otherwise known as alpha hydroxy acid, pore mask and this does many of the same things because again it has those active ingredients. This is also much better for dry skin. If you have oily acne prone skin, I love the other one, but if you do have dry skin, this one actually helps to hydrate because again those AHAs suck water into the skin and help hold on to it and retain it. Polyhydroxy acids, otherwise known as PHAs, have a very large molecule like a sugar molecule and so they sit on top of the skin and they slowly dissolve so this is much more gentle. This also has raspberry and turmeric and pineapple all of which can be brightening, they can have vitamin C and antioxidant benefits, really really wonderful and I have been enjoying this."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Glow Recipe Strawberry Smooth BHA and AHA Salicylic Serum

"After testing this for more than a month and a half, this strawberry smooth BHA AHA salicylic serum blew my mind and the pores right off of my face. This serum feels like an excellent starter pack to basically all of your acne rosacea needs. It goes on very smooth, it plays so well with other Glow Recipe products, and it does make my skin look very glowy. The peeling is minimal, like a two or three out of ten. It's something cute that smells good, and compared to everything else on the market, most acne products are heavily clinical and aren't fun or fruity or flirty to use. Yes, it's expensive at forty dollars, but I think it's worth it. This is a yes product from Glow Recipe where they nailed it. It is delicious and delightful."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

Beauty of Joseon Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel

"There's also a peeling gel from Beauty of Joseon which is really good. It's a very gentle form of exfoliation and we don't always see a gentle form of apricot exfoliation. Back to Saint Ives apricot scrub, we don't really see that being as gentle. I am absolutely obsessed with this."

✓Yay

63%Guru Score

Isntree Real Mugwort Clay Mask

"This mask is the Real Mugwort Clay Mask from ISNTREE, and they are one of my favorite K Beauty brands. Mugwort is actually a plant that's antibacterial and antifungal, and this one specifically is amazing for sebum care, so if you do have an oily area such as I do in my T-zone, it's really really helpful. It does mildly exfoliate."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Good Molecules All-In-One Exfoliating Treatment

"This is the over exfoliating night treatment and it's actually really good and gentle."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

Toners30 reviews

COSRX Hydrium Watery Toner

"Layers so well with acne treatment products that are really drying if you're using like a retinoid gel or a benzoyl peroxide wash this is so good"

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution

"This is the Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution, a toner that you can use on the face or even on the scalp. This is amazing and it is 7% so it is intense; you shouldn't necessarily use this every day, but from the application to the formula to the price this is just great. Glycolic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid and it's one of the smallest ones so it can actually penetrate pretty deep, helps to exfoliate but doesn't dehydrate the skin the way that something like a BHA might. This is especially great for people with dry skin who want to exfoliate. With any acid you need to use a sunscreen during the day and you need to use a moisturizer after or a good one at night. This can really help to brighten the skin, it can help to remove dead skin cells and buildup, and it works great for dry skin but also for oily skin. I have an oily scalp and I love using this on my scalp. This is a phenomenal choice from The Ordinary, but you should use it at night, not during the day because it is an acid, so always use it in the evening and then sunscreen responsibly the next day."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow PHA+BHA Pore-Tight Toner

"I was hesitant because it has citrus and my skin doesn't always do well with citrus, specifically bergamot and grapefruit. But I kept seeing people talk about this online, so I decided to try it. This is very different from their watermelon toner. I like their watermelon toner, but it's more of a niacinamide active for me, whereas this actually has CoQ10 as well as some vitamin C ingredients, and they say it's safe for sensitive skin. I tried this and I have fallen in love."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

Fenty Skin Fat Water Pore-Refining Toner Serum

"Don't sleep on fat waters if you have dull looking skin. This kind of all started with Riri and her fat water a few years ago and when she launched this it was not my favorite product. Fat waters as a category however have kind of taken off and I feel like so many people don't speak about these and what they can do for the skin. It's a unique texture that is a gel but also a liquid. I mean it's not a toner but it's not a serum, it's kind of an essence but it's a little bit more gelatinous and it does a bit more glow."

~Mixed

62%Guru Score

I'm From Rice Toner

"This is the Rice Toner from I'm From. I love this."

✓Yay

95%Guru Score

Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner

"Here's the thing about this heartleaf toner is there are other brands that have heartleaf specifically, Mixon is a really good one, but I have heard that this heartleaf toner continues to sell out. I've heard that it's great, there are over 5,300 sold, the price on this is really good. [...] I am very interested in trying this especially because it has sugarcane and grape, both of those can actually hold on to moisture and pull that moisture deeper into the skin, and as we approach winter, that's what I'm looking for."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner

"I've used the AHA BHA Miracle cream before and I love it but I have never used the toner. This has papaya fruit extract which we know papaya enzymes can help to basically exfoliate the skin and remove gunk and buildup which can be beneficial for breakouts. This has witch hazel extract which can be kind of an astringent to the skin. This has lentil seed extract that's fantastic, lactobionic acid, peppermint and tea tree. Those could be irritating for some but peppermint is actually an analgesic in medicine meaning it helps to kill pain since sometimes when I be picking it be painful. This does have salicylic acid so this does appear to be a good acne toner."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

NuFACE Trinity+ Advanced Facial Toning Kit

"I love NuFace but $250 for this you're getting the mini, I guess you're kind of getting two creams and then this stupid little brush. The brush is just a throwaway. Skip this, get the NuFace device on its own. The NuFace device on its own is so much better. This gift set is just a no, it's just not a good deal. Get the NuFace on its own, that's all."

✕Nay

69%Guru Score

Dermalogica Multiactive Toner

"One is an Esty bestie if you have funds to spend the Multiactive Toner from Dermalogica is amazing and if you're an athlete or someone who is active this one is phenomenal really refreshes the skin"

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

The INKEY List Polyhydroxy Acid Toner

"The INKEY List does toners phenomenally, and I don't know why they don't get a lot of attention for that. This is the PHA, polyhydroxy acid, toner. [...] If the Ordinary's toning solution is too much for you, this is a godsend, it's your guardian angel. [...] It is non-irritating compared to the Ordinary's, and yet it's a little bit hydrating and nourishing to the skin. It has a really low molecular weight, [...] I think it's 73 or 74 grams per mole, but it's absolutely wonderful. If your skin needs a little bit of a glow, maybe you have a little bit of acne or post acne marks, this stuff is so good. Polyhydroxy acid is a big, thick, chunky molecule. These PHAs are super good at holding onto water and they kind of hang out on top of the skin because of how big and chunky they are. They don't penetrate, but they exfoliate gently on top, and they're really good at holding moisture into the skin. It's like a leveled up, even more sensitive version of the glycolic toner, so if you're super sensitive and even glycolic is too much for you, or if you're much drier and you just need the moisture, that's when the PHA comes in."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Saturday Skin 4% Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Toner

"I absolutely love this from Saturday Skin. It is intense—a 10% glycolic acid pore concentrate toner with peptides in it. I don't recommend using this every day, but every now and again when I need a little exfoliation boost, I'm using this and also on my chest and my back. This stuff works so good."

✓Yay

69%Guru Score

Skin1004 Centella Asiatica Toner Plus

"The Skin1004 Centella Asiatica Toner Plus has the highest level of centella that I know of. It's also much more liquidy, so this is better for someone like me who has oily or combo skin. This is so wonderful if your skin is irritated, it needs antioxidant support. If you live in a big city, you need this one. You can get Skin1004 on sale on Amazon."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Peach Slices Acne Exfoliating Toner with Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment

"This Peach Slices acne exfoliating toner has two percent salicylic acid with BHA and AHA to exfoliate skin and unclog pores. The ingredients look and appear to be very similar to the Paula's Choice BHA toner, and they smell so similar as well. I love that they're both fragrance free. Dr Dre is absolutely right if you're looking to spend 11 instead of like 30 something, Peach Slices is doing my wallet nice things. I'm very pleased with my purchase."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The Ordinary Saccharomyces Ferment 30% Milky Toner

"The Ordinary has some great toner options at budget prices."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Environ Moisturizing Toner

"I really really love this toner. It keeps my skin glowy and soft and very hydrated."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Youth to the People Kombucha and 11% AHA Exfoliating Toner

"This toner is pretty darn good as well. I lied, this isn't just a toner, this is an exfoliant with mandelic acid which we love, as well as a superfood unity blend. I don't know if she's using this every day, but you definitely shouldn't be exfoliating every day. But if she's doing this on like a night out once, twice, maybe even three times a week, then this would actually be perfect. The ingredients in here do have that mandelic acid that comes from bitter almonds, it's a wonderful AHA that is really good for sensitive skin types. This has green tea, this has kale leaf extract, this has aloe, this also has salicylic acid. Although Youth to the People doesn't call it an AHA BHA, it kind of is. It's also got gluconolactone and licorice root, which would be great for hyperpigmentation. This would be a really good, very very gentle exfoliant. I actually have never tried this one, I would love to, because this looks like a really good gentle PHA AHA BHA style toner and it's in a glass bottle. This looks really good."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Isntree Ultra Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Toner

"This was one of the first ones that I ever tried from K-beauty, and I thought this was the best thing since sliced bread, not knowing that there's like four or five others that are even better. This is inexpensive, it is absorbable, it doesn't peel up, it is lightweight. This is the Hyaluronic Acid Water Essence. This has eight types of hyaluronic acid. This is still a phenomenal choice if you want an inexpensive hyaluronic acid that works well with just about anything you use it with, doesn't leave you feeling irritated. I originally got this from Style Vana, I then repurchased it from Amazon. I've gotten it like six different times. I love this so much. It's kind of this white creamy essence and it has those eight different forms of hyaluronic acid so it has the high molecular weight that kind of sits on top of the skin, the low molecular weight that gets slightly deeper into that epidermis. Overall, it's fragrance-free and it's silky and it's absorbable and my skin just loves it. K-beauty did something right here. For the price, Isntree nailed it. This is absorbable, it's lightweight, and I actually feel and see differences when I use this."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Isntree Green Tea Fresh Toner

"If you're looking for something really lightweight that really just adds a boost to your skincare routine morning or evening that just goes on so nicely. It supports your sunscreen. It soaks in nice. It just feels so lovely on skin and it gives you that bounce and that boost. Like literally sit there and drink your green tea and put this on your face at the same time. Not to mention green tea has caffeine which can vasoconstrict and help with redness."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

Purito Deep Sea Pure Watery Toner

"We have the Purito Green Level Centella eye cream. I normally hate eye creams, but this is the one I actually recommend."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

Purito Wonder Relief Centella Toner Unscented

"Another K-beauty favorite is from Purito. They have a toner that they actually took all of the fragrance out of it, the Purito Cintella Unscented Toner. This one is fantastic, again no fragrance, very nice hydrating and soothing to the skin. And if you're sensitive or if you have irritation or if you're just looking for a rosacea buffer with more moisturization, this one can really help."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Glow Recipe Cloudberry Bright Essence Toner

"This is from Glow Recipe. This has citrus in it, my skin has been loving this. They did make this for sensitive skin, but the cloudberry, my skin is fine, but bergamot does tend to screw me over, so I'm definitely patch testing this first."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner

"When I first tried this I was enamored at how it hydrated my skin. The black rice antioxidants in here were so good for me, and especially when used under sunscreen, not only did it feel amazing but my skin would look better by the end of the day when normally I was used to my large pores and areas of patchiness kind of showing up. This is phenomenal and it is still one of my favorites. It's made in Korea with some of the most hydrating hyaluronic acid and black rice for antioxidants. I would say it's fantastic for combo skin and you can use it if you're dry with a moisturizer or if you're oily on its own. The best part is that they now have a sensitive skin option. In the past they only had the fragranced one which is with lavender, but now they have a fragrance-free sensitive skin safe one."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

The INKEY List Glycolic Acid Toning Solution

"If the ordinary's toning solution is too much for you, baby, this is a godsend. This is your guardian angel. This is so nice, it is non-irritating as compared to the ordinary's, and yet it's a little bit hydrating and nourishing to the skin. This has a really low molecular weight, so it's very, very tiny, I think it's 73 or 74 grams per mole, but it is absolutely wonderful. If your skin is struggling, you need a little bit of a glow, maybe you have a little bit of acne or post-acne marks, oh my God, this stuff is so good. And if you're dry, an AHA actually holds on to water and can help with a little bit of moisturization."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Good Molecules Niacinamide Toning Essence

"This is so good, it has niacinamide in it which will help minimize pores and gently renew and hydrate the skin."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

PURITO Centella Green Level Calming Toner

"This is a little bit less viscous than the other one, but it has more ingredients such as centella and such as panthenol, which is also vitamin B5. This is definitely a much more calming moisturizer, so if you're struggling with redness or with irritation, this is going to be the best bet for you. They also state the pH—the power of hydrogen, which is 5.5. Our skin usually hangs out at around 5.5, so this is perfect because it matches and mimics what our skin likes to hang out at naturally. Look at how it's like globular—I love this so much."

✓Yay

67%Guru Score

Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner

"The Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner is like grape jelly. If you have a damaged skin barrier, if your skin is irritated, if you want an extra layer of hydration under your makeup during the day when you're out in the cold or even at night when you're going to bed, this is the answer. I have been swooned, I've been simping, I have been head over heels for this and my pores have been sipping this. The results speak for themselves."

✓Yay

67%Guru Score

Papa Recipe Noble Rot Toner Essence

"This is from Papa Recipe. This is the Noble Rot Lifting Essence and if you have mature skin, if you want something that gives you an antioxidant boost that absorbs beautifully and that is safe for damaged skin barriers, this was literally made by a papa for his daughter who had eczema. So it's not going to cure eczema, but this is great for a damaged skin barrier. And noble rot is specifically the rot that grows on specific grapes. It was studied at UC Davis and they found it to be lifting, skin supporting, full of antioxidant and wonderful fungus, aka rot or I think even yeast that really supports a skin barrier."

✓Yay

Notverified

Skin1004 Centella Toning Toner

"This is one of my favorite toners. If you have not tried this, this is so good. This is the Centella Toning Toner from Skin1004, and this has one of the highest concentrations of centella that I've ever found. Centella is an amazing antioxidant. It is absolutely wonderful and hydrating to the skin. I love this."

✓Yay

71%Guru Score

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Toner Plus

"This is the watery acid sun gel SPF 50. This is one of the most invisible sunscreens. I love it. It has hyaluronic acid in it, and this combines eight types of hyaluronic acid in the sunscreen itself. This is one of the best sunscreens I've ever used. If you know that SPF is your BFF, this needs to be on your shelf and on your face. If you are super super sensitive, I have found this to be okay. It's not nearly as irritating to me as other chemical sunscreens, but it is chemical/organic, so be aware of that. But I freaking love this."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

belif Aqua Bomb Hydrating Toner

"This toner is actually quite interesting. It's called the Aqua Bomb and it's supposed to be super hydrating but the second ingredient is actually denatured alcohol. I don't fear this in skincare because of how it evaporates off the skin and it can help with oily prone skin. I don't know exactly how much is in here but it seems to be a good amount. Overall the glycerin in here is probably pretty helpful. We have a lot of these plant extracts. I'd be worried about the orange peel oil and the lime oil especially for day use if you are going outside with this. But is it a bad product absolutely not. For the price it's 28 bucks, again if only it were cruelty free I would probably add this to my cart. It seems like a pretty good toner, it seems actually kind of more like an essence because it has that glycerin."

~Mixed

Notverified

Eye Care29 reviews

Patchology Rosé Gel Eye Masks

"Eye patches actually have ingredients that can infuse into the skin but you're literally using mechanical or physical pressure to push the eye bag away which is great. I love eye patches. I really hate most eye creams. The Patchology eye patches, I remember that one day I actually got 10 hours of sleep and I looked like I had gotten one, yeah. They're actually really good."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream

"I tried some of The INKEY List's eye creams, like the Caffeine [...] Eye Cream, because I thought if it's inexpensive enough and actually works, maybe this is an eye cream I can get behind, and I can say that about the caffeine one, yes. [...] With all of The INKEY List's eye creams, I like that they're inexpensive, but I wouldn't say that any of them are hits for me."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream

"I tried the INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream because I thought if it's inexpensive enough and it actually works, maybe this is an eye cream I can get behind, and I can say that about the caffeine one and the retinol one, yes."

✓Yay

68%Guru Score

Cocokind Revitalizing Eye Cream

"It's not a bad eye cream per se and the applicator is actually phenomenal, it's just not one of the best. Most eye creams are just literal facial moisturizers in a tinier tube that they can charge you more for. If you're not a crying emotional person, skip this and just use your facial moisturizer right up here and save yourself the money."

✕Nay

69%Guru Score

Patchology Flash Patch Rejuvenating Eye Gels

"These patches actually work really well while you're crying. They're kind of jelly so they actually stick to your face. I literally cried for way too long and then I took a nap and they didn't even come off of my face when I was napping. And when I woke back up and kind of peeled them off my under eyes weren't as puffy as they normally are after I cry. Patchology is a great brand for face masks but seeing as these are buy one get one I'm into it."

✓Yay

62%Guru Score

Wander Beauty Gold Baggage Claim Hydrogel Eye Patches

"These are my bougie favorites, these are from Wander Beauty. They actually have a serum in them that is fantastic for the under eyes and for the rest of the skin, and then the little gold patch adds mechanical pressure that acts like a push-up bra for my under eyes. So if you have bags and puffiness, put these in the fridge, put them on your face in the morning, these are fantastic. And the fact that they're gold makes me feel like a bougie for five dollars."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Rare Beauty Eye patches

"These are my bougie favorites. These patches have water, glycerin, dipropylene glycol, and basically a lot of hydrating ingredients. We have some caffeine, some centella. Acetyl hexapeptide 8 is hydrating, and the centella in here could be soothing. I don't think these are going to be fantastic, but they're being sold as eight for 25, which is really not bad from a price point perspective."

~Mixed

74%Guru Score

Biossance Squalane + Marine Algae Eye Cream

"This Squalane Plus Marine Algae eye cream is phenomenal. It does have a potent form of red algae as well as squalane. A little bit does go a long way. This is what I would use especially when she gets wounds because it helps to heal a damaged skin barrier. I would recommend putting this either on the chest or all over the entire face. This could be used as a full-fledged moisturizer if she doesn't want to use the rose moisturizer."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Eye Serum

"I've been using this for over a month now, applying it to one eye to compare, and I really don't see a noticeable difference in puffiness, wrinkles, or dark circles. When I asked my esthetician friend which eye I'd been applying it to, she couldn't tell, and honestly, I can't either when I look in the mirror. The product is stickier than the original eye serum, and it leaves my under eye feeling tacky even after moisturizer. For the price—it's basically forty dollars per ounce when you do the math on the half-ounce bottle—this is just an overpriced moisturizer. I really wanted to love this, but my experience has been lackluster, and I'm not sure I want to repurchase."

✕Nay

72%Guru Score

Olay Retinol 24 Eye Cream

"One of the reasons that I absolutely detest eye cream is because I see it as a scam. A lot of companies take perfectly good formulas that are basically moisturizers for the entire face and they put them in a tinier container, they then jack the price up so that you think you're paying for something special, and put it in your under eye area, and people are paying more money to do this when they're getting something they either could use all over their face or it's just a smaller version of a moisturizer. When I look at the ingredients we have water, dimethicone, glycerin, dimethicone cross polymer, and finally some retinol and retinol propionate. All of these are moisturizing ingredients. This is literally what's in foundation primers, moisturizers, and you're paying a ton of money for retinol and niacinamide inside of this dimethicone base. You can get such less expensive eye creams that have retinol. For forty dollars I would say no, no, Olay is not okay for this price."

✕Nay

66%Guru Score

Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Hydrogel Eye Patches

"These Peter Thomas Roth eye gel patches are another favorite of mine that I also learned on set. Anything that has cucumber or hydra in the name, that's like a buzzword for me to buy it. Something about it just sounds like it's going to refresh me and change my life. It's the little spa treat, you know."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Eye Cream

"Neutrogena is not cruelty free but remember Lucy said her concerns were fine lines and wrinkles, that's what she cares about with the eye area, she wants to build some collagen. This product will actually do that. For me, my biggest beef with it is that it's not cruelty free because yes as a vegan I have beef with many of these cosmeceutical manufacturing companies. And yes, I believe that eye creams are overpriced moisturizers. If she wanted to, she could absolutely use her moisturizer in the eye area, but if she wants an excellent eye cream that's going to rebuild collagen, she can continue using this."

~Mixed

71%Guru Score

SKKN Moisturizing Eye Cream

"Kim Kardashian punched in eye cream, an overpriced moisturizer for the under-eye area with a $75 price tag. It has shea butter, which is an amazing ingredient, peptides which can plump up the skin with hydration and potentially stimulate cell turnover, wound healing, and lower inflammation, different oils, and mushroom. But as you know, eye creams are basically overpriced moisturizers and there are many facial moisturizers that you can literally use right here, or if you have an eye cream that you like, use it for benefits all over your face. Why would I pay $75 when I could literally pay $10?"

~Mixed

76%Guru Score

Bioscience Squalane and Marine Algae Eye Cream

"Ceramides are fantastic in eye creams and I've been loving those. There's an algae one that's very expensive from Bioscience, but like that's it that you're going to get me to admit to."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Dr. Barbara Sturm Eye Cream

"That girl has also come to use the $140 Dr. Barbara Sturm eye creams. Her products are extraordinarily overpriced. I just take a doctor's name, put it on a luxury product, and charge a ridiculous amount of money for it. The Dr. Barbara Sturm Eye Cream has macadamia oil and yeast. And while these are good, they're not necessarily amazing or proven in the under eye area to do miraculous things."

✕Nay

60%Guru Score

Pacifica Ceramide Hydration Full Under Eye and Smile Line Jelly Patches

"Oh my god, I never thought I would say this, but Pacifica has come through with an eye product I really really like. These right here are from Pacifica and these are the Ceramide Hydration Full Under Eye and Smile Line Jelly Patches. They actually come with multiple in here and these are so fun to use. Oh my god, these are some of the most hydrating, the most fulfilling, the most jelly chilling eye masks you can use. If you have sensitive skin, they are phenomenal. These actually have ceramides in them, they're completely vegan, they're purple, they're beautiful. I just wipe the excess on my face because again this is basically a serum that you put in an under-eye patch. These are fragrance free, dermatologist tested and safe for sensitive skin. They have a biodegradable biocellulose, they also have lipids and marshmallow, and basically if you're sensitive you know you don't want to be using fragrances or essential oils or a bunch of plant things around the eye area, and these have ceramides. They actually support the skin's barrier. But then they're also fragrance free with some marshmallow and they just soothe the skin so well. If you need hydration or again if you're super sensitive, this is going to be the best."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Good Molecules Yerba Mate Wake Up Eye Gel

"This is the Yerba Mate Wake Up Eye Gel from Good Molecules. This one is great."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Sunday Riley Auto Correct Brightening and Depuffing Eye Contour Cream

"Most eye creams can be used all over the face, but for the amount that you have to pay for such a small amount, it doesn't always make sense. The ingredients aren't terrible, but you would literally find all of this in a facial moisturizer. We have some jojoba esters, which I love. We have some polysilicone, caffeine, glycolic acid, but then we have mica and more beeswax. When you put this on, you're like, 'Oh my god, my under eyes are so bright.' And it's like, yeah, you just applied makeup that's put in a tube of eye cream. There's fragrance in here, which is concerning up by the eye area. This eye cream does not get the Cass pass."

✕Nay

66%Guru Score

Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream

"Shiseido, I don't know, I feel like they don't innovate as much anymore. They do have some interesting ingredients, but I don't know if they don't market them very well. Some of their sunscreens are great, but as a cruelty-free person, it's just that I'm not their target demographic. She's using her ring fingers which is great, and I would argue that this right here is de-puffing her eyes more than this eye cream. Now she did mention she is using this eye cream for under-eye wrinkles. You cannot change anatomy with an eye cream. Eye creams are overpriced moisturizers. This does have some caffeine and some turmeric which is not bad, but overall the answer is no. I'm glad she likes it, but this is not something that would be on my recommended list."

✕Nay

62%Guru Score

Peter Thomas Roth 24K Gold Hydra Gel Eye Patches

"These eye patches contain water, glycerin, carrageenan, and sodium hyaluronate, which are hydrating. There's also colloidal gold, caffeine as a vasoconstrictor, and niacinamide, which can help with darkness underneath the eyes. These aren't horrible, but I just wouldn't spend seventy-five dollars on them. There are many other eye patches that I like a lot better."

~Mixed

62%Guru Score

Do Forever Eye Masks

"It's called the Forever Eye Mask, it is amazing and it allows you to use your moisturizer as an eye cream. It allows you to use your eye cream as intended. It turns them all into eye masks and it actually makes these products work for you. One of the best beauty purchases that I've made personally."

✓Yay

90%Guru Score

Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Eye Serum

"Murad has a new retinol eye cream that is half better than others."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

NIOD Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate

"The Fractionated Eye Concentrate—no again. Video on that coming soon."

✕Nay

79%Guru Score

Augustinus Bader Rich Eye Cream

"This eye cream is more expensive than the bowl serum and it's a tinier bottle for $450 dollars. If you don't have little tiny doctors and plastic surgeons that come out of every drop and literally give me blepharoplasty, why the hell is this $415? I'm spitting on my laptop right now. The ingredients are squalane, cholesterol ester, tocopherol acetate which is our vitamin E, calcium, retinol palmitate so at least there's an actual retinoid in here, but a retinoid eye cream will work better, and you know what's going to work even better? Get yourself a Dr. Shereene Idriss and put your retinoid cream underneath your eyes with some vaseline. You can get a year's worth of prescription strength retinoids for the price of this little sample size cup of overpriced moisturizer. We also have ceramides, jojoba seed oil, cocoa seed butter, sunflower seed oil, aloe vera, which we love, but they are so basic. I don't understand that people are paying for the brand at this point. For the regular consumer or the young woman who is struggling to raise a family and work and feel good about her body and feels like she needs to spend $400 and go into debt for an eye cream, your beauty does not dictate your value."

✕Nay

60%Guru Score

Shark Beauty Cryo Glow Under Eye Cooling LED Anti-Aging and Blemish Repair Mask

"They done studies with those doctors and derms on actual people. And they showed that by using this every day and going through those routines that are built into this that you can have clearer skin in 4 weeks and firmer skin in 2 months. Now, that was based on the people they tested. That doesn't mean it's going to work that way for everyone. And even my before and afters, they're good, but it took me a little bit longer than 2 months, but it has quickly risen in the ranks of where I feel about LED devices. And for that mid-level range, it is one of the best that you can buy. The fact that it has this cryotherapy, this cooling technology, I have never seen an LED face mask like this. They call this the undereye revive technology. And you have these built-in ones or you can add these little extras for comfort and fit. When I first got it back in like December, you literally peel off the stickers, you charge it, you plug it in, you press play, and you choose one of like four modes, and there's like only three buttons, and there's like four different settings, so you're not overwhelmed because beauty shouldn't be overwhelming. It should be enhancing your everyday routine and something that you enjoy."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Versed Smooth Landing Advanced Retinoid Eye Balm

"If you are looking for something that is almost the same maybe not quite as heavy but still gives you that greasy shine, this feels just like it but this is great for acne prone skin or if you have wrinkles. Instead of layering your retinoid, this is basically the level up version. Because this is so small, I've still used a lot of it but this has lasted me quite a long time because a little goes such a long way because it kind of warms up on your skin you literally need the lightest touch. This allows you to get the benefit of a retinoid, specifically the anti-acne, the anti-wrinkle, anti-hyperpigmentation, anti-scarring benefits, without having to actually use the grease ball goo. It's also very gentle retinoid. I believe it's encapsulated, and since it was meant for the eye so it is gentle. I like to use it on my marionette lines and around my eyes but I use it all over my face. This has been one of my favorites and this is what I go for when I want to slug and not feel disgusting about it."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum: Ginseng + Retinal

"This is their Revive Eye Serum, it's a ginseng and retinal, again not a retinol with an O, retinal with an A. This is one of the most potent K beauty products that I've ever used, but the good news is that it goes on sale and it works. [...] The color of this is super bright, that's the vitamin A, aka the retinoid in here, it's really doing the work. Now this is intense and they call it an eye cream, yes it'll be great for fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes, but put it on your smile lines, put it on your blemish prone areas, put it on your nose if you literally want to help get rid of the oil production and even tighten up the skin to help reduce the appearance of pores. [...] This is intense but this is going to do it."

✓Yay

95%Guru Score

The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG

"The Caffeine Plus EGCG Solution has caffeine at 5% and Epigallocatechin Gallate, which actually comes from green tea. This is so wonderful for the skin. It is an eye serum but it can help with vasoconstriction, so helping with that puffiness, but it doesn't just work in the under eye area, it also works all throughout the face. The EGCG in here is an antioxidant, basically anti-oxidation, so it helps to boost up your sunscreen and helps to prevent a little bit of damage from our environment like pollution or smog. Because this has caffeine, caffeine is also an antioxidant. This is one of the best serums. If you're looking to de-puff the under eye area and you want something that feels a little bit more thick and hydrating, this is when I would use this. I use it on my smile lines, I get really puffy in my cheeks, I use this all over my face and it is absolutely brilliant. It's wonderful whether you use it on its own or if you pair it with Pycnogenol."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

True Botanicals Resurrection Radiance Eye Cream

"This is 78 dollars and you get such a tiny amount for that price. It does say dark circles and puffiness, but I'm still not spending money on it. I still don't think it's worth it. However, the ingredients do check out and they're not claiming it's going to help with wrinkles. I wouldn't spend my money on this; I would get the caffeine eye cream from the ordinary and just put it all over my face."

~Mixed

78%Guru Score

Retinoids23 reviews

The Ordinary Retinal 0.2% Emulsion

"For $15 this is unreal, it's fantastic for sensitive skin. I think it's fantastic for beginners who kind of want to go advanced or for people who have a retinoid in their routine and they want to go next level but don't want prescription. It can make you a little bit yellow, a little bit goes a long way, just use a little bit. [...] You can use this morning or night, night is better because it won't break down in the sun. [...] I like the pump applicator. I do think I prefer the dropper just because I was expecting this to be cleaner, it kind of gets a little bit gummy on the inside of the cap, not a big deal. I like that it's new from The Ordinary. [...] For $15 this is amazing, one of the best things you can get for under $15. I'm loving it."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

The INKEY List Retinol and Novaretin Scar, Mark and Wrinkle Solution

"This has retinol and Novaretin and this is a scar, mark and wrinkle solution, but uses ingredients that are medically proven to help with acne."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Shani Darden Retinol Reform 1% Encapsulated Retinol

"This is the Retinol Reform, it's soothing for fine lines and wrinkles but it's made by Shani Darden, she's an esthetician, a woman of color, and she literally has pioneered the skincare industry to make this brand happen. I love her story, I love her hard work, I love her dedication to the industry and her products are just as good."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

The Ordinary Retinol 0.2% in Squalane

"Everyone needs a retinoid in their routine as long as their skin can handle it. If you're just starting, get one that's called retinol, which is over the counter. This one from The Ordinary is under 10 bucks. This is great, and this one's actually an oily solution, so if you feel like you have dry skin and acne, this can help lock in moisture from your other products and it can help prevent your skin from drying out while still treating the acne. So this is fantastic."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

The INKEY List Super Solutions 1% Retinol Serum

"This is another great one, the 1% Retinol Serum from The INKEY List. The reason that I love The INKEY List and The Ordinary is that these are both like under 10, 15 bucks so they're affordable. If you're going to spend your money on something, spend your money on a potent active ingredient, get it at an inexpensive price, and try it long enough like a month or two to see if it works for you."

✓Yay

69%Guru Score

Dermatica Custom Blended Prescription Retinoid

"Dermatica is great especially if you're in the UK. Those are also smaller and they send them monthly. They also have dark spot formulas so if you have like dark spots and scars they're fantastic."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Hero Cosmetics Rescue Retinol Nighttime Renewing Cream

"This Rescue Retinol Nighttime Renewing Cream has 0.75 encapsulated retinol blend with a bomb complex. We have squalane, shea butter, and we have magnesium retinol, resveratrol which comes from wine and grapes, tripeptide, gluconalactone, ubaquinone, and allantoin which is hydrating and healing. This actually looks really good."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane

"If you don't want to spend a ton of money, the Ordinary also has a 0.5% retinol in squalane which is a wonderful oil. There are so many great oil products out there."

✓Yay

63%Guru Score

Olay Retinol 24 Peptide Night Moisturizer

"This one has water, dimethicone, glycerin, this one has tapioca starch, good job, dimethicone cross polymer, retinol, retinol propionate, niacinamide, Palmetto pentapeptide four. Where do we just see these exact same ingredients? Oh, that's right, in the other two products. This is basically a slightly tweaked version of the exact same thing. Literally, if she likes the texture of this, just apply it all over the face and right here in the under eyes. Or if she likes the serum better because it's more lightweight, ditch the moisturizer, ditch the eye cream, and just put the serum all over. This is point in case I rest my case that this moisturizer is basically the same thing as their eye cream that they were trying to sell you for much more money."

✕Nay

76%Guru Score

Olay Retinol 24 Serum

"This one has basically the same ingredients plus a few extras. First ingredients are water and dimethicone. We also have propionate but we do have niacinamide. We have more dimethicone, titanium dioxide, fine, we have glycerin, we have retinol, we have retinal cross polymer. This one has more glittery ingredients like Mica in it and actually has the added benefit of a peptide, specifically Palmetto pentapeptide four. This is probably good for anti-wrinkle benefits, this is probably good for firmness and elasticity in the skin. But for forty dollars, much better retinol anti-wrinkle products out there. You could do, you can even get prescriptions with actual tretinoin like the prescription strength. There are so many other options out there."

✕Nay

70%Guru Score

Summer Fridays Midnight Ritual Retinol Renewal Serum

"Summer Fridays just created this Retinol Serum that calms the look of redness as opposed to creating more redness in the skin and they also added ingredients like oats to make sure that it's super gentle and nourishing. This has jojoba oil and avocado which mimic the oils our skin naturally makes and it comes out in this really beautiful midnight ribbony texture but it's also got hyaluronic acid and niacinamide. For a beginner who's trying to use retinol who maybe is intimidated on how to mix it with niacinamide or hyaluronic acid and it all feels confusing, this is a gentle barrier supportive retinol that you can use alongside a moisturizer or an oil at night and actually get the benefits of retinol without the redness or the irritation that often comes with it. Based on what I've seen from the ingredients list and based on what I've seen summer Fridays create in the past, I absolutely think that they are creating a home run here. This is absolutely going to sell out especially for those who are a little bit overwhelmed with retinols."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Medik8 Crystal Retinal 3

"The most potent thing that you can get over the counter that is not prescription is something like retinaldehyde. This is one from Medik8, the Crystal Retinal 3. If you have fine lines and wrinkles, this is one of the best."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

Biossance Squalane + Phytoretinol Serum

"This Squalane Phytoretinol serum is absolute trash. This is one of my least favorite products from Biossance. The product itself smells, it doesn't work well, it burns my freaking face. I absolutely hate this."

✕Nay

68%Guru Score

Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1%

"A dappling gel is a synthetic retinoid and this is actually more gentle than other retinoids but it seems to be just as effective if you have wrinkles, if you have acne and yes if you have dry skin. You could spot this on or you could just use this in a very small amount all over. You can put this on before or after your moisturizer. This is available over the counter, it's one of my favorite products, it's literally like seven bucks. This works so well and if you have sensitive skin and acne or dry skin and acne, this is phenomenal because it's that main ingredient that literally helps with all of the reasons that acne exists but it doesn't destroy dry skin even further."

✓Yay

91%Guru Score

The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane

"The Ordinary has the actual retinol, not phytoretinol or bokuchiol, in different concentrations in squalene oil. It's water free, it's a stable solution. This is a great introduction to a retinoid. The Ordinary does have different concentrations, they have a one percent, they have a half percent, they have a whole bunch of different ones. The one percent is one that I like personally and this actually gives my skin a benefit as well as being wonderful and absorbable on the skin. This is a kind of dryer oil as well because it has that little dry touch that it leaves behind but it's also fragrance free so it doesn't irritate the skin and it actually has the benefit of a retinoid like this do what it said it would do. Also when you just compare The Ordinary to a lot of these other products, the price is a no-brainer, this is under ten bucks. Holy do I love this so much, simple, effective, targeted and makes my skin feel good."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Paula's Choice Resist Barrier Repair Moisturizer with Retinol

"Paula's Choice barrier repair moisturizer with retinol is fantastic if you have dry skin or a damaged skin barrier. For example, if you use something like the prescription retinoic acid and it burned your freaking face off, this is a really good way to get a retinoid in that doesn't overly burn the face. This takes a lot of the guesswork out. It has ceramides, shea butter, and green tea so if you have a damaged skin barrier your skin will love this. This is really good for more sensitive skin types and more dry skin types."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Paula's Choice 0.3% Retinol and 2% Bakuchiol Treatment

"Paula's Choice 0.3 percent retinol and two percent bakuchiol with peptides and vitamin C is fantastic. Because of that vitamin C this helps with hyperpigmentation, this helps with dark spots and irritation along with everything else that retinoids normally do. This also has bakuchiol in it. This is best for that one person who's obsessed with clean beauty—if you are obsessed with clean beauty and afraid to use chemicals, well, water is a chemical, air is a chemical. If you're trying to buy this for a friend or a family member or as a gift, if you know someone who's like all about natural beauty, bakuchiol is a natural beauty friendly ingredient. I love this if you do have hyperpigmentation or just discoloration in the skin or if you get those little leftover marks that stick behind after that pimple goes away, this is one of the best."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6

"I do think that for $15 this is amazing, one of the best things you can get for under $15. I'm loving it. However, are there better retinoids out there? Yes. Like the Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6, that's better. This is actually better, I think, than the Youth to the People retinal."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

AcneFree Adapalene 0.1% Gel

"One of my favorites is from AcneFree, it's under like $15. This is great for acne, great for wrinkles, it's even good for pigmentation and it also helps with that skin cell turnover for the sebaceous filaments."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion

"This is the Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion and with retinoids you can usually find them in creams or as these yellow formulas or in oil but it's hard to find a retinoid that really works for oily skin that absorbs well but is still creamy. This Is The Answer especially for the price. The Ordinary does retinoids really really well and they also give you options on the percentages. This has Granactive Retinoid as well as retinol and look at this creamy texture. It works on dry skin, it works on oily skin, it works on combo skin. I love this especially if someone has fine lines and wrinkles or if someone has acne prone skin and blackheads, this works really well for both. You can use this morning or evening but sun does break down retinoid so evening is probably going to be your best bet. This formula is tried and true and if you haven't gotten your hands on this, probably one of the best bang for your buck options just because retinoids have been proven time and time again in medicine and medical studies to be so effective for skin for skin cell renewal."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Agency Future Formula with Tretinoin

"Agency the future formula is fantastic. [...] If you have acne they're probably going to put things in like tretinoin which is this retinoid, they're probably going to put in niacinamide, they're probably going to put in some of these ingredients or even azelaic acid that can help with acne and redness. [...] Agency gives you a bigger bottle and they also have dark spot formulas so if you have like dark spots and scars they're fantastic."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Agency Custom Tretinoin Formula

"This happens to be a wonderful one that is specifically made for more mature skin and was created by dermatology providers. This is specifically from Agency, and yes it has tretinoin, but it also has a blend of other ingredients. It has tranexamic acid which is great for pigmentation, niacinamide aka vitamin B3, and dexpanthenol which has been shown to help with eczema and is bioavailable, meaning it's available for our skin to take in and absorb."

✓Yay

Notverified

Beauty Pie Super Retinol Serum

"I have been using this everyday for so long and while this is technically a night treatment, Beauty Pie has such good formulas that actually stabilize hard to mix ingredients. This is encapsulated retinol with ferulic acid and vitamin C and although they say it's a night treatment, I use this during the day. This is one of my favorite products from Beauty Pie. This is such a good lazy skin care or multitasking beauty if you're looking for a retinoid as well as a vitamin C. I actually love to apply this during the day under my sunscreen. It doesn't tend to ball up or to pill up unless you use it with a Glow Recipe sunscreen, but for most sunscreens, this is such a lovely pair and it brings together two ingredients that we hardly ever see together. If you want the benefits of retinol from the anti-aging to the acne to the cellular renewal, all the way to the benefits of vitamin C as an antioxidant and a brightener, this one is it and it takes the guesswork out. Overall, this is an MVP that my routine loves and that any lazy skin who wants the benefits of both will die for."

✓Yay

Notverified

Mists & Essences18 reviews

Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence 5X

"Can I tell you how many of these I have gone through again I love the dispenser"

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray

"This one is from Tower 28, the SOS Save Our Skin spray. As you can see I've absolutely gone through so much of this. I absolutely love this. Really lightweight, really refreshing, and really just prepares your skin for the other ingredients to help penetrate and really nourish the skin cells underneath."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

NIOD Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist

"I just sprayed this in my eye, this is the superoxide dismutase from NIOD. I call it like the big sister to the Ordinary, it's like the grown-up older PhD sister because of how much tech goes into these skincare products. I absolutely just sprayed this antioxidant spray right into my eyeball."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs & Rosewater

"The Mario Badescu facial spray with aloe herbs and rose water, I hate this. They did a fragrance-free alcohol-free version of this but I feel like I have to compare the two. I like that it's only $7 and it does say that it's Amazon's choice."

✕Nay

58%Guru Score

Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist

"This is the probiotics treatment mist for 66 dollars. Allies of skin has some excellent formulas they really care about what's happening and in this they actually have niacinamide they have gluconolactone they have lactobacillus ferment lysate filtrate which can be very hydrating. They have yogurt which can be great for probiotics, they have zinc PCA which can help control oil production, and they got all the peptides in here. If I weren't a vegan I would absolutely be buying this product but because I don't want to purchase things that exploit animals I don't use them nor do I recommend them which is rough."

~Mixed

84%Guru Score

Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist

"I've been loving and living for some of these skincare mists recently, and the Tatcha one might have to be on my list. It is vegan and cruelty free, and a lot of Tatcha products are super overpriced, especially when I look at this it's like why are we spending so much money on this. So many people love them and I don't know if it's because they look like a fairy tale book or if there is something amazing about the formulation. This spray has glycerin, squalane, licorice, and rice, which are good hydrating ingredients but not gonna cure anything. There are fragrances and alcohols in here which I don't always love to see in skincare sprays. But she looks gorgeous when she's spraying it, so if she loves it continue using it, but know that there are other options if you want to save money."

~Mixed

75%Guru Score

Topicals Faded Brightening and Clearing Mist

"This is called Faded and if you're struggling with body acne that leaves behind redness or dark marks of hyperpigmentation this is the absolute best choice. It's 32 dollars and it's a brightening and clearing mist that specifically has additional ingredients such as Alpha arbutin and tranexamic acid that can stop pigmentation in its tracks. It also has niacinamide and licorice root which are great for pigmentation as well as glycolic acid to actually help exfoliate the skin. For those of us who are acne prone this is so freaking good. If you spray too much of it on it can get a little bit sticky but overall this is a beautiful formula that is made by two Black women."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Peach & Lily Wild Dew Treatment Essence

"Peach and Lily has some essences that are phenomenal. They cost a little bit more money, but if you're looking for one or two pieces of your routine to be a bit more luxurious and something to show off on your countertop, essences are definitely one of those places."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Bubble Bounceback Balancing Facial Mist

"This is a spray from Bubble. This is the Bounce Back Toner. I really like sprays in my car. I was using that new Mario Badescu one that's fragrance free that I liked, but I just love this one from Bubble. I keep coming back to it. It is an ultra light mist. It just refreshes the face, especially since it's getting hotter in the bay area. It gets like overwhelming, it's like really really really hot and overwhelming. I just spray this on and I love it. I also sometimes just spray it over here, really wherever I need a little refresh or a little boost. Unlike Addison Ray's that claims to protect against blue light, this doesn't promise any of that. It does have a little bit of willow in it so it can help if you have like acne marks. This one from Bubble is just great for acne prone skin. It's inexpensive. It's like 15 at Walmart. It's excellent like I freaking love this and I keep coming back to it over and over again."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

True Botanicals Nutrient Mist

"This definitely feels like a sensorial product, and you know what, this isn't a necessity, this is a want, not a need. But it is a nice want and I do kind of want it. We have green tea, we have white tea, we have kombucha, milk thistle, algae, red algae, some for needles, some frankincense, definitely some fragrances that I could do without, but it looks okay. And for twenty-four dollars, that is not bad. This is probably one of the best things, especially because you are getting that algae. Now it's probably got a lot of water content in there. It's probably less of the active, so it's not going to be as potent, but this actually looks really good. If you got twenty-four and you want to try this brand, I don't agree with a lot of the claims that she's saying, but I think that this is a good brand. I think they have some good products, and I actually really like this mist. It looks really nice. I would try this."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

I'm From Mugwort Essence

"I'm From Mugwort Essence is on the list."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule

"This is one of the best centella products that I have ever tried. This one has stood the test of time. This is from Skin1004, a K Beauty brand that sources their centella from Madagascar. The packaging is literally like National Geographic—look at it, on the opposite side of the label they have these beautiful nature images. This ampule is 100 percent centella asiatica extracted. If you want the pure stuff, this is it. Holy, if you just want centella for the antioxidant, for the skin healing, for the anti-redness and soothing properties, this is probably one of your best bets and it looks like National Geographic on your countertop."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Mixsoon Bean Essence

"While this wasn't great for me for exfoliation, this was one of the best serums that is basically a vegan snail mucin. [...] It's literally made out of these Korean fermented soybeans and beans are huge in Korean food and then lots of Asian food in general, but for the skin they can be fantastic. They can hold on to moisture, they can be anti-inflammatory, they can be hydrating. This Bean Essence is literally a skin reparative barrier supporting vegan version of snail mucin that doesn't harm the snails. This was probably one of the fastest things that helped to clear up and soothe my skin. I do have oily skin and this was one of my favorites. Now this leaves you with that K Beauty glow."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

MIXSOON Centella Asiatica Essence

"This essence is like a slightly more hydrating version of the toner and it does have that pure centella but it's also got like three other ingredients namely glycerin and a little bit of water. This is fantastic because it actually sits on and it soaks into the skin. A little goes a long way and I would say that this is a more liquidy essence than many other. You see how it hydrates and gives this K Beauty glass skin glow. Normally when I want glass skin I need to layer four or five products, this is just one. For the price this can't be beat. What I love about this is that it can be layered so easily. It's a centella product, it's layerable, it's easy to use, it's basic, it's fragrance free."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence

"This was sent to me and SK-II's Facial Treatment Essence is basically a two-hundred-dollar glass bottle. They say that it's worth the money because it has Pitera from sake in it, which is basically fermented Japanese rice wine, and while I have no doubt that that's wonderful, I don't want to be spending two hundred on this and it's not cruelty free."

✕Nay

81%Guru Score

COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence

"If you want to exfoliate, this is your friend. If you're looking for a peeling solution but in a face mask version, this is it. This is so good for some exfoliation. You obviously shouldn't use this every day, whereas if you really wanted to, I guess you could use this every day. This is one of those once or twice a week exfoliation options but it is so good."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Water Essence

"This is their first hyaluronic acid product that I ever tried, the Hyaluronic Acid Water Essence. This is a tried and true. I've gone through so many of these, but this was my first product from the brand. And the way that the hyaluronic acid absorbed and didn't dry out my skin, didn't irritate it, worked well with my oily skin production, was absolutely phenomenal."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Isntree Real Bifida Ampoule

"This is probably one of the most luxurious products I've ever used from ISNTREE. It doesn't cost a luxury price, especially when it's on sale. This just feels luxurious. It's this beautiful little white bottle and the entire formula is this clear liquid that just smooths on the skin so well. This is vegan and cruelty-free, but it has hydrolyzed collagen in it, so it's actually quite moisturizing and nourishing to the skin. It has bifida ferment lysate, which is basically a probiotic that is supposed to help kind of balance out the barrier of skin or potentially help with balancing a microbiome, especially if your skin is irritated or stripped. I absolutely love this. I don't know how they're not charging way more for this. I feel like this is one of the most luxury ISNTREE products there is."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Tech18 reviews

Qure Micro Infusion Targeted Patches

"This is like an under-eye version for puffiness and you can put them on different areas depending on where you get puffy. You can even use them on smile lines or 11 lines on the face if you do have deep set wrinkles there. The biggest thing for me is just seeing when I take them off, my eyes are literally brighter and I absolutely love that about these. They specifically have caffeine and copper tripeptide 1 as well as niacinamide, which are all ingredients that are fantastic for the skin."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Kenzzi IPL Hair Removal Device

"The Air3 is the one that I love the most. It's lightweight, it's purple, it's easy to use, it's inexpensive, and it has the cool touch technology, which a lot of other IPL doesn't. This is what is so important for me in my bikini line. The original IPL device I used was a white Kenzzi and you had to refill the cartridge, but it would actually get warm on the skin. It never hurt me, it just kind of felt like a little rubber band pinch, but it was something that I could not use on my face or in my armpit or on my bikini line because those areas are a little bit more sensitive for me. When I did try the Air3, that's what I was so happy about, it has this Sapphire cooling technology that's also UV protective. So that intense pulse of light that comes out can be hot, but the Air3 is the only brand that I know of that actually cools that down and provides that UV protection, so that when it hits the skin it feels cool even though that light is still going into the skin looking for contrast between the hair and the skin and kill the hair from the root. [...] In 4 weeks it can get rid of hair. It was the most powerful at the time with 21 jewels, and as long as I was consistent with it, it would work. Now I don't grow hair on this side of my body because I IPL'd it off, except for my bikini line because I've been a little scared of that."

~Mixed

77%Guru Score

ZIIP Gold Gel

"You can't even get it off very easily. They say that you could leave it on the skin but how am I supposed to be able to leave this on the skin? It is so gross. It is just not my favorite and it's so disappointing because ZIIP makes such an amazing device. When I first tried these gels I was so disappointed by them. They don't just have the Gold Gel, they also have the silver gel and I kind of lumped these in together because I think they're the same base. They're both goopy and kind of gross. The formula is just, but the difference is that one is gold and one is silver. Now that sounds cute and fancy and all but from a scientific perspective, some people say gold can be an antioxidant, honestly it can cause contact dermatitis for some people which is like an allergic reaction. It's just gross. As an aesthetician I felt like I had to buy a different one for different people. The golden one was like for mature skin and then the silver one was for like young acne prone skin and it just made me feel like I had to buy extra stuff which I didn't like. There wasn't that versatility and then it was just goopy and gross. Even though one has silver and one has gold, they say the ingredients are slightly different but they have a very similar base and they just aren't revolutionary. I just was not a fan."

✕Nay

75%Guru Score

iRestore Professional Hair Growth System

"I was using the professional which I love."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Kenzie IPL Atome Laser Hair Removal Device

"I've tried the Kenzie that was not painful but it did kind of leave the skin warm."

~Mixed

78%Guru Score

CurrentBody LED Light Therapy Mask Series 1

"The one that other girl was using is this one, it's from CurrentBody and I've actually seen other people such as Sarah Palmyra use this as well. But as you can see, this one which I haven't started testing actually has these flat diodes which don't disperse light in the same way and again I don't think these work as well. When things are flat like this or when they don't have those bulges to them, that light isn't being dispersed properly."

✕Nay

89%Guru Score

NeoGen Face Microcurrent Device

"I love the NeoGen Face. I've been using this for about two years. This is one of the best microcurrents I've ever used. It is used in office and microcurrent is one of those things that a lot of aesthetic offices or dermatology clinics will charge you a lot for but it's like going to the gym and if you don't use it every day it's not going to work as well. I really credit the NeoGen Face as giving me this little chisel right here, especially underneath my cheek. I do believe it helped me lift my brow just a little bit. This is one of the best microcurrents I've ever used. That's why I think that doing something like this at home is really superior to doing something in office as long as you're doing it right."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Ulike Air 10 IPL Hair Removal Device

"I love this, it's the entire reason that I'm hairless on one side of my body and not on the other. You see those little bumps, those are like razor burns. You don't get those if you don't shave. If you permanently remove it, it's permanent, so be careful. [...] This gets the cast pass, get it on sale. [...] Don't pay full price, get it on sale. The 10 [...] has more lights so it's more effective. It is cold in sensitive areas, it's really cold. It's twice as powerful. They have an SHR mode, [...] super hair removal, it's actually so good. This one, the 10, is worth it, but if you have the three or if you just don't want to spend the money, the three is like $100 less, just use a three, it works fine, but this one is more powerful."

✓Yay

Notverified

Dr. Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro

"It's FDA cleared to smooth lines and wrinkles and it helps improve circulation to enhance natural color and make visibly fuller lips. [...] It has 56 infrared red LED lights. [...] LED has been medically proven to stimulate collagen to help with fine lines and wrinkles, and depending on the wavelength, basically the color of the light, they can be helpful in treating acne. Dr. Dennis Gross has done their research on skincare and their LED face mask is one of the best that you can get on the market. It's expensive, but that is pretty much as close as you can get to professional that's available at Sephora."

✓Yay

71%Guru Score

Foreo UFO LED Mask

"Do you remember the Foreo UFO? This is like a handheld device and it's supposed to do more than LED, it's supposed to be cryotherapy so it warms up and it cools down. Forget the cryotherapy, the LED on this thing is a joke. It's a small little strip of LED that they try to claim has benefits to the skin. This thing is barely powerful enough to get light into the skin. Not to mention when I actually tried to sign up for it, it had me sign up in Russian, that it wouldn't connect to my app, it was just a disaster. Foreo does have some good products, they do have like a couple facial cleansing devices that are nice, but the UFO was a disaster. And then they sell you face masks that are little circles and you have to rebuy the little circles and swap them into the mask and you're paying more than the price of a normal face mask for these small little circles that are filled with crap."

✕Nay

54%Guru Score

iRestore Elite Low-Level Laser Hair Regrowth System

"For hair and specifically for hair regrowth it's been studied time and time again and used medically in clinic. This little device is my Saving Grace. I've spoken about this so many times. This is the elite which is absolutely fantastic. The main difference is that this has 500 diodes and it has different wavelengths. For me it's easier to stick to something if I make it a habit every day like this 12 minutes a day rather than doing the white one three times a week. This has made monumental differences in my hair and I actually am so glad that I've spoken about this online for so long because I have these before and after photos where you can actually track the progress of my hair and the low-level laser therapy."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

iRestore Laser Hair Growth Helmet

"The first is how laser and LED actually works for hair regrowth. LED is something I've used for years in clinic. It's an amazing skincare treatment because it's anti-inflammatory, it can stimulate collagen, it can even help with acne and bacteria in the skin, and we know that red LED has been medically proven to help with skin, but I never fully understood that it could have benefits for the scalp as well, and specifically low level laser that is FDA cleared like this one is essential. Don't get something if it's not FDA cleared, otherwise you're just wasting your money. And laser, as you know, can be really intense. We can use laser in the skin clinic to basically damage the skin so it regrows. The laser here is much more gentle, but it literally stimulates circulation, helps follicles grow faster, gives them the nutrients that they need because of that blood flow, as well as helping keep the hairs on the head, which for me has personally been fantastic. And I wish I would have known this, because you see, red LED is a very specific wavelength, but you need to make sure that you're getting something within that wavelength that's powerful enough to actually work."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

NuFACE Trinity Facial Toning Device

"There are certain ones that are really good to do at home and even in professional aesthetics I've used the NuFACE Trinity."

✓Yay

60%Guru Score

Iris Store Regular LED Cap

"I did use the regular one before. I had to use this a couple times a week for almost half an hour and I find that if I don't do something on a regular basis it's harder to build a habit."

✓Yay

Notverified

Iris Store Elite LED Hair Growth Helmet

"This has 500 not only red LEDs but also lasers, this is low-level laser therapy that you can get over the counter and use at home. This is one of the best things I've ever used for my scalp but you have to use it in order for it to work. The biggest thing if you're going to do anything when it comes to LED in hair, make sure it covers the back. So many people have issues at the crown. I literally didn't know that I had bald patches until I saw myself in a video and I was like, why are patches of my hair missing? And if I had gotten one of the regular caps it wouldn't have covered the back of the head. So you want to make sure that you're getting something that goes all the way down like this. Iris Store's FDA cleared. At home, trichologists and dermatologists love this. I understand it's expensive, I understand it's a lot, but I will say you can get it on sale. I would say always get it on sale if you can."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

NuFACE Mini Microcurrent Device

"I like the mini because it's more lightweight and I feel like it works just as well."

✓Yay

66%Guru Score

NuFACE Zip Halo Microcurrent Device

"The Zip is amazing they have a new Halo it's lightweight you can use it as long as you want it works for the face and around the eyes lymphatic drainage it is so good"

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

FOREO Bear Mini Microcurrent Device

"I actually don't like this as much as I like the NuFace. I have just seen better results with the NuFace. I don't really understand what is different about the technology, but I actually like this one. I don't like it as much as the NuFace, but the NuFace is more expensive. Now they are both on sale for Prime Day, so that is great. If you're trying to target smaller areas or if you're traveling, the mini is better."

~Mixed

70%Guru Score

Haircare17 reviews

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo

"I went back to my Living Proof dry shampoo."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment

"This right here is from The INKEY List, it's a Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment. I don't feel like this made much of a difference so I'm probably not going to continue using this."

✕Nay

84%Guru Score

Minimalist Bond Repair Hair Mask

"I'm in love with it. This is also an Indian brand which is great for multiple reasons but it's also inexpensive. It's so inexpensive, it's so good. This is the malic acid Bond Repair Complex and this is a hair mask that goes on my strands. This hair mask is so good, it's creamy, it's inexpensive, it's lightweight and it works for my hair when it's curled or when it's styled like this. You put it on and you rinse it off. This is meant to actually penetrate into the dead cuticle of the hair and to strengthen it so that it doesn't break apart as easy but it also hydrates at the same time, and it does that with the malic acid as well as other ingredients like amino acids. I don't use this every single day because for some people if they have low porosity hair and they use protein treatments every day it can actually cause the hair to be brittle. I've never experienced that with this, that's why I love it because with other protein treatments my hair just gets even more brittle and breaks off and I'm like, I thought you were supposed to repair my hair and you just destroyed it. This is amazing. It is 200g, it's super inexpensive, it's a huge bottle. This isn't helping me regrow or grow my hair but I do think that it is helping my hair look long and shiny and it's preventing it from breaking which is great. I also feel like my hair is longer."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

Rogaine Minoxidil 5% Foam

"I think there's Rogaine Minoxidil 5% Foam, it's readily available, it's cheap, it's very effective. I love it. I love it for everyone, males and females. They should all use 5%. And there's this misunderstanding that if you use Minoxidil then when you stop your hair kind of drops. That's not the case. Think of it like fertilizer for your hair. So it keeps your hair strong and thick, and once you stop you'll go back to where you were supposed to be without the fertilizer."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Nutrafol Hair Growth Supplement

"I usually recommend Nutrafol."

✓Yay

63%Guru Score

Vegamore Scalp Serum

"This one is grow from vegamore"

~Mixed

70%Guru Score

Topicals Ingrown Hair Tonic

"This right here is new from Topicals and this is wonderful. I at first was using this on my legs and then I even started using it on my armpit. It's like a roller ball and what's special about this is that it has gentle exfoliating acids as well as niacinamide and zinc so it doesn't just help with the ingrown hairs but also helps with the discoloration that the ingrown hairs leave behind. This from Topicals is probably one of the least expensive most effective ingrown hair products that I could ever recommend."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Dyson Airwrap Long Complete Styler

"She recommended the Dyson hair dryer curler thingy. I think it's basically like a vacuum for your hair but it like curls it. She was telling me that it's the most amazing thing, apparently she used it to blow out her hair that morning and her hair looks great. The issue is that it's like 600. I do not want to pay full price for that. I am not going to get it unless it's on sale. I'm going to see if it actually works on my curly hair. I want to see if it actually works on my styled hair or on my hair naturally."

~Mixed

77%Guru Score

The INKEY List Caffeine Stimulating Scalp Treatment

"Even the Caffeine Stimulating Scalp Treatment I was using it on like a legit portion of my scalp, I didn't see much of a difference, that was disappointing."

✕Nay

75%Guru Score

Function of Beauty Customizable Shampoo and Conditioner

"Function of Beauty was nice for my hair, but I don't feel like it did anything for my hair loss."

✕Nay

69%Guru Score

The Ordinary Hair Care Shampoo

"I don't use a shaving cream, I use The Ordinary shampoo or conditioner depending on how my hair feels. I've actually been doing this for quite a while, not with The Ordinary but with other brands. I've tried so many different shaving creams and I haven't found any that I absolutely love. The shampoo is really great because you can see what you're doing, so if you're trying to see if you got all of the spots this is a great option. The ingredients are exactly the same as shaving cream ingredients, they're hydrators, they're moisturizers, they're lubricants that are supposed to help the razor glide so that you don't nick or cut your skin. These have been phenomenal for me, they're also very basic, there's no fragrances, there's no irritant, I absolutely love these."

✓Yay

62%Guru Score

The Ordinary Behentrimonium Chloride 2% Conditioner

"The conditioner I actually find to be wonderful. It really softens the hair and lets the razor glide smoothly. I use it more in my hair, I feel that it softens my armpits more. Either way, this is kind of my little shaving routine where I make sure that I go in the direction of the hair growth."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo

"This is the only dry shampoo that I like that doesn't get all gunky and crusty up in my scalp. It is living proof of a perfect hair day. It doesn't make my hair nasty, helps it stay oil-free, helps give it volume and it makes me look and feel my best. I am a super oily scalp lady but my hair being dark, it like shows up if there's any white powdery crusty stuff. No white powdery crusties."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Seen Shampoo and Conditioner Set

"Seen hair care is fantastic. They have a Shampoo and Conditioner Set that not only helps the scalp but doesn't cause breakouts, and it's non-comedogenic. Even if you get it on your skin or your body it doesn't cause breakouts."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The Ordinary Sulfate 4% Cleanser for Body and Hair

"This is basically the simplest shampoo that you could ask for, and it's basic af. It has sodium laureth sulfate, which they claim is a more gentle type of sulfate that doesn't overly strip the way other sulfates do, but this is honestly the exact same sulfate marketing that we've heard from so many other companies for so long. At eight dollars it's not horrible, and I do appreciate that it's fragrance free. I have to try this on my actual scalp, but based on the ingredients this seems quite simple. I don't know, it's nothing fancy but at least it doesn't have fragrance."

~Mixed

77%Guru Score

Nutrafol Women's Vegan Hair Growth Supplements

"I'm stocking up on Nutrafol Women's Vegan. I take these supplements, I love them, they've replaced a lot of my other supplements, but they're expensive."

✓Yay

Notverified

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density

"I also tried this from The Ordinary the Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density I just didn't see big results with this. A lot of people have said this is amazing for them maybe I didn't use it for enough months I just didn't see the biggest results so I might retry outing this or I might just say screw it."

✕Nay

69%Guru Score

Acne15 reviews

Peace Out Salicylic Acid Acne Healing Dots

"These are fantastic and I feel like these really do set themselves apart from everyone else. They specifically say on the back that they have a hydrocolloid polymer technology and the difference between these is that yes it has the hydrocolloid, yes it has a salicylic acid, this also has a retinoid in it. The retinol in here is fantastic, it's technically retinal acetate so it's not like definitely not a prescription, it's not what you're getting from the doctor, but to have a pimple patch that has a retinoid in it that actually works, this is great. I love these for adult acne if you get the whiteheads, if you get the blackheads that turn into the whiteheads, if you have breakout, these really do piece them out. The aloe vera in here is also hydrating so these don't dry out the skin. I just love these. They are a little bit more expensive so please take that with a grain of salt and keep that in mind. These don't have micro needling technology, but if you are looking for a flat invisible pimple patch that actually works and you've got the money for them, I would say that these are the best ones."

✓Yay

92%Guru Score

Starface Hydro-Star Microdots Plus Salicylic Acid Patches

"Starface does have salicylic acid hydrocolloid patches and I do like these slightly better now. The same issue that I had with the original I have with this, they don't stick perfectly. I really really like these though. These have salicylic acid in them, salicylic acid is an ingredient that actually kills acne bacteria and it works for oily prone skin. It goes into the pimple basically, helps dissolve the oil, and it really kills acne bacteria and helps exfoliate. These are not super powerful players. If you have a cystic pimple this is not going to help. If you have a gnarly zit this is not it. But if you want to feel good about your acne, if you want to embrace it and do something, treat it as long as it's not like a place that your hair is going to get caught in it and rip it off, these are really cute and really good. They just aren't the top players for me. They're really fun and good for like pre-teen breakouts, like the occasional period breakout, but if you've got gnarly pimples these might not be right for you."

~Mixed

60%Guru Score

Zitsticka Killa Micro-Dart Pimple Patches

"A pimple patch does not get rid of pimples completely. I would say it takes down the size, it reduces the color, and it actually has acne treatment, and the reason why is because it's two steps. All of these others are just like a pimple patch that you put on your face. These pimple patches are literally a treatment plus a patch. It comes with a little swipey thing you actually have to swipe the area clean and then apply the pimple patch with the micro needling dots. [...] It is not the cheapest pimple patch on the market, but this is my absolute favorite and it works so well for my blemishes. This has ingredients like salicylic acid that exfoliates the skin, uses the oil in your skin to access the pimple and kill bacteria, but this also has niacinamide to actually help with the little dark spots and pigmentation and oil control. This has peptides that actually speed up wound healing. None of these other patches have peptides that speed up wound healing. This also has hyaluronic acid, which is used in wound healing. I found that when I use hyaluronic acid my skin does heal faster. Hyaluronic acid is also a humectant, so it brings moisture into the skin instead of drying them out. These little micro darts are basically a delivery system. They pop into the skin, it doesn't hurt, but you can definitely feel it, and it goes into the skin and it dissolves and it gets rid of my pimples. [...] If you get the big deep zits, this is going to be your best bet. They're expensive, but they're more worth it. They have all of the beneficial ingredients that all of these other patches try to do."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution

"Salicylic acid, remember that's a BHA, that's oil soluble. The Ordinary has some fantastic ones that are really good."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Blemish Treatment

"Salicylic acid treatment from the INKEY List. A lot of people don't know that salicylic acid is anti-inflammatory. It's related to acetyl salicylic acid, AKA aspirin, and applied topically it can actually help to take down inflammation as well as exfoliate the scalp skin. And our scalp has a lot more sebaceous glands, basically those oil glands, than the rest of our body. These are great options if you feel like your scalp is inflamed."

✓Yay

65%Guru Score

Paula's Choice Clear Acne Body Spray

"From Paula's Choice this is the acne body spray if you do get acne and ingrown or if you have pseudofolliculitis on your butt like I did this summer this can be fantastic and you can use what's already in your cabinet or something that didn't work for your face and just put it on your legs or on your butt."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Dr.G R.E.D Blemish Clear Soothing Cream

"I use this like every day. The bottle has the label rubbed off on it because I use it that much. It's a sunscreen with zinc and avobenzene, SPF 50, and it layers beautifully over my vitamin C serum."

✓Yay

74%Guru Score

COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch

"COSRX has some of the best spot treatments. They actually have pimple patches that I use on my shoulder, and that's one I'd recommend if you are a picker. Don't pick it, patch it and baby it. The COSRX ones are good, though Korea doesn't actually make my favorite pimple patches. I have other pimple patches from American brands like Zit Sticka that I like a lot better, but if you wanted to keep it K Beauty, I would say COSRX has some of the better ones, even though they're not my favorite."

~Mixed

75%Guru Score

Starface Hydrocolloid Pimple Patches

"We love a real and honest celebrity who's okay to talk about their pimples and then being okay covering them up with a sticker that kind of draws attention to them. Justin Bieber uses Starface Pimple Patches and it's affordable, find him at Target. I love this."

✓Yay

58%Guru Score

The INKEY List Super Solutions 5% Benzoyl Peroxide

"Some of the best benzo peroxides for literally under 10 15 the inky list super Solutions the panoxyl benzyl peroxide it's a little bit more hydrating"

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The INKEY List Succinic Acid Acne Treatment

"The INKEY List actually creates two of my favorite spot treatments, one is the succinic acid spot treatment which is basically a little green leprechaun to kill blemishes on your face."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch Micropoint for Blemishes (Microdart)

"These are pimple patches with micro darts on them that have actual acne fighting ingredients. What's special about these is they have micro darts in them that actually dissolve inside of the skin. I have been testing out many different micro dart type of patches but I found that these have the firmest, most pointy patches that I know of that actually get the product into the skin and into the heart of the zit where it needs to go. I absolutely love these not only because they literally get rid of my pimples and the redness in record time faster than any other patch I've seen on the market but they come with two steps, one that's an actual little swipe that helps to clean the area and get any gunk off so that this can actually stick, and then this has the micro darts that literally put the ingredients into the skin. This specifically has salicylic acid, tea tree oil, and vitamin E, whereas the micro darts themselves are putting hyaluronic acid, Liga peptide 76, salicylic acid, and niacinamide into the skin. So yes it helps with active breakouts but also the redness and the discoloration that they can leave behind. If you've got an emergency pimple this is your answer."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Peach Slices Acne Spot Dots Hydrocolloid Patches

"Another favorite is this one from Peach Slices. These are just the plain acne hydrocolloid dots. You can get these at like Ulta, you can get them at Target. I did find them at CVS for like five dollars. All of these fit so well into a little stocking and these are absolutely so much fun."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Minimalist 2% Salicylic Acid Serum

"Recently I've been using this from Minimalist. It's salicylic acid because I have been breaking out."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Papa Recipe Blemish Serum

"This is a great serum, yes, but do I consider this a blemish buster? Shockingly no. Although I did use this and although I think this is safe for acne-prone skin, there aren't any ingredients in here that I really feel fight breakouts. I don't feel like this is for someone who is struggling with acne and looking to get into K Beauty. This is for somebody who wants hydration, maybe you get a couple of pimples around your cycle or maybe if you get stressed out. This is a good product and I love the size, but this did not fix my back acne. I would say this is a product that I skin cared but my skin didn't care."

~Mixed

Notverified

Body & Tan14 reviews

Dove Whole Body Deodorant

"This Dove one is the Vitare and this actually has vitamin B3 otherwise known as niacinamide and what's great about that is that [...] niacinamide can balance out our oil production which yes can also help in the armpits and anywhere else that you apply this. This also has hydrators like glycerin which are pretty nice. [...] I do like that this is baking soda free because I've actually found that my skin can be a little bit irritated by baking soda."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream

"Sol de Janeiro has a bum bum set and they're not full size, but this is decent. This is $32 for 1.7 fluid ounces of the bum bum cream and some extras. This is good if you're not allergic. I tried their pink spray and I broke out in a rash, and I looked at Amazon reviews and I'm not the only one. So I don't love it, but if you know someone who loves their butt, loves a good bum bum cream, or loves the smell of this, at $30 it's a pretty good deal."

~Mixed

63%Guru Score

Osea Undaria Algae Body Oil

"This is a fantastic get even rose oil that has a ton of antioxidants in it. I find that this one has a nice antioxidant boost and it plays well over many things. But it is fragranced, so just note that in case that's something you're worried about."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Versed Press Restart Gentle Retinol Body Lotion

"I use the Versed Retinol Body Cream, I use retinoids, I use caffeine creams, and that's what I do for any stretch marks or cellulite, and I really don't let it get to me the way it used to."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Necessaire Eucalyptus Body Wash

"I did use this one, the Necessaire Body Wash, because it's what's in my shower and I know my skin likes this. Now, this does have a little bit of lemon, a little bit of apple. I wouldn't necessarily recommend that. I would recommend the most basic cleanser and again, antibacterial. But this is what I had on hand."

~Mixed

75%Guru Score

Versed Backup Plan Acne Control Body Mist

"Versed Backup Plan Acne Control Body Mist is a spray with salicylic acid and it is so good. This is so easy to literally get your back with, and if you are someone who has a hard time reaching or getting those areas it sprays on you. You don't even need to rub it in. The salicylic acid uses that oil and basically dissolves inside of that oil to help get rid of that oil and get rid of blemishes at the same time. The salicylic acid is at two percent and it also has some tea tree, which is great for acne, and then there's also some licorice for a little bit of dark spot protection too. This is so good. I've had multiple of these and this is coming with me because I am going to spray my body, get this body acne back under control, and cool off while I do it."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Necessaire Body Serum

"This is a very interesting product with great ingredients and is wonderful to actually get hydration into the skin."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Nécessaire Multivitamin Body Lotion

"This looks really good and as long as you're not sensitive to some of those fragrances this works really well. I love necessary as a brand; they care about the environment and the people who use their products."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

Nécessaire Body Oil

"I like that he's using it. I like necessary as a brand. Follow whatever protocol you prefer."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

SkinFix Eczema Plus Hand Repair Cream

"This is the eczema hand repair cream. I don't think a lot of people realize how eczema can truly impact the entire body. This is such a great formula with phenomenal ingredients, and it has colloidal oatmeal which is a skin protectant. Most hand creams have drying alcohols or fragrance or they leave you overly greasy, but this does not do that. This actually does the job, it actually does the work, it is beautiful. The main ingredient is aloe, which we don't normally see as a main ingredient. This formula also has aloe, it has shea butter, this has sunflower, this has rice, sweet almond. It's super luxurious, it is super nourishing and it kind of melts into your skin and just protects it without leaving you sticky. I get a lot of hangnails, I wash my hands like fifty times a day on some occasions, and so I tend to get really dry cuticles and really dry nails. This is so hydrating and moisturizing, and I absolutely love this and it doesn't leave me oily."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Versed Firm Ground Retinol Body Lotion

"This has been phenomenal. Why did brands not put retinoids in body lotions sooner? I've worked with dermatologists who have sat there and told patients to mix just a pea-sized drop of their prescription strength retinoid in with some CeraVe and spread it on their body because it can help with anti-aging and it can help with a lot of skin conditions. This is a creamy emollient retinol body moisturizer and it's actually a decent amount for what you get and the price is not horrible. It's gentle enough that it actually works as like a body moisturizer but gives those benefits. My butt is glowy and my back is glowy as well, and I feel like this especially in combination with the cleansers has really been a game changer for me."

✓Yay

92%Guru Score

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Body Lotion

"The Neutrogena Hydro Boost body gel cream at 11.49 for 16 fluid ounces is substantially more product than the hand cream. The ingredients are almost identical—water, glycerin, isopropyl palmitate, petrolatum, dimethicone, cell alcohol, phenoxyethanol—but the body cream doesn't have the fragrance or the blue number one, which you wouldn't want in fissures on your hands anyway. At 72 cents per ounce versus 2.33 per ounce for the hand cream, the body cream is the much better value and performs the same function."

✓Yay

93%Guru Score

Topicals Slather Exfoliating Body Serum

"Topicals also has this body serum, which is also wonderful if you are struggling with pigmentation elsewhere on the body. This is really great, especially for dry elbows, legs, and knees."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

Peach & Lily KP Bump Boss Microderm Body Scrub

"I can get behind this physical exfoliant. I use this on my knees. I use this on my elbows. I even use it on my little shoulders because I get a lot of acne and like bumps here. I actually have some gnarly scars. The Bump Boss is one of my favorites. This is a physical exfoliant that also has chemical exfoliants in it, but it's gentle. It's creamy. I don't just use it on my eczema or my KP, but I also use it when I need to shave my legs and I've used it on those rough patches. It is a body thing. I haven't used it on my face yet, but I have fallen in love with this. This microderm scrub, it sold out within like 24 hours. And when I actually got my hands on it and started using it, I can see why. It is great for chicken skin."

✓Yay

Notverified

Lip13 reviews

Torriden Solid-In Ceramide Lip Essence

"This is one of the best Korean beauty products I've ever used, not just for lips but like Korean products in general. It's a ceramide lip product that is basically healing like Vaseline, it's soft like a nice lip butter, but it is hydrating like your favorite ceramide moisturizer. It doesn't goop up on the lips, it doesn't get stringy. I use this all day, has ceramides in it so it actually nourishes the lips, and it doesn't make your lips peel or sting. This is probably also the one that gives the most shine out of all the lip products. The other thing is that this lasts forever. Even if the glossiness and kind of the shine doesn't last all day, the hydration does. If you just put this on in the morning or even the night before, you have hydrated smooth lips for the entire day. And this doesn't leave you in that cycle of drying out the lips and like having to reapply this even more because you put the lip product on but then you feel like it's just making the issue worse. I love love love love love this. It's so inexpensive, I usually get it from Amazon, from Style Vana, or from Style Korean."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

The INKEY List Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm

"When I first put this on I didn't see any lip plumping. [...] I used this for about a month non-stop and I don't really know if it plumped my lips. It has the weirdest taste, like an oily Vaseline that kind of leaves a taste in the back of my throat. [...] It definitely makes my lips look good, it is non-irritating, it's really easy to use, easy to carry and travel with, and easy to buy and find at Sephora and Ulta. But I can't really say it plumped my lips, definitely not immediately. Even after a month, they were a little more hydrated I guess, but I don't know if they plumped a ton. [...] For the money it's a decent lip product, but I don't think it's revolutionary, and I would say that this is the least plumping out of all of them."

~Mixed

60%Guru Score

Dr. Dennis Gross DermInfusions Plump + Repair Lip Treatment

"The formula wise this is an excellent excellent product, it's just the actual applicator is not really my favorite and is it easy to use, eh, okay. But the price, the price babe. I could feel it plumping but it definitely didn't burn. I like that it's clear but I did notice that if I went outside the lines of my lips it would get a little bit red, not massively irritated."

~Mixed

72%Guru Score

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask

"Coconut oil can cause breakouts, which might explain some reviews where people are saying they got pimples around their lips. [...] The ingredients aren't revolutionary, and the whole thing is that they're saying it's a sleeping mask that hydrates and has vitamin C. I don't know if I want to pay $24 for that, and I'm also not going to because it's not cruelty-free. If you're someone who puts this on and you're [...] getting breakouts around your lips, or if you wake up with drier lips than when you started, that's something to consider. There's nothing toxic or dangerous in here, but there's nothing revolutionary either, and with the coconut oil I could see that causing breakouts for some people. [...] The hydrators and protectants don't seem that revolutionary, especially when we compare it to some other things on the market."

✕Nay

73%Guru Score

Tatcha Kissu Lip Serum

"When it comes to Tatcha, it is a little bit more clear and I have found that it's a little bit more lightweight. So if you don't want something that's thick like the Glow Recipe, or if you're like Laneige is even too thick for me and it just doesn't hydrate, Tatcha actually delivers here. It's lightweight, it's hydrating, and it's pretty. It's just a little bit more expensive, but this is a solid choice. If other people online have gotten breakouts around your lips or the Laneige leaves your lips drier, this generally does not do that."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Gloss Balm

"They've also got this Plum Plump Hyaluronic Gloss Balm and this is only $22. It's a little bit more translucent but it's also a little bit more sticky and this actually hydrates better in my opinion. When I put this on at night and I wake up in the morning my lips actually feel hydrated. It smells divine and it's light, it's not overbearing. This is clear, it's a little bit more sticky but this works so well and it actually keeps the lips hydrated. It has hyaluronic acid in here which is phenomenal for the lips. Hyaluronic acid doesn't suck moisture from the inside of your lips out; instead of hyaluronic acid being like a magnet it's more like velcro, it kind of creates a film and kind of locks things into the lips. This has plum so you got the vitamin C, this has hyaluronic acid, this has humectant. This is so much better for the lips and it's $22 instead of $24. The fact that this is cruelty-free made by two bad entrepreneurial women, actually has ingredients that are really fantastic for the lips and feels better for me, I would say that this is a better choice than Lage for the price."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Magic Lip Oil

"This is the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Lip Oil. Yes, it's expensive, yes. It's one of the lip products that actually has a ball on it, a roller, instead of just like one of those squeezy tubes. There are lip products like from Biosons that I like more, but when it comes to the hit and miss of Charlotte Tilbury, this one is a hit. Fun fact, this also has potato pulp extract."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

EltaMD UV Lip Balm Broad-Spectrum SPF 36

"I think I would recommend the Elta MD lip balm for daytime use. That's a really good one because it has SPF in it."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment

"Her lips look amazing. This looks like it works for her. I like that they have an unscented one so for people who struggle with angular cheilitis or perioral dermatitis you don't want fragrance or irritants in your lip products."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask

"I really really love the Bite lip products. Bite Beauty is fantastic. They have some amazing and innovating products and I love them so much. This is a great lip cream. Overall, if you have dry lips, especially post-Accutane, this is what I recommend if people are looking for a cruelty-free, a little bit more luxury option of a post-Accutane lip treatment. If you have super dry lips and skin, this stuff is amazing."

✓Yay

68%Guru Score

MD Solar Sciences Hydrating Sheer Lip Balm with SPF

"There's an MD Solar Sciences SPF 30 Lip Balm on the wishlist."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Dior Addict Lip Maximizer

"I don't use Dior anymore because I think they're an overpriced makeup brand. They're a designer that slapped their name on some really crappy makeup. Their eyeshadows are horribly pigmented. I used to have this lip gloss, an orange one, and I spent a ridiculous amount of money on it. It wasn't that great—it was really sticky. But you know what, it looks great on her and the color is very pretty, so it wasn't as bad as the eyeshadows."

✕Nay

61%Guru Score

MIXSOON Vegan Melting Lip Balm

"These are literally a vegan melting lip butter and what's amazing about this is that even though it's in a stick form you apply it like a stick but it ends up feeling ultra hydrating almost like you applied a lip oil. That's the best way I could describe this is like a stick lip oil. It goes on like a stick so it's really easy to control, really easy to apply, but when you have it on it melts down into like this butter consistency and it's not a greasy butter, it's not an overwhelming butter. What I love about this color version is yes it's still vegan, and because it's in a stick you can actually decide exactly where you want it to go so like if you wanted to give yourself one of those little fake lip filler type looks with a nice little Cupid's bow, it's basically a lip balm that you have that control over. This is perfect for your no makeup makeup days. It has a little bit of a tint to it, like it's not a lipstick but it works so well and I find that I don't have to constantly reapply this."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Powder & Setting5 reviews

MAC Fix+ Setting Spray

"I used to use MAC Fix+ and I spent way too much money on it."

✕Nay

68%Guru Score

Rare Beauty Setting Spray

"Selena Gomez put on the Rare Beauty spray which is a makeup setting spray which makes sense for post concealer."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

The Ordinary 100% Niacinamide Powder

"The Ordinary Niacinamide Powder—I bought the hype when this came out. I thought it was amazing and I used it for months and then almost a year. It made my skin irritated, it made my skin burn. We've got an entire video of that debacle, and it was so difficult for me because I expected better from The Ordinary. I was excited about the brand, and I realized I was a victim of consumer marketing. Just the way your best friend can disappoint you, there can be products from a favorite brand that do not do your skin justice. The reason that The Ordinary launched some of their powdered formulas like the vitamin C is because vitamin C is unstable—you can mix it yourself, you know, kind of have a little fun with it. However, the niacinamide powder is stable. There's no reason it irritated my skin, but it irritates most people's skin. You shouldn't be using niacinamide at 100 percent, and most of the efficacy we see in formulations that are two to ten percent. Why do overkill? This one is a hard pass, even if it is on sale."

✕Nay

50%Guru Score

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Setting Spray

"This is a makeup refreshing spray. It's definitely more of a makeup product. We have water, cyclopentyloxane, dimethicone, propandial, witch hazel water, alcohol, etc. It's one of your makeup setting sprays but just as Shea shows, you can use this before or after your makeup—after to set it or before to kind of prep it. There's nothing super glittery in here which I appreciate. I also feel like if this is what Rihanna uses and this is what gets her skin the glow then I probably should also drink it. I'm kidding, I'm not gonna drink it. You know I just always thank Brianna."

✓Yay

69%Guru Score

Rare Beauty Always an Optimist Pore Diffusing Primer

"I do have this and I actually do like this. This is a primer that's unlike any other that I've tried. It's not sticky, it's almost dry touch, but it almost feels like Vaseline as it goes onto the skin. I wouldn't say that it covers scars or texture very well, which is why I like the CeraVe one better for my blemished and scarred skin, but this is actually a decent one and the price is not horrible. Now for me, is this primer good? Sure. But is it absolutely wonderful, magnificent? No, not for me. I would prefer a sunscreen that kind of doubles up as a primer."

~Mixed

79%Guru Score

Tools5 reviews

Solawave 4-in-1 Radiant Renewal Skincare Wand

"I use a very fun LED wand, kind of overpriced but it's good for travel, the SolaWave. I used it on my burn and you can't even see my burn anymore. LED has some promises but can I not just like move a face mask around and just use it there instead? Do I need to spend $150 on this? Either way I'm going to use this every single day for as long as I physically can before my final two brain cells combust and we're going to see if my real life results actually match what they're claiming on the box."

✓Yay

52%Guru Score

Clean Skin Club Clean Towels XL

"The Clean Skin Club biodegradable makeup wipes, they're extra large, they're really good, and I feel like they actually get the makeup off my face and don't leave a film. But as with any makeup wipe, they're always going to leave some gunk behind, it's not the same as cleansing your face."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

SolaWave Red Light Wand

"The Solawave is something I didn't think was going to work, but it's about the size of a pen and it charges very conveniently. I was able to take it with me and I shoved it on my burn to make my burn heal faster, and damn does this thing work. When testing it out, it's the right wavelength. It actually penetrates into the skin, whereas the FOREO absolutely does not."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

Hero Cosmetics Dark Spot Brightening Lightning Wand

"This is a dark spot brightening serum that brightens and smooths with vitamin C, niacinamide, and tranexamic acid. Here we have ascorbic acid so our vitamin C, we have tranexamic acid, niacinamide, licorice, willow bark, turmeric. Basically like anything that could possibly help with dark spots right in there, put it in there. That's a cool color too. The formula is bomb. I really think this is a cool product. Everything that you can think of to treat hyperpigmentation it's pretty much in here."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Nurse Jamie Uplift Facial Massage Roller

"I tried and I bought and I loved the Nurse Jamie roller. It is really, really good and it's way better than the Jade ones."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Balms & Ointments3 reviews

Vaseline Original Healing Jelly

"Plain Vaseline or a silicone based gel and a patch that are much better for scar revision and scar healing for wounds"

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Neosporin Neosporin

"Neosporin is actually not great for wounds. Number one, it slows down wound healing, and number two, it can actually cause bacterial resistance, which makes treating wounds harder overall. Doctors and derms that I've worked with literally say do not use Neosporin on open wounds. There are other antibacterial cleansers that are way better, and wound dressings or even just plain Vaseline or a silicone-based gel and a patch that are much better for scar revision and scar healing for wounds. [...] It can be absorbed into the bloodstream."

✕Nay

31%Guru Score

Aquaphor Healing Ointment Advanced Therapy

"Good old salimo jelly aka vegan vaseline or petrolatum jelly is excellent and as an occlusive barrier it can actually prevent your skin from losing more moisture which often happens with a damaged skin barrier, so stopping the irritation and then preventing that from worsening is excellent."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

Foundation3 reviews

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20

"This is a gorgeous, good product. However, I believe this is being used as a sunscreen. The Laura Mercier product is an SPF 20, which is great if you're putting it on top of a regular sunscreen, but look at the small amount used. While that's a perfect amount for makeup, it's not giving us the SPF 20 that we need, and unless we're reapplying this throughout the day, we need a good SPF 30 underneath this. A makeup product with sunscreen in it is not enough. You need to use a large amount of dedicated sunscreen, like two to three finger swipes, all over the face. The product itself is gorgeous and good, but the application as sun protection is concerning."

~Mixed

64%Guru Score

Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation

"I know how this foundation works on me just straight out of the tube, so I'm going to compare straight out of the tube like I usually use it to how it works when it is froth. When I tried it froth with water, it felt cold and wet and like a lot of foundation. I thought it was going to be lightweight when you froth something, but it didn't feel that way. It started out drying down beautifully with a velvet finish, but it creased really badly. After just a few hours, my greasy skin came through in my T-Zone and I was flaking and dry and patchy. On textured skin, I can still see my texture, my little blemishes are still popping up, and it's not covering very well. I cannot recommend this to anybody. This is not something that I will do again."

✕Nay

64%Guru Score

Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation

"This is a lightweight foundation that's really good for every day, but if you do have a lot of redness to the skin or if you do have acne that you're trying to cover up, this just is not my personal favorite. Is it good? Absolutely. Is it an absolute cult must-have? No. I do like the packaging because it's very minimal. I love that it's vegan and cruelty free. The ingredients in here are not bad. But you know, is it my go-to foundation? Honestly, I like stuff with sunscreen now, so no. A little bit goes a long way with this, but I don't feel like a little bit actually goes a long way. I feel like this is a lightweight foundation."

~Mixed

73%Guru Score

Concealer2 reviews

Live Tinted Concealer

"Deepa has a brand called Live Tinted and they launched a concealer that I've been testing out. At first when I tried it I was like is it a little too lightweight, like is it really going to cover my blemishes? It's actually been working out really well. I like it on my little pimples that pop up but also for my under eyes because it has ingredients that yes can help with acne prone skin but also help with darkness from pigmentation. So if you have blemishes that leave behind little like red or purple patches or if you have dark under eyes, this formula it's $24 but it has niacinamide, it has vitamin C, and it has bakuchiol, which is basically a plant-based alternative to this potent stuff. So if we have a concealer that's working as a legitimate skincare treatment product with niacinamide to help me control oil, and then if you're using a concealer it's going to be a lot more lightweight than a foundation, and makeup doesn't clog everybody's pores but if you're struggling with acne and you're packing on the makeup and you think that it's clogging your pores it might be doing that for you. So this concealer is great."

✓Yay

90%Guru Score

Rare Beauty Concealer in 100W

"I have that concealer and I've tried it a few times. It's actually a really good concealer if you use it right, and it goes flawlessly over the Murad sunscreen."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

Eye Makeup2 reviews

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum

"The Lash and Brow Serum is constantly selling out and I've heard amazing things about it. The thing is, the Lash and Brow Serum is not a prostaglandin the way that Latisse is, so for some people who have been having concerns about their eye serums, if you don't know the concerns about lash growth serums and how it's like making people's faces have under eye bags, the Ordinary's doesn't do that because it's not a prostaglandin science. But if the Lash and Brow Serum is in stock, it's already inexpensive, it's affordable, and I've heard that it works really well."

✓Yay

68%Guru Score

Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara

"I know that this is a new mascara and I think I might have to get my hands on this. I love that they actually tested it on different lashes because mascara works very differently for those different people. Hearing that it's like an all-in-one kind of scares me, but I do think that we should have different mascaras for people with straight lashes versus curly lashes versus people who just want color versus people who want volume versus people who want length. It's nice when you see a celebrity that creates a line that actually cares. I don't agree with all the products and they don't all work for me, but like she actually gives a damn about her products and that's really unusual and really refreshing."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Blush & Bronzer1 review

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Glow Glide Face Architect Highlighter

"These new Hollywood highlighters are so exciting. They bring me back to the Becca champagne pop days without the drama without the disasters and with phenomenal formulas. There is literally one called champagne glow which looks so similar to the champagne pops but it's a little bit less pinky, so it works for more skin tones. They are absolutely beautiful and while these are makeup not skincare, these lay themselves so well under any skincare you put them on. Some powders aren't pressed or aren't created with a lot of quality and if those powders kind of gum up and ball up they tend to almost like pill or peel on the skin, but this does not do this. This is absolutely gorgeous, it's just the right amount of glow and they are absolutely beautiful. I absolutely see these selling off shelves just the way the champagne pop did. I actually like this better than the champagne pop because while it is gorgeous it doesn't have that overly pinky tone to it, so if you wanted to add a blush to this and layer them you totally could or if you just want to use this on its own like as a pop for your eyeshadow or a little bit above your Cupid's bow to give your lips more of a pout you absolutely can. I love this so much and Charlotte Tilbury has done it again."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Nails1 review

Kiss Press-On Nails

"I naturally have very short nails and I need them for doing facials, for rock climbing, for playing piano. I can literally take them on and pop them off. They are my favorite. It's a five minute manicure and they always look perfect. They don't chip, they don't get scraggly or like there's no polish that can kind of get dented or chip. These are my absolute favorites. They have like a limited edition floral set that I've really been loving. I honestly don't know if I'm ever going to go back to regular manicures. They're already really inexpensive, like eight to ten dollars for a little pack, and you get 30 instead of just ten. If you are the right size you can do them literally three times. So good and so inexpensive."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

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