Mad About Skin: 461 skincare products reviewed

Every review.

All 461 products Mad About Skin 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

Serums159 reviews

Medik8 Liquid Peptides Advanced MP+ Serum

"My current go-to when it comes to growth factors is the Medicate Liquid Peptides Advanced. I love this product because it contains bio-engineered skin compatible growth factors. These are the ones that are already present in our body and so the skin recognizes them as a friend, welcomes them in and you get those super quick results."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Geek & Gorgeous Power Peptides Pro Collagen Multi Peptide Serum

"I love the Geek and Gorgeous Power Peptides. This is a bit of an unsung hero in the peptide field. This actually contains four key peptides which have been specifically chosen for their ability to boost collagen and elastin production. If you're looking for your peptides to be primarily anti-aging, the Geek and Gorgeous Power Peptides is honestly stunning, one of the best formulas on the market."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Remedy Copper Peptide Complex Advanced Firming Serum

"I also am a big fan of the Remedy Copper Peptide Serum. Again, has multiple different peptides alongside those copper peptides, too, which is why this is so so effective."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Geek & Gorgeous All Clear Azelaic Acid

"If you're looking for a real high quality high strength azelaic acid, Geek and Gorgeous came through in 2026 with 15% pure form azelaic acid in the right pH to deliver maximum results. Beautiful formulation that layers with all other actives. It's affordable. It is stunning. I love it so much I actually covered it in a whole separate video. That video kind of went semi viral and I know that literally hundreds of people have bought this on the back of that video. I know that people are loving it and getting great results."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Allies of Skin Azelaic & Kojic Advanced Clarifying Serum

"This is a wonderful product because it contains [kojic] acid, which is one of the best brightening ingredients. If you're looking to minimize hyperpigmentation, it really targets stubborn hyperpigmentation. [Kojic] acid is one of the best out there, and it uses a 1% concentration in this alongside the azelaic acid in a 10% concentration and some other great brightening agents. This is clever formulating using the azelaic acid as the key ingredient, but supplementing it with other things that are going to help specifically with hyperpigmentation that will, as [kojic] acid is also anti-acne, have some great benefits there too. It's not the cheapest product out there, but if you can push to the Allies of Skin pricing, you're going to get great great results from this."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3%

"I'm going to go in with some of this, the Ordinary Resveratrol. I think resveratrol is one of the best antioxidants to also use alongside vitamin C because resveratrol is fantastic at minimizing the risk of sun-induced hyperpigmentation. It's got some anti-inflammatory benefits. It's also going to prevent oxidative stress which free radicals, things like certain UV wavelengths of light, particulate matter, hit our skin, stress it out and this can only trigger premature aging but can also trigger inflammation which can then lead to hyperpigmentation. So I think using a potent antioxidant like resveratrol is a really great way of just adding a little extra to your existing hyperpigmentation routine and sort of future-proofing the skin against further hyperpigmentation, which I'm all about. I'm doing a lot of work to eradicate the hyperpigmentation I already have, but I want to prevent it from reoccurring. And resveratrol is one of those great ingredients to do just that."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%

"The Ordinary 10% [azelaic] acid suspension is not the most elegant application; it can feel a little grainy and gritty, which is just what traditional [azelaic] acid does. But it will definitely deliver you the results. It's got 10% of that traditional form of [azelaic] acid, and it will really pack a punch."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Naturium Azelaic Acid Emulsion 10%

"Naturium used this derivative form of azelaic acid in a 10% strength all along, but they badged it as pure azelaic acid by omitting the whole derivative narrative in the title or on the front of the bottle. When it comes to regulations around ingredients and transparency, they ticked all the boxes, but they didn't tick the box when it comes to public opinion and what people expect. This is really misleading because it's selling something that the product just does not contain."

✕Nay

81%Guru Score

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic

"One of the biggest misses in this category was SkinCeuticals themselves. A lot of the time their CE Ferulic already arrived oxidized. The brand came out and said not to worry, it's not dangerous for the skin and it'll still work, but it won't work as well as people want it to. If you're spending £120 on a vitamin C serum, you better believe that's fresh and free from oxidation the second it lands on your doorstep."

✕Nay

77%Guru Score

Allies of Skin Beta Glucan and Resveratrol Advanced Hydrating Serum

"For the longest time I've reached for this, my personal favorite, the Allies of Skin Beta Glucan and Resveratrol Advanced Hydrating Serum. I think this is the most advanced plumping serum you are ever going to find. If your budget stretches to Allies of Skin, honestly you will get the best results, drenching you in hydration, plumping out wrinkles and just giving you the nicest finish to the skin. It also acts really well as a primer under makeup. I love this, absolutely phenomenal, but not for everyone's budget."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5%

"Something like The Ordinary five percent lactic acid or ten percent are a really great option to reach for. They're super gentle, but they'll still remove some of those dead skin cells a bit quicker so you won't be feeling tight, sensitive, or irritated, and the lactic acid is going to hydrate too, so it offsets some of that dryness."

✓Yay

91%Guru Score

NIOD Modulating Glucosides Serum

"The NIOD Modulating Glucosides is one of the best of these serum style moisturizers for super sensitive skin. I love it. It's slightly thicker than the others, so it's great if you have a more dryness prone skin type but still want something lightweight. The modulating glucosides in here are fantastic if you have an impaired barrier function or really sensitive skin, it's a savior. I keep it on hand for when I have irritation, shaving rash, or if I've overdone it with an active, and after a couple of nights everything is restored to equilibrium. You can even use it as your moisturizer at the end of your routine. If you don't have sensitive skin you're probably better off going for one of the other ones since they're cheaper and slightly lighter weight, but if you have sensitive skin, honestly, the NIOD Modulating Glucoside is the best that you will try."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

Remedy Intense Hydration Multi-Depth Moisture Advanced Hydrating Serum

"This is Remedy's Intense Hydration Multi-Depth Moisture Advanced Serum, and this is great. If you're looking to streamline your routine, this takes the place of both your moisturizer and your hyaluronic acid serum, and it works out cheaper, I think it's about eighteen dollars. It has hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid and saccharides, plus beta glucan which is one of the best deep level hydrators, also calming, soothing and a great antioxidant. The blend of different hydrating agents in here is unmatched. This is quite honestly the nicest serum when it comes to lightweight yet meaningful hydration, it's a gel that leaves the nicest finish, not sticky, not tacky, and you can even keep it in the fridge for extra cooling. I've fallen in love with it."

✓Yay

93%Guru Score

Anua Azelaic Acid 10% Hyaluron Redness Soothing Serum

"I won't be using the Anua azelaic acid serum and I won't be shopping with Anua at all, because I think there are deeper issues with the brand rather than just this azelaic acid serum. They used a salt form of azelaic acid at a much higher pH than traditional azelaic acid, and they hid that reformulation until a cosmetic formulator called them out on it, which tells me they didn't actually believe it was a superior product. I don't think it's completely worthless, I think it will still deliver some results, especially when it comes to brightening the skin, but I think those results are limited compared to traditional forms of azelaic acid that have decades of studies behind them for hyperpigmentation, dark spots, melasma, redness, and acne scarring. It comes down to trust for me, and Anua have blown it by not being transparent about their formula, so I don't have faith in them to deliver quality and I personally won't be buying from them."

✕Nay

65%Guru Score

Medik8 Advanced Pro Collagen Peptide Cream

"I have lost count of how many times I've recommended this on the channel because it is genuinely my favorite moisturizer. It's classed as a moisturizer but it's so much more, it's got peptides, growth factors and anti-glycation agents, so it steps things up in terms of anti-aging. It's the nicest, richest cream you will ever use. I have oily, acne prone skin and it doesn't break me out, but it gives a meaningful hydration, and it doesn't leave you sticky and greasy, it's my summer go to because it's super fresh and lightweight. It isn't the cheapest product, but if you see it as a moisturizer, an anti-aging cream, a peptide cream and a growth factors cream all in one, that's quite a lot, so if you're streamlining this is a really nice option to go for."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Numbuzin 5+ Vitamin Niacinamide Concentrated Pads

"They also do the Vitamin NMI Concentrated Pads in that same line, toner pads you dab onto the skin. They're super concentrated, and I love that they come in pad form since it mixes things up from applying serum after serum. Because they contain glutathione, you can stick a pad onto an area of hyperpigmentation, leave it on for ten minutes, then wipe the rest across the face, and that ten minute contact gives you elevated results I don't think you can get from a serum. This is a real stunning product and I don't think I've ever seen anything else like it on the market."

✓Yay

66%Guru Score

Numbuzin No.5 Glutathione Vitamin Concentrated Serum

"This is the best way of kicking off a hyperpigmentation routine. I don't use it every day because I feel it works best if you use it for about a month and then move on to maintenance, and it'll tackle your hyperpigmentation within a month if you're consistent with it. It comes with two vials, each lasting two weeks, so a month's worth of product. I use it as a one month flash fix to get on top of things, and I'd say it's the strongest hyperpigmentation serum that exists on the Korean skincare market."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Medik8 Oxy-R Peptides

"This is the Medik8 Oxy-R Peptides. I love this. [...] You get two vials that stay separated as powder and liquid to keep them fresh, [...] you push it down, [...] shake it, and [...] the actives mix so you can use it. One vial lasts two weeks, so you get [...] a month's supply. This is the best glow up hyperpigmentation fighting booster you will ever use. Once a year, usually [...] for the whole month of August, I use this antioxidant powered brightening system to turbocharge my hyperpigmentation, and by the time September comes around it's breaking apart. You can use it [...] year round, but I don't think I need to, it works so well I just use it for the month of August."

✓Yay

93%Guru Score

d'Alba White Truffle First Spray Serum

"This is an oil and traditional toner in one, you need to give this a really good shake, emulsify it, bring it together, spritz that and you'll get that dose of hydration, [...] calm and soothe. [...] I was a skeptic when I first tried it because I don't like a lot of oils in my skincare routine, but that just gets it right, oily without being greasy. [...] Keep it in the fridge for the ultimate cooling. I'd say it's probably best for hydration, and I use this if I need extra hydration."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Beauty of Joseon Light On Serum: Centella + Vitamin C

"This is a stabilized vitamin C, so it doesn't oxidize and has a super long shelf life, with centella asiatica, and using vitamin C and centella together gives you four times the additional collagen versus using vitamin C on its own. If you are using vitamin C for its anti-aging, this is the one that you should be using, it's a one and done, really potent. It's somewhere in the region of about £13, it doesn't get more affordable than this."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Frankly PDRN Bounce Ball Serum

"PDRN is the most popular ingredient in Korean skincare right now, but you need to be careful of concentrations, some serums have a ridiculously low concentration meaning it's not going to do a whole lot, you need a [...] high concentration to get those anti-aging benefits, boost collagen and elastin and smooth out wrinkles, and that's what you get with this one. It comes as a little ball of PDRN suspended in a hydrating serum that you shake to activate, and it gives you the nicest plumping, [...] my skin drinks it up. [...] It's the plump, it's the hydration, it's the long-term anti-aging, it's just the most beautiful beautiful product. I went through the last one in about a month because I was so lavish with it, I loved it so much. There's no stickiness, it sinks in and gives all that anti-aging goodness, [...] plumping and hydration."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Remedy Healthy Aging Firming Advanced Serum Stick

"The Remedy copper peptide serum retails for $35, which I think is a really fair price point for a copper peptide. It contains a 1% concentration of pure copper peptide alongside other pro-collagen peptides like argireline, plus ectoin, one of my favorite barrier-boosting, calming and soothing ingredients, and great stabilizers, so it's going to have a long shelf life. The texture is smooth, beautiful, buttery, and doesn't leave any weight on the skin, unlike some copper peptides that can feel tacky and sticky. Remedy recommend using it twice a day, morning and evening, which I think is the right approach to get maximum results, and used consistently it's going to boost collagen and elastin, minimize fine lines and wrinkles, boost glow and luminosity, and give hydration and plumping. However, it does contain hyaluronic acid and polyglutamic acid, so if you're sensitive to those it's a firm pass. The copper peptides in here also aren't encapsulated, so you need to be careful with layering. I wouldn't use this in the same routine as a vitamin C serum, an exfoliating acid, or tretinoin, though it can be used alongside Remedy's own vitamin C. I'd definitely say the Remedy one is on a par if not slightly better than The Ordinary copper peptide, bringing a great formulation at an affordable price point. I'm going to award this a solid nine out of ten, almost perfect, just be mindful of how you layer and pair it."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Naturium Multi-Peptide Advanced Serum

"I love the Naturium multi-peptide serum, copper peptides encapsulated alongside other great peptides in a full blend. It's super inexpensive, and the encapsulation makes it really easy to incorporate and layer both in a morning and on an evening."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow 15% Vitamin C Serum

"If you can't access the Remedy, then the Sea Glow by Geek and Gorgeous is also a really nice option. It's in my opinion standout, head and shoulders above the rest of the vitamin C industry. Remedy is my personal favorite, but this is definitely a great option if you can't get Remedy."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Remedy Daily Defense Vitamin C Serum

"My personal favorite is this again by Remedy, and the price point is divine. This is a 15% stabilized vitamin C that also contains ferulic acid, which is going to turbocharge the results you see from that vitamin C. You've also got DNA repair enzymes, which is quite an innovative ingredient collection that's really emerging in skincare, and it contains ectoin, which is the best calming and soothing barrier supporting ingredient. This is a powerhouse and I absolutely love it. I know depending on where in the world you are will depend on how easy it is to access this, but I think it's the best if you can get your hands on it."

✓Yay

93%Guru Score

Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide

"Combines centella asiatica and stabilized vitamin C. Centella is great for calming and soothing, vitamin C boosts luminosity, provides antioxidant protection, and at the margins can help fade hyperpigmentation. Used together, a recent study showed that vitamin C and centella asiatica in the same formula quadruples the amount of additional collagen produced versus using vitamin C on its own. You could swap out a standalone vitamin C serum for this and still get the calming and soothing from the centella while maintaining your vitamin C results. It comes in a convenient pump and is really inexpensive, often around 11 or 12, though price can differ retailer to retailer."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster

"The Paula's Choice Azelaic Acid Booster was one of the first products to come out with an azelaic acid emulsion. When it hit shelves, people noticed that even at only 10% they got a lot more prickling with it than with some of their other higher strength options, because this 10% azelaic acid is actually delivering a full 10% azelaic acid result thanks to its bioavailability. It's phenomenal and holds a special place in my heart because it led the way as one of the first emulsions on the market. It isn't the cheapest product out there, and there are some other more affordable options on the market."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Theramid 15% Azelaic Acid Treatment

"This is a 15% azelaic acid emulsion. A lot of people who tried it after it was recommended said they couldn't believe how smooth it is, with no chalkiness and no gritty or grainy feeling, because the azelaic acid is worked into the formula as an emulsion rather than sitting in suspension without delivering full results. You get a little more prickling and sensitivity on initial application because it's so bioavailable, but it feels beautiful on the skin, glides on, and spreads almost like butter. It was the true revelation point, proof that azelaic acid can feel good on the skin and apply beautifully."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Medik8 Exo-PDRN Prismatic Plus Youthful Vitality Serum

"This is the Medik8 Exosome PDRN Prismatic Plus. I am cheap, drugstore to my core, and I hate overpaying for skin care, but irrespective of price it just delivers better than anything else I've found. It's almost like a three-in-one serum: it has exosomes that help the other ingredients in your routine penetrate more effectively, a high dose of vegan PDRN for boosting collagen and elastin and minimizing fine lines and wrinkles, and a subtle glow-up effect that builds over time without looking greasy or oily. One pump twice a day is enough, applied straight after cleansing, and it dries down leaving just a touch of hydration, not sticky or tacky. A single bottle lasted four to five months. It does come with a slightly higher price point than previous years' picks, but I see it as a three-in-one serum so that justifies the spend. I've definitely seen plumpness, hydration, increased glow and luminosity, and minimized fine lines and wrinkles. This was an absolute no-brainer for my favorite new serum, and the innovation and technology in it is unparalleled."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Bellflower Ectoin 3% Serum

"A great alternative to the Face Theory ectoin serum is the Bellflower ectoin. It has the same great lightweight finish and the same great concentration of that key ectoin ingredient, and it works just as well. You can really use these two interchangeably depending on what's most accessible wherever you live."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

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

"I was really excited to try the D'Alba Double Serum All-in-One Multi Balm because so many of you recommended it. The inner core is a vitamin C serum and the outer core is a hydrating balm, it isn't greasy but it is hydrating. [...] You can put it under the eye to depuff, it'll be plumping and hydrating and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. There's a touch of fragrance to it but [...] barely there. It's great as a vitamin C for [...] brightness but also has a lot of that hydrating balm component. I put this under the eye on an evening and when I wake up my under eye is a lot smoother. [...] You can also use it on dry areas like the corners of the lips or laughter lines, [...] it'll plump them out and minimize the appearance. [...] It's a nice all-rounder, and it's still a balm in this heat, so that's a big tick in the box. [...] I'm not going to say it's a game changer cuz it's not, but it's one of those products I like to have on hand for when I have a little dryness."

✓Yay

Notverified

Timeless 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum

"Timeless Vitamin C uses ascorbic acid but they've changed their packaging to make it truly airless and airtight, which minimizes oxidation and slows it right down. You'll get about 5 months to use this product before it oxidizes versus a standard packaged vitamin C. It's [...] super inexpensive and budget friendly, showing that if you want advanced vitamin C results, you don't have to break the bank."

✓Yay

71%Guru Score

Allies of Skin 20% Vitamin C Brighten & Firm Serum

"Allies of Skin Vitamin C 20% uses ethylated ascorbic acid stabilized vitamin C to maximize shelf life. I love this formula because it's one of the quickest acting you will ever find. They've recently reformulated and tweaked it to make it even better, with the new version containing additional brightening ingredients. It fades hyperpigmentation in as little as 2 weeks, proving that ethylated ascorbic acid works far better than traditional ascorbic acid because it isn't oxidized and you can enjoy the longevity of use while still delivering all that great benefit."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

NIOD Ethylated L-Ascorbic Acid 30% Network

"Neod Ethylated Ascorbic Acid Network is my personal favorite stabilized form of vitamin C. Neod really led the way when it came to ascorbic acid in stabilized form and was one of the first brands to come out with this form of vitamin C. They genuinely believe it delivers and is best for the consumer. Sales have skyrocketed as people are realizing that ethylated ascorbic acid is the way forward when it comes to a really well formulated, easy to use vitamin C option that you're not racing through to finish."

✓Yay

69%Guru Score

Remedy Clear Serum

"The pore size serum I love because it's one of the few products that actually works. Many brands claim to help shrink pores but none of them ever do. This actually did work for me. You do have to be consistent, using it twice a day morning and evening for a couple of months, and that's when you'll see results but they will come. Because you need such a little amount and only apply it to areas with enlarged pores like across the nose, one bottle will last four or five months, making it really cost effective. By the time you've used one bottle you will have seen so many results that you will be compelled to buy another. I'm on bottle three or four and can't see myself using any other pore reducing product."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

Allies of Skin CE15 Brightening & Firming Oil

"This is one of the quickest acting vitamin Cs you'll ever find. If you're impatient and want the glow up, want to fade hyperpigmentation, and want to boost collagen, this will do it for you. The old formula worked in as little as two weeks to help get on top of hyperpigmentation. The new formula is if anything a little bit quicker and they've used citrus cells additional to the existing formula to boost everything. It is one of the best vitamin Cs you will ever use. If you have two or three weeks until you need to be glowing for your holiday or for a big event and don't have time to waste, get this. It will deliver that in that short space of time. Genuinely stunning."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

NIOD Survival 0

"This is slightly heavier in terms of its application than that Dr. Maxin one. Gives a little bit more moisture and more hydration. And whilst it doesn't have the acid or the niacinamide in it, it does have other beneficial antioxidants. [...] A beautiful, stunning, stunning product that has 15 different antioxidants all blended together to give you like maximum protection. I've loved this for the longest time. It's also really inexpensive. I think it's currently about £20, so one of the cheapest products from Neod and honestly, one of the best. I don't think you can go wrong with it, especially if you want a slightly heavier serum, one that's going to give a little bit more hydration than the Dr. Maxin, which is super super lightweight."

✓Yay

97%Guru Score

Torriden Vitamin C Cell Amazing Brightening Ampule

"I'm going to call out this, which is the Torriden Vitamin C Cell Amazing Brightening Ampule. The reason this is different and why I would say it's innovative is it has five different forms of vitamin C altogether in one product. So if you're somebody that's tired of the argument that goes around in the skincare community of pure form vitamin C versus derivative and then on top of that which is the best derivative, it all seems a little bit too confusing. Just opt for this. Genuinely does it all. Five different forms of vitamin C all together in the one serum. It just offers something a little bit different that I haven't seen other brands doing. It'll brighten the skin. It definitely fades hyperpigmentation and it feels beautiful, too. Super affordable. No notes. I just think it delivers."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Paula's Choice 7% Ectoin Booster

"The Paula's Choice one is a favorite of mine but it comes with a high price point."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Timeless Coenzyme Q10 Serum

"The Timeless Coenzyme Q10 Serum is great because it's a two-in-one serum. It's super affordable in its own right, but when you think it's replacing two other serums in your routine, that's when it becomes really affordable and effective. It contains coenzyme Q10, the absolute best antioxidant on the market. I would recommend everyone has an antioxidant in their skincare routine because it helps prevent free radical damage and minimize the risk of premature aging. Coenzyme Q10 has always been my favorite because it not only acts as an antioxidant, it also provides the energy our cells need for regeneration, keeping everything healthy and in tip-top condition. There's high-dose coenzyme Q10 in here, and it's super inexpensive. But what makes this really special is it's got Matrixyl 3000 in it, which is one of the best anti-aging peptides. Matrixyl 3000 is usually available from a number of different brands, costing something like 20 to 25 dollars around the 20 price point. So if you're thinking you're getting that almost free in this serum, this is an antioxidant serum that also has like a 20 dollar matrixyl serum thrown in for free. That's why it's really special."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum

"No. I mean, the Korean skincare market has some phenomenal water creams, which I absolutely love, that are cruelty-free and offer more calming and soothing benefits than this."

✕Nay

66%Guru Score

Cetaphil Future Renew Damage Reversal Serum

"Seeker for calming groundbreaking. You know what I mean? Like what are we trying to do here?"

✕Nay

69%Guru Score

Haruharu Wonder Rose PDRN Firming Serum

"The firming has retinoids in. [...] I would only say my caution with this is it's mid-strength retinol. So if you're new to retinol, this is a great option. If like me, you're already established as a user of retinol, I think this would be a step back. [...] This is the 0.1% retinol, so that's the equivalent of like the Geek and Gorgeous AAME 10 if you're doing a rough side-by-side comparison. Mid-strength, I would say. I'm glad I tried it. I think it's wonderful, but I think it's going to be situational as to how it works with you."

~Mixed

77%Guru Score

Haruharu Wonder Rose PDRN Soothing Serum

"This is a really nice duo that I would recommend people use together. If you already have an [azelaic] acid serum, then you don't need to add this to your skincare routine. But if you kind of want a two for one from the Korean skincare market, I think this is a really clever formulation that they've thought through. It's a really accessible price point and it has a good dose of that plant-derived PDRN. I love this. It's a really nice serum to apply on the skin. Feels great and the packaging is gorgeous. I always like to see something that's visually appealing that I want to reach for and that definitely ticks the box. PDRN, I think if you choose the right product with the right formulation and technology, you can get some really great results from it. But the key thing here is to set your expectations. It is not the latest frontier in anti-aging like some brands would have you believe, but it is a nice addition to an anti-aging skincare routine that can get you some really great benefits."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Timeless 10% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum

"One of my personal favorites is Timeless. This is the Timeless 10% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum. They do 10, they do a 20. As with the retinoids earlier, I would say start with the 10, work your way up to the 20. Maybe use two bottles of the 10, then buy the 20. That way, your skin can get used to it, minimize side effects and irritation. Vitamin C helps create more collagen, but it's also preventative. It prevents that collagen degradation. So it's a bit of a double whammy. Vitamin C to get your glow game on point, prevent any collagen degradation, and also boost collagen production is another absolute essential when it comes to anti-aging."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil

"I think the rose hip seed oil by The Ordinary is a really nice alternative. It's already super affordable. The Ordinary one is also super super affordable if you want to use that rose hip seed oil, or you could use it alongside castor oil. It's an oil with a thinner viscosity, which is going to help thin out that castor oil and make for a better application."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Dr Sam's Flawless Nightly Pro Serum

"Dr. Sam always always formulates well and this is just a great great product. Granactive retinoid is a great super gentle but hyper effective option and this is the strongest granactive retinoid you are going to find on the skincare market. If you're breakout prone, please go for this because it will transform your skin in about a month to 6 weeks. I wish I had access to products like this when I was younger going through my heavy acne phase, but even as someone that breaks out when I'm 40, this is something I will reach for when I need to just dial that back and just get any breakouts under control."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum 3:1

"This has been a staple in my routine for years. I think this was one of the first peptide serums I ever used and I've absolutely loved it. It's not the cheapest product out there, but it's definitely an advanced formula that makes sure those peptides get to where they need to be in the skin in order to deliver maximum benefit. Such a great product, such a great formula, and definitely for people that have used peptides for some time and want to kick it up a notch. This is a product that will definitely help you to achieve that. This is an advanced product that definitely takes your peptide game to the next level."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Derma E Ultra Lift DMAE Serum

"My favorite, always has been, always will be, is the Derma E DAE lifting serum."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Geek & Gorgeous Stress Less Serum with 0.5% Beta-Glucan and Metacast-Aide

"I could use the Geek & Gorgeous Stress Less Serum, that has Centella in it too. That's another fantastic option."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum

"Medicate do one of my favorites."

✓Yay

67%Guru Score

Nineless 10% Azelaic Acid Serum

"If quite soothing is the name of the game for you, this is a really really great option to reach for and one that I recommend to everyone as like a starter step on your azelaic acid journey. Easy to get your hands on, doesn't cost the earth, it's really inexpensive and it leaves behind a really nice plumpness to the skin that you know a lot of people are seeking in terms of the outcomes from their results. This is just a really nice place to start with your azelaic acid journey. Nothing groundbreaking here, but just a great way of slotting this active into your routine whilst also keeping maximum calming and soothing benefit."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum

"There is of course the Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum. Very similar price point. And the Ordinary actually have their sale on at the moment, so it's 23% off, which really does bring that price point right down. So it's actually cheaper than the Transparent Lab one, which I'm always in for a sale. And for a quick win when it comes to reducing cost, this actually has that 1% concentration of copper peptides. Doesn't have the growth factors, but you could pair this alongside the Ordinary growth factors solution, their GF 15% solution, which is also 23% off. You could pair these two together. And during that sale period, if you buy both of these separately and add them together, it's roughly the same price as that Transparent Lab one, and it's going to give you very similar outcomes in terms of anti-aging, boosting collagen and elastin. Yes, you need two serums rather than one. But while the sale's on, it kind of makes sense and I think this is a great alternative. You can also mix these two together. So if you wanted to just put a drop of both into the palm of your hand, put them on the skin, apply them as one, you can do that if you're running short of time and you want to streamline things down. You can mix them together in the palm of your hand and apply them."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

"The 10% niacinamide is unique because of the formula. I can actually use it. As someone that just generally can't tolerate niacinamide, I can with this. The NAD is great and they've chosen peptides specifically for hyperpigmentation, which I really appreciate. This is a little hidden gem. When I'm in active treatment phase of this routine, I will use it, but when I go into maintenance, this is probably the product that I'll drop to just streamline things down."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + Hyaluronic Acid

"[Alpha arbutin] is really difficult to find in a standalone serum. So I would opt for The Ordinary one, 2%, which again studies show is that peak performance percentage that we should all be looking for. 2% of that wonderful [alpha arbutin] to just deliver you those quick wins."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

Remedy Healthy Aging Serum

"I really love the Remedy Healthy Aging Serum which has a load of beneficial anti-aging ingredients. One of which is Auroline. It's one of the standout ingredients in this. And this will work really, really well as an all over treatment. It's inexpensive. It can work as a one-and-one because you could literally just cleanse your skin, put this on, use sunscreen if you're applying on a morning or a moisturizer on an evening and you have a robust anti-aging skincare routine in just one product. I think that's why this is so popular and the Auroline in this is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. You need to apply Auroline morning and evening which is what Remedy recommend. And that's going to give you the very best results according to these studies."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Theramid High-Dose Ceramide Treatment

"This has the highest percentage of ceramides of any treatment I have ever found. This is a serum rather than a moisturizer but is an absolute superstar. It's fully transparent and has the best range of different ceramides and the highest concentration you are going to find in the skincare world. I love this Theramid High-Dose Ceramide Treatment. Honestly, it shows big brands like Cerave how it should be done. If you're going to focus all your marketing on ceramides, you need to make sure that they're there in a good dose that's actually going to deliver maximum benefits."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Madagascar Santella Hilu Water Fit Sun Serum

"I've got a couple of Korean sunscreens. I used to do Korean sunscreen recommendations as a separate video, and I thought, why are we doing that? Because actually, we're an international community here. Some people like Korean sunscreen, some like Western. It doesn't matter. Let's just include them all in the same video to keep it easy."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

V Green Vitamin C Ampule 20%

"Love this pure form vitamin C in a high concentration. Good dose of Centella Asiatica. Match made in heaven and an absolutely wonderful formula. Very watery in consistency which is great if you're looking for a lightweight nonsticky vitamin C. You will love this. Now the way that they formulated this with some extra antioxidants will stabilize it. So you'll have a slightly longer shelf life. But just be aware with this one, you once you've opened it, you really need to use it up within three months to prevent it oxidizing. Keep it in the fridge and that will extend that shelf life further. But I would say with this one, buy one at a time when you need it rather than stocking up with like five or six because it will oxidize. Vitamin C by its nature is unstable. And whilst they've done their best to stabilize it, just be aware of that shelf life. So for me, this is great, but I buy one at a time rather than stocking up."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

Torriden Dive-In Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum

"In second place is the Torriden Dive-In serum. I shouldn't have done a drum roll for this because I actually think this is my least favorite product from the Torriden line. I don't know why this is popular. This is just a hyaluronic acid serum. You don't need a lot of hyaluronic acid. It's in everything - it'll be in your cleanser, it'll be in your serums, it'll be in your sunscreens, your moisturizers. You don't need extra hyaluronic acid. You certainly don't need a hyaluronic acid serum like this. It's not super expensive, which is probably why it's super popular. But I just don't think it's needed. I think you can streamline your routine by getting rid of your standalone hyaluronic acid serum. You're getting this in every other step of your routine. It's probably the one product from Torriden I wouldn't buy. Maybe I'm the odd one out here and everyone else knows something that I don't, but I just don't get it."

✕Nay

69%Guru Score

Medicube PDRN Booster Gel

"You get a lot of product. PDRN is great to boost collagen for anti-aging, and it's nicely hydrating. It's a gel formula, too. So it's super lightweight, perfect for summer. Just really, really nice. [...] I think just in its own right, it's great as a moisturizer. I would apply it fresh out of the shower. I think it works best on damp skin. [...] Apply this liberally all over the body and you will be set for the rest of the day. I love it. [...] Just as a body moisturizer or even a facial gel moisturizer with PDRN, this one is so so good."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Theramid Tetramid C.E.F Intensive Vitamin C Treatment Serum

"This actually uses multiple forms of vitamin C to keep things super fresh, super stable, but also super potent. This does pack a punch. I would say you need to be an established vitamin C user in order to incorporate this. If you're a beginner, go for one of the other options. I find with the Theramid one, it is a little bit higher potency, so it's not going to be suitable for people with super sensitive skin or beginners. But that's okay because not everybody is new to vitamin C. They might want to level up, step it up, and this would be a great product to achieve that. Really inexpensive. I don't like people overpaying for vitamin C, you don't need to. With so many affordable options on the market and this is beautiful. Comes in an airless pump to keep it really fresh, which I think is absolutely amazing. And you've got a plethora of different antioxidants alongside that vitamin C to double down on the benefits that you're going to see. It's just a powerhouse formula."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Bubble Day Dream Vitamin C + Niacinamide Tone & Texture Serum

"This is the Bubble Daydream Tone and Texture Serum. It has that hyperpigmentation power within it, but it does so in a much more gentle way. So if you've got sensitive skin and you think this one might be a little too much, opt for this one instead. Or if you're somebody in your teens that maybe has some acne marks and scarring, this would really, really help to eradicate that. [...] This would usually leave a dark mark, but if I use this [...] on top of it, it disappears without a trace. It's also really good as a spot treatment, too. This has [...] a vitamin C derivative, tranexamic acid, and alpha arbutin, which is a great pigment corrector. You've got a plethora of ceramides in here, so it's going to really nourish, hydrate, and build the barrier function of the skin. And you've got some humectants, too, to nourish and moisturize. It really just does everything. If you're somebody that's new to skin care and want somewhere to start, get this, cleanse, put this on, sunscreen, and you are good. You have a great skincare routine with just three steps. If you're somebody that has sensitive skin and you want something to kind of kick up or supercharge your hyperpigmentation game, this would also be a great option. Inexpensive, works every time. This is multi-active done right."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Paula's Choice 7% Ectoin Plus Hyaluronic Acid Milky Hydrating Serum

"This will boost the barrier function of the skin. It will calm, it will soothe, and it will also minimize hyperpigmentation. The reason it does that is it keeps everything in equilibrium so the body doesn't overproduce that pigment in the first place. It's slower to work on that than say the remedy one, but it's less sensitizing. So, if you have very sensitive skin, get this in your life. It is so calming, soothing, and that tone is going to do wonders for your skin barrier. This really is a great product for people that are wanting to almost go back to basics. You might have overdone it with your actives, you want to strip it back, go for this. Maybe you've got very reactive skin and you just want to use something that you know is going to help with that and not make it worse. Go for this. It's wonderful. It comes in at around £40 here in the UK. I think it's about $45. So, not the cheapest. It's fine if your goal in skincare is to reduce sensitivity, redness, and reactiveness of the skin. The Paula's Choice 7% Ectoin is going to help you do just that."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Numbuzin No.3 Skin Softening Serum

"This is a concentrated serum that I've used in my skincare routine for the past 3 years and it delivers. You have your vitamin C, you have all your other brightening ingredients, your actives that you would expect. This is like a one-and-done approach to hyperpigmentation. Now, this used to be my absolute favorite, but they did reformulate it a couple of months ago and took out the tranexamic acid that was in it. They've now launched a standalone tranexamic acid serum to go alongside it, which I personally love. I don't think the formulation of this one is as comprehensive without that acid, which is a shame and why I've actually moved on to some of the other options. But it's still in its own right a fantastic vitamin C and I would personally recommend if you are going to go for this Numbuzin vitamin concentrated serum that you use it with that other tranexamic ampoule. They're designed to be used together in order to get the maximum results. Gone are the days where you could use the Numbuzin vitamin concentrated on its own. I think you now need to pair it with its tranexamic acid sister in order to get the very best results. I'm happy to do that because it genuinely works. But I will call that out. It's still one of the best, but I think it's fallen from first place to just like maybe fifth position."

~Mixed

65%Guru Score

Allies of Skin Tranexamic Acid & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum

"This is the Tranexamic Acid & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum by Allies of Skin. It has a 2% alpha, which you need for this hack, but it's packed full of other brightening ingredients. This definitely isn't for beginners. I'd say this is for more advanced hyperpigmentation skincare aficionados. If that's you and you've been on your hyperpigmentation journey for some time, this could be a really good option to use. You can still put a couple of drops of this into your moisturizer or just use it as a standard serum. But this gets you your alpha boost alongside so much else and this will work in about a month's time. So if you don't mind spending a little bit more and you want to cut the time to see those results, this is the product that I would reach for."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C Perfecting Serum

"This one is full full of vitamin C in a 35% concentration to pack like the maximum punch when it comes to delivering you results. This uses a stabilized form of pure vitamin C ethylated ascorbic acid alongside vitamin C derivatives to give you maximum results minimum risk of side effects and irritation. Also has glutathione which is one of the best brightening ingredients to use alongside vitamin C and so many other beneficial skincare ingredients. You could almost see this as an entire skincare routine in a bottle. If you're really focused down on fading hyperpigmentation, dark spots, and discoloration, you could cleanse the skin, use this, apply your moisturizer or sunscreen, and you're good to go. I really think this is hybrid at its best. Using that pure form, but stabilized vitamin C alongside derivatives together to be a match made in heaven. I love it. It doesn't come with the cheapest price point, though, but if you see this almost like an entire skincare routine in a bottle, that's where I think you can really make some streamlining and cost savings using this versus four other serums that you might be reaching for."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Theramid Clinical Vitamin A Treatment

"This is probably my favorite product from my favorite skincare brand."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

COSRX 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum

"The COSRX 6 Peptide Skin Booster is one of my favorites. [...] You get a lot of product with this, which is what I love. Super inexpensive, and that's key. [...] The COSRX one has six different peptides in each one delivering a different benefit."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

SkinMedica TNS Advanced+ Serum

"The SkinMedica TNS Advanced+ Serum kickstarted things with growth factors and is the one that people often hold up to be the pinnacle in terms of performance. This is the one that uses actually human-derived growth factors, which comes with some ethical considerations that people will have to make their own judgment on. And the price point is upwards of $300. This isn't for me; it's not in my budget, [...] and I don't want to be investing in this product at the expense of other steps in my routine. It just doesn't align with my individual budget. That doesn't mean it's not great; it is. Because these are actually human-derived growth factors, you're probably going to see some very quick results, and [...] some next-level results when it comes to anti-aging. For me, I just think there are some ethical considerations at least to think about here. I'm not making that call for you; people should do their own research and make their own decision. And the price just isn't within my bracket."

~Mixed

79%Guru Score

DRMTLGY Needleless Growth Factor Serum

"Another one of my absolute favorites in this mid price point category is the DRMTLGY Needleless Growth Factor Serum. That needleless serum went viral around two years ago and everyone was singing its praises, genuinely an amazing peptide serum. They created an advanced version with growth factors added in, and if you look at the price point of their standard needleless serum versus the needleless with growth factors, there's very little price differential, so you're getting a whole lot more without actually paying much more. [...] That for me is why I tried it and I fell in love. Again, bio-engineered growth factors in this one, meaning you're really going to get a quick win when it comes to the results you see, and I think you're going to get some of the best results of any growth factor serum on the market. I love the technology that they use, the price point is phenomenal, and if you like your serums in a pump as opposed to a dropper, this is a quick win that you will absolutely love the packaging of. Just a nice all round product that [...] shows you can absolutely do quality growth factors without having to have a sky high price point."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

KRX Six Peptide Skin Booster Serum

"One of my personal favorites is the KRX Six Peptide Skin Booster Serum. You've got Argireline in here as one of the key peptides, but you've got five others. These peptides have been selected specifically for their ability to plump, hydrate, and boost collagen and elastin. So you gain a little something of everything in here. If you're a fan of Korean skincare, this is a really nice option. Super affordable and you get a lot of product. Most serums are 30 ml and this is 150 ml, so this is going to last you a whole year and you can really drench the skin in this. It's affordable, it's fantastic, and it takes that Argireline and kicks it up a notch with the inclusion of those five other peptides alongside it. I really enjoy this, and I think if you're looking for a comprehensive treatment that has the plumping, the hydrating, and the anti-aging, this is a really nice option to go for."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

DRMTLGY Needleless Peptide Serum

"Dermatology do a wonderful um growth factors and peptides combo."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Numbuzin Panthenol B5 Active Soothing Serum

"The Numbuzin Panthenol B5 Active Soothing Serum is phenomenal if you have what I call winter skin. If you are going through some dryness, some sensitivity, some irritation, and you want a simple but hyper effective serum to deal with it, this is great. You can mix this in with your moisturizer to just add some extra soothing and calming to your routine. You can use it on its own. You can keep it in your purse and you can apply it to like hands if you're looking to deal with chapped hands. Put it on the lips. You can refresh the skin midday if you just want to put an extra layer on. It just works. This is one of those amazing products that kind of does it all. It's super lightweight, so you can put multiple layers of it on top of itself if you want to get that really deep soothing and calming action. The B5 in here is what's doing all that soothing, but it's also packed full of other hydrating ingredients. If your skin is really going through it in winter, just cleanse with a gentle cleanser, put this on, put your sunscreen on, get out the door. Your skin will heal itself within a couple of days, and you'll see that winter skin will be behind you. Personally, I mix this in with my moisturizer. I use it on the hands. Makes for a terrific hand cream."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Stratia Rewind DMAE Serum

"The Stratia DMAE Serum is another alternative, similar price point. DMAE is specifically good at targeting firmness around the jawline. So if your primary concern is a loss of firmness, elasticity here, DMAE is what you want to target. You can use it all over the face, that's fine. But really using it here is where that ingredient is going to pay off. I've been using it consistently for the past two years."

✓Yay

91%Guru Score

Theramid 3% Copper Peptide Serum

"If you like a really rich copper peptide serum, their copper peptide serum is phenomenal. I think it's normally £45 full price. Really good. Really good price, too."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

PSA Skin Visible Improvement Serum

"You've got a range of procollagen peptides in here. You've got niacinamide, which is going to refine the pores. It's going to help smooth everything out. And you've also got in here a range of different antioxidants. This is really going to be a powerhouse to prevent aging. It's going to help offset some of the early signs of aging you already have, and it's going to smooth everything out and help with pore size. It kind of just does it all, and it's a one-stop shop. [...] If you're somebody that's new to anti-aging, you're in your 20s, early 30s, you want somewhere to start, this is a really, really nice product to go for. It's not too strong, but it still packs a punch and actually delivers. [...] One of my personal favorites from the brand and I think great place to start if you're looking for comprehensive but gentle anti-aging."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The Ordinary Squalane

"It's a little gem. Um, so I'll do another video um tomorrow about how to use it ahead of the launch."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Numbuzin No.3 Vitamin Concentrated Serum

"This has everything you would expect. You've got your vitamin C, your glutathione, you've got a plethora of hyperpigmentation fighting ingredients. Got hydratants to hydrate. It's almost like a skin care routine in a bottle, which I really like. Great for streamlining. And it's not super heavy. It doesn't weigh down the skin. I've recommended this so many times on the channel and every time I do I'm flooded with comments of people saying yes I bought it on your recommendation and it really does work. The Numbuzin No.3 Vitamin Concentrated Serum is genuinely something special and I think if you're looking for streamlining and you're looking to fade hyperpigmentation this is going to be a must have."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Regimen Lab Level Serum

"You've got your tranexamic acid. You've got your blend of different acids in terms of exfoliators and hyperpigmentation treatments. And you've got some brightening agents too. I'd say this is definitely up there in terms of potency. So, if you have very sensitive skin, this might not be for you. [...] But if your skin is more resilient, not prone to sensitivity, this could work really, really well. [...] I tried it and I started to see results in about 9, 10 weeks time. So again, super quick turnaround and a really nice option, particularly if you're shopping in the US or Canada where Regimen Lab is really easy to get your hands on. I love this."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

The INKEY List Redness Relief Super Solutions 10% Azelaic Acid

"I recommend the azelaic acid serum from The INKEY List all the time. This contains 10% azelaic acid. It's one of my absolute favorites. But it also contains carnosine in the required strength to deliver the results. So if you're already using The INKEY List azelaic acid serum, you can stop right now. You've got your carnosine fix in your skincare routine, you don't need to add anything else."

✓Yay

91%Guru Score

Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster with 2% Mandelic Acid and Lactic Acid

"Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide is another great staple that a lot of people use in their skincare routine. I'm going to add a little warning to this one to say this has a 10% niacinamide. And this isn't going to work for everyone. 10% can work for some, but some might find it too sensitizing. If your skin can tolerate a 10% niacinamide and you're already using it, you could always swap whatever product you're reaching for out for this Paula's Choice one. It's going to work for some, but I would say 10% niacinamide can be a lot for certain people, particularly those that are prone to sensitivity."

~Mixed

72%Guru Score

Neutrogena Collagen Bank 15% Vitamin C Serum

"The vitamin C, it's fine, but it's an ascorbic acid serum that I think could be formulated a little bit better in order to maximize the benefits you're going to get from that vitamin C. There's nothing in here that I think is groundbreaking beyond that peptide. I think there are far better vitamin C serums out there."

✕Nay

69%Guru Score

Theramid Derma Peptides 22% Multi-Peptide Treatment

"It has a 30% concentration of peptides. That is one of the highest that you're going to see on the market. Only reason again it's not slightly higher is it contains dimethylsiloxane which some people don't like because it can mean layering products on top of it is a little bit tricky. Using makeup on top again can be a little bit tricky. So I would say if you want a sky-high dose of peptides, this is the one to go for. But you might want to use it in your evening skincare routine rather than the morning because that formulation can be a little bit pesky if you want to layer things on top of it. So my top tip is super affordable, super high concentration. Get it, but use it in the evening. I think that's where it's going to lay best. Theramid, one of my favorite skincare brands, and I think this is a great option for people that want those advanced results, want something that looks bougie, something that really delivers, but they don't want to pay a high price point. Theramid is where it's at, and it's actually my favorite skincare brand of the year."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The INKEY List Exosome Hydroglow Complex Serum

"This Exosome one is great. Exosomes, think of them as like communicating devices with the skin. So they'll go into the skin. They'll help transport the ingredients which are present in the product deeper into the skin and help to trigger some anti-aging response. Exosomes are relative newcomers to the skincare space, but they're getting a lot of attention. And I think The INKEY List is the cheapest exosome product I've ever found. It also has a really good dose of those exosomes. So if you're somebody that likes a little extra anti-aging, this is one to try. The INKEY List not my favorite brand, but definitely I'm happy to praise them where they get it right. And with this Exosome one, genuinely genuinely delivers."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

NIOD RE: Pigment Brightening Serum

"This actually contains 14 different brightening and hyperpigmentation fighting ingredients, which I think is the most of any serum that I've ever found. So it definitely definitely delivers. And for me, what's really good about this is it works great as a spot treatment. Now, because of the size of the product and the texture, the application, I think it lends itself better to being a spot treatment rather than all over face serum. You could of course use it all over the face. But for me, where I think the value of this lies is where you have an area of localized hyperpigmentation. I have some sun damage here, which tends to fade completely in winter, but then reappears in summer like it always does. And I find the NIOD RE: Pigment really keeps it in check all summer long. It works best on those localized areas."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Resurface Serum

"This is a serum that has growth factors, which I believe are plant derived growth factors. Also has in here lactic acid, and it's got some other peptides, too. This is just trying to do too much. For growth factors, you need to be consistent. Twice a day, every day. Long-term, you will get those results. Because they've decided to put 10% lactic acid in here, you can't use it twice a day. Heck, you can't even use it every day. And so, you're not really going to be getting the benefit of those growth factors. When it comes to growth factors, keep it simple. Don't start mixing loads of different ingredients into a formulation because that really restricts when you can use it. With this one, you're probably going to want to use it twice a week tops. And so, you're only actually going to be getting two doses of those growth factors over a 7-day period. That's not enough. You need to be using it 14 times over seven days to really see those maximum results. I like to treat my growth factors as a twice daily treatment. That's when you're going to see the best results. I think this one just does too much."

✕Nay

73%Guru Score

Prequel Lucent-C Brightening Vitamin C Serum

"The Prequel Vitamin C has a great price point. I love the formulation. Just reading about the ingredients and how it's created, I think this is a standout product. It's [...] the number one most recommended vitamin C in the comment section. [...] If you're in the US and you can get your hands on this, I would think it's worth giving it a go just based on the results that people have said."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Dr Sam's Flawless Vitamin C NAD+ Serum

"This is the Dr. Sam Flawless Vitamin C NAD+ Serum. The reason I'm calling this out isn't because there's anything particularly innovative in terms of the vitamin C. It uses a blend of pure form and derivatives to give you a really nice balanced approach to that vitamin C, but what makes this really special is the other ingredients that they formulate alongside. You've got the NAD, which brightens the skin, is also pro collagen, so fantastic for anti-aging. You've got a blend of other ingredients in here which are really going to help boost the radiance and luminosity and fade that hyperpigmentation. So, if you're somebody that is really struggling to get on top of your hyperpigmentation game, you want something that's going to have a real punch behind it to help supercharge it, I think this is worth every single penny. I would say you only need to reach for this if you have very stubborn hyperpigmentation. If you do absolutely give this a go because I think it'll work so so well for you. This is amazing if fighting hyperpigmentation is your number one concern."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

The INKEY List Vitamin C Serum

"The reason I'm calling this out is because they don't disclose the percentage. There is no point putting a vitamin C on your skin if you don't know what strength it's in. That's because vitamin C is a little bit on the irritating side. You need to know what you're using. If you have a very sensitive skin type, you're going to want to go in for something in a 5 to 10% concentration. If you have a very resilient skin type that doesn't irritate easily, you can go up to a 20% concentration to get the best results. But if you don't know what's in a product, how can you possibly match it to your individual skin's needs? You're just wasting your money and you're running a whole lot of risks. I would avoid any vitamin C that doesn't disclose the percentage. The Inkey List are one of those. I just think, what have they got to hide? The Inkey List aren't particularly transparent. They don't go in big for percentages where it matters. They'll happily share a percentage of an ingredient which doesn't really matter what strength it's in, but they somehow hide the ones where it does matter. Baffling to me. Absolutely baffling. So, I would avoid."

✕Nay

71%Guru Score

Medicube Vitamin C Serum

"They actually spent a lot of money testing so yes it absolutely does work"

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

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

"I'll be honest, not actually my favorite vitamin C."

~Mixed

64%Guru Score

Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum

"If you're looking for a salmon derived PDRN, which as I said, these studies show to be the most efficacious when it comes to human application, then the Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid 100 Serum is probably the one that I would go for. It's not super expensive, so it's one of those price points I think could suit most budgets. And this actually has a high concentration of salmon derived PDRN. It's also got some other great calming and soothing ingredients. And best thing about it, contains collagen too. So it gives like an ultimate plumping experience for the skin. If you want instant plumping plus long-term anti-aging, this is a great option to go for and it really does feel nice on application. That collagen gets to work straight away, plumping out and hydrating the skin alongside that hyaluronic acid. And then that PDRN works in the long term to boost collagen synthesis, reduce inflammation, and just help keep the skin in tip-top health. Salmon derived, so not going to be for everyone, but people that want quick results but also want to see that salmon derived PDRN, this is definitely a win."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

Crave Great Barrier Relief Serum

"The results from Tamo oil are worth it every single time"

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Corrector Serum

"The Mela B3 has got a lot of praise online."

✓Yay

69%Guru Score

Timeless Hyaluronic Acid Matrixyl Spray

"This mist is calming, soothing, and plumping. If you're tempted by the PSA one but you're struggling to get a hold of it, this is really easy to get here in the UK but I'm not sure how easy it is in other countries, and you want an alternative, I think this one by Timeless is fantastic. They do a rose version, they also do a lavender. I like all three. I think the Cucumber one is great for calming and soothing, reducing redness. The lavender one is great for kind of like chilling you down before bed, and the rose one is great as some additional hydration on a morning. Use the one that most fits what you're looking for, but for me the Cucumber one just delivers. So inexpensive yet delivers time and time again. I've already ordered a replacement."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

PSA Skin GOALS Multi Acids & Probiotics Perfecting Night Serum

"Beautiful formulation, put it on before you go to bed, you'll wake up with smoother skin, those blackheads are diminished, and you'll just notice that your pores are visibly improved."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

The INKEY List Ectoin Hydro Barrier Serum

"Coming in at I think this is like £15 here in the UK, a beautifully affordable ectoin serum that really could deliver calming, soothing and barrier support. I did try it and it is actually lovely. Smooths onto the skin instantly, calms, soothes, hydrates and will support with barrier function in the long term. This is a real win."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Selfless by Hyram Peptide Q10 and Ginger Daily Defense Antioxidant Serum

"They launched that really dodgy serum which was like a Q10 serum that didn't contain Q10. They got around it by saying it contained a peptide that encouraged the body to create Q10, load of nonsense like that. That was a sort of marketing BS that people were really fed up with at this point and it really did nothing for the brand."

✕Nay

72%Guru Score

VT Reedle Shot 100 Collagen

"If your number one skin concern is having more plump voluminous and glowy skin then the collagen one is absolutely fantastic"

✓Yay

59%Guru Score

Krave Beauty Oil La La Serum

"One pump will honestly do the whole face and neck. It goes on almost like an emulsion and as it blends in just disappears. It definitely gives the level of hydration you'd expect from a facial oil. It's also got a potent blend of different oils that are going to minimize breakouts and excess oil production, so this is just going to be an oily skinned person's dream. I absolutely love that. It's not oily, it's not greasy, it doesn't feel like you're wearing a facial oil, which I know for those oily skin folk is really really important. If you want to choose an oil that's just focused down on hydration but you want it without any of that oil feeling, this could be your Holy Grail."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Krave Beauty Great Barrier Relief Serum

"I used to be crazy about the Crave barrier relief serum sadly couldn't get it here"

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Regimen Lab Azelaic Acid Serum

"Formulation wise 10 out of 10 um I would say the actual product with the price probably knocks it down to an eight out of 10 but still a really good product really really good product"

~Mixed

76%Guru Score

Naturium Tranexamic Topical Acid 5%

"For tranexamic acid, you're going to want to look for something in a 5% concentration to really get maximum results, and I think the Naturium Tranexamic Acid 5% is honestly the best out there. This is the one in the yellow pump, and there are a couple of different ones but it's the one in the yellow packaging that you want because this is the right 5% strength. This is the right form of tranexamic acid in the right strength to give you the very best results. I personally use it morning and evening because for me I think that gives the very best results. If you're new to tranexamic acid, start gently, gradually and work your way up. I would use it just once a day for the first month, allow your skin to become accustomed to this active, and then when you know that your skin can tolerate it and you're not getting any side effects or irritation, then you can move to twice daily, which is where you're going to see those next level results."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum 2:1

"The NIOD copper peptides are nice but too expensive. Copper peptides used to be unique and commanded a higher price point, but they do not anymore and do not need to."

~Mixed

73%Guru Score

Dr. Idriss Major Fade Hyperpigmentation Serum

"I love the Dr. Idriss Major Fade line, one of my favorite skincare brands, and I love her as a content creator. It is one of the only high dose kojic acid options you can find on the market."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

K-Secret Soul 1988 Liposomal Serum

"The K-Secret Soul 1988 Liposomal Serum is absolute perfection when it comes to retinal, [...] so gentle yet so effective that you can even use it on the neck if you are super sensitive. It is one of my favorite Korean skincare retinals, I love it and have about six."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Kerx 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum

"This is the Kerx 6 Peptide Skin Booster. Last year this was a new launch that a lot of people just bought based on the hype, the fact it was new from a very popular skincare brand. This year the fact that it's still in the top 10 shows that people have been buying it and repurchasing it time and time again, so they must love it. And honestly I think it's a great product. In here you've got those six peptides which are going to boost collagen, help promote elastin, firmness in the skin. However you've got a lot more, and I think the key thing here is niacinamide, which is a fantastic pigment corrector. So this is like a peptide and hyperpigmentation treatment all in one. I love that it's got amino acids to lift, hydrate, firm. It's doing a lot. Now is this the most potent peptide on the market? It's not. But if you want a really nice easy to use peptide that has a few additional benefits, I don't think you can go wrong with this. Such a nice product and I always have one of these on hand because when I want a lightweight serum this is the one that I often reach for."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Hyaluronic Acid Serum

"The Ordinary Multi-Peptide serum pairs beautifully with growth factors. You don't have to use a separate peptide alongside it if you don't want, but I feel like you get extra results and I'm all about that when it comes to anti-aging. [...] The Geek and Gorgeous one is just slightly better, which is why I tend to prefer that, but it's up to you if you want to shop The Ordinary. Their multipeptide pairs beautifully with that."

~Mixed

75%Guru Score

Ness A-Control 10% Azelaic Acid Serum

"I will never be without my AIC acid. AIC acid is a great one to pair alongside peptides and growth factors, it calms, it soothes, it's just a wonderful ingredient. This is the one by Ness, this is their 10% AIC acid serum, and it also has snail mucin in here, so if you like a dose of that snail mucin and AIC acid in one, this is a great great option. I absolutely love this and it just plumps to perfection."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Paula's Choice Niacinamide 20% Treatment

"They have the 20% niacinamide, and every study into niacinamide shows that with a few exceptions where some people, a very niche subset of people, could benefit from a higher dose, most people will get maximum results, minimum side effects at around the 2 to 5% strength. So why do Paula's Choice have a 20% niacinamide? For the tiny cohort of people that might actually be appropriate and beneficial, there's a whole host of people out there using it believing the stronger is better and actually suffering and experiencing a lot of side effects as a result. Not science backed, not appropriate for the mass market."

✕Nay

67%Guru Score

The Ordinary Soothing & Barrier Support Serum

"I don't actually use this all over my face. What I do use it for is post shaving. So when I shave, I'll get red marks, I'll get some rashes, a little bit of bumping on the skin. This takes it down like that. So I'll shave, I'll put this on and honestly it just makes for the best post shave experience. It's designed to be a caring and soothing serum that you can use all over the skin, and you can absolutely do that. For me, I think some of the other serums that I use in my routine deliver that. This though I save in reserve for when I shave. It's beautiful, it's hydrating, it's calming, it's soothing, and it doesn't have a really funky scent like some calming and soothing serums can do. I [...] use it two or three times a week when I shave, and that is like the perfect way to end your shave routine."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

NIOD Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex

"I don't like the multimolecular hyaluronic acid complex. I just don't think we all need that much hyaluronic acid in our lives. For those of you that do really love your dose of hyaluronic acid this is a great one, but for most of us we get our hyaluronic acid fixed as part of the rest of our skincare routine where it features as an ingredient in just about everything, so that's nothing special."

✕Nay

69%Guru Score

Timeless Matrixyl Synthe'6 Serum

"I've been using the Timeless Matrixyl Synthe'6 Serum on and off for the past 2 years and it's wonderful. This has fewer peptides in than some of the other formulations that I'm sharing with you today but it has some of the very best plumping and hydrating ingredients you're going to find. If you're someone that wants your peptides with a plumping fix, I think the Timeless Matrixyl Synthe'6 Serum is one of the best on the market. It's got glycerin, it's got aloe, it's going to calm, soothe, hydrate you to the gods and also give you some anti-aging peptide action too. The Matrixyl Synthe'6 in here is like a next generation peptide which definitely helps over time promote collagen and elastin production and there are some really great scientific studies alongside that to show just how effective it can be. These pouches are really convenient. I bought them because I thought they're great on the go if I'm traveling, less risk of spilling. However, they do do a standard serum too so it's really up to you what particular component you prefer."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Garnier Vitamin C 3.5% Anti Dark Spot Serum

"This is garbage. I don't like the formulation. If you are tempted by this one, get the evening one. The evening one has 10% concentration of vitamin C, so much better. This is 3.5%, a blend of different things, it's about 1% vitamin C. It promises results in 6 days. I used it, I got zero results in 2 weeks. This is not a good serum. If you want Garnier and you like this, actually go for the night version and use it in the morning. I don't know why they call it night, there's no sense to that. The night version actually is really good, should be, could be your go-to vitamin C. The day version is absolute garbage. And it's the bestseller because they pay people to say it is, not because it's good, because honestly I got zero results from it."

✕Nay

52%Guru Score

Allies of Skin Mandelic Pigmentation Corrector Night Serum

"The mandelic acid brightening is actually my second favorite product from Allies of Skin because it really does work with hyperpigmentation. Yes, this comes with a high price point, but if you shop smart at the time of this video being filmed you can get two for the price of one kind of products with that mandelic acid treatment and still get 20% off."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Timeless Hyaluronic Acid Serum with Matrixyl

"I'm personally enjoying a lot at the moment is this Timeless Hyaluronic Acid Serum that has Matrixyl as one of the core components in here. I find with the hyaluronic acid and the Matrixyl together you get that extra plumping. So if you're somebody that kind of wants to dial up the results, get maximum wrinkle reduction, then using this as your Matrixyl slot might be a great option. That hyaluronic acid Matrixyl combo here is perfection and they've got lots of other humectants alongside it that means if you're wanting maximum plumping, maximum wrinkle reduction then opting for something like this might just give you what you crave. It's slightly more expensive than the Ordinary so it depends on your budget."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2%

"It's really affordable and it's a great allrounder, and even if you don't have acne or post acne hyperpigmentation it's a great one to just slot into your routine. It's hydrating, it's calming, it's soothing, and if you're on a hyperpigmentation journey whatever the cause of that, this is a real inexpensive serum to slot in and I think you'll get like 10 to 20% more benefit alongside your existing hyperpigmentation routine. It seems simplistic with aloe and niacinamide, there's not a whole lot going on in here, but there doesn't need to be when you formulate with high quality potent actives. You don't need a whole lot of filler and I definitely think this is one of the best recent launches from the ordinary and worthy of that number one position. I've never been without it in the past 12 months in my skincare routine."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

The Ordinary B Oil

"It's packed full of antioxidants and so it's going to deeply nourish, hydrate, soften the skin, and you've got a pack full of antioxidant protection too. Those algae extracts, the algae itself, is really great and quite innovative in skincare. There are other marine-based products but you don't see a lot of them. [...] This is one of the best facial oils I have ever used. [...] You can either use it at the end of your skincare routine for some extra hydration or you can [...] mix it in with your favorite moisturizer then apply it. It'll just double down on the benefits of that moisturizer, get you some antioxidant protection, and feels so good. I'm quite lavish with this. I even use it on the body mixed in with my moisturizer because it gives you the softest skin, perfect for summer. At £9 for 30ml, I think now [...] is the best time to buy it."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The Ordinary Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution

"The ethylated ascorbic acid is a pure form of vitamin C as opposed to a derivative. It's [...] shelf stable and will last for the longest time, and you're still getting that direct hit of vitamin C so you don't have to compromise on the results. I also find it slightly more gentle on the skin than pure form ascorbic acid, so I think it's just a great all-rounder. This is great if you're someone that always struggles to get through your vitamin C before it oxidizes. I tended to use it in the winter when my skin was a little bit more sensitive but I didn't want to forgo my vitamin C, this was perfect. [...] My skin just loves this one."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Stratia Fortify Oil Blend

"Go for a more advanced peptide option such as one of my personal favorites the stratia interface serum"

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Timeless 100% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum

"It could be a three in one, great for streamlining or just a great way of getting some hyaluronic acid and some Matrixyl in your skincare routine and then retain your existing vitamin C. That flexibility is why I love this product. And especially if you're shopping in the US where Timeless is super affordable, it's not that much more in terms of cost than The Ordinary one and I think you're getting a lot more for it. This is my personal favorite when it comes to Matrixyl."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

Olay Super Serum

"It can make the skin look a little bit shiny. [...] If you like that dewy, jewey look to the skin great, but she prefers a slightly more matte appearance and this was definitely on the dewy shiny look which wasn't to her preference. [...] Overall she'd give it a six out of 10, which I think is quite fair scoring when you look at the price point, the formulation and the results that you've seen. 21 days worth of wear to see a noticeable improvement in your hyperpigmentation and some firming, I think that's pretty good. [...] The formulation [...] is probably the best formulated of all of the Olay products out there. I like those five key actives, the vitamin C is in a stabilized form so it'll have a long shelf life. I like the fact that they're using lactic acid rather than glycolic acid, more gentle in my opinion, much more effective. They've combined that Pro collagen peptide which I like to see. It really is a streamlined like skincare routine in a bottle. I think it's a good formulation and I think it's a fair price point."

~Mixed

72%Guru Score

Q+A Azelaic Acid Balancing Serum

"10% strength with azelaic acid, the consistency is the key part. Use it regularly, that's where you're going to get the results. It's not always about the strength. I think I'd rather people go for a lower strength and use it twice a day every day than go for a high strength and use it a couple of times a week when they remember. That consistency is the key part. This I love again, calming, soothing, and really really helps to just, I think you get a lot more performance than you would traditionally expect for an 8% because of that quality formulation here, and it's super affordable which I absolutely love."

✓Yay

90%Guru Score

Geek & Gorgeous Seaglow Serum

"This is the Seaglow by Geek and Gorgeous, stunning, just stunning is the one word that I would use for that. All around perfect, love the price point, love the formulation. You get some additional antioxidants in here, so it's great to protect the skin, and I think this is super budget friendly. This will last you like 3 months before it starts to oxidize because they make it fresh every week, so providing you get through the product in 3 months, which most of us will, you'll have no problems with this. I think this product, 15% ascorbic acid made fresh, is better than the Ordinary 15% ethylated ascorbic acid. Yes, it won't last as long, but as long as you're using it within that 3-month period, I really don't think you need to stress or worry about it. This is just the best budget friendly all-rounder."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Facetheory Exaglow S10 Serum

"If you want a fragrance-free tranexamic acid then the Exaq Glow Serum by Facetheory is phenomenal, absolutely love this. It has multiple different brightening ingredients."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Nzen Vitamin Concentrate Serum

"The Nzen Vitamin Concentrate Serum has a high dose of glutathione alongside three different forms of vitamin C derivative and some other great brightening ingredients such as tranexamic acid. This is going to be like a hero concoction when it comes to fading hyperpigmentation and comes at a really reasonable price point. It's back in my skincare routine and I'm definitely grateful for that. You do need to use it twice a day in order to maintain those results and get the long-term payoff, so you have to be more consistent with this than some other treatments, but I kind of think it's worth it and with the price point it definitely makes it really easy to do so."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum

"The Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum is a wonderful serum, a fraction of the cost of the Allies of Skin one, but you have to bear in mind you might need to use this a little bit longer in order to get those results. Have a little patience because the concentrations used here aren't quite as potent. This uses vitamin C alongside glutathione for some great hyperpigmentation work."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + Hyaluronic Acid

"Because it's got a large molecular size it's more gentle. It's also humectant so it hydrates. If you find most exfoliators are stripping, drying, irritating, try lactic acid. They do a 5% and they do a 10%, and I think the 10% works for almost everyone. If you've got very sensitive skin you want to start gentle, the 5% is fine, but I think most of us can start with the 10%. [...] I love this. I use it twice a week. I find that my skin is way glowier from using lactic acid than from using glycolic acid. It's a great switch to make. [...] I think this is a wonderful serum that I recommend to so many people and it just works wonders for me."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

Stratia C+C Serum

"Yeah it's budget friendly its formulation is so well thought through and for those of you that feel confused about vitamin C versus vitamin C derivatives don't be reach for stratia and kind of get the best of both worlds"

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Indeed Labs Vitamin C24

"This is the Vitamin C24 by Indeed Labs. This is actually quite a high concentration of vitamin C, but because it's in a silicone dimethicone base it doesn't irritate the way the other equivalent strength water-based vitamin C's would. It's also super stable, so this isn't going to oxidize as quick as your water-based serums. So that just makes it a great option, particularly if you've got skin sensitivity or you don't go through your vitamin C's as quickly as some other people and you want a longer shelf life. This is a really great option."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The Ordinary 100% Organic Virgin Chia Seed Oil

"The chia seed oil is also been discontinued again. I think whilst it didn't have that slightly overbearing scent to it that the borage one did, it definitely just didn't have the multitude of benefits that you get from say rosehip seed oil so people just didn't reach for it and choose it. I don't think it's a terrible product at all. Chia seed is great, universal, works for everyone but there are other oils I think just offer greater benefits. If you like a bargain and you want to shop this while it's on sale, great. Just drop a few drops of it into your moisturizer, ramp up the hydration levels that you're going to see but again it was a hard sell for The Ordinary. Not surprised it's going."

~Mixed

75%Guru Score

The Ordinary Vitamin C 30% in Silicone

"This is one of the lowest selling vitamin C's, and I'm not surprised that they've moved on from this. [...] If this is one of your favorites and you're looking for an alternative, they are still keeping the high strength vitamin C in hyaluronic acid in their collection, so you could just switch that. It applies better, I think it feels better on the skin, and has a slightly lower concentration, so it's a little bit kinder to the skin too. I'm not surprised that this is going, and if The Ordinary said to me what one product would you discontinue, it probably would be this one because I think the risk of overdoing with this is far too high versus the benefits you're going to get."

✕Nay

50%Guru Score

The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold Pressed Borage Seed Oil

"It's fine as an oil, it works, but it didn't have as many benefits as some of the other oils on the market. It had a really unique scent which a lot of people do actually write in and say is this rancid because it smells like that, and they actually put a disclaimer on their website saying just because it smells rancid doesn't mean it is, that's its natural scent. It's a lovely facial oil if you don't mind the scent, really inexpensive. I would say drop it, buy it while you can, add a couple of drops of it into your moisturizer, great for hydration. I just don't think many people could get over the scent of it, which is why it never caught on. But for £5, if you can get over the scent, this is a real budget-friendly facial oil that is beautifully cold pressed and such a great find."

~Mixed

77%Guru Score

PSA Skin Midnight Courage Oil

"I love the PSA skin Midnight Courage Oil cuz this is a beautiful blend of facial oils with that dose of pucha"

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Olay Vitamin C + Peptide 24 Brightening Serum

"The lack of transparency is disappointing because you don't know the percentage of vitamin C you're getting in this, and I asked them and they didn't say. When people use numbers on the front and in the label you kind of expect that to correlate to what you're getting in terms of concentration, but not in this case. That said, the formulation is pretty good. The use of vitamin C and peptides is hotly contested in skincare, but you can absolutely use peptides alongside vitamin C and they work fine. Some people say you shouldn't because the low pH of vitamin C can impact the function of those peptides, but this has been disproven many times. So for people that are still wary of using peptides and vitamin C together, this serum is a great option if you're looking for vitamin C and peptides all together. The brand knows this should probably be priced at £20, but they're chancing their arm and hoping to get £40."

~Mixed

72%Guru Score

VT Green Fragrance-Free Nature Mucin Serum

"I've been using the VT Green Fragrance-Free Nature Mucin Serum. This uses wild yam which exhibits a lot of the same properties as snail secretion but without the snail involved. This is a great option if you're vegan and looking to eliminate animal derived ingredients from your skincare, or if like me you're just feeling a little squeamish."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

StriVectin Anti-Wrinkle Peptide Plump Serum

"The StriVectin peptide plump will give you instant plumping, and it does have some long-term benefits too with that peptide action, so I guess this is probably above some of the quick win options on the market. But you are paying for that."

~Mixed

65%Guru Score

Facetheory Azelaic Acid 15

"If you want to go for a higher strength azelaic acid and your skin can tolerate it, Facetheory do a 15 which I love, and I think is just a good all-rounder. Nice concentration for everyone, and it's like seven pounds, eight pounds, so cheap."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Purito Wonder Relief Centella Serum Unscented

"Go for the fragrance free one. Same great complex formulation of peptides and centella. It carbs, soothes, hydrates. This is the best-selling product from Purito for a reason and I think it's a really really great peptide and centella combo."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

The Ordinary Vitamin C 23% Suspension

"Both of these are away way too strong for the average rich person's skin you're not going to get a whole lot more in terms of benefits with using one of these versus say a 15 or a 20 strength but you're going to get an awful lot more sensitivity and irritation"

✕Nay

51%Guru Score

Boots Vitamin C Serum with 3-O Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

"I would personally recommend the Boots Vitamin C Serum. This comes in at a seven percent concentration of a stabilized form of pure vitamin C. That seven percent concentration is going to give you really good results. That's a robust concentration of vitamin C but it's not sky high, so you're not going to get a whole lot of side effects and sensitivity, especially because this is formulated with some hydrating and calming and soothing ingredients too. This really does pack a punch, so don't think because you're going for a lower concentration you won't see results. You absolutely will, but you'll do so with a whole lot less side effects. The reason I'm calling this out is it's five pounds here in the UK. You can walk into Boots stores, buy it online, and get those really affordable results. It's also now available at Target. It's a truly international product that I think just about everyone could benefit from."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

The INKEY List Lactic Acid 10%

"They do another Lactic Acid 10% and things on the rooftops how it's going to transform your skin. I'm like it'll be good, but also you can get it cheaper elsewhere."

✕Nay

68%Guru Score

Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide + Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum

"This is the best copper peptide serum on skincare planet earth, no competition. If you want quick results, maximum collagen production and maximum anti-aging, this is the product you need to use. I've gone through six or seven bottles now. I would never pay this price for a product if it didn't work, and if there was an alternative to this I would be on it straight away. There isn't. This is the best copper peptide I have ever used."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Remedy Dark Spots Nightly All-in-One Treatment

"This is my favorite from Remedy's whole line and it genuinely works. I love that they break down all the ingredients and what they do on the packaging and share their percentages so you know what you are using. It has encapsulated retinol, which because it is encapsulated you can use twice a day morning and evening to increase cell turnover, plus mandelic acid, a super gentle exfoliating acid most people can tolerate daily. It also has kojic acid, one of the best over the counter hyperpigmentation ingredients, glutathione paired with vitamin C, licorice root, tranexamic acid and a dose of niacinamide, so it is really addressing multiple actives at once. It's really inexpensive and it is a one stop shop for hyperpigmentation. I'd say once you have used it for about two months, that is where you will really start to see results, an even skin tone and less hyperpigmentation reoccurring. Take it from me, this is a powerhouse product."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

The Ordinary Multi-Antioxidant Radiance Serum with Vitamin C & Ginseng

"This never gets spoken about when it comes to hyperpigmentation, but antioxidants are great at fading it because they protect the skin from oxidative stress and premature aging, both triggers for hyperpigmentation, and certain antioxidants have great brightening benefits too. This is one of the cleverest formulated antioxidant serums I've ever used, and it's one of the unsung heroes from The Ordinary collection that nobody talks about, which is a crying shame because it genuinely works. It has vitamin C, a great potent pigment corrector when used alongside other ingredients, plus a range of other antioxidants that all focus on brightening and fading hyperpigmentation. You can swap out whatever antioxidant serum you're using at the moment for this and you'll maintain the antioxidant benefits but also get the hyperpigmentation fighting too. It's really good, and it's really inexpensive, the cheapest option I've mentioned today."

✓Yay

71%Guru Score

The Ordinary Growth Factor 15% Solution

"The Ordinary do a great GF 15% solution, a plant-derived growth factor serum which is really effective. Plant-derived growth factors take roughly twice as long to work as some other options, so this is something you invest in now for a long-term payoff. It's really inexpensive and great to use twice a day, but just be mindful you'll have to wait roughly twice as long to see results compared with other options."

✓Yay

66%Guru Score

Allies of Skin Peptides & Antioxidants Firming Daily Treatment

"This is fantastic if your primary focus is streamlining. If you love the idea of aazanthin, but you don't want to have a separate serum, you don't want to be adding something to your skincare routine, get this because this is your peptide serum. It's your antioxidant serum. It's your brightening serum, your hyperpigmentation serum, and your firming serum all-in-one. It's ticking every box. [...] It's doing a lot. It's doing an awful lot in just one serum. So great if you're looking to streamline. Now, this isn't the cheapest product, but like I say, if you see it as a five-in-one, [...] you could get a three-step skincare routine with this product as the key element in the middle. And that actually does bring that price point down. [...] I really like it and was one of the first products to come out with an aazanthin ingredient list, which I always give them props for."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

The Ordinary Pycnogenol 5%

"This is the Ordinary Pycnogenol 5%. This is a potent anti-aging antioxidant that really helps protect collagen in the skin, but also protects against free radical damage and has a 24-hour mechanism of action. Meaning, you can use it morning and night if you want, but on an evening on its own, it's absolutely fine. A couple of drops of this into this concoction, mix it together, then apply it to the skin. You're putting a touch of the pycnogenol in which is the very best anti-aging antioxidant to just supercharge everything down."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Allies of Skin Multipeptides & Growth Factor Advanced Lifting Serum

"This is the Allies of Skin Multipeptides and Growth Factors Advanced Lifting Serum. This is the most advanced of the growth factors. I absolutely love it."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5

"One of my least favorite products from The Ordinary is their hyaluronic acid serum. It's in everything as an ingredient. It's in everything. You do not need a standalone hyaluronic acid serum. And the fact that this is one of the best sellers from The Ordinary makes me really sad because actually a better product exists in the same collection. [...] Hyaluronic acid is a humectant which draws in moisture. And if you're living in quite a dry and arid environment, it can actually end up sucking moisture from the deeper levels of the skin, actually being counterintuitive and dehydrating."

✕Nay

76%Guru Score

The Ordinary Marine Hyaluronics

"The Marine Hyaluronics actually uses marine extract to give a more multi-dimensional, multi-level hydration experience. And it delivers that. You will get a better level of hydration from the Marine Hyaluronics than you will from the hyaluronic acid. It's also less likely to cause dryness because it works in a subtly different way. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant which draws in moisture. And if you're living in quite a dry and arid environment, it can actually end up sucking moisture from the deeper levels of the skin, actually being counterintuitive and dehydrating. You don't get that risk with the Marine Hyaluronics. It's just adding in that hydration. I [...] use this on the neck, I use it on the elbows where I'm dry. Put a little of this on, top it off with a moisturizer. You can always use this under a hand cream. That's a great way of elevating the moisture you see in your hands. It's just amazing."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

Merit Great Skin Instant Glow Serum

"I got this Merit Beauty one, they sent me their Great Skin Instant Glow Serum and their Great Skin Priming Moisturizer. I don't know if anyone's ever tried Merit, I don't know anything about them but I thought I've heard good things so I'll try them."

~Mixed

79%Guru Score

The Ordinary Azelaic Acid 2% + Niacinamide 2% Solution

"This is The Ordinary Azelaic Acid 2% + Niacinamide 2% Solution. I talk about this all the time, this is great for hyperpigmentation. Let me tell you, these zits that I had, these would have broken out so much more and scarred so much more if I wasn't using this. It's almost like a preventative step. We all break out, we all have reasons, sometimes it's time of the month, sometimes it's as a result of some more sun exposure, in my case it's acne-based. We all will experience hyperpigmentation, and I would recommend including this as like a defense mechanism to prevent it and minimize its overall appearance. Definitely works. This very lightweight serum, and I feel by putting this on alongside growth factors and peptides, those three work together for your hydration, your plumping, your nourishment for the skin alongside all those great anti-aging peptides."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The Ordinary Balancing & Clarifying Serum

"The Balancing and Clarifying Serum is amazing if like me you're super oily and acne prone. If you get this in your life it'll minimize breakouts, minimize blackhead skin congestion, and even out the oil levels in the skin. I used it all summer long and it was a game changer. I get super greasy in those warm summer months and this saved my skin. I absolutely love it, but I would say it's probably best for people with an oilier skin type, not for everybody."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

Mad About Skin Skin Perfecting Peptide Serum

"I currently use my own peptide serum, the Mad About Skin Skin Perfecting Peptide Serum, which has a multitude of different peptides from the collagen boosting through to the hydrating and the carrier peptides too."

✓Yay

68%Guru Score

Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C Plus Glutathione Clinical Serum

"I honestly think this is a really well formulated, thought through product. This is genuinely a great product and I would recommend it, particularly if you're looking for a sensitive skin friendly version. The price point is up there, I think it's about £45 here in the UK, that is a lot for a vitamin C serum, but I like the fact you've got glutathione. I love the fact it's a high dose vitamin C derivative, and as with everything Paula's Choice, they've really thought about the ingredients that they're pairing here to calm, soothe, and deliver maximum results. For me, yeah, I love every single thing about this. I think it's absolutely wonderful."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

Good Molecules Discoloration Correcting Serum

"If you want super gentle but hyper effective when it comes to fading down spots and discoloration um this one by good molecules is great"

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Facetheory Polypep Collagen Boosting Peptide Serum

"If you want to dial up the amount of collagen in the skin this is a product for you. Beautiful blend of four different peptides each one specifically chosen to have a meaningful impact on the level of collagen production. Use this for a couple of months and you'll definitely notice a diminishing of fine lines and wrinkles, returning your firmness and elasticity to the skin. For the price point I think it's probably like a market leader in terms of those specific peptides. Yes there are some other cheaper options on the market but they don't have the same concentration, they don't have the same blend of those four specific peptides which are going to dial up collagen production, and this is why I think it's something special and a holy grail. My skin just drinks it up and loves it, and with that 30% discount I think this is incredibly fair for the sheer volume of peptides you're getting and the quality of the formulation. This does it for me every single time and I can't recommend it enough."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Moisturizers40 reviews

Geek & Gorgeous Happy Barrier Cream

"The Happy Barrier is the more hydrating of the two, I'd say the more heavy duty of the two options. You can use the one that's best suits your individual skin's needs, or if you have combination skin, you can buy both and use the Happy Barrier heavy duty one on the dryness prone areas."

✓Yay

74%Guru Score

Geek & Gorgeous Hydration Station Moisturizer

"The hydration station is much more lightweight and it has a really nice gel finish. You can use the one that's best suits your individual skin's needs, or if you have combination skin, you can use the hydration station on the oilier areas."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream

"I love this one because it is one of those cleansers that genuinely doesn't strip or dry. It adds moisture back to the skin. Most brands will say that their cleanser hydrates and moisturizes, but by their nature cleansers are going to be a little bit drying. So you have to use really good quality humectants to avoid that. Medicate have done that. One pump will do the whole face and neck. This is great. I've been using it all year, and I would say one of these will last me three months. Genuinely, one of the best cleansers I have ever used, bar none. Especially if you've got dryness prone skin type, and I think that's a good thing to bear in mind as we're coming into the cooler winter months."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream

"The CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, or the remedy for moisturizing as I call it, is a fantastic lightweight moisturizer that I absolutely love. They do a standard version for dry skin and a lightweight version for oily skin—either one works fine, just match it to your individual skin type. I'd recommend this to layer with the PDRN eye cream since it's lightweight but still has nice hydrating components."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Mary&May Spicule Collagen PDRN Cream

"It's ticking all the boxes - spicules very popular, PDRN the most popular ingredient at the moment, collagen super viral, and Mary and May is a great brand. I think the spicules are really interesting because they're like little needles that push product deeper into the skin - they don't use a lot of spicules in this, so if you're somebody that likes a little spicule action but doesn't want it too intense, this is a good option. I love the fact that they've used the PDRN, which can struggle to get into the skin, so the spicules are going to help with that. Collagen is a great hydrating agent - this is going to plump and hydrate. I love that you've got panthenol to calm and soothe. The PDRN is actually vegan, so if you're looking for PDRN without the salmon, it's a great option. I think this is like PDRN leveled up. Mary and May knocked it out of the park. I'm impressed."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Numbuzin Panthenol B5 Active Soothing Cream

"This is my summer skincare staple. It's a lightweight gel that's so hydrating and moisturizing but doesn't weigh the skin down, great for summer. Keep it in the fridge and it gives you the most beautiful cooling experience. It actually adds hydration back into the skin to plump it, unlike most gel moisturizers which are useless, and the B5 helps calm and soothe. It's not expensive, and it's never steered me wrong. I'm on my third summer with it and I always have multiples because I'm never going to be without it."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Torriden Cellmazing Firming Cream

"These are from their firming line. Now, lots of brands claim to have firming and lifting products, but in my experience, very few of them actually work. Torriden is the exception. These have genuinely firmed and lifted my skin. So, I'm happy to recommend them. I wouldn't say they're going to be the equivalent of a facelift. Let's set our expectations right."

✓Yay

69%Guru Score

The Ordinary Rice Lipids + Ectoin Micro Emulsion

"This is the perfect moisturizer option for people that have very oily skin. If you have oily skin like me, this is your moisturizer and you won't need anything else. If you have a more dryness prone skin type, you can use this almost like as a prehydrator. Put this on before your other moisturizer to just get some additional benefit. This is really lightweight and I think if you don't need a real depth of hydration, this is a phenomenal one to go for because it's actually in serum form. It actually delivers a meaningful level of hydration without weighing the skin down. This is going to be my summer go-to because it's so lightweight, breathable. Your skin can breathe through this, which is really important in those warmer months. The rice lipids are fantastic for the hydration. The ectoin is going to boost the barrier function of the skin, help heal the skin. If you maybe have had a little too much sun or maybe you've overdone it with an active, that's going to help with that heal process. Just a really, really nice moisturizer. And again, super inexpensive and affordable."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Jordan Samuel Skin Performance Cream

"I love the Jordan Samuel Performance Cream. This is great if you're looking for a peptide moisturizer. You've got your Snap 8 in here, you've got your ceramides, your other barrier boosting ingredients. Absolutely fantastic as a peptide infused moisturizer. It helps to streamline because you can use this in the place of your peptide and your moisturizer all in one. [...] My top tip with this one though is a little goes a long way. So I would use a very small amount of this working into the skin, then add a little more on top if you need it. It's a thick and rich moisturizer, so I don't go too heavy-handed on it. I find a little does go a long way."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Altruist Anti-Redness Pigmentation Fighting Moisturizer Light

"This one, this is the anti-redness. Comes in two different shades or tones. And it's just a green coloration. It has some green pigment in it which will help do a light color correct as you protect. This is really great because if you are particularly redness prone or you get a lot of flushing in summer, this will just help offset that as green cancels out red. As you can see, it doesn't distort the hue of the skin or anything. It's really natural finish but will help with color correction. So, if you're redness prone, that's a good option."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Remedy Barrier Repairing Rich Cream Moisturizer

"This is one of the best moisturizers I have ever ever used. Packed full of ceramides in meaningful concentrations that's actually going to deliver you improvements to barrier health, locking in all that hydration and genuinely delivers. This is a powerhouse. I absolutely love it."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Remedy Barrier Repair Lightweight Gel Moisturizer

"And they also do a light version of it too. Perfect if you have a more oily or combination oily skin."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Purito Deep Sea Pure Water Cream

"It's a bestseller for a reason. It's genuinely so so good."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Prequel Reactive Skin Solutions 5% Ectoin Cream

"This uses a 5% ectoin which is fantastic. You've got your alentoin against this. You've got a specialized form of urea which is designed to really help double down on the benefits that the ectoin is going to deliver for restoring skin barrier health. This is amazing. If you've overdone it with any actives, maybe you have that winter skin where everything seems a little bit more sensitive than it usually is, get this. Apply it for like three days and your skin will be transformed. You can use this as your moisturizer. I tend to keep this on hand for when my skin's going through it and I really need some additional TLC. This is when I will drag this one out. Whether you choose to use it every single day or whether you use it like I do more intermittently when my skin needs it is up to you. But I think 5% ectoin with that urea with the alentoin with everything in here is just the best hug for the skin. Whatever your skin's going through, this will resolve it. It's very nice to have a product like this in your skincare collection for those days where you actually need it."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

The Ordinary Niacinamide 5% Face and Body Emulsion

"I love this on the body, great on the face, amazing. If you like niacinamide, but you like it in a lower dose and a nicer application, 10 out of 10. Absolutely phenomenal."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream

"It smells of nothing which I love. A lot of moisturizers from the Korean skincare market can be a little bit heavy on the fragrance or just smell a little bit funky. This is scent neutral which is wonderful. I genuinely don't need a lot of this. That is enough to do the whole face and neck. Doesn't seem a lot but because this is so rich, it feels like velvet. You're putting this on the skin and it is like a velvet glove. [...] The name Dynasty screams opulence, elegance, next level luxury, and you're kind of getting all of that, but you're not paying for it. It's so inexpensive, which I love. [...] My skin feels so good, and I think this is going to be my treat moisturizer that I take with me all the way through winter."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Phytoceramides

"The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Phytoceramides is amazing because it is beautifully rich yet stupidly affordable."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

"Stripping and drying lotions such as the Mario Badescu drying lotion which I had on screen earlier actually do more harm than good. Increase the risk of scarring and just hyperpigmentation central. Take it from someone that's been using these for years. They don't work. There are better options."

✕Nay

53%Guru Score

VT Reedle Shot PDRN Capsule Cream

"This is the VT Reedle Shot PDRN Capsule Cream, and it's a relative newcomer to my skincare routine. I first used it maybe two weeks ago, fell in love, and it's one of my favorite products now that I use every morning because it just calms, soothes, and really gives like a burst of hydration and peptide action to the skin. PDRN is one of the biggest trends in skincare right now, and it's a great ingredient to boost collagen and elastin production and firm the skin. You've got to be really careful with the products that you buy to make sure you're getting that PDRN in a meaningful concentration because it's very trendy, so brands will put it on the label but not actually put a meaningful amount in the product. This has a sky high amount of PDRN. It also has seven different peptides in it, it's got ceramides. This is going to firm, lift, tighten, and just help really nourish the skin. It's a great great product, and one that whilst it's new to my skincare routine, I definitely think is going to be a feature throughout 2025."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5

"Roche-Posay decided that they were going to tweak the formulation of their famous Cicaplast Bal, people love love love this moisturizing bal, but it's really not the same today as what it was just 2 years ago. They took out a lot of the hydrating ingredients and replaced them with more matte equivalents. They also kind of cheapened the product by taking out some of the more expensive ingredients and replacing them with cheaper alternatives. That's great for your profit margins but it's really not great for us the consumer. What used to be a beautiful nourishing hydrating barrier supporting serum just doesn't work the same. L'Oreal and Roche-Posay kind of justified this by saying they wanted to make it more accessible to people that have slightly oilier skin that wanted a more matte finish. Well that's great, but why not just create a separate product, have the original, then have a matte version for those of us that have slightly more oily skin. Instead they decided to put out a product reformulated that just didn't offer the same great results as the original."

✕Nay

91%Guru Score

CeraVe Daily Facial Moisturizing Lotion

"CeraVe's moisturizing lotion always had a really nice dose of niacinamide in it, and people loved this. They got great results and it definitely was a cult favorite for a reason. Then CeraVe decided to increase the amount of niacinamide across their whole skincare range, and as a result, people started complaining that their former favorites are now burning and irritating their skin. A lot of people struggled to work out why it was, because they really hyped up the amount of niacinamide and it just wasn't agreeing with people's skin. Now that the niacinamide craze has kind of ended, you're seeing CeraVe now reformulating back downwards the amount of niacinamide to a much more responsible level."

~Mixed

83%Guru Score

Stratia Liquid Gold Barrier Cream

"I absolutely love the Stratia Liquid Gold. This has been a favorite of mine for years, it was one of the first products I spoke about here on the channel when I set it up 5 years ago, still going strong. I love this product. A lot of brands will say that niacinamide will boost the barrier function of the skin and help heal the skin, but you need a lot of other ingredients to achieve that, and Stratia have done the work for us. This product has that 5% niacinamide, which is perfection, but it's also got all those lipids, those ceramides, those other barrier-boosting ingredients. If your skin is going through it at the moment, maybe you're coming out of winter here in the northern hemisphere and your skin might be dry and sensitive and you want to get it in tiptop health for the summer, this product is a must-have. It is amazing. It feels beautiful on the skin, uses that niacinamide responsibly alongside some other amazing ingredients, and it's super affordable. Use it as your moisturizer. This is so hydrating, most of us can do without having a moisturizer after. Use this as like a barrier-boosting niacinamide serum and a moisturizer all-in-one. An absolute favorite of mine."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

La Mer Crème de la Mer Moisturizing Cream

"I personally don't like it as a moisturizer. I think it's overpriced and there's better options out there. [...] If you're looking for an affordable moisturizer and you're currently using La Mer, I'd say switch to any other product out there because the La Mer one, it's not that great to begin with in my humble opinion. There are actually two different versions of this product. If you're shopping in the European Union, the UK, or generally [...] Asia and the Asian market, you will probably be experiencing the German manufactured version, which actually has a far better formulation base and a more hydrating formulation base than the US version. The US version, which is usually manufactured in Mexico, has quite a few differences in terms of their ingredient profile. [...] The German manufactured version and its formulation are streets ahead of the Mexican, the US version of the product."

✕Nay

48%Guru Score

Nivea Creme

"It's a fairly decent if basic moisturizer, but with everyone hyping it online to be a fabulous dupe for bougie skin care and a great one-stop shop for your whole routine needs, there are quite a few cons to balance out that hype. The biggest con for me is that Nivea aren't a cruelty-free brand. I made a commitment to go entirely cruelty-free in my skincare routine around three years ago and I've stuck to that ever since. For me I want to put my money with brands that actually align to my individual values. If you're looking to shop cruelty-free and remove animal testing from your skincare routine, Nivea isn't going to be the brand for you. The reason that they still do animal testing is because they want to be able to access the Chinese cosmetic market, which does require animal testing in certain circumstances. I think the second con is that it's just overhyped."

~Mixed

74%Guru Score

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA

"I think both of those moisturizers are streets ahead of this and practically the same price, so whilst this used to be an amazing product, I think The Ordinary have kind of made it a little bit redundant with their two new moisturizer launches. I would recommend those moisturizers to everyone. The phyto ceramides, the beta glucans are where it's at. I think the original Natural Moisturizing Factors might see its days numbered."

✕Nay

69%Guru Score

Topicals Faded Brightening & Clearing Gel

"It's a really nice affordable kojic acid option. This harnesses that kojic acid alongside so many other brightening and hyperpigmentation fighting ingredients to become a really nice serum that would allow you to strip back your skincare routine, use this as kind of like the core component and then build around it. A really nice product, but I would just say for me this did break me out slightly. Now when it comes to breakouts, everyone's skin is unique, what will work for one person won't work for another and vice versa. This is a great kojic acid serum, but I would say if you're particularly breakout prone, maybe this isn't going to be the best option for you. For everyone else, this is a beautifully affordable kojic acid serum that really does pack a punch using those other actives."

~Mixed

84%Guru Score

Paula's Choice C5 Super Boost Vitamin C Moisturizer

"Unfortunately the poish choice eye cream at actually is garbage so it wasn't even a good well formulated eye cream"

✕Nay

68%Guru Score

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Beta Glucan Lightweight Formula

"The beta glucan one is fantastic if you're looking for a lightweight gel. Look at that, hydrates you to the gods with no weight to the skin. It won't break you out, clog the pores. It's calming and it's soothing. Great, I'd say for oily or combination skin types."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Facetheory Super Gel Oil-Free Moisturizer

"I have been a grease slick during the summer months, so I've been reaching for something super lightweight. One of my go-tos has been this Facetheory Super Gel Oil-Free Moisturizer, an absolute Holy Grail for oily folk during those warmer summer months. As the weather started to turn a little cooler here in the UK I started to notice my skin needs a little bit more hydration than what can be provided by that Facetheory one."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Probio-Cica Enrich Cream

"The reason I think this is in the top 10 best sellers now, as opposed to any other time, is because fermented, enriched, barrier supporting, microbiome supporting skincare is a hot trend at the moment, and this kind of capitalizes on that. It uses fermented ingredients to boost the barrier function of the skin, the microbiome of the skin, great for overall skin health, and it's a really nice moisturizer in its own right. I love this. It's one of those I have on hand when my skin's feeling like it needs a little extra TLC. Look at that, really nice packaging. It's just a really, really nice product. This is a newer one, I've probably used this a couple of times. It's fragrance free as well, which I like. [...] I tend to reach for this more in the winter when my skin needs that extra drink of hydration, as opposed to the summer where I'm oily, but it's great, it's one that I always have on hand. It comes with this little spatula thing where you can scoop some out and massage in, this is great for getting into the nooks and crannies. [...] It's nice, it's a lovely moisturizer. It's not featured on the top 10 best sellers recently to my knowledge, but I'm glad, and I think that fermented skincare trend is a really good one to get involved with if you want to improve overall barrier function."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Numbuzin No.1 Purple Complex Soothing Moisture Cream

"Both amazing in their own right but if you add a little bit of this powder helps to mattify these two down great for us oily skin folk"

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Krave Beauty Oat So Simple Water Cream

"They're a little bit more hydrating than that Face Theory one, however they're not in a gel, they're in a cream. Both super breathable. You put these on the skin and you're getting that dose of hydration but you're not feeling weighed down, which I absolutely love. If you're looking to minimize inflammation, calm any redness that you might have in the skin, and get just a little bit extra hydration than what you'll normally get from a lightweight moisturizer, this is an absolute summer essential. It's the more budget friendly option, and it works beautifully as a lightweight moisturizer, especially if you've got oily skin."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream

"It's a basic moisturizer. There's a few potentially irritating ingredients in there and ingredients that if you're not careful could break you out. I'm not a big fan of the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream. I honestly think it's overrated. I think it's overhyped and it's certainly overpriced."

✕Nay

57%Guru Score

iUNIK Centella Calming Gel Cream

"This has been on the bestsellers list literally every year for the past three years. [...] It's good, it gives results. If you have super oily and acne prone skin and you want a beautiful lightweight gel moisturizer, this is it. You've got that centella, you've got some tea tree in here. It's going to minimize blemishes, it's going to hydrate the skin, super lightweight. [...] It goes on like a gel [...] and it just glides on instantly, calming and soothing, fights those breakouts and hydrates you. It ticks a lot of boxes if like me you have super oily and acne prone skin. [...] Great for the summer months. I love it. The one drawback is it has got a slight fragrance to it which I'm not a big fan of, but that's up to you. I have it on hand for when I need that cooling, when I need that hydration in summer. That honestly is one of my go-tos."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Heimish All Clean Balm Mandarin Orange Limited Edition

"People love this cleansing balm, it's got a whipped texture, it feels great on the skin, really gets to work, delivers great results. I love the original. The Mandarin, no. It's got the extracts in here which is what's in the name, and it's the smell I don't like. It's not particularly mandarin or orange, it's just a bit chemical. Yeah, the smell is pretty grim. And it's the same great texture and it works just as well as the original, but I think why would you get this if the smell isn't particularly nice? There's no added benefit to that mandarin. I think go for the original, give this a pass. The original is where it's at. They need to work on the scent of this. I think I expected a really nice, rich sort of mandarin orangey scent to it. I just got chemicals. Not great."

✕Nay

71%Guru Score

Dr Sam's Flawless Moisturizer

"This is probably the thickest of all the moisturizers, it's pretty heavy duty. I actually don't use this in summer on my skin type because it's too much. I'll use it in the cooler winter months. But in summer, if you're struggling to get on top of your dryness, this could work really well. You could put layer after layer on top of it if that's your preference. It comes in a pump, so if this is your style of packaging that you prefer, the pump is really nice for just dispensing the right amount of product. It's packed full of shea butter and other really rich hydrating ingredients, some emollients to soften things down. I would say exclusively for the super dry skinned out there, but if that's you, this could really be your savior."

~Mixed

78%Guru Score

Allies of Skin Molecular Barrier Recovery Cream Balm

"This is really thick, really occlusive. You put just the tiniest amount on the skin and it just locks everything in, prevents dehydration. Honestly, a little bit of a game changer. I started using this when I switched to high strength prescription strength retinoids and my skin went through it. Couple of applications of this fixed. Honestly, it is that quick. So if your skin is dry, if it's chapped, if you feel like you're never going to get on top of that dehydration, this is an investment that your skin will absolutely love. It's packed full of emollients, hydrating skin softeners, and you've also got some great calming and soothing ingredients."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

PSA Skin Silver Lining Treatment Moisturizer

"This is a good dupe. You get more product than in the original, and it's slightly cheaper, so per mil it's a really nice dupe. It has the same acid in it that's doing the heavy lifting alongside some other great clarifying ingredients, so it's great if you're looking to minimize breakouts, fade acne scarring and hyperpigmentation. This works really, really well. It has a nice feel on the skin and is a real pleasure to use."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Dr Sam's Flawless Moisturiser Intense

"One of my personal favorites. And trust me, when my skin goes through it in winter and I feel that sensitivity rising, this is the product I reach for like that disappeared. Honestly, takes away sensitivity, irritation in a flash. And the reason it works so well is because it doesn't just rely on ceramides of which there are multiple in good concentrations in this product. But it also has NAD which boosts skin barrier function and also brightens the skin too. It has essential fatty acids in here. It has amino acids. It has a plethora of different ingredients, all designed to boost skin barrier health. It's got some oils in here, too, to give a real deep hydration and moisturizing impact. And I think this is one of the very best skin care creams on the market. If you're serious about improving barrier health, this is the one that I would reach for. It kind of does it all."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

K-Secret Collagen Vita Secret Multi Balm

"The product that I've decided is the one I genuinely couldn't live without is this, the K-Secret Collagen Vita Secret Multi Balm. It's a collagen-based beauty balm, but it's the flexibility that just works for me. Balms are great, and having a great balm in your skincare routine is a great way of getting multiple different uses from one product, and this does all of that. I'll use this under the eye to boost the radiance and luminosity, to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles. I'll use it on areas where I might have dryness, sometimes I get patches of dryness here on the cheeks, this swipe it over deals with it like that. You can use it as a cuticle balm, you can use it on the elbows which mine always seem to be dry, putting this on just really really helps with that, and you can even use it as a lip balm. The fact it is so universal and basically is like a six-in-one product is really why I think it's a true non-negotiable and I can't live without it. It's also ridiculously inexpensive which I love. In here you've got lots of hydrators, you've got some butters."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Sunscreen38 reviews

Geek & Gorgeous 101 Zero Feel SPF 50 Day Cream

"It's offering SPF 50 plus sun protection with new generation filters. If you're watching this in the US, buy it and know that it's an SPF 50 sunscreen, even if they're not legally allowed to put it on the bottle. You can get that next level protection without having to worry about irritation, prickling, watery eyes. It's just amazing. It's also dead matte, which I love. If you're somebody that wants matte, you don't want any dewiness, you don't want any gloss to the skin, you want a sunscreen that is dead matte, this is the closest to zero like shine you will ever ever get. Stunning."

✓Yay

91%Guru Score

Allies of Skin One SPF 50 Invisible Sunscreen Gel

"This one by Allies of Skin, hands down the best I have ever, ever tried."

✓Yay

66%Guru Score

Krave Beauty Beet The Sun SPF 40

"This is the best US compliant sunscreen I have personally ever used. It is still a little bit thicker and heavier than some of the other products we've spoken about today. That's the nature of the US requiring old style filters to be used in their sun products. However, it is still the best that you are going to find in terms of lightweight finish and feel on the skin. It doesn't leave any white cast, doesn't leave any distortion on the skin, and you can feel it, but it's not super heavy and gloopy like traditional US sunscreen. So, I would say this is probably the best that's available for retail in the US."

~Mixed

58%Guru Score

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

"The viral Beauty of Joseon rice relief sunscreen, an absolute A-plus Korean sunscreen which now has a US counterpart. [...] This doesn't actually have the same SPF protection. The US one is SPF 40 versus SPF 50 plus in the Korean version. It has completely different filters and a completely different base profile. It is a completely different sunscreen but in very similar packaging designed to look the same."

✓Yay

92%Guru Score

Numbuzin No.9 NAD Peptide Dewy Sun Essence SPF 50

"If you're shopping in the US, chances are with any of these big Korean skincare brands, you won't be getting the Korean versions, the lightweight, the beautiful, elegant, advanced formulas. You're going to be getting the US compliant equivalent, which generally speaking, especially in the terms of Numbuzin, much heavier, much thicker, and much dewier, some might say greasier looking on the skin. The issue is a lot of the big online Korean retailers are shipping out the US version to non-US customers. Meaning if you're shopping outside of the US, you might be getting the US version which is not as advanced, not as elegant on the skin, not what we wanted. Getting it and being disappointed, applying to skin and thinking this isn't what every content creator promised me when they said this was like the best sunscreen they'd ever tried. This is actually reminiscent of those old style sunscreens that our mothers used to chase us around the beach trying to apply. Before you buy a Korean sunscreen, reach out to the retailer and say, 'Which version are you sending me? Are you sending the new version designed for the US market, which I wouldn't recommend unless you're from the US, or are you sending me the original Korean style product, which is going to be delivering you all those enhanced benefits.'"

~Mixed

79%Guru Score

Tower 28 SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation

"This I absolutely love. If you want a mineral sunscreen, this is the one that I would go for. They've got a great shade range. This is really really nice. You get 30 mil, so it's not the biggest bottle but that's pretty standard for tinted sunscreens. I just love how this pairs on the skin. It's got a really nice applicator. It's not ashy. Sometimes when you get these tinted sunscreens, even if you choose the right shade, it comes across a bit ashy and almost a bit distorted. I don't care for that at all. This doesn't. This is just my shade. It's definitely on the matte side like most mineral sunscreens are. So if you want matte with coverage, this is nice. I'd say it gives a light to medium coverage. It's not like wearing a foundation, but it definitely does do some color correction."

✓Yay

64%Guru Score

Altruist SPF 50

"Altruist. Stunning. Absolutely amazing European high protection brand."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Numbuzin No.3 Pure-full Calming Water Sunscreen SPF 50+

"It's great. New generation sun protection. Great if you're looking to cool the skin. If you're somebody that gets very redness in summer, this is a great option because it contains ingredients that actually lower the temperature of the skin. Great at fading hyperpigmentation because increasing temperatures of the skin in summer can actually trigger hyperpigmentation. So if you're looking to counter that, this is a great product to do it with. And it does come off. It has a slight ever so slight greenish hue to it, which will do a light color correction cuz don't forget green counteracts red. It's not super noticeable, so it's not like a color corrector, but it just gives you a little bit of color correction. And I think that's quite nice. Just balance everything out. This is a dream if you have very redness prone skin and you want to dial back that, help color correct it, and of course take the temperature down if you're someone that gets very hot and flustered in summer. It's a great product."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV Sunscreen SPF50 Clear

"I actually tried this about 5 years ago, fell in love. It went through a bit of a pause where they were doing some reformulation work. Anyway, it's back and I think it's better. They've also got an opt out for that Chinese animal testing requirement, so now a cruelty-free brand, which is great. I'm back using it and it's just really, really nice. If you like the Allies of Skin Invisible Sun Gel, which is a true invisible gel that doesn't distort the skin at all, but you don't like to pay that price point, this is a great dupe for it. Truly invisible. Feels great on the skin. It gives like a really nice silky finish to the skin. I absolutely love it. Definitely one that I would recommend in terms of sunscreen if you want impossibly invisible for summer."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Biore UV Aqua Rich Sunscreen Protective Mist SPF 50

"I never go for sunscreen mists because I feel that you end up spraying them everywhere rather than where you need them. So I'm generally a bit cautious when it comes to sunscreen mists with the exception of this one. It has the best formula when it comes to using new generation filters and gives you sky high UVA and UVB protection. Biore do often put too much alcohol in their sunscreens for my personal taste. It dries out my skin. Not with this one, which is a huge tick in the box. And this is great for a reapplication over makeup. What I would do is spray it and then still rub it in to make sure you're getting that coverage. I personally spray in my hand and then apply just to make sure I'm getting that full dispersal and coverage, which you don't get if you spray. It's a bit patchy, but reapplication over makeup, just use this. It doesn't budge your makeup. Doesn't distort things. It is just stunning and it dries down to perfection."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

The Ordinary UV Filters SPF 45 Serum

"Their UV45 fluid, this is their sunscreen. After the disaster that was their original sunscreens, they pulled them from market. They went back to the drawing board. Spent 2 years reformulating to come back with this garbage. And it is garbage. It's greasy. It's shiny. It's really expensive for what you're getting. And in comparison to The Ordinary product pricing in general, you get 60 mil and it's like £16. Way overpriced for what you're getting. And it uses old style filters. I know why they do that. It's for the US market because of the outdated regulations from the FDA. I get that. But for anyone watching this from outside the US, we don't need this in our lives. We have so many better options on the market, we don't need this. I think if I was The Ordinary, I would only sell this product in the US because anyone outside the US that can walk into any drugstore and pick up a product that is better and cheaper than this won't go anywhere near it. So, if you're watching this from the US, this actually is probably one of the okay US approved formulas. Anyone outside the US will know that there are just better sunscreens and this isn't it. I feel like we've just waited 2 years for nothing. It's just a firm firm no. And the more that I've tried it, dabbled with it, the less I've liked it."

✕Nay

65%Guru Score

Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen SPF 40

"When they announced they were launching a tinted sunscreen in a range of different shades, everybody got super excited. That's until they tried the product. Oh, this was a disaster. There wasn't a single shade in that entire collection that didn't leave people looking ashy or an unusual skin type. It just didn't sit well on anyone's skin tone. [...] Any one of the shades, they just didn't work for anyone. Didn't matter what your skin tone was. You put this on and you look in the mirror and think, 'Yeah, it was giving distortion, white cast. It was giving like almost a blotchy appearance to the skin, too.' Absolute fail. People hated how thick the formula was and you couldn't reapply on top of itself. So, when it came to a reapplication, people just said, 'Well, it wasn't possible.' Everything that could go wrong with the sunscreen launch went wrong with this product. And it honestly baffles me that this passed testing that people signed off on this formula having used it. It was garbage."

✕Nay

66%Guru Score

Medik8 Advanced Day Ultimate Protect SPF 50+ HD Fine Moisturizer

"This is medicate, one of my favorite skincare brands, but their advanced day ultimate protect moisturizer. This is a moisturizer and sunscreen. You get 50 mil in here, so it's not a lot of product. It costs a high price point and you're going to need to use a lot of this to get the SPF 50 that the brand advertise. So, you're going to get through it really quickly. it's going to become really expensive. I don't think you need to opt for a moisturizer with SPF."

✕Nay

63%Guru Score

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

"It's hydrating, it's lightweight, it works on all skin types, and it's just a nice allrounder."

✓Yay

90%Guru Score

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

"When I talk about a product from them in a positive light, you know it must be really, really good. They went back to the drawing board and came out with the newer versions, which is this. And it's really, really nice. This is great for people that are looking for a nice natural finish to the skin. It's not too dewy. It's not too matte. It's just something in between. And I personally really appreciate that. This is a nice formulation which blends in without any issue. It's a chemical sunscreen, so there is zero white cast. And honestly, I'd say this is more on the hydrating side than some others. This is for people who want a natural skin finish. There is zero scent to this. Nothing added to mask any fragrance, but also nothing too chemically about it. It's just a great allrounder. I think this is a great entry point product into Korean sunscreens. If you're new to K sunscreen, this would be a really great place to start."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Pure Mineral Relief Daily Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA++++

"This is our only mineral sunscreen on today's list. For people that like a mineral sunscreen, this is my go-to. It's also one of the most matte of all the ones I've tried. So if you're super oily, maybe you're acne prone and you want something that isn't going to give you any shine whatsoever, I think this is a really good option. Comes in a pump, too. Now, if you see this, it is thicker. It's a mineral sunscreen. There's no getting around that. So it is thicker and you do have to work it in a little bit more than you would a chemical sunscreen, but again, that's to be expected. Same for all mineral sunscreens. But if you work this in, you'll see it just gives a really nice finish. This is just your natural skin maybe mattify down a little bit. And I'm someone that gets progressively oilier as the day goes on. This keeps all that in check. It really does help to rebalance the oil levels in the skin. And so you shouldn't see that greasiness peeking through. It's really nice. If you like a mineral sunscreen, that is a really, really great option."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

K-Secret Collagen Boosting Secret Sun Lotion SPF 50+

"This is the K-Secret Collagen Boosting Secret Sun Lotion. I mention this all the time. It's still my favorite and it just does everything I want it to do. You've got everything in here to make a comprehensive skincare routine. You could cleanse the skin, put this on, and you would get great results. It's broadspectrum and I think this is great for people that are prone to fine lines and wrinkles and want a sunscreen that won't grab onto them, won't sit in them and make them more noticeable. This plumps everything out. It reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and it just takes a few years off the skin. If you have a sunscreen that grabs at every fine line and crows feet that you have and you hate that, try this. This does the opposite. It nourishes the skin. It plumps. It hydrates. This has a more natural skin finish, less glow."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Neutrogena Collagen Bank SPF 30 Facial Moisturizer

"The sunscreen is a US sunscreen. Uses old style filters, so it can be sold in US retail stores. And I just don't like US old style filters. I don't think they give a really nice finish on the skin. They sting your eyes. They irritate the skin. I don't, my skin doesn't deal well with old style US filters. I think there's new technology that works far better, gives better protection and a better experience. And so even with an amazing new innovative peptide in it, I'm not going to be reaching for an American old filter style sunscreen like what they use in this. Same goes for the moisturizer. I don't see anything in there that really makes me want to reach away from other moisturizers that I love that contain fantastic ingredients like barrier supporting ectoin, things like panthenol and allantoin to really calm and soothe, and other ingredients like glycerin which are going to plump out the skin. I have my favorite moisturizers beyond the peptide in this. I don't feel that there's anything specifically groundbreaking about the moisturizer formula and it doesn't come with the cheapest price tag either."

✕Nay

70%Guru Score

Ultra Violette Mineral Sunscreen

"I know a lot of content creators love Ultra Violette, I know it's their favorite sunscreen, I know a lot of them are sponsored by them or work in partnership with the brand, I get it, but sometimes you just have to say maybe this was a bit of a pass. If a sunscreen claims to be SPF 50 plus and tests as an SPF 4, that's not good. There's no amount of well, it was decanted for a brief period of time that really makes that amount of difference, and that was the same for all of the sunscreens and it didn't impact any of the other sunscreens to that extent. There was clearly a problem. Now it might be a problem with that batch, it might be a problem with the whole formula. I don't personally buy into this narrative that you should blindly believe what the brand are saying because they came out and just said there's nothing wrong with our product, keep buying it. Well, any brand would say that, wouldn't they. So yeah, I think it's a shame that Ultra Violette didn't respond better. [...] Personally I'm moving away from that particular sunscreen, but I like the other formulas from that Ultra Violette brand, that's fine, doesn't mean all of their products are a fail, just that one I probably wouldn't use."

✕Nay

57%Guru Score

Ultra Violette Lean Screen Mattifying SPF 50 Zinc Sunscreen

"The lowest product, one from Ultra Violette, was their Lean Screen mineral sunscreen. I actually tested it at SPF 4. That is alarming, especially because the same company that did this testing actually retested a different batch of this product at a different lab and it resulted in an SPF of 5. So this isn't just a one-off error. This is actually something that's been retested, different batch, different lab, and came out with broadly the same result. What's actually really worrying about this is SPF 4 is so insignificant that most products, even ones without an SPF filter, will give some degree of SPF protection around that level. So if you're just using coconut oil or something, you're probably going to get something in that ballpark. Which actually leads me to believe: were there any UV filters in this at all? The brand came back and said this aligns with their testing, which showed it delivered an SPF 60. That's a huge discrepancy."

✕Nay

57%Guru Score

Altruist Face Fluid Sunscreen SPF 50

"I love this because it gives a really nice level of hydration. It plumps out the skin and just gives that juicy look to the complexion, but it doesn't add any weight either, which is why it's so amazing. They use a 5% concentration of hyaluronic acid, which is perfect. A lot of brands use just too much hyaluronic acid, which actually can dry out the skin. If you overdo it with hyaluronic acid, it has the opposite result to what you think it's going to. It's going to strip and it's going to dry. Using hyaluronic acid in low doses is the best way to maximize that hydration. And this really delivers. Altruist are one of the very best skincare brands out there. They do so much when it comes to charity and supporting people that don't have access to good skin care. They really try to keep their prices as low as possible so they're accessible to everyone. And the formulations are a plus. This is one of my favorites. And I use this as a moisturizer when my skin is super dry, as a hand cream all year round because it's super lightweight and just feels beautiful. And I always use this on those rough areas. For me, it's the elbows, the knees. This always, always delivers."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Allies of Skin Sunless Tan SPF 50 Daily Self-Tanner

"This is Allies of Skin Sunless Tan SPF 50. I like to do a little fake tan in summer just to get a little color to the complexion. This is what I've been using for the past 3 days. It gives just the nicest glow and just a touch of tan without looking Oompa Loompa orange, which let's be honest is no one's friend. I genuinely been impressed with this and it's gradual. The key reason I think this is special though is it's an SPF 50. So it's a sunscreen and a sunless tanner all in one. I would recommend using this as your sunscreen for 3 or 4 days till you build up that coloration that you want and then switch back to a regular sunscreen. You get such a nice natural glow with this. I think it's just really nice to have a self-tanner that actually has an SPF 50. None of that SPF 6 car oil stuff that we used to apply. SPF 50 actually works and gives you a really nice glow."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

The Ordinary Mineral UV Filters SPF 30

"That product was awful It was thick It was greasy It left a noticeable white cast"

✕Nay

48%Guru Score

Karx Aloe Soothing Sun Cream

"KARX with the Aloe Soothing Sun Cream, which again is super popular."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Purito Deep Sea Pure Watery Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++

"Purito I think came in for most of the heat because their SPF 50 plus actually tested at an average of SPF 19 in independent laboratory testing. That is a huge huge discrepancy between what they're actually delivering versus what they were claiming to deliver."

✕Nay

81%Guru Score

Jumiso All Day Airy Fit Sunscreen SPF 50

"One Korean sunscreen that I would always recommend is the Jumiso All Day Airy Fit Sunscreen SPF 50. It could do with being a larger bottle if you ask me, but still a really affordable price point. It has a beautiful finish on the skin, this is so lightweight, one of my favorite if not my favorite Korean sunscreens. This also allows itself to be reapplied on top of itself without peeling, which is a huge benefit. It's scent free, there's no artificial fragrance in there but there's also no chemically after scent which some sunscreens can have. It's just genuinely neutral, which is fantastic. There'll be no scent lingering around all day. I use this when I want a little Korean sunscreen action in my life."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30

"This is designed to be a calming and soothing cream that, when you put it on the skin, has a slight greeny tinge to it that will cancel out any redness. For people that know their color wheel, their color theory, green cancels out red, so anyone that has a very redness prone skin type using something that just has a hint of green to it will kind of help color correct some of that. This is a firm favorite for so many people. I think it's great if you've got very redness prone skin and you want something to take it down, to use as a primer before makeup. When it comes to the ingredients list, it's fine, it's got a lot of nice calming and soothing ingredients, but for me it does also have quite a lot of fragrance to it. Now all that fragrance is natural, but it's present, and once you put this on the skin I find that the fragrance does linger a little bit longer than I ideally would like. This is one I actually bought for my mom. My mom has rosacea, she swears by this to take the redness down, she absolutely loves it. [...] I personally won't use it, I haven't opened it because I've used it in the past and it's not for me, but she absolutely loves it. So I think if you've got very redness prone skin, got rosacea, and you want something to just really take that down, this could be a great option."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

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

"I used it ages ago but I wasn't that impressed so I didn't repurchase it. [...] It was nice but I think it was overhyped. You see a lot of influencers [...] going mad for this saying it's so hydrating, it gives you a dewy feel to the skin, it's amazing. I expected a lot, I put it on my skin and it wasn't really doing it for me. I have really oily and acne prone skin and so in the summer I like to use a sunscreen that is hydrating enough that it's a moisturizer and a sunscreen in one. I was led to believe and almost promised that this would be the case with this Round Lab one. It wasn't. There was just no hydration to it. [...] For me I don't see why people are going mad for this. It's average. It's not a bad sunscreen, there's no white cast, there's no noticeable ashiness to the skin, it blends in nicely, but it's just not that hydrating. If you're the sort of person that likes to use your sunscreen as a moisturizer and a sunscreen all in one, this just isn't going to be it."

✕Nay

90%Guru Score

Then I Met You Light Essence Broad Sunscreen Moisturizer SPF 50

"The Then I Met You one is a bit like a primer and like the best under makeup. It definitely from the appearances of people trying it on has a nice gripping texture, so great if you want to put foundation over the top of it. However, I think those old style filters for $36, that's too much. That is way, way, way too much."

✕Nay

68%Guru Score

K-Secret Soul 1988 Pine Tree and Ceramide Sun Cream

"I think K Secret is so trustworthy, such a great transparent brand. I love them, they are one of my absolute Korean skincare favorites. If you want ceramides in your sunscreen instead of reaching for the Purito one, reach for this one. The K Secret Soul, pine tree and ceramide, it's calming, soothing, ceramide. It's just better and the brand's better. I, yes, this over Purito anytime. I really like it and I just love the brand."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture Airy Fit Daily Sunscreen SPF 50

"It finishes and actually leaves behind a really nice finish on the skin so not greasy but also not super matte a nice finish on the skin and it feels really lightweight, maybe not as lightweight as the rest of the chemical sunscreens but certainly by mineral sunscreen standards I'd say this is probably the best that I've ever tried. So if you're a mineral sunscreen fan then I think the Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture Airy Fit Daily Sunscreen SPF 50 should be your summer savior, just such such a nice product."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Good Molecules Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30

"I would recommend and award the best mineral sunscreen of 2024 is this Good Molecules Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30. The reason I love this is it has a real invisible finish. A lot of mineral sunscreens look quite white and cakey on the skin, not a look we're going for, this doesn't. It has some extra hydration because mineral sunscreens can be a little drying. [...] This is nice and hydrating and it comes at an affordable price point. [...] Finding a good broad spectrum mineral sunscreen SPF of 30 is absolutely fine and this I think is a great option that balances the finish alongside the level of protection. [...] You do tend to have to work mineral sunscreens in a little bit more vigorously than you would chemical ones to make sure they go straight in. This one does feel heavier than chemical sunscreens but that's to be expected because of the mineral composition. But it is truly invisible and [...] it's nice and hydrating."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream

"One of my favorite favorite sunscreens to reach for is this, the COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream. I love it not just because you're getting that guaranteed SPF 50 plus with great UVA protection that comes as standard, but because you've got ceramides and you've got so many different peptides in here. Peptides are great because they hydrate the skin, they'll plump out the skin to give you some immediate anti-aging, and over time they can even boost levels of collagen and elastin production. This just is flawless on the skin. It's slightly thicker than the other ones I've recommended, but you need that if you want that extra hydration. You need a little extra thickness to the texture. And this when you work it in still disappears without a trace, but you notice that behind it is left much more hydration than what you'd normally expect for a sunscreen. You could use this as a moisturizer and sunscreen in one, and it's just imparting all that amazing peptide benefit into the skin as you wear it. It's got that locked in protection, but I think the ceramides alongside the calming and soothing ingredients and those peptides make this one really really special."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Stick

"This is kind of the stick version of it. I'm not the biggest fan of sunscreen sticks, I think they're fine but it's quite hard to get an even application. But if you're someone that loves a sunstick for that reapplication during the day that you can just throw in your handbag, I think this is probably the best on the market. Whilst I'm going to keep sticking to the original, I think for as some sticks go this is probably the best. When you apply it, it just feels like the skin drinks it up, hydration is great. They've released the testing on this so you know exactly what you're getting. The finish is so good. It's fragrance free but it doesn't smell too funky, it's just really really nice."

~Mixed

79%Guru Score

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Sunscreen SPF 60

"The fragrance was whoa, that's [...] a lot of scent to it, which some people like, but I'm not the biggest fan. It also has drying alcohol in it, which a lot of people like to avoid. I think in sunscreens in small quantities it's fine, but it's quite high up the ingredients list, which makes me a bit worried. The [...] first couple of uses felt great, alcohol in sunscreens helps it [...] feel more lightweight on the skin because it absorbs, it evaporates off the skin and helps it sink in quicker, and I loved it, I was like this sunscreen is everything, it's amazing. And then I was in Bermuda and on day four my skin started feeling really tight, like I [...] was wearing a mask, really dry. I thought maybe it was [...] too much sun, but I'd been really careful, [...] and by day six my skin was literally flaking and so dry. [...] I didn't put it down to the sunscreen at first, but when I changed the sunscreen it honestly disappeared. It was the accumulation of that drying alcohol constantly being reapplied, so [...] it's one that's quite nice to play in the morning, every other day, but I wouldn't be using it as a daily one personally."

✕Nay

77%Guru Score

The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30

"I tried their sunscreen, it's like SPF 30 which is fine, I mean SPF 30 is fine, but it's just basically greasy. And I got my skin, my friend with a dry skin type to try because I thought maybe it's just not translating well, but she was like, oh this is gross, terrible sunscreen."

✕Nay

70%Guru Score

Australian Gold Botanical Tinted Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50

"When we talk about tinted sunscreens, the Australian Gold tinted is a really good one. I do love that one."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Bondi Sands Daily Moisturizing Face SPF 50+

"I hated the Bondi Sands SPF 50 moisturizer and so I've been really reluctant to try anything else from Bondi Sands. I'm sure some of their products are good, I don't want to be shady and say all their products are garbage, but I just really wasn't a fan of that one. It's kind of put me off actually trying any of their other products."

✕Nay

65%Guru Score

Cleansers37 reviews

Remedy Rich Cream to Foam Cleanser

"The rich gives that extra layer of hydration for people that need it. If you've got a dryness prone skin type, I genuinely love both. They're so rich, they're so thick and occlusive, particularly the rich one. A little goes a long way, so use less than you think you need and then you can always put a little bit more on. They're super inexpensive to start with, and because a little goes a long way, you'll find that the product just lasts you a lot longer than others."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm

"I bought the new Oat Cleansing Balm and tried it, and it's just as good as the original, so good, I missed that product so much. They said they'd ironed out the packaging problem, the separation problem and the graininess that people reported with the original. A couple of weeks in it started separating again and feeling grainy again. I'll give them a bit of grace on the separation because of the heat wave, oil based cleansers aren't designed to stabilize against that kind of heat, but the grittiness is a fundamental stability problem they didn't really address the first time around. I'm not personally that livid about it, but I just won't repurchase it because I don't like the graininess."

~Mixed

75%Guru Score

Allies of Skin Molecular Silk Amino Hydrating Cleanser

"This is the silkiest, richest, most luxurious cleanser you have ever tried, and it's the cheapest product from Allies of Skin. So if you're looking to try the brand but you don't want to splurge too hard, this is the product I would recommend."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Numbuzin Glutathione Cica Facial Spa Cleanser

"This has been my absolute holy grail cleanser for the past three years. It's a beautiful oil, great for facial massage, and it emulsifies into a beautiful milk when you add water and rinses away without a trace, so it's the nicest cleansing experience you'll ever have. The glutathione helps at the margins with hyperpigmentation, and the scent brings the spa into your home without a luxury price point. I use it when I need a heavy duty cleanse, like after wearing multiple layers of water resistant SPF or makeup. If you're looking for a cleansing oil that doesn't leave a film, this is the one."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

Bubble Fresh Start Gel Cleanser

"Bubble are a great little skincare brand that I have had so much success with. The packaging is eye catching, it's a pop of color, which I personally really enjoy, but the formulas are really, really good. This cleanser comes in at like £13 and you get a lot of cleanser in it. I think this is a really nice budget friendly option that doesn't strip or dry but delivers an effective cleanse. It wouldn't be fair to not mention it in this video, it's just a wonderful, really accessible price point too, which I love."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

Dr Sam's Flawless Cleansing Water

"This is my summer staple. I'm not somebody that uses micellar water day in day out because I find I just don't need it, it's just an extra step I don't need. But in summer I like to use it on the back of the neck, behind the ears, places where I'm putting sunscreen but it's quite hard to wash off at the sink. Most micellar waters struggle to take off SPF, particularly multiple layers of quite stubborn SPF. This just works, melts everything away really, really effectively. You can use it all over the face as a standard cleanser, I would probably use it as the first step in a double cleanse. I generally won't bother with it in winter where I'm not using as much SPF, but during summer it's my absolute go-to."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Remedy Derm Dissolve Cleansing Balm

"This is their cleanser for normal to oily skin with salicylic acid that I use in the shower. The packaging is what I love because it's tactile and you don't drop it. If you're constantly dropping smooth bottles in the shower you don't have that problem with this. You can actually hold it great. Little touches like that where they've clearly thought about usability and accessibility matter. They actually worked with content creators who have mobility issues to make sure the hand cream and their products are user friendly for the widest number of people in terms of accessibility."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

The Ordinary Glycolipid Cream Cleanser

"This is the Ordinary Glycolipid Cream Cleanser. Super inexpensive, really nice in terms of getting the job done, but not stripping and drying. And this is something I'd really encourage everyone to take a look at. Go for something like this that actually adds hydration back into the skin. You'll see such great results and it's super inexpensive. This is a universal, super affordable, and budget friendly cleanser that I honestly recommend to everyone. Just a great place to start your routine."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Geek & Gorgeous 101 Mighty Melt Cleansing Balm

"This is the best cleansing balm you will ever, ever use. Just take it from me. It costs, it's under $20. I think it's somewhere in the region of about $12 and you get a lot of product. Like this is the latest one that I bought and you can see how much you're getting in there. It's like a full pan of cleansing balm and you only need a little. So good for summer because we wear multiple layers of SPF. Often we'll have gone for a water resistant SPF, really difficult to shift. Put a little of this on, massage it in for 60 seconds, rinse away the day. It works that well. I absolutely love it. I absolutely love it. Really inexpensive way of doing an effective cleanse. You don't need to be reaching for like the Elmus cleanser, which is lovely, but I'm not paying, you know, £60 when I can get this for $12. So, so good."

✓Yay

94%Guru Score

Remedy Gel-to-Foam Cleanser with Salicylic Acid

"One of the best exfoliating cleansers I've ever used is this. This is their salicylic acid one. I absolutely love it. Super inexpensive. Feels gorgeous on the skin. Doesn't strip and dry. I'll use this maybe three or four mornings a week. That's all the exfoliation I need. I was really using my tretinoin previously to try and increase cell turnover, smooth everything out. And I never achieved that because I just ended up getting a whole lot of irritation and my skin somehow felt rougher as a result. This doesn't leave any of the roughness. Smooths you to the gods and you can use it on the body too. Under the arms is great because the pH of this will help stop any scent causing bacteria. So it works well to kind of prolong or increase the benefits you get from your deodorant and keep you fresh all day long. Use it on the chest if you have any breakouts. It's just great. I absolutely love it."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Arencia Rice Mucin Cleanser

"You get a vat of product in here and it's scent neutral. Sometimes balm cleansers can smell a bit funky, a bit doughy almost. I don't like that. This is scent neutral and it just melts everything away and it leaves behind the nicest, freshest skin. It doesn't strip, doesn't dry, but it also doesn't leave a film like some other cleansers do. It's just a beautiful, beautiful product. Great for winter if you're looking for something a little bit more on the hydrating side in terms of your cleanser. You get a vat of product. This will last me, I've just bought two, I'm about halfway through one, so I've got two and that'll see me through another 12 months because I use such a little amount of this and it works. It has the rice that's anti-inflammatory, it's calming and soothing. It's just so so good."

✓Yay

58%Guru Score

Pixi Cleansing Oil

"This is the Pixi Cleansing Oil. I actually love this. I picked this up at the drugstore because I'm going through a bit of a Pixi resurgence. I used to love this brand. Completely fell off my radar and I've been trying some of their new launches. I like this. This is a cost-effective Cleansing Oil. It works really nicely on the skin. It feels luxurious without that luxury price tag, which I'm all about."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Prequel Gentle Cleanser

"Their cleanser is actually a glycerin-based cleanser, which is pretty rare to find. Lots of cleansers have quite stripping and drying surfactants in them, which is why it leaves us tight and dry. This actually doesn't. It really does work, but it uses that glycerin to break apart some of the dirt, debris, and makeup whilst also hydrating and nourishing. It's a really clever formulation. It's a really affordable price point for the quality, and it's just nice to see. And I think that this feels super luxurious. It gets the job done and it's a viral brand. So, you can still get a super popular product at a really affordable price if you shop strategically. And this is one of my personal favorites."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Tower 28 Daily Balancing Gel Cleanser

"This is the Tower 28 Daily Balancing Gel Cleanser. I think this is probably going to work best for people that have oily or combination oily skin because it really does just help to balance everything out. It takes away that excess oil that as someone who's super oily, I definitely produce all day long. And you can use this on a morning, you can use it on an evening. It's one of those products that just genuinely works no matter what you need from your cleanser. It's not stripping. It's not drying. And I just love the look. I think it's super fun. This would be a great option if there's a teen in your life looking to get into skin care for the first time. I think this is a really great option that is sensitive skin friendly, but delivers a really uplifting experience. Feels great on the skin and genuinely works. Takes away multiple layers of SPF makeup. It's just a really, really nice product. And it doesn't break the bank when you consider the amount of product that you're getting here. Definitely definitely worth it."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Numbuzin Easy Peasy Cleansing Oil

"Not only does it smell so uplifting and spa-like, but it genuinely packs a punch when it comes to melting away anything that's sitting on the skin and giving you a little glow up in the process. If you work this into the skin for, say, 60 seconds as part of facial massage, the glutathione in here is really going to get to work to help lift any excess pigment and also help to just brighten and glow up the skin. I love the way it feels. I love the fact that when you rinse it off, you'll have zero film left on the skin. It's 2025. We don't have time for those oil cleansers that leave that thick residue or almost like a film that your rest of your skin care has to fight through. We don't want that. We want something that disappears without a trace, taking with it all the SPF and makeup. And this one genuinely delivers. This is the oil cleanser I go to time and time again."

✓Yay

74%Guru Score

PSA Skin Reset Cleanser with AAI and Manuka Honey

"If you have a dryness prone skin type and you're thinking there is never going to be a gel cleanser for me, think again. Try the PSA Reset Cleanser. This is phenomenal. It's packed full of Manuka honey, which is really going to hydrate, nourish, calm, and soothe, and so many other hydrators. This is one of those cleansers that actually leaves your skin feeling more hydrated after you've washed it than before. That's almost unheard of in the cleanser market. And so, if you have a more dryness prone skin type and you want to have an effective gel cleanser, then the PSA reset any anytime. It feels luxurious. It feels elegant and again doesn't need to break the bank which I think is something really special. This is like cleansing with a purpose particularly if you've got a dryness prone skin type. This is definitely going to be for you."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

Geek & Gorgeous Jelly Joker Cleanser

"If you're somebody that has a dryness prone skin type, maybe reach for something like the Geek and Gorgeous Jelly Joker Cleanser, I think it just has a little bit more hydration to it."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

VT Seeker Mask Cleanser

"The VT Seeker Mask Cleanser is a great calming and soothing cleanser that you can leave on for five minutes before rinsing away. You get a mask and a cleanser all in one. I do quite like this idea as a dual-purpose product because it can help you streamline and get some additional benefit from your products."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser

"This is the Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser. It used to be an oldie and a favorite of mine years ago, and I [...] recently [...] rediscovered my love of it. It's beautiful, super lightweight, really refreshing. It doesn't have any artificial fragrance in it but it does have a light pick-me-up scent which I absolutely love. It doesn't strip or dry but gets the job done. I'd say this is a perfect morning cleanser for people that are wearing multiple layers of SPF. Maybe lots of makeup in the evening you're probably going to want something more heavy duty, but just to freshen the skin, take off anything that's accumulated as we've slept, this is a really great option. I'm so pleased I rediscovered it. Absolute firm favorite."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser

"The Squalane Cleanser, again a really nice affordable gentle cleanser, but the newer versions, which is their foaming cleanser and their glycolipid cleanser, just work a little bit better. The glycolipid one great for super dry skin, the foaming cleanser great if you want that gentle but foaming cleansing action, great again for us oily folk. Those two are amazing, rendering the Squalane Cleanser again a little bit redundant."

✕Nay

82%Guru Score

Dr. Althea Pore Refresh Grinding Cleansing Balm

"The technology here in terms of packaging is phenomenal if you're somebody that really doesn't like digging your fingers into your cleansing balm, you like something that's easy, you just twist and scoop, great, mess free. However, I'd say the cleansing balm itself is pretty average. It's not bad but it's not great either. It's a good quality mid-range cleansing balm with some nice packaging. Personally I still prefer other cleansing balms which just work better. So for me I would rather have better quality balm and less fancy packaging. But if you're someone that hates scooping out cleansing balm and you want something like this, it's a nice product, it's innovative in terms of its packaging and it's a nice one that you might want to try."

~Mixed

76%Guru Score

Dr. Jart+ Pore Refresh Grinding Cleansing Balm

"You sort of twist this and the product comes through like that, it's sort of almost like dispenses an amount that it shaves off the top. As cleansing balms go, this one I really really enjoy, particularly for doing a facial massage, which is a great way to start an anti-aging skincare routine. It's great for people that don't like sticking their fingers in the cleansing balms. This is a nice easy to dispense way of doing it and it does a great facial massage. For facial massage, I found this was easy, convenient, and definitely did the job."

✓Yay

71%Guru Score

Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel

"If you're someone that wants a strictly gel cleanser that's super effective like a one and one, then this is the Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel. Now this is slightly more expensive than the other two but it works, works so well and you get a lot of product. This will last you a long time because you only need the smallest amount. A great gel version of a product that again is just almost like a double cleanse in one."

✓Yay

71%Guru Score

Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil

"I do love Skin1004. I think the aesthetic of their packaging is phenomenal. The whole line sits together, it's amazing. I love the way it looks on your vanity and it's so inexpensive. This cleanser is £4, or the 100ml option is £13. So inexpensive. This cleanser, it's just a really nice cleansing oil. I mean, it's nothing spectacular, it's nothing groundbreaking, it's just a nice affordable cleansing oil. And I think the reason I say it's a must-have is I'm tired of overpaying for cleansing oils and cleansing balms. You don't need to. Something inexpensive like this, you get a lot of product because a little goes a long way is all you need. I think I've been using this up for the past year and it's still going strong. It's just a really really nice cleanser. So I'd say don't overpay for your cleansing oils, just buy this one. It's a must-have because it's a great place to start, but also for us experienced Korean skincare users, it's still, I've yet to find a better cleansing oil. Which is why I keep going back to it."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Harborist Hyper Gentle Skin Care Balm to Gel Cleanser

"This is the Harborist Hyper Gentle Skin Care Balm to Gel Cleanser. For those of you that watched this exact video last year, this was also a favorite then. I'd only just discovered it like a week before filming that and loved it. I absolutely love it. This goes on like a beautiful gel balm consistency, glides onto the skin, and there are so few ingredients in here, I think it's like eight ingredients, so it's sensitive skin friendly. And let me tell you, if you're struggling to shift your mineral sunscreen, this is the best to get rid of mineral sunscreen you will ever discover."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm

"I love the Radiance Cleansing Balm because it disappears without a trace, gets all of that makeup, dirt, debris, and SPF off the skin, but it doesn't leave a film, it doesn't strip, it doesn't dry. It's just really well formulated. You look at the ingredients on here, it's not packed full of filler ingredients, it's just a beautiful blend of oils needed to kind of do everything for your cleanse."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Krave Beauty Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser

"They did a couple of iterations of this, I think this is like version three, with a few tweaks and updates, and it's such a great product. I bought this and I'm probably going to save it until winter, when my skin is a little more dryness-prone and sensitivity-prone and I need something super gentle. This is by far and away the most gentle foaming cleanser I've ever found. It just works: it takes off all the makeup, SPF, everything, gone like that, and yet doesn't leave you stripped, dried, or your skin feeling tight. So if you're somebody that likes a little foaming action in your skincare routine but you need something that's so, so kind and gentle for your sensitive skin, I think this is a really great option. [...] I think each time they've iterated it's been improved, and this is the best of the best. [...] I'll start using it probably around October, when I feel like my skin just needs a little extra hydration and a little extra TLC, [...] and honestly my skin will love it."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Facetheory Vitamin C Cream Cleanser

"If you think a vitamin C cleanser might just be a great addition to your skincare routine, the best one is the Facetheory Vitamin C Cream Cleanser. Every time, it feels luxurious, it feels bougie, and really just like a next-level experience from a cleanser, but doesn't cost a whole lot. This is £13, which I think is a really great price point for the formulation that you're getting. A good dose of that vitamin C to add to your skincare routine. I love the fact that it comes in a fragrance and a fragrance-free option, so if you like a little Mandarin zesty scent, go for the Mandarin option. If you like to keep things fragrance-free, go for the fragrance-free one, and it'll work in exactly the same way. That flexibility is what I love to see in the skincare market. I think, beyond without exception, the Facetheory Vitamin C Cream Cleanser is the best of the active-packed cleansers on the skincare market for me. I use this two to three times a week to kickstart my skincare routine, and I definitely find that I get elevated results and doesn't mean that I have to miss out on any of my other vitamin C products because this will pair with just about everything. Absolute stunning option and one of the best vitamin C products on the market."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Dr Sam's Flawless Cleanser

"I've always been a fan of this, the Dr Sam's Flawless [...] Cleanser. The cap on this is so good that you can just dispense a small amount out. [...] If you don't mind having something bulky on your vanity, you really don't actually need the refill container; you can just use this as your cleanser. It is so much cheaper and it allows you to disperse the right amount."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser

"Revolution skincare do a far better version, and I also love the Face Fact ceramide version which is basically better than this and a fraction of the cost. There are better options out there."

✕Nay

85%Guru Score

CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser

"The one product from CeraVe that I think a lot of people say is next level and unparalleled is their salicylic acid cleanser. It's just a standard 2% salicylic acid, but for a lot of people, and I know a lot of people that follow this channel say it just works so much better than any other salicylic acid wash. I kind of do understand that. I think their formulation in that particular product is really good."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

The Ordinary Glucoside Foaming Cleanser

"This is by far and away the most gentle of the foaming cleansers on the market and this is really important for someone like me that has super oily and acne prone skin. We want a cleanser that's going to remove some of that excess oil but we don't want something that's going to leave us tight, stripped and dried. This ticks that box. In fact it ticks every box. It's calming, it's soothing, it's hydrating but also removes the excess oil. It's like a miracle workout. [...] If you have an oily skin type this is an absolute must. Definitely, definitely, definitely would recommend."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

Krave Beauty Makeup Rewind Transforming Jelly Oil Cleanser

"I like to do oil pulling which is where you massage an oil cleanser into the areas where you have blackheads and sebaceous filaments and it lifts them out. One of the best ways of decongesting the skin. I was always missing out because I just hate oil cleansers, then this came on the market and I thought, you know what, let's give it a try. It's actually a gel which then turns into an oil on the skin, so it doesn't have that oiliness that oil cleansers have. And it's also easier to use because it's not dripping all down your arm getting all over your clothes, and yet you still get that great oil cleanse. It's less runny in terms of its oil and it just works really, really well. I absolutely adore this, and this is probably the one product that's converted me to regular oil cleansing. Couple of times a week I'll work this into those areas where I do have those sebaceous filaments and blackheads, and it just works. It lifts them, it helps to eradicate them. I definitely find it doesn't strip and dry like some oil cleansers can. Even on my oily skin, I find that they leave my skin feeling like there's a film on there. Not with this. It rinses away to perfection."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

"If you want to go super affordable, the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water is great. I used to use that so, so long, so so good. In terms of cleansing, it will work just as well."

✓Yay

66%Guru Score

Kylie Skin Foaming Face Wash

"I tried the cleanser and I tried one of the masks and they were fine but there was nothing there that made me want to buy it again. The formulations were average, the price point was above average. There's nothing there to make you want to repurchase it."

✕Nay

56%Guru Score

The INKEY List 2% Salicylic Acid Cleanser

"I love that product so much, it's one of my summer staples."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Allies of Skin Vitamin C & Omegas Cleansing Balm

"This vitamin C and omegas cleansing balm is fantastic because you can use it as a mask and a cleansing balm. Put a slightly thicker layer on, leave it on for ten minutes, rinse it off, it's a mask and a cleanser. It's vitamin C enriched, so it's going to calm, soothe and fade hyperpigmentation, but it's also a really great cleanser. I love it."

✓Yay

Notverified

Other35 reviews

Remedy Remedy

"If you want to shop with dermatologist approved products, reach out to one of the brands which is led by a dermatologist founder such as Remedy. One of my favorite favorite skincare brands actually founded by Dr. Sha who's part of the docly duo here on YouTube. A dermatologist with defined credentials that you can actually look up that you can respect, you can trust and is leading from the front when he creates this product."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Medik8 C-Tetra Advance

"I'm going in with the Medicate C Tetra Advanced. Whilst lots of people feel quite negative towards vitamin C, I still think it has a good part to play in a hyperpigmentation routine. Is it the be all and end all that everyone makes it out to be? No. I think it's okay. It's not like the gold standard as people used to think it was, but I still think a vitamin C can really help with a hyperpigmentation routine. This is a beautiful vitamin C derivative that's high performance. So, it will definitely help fade hyperpigmentation, but will do so in a much more gentler way. The reason I've gone for the derivative is I think using that hydroquinone, I don't want to use too many potent actives alongside it. I also think I get the results that I want from that vitamin C derivative. I don't feel like I need to push it further. And for me, it just works to perfection. Yeah, this is just a lovely lovely serum to use."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%

"The Ordinary Azureine, which people refer to as Botox in a bottle for its ability to plump out and reduce the depth of wrinkles, can be used beforehand to further enhance the results when paired with the PDRN eye cream. They do pair really, really well together."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA

"The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA works in the long term to boost collagen production and give long-term anti-aging, so you get the long-term payoff and plumping. Together with the Argireline it just makes sense to use these two, and even five years on you can still get this potent anti-aging duo for around twenty dollars, one of the most potent anti-aging combos you're going to find."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

La Roche-Posay Lift Active C10

"La Roche-Posay's vitamin C had the same oxidation issue. They actually added a color into it to disguise the fact it was oxidized rather than working to overcome the issue in the first place. That sort of shady brand behavior just turned people off."

✕Nay

58%Guru Score

Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Pore Minimizing Capsule Ampule

"This is the Skin1004 Pore Mizone Fresh Ampoule. These peptides minimize the appearance of the pores by gently increasing the amount of collagen in these areas and also helping to unclog them, removing some of the blackheads and sebaceous filaments that can make them appear more enlarged in the first place. This works really, really well and I've been using this for the past 4 years, but in the last 6 months I've actually switched to a different pore serum because I think its formula is just better."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

Dr.Melaxin Calcium Stick

"Take Dr. Melaxin for example, a fantastic Korean skincare brand. Their Calcium Stick went viral and I would say it's probably my least favorite of all their products. The one that delivers the least in terms of results."

✕Nay

62%Guru Score

Sachi Skin States of Skin Complexion Clarifying Accelerator

"This is getting a lot of hype in luxury skincare circles, I've seen quite a few celebrities recommending it, so I bought it. [...] Is this the best exfoliator ever? Yes. It's a beautiful blend of gentle acids and manuka honey, it does everything an exfoliator should, gives a little tingle but nothing too intense, and you wake up with the most gorgeous glowing skin. [...] The drawback is it's got one of those pump things that looks grimy even when clean, because the [...] manuka honey is sticky, [...] I would have preferred it in a standard pump. [...] But it works, so I will repurchase it. [...] It's not dirt cheap but not crazy expensive either, I paid about £35. I think once a week is all you need, and it delivers the nicest little glow up."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Geek & Gorgeous Calm Down

"My favorite is the Geek & Gorgeous Calm Down Exfoliant. This is stunning. You get a lot of product in this. So one will last me like six months and it's super budget and affordable. I really like this because it uses a low dose polyhydroxy acid which is super gentle alongside just a touch of salicylic acid too. That salicylic acid is great because it's going to go into the pores, flush out the dirt, the debris, blackheads, sebaceous filaments which people can experience a buildup of, particularly in the early stages of their retinoid use. This is like a dream formula that I recommend to everybody. And I think it's a great gentle but hyper effective option to use alongside your retinoids."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

The Ordinary EUK 134 0.1%

"EUK 134 used to be really difficult to find, but then The Ordinary came out with their serum and kind of took all the stress out of it. It works on certain components of our skin to help tighten things at the margins. This isn't going to be a groundbreaking solution to jowls or increasing definition, but it will definitely help at the margins. And I think it's a really easy one to slot into your skincare routine to just dial up the results that you see. [...] I would recommend this every day of the year. Such a great product to include. And at the moment, [...] The Ordinary have their 23% off sale, which brings this down to about £7 here in the UK. So super inexpensive way of just getting a little extra firming and lifting action going in your skincare routine."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

RNW Ceramide Plus Concentrate

"If you want a high dose ceramide treatment, this RNW is really cheap, really effective high dose ceramides. If you're on a ceramide hunt in 2026, get this one."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

The Ordinary Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution

"This is one of those products just everybody should have in their skincare routine. It hydrates, it plumps, it nourishes, but most importantly, it turbocharges your hyperpigmentation routine. If you're somebody that's already using hyperpigmentation actives such as maybe vitamin C, tranexamic acid, alpha, all the good stuff, use this to just turbocharge it. It's super gentle, so even the most sensitive skin can absolutely use it. They've really thought about the formula of this one because they've actually taken the aloe vera that forms part of this and really broken down the individual components of it to add them in a concentrated way. So, this is very different to just using a 2% aloe for example. It's much more hyper concentrated. So, you get that calming, that soothing. The NAG fights hyperpigmentation. It's just great. Use this at the start of your serums for just that little boost to radiance, luminosity, hyperpigmentation fighting, and hydration. Kind of does it all, and it's super inexpensive. I bought the maximum five of this, and I would recommend everybody has it as part of their skincare routine for the benefits."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Lipid 1%

"I bought a couple of the NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Lipid 1%. I love this because daytoday I will use a waterbased copper peptide serum. They work absolutely fantastically, but when there's a sale on, I treat myself to this because I just love the feel of this product on my skin. This is a copper peptide in a lipid format, which is fairly unique and fairly rare. You don't see it a lot on the market, but those lipids will just help those copper peptides penetrate a little bit deeper. I find you get slightly quicker results with a lipid based copper peptide. [...] It gives you the nicest, smoothest skin. It's super hydrating. A little does go a long way. I use this to just turbocharge the results I get from copper peptides. [...] As soon as this arrives, I will use it continuously for like two months and [...] my skin has just enjoyed that little treat and it's just elevated some of the antiaging. I'm not going to be buying this full price, but with [...] the discount, my skin loves it."

✓Yay

68%Guru Score

Retin-A Micro

"It's fantastic when it comes to minimizing fine lines and wrinkles, boosting collagen and elastin production. It's a favorite with skincare nerds, dermatologists, and the wider community."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

The Ordinary Volufiline 92% + Pal-Isoleucine 1%

"The Ordinary Volufiline is well studied and there's lots of data to show it can help increase density and volume in the skin over time. Not groundbreaking. These studies showed roughly a 2.7% increase, but that's something. And it will instantly hydrate and nourish the skin, too. So you get that instant hydration, that nice plumping effect the second you use it. And in the long term, you are going to get some marginal improvements in terms of volume and density in the skin. I really do love it, but I think how you use it is key."

✓Yay

61%Guru Score

Medik8 Super C Ferulic

"You could absolutely go for the Medik8 Super C Ferulic. This is designed to be a like for like dupe for the Skinceuticals CE Ferulic but half the price. You've got your pure form vitamin C here in a formula which helps to keep it stable so it's not going to oxidize too quickly. You've got your ferulic acid, which is great in terms of providing antioxidant protection, but also further stabilizing that vitamin C. This is great for those that love their pure form vitamin C. Medik8 do it best."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The Ordinary Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F

"If you want a more affordable option, you could use The Ordinary Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F. This is also a really inexpensive derivative that you could slot into your evening skincare routine and it would work the same. The Ordinary one is also super amazing."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

VT Reedle Shot 100

"The 100 is more gentle than the 300. So, choose one that meets your individual skin sensitivity levels. For a lot of people, they might want to start with the 100, see how it goes, and work up. You will get great results. Wonderful for brightening the skin, fantastic for fading hyperpigmentation, and I think is the go-to vitamin C for those people who have tried others and maybe been underwhelmed. Give this a go cuz I promise you it will deliver."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

VT Reedle Shot 300

"The 300 is slightly more potent in terms of the spicules that are in here. So spicules are little they're almost like micro darts that push the product deeper into the skin so you get better results. You get quicker results too. And this works in a flash. Now those spicules I don't think work on sensitive skin. If you're somebody that has quite a resilient skin type that maybe you're not getting the results you want to see from other vitamin C's, give this a go. Those spicules will definitely help the product to penetrate and get some extra results. You've got glutathione in here which is going to brighten the skin and fade hyperpigmentation. And you've just got an all round amazing formulation. I wouldn't necessarily start your vitamin C journey on this one. But if you're somebody that wants to kick it up a notch, you've tried a lot of other vitamin C's and they've not worked for you or not giving you the results you want, maybe give this a go. For me, I can just about get away with the 300, but for a lot of people, they might want to start with the 100, see how it goes, and work up. You will get great results."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5

"I love this. I've actually run out. I've been clinging on just waiting for this sale before I put it on order. And this is my winter skin care savior. If you're somebody that has very dryness prone skin, particularly in the cooler winter months, get this because it's the surefire way to supercharge your moisturizer. Get you whatever moisturizer works for you. But if you feel that it needs a little bit of extra hydration in the winter months, just add a couple of drops of The Ordinary Amino Acids to it. I'll put some moisturizer in the palm of my hand. Two drops of The Ordinary Amino Acids. Mix it together and apply it to the skin. This will really take your moisturizer to the next level. And it's just a really inexpensive way of getting some extra hydration in your life. You can use it on the face, you can use it on the body. Some people choose to use it neat, you know, direct from the dropper straight to the face, which you can do. I mix it in with my moisturizer because I feel that that gives the very best application. But this again was an absolute no-brainer when it came to purchasing it. I've only put two on order because I tend only to use it in the cooler winter months, which is when my skin needs it. But if you're someone that's dryness prone year round, this might be something you stock up on."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

Stratia Interface

"For the absolute budget friendly option for people that don't want to have to splurge when it comes to that peptide and growth factor combo, you could always reach for the Stratia Interface. [...] It's an amazing option with growth factors and peptides together. This comes at a fraction of the cost of other recommendations, but just know that the type of growth factors used in this isn't quite as advanced as either of the other two. So you are compromising slightly, but for that price point, honestly, I think this is wonderful."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Medicube Zero Pore Pad

"These are gentle, but I don't feel that we really need all these pads in our life. I think it's a little bit much. I think the marketing on here is a bit suspect because this isn't going to give you zero pores. It might help at the margins. I just don't think it's worth the price point. If you're looking for an exfoliating pad and you set your expectations right, this is okay, but it's nothing groundbreaking if you ask me."

✕Nay

55%Guru Score

VT PDRN Reedle Shot

"I've got some great results from this"

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Neostrata Copper Amino Isolate Lipid

"It has a very specific and trademarked delivery mechanism which actually gets those copper peptides into the skin in a more efficient way so fewer of them are kind of lost. Whilst it has a lower concentration of that copper peptide than some of the other products I've spoken about, that targeted delivery mechanism really helps enhance the benefits. It's in a lipid form so if you have super dryness prone skin this is going to be a dream, hydrates you to the gods. It'll help boost your skin barrier function and you're getting that dose of copper peptides too. Not the cheapest product out there but it's the only complete lipid based copper peptide that I can find, perfect for dry skin people out there. The technology in here is so advanced that they trademarked it and I am living for that."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The Ordinary Arginine Solution

"This is the first of these instant anti-aging products I think I ever used and I was hooked on day one. I love the results that I got particularly targeting dynamic fine lines and wrinkles those caused by movement, so if you're worried about the crows feet, the laughter lines, all the 11s, The Ordinary Arginine Solution is a really inexpensive yet effective way to target them. My favorite way of using this is to combine it with another peptide from The Ordinary known as Matrixyl for that like double whammy. The Ordinary Arginine is going to minimize the appearance of those fine lines and wrinkles straight away. [...] For under £10 you can get a really effective wrinkle treatment that studies now show reduces the depth of wrinkles by up to 177% without having to break the bank. [...] I still reach for it, I still use it, and every time I do I'm still impressed with the results I see: smoothing out skin, minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and give you a touch of hydration too."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Timeless HA Matrixyl 3000 Rose Spray

"The rose one is just great for nourishing and hydrating. If you spray some of this, particularly the rose one, onto the skin and then put a serum on top of it, the plumpest skin you will ever have. It's like an instant wrinkle erase set because it plumps itself out and everything will just seem smoother and plumper. I really love the packaging, I love the ingredients. Each one of these has added peptides in so it's like a peptide and a face mist all in one. It's really great and an absolute standout performer."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

VT Reedle Shot 100 Vita Light Glow

"This is phenomenal if you want to reduce hyperpigmentation fade dark spots and discoloration vitamin C amazing"

✓Yay

68%Guru Score

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex

"Is it worth the hype? No, but I've used it in the past and I've got great results. Do I think it works? Absolutely. I think everyone online saying oh my God this is the best thing that ever existed, no, but I did like it. So I think it's expensive for what it is, but if you're getting it as a treat for your birthday, absolutely fine, it's nice, it's a nice serum. I think people online saying it's the only serum you need, it's the best thing that's ever happened, are overhyping it, but it's a really nice serum, so I've always enjoyed it when I've used it in the past."

~Mixed

65%Guru Score

Indeed Labs Snoxin 2

"I've been using this for years and I love the fact that you get quick wins, instant results, but you also get some long-term payoff too. People online will often refer to this as Botox in a bottle for its ability to immediately minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and let me tell you, it does just that. Within an hour of applying this you'll notice that your wrinkles are diminished in depth, everything just looks smoother. It uses a blend of different peptides to achieve that, but in the long term it also encourages the body to naturally produce more of its own collagen, leading to some great long-term anti-aging benefits. This for me is like that multi-action product that just delivers. It's also reasonably affordable too, so it's one of those products that doesn't need to break the bank in order to get those results. You apply a little of this and wait an hour and you'll see those results come through. For me I use this in a targeted way on those areas where I have those dynamic fine lines and wrinkles, crow's feet, the laughter lines, the elevens, however if you wanted to just use it all over the face it will work just as well in doing that too, so it's really up to you how you choose to use it. But for me this is one of those products that will within an hour give you that boost to skin confidence, make everything look a little bit more snatched, a little smoother, and who doesn't want a little of that in their lives. I cannot recommend this enough."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

SkinCeuticals SkinCeuticals

"I do not use SkinCeuticals because they are not cruelty free, which I have committed to, and the price point does not appeal to me as they are quite pricey. [...] I have heard some good things about it, but it is just not for me."

~Mixed

76%Guru Score

NIOD Hydration Vaccine

"The Hydration Vaccine I think is a genuine game changer. This is a really nice serum cream which will help dial up the rate of hydration in the skin and just lock it all in for winter. So if like me you're super dryness prone in those cooler winter months, this Hydration Vaccine can be a great way of just kind of preventing some of that dryness. [...] I like the term vaccine because that implies that you're almost protecting against something. This is the sort of product that you really want to start using before that dryness takes hold and that way it'll just prevent it from occurring all the way through the cooler winter months. A really nice product and one of the unsung heroes from NIOD, doesn't get shouted about a whole lot but it's honestly a really great formulation and a great preventative step in your skincare routine."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Skin1004 Zombie Pack

"This is great it's one of my favorites skin4 that never gets any love"

✓Yay

65%Guru Score

Vichy Mineral 89 Prebiotic Recovery and Defense Concentrate

"This has been doing the rounds online for the past 3 years with people saying it will give you the best plumping hydrated juicy skin of your dreams. I was totally taken in by that thought, okay, this is definitely worth a try. But honestly I was just a bit underwhelmed. It's pretty much just a hyaluronic acid serum and it costs £50, which is ridiculously expensive. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this, I just think the price point means that you could honestly be getting the same outcome at a fraction of the cost. I tried the original which was a bit of a fail. This is the Prebiotic one which I think is fractionally better, but still just not worth it."

✕Nay

77%Guru Score

Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops

"It's quite expensive and it's probably the one product that people dip their toe into when it comes to Drunk Elephant. The Drunk Elephant one translates as a little bit orangey on the skin, not my favorite, and of course that will depend on the tonality of it will depend on your individual skin tone to begin with, but for me it comes across quite orange. I don't like the fact that they say it's an antioxidant product when there's not a whole lot of antioxidant action going on in there. I certainly wouldn't swap out your antioxidant serum for it. I don't think you'll get the coverage you need, and for me it's just way too expensive."

✕Nay

58%Guru Score

Numbuzin No.3 Vitamin Nourishing Concentrated Pads

"I love these because they're vitamin C, they've got glutathione, they've got niacinamide, they've got so many amazing hyperpigmentation correcting ingredients. My skin is fairly sensitive to niacinamide, I can't use a lot, so I love the fact that this has a 3% concentration niacinamide which is just right for my skin and I think would work well for just about everyone. They have a slightly rough side and they have a smooth side. On an evening I use these with the rough side for just a gentle amount of exfoliation. On a morning I'd actually just pat this in and you just all that goodness can go into the skin on top of that essence that we've already applied and it feels good. You can swipe these across the skin which is what I do on an evening, but on the morning I just pat because I think that's the way you get more product onto the skin and I want all this good. It also just feels better, so I pat, but it's up to you. Now you can also if you've got an area of specific hyperpigmentation you want to target, you can just stick this on, leave it on for 5 minutes, and it gives a targeted dose of all the great hyperpigmentation ingredients in here."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Retinoids32 reviews

Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 20 Retinol

"I actually alternate it with the Geek and Gorgeous A-Game 20, which is a retinol. I alternate one day with the tazarotene and one day with the Geek and Gorgeous, and I alternate like that, meaning I'm getting the maximum results but I'm also minimizing side effects and irritation."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Medik8 Crystal Retinal 24

"My personal favorite is the Medik8 Crystal Retinal 24. This is actually 20% stronger than the previous strongest retinal, so this really has stepped it up in terms of results, and you're going to get some next-level anti-aging, skin smoothing and pro-collagen benefits from this one. I absolutely love it. If you want the ease of over-the-counter, the Medik8 Crystal Retinal 24 is absolute perfection."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

Beauty of Joseon Revive Firming Moisturizer: Ginseng + Retinol

"I bought this moisturizer five weeks ago and just finished the very last drop, so at twice daily use it lasts about four to five weeks, and honestly I don't think that's bad because I only paid twelve pounds for it. What really drew me to it was the ingredients list, especially the fermented retinol, which is far less sensitizing than standard retinol while still being effective, along with amino acids and ceramides. Literally within the first application my skin felt softer and hydrated, and I'd say this is one of the nicest moisturizers I've used in a long time, so as a moisturizer it's a ten out of ten. Beauty of Joseon claims it firms skin by 20% in two weeks, but having used it for five weeks I wouldn't say I've gotten a 20% increase in firmness, and I think that's really only realistic for someone completely new to retinoids, not for someone like me who has already used retinoids for years. That said, my skin is a lot better hydrated than it's ever been, it's definitely smoother, and I am starting to notice a little bit of firming, nothing groundbreaking, but a nice addition to a routine that doesn't cost the earth. I do think they should have added a caveat to that 20% claim, but for the price, the ingredients, and the chance to try fermented retinol, this is a brilliant addition to the skincare market. I'm giving it a solid eight out of ten, genuinely impressed, and I came into this as a skeptic."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6

"Medik8 have 10 different strengths of their retinal product, the Medik8 Crystal Retinal Collection, and they really supercharged our retinoid game when they came out with this product. It was one of the first over-the-counter retinols available, and now every brand is following suit. They really led the way, which will always have my heart. They do 10 different strengths, starting at a 1, working your way up to a 24. The Medik8 Crystal Retinal 24 is the world's strongest over-the-counter retinoid, doesn't get stronger than this, and whilst it comes in a slightly higher price point, if you're wanting maximum anti-aging, this is where it's at. But again, you could start with one of the lower strengths and work your way up."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Geek & Gorgeous A-Game Retinal Serum

"My heart will always be with retinal, which for me I just believe is genuinely the best of the retinoids available over the counter. Higher potency than retinol but less irritating, so that for me is a win win win, and my favorite retinal is Geek and Gorgeous and their A-Game collection. I based this on price versus formula versus results, there isn't a cheaper retinal serum on the market than this that will still deliver you those same next level results. The formula is so good they could honestly charge £50 for this and I would still buy it, it's £14, it doesn't get cheaper than that. Retinal is my preferred retinoid, and [...] for me the price point's divine, the formula's next level."

✓Yay

91%Guru Score

The Ordinary Retinal 0.2% Emulsion

"Most brands have switched to retinal, which is still permissible and not covered by this ban, and launched new products containing it, such as The Ordinary Retinal, which is one of my personal favorites."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Geek & Gorgeous A-Game Retinol 10

"I think when it comes to retinoids, you can go down that prescription route if you want. Nothing wrong with that. But if you want to keep it super simple, accessible, and affordable, the Geek and Gorgeous A-Game range is absolute perfection. The way I'd recommend using it is buy the 10, then buy the 20, and then continue to use the 20. Graduate your way up and that way you will have all that great anti-aging benefit, but it allows your skin to acclimatize before you go up in strength, minimizing side effects and irritation. It doesn't get more affordable than this. Doesn't get more effective."

✓Yay

90%Guru Score

Paula's Choice Clinical PRO Retinaldehyde Dual-Retinoid Treatment

"Paula's Choice though is a great dual retinoid that I think is going to deliver you next level results whilst again maintaining a lower sensitivity profile that you might naturally expect."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

Krave Beauty 24 Karat Retinol

"I bought it, tried it, fell in love. This is actually my third bottle now. It's just genuinely amazing."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

e.l.f. Youth Boosting Advanced Night Retinoid Serum

"Granactive retinoid is one of the best retinoids for reducing acne causing bacteria on the skin. So if you are super breakout prone, then this e.l.f. one will be a wondrous addition to your skincare routine. If you're not breakout prone, it's still a great option if you're looking for something super gentle, but that genuinely delivers a punch when it comes to anti-aging. I absolutely love this one. And of course, in keeping with all of the e.l.f. products, this is super drugstore and affordable."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Nurium Retinaldehyde Cream Serum 0.10%

"Nurium just do this super well."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1%

"When I'm super acne prone, I swapped to adapalene. This is different. This is adapalene gel. Really, really good if you got breakouts and acne. Still great for anti-aging. My skin at the moment is needing a little help when it comes to fighting acne. Differin is the best for that. But Differin is also great for anti-aging. So don't feel like you're missing out on anti-aging because you're using Differin, it's not just acne fighting and it's a lot less irritating on the skin than other retinoids of a similar strength. So that's also really good for my winter skin sensitivity. I put one pump. One pump does the whole face. Super easy."

✓Yay

91%Guru Score

Allies of Skin Multi-Acid and Retinoid Brightening Sleeping Facial

"It's another one of those great products you only need to use twice a week. So, if you don't want to commit to something every single night, you can absolutely use this. I probably tried it for the first time three years ago and I've used it ever since and it's just a quick fix and I love a quick fix. If you think of the price of this product and then what you would pay for like an Inspar facial, this is a lot more affordable and a lot cheaper than that. And I think you get the same or better results. It's a once or twice weekly facial that you can do at home. And trust me, you apply this, rinse it off, put a moisturizer on, go to bed, and you will wake up thinking, yes, today is going to be a good skin day. And I absolutely love it."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion

"The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is great because that emulsion adds to the hydration of the serum. So this is great if you have very dryness prone skin and it's just a more affordable option. [...] Such a wonderful product and definitely one that I think could be a great budget friendly place to start with granactive retinoid."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane

"Retinol is getting far too confusing, it's far too hard to formulate with, and consumers increasingly are not really wanting it as part of their skincare routine. This is why The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane no longer exists. It was discontinued and was replaced by their retinol emulsion, which is now one of the brand's best sellers."

✕Nay

63%Guru Score

La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum

"This little red bottled number has an undisclosed dose of retinol. If you really badger the company, they will tell you the strength, but it's not apparent from just looking at the product or on their website, making it easy for us to make an informed decision. You have to email them. It's a lot of work. But not only do they not fully transparent on the percentage, they also pair what is already quite a sensitizing ingredient, retinol, alongside other drying ingredients and fragrance. For me, there are so many potentially irritating ingredients in this product. It's just going to risk increasing side effects and irritation. When it comes to choosing a retinoid, I like to opt for ones that are fragrance free, colorant free, and ideally free from any drying alcohols or other potentially drying ingredients. I avoid it in my retinoids because personally, I just don't think we want to increase the risk of sensitivity from what is already quite a sensitizing ingredient."

✕Nay

57%Guru Score

Olay Retinol 24 Max Night Moisturizer

"This is a product which is unfortunately one of the bestselling retinoids on the market, but they don't disclose the percentage. You have literally no idea what you're putting on your skin. Thanks to a little bit of investigative work, we now know that the strength of this is actually a 0.2% retinol, which is ridiculously low. The only max thing about this is the amount of hydrators that they're putting in it. So, as a moisturizer, this is fine. As a retinoid, you're going to get next to zero results because it's got such a low dose. People shouldn't have to put on their detective hat in order to get to the bottom of what percentage is in a product. Only go with retinoids that have a disclosed percentage on the bottle so you know exactly what you're using. If a brand isn't disclosing their percentage, treat that as a red flag."

✕Nay

75%Guru Score

Geek & Gorgeous A-Game Retinol 5

"Start with the five and work your way up. But all of them are packed full of moisturizing ingredients, hctants, and calming and soothing components."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Allies of Skin Retinol 0.05% & Peptides Repair Night Cream

"This is the Allies of Skin Retinol and Peptides Repair Night Cream. [...] The reason I'm talking about this as being a real holy grail is just the number of different ingredients you've got in here. You've got your peptides, fantastic. So, this replaces a peptide serum. You've got antioxidants, so it represents an antioxidant serum. You've got your brightening ingredients, and you've got an encapsulated form of retinol, meaning super gentle, but still packs a punch and really is like a 4-in-one when it comes to your skincare routine. This isn't the cheapest product out there, but I like to see it as that 4-in-one. Meaning you're getting a peptide, an antioxidant, a brightening, and a retinoid all in one, which is why I can kind of justify the higher price point because this just makes my skincare routine so simple. One product has four purposes."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer

"If you look at some of the big name brands such as Olay, you might look at Rock, some of the big retinol market shareholders, they'll never tell you what percentage they're actually using. And this is really a shame. That's because we need to know what percentage so we can match it to our individual level of skin sensitivity. If you have a resilient skin type, you can go for something with a higher strength in order to get the best results. If you're sensitive skinned, you want to go for something with a lower dose to minimize side effects. When brands gatekeep their concentration, it's just super shady."

✕Nay

70%Guru Score

The INKEY List Super Solutions 1% Retinol Serum

"The biggest issue for me was with their original Retinol Serum which was a 1% retinol set it all over the packaging. I was like that's a good dose retinol. I started my retinoid journey with it because it then came out that it wasn't a 1% retinol, it was a 1% rstar complex which actually was a compound of different components, and when you broke it down it was equivalent of about a 0.2% retinol. Really that's doing nothing. This kind of emerged online, people started talking about it, then it was confirmed with the new EU retinol restrictions where The INKEY List can still sell their product into the EU because the concentration of retinol is below 0.3%, which we all kind of knew before then, but it really just became very apparent that that marketing was very misleading from the start. I trusted my skin with that product and I wondered why I maybe didn't get the same results I was hoping for. It's because we weren't really getting the percentage we thought we were. Shady, shady, shady."

✕Nay

69%Guru Score

Medik8 Crystal Retinal 10

"This is the Medik8 Crystal Retinal 10, the same strength as the Geek and Gorgeous one I referenced earlier but way more hydrating, super nourishing. It's encapsulated so you're going to get a lot less irritation, perfect for sensitive skin or dryness-prone skin types. I love this one. Yes, slightly more money than the Geek and Gorgeous, but I think the technology that they employ in this really justifies that."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

Naturium Retinaldehyde Cream Serum 0.5%

"If you want a cheaper option in terms of encapsulated retinol, reach for Naturium with their Retinaldehyde Serum. This is great and they now do two strengths which is wonderful. The 0.05% again best for beginners, the 0.1% kind of suitable for everyone. An affordable, budget-friendly encapsulated retinaldehyde that I would recommend all the time."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Maelove Moonlight Retinaldehyde Serum 0.1%

"My favorite of mine in this 0.1% category is the Maelove Moonlight Retinaldehyde Serum. This is divine. It has that very rich coloration you would expect from a high strength retinal and this is really rich and creamy, has much more of an emulsion-like texture. I love this Maelove one. I think it's absolutely fabulous. It has a very unique texture and is beautifully well formulated. These are the sort of strengths you want to begin with if you don't have too sensitive skin. They're going to be hydrating which is nice and you can still use them alongside your moisturizer."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Medik8 Crystal Retinal 3

"This is the Medik8 Crystal Retinal 3, a great option, a retinal that works under the eye in a super gentle way. Again, my eye area is very sensitive, I couldn't use tretinoin around it, this allows me to, and it is one of the best anti-aging serums for the eye I've ever found. So so good, absolutely love it. This works beautifully well under the eye to minimize crow feet and is super hydrating. Retinal, like with that other skin oil I just shared, is more gentle, less irritating than tretinoin. I'd recommend if you're using tretinoin to maybe consider having another gentle retinoid for under the eye and on the neck. I think that works best."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream

"If you've got a high potency retinoid, which Drunk Elephant do with their A-Passioni Retinol Cream, you really need to be pitching that at the late 30s, 40s, and 50s market. There's a lot of people that are going to benefit from this product, probably do actually need it in terms of their skincare routine."

✕Nay

55%Guru Score

Good Molecules Gentle Retinol Cream

"This is probably I think this is the cheapest of all the products on this list and is stunning it is so gentle"

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The Ordinary Retinol 0.2% in Squalane

"I don't use it anymore because I switched to the Indeed Labs Synoxin, [...] but this is still a great option. You apply it to your dynamic fine lines and wrinkles like the crow's feet, the elevenses, the laughter lines, and it over time it'll just lessen the appearance and depth of any of those wrinkles that you have. It gives an immediate plumping but long-term benefit too, and a study actually showed 17% reduction on average in the depth of wrinkles. That's really good for the price point. [...] If you're on a budget, use this absolutely fine, nothing wrong with going for this."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

Dermatica Custom Blended Prescription Retinoid

"I'm planning on trying it in the new year I want to get this year out the way first"

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment with Peptides and Vitamin C

"The Paula's Choice Clinical which is a one percent strength also disappear from the market which again I know is a firm favorite from so many people out there."

✕Nay

66%Guru Score

The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane

"The Ordinary retinols in squalane, there's 0.5 and the one percent, will be gone again because it reaches that 0.3 concentration."

✕Nay

85%Guru Score

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

"You could of course reach for the Paula's Choice retinol 0.3 plus the bakuchiol. I actually prefer this to their clinical strength. You get a good dose of retinol and that bakuchiol dials up the results you're going to see without also dialing up the sensitivity that you can experience in the skin. It's actually a really good product."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Mists & Essences26 reviews

Numbuzin No.9 NAD+ Bio-Lifting Sill Essence

"This is phenomenal. It has 50 different peptides all focused on different benefits, some plump the skin, others hydrate, some even out the skin tone, and a lot of them boost collagen and elastin for anti-aging. It's got NAD in there too, which helps fade hyperpigmentation and boosts collagen at the margins. This plumps, it hydrates, it gives you that bouncy glass skin that we all crave, and it's super lightweight so it doesn't weigh you down."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Numbuzin NAD+ PDRN Essence

"The NAD is anti-aging, you've got PDRN which is pro collagen, and 50 peptides which are going to boost further that collagen production. This also gives you the nicest glow, [...] that lit from within glow that isn't greasy looking, it's not tacky in the slightest, it's just a guaranteed good skin day because of that pearlescent hue. If you're looking for something slightly more lightweight in terms of your toner or essence, then the Numbuzin is great, and I'd recommend the large size over the travel size because it's slightly better value for money. [...] I use it if I really just want something lightweight with a little bit of plumping."

✓Yay

61%Guru Score

Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray

"My favorite toner of 2026 so far is this. Hypochlorous acid is fantastic for anyone that's breakout prone, I am. [...] I love it in a spray form. [...] Before I even go into the gym [...] I will give this a good spritz on the chest, on the face, back of the neck, and that will just prevent and reduce acne causing bacteria from causing a problem and prevent breakouts. When I'm done at the gym [...] I will generally shower and then do another spritz again because it just keeps all your breakouts in check. [...] If you haven't tried hypochlorous acid, this is the best one, doesn't strip, doesn't dry. [...] This is more affordable, which is why I'm gravitating towards this more. [...] I would encourage everyone to get a toner with a purpose, and hypochlorous acid has a key purpose, particularly in these warmer summer months."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Tone Brightening Capsule Ampoule

"Comes in a 100ml size rather than the standard 30ml, meaning one bottle lasts about six months, easier on the wallet and on shipping since you're not constantly repurchasing. Contains tranexamic acid, which is anti-inflammatory and helps prevent hyperpigmentation, plus stabilized vitamin C to fade hyperpigmentation you already have, other brightening ingredients for radiance and luminosity, and centella asiatica for that pro-collagen benefit alongside the vitamin C. Good if you have a lot of hyperpigmentation linked to breakouts or sun exposure. Really inexpensive, paid around £15 for the 100ml, equivalent to about £5 for a standard 30ml. Gentle enough to use alongside or in place of the Beauty of Joseon serum, used twice a day. The only thing that would be changed is the packaging, which is a boring gray, not very eye-catching, but forgivable given how effective the formula is."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Probiotics Barrier 2% NAD+ Serum Mist

"You get the hydration, but you also get the barrier support and you get the anti-aging NAD. So this is like misting with a purpose. I think this is the best one. Haruharu are having their halo moment right now. Everyone's loving them and for good reason. They are a great Korean skincare brand."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule

"I really like the one by Skin1004. That's a great option."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

NIOD Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist

"Neod do this, which is a super oxide dismutase mist. This is a mist that you spritz on after cleansing, lock in all that antioxidant protection. [...] These are like next level antioxidants that work so well alongside your sunscreen for just protecting your skin no matter what the world throws at it."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Secret Key Starting Treatment Essence

"Secret Key Starting Treatment Essence. I declared this to be my all-time favorite Korean skincare product. [...] Absolutely love it. [...] If you want hydration, if you want plumping, if you want great hyperpigmentation boosting, this is the toner for you. It's inexpensive. It costs like £10 versus it's the dupe for the SK2 essence which is like £100. Same product. I like the rose one. They do a plain one as well. Absolutely love this."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Mist

"This Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Mist is fine, but the PDRN is actually quite low down on the ingredients list, so you're not getting a super high concentration. Hyaluronic acid you don't need as a standalone ingredient. It's in everything else in your skincare routine. I think the reason this is so popular is it has the bubbles, little capsules within them, which makes it very viral looking and great for Instagram. I get why people are hyped by the look of the product and want to try something different, but honestly, the formulation is nothing special. You can get better PDRN products out there. Anua actually have a whole suite of better products than this. [...] There are better PDRN options on the market, and nobody needs this much hyaluronic acid."

✕Nay

70%Guru Score

COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence

"This one is probably the strongest of the recommendations I'm making today. [...] It uses stabilized vitamin C, so it won't oxidize and you'll get a long shelf life, but in a 23% concentration. That is up there with some of the strongest of the Western brands. So this packs a punch. [...] You generally wouldn't see this strength of vitamin C in a Korean skincare product. [...] If you want strength, go for this option. Because it's stabilized, you won't have that risk of oxidation. [...] Ethylated ascorbic acid is less sensitizing than ascorbic acid, so it won't be quite as sensitizing as an equivalent 23% ascorbic acid. In here you've also got glutathione, which is one of the best brightening ingredients to pair with vitamin C, and you've also got vitamin E. The brand really shouts about the vitamin E in their products, saying that this is an antioxidant that works well with vitamin C, and it does. It keeps it stable but it also is a great skin softener. If you're somebody that wants to smooth out the texture on the skin but also get that glow up and fade that hyperpigmentation, this is a really great option because it has a sky-high dose of that vitamin E. [...] You'll get less sensitivity than you would expect from an equivalent 23% in a Western brand, so it's definitely a little bit more compatible for most skin types."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Mixsoon Bean Essence

"I didn't take the coin; I declined it, and it took me a while to really get myself round to trying this product. Now I have. I think it's definitely worthy of a place in the Korean skincare top 10 best sellers. It's just a nice all-round serum. I don't think you need to use it if you're already using snail mucin; I think it's an either-or situation. But if you don't like the idea of snail mucin and you want a vegan alternative, I think the MIXSOON Bean Essence is honestly stunning, and I would certainly recommend it."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist

"This is my personal favorite. This is one of the ways I get my niacinamide without overdoing it and really getting to grips with my hyperpigmentation. If your primary reason for using niacinamide is boosting the barrier function of the skin, healing and repairing the skin barrier, maybe opt for this: the Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist with 5% niacinamide, fantastic again, the perfect strength. You've also got silver in here which is antimicrobial, so it's going to reduce the risk of any breakouts and help minimize acne scarring. It's a fantastic ingredient. You've got a lot of other barrier boosting ingredients in here too, and it really can help reset the microbiome with its probiotic elements. Just a really nice mist. It's got a beautiful, beautiful atomizer on it. You can spritz this and it just goes on flawlessly. This is great to get your niacinamide fix specifically for boosting the skin barrier. This is it, and I just absolutely love it."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Allies of Skin Founders Essence Advanced Treatment

"I have used this and one does last forever because I would recommend literally just putting one or two drops on. That's all you need. And if you see how this looks on the skin, it is just beautiful. It just gives that gorgeous bit of light reflection. It just is beautiful on the skin and it leaves behind zero tackiness. Some glow boosting products can feel a bit tacky on the skin, not this. It's absolutely beautiful. One of these lasts me about 3 months. So you get a lot of use out of it for the money that you're spending. One of my personal favorite products and more advanced in terms of its long-term benefits."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence

"This is the Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence. This has been around for years and [...] has been on many a top 10 list and for good reason. I love it. Everyone else seems to love it. [...] It comes in a glass bottle, which I like. It's not super expensive, but it feels bougie. [...] It will work for all skin types. [...] It just adds a nice little lift to the skin, a bit of plumpness, a little anti-aging, calming and soothing. It's just a nice allrounder. And particularly if there's like a teenager in your life that wants to get into skin care, but you don't want to use anything too harsh, anything too strong, this is just a nice gateway into skincare. It feels gorgeous. It looks beautiful. It's giftable. I think you'll love it."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

VT PDRN Essence Stick Balm

"The VT PDRN Essence Stick Balm, love the packaging. It's been making my skin glow. [...] The price point's really good as well."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Timeless Matrixyl 3000 Facial Mist - Cucumber

"The Cucumber one is great, kept in the fridge. Instantly cooling in those warm summer months, this is amazing."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Purito Galacto Niacinamide 97 Power Essence

"Purito is hit and miss, but I really like their galactomyces ferment, that is a yay."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Jumiso Snail Mucin 95 Plus Peptide Facial Essence

"One of my favorites is the Jumiso Snail Mucin 95 Plus Peptide Essence. This has that high dose of snail mucin plus peptides. This is going to give you that collagen boost, it's going to give you that anti-aging alongside the benefits of snail mucin. It's a two-in-one and that way you can elevate your anti-aging skincare routine without giving up your snail mucin at all."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence

"SK2 are super popular and semi viral Japanese skin care brand. They're most famous for their galactomyces based Essence which honestly I got some great results with. Whilst still a little bit more than I personally would pay for skincare when I tried it, it definitely helps to fade hyperpigmentation, boost hydration, and I know a lot of you guys that follow the channel do also really really enjoy that product."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist

"You guys know I love this product this is the Tatcha solid in lip Essence one of my favorites"

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Topicals Faded Brightening and Clearing Mist

"If you're looking to fade hyperpigmentation and glow up the body, one of my favorite products is the Topicals Faded Mist. This mist is great because you can spray it on the back, on the chest, anywhere where you might have breakouts, great on the tops of the arms if you have any discoloration there. And this combines just about everything for fading hyperpigmentation and getting that even skin tone: you've got tranexamic acid, kojic acid, alpha-arbutin, and a super high dose of glutathione. You could use this on the face, there's no reason you couldn't, but I think it could be a little bit sensitizing for some because of just the sheer blend of actives that you've got in here. On the body though, I think this could be universal. If you have discoloration under the arms, another great place to target with this. It's a hero body treatment in my view. So if you want to use glutathione on the body to smooth everything out in time for summer, I think this Faded one definitely packs the punch and would be one of my personal recommendations."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Neon Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist

"This just sprits everything up. I think it gives a little hydration and kind of gives you your antioxidants, which alongside the vitamin C later is all you need. The reason antioxidants are important in what I call an ultimate anti-aging skincare routine is they protect the skin against free radicals. It's not enough to just have sunscreen; you need sunscreen and antioxidants because that'll just lock in that protection and cover everything."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

I'm From Mugwort Essence

"I'm From Mugwort Essence I'm less sold on. First of all I just don't like the name mugwort, it's like the least sexy name in skincare, and I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but there's nothing that appeals to me about mugwort as a name. [...] I assume that this would come with a really dodgy scent to it because mugwort as an ingredient just sounds like it would smell, but actually it doesn't have a dodgy scent, it has a completely neutral scent to it so you don't need to worry about that. [...] It is great if you've got very acne prone skin, it can help regulate oil levels, it can hydrate a little bit, it's got some calming properties. I just think overall [...] this is fine but I don't think it's as amazing as maybe some people make it out to be."

~Mixed

70%Guru Score

Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Botanical 2GF Ampoule

"Haru Haru is a great Korean skincare brand that I've had some great success with. This has two key growth factors in it, not as high a concentration as with the Allies of Skin, but this comes with a ridiculously low price point. I think when I purchased it I paid 20 dollars, so one of the cheapest growth factor serums on the market. It also has some really nice ferments in there too. That fermented rice is going to help increase the hydration levels of the skin and will actually help with hyperpigmentation. I personally really enjoy that. This is a really great option if you kind of think yeah, I don't want to miss out, I want to try growth factors, I want to see what the hype is, but I don't want to go straight in with a super scientific beautifully formulated but bougie option. This I think is a really great option that you could incorporate into your skincare routine for extra hydration and the benefit of those two growth factors."

✓Yay

71%Guru Score

K-Secret Collagen Boosting Secret Ampoule

"This is the Collagen Boosting Secret Ampoule and it has over 50% collagen as that key ingredient to plump out the skin, giving you just that gorgeous bouncy juicy complexion and has some great anti-aging benefits too. Collagen is like one of the buzz ingredients that are coming into 2024, and you'll probably get it in tiny tiny amounts in a lot of products, but collagen is a wonderful humectant which draws in and retains moisture within itself and needs to be in a high concentration to really give you maximum results."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

The Ordinary Multi-Active Delivery Essence

"This is The Ordinary Multi-Active Delivery Essence. This is just a really nice toner that works to elevate the rest of your skincare routine. Whatever brands you're using, whatever actives you're incorporating, just slapping a little of this on the skin before you start your serums will help them penetrate into the skin, giving enhanced results. For the best part of like £12, which is what this costs, you can really elevate the rest of your skincare routine without spending any more coin. It also works as a hydrating toner, too. So, if you already have a toner in your routine, swap that out for this one. You'll get all that hydration, but you'll also get that elevated experience when it comes to the rest of your serums. They don't have to be from The Ordinary. This works with any serums from any brand. It just helps with the overall penetration rate of your actives, which is going to make them work that little bit harder for you. This will work with anything. The things that I would say maybe not to use it alongside is don't use it alongside high potency retinoids such as tretinoin because it will enhance the penetration of those which could cause sensitivity. I also wouldn't use it alongside exfoliating acids for the same reason. But everything else you're good and this is just a great way of elevating the results you see without having to have a whole suite of new products."

✓Yay

59%Guru Score

Eye Care22 reviews

Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye Cream

"Under the eye, which is super super sensitive for me, I'm actually using the Medicate Crystal Retinol Eye Cream, the mid strength option. This is formulated to be super gentle around the delicate eye area, but it's still getting that retinol fix. That works really, really well for me and is just really helping with any crows feet and that crepiness under the eye."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG

"The caffeine depuffs, lifts, and firms. My top tip with this, if you buy this, it's only like £9. Get any moisturizer and put some of this in the palm of your hand, put a couple of drops of this in, work it together, apply it to the skin. It will give that instant lifting, firming, depuffing. It takes a good quality moisturizer to like a next level moisturizer. Honestly, best hack I can share with you. This in its own right is great. Mix it with your moisturizer and you get absolute perfection."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

The Ordinary Lacto-PDRN 4% + B9 Eye Cream

"If you're looking to tighten, firm the under eye at £8, it doesn't get better than this. This just works. It has a film matrix technology in here which is truly invisible. You can't feel it, you can't see it, but it sits on the skin and after about 5 minutes it starts to tighten. That's when you get that lifting and the firming. You can use this and put concealer on top. No problem at all. Just let it dry down first and then you can put concealer on top. I didn't think the world needed a new eye cream. Then The Ordinary came out with this and I was like yes. It turns out we needed this out all along. You can use these, finish off with this, and your under eye looks 10 years younger."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Mary&May Tranexamic Acid + Glutathione Eye Cream

"One of my favorite eye creams is the Mary and May one, it's great for dark circles, but it's fragranced, so I have to be very careful with the application and I can't use it too often."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Numbuzin No.9 NAD+ Retinol Volumetox Eye Cream

"They do an eye cream too, packed full of those peptides but also containing retinoid, and it now contains retinal. They upgraded the formula, which I really appreciate, and that's why this is one of my favorite eye creams."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum: Ginseng + Retinal

"A lot of people use this all over the face because you get a lot of product, 30 mil, which is a standard serum size, I like that, I'm done with these tiny eye creams where you get a small amount but pay top dollar. This is going to last you the best part of six months. You can use it all over as a retinoid or use it as an eye cream, which is what I personally do. It's got retinal as the key ingredient to minimize fine lines and wrinkles, and ginseng, which is great botanically to help eradicate the appearance of dark circles and get fluid moving under the eye so everything looks better. I love the pump applicator, it's easy to use, and it's also the cheapest one, I paid ten pounds for it on TikTok shop. For an eye cream that's going to last six months, that's a gamechanging price. It's a really good dupe for the Medik8 Crystal Retinal Eye that I love but has a much higher price point, and I actually like that this has ginseng in it, I think that kicks it up a notch. I think where Medik8 led, Beauty of Joseon have followed and just done it cheaper, and I'm cheap, so that was music to my ears."

✓Yay

95%Guru Score

Torriden Cellmazing Collagen Eye Cream

"If firming is your goal, if what you want is an eye lift in a bottle, get this. It's impossible to get because it keeps coming in stock and going out, the queues must be miles long for people to get their hands on it. This is the best firming eye cream I have ever found, it actually works. There are lots of brands that promise firming and none of them deliver, this does. And it's really inexpensive, about fifteen pounds. I would use this as my go-to eye cream, the only reason I don't is I like to be consistent and it's hard to be consistent when something's in and out of stock all the time. If you do see it, snag it, because it's really, really good."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Allies of Skin Peptides & Omegas Firming Eye Cream

"This does what it says it firms. [...] If you want firming, if you want lifting, this is probably the best product I've ever tried that will achieve that. The only reason this isn't in the top three comes down to that price point, which isn't going to be accessible for everyone. I do though have a discount code for Allies of Skin [...] which will take 20% off. [...] One caveat I'm going to throw out with this one is it does contain a high dose of niacinamide. That is fantastic for a lot of people, really helping to get on top of any dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation. But some people are very sensitive to niacinamide. I'm one of them. If I use this too frequently, it really irritates my under eye. So if your skin is fine with niacinamide, this could be your best friend. If your skin is sensitive to niacinamide or you suspect it might be, give it a wide berth because you really don't want to risk that sensitivity under the eye."

✓Yay

90%Guru Score

Remedy Super Stacked Under Eye Dark Circle and Depuffing Treatment

"I actually stuck with the same brand when I did the eye cream. This is the remedy for dark circles. The best eye cream I have ever used. I loved it so much I actually covered it in a separate video. I use this because it just works. Dark spots, discoloration, under eye hyperpigmentation, this does it all. One product and your under eye is done."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

K-Secret Advanced Regenerating Eye Gel Patches

"These are the K-Secret Advanced Regenerating Eye Gel Patches. These are the ones with retinol. So these are like an under eye treat. I save these for the days where I need to just snatch everything and get an instant win. Sometimes if we're running about, we might not have had enough sleep, we might be getting on a plane or whatever your reason, you just need a quick under eye fix. The best I've ever used. They're packed full of really beneficial skin care as well. So they act as your eye cream and your under eye treatment all in one. And this will get your under eye perfected in the shortest amount of time. You can also use these on other areas of the skin. They come in two sizes in this one box. The small ones I used in a targeted way. The larger ones you can put on the laughter lines, the 11s, wherever you have some wrinkles that you just want to even and iron out. These are absolutely phenomenal. Super inexpensive. You get 60 in a pack. I've been recommending these for the longest time and they're still going strong in my routine. They stick that little bit better. They don't budge and they just have a special place in my skincare routine. Not every day, but when I need to just even out a wrinkle, you know, maybe under eye treatment and I just need to look my best in a flash, these are what I would totally recommend."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

NIOD Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate

"The NIOD Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate [...] is really nice and [...] works in a similar way to other all-encompassing skincare routines for the under eye. However, [...] this is a cream whereas some alternatives are oil-based serums. So it really comes down to what texture you prefer in terms of application. If [...] you're somebody that likes a more serum-based approach, then you could absolutely go for the NIOD Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate. It works in terms of reducing dark circles, puffiness, inflammation, and has some great anti-aging benefits."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

Marian May Tranexamic Acid and Glutathione Eye Cream

"This is the Marian May Tranexamic Acid and Glutathione Eye Cream. This was my favorite last year. It's my favorite again this year. I think it's just because you get so much product. I mean, this cost me £12, and look how much one of these will last you six months. So it's a really inexpensive eye cream. Great if you're on a budget, but it's also packed full of all the great that you expect. Tranexamic acid reduces inflammation, can help fade some dark circles. Glutathione will brighten the under eye, and it's also got some really great anti-aging benefits too, to just sort of lift. Be consistent twice a day, every day. That's when you're going to get the best results from this. If you're on a budget and you want to dip your toe into Korean skincare so you feel like you're not missing out, this is the product that I would recommend. I love it."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Eye Serum

"I also do really like their peptide eye serum. The peptide eye serum is a really inexpensive eye serum. I love it so so much."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

Stratia Liquid Gold Eye Cream

"It is good. Everything Stratia do is good. Another brand that is very US-centric, that's all. It's really difficult to get here in the UK, which is a shame. It might change, but it's hard to get hold of. That is my only criticism when it comes to Stratia. I do love the brand."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

K-Secret Soul 1988 Eye Cream Retinal Liposome 4% and Fermented Bean

"This is a high potency eye cream that's going to snatch the under eye, minimize fine lines and wrinkles and smooth everything out. I adore it. What I think is great is if you're someone that's using a lower potency retinol eye cream but you want a higher potency option, go for this in the 4%. This is double the strength, and so definitely packs a punch. I like the fact that we now have different strengths when it comes to eye products. Because I'm an established retinoid user I went straight in for the higher strength which is fine. Do what works for your individual skin. My caveat is to say if you've got very sensitive skin, particularly sensitive under eyes, this might be too strong. So you might want to go for one of the lower strength options. For us established retinoid users that want maximum anti-aging, I love that we now have this."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Naturium Vitamin K Brightening Eye Cream

"Naturium's Vitamin K Brightening Eye Cream is stunning. It actually contains a good amount of vitamin K which is fantastic at reducing inflammation and puffiness and discoloration under the eye. It's a phenomenal product, and the reason I'm including this is not only because it's like $14 so super affordable, but also it has some pigment correcting qualities to it so it gives instant results and long-term payoff too. So if you're the sort of person that knows you need to invest now for long-term results but you get a little impatient, this is the product for you. It actually comes in two shades so if you have a deeper or richer skin tone there's a shade for you, if you have a lighter skin tone then there's a shade for you too. It doesn't leave behind any real deposit of color so it will literally cover the entire spectrum of skin tone out there because it's not like a foundation or a concealer, it's just designed to brighten and lift through some of its light reflecting qualities. I personally love it, and this is a real investment in terms of skincare with some great great ingredients."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Face Facts Ceramide Eye Cream

"They have a beautiful Ceramide Eye Cream as well which is one of my personal favorites. The eye cream is the standout. I use it day in day out and they never steer me wrong."

✓Yay

74%Guru Score

Facetheory OcuWake Eye Cream Pro

"This is the Facetheory OcuWake Eye Cream Pro, make sure you get the pro version because this is streets ahead of the original version. In here you've got lactic acid and urea working together to gently exfoliate the under eye. Milia are little keratin plugs that sit underneath the skin and you need to exfoliate them out. If you've already got them, using this every single day will help minimize them over time, gradually exfoliate them away. However, once you've done that, still continue to use this because it acts as almost maintenance, it reduces the risk of milia recurring. If you're someone that occasionally gets milia, maybe you haven't got a lot at the moment but you occasionally get them, using this a couple of times a week can be great for prevention, minimizing the risk of them materializing. This is a product that anyone that's ever had milia or is at risk of having it definitely should have in their skincare collection. I use it a couple of times a week to prevent that and then I don't have to worry about milia. It's great. These little white bumps are small, they're tiny, but they really can damage our skin confidence and you don't have to put up with them with a product like this on the market using that lactic acid and that urea in a super gentle way."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Garnier SkinActive Vitamin C Eye Contour Cream

"I love this, I think it's a treat for the under eye. You can put concealer on top of this, this is important if you want to do any concealer work, it won't budge or pill. It's so cheap. Garnier also went cruelty-free as a brand 18 months ago now and I'm happy to support the good guys in the skincare world, those brands that see the light, think you know what, animal testing we don't need that anymore. I applaud Garnier for doing what the likes of [CeraVe], L'Oreal, Ponds haven't done. They're still clinging on to it to make some extra money and Garnier have put their principles right. So I'm happy to support them as a brand. For me, that just works really, really well."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Facetheory Ocu Eye Cream by Face Theory

"Use this on an evening and honestly it'll just help eradicate the ones you have and prevent them reoccurring"

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Good Molecules Yerba Mate Wake Up Eye Gel

"I tried this out about a year ago and I've been wanting to repurchase it ever since. I keep this in the fridge because I think this is where you're going to get that ultimate cooling that refreshing on the morning. I think this will work best for people to have that puffiness that inflammation and a bit of dark circles and discoloration on the morning. You can put a decent amount of this under both eyes do a little massage to work it in leave it a minute and then when you go back to look in the mirror you think you know what everything kind of looks a little bit better more put together and definitely definitely a little less puffy and inflamed than it did before. It's really quick to act product and unlike a lot of other like deep puffing eye gels it's not irritating at all. It's got some really great innovative ingredients in here which do help to combat that puffiness both in the short term and long term and just give an overall brightness to the under eye. The price point is what sold it for me originally and for me there's something really special about this product and it does leave me thinking how do they make this so cheap for a product that delivers so so well."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Remedy Eye Cream

"This is my absolute favorite Eye Cream. I love this and it's been out of stock for the past four months, my under eye has missed this like no other product. I saw it was back in stock and I ran, I put four on order. It is such a nice product, you get a good doer applicator so you can keep this in the fridge for the ultimate cooling, and it's just such a multi-functional product. I love Remedy because they list all of the ingredients. You've got kojic acid, which is going to fade under eye discoloration and any hyperpigmentation, caffeine to turbocharge blood flow and lymphatic drainage, taking away puffiness, inflammation and dark circles, a marine algae complex which is anti-aging, and metatricxol, my personal favorite peptide blend for boosting collagen and elastin. Anti-aging, reducing puffiness and inflammation, eradicating dark circles, all in one. No notes, nothing to say about that, I just love it."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

Masks & Peels17 reviews

Beauty of Joseon Ground Rice and Honey Glow Mask

"This is their ground rice and honey mask. If you're somebody that loves a mask moment, just a little calming relaxation, [...] this is the mask that I would recommend. It doesn't strip, it doesn't dry, it doesn't turn into like a crust like some masks can. If your mask is drying down completely, chances are it's stripping moisture from the deeper layers of your skin. [...] You want something that still has some malleability after you've applied it. This does. The honey is antimicrobial. Great if you've got rosacea, if you've got breakout-prone skin, acne, this will treat it. The rice enzymes will give a gentle exfoliation, but nothing too harsh. Just leaves your skin feeling fabulous. And you get so much product. [...] I've had this on the go probably for the past four months, and I've barely made a dent in it. It's just beautiful."

✓Yay

97%Guru Score

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant

"If you try and put it on while it's still feeling grainy, it's not going to work properly. The enzymes in here need to be activated. So put some in the palm of your hand and really get some water, turn it into almost like a lathery paste, then use it. I absolutely love it. [...] This is not a new launch, but sometimes not everything has to be new and innovative. Sometimes reaching for things that have worked for others for years is a good thing to do. I absolutely love this one. Really glad I tried it."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

PSA Skin Follow the Light Multi-Acids and Vitamin C Peel

"This is a mask that has some great brightening ingredients, exfoliating treatments, and that great ethylated ascorbic acid, too. This is like our one-stop shop instant glow up facial. So twice a week, put a thin layer of this on, leave it on for 10 minutes, rinse it off, and you'll be glowing to the gods, getting your vitamin C dose alongside all those other great benefits. And this is a vitamin C and exfoliator all in one. So that's just nice in terms of streamlining."

✓Yay

91%Guru Score

NIOD Flavanone Mud Mask

"Apply a thin layer on, and the key is thin. You should be able to see skin through it because the thinner the layer, the better it works. I've used this for the past 5 years. Leave it 10 minutes, rinse it off, and you get this gorgeous tingling sensation, which is the product getting to work. When you wake up, you will have the nicest, smoothest, glowiniest skin of your dreams. It's the quickest way to cheat that glow up that I have ever found. Because you need so little of it, a bottle will last like a full year. It's quite a rich terracotta color, which is part of some of the ingredients that form the basis of this, but you should definitely be able to see skin through it after you've applied. That way, you know you've used a thin enough layer to really get the benefits. This is phenomenal. It will not steer you wrong."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Tatcha Rice Polish

"This is the Tatcha Rice Polish foaming enzyme cleanser. Now, it's called a cleanser, but it's actually like a exfoliating polish that I personally use after cleansing. This is great. Not the cheapest product out there. It's about I think I paid £50 for it, but I would say based on how much I've used, one pot of it will last me a year because I use it once a week just to get my exfoliation on point and just smooth out the skin. If you see it like that, it's a year's investment. I don't mind that price point. This uses rice enzymes, which you see a lot in Japanese skincare, the use of enzymatic exfoliation. Rice, sake, all these key ingredients will crop up time and time again. And they're great. They definitely will help over time fade hyperpigmentation, smooth out the skin, and they just feel really, really good. The best way to use this is to put some in the palm of your hand. It comes, it's a powder. Put some in the palm of your hand. Add some water to it. Don't add too much water. You kind of almost want it to be a bit of a paste rather than too runny."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution

"I wouldn't recommend anyone reach for that red peel unless they're already using it and getting the results they want. It's not very beginner friendly. It's also there's a high risk of misusing it."

✕Nay

58%Guru Score

Numbuzin No.9 NAD+ Bio-Lifting Sill Full Face Sheet Mask

"I love love love this. I use it once a week as a treat. If you are somebody that likes a sheet mask, you like an instant win, you want things lifted, you want to look your best before you're out on the town with the girls or you've got a photo shoot, this works really, really well. Instant, put it on for like 30 minutes. You can wear it for longer. They encourage you to wear it for longer, but even if you just put it on for 30 minutes, snatched to the gods and fabulous."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

Round Lab Camellia Deep Collagen Firming Gel Mask

"These are the ones that you sleep in overnight wake up and your skin's glowing to the gods."

✓Yay

90%Guru Score

The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Mask

"I promise you in like 3 or four months you'll definitely notice the difference when it comes to your pore if you use this every single day I love it"

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

"Their skin perfecting liquid exfoliate however in the last 12 months things have really taken a turn"

~Mixed

89%Guru Score

Biodance Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask

"Those areas where it went completely translucent are definitely a little bit glowier than the areas where maybe I should have left it on a little bit longer, but that's not the mask's fault, that's my own impatience. After 3 hours, yeah, I feel great. The skin definitely feels a little firmer, definitely feels plumper, and I can definitely notice the glow. I am very very impressed. There was still some product left to go, so if you leave this on for 4 hours I think you're going to get some next level results. Really really impressed. I don't think you could actually sleep in them, I think they're too delicate, I think by the time that you wake up it'll be all over the place, so I don't think sleeping in it is going to be an option. Some people use them while they're on planes, which absolutely you could do if you're feeling extra bougie and you want to land with that glow up, or you could just do it like me, put it on for 3 hours and then know that you're kind of going to have a guaranteed good skin day at the end of it. I've been really really impressed, I'm going to keep these and use them for those days where I need a little pick me up, maybe I'm doing some extra filming or something and I want to look my skin best. I'm going to keep these on hand, and for like the four pounds per unit that I pay for them, 100%, ding ding ding, 10 out of 10 would recommend. Online you'll see the influencer community generally singing its praises in what I would say is like a sponsored way, lots of paid partnerships and sponsorships with these products, so I wanted to take the time today to put it through its paces in a completely unbiased, sponsorship free way, and I'm here to say honestly, I think it's worthy of the hype."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Refreshing Pore Mask

"This is the Red Bean Refreshing Pore Mask, and it's ideal if you have congested or blackhead-prone skin. It will very gently just lift those sebaceous filaments and take away some of those blackheads. Use it once or twice a week for the best results. It comes with a little spatula, and a little will go a long way. You can use it all over the face as a face pack or mud mask, or you can use it on the areas where you have congestion, which for me is on my nose and chin in a more targeted way. Either way, you get an absolute ton of product and it will last forever. This is a great option if there's a teen in your life that wants to get into skincare and doesn't know where to start. It's super effective and a nice self-care treat. I cannot recommend this enough."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Krave Beauty Kale-Lalu-Yaha AHA/BHA Exfoliant

"This is the Krave Beauty Kale-Lalu-Yaha, it's always the hardest name to pronounce in skincare. Again in that great 4 percent pH range which is needed. This is actually a 5 percent concentration of glycolic acid along with some calming and soothing ingredients. So I find this to be a lot more gentle than that Ordinary one. But again because it's a lower strength you might just have to wait a little bit longer for those results. All comes down to matching your individual skin type with the products that you use. But glycolic acid is a great way of boosting the levels of collagen in your skin if you use it consistently but sparingly, couple of times a week maximum. Great exfoliation, great collagen boost."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Beauty of Joseon Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel

"I've used this, it's like a very traditional peeling gel. You kind of work it into the skin, it balls up on itself, feels very satisfying. It does allow you to take away some of the dead skin cells, but I just think peeling gels have had their day. They were all the rage a couple of years ago, but I don't see the hype about them as much now. [...] Beauty of Joseon as a Korean skincare brand is amazing, but this is my least favorite product from them. They do a great sunscreen, their cleansers are amazing, their moisturizers are beautiful. There's so much going on, so I'm not quite sure why this is the best seller from their list."

✕Nay

63%Guru Score

K-Secret Collagen Boosting Secret Sleeping Mask

"The one that I tend to use the most is the Collagen Boosting Secret Sleeping Mask. In here you've got collagen, panthenol, vitamin E, and a little retinoid which will over time naturally increase collagen, plus niacinamide too, so it's quite a nice comprehensive formulation. You use this as a rich moisturizer in your evening skincare routine, you put this on the skin and you'll wake up with the juiciest bouncy skin of your life, which I love. [...] If you look at the ingredients, collagen is sky high on it, which is why I think it works so well."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Geek & Gorgeous Perfectly Clear 2% BHA Serum

"This is the Geek & Gorgeous Perfectly Clear salicylic acid. It's great because it'll just smooth out everything. Great if you've got a more acne-prone oily skin type. Salicylic acid can be a game changer, but this also has amino acids in here which are going to help regulate oil levels in the skin, and it's packed full of calming and soothing ingredients too. So this next exfoliator and a soothing serum all in one. It's drugstore, it's amazing. If you've got an oily skin type, make sure that this is in your skincare routine at least once or twice a week. If you've got a drier skin type, you might want to use lactic acid in a 5 or 10 concentration instead."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

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

"I like lactic acid, it's my favorite exfoliator."

~Mixed

67%Guru Score

Toners16 reviews

Numbuzin No.9 NAD+ PDRN Glow Boosting Toner

"They also do a toner version in the same line. It has the NAD, the 50 peptides, and a little touch of PDRN, which is another pro collagen ingredient, and it has a light luminosity to it. It's going to really help you cheat a good skin day, give you that glow up in the immediate term, and give you all that anti-aging in the long term. If you want the glow up, get the toner."

✓Yay

91%Guru Score

PSA Skin Heroine Toner 5% Niacinamide

"One of my personal favorites is this. This is the PSA Skin Heroine Toner 5% Niacinamide. Now, this contains lactic acid and mandelic acid together. Both humectants, both hydrating, both really gentle and perfect to use alongside your retinoid. But instead of having to choose, do I want mandelic acid? Do I want lactic acid? Get them both together in one product. I absolutely love this and I've been raving about this product for years here on the channel. Unfortunately, this is actually sold out at the moment at the time of filming, but keep your eye out for it because when it comes back in stock, it sells out like that. It's worth getting your hands on if you can because this is a great example of fusion exfoliants using and harnessing the multiple benefits of different exfoliating acids."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution

"Glycolic acid is part of that group of ingredients that can boost collagen, but you generally will need to use it in a 7 to 10% concentration or higher in a pH that's below three. That's going to be quite intense for a lot of people. If you have a resilient skin type, then you could go for The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7%. This would be a good option, but a lot of people can't actually tolerate that daily, which is when you have to use it in order to get the best results for pro collagen benefits. So, I personally would stick to using acids as exfoliators, not as collagen boosters."

✕Nay

76%Guru Score

Geek & Gorgeous Liquid Hydration 5% Panthenol and Natural Moisturizing Factors Toner

"This is actually the Geek and Gorgeous liquid hydration. One of the best like freshening mists, hydrating mists. I love it."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Tirtir Milk Skin Toner

"It contains everything you would expect from a good quality milky toner. You've got the ceramides, you've got the humectants, you've got the panthenol, the calming and soothing ingredients. It has a really, really nice texture to this one. [...] It's slightly on the thinner side of what you'd expect from a milky toner, but some people will really appreciate and like that. [...] It's like a drink for the skin. Your skin will love it and it will just soak up all that hydration and calm and soothe at the same time. This is really the product that first went viral and kickstarted the milky toner craze. [...] They do now do a light version, which is just a bit lighter on the humectant. So, not as hydrating, but a lighter finish. If you've got oily skin, go for the light version. If you've got more dehydrated skin, go for the original. It definitely delivers, and I'm honestly going to give that a solid eight out of 10."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

BYOMA Milky Toner

"In second place, we have the BYOMA Milky Toner. This is viral over on other apps right now. People are drenching their skin in it and loving it. And honestly, it's a great product. This is what I call a classic Milky Toner, none of the extras around exfoliation or smoothing out, focused just down on hydration. And honestly, nothing wrong with that at all. Sometimes we just need a simple product that's going to deliver what it says and that's enough for us. This is not too expensive. BYOMA isn't the cheapest brand out there, but it's also not too expensive. Packed full of ceramides, barrier boosting ingredients, and will really help to hydrate, plump, and nourish the skin. Total game changer when it comes to hydration, and sometimes simple is effective. If you have somebody that's looking to get into skincare, maybe there's a teen in your life that's wanted to experiment with a Milky Toner cuz they've seen it online, I would say this is probably the product I would recommend. Really simplistic, it's not going to damage your skin, there's no risk of overusing it or overdoing it. Very easy to use, and I think it's eye-catching and a great price point. So many benefits, I absolutely love it."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Coats Gentle hydrating toning milk

"This is the Coats Gentle Hydrating Toning Milk. This I love. And this has a more traditional milky toner consistency. [...] It is very thick. It's actually thicker than a serum, almost feels like a cream on the skin and that's the usual consistency you would expect from a milky toner. This is stunning. You have all the usual ingredients to expect. You've got the ceramides, you've got the humectants, you've got a beautiful blend of calming and soothing ingredients, but you also have some nice additional actives which maybe many people wouldn't expect from a milky toner. Coats is a great brand because they list everything on the front so you know what you're getting. You're getting mandelic acid which in a low concentration like in here is suitable for daily use. It's going to smooth out the skin, help over time fade hyperpigmentation, and also it's quite hydrating. So it's a clever acid to have in a milky toner where the focus is on hydration. You've got your hyaluronic acid and your ceramides that you would expect. You've got a slow dose of vitamin C here, and you've got a touch of niacinamide. So this is really focusing down on smoothing out the skin, brightening, and boosting the barrier function. You can use this alongside your favorite vitamin C serum if you want because this uses a derivative and a low dose form. So that's fine. But this is just a nice to have."

✓Yay

74%Guru Score

Nineless Control Targeted Acne-Prone Skin Toner (Azelaic Acid)

"The toner version uses azelaic acid, but it also has alpha hydroxy acids and tea tree in it too. Tea tree can be really good at minimizing acne causing bacteria and can help suppress acne and inflammation. AHAs are great for exfoliating. The azelaic acid is great in that too, but because of the strength of the toner, I would probably use it once or twice a week tops and so it does get a little bit confusing to incorporate. Personally, I don't think you need an azelaic acid toner that has alpha hydroxy acids, has tea tree in it. I think it's just too much and really makes it only applicable to people with very oily, acne prone skin. There's nothing wrong with the toner. I think it's just a bit more situational and it depends on your skin type as to whether it's going to work for you."

~Mixed

76%Guru Score

The Ordinary Saccharomyces Ferment 30% Milky Toner

"The first is their Saccharomyces Ferment Milky Toner. This is great to give a light gentle exfoliation. That Saccharomyces will gently just smooth out and exfoliate the skin without being too harsh. It's also hydrating. The milky qualities of this will just hydrate you to the gods and your skin will feel beautiful after. This is a great option for people that want a smoother skin, want to tackle some hyperpigmentation, want that gentle daily exfoliant. This is the one to go for."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Equalberry Swimming Pool Daily Facial Toner

"This is the Equalberry Swimming Pool Toner. First of all I love the name. If you're going to be swimming in hydration, swimming pool, it kind of does what it says on the tin. And this is definitely a super super hydrating toner. It also though has a few interesting ingredients in here. You've got your hyaluronic acid, you've got your panthenol to calm and soothe, fairly standard in a toner. But they also in here have some protease enzymes which are actually super gentle exfoliants. This is so gentle you could absolutely use it twice a day even and you shouldn't get any sensitivity and irritation. But it's not just hydrating you to the gods. It is always overtime smoothing everything out and evening the skin tone at the same time. I think for people that crave real gentle exfoliation this could be an absolute win. I love how it feels on the skin. It's bouncy, it's juicy. And the packaging is really lovely too. I can confirm this drenches the skin. Hydrates you like no other toner I have ever used."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Beauty of Joseon Glow Replenishing Rice Milk Toner

"This is the Beauty of Joseon Glow Replenishing Rice Milk. It uses enzyme exfoliation to smooth out the skin and minimize the appearance of pores, but in a super gentle way. I absolutely love this. It's amazing, absolutely amazing at smoothing out the skin and refining the pores, super gentle. And it also has ceramides, so it's all around hydrating and exfoliating toner. You can use this daily, it's gentle enough to do that. I absolutely love it."

✓Yay

66%Guru Score

Numbuzin No.5+ Vitamin Boosting Toner

"I love the fact that Korean skincare brands are now offering us the consumer the option to choose the texture that we want. We don't have to compromise, we can choose the right product to fit into our skincare routine and what we enjoy. Numbuzin are a great example of this with this particular range that I love. If you're feeling bougie and extra, you can actually use multiple versions of this in the same routine for maximum benefit. The toner is a great option if you love toner action in your skincare routine, something that's super convenient on the go, or you can use the pads, which you can also use like stick to your face and leave on for 10 minutes as a leave on treatment."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Numbuzin No.1 Pure-full Herb Calming Toner

"This is easier to apply, I think it sinks in a little bit better. It's getting a solid 10 out of 10. The blend of ingredients is divine, same bouncy feel on the skin, and it doesn't leave behind any stickiness or tackiness. I like the fact you've got that glutathione, and whilst the Tirtir is going to be the very best for hydrating the skin, this is a great one for hydrating and also fading hyperpigmentation at the same time. That for me is a winner. Numbuzin knocked it out of the park when it came to this product."

✓Yay

74%Guru Score

COSRX Hydrium Watery Toner

"This stands apart as one of the best options when it comes to those of us that need a little anti-aging boost and need a little extra hydration. [...] You've got that coverage in this style of product. It finishes not dewy, not glossy or greasy, it's just a guaranteed good skin day, and I love that. [...] If you like guaranteed good skin with some extra hydration and a dose of peptides, this is the one."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner

"It smells of nothing which is great because some of them I think as a kid of the '90s often those chemically astringent smells they don't do it for me. This is great and it's super super gentle. I'm now on bottle two of this and the first one lasted me such a long time. I use it twice a week and my skin absolutely loves it and has made a real noticeable difference to the blackheads particularly on my nose."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner

"I'm pleased that the high quality hyaluronic acid is in this list. If you feel your skin needs that dose of ingredient, reach for this. It's really nice, it feels gorgeous on the skin. It's got a slightly thicker texture, [...] a bit more gel like, [...] and it feels just as nice. The fragrance isn't overpowering, it's there but it's not too much. [...] My skin doesn't tolerate a lot of hyaluronic acid but I've gotten really really well with this, and I think if you like that ingredient, this is probably the one that I would personally recommend."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Lip11 reviews

Torriden Solid-In Ceramide Lip Essence

"This Torriden Solid-In lip treatment is stunning. Really inexpensive, locks in all that hydration, and is one of the best lip balms I've ever tried. I don't think for the price point you can ask for much more than that. Doesn't overpromise, but it genuinely delivers. And if you're somebody that has a lot of sensitivity and irritation in the lip area, maybe there's other areas of the face where you're having a little flaking or sensitivity, you can just dab this on and it'll just help solve that. It calms, it soothes, it hydrates, and it provides an occlusive layer, too. It's doing a lot. I'd say for people that say Vaseline is all you need. Try this and then come back to me because this is Vaseline plus a load of beneficial skincare ingredients. And that is why I think this is elevated, but it doesn't need to break the bank."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

CNP Laboratory Propolis Lip Serum

"Really great hydrating qualities of this one, too. I like the packaging. You twist it up and then you apply it. Some people love that, some people don't like that. If you don't like that, you can just twist it up, take the product off, and use it on your fingers. That also works. Don't let the packaging be the reason you don't try a product. I would always have notes about packaging, but I always think don't let that be the reason you don't try. You're buying for the formula. And that's what I would say about this one. I would just say best lip balm. Best lip balm of the year. I know there's nothing exciting about lip balms and I know that it's not something you can really get super enthusiastic about, but if your lips have gone through it this winter and you want a really nice lip balm that is really inexpensive and actually works, it's a favorite for a reason. Just delivers."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

The Ordinary Squalane + Amino Acids Lip Balm

"The Ordinary have their Squalane lip balm which is one of their best sellers and I know a lot of people are reaching for it in the colder winter months now. Whilst it's never been my favorite product from them, I find it a little bit greasy and there are lots of great lip balms out there."

✕Nay

62%Guru Score

The Ordinary PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum

"This is The Ordinary PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum. [...] I've already gone through one bottle, I bought another, and now I bought two more in this sale. [...] I just love it. Twice a week. This is my top tip for you with this product. Only use it twice a week because it's potent, but it will give you the smoothest, softest lips. What I like to do is put some of this on and then I'll leave it to do its magic for like 5 minutes. Then I'll put a lip balm on top. You'll wake up with the softest pout of your dreams. I've heard some people online say they use this every day. Please don't do that. [...] This is quite potent. If you want smooth, plump, hydrated lips, twice a week is all you need. If you use it more, then you're at risk sensitivity, irritation, chapping, you don't need that. Twice a week will give you the smoothest lips."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

Remedy Lip Balm

"Their Lip Balm is gorgeous."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

The INKEY List Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm

"The Plumping lip balm, they did side by side pictures which I could tell was in different lighting, it wasn't like an equal side by side comparison and that was quite obvious to people. It also wasn't the sort of product that was really ever going to plump massively in the long term, so they overinflated the claims and as a result people were disappointed."

✕Nay

60%Guru Score

Vaseline Lip Therapy Original

"There is nothing wrong with Vaseline. I don't think I have any issues with how it's formulated or what it's actually doing. I just don't think it's the be all and end all when it comes to lip care. You have a lot of people out there saying all you need is a slick of Vaseline and your lips will be pout ready and perfect and that will work for a lot of people, but there's actually a lot of other high quality lip balms out there that will do just that and add some meaningful long-term skincare benefit too. For a lot of people yes it genuinely is all you need, it's beautifully affordable and easily accessible, but I think we also need to understand that there are a lot of people out there that might need something a little bit more, you might be able to get a little bit more in terms of long-term hydration. I feel like Vaseline is like the sticking plaster. It will fix the problem in the short term, it might give some short-term relief, but in the long term it's probably not going to correct the issue."

~Mixed

80%Guru Score

Naturium Phyto-Glow Lip Balm

"When they launched this product they only did colored versions of it which gave a nice lip tint, but for a lot of us we want something that looks natural on the lips that doesn't add any additional color but just works well. These are packed full of nourishing ingredients and a wonderful blend of oils which are going to deeply nourish, hydrate, and actually prevent irritation. The clear is completely transparent and it dries down to such a nice finish. It's not dead pan matte so you definitely have a touch of gloss from this, but that's what a lot of people do enjoy. This will last you all day. Apply it in the morning, apply it in an evening, and pretty much that's all you need. You might want to take it with you for a little top-up during the day but it's not one of those lip balms you have to reapply on the hour every hour, which really is a sign that they're not working. This delivers, and it's £10 here in the UK. I'd say this is kind of the upper price point that I'm willing to pay for standard lip balm, and this I think is worth every last cent, penny, pound of that because of that beautiful blend of different ingredients. I absolutely love this."

✓Yay

69%Guru Score

NIOD Lip Biolipid Concentrate

"They do like a bio lip oil which is really great if you want like a natural flush to the lips and like super hydrating"

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask

"If you love their lip sleeping masks keep on using them, for me though I don't think they add a lot of hydration. I think as a brand they over promise and they under deliver. It's said to be like an overnight sensation for the lips and I actually woke up with quite dry lips when I tried this so clearly it wasn't really doing a whole lot. [...] I'm not the biggest fan of the level of hydration it gives and there are so many different scents and flavors to them. I think a lot of the colorants and the fragrances and the scents that they put in them could potentially irritate the lips further. [...] I tried them time and time again and always my lips will end up drier in the morning than when I went to bed. It clearly wasn't doing anything for me."

✕Nay

73%Guru Score

Allies of Skin Peptide & Ceramide Repair Lip Balm

"The Allies of Skin one is great as it's in a bullet, so you can just dab it onto those areas. Super simple."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Body & Tan8 reviews

Chemist at Play Salicylic Acid Body Wash

"I use salicylic acid because I break out on my chest and back, particularly at the gym, but [...] I hate the smell of it and most salicylic acid body washes are fragrance-free and smell awful. This is the Chemist at Play Salicylic Acid Body Wash, a fragranced Salicylic Acid Body Wash, and if you want something that smells genuinely lovely, this is really nice, it's just a fun fragrance, [...] like watermelon. [...] I paid eight pounds for it, really inexpensive, 1% salicylic acid, which is what you want. [...] It's a really nice gentle cleanser with the salicylic acid to do the work. You don't need this if you already have your favorite salicylic acid, but if you're looking for a nice fragrance with it, I take this to the gym and someone actually complimented [...] the scent [...] and said they were going to get it too."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Remedy For Body Bumps

"The Remedy For Body Bumps is going to be the best smoothing body moisturizer you have ever used. I'm somebody that suffered with a lot of texture on the body and these two products used together have just sorted that. You could use both together or one or the other. It's really up to you. But if you have a lot of texture, you might have bumps, you might have breakouts, I always recommend this to everyone."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

Remedy KP Exfoliating Body Scrub

"The remedy KP scrub is a little revelation. It's basically a huge amount of sucralose alongside glycerin which smooths everything out but also has like a slightly grainy texture to give a manual exfoliation. It's also got exfoliating acids in so a couple of times a week in the shower, this will just take away all of that KP, the chicken skin, razor bumps, all gone. I absolutely love this, and I love the fact that Remedy are taking what were traditional products like exfoliating scrubs, but reformulating them to be super gentle, yet in some ways more effective than their older counterparts. That has been a little revelation for me and I'm somebody that suffered with a lot of texture on the body and these products have just sorted that."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Naturium Smoother Glycolic Acid Body Lotion

"I would recommend my favorite is the Naturium. They do a glycolic acid and salicylic acid. I love both. I think the glycolic acid is more heavy duty. I definitely recommend it. It is so nice. You can get it in Target. You can buy it from Naturium, Space NK here in the UK and you get it on the website."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Q&A Vitamin A C and E Cleansing Shower Oil

"They do a shower oil, it looks like this, it's in a pink container. Oh my gosh, it smells so good. It is the nicest smelling shower oil you will ever ever use. It's like £9, amazing. The moisturizers divine, but that shower oil, if you can get your hands on it, it's always sold out because it's beautiful. If you can get your hands on it, buy a couple because it'll last, and it is just the richest shower oil and you will smell divine. I take it to the gym as my treat after a workout when I'm hot, sweaty and bothered. I go in the shower and suddenly the world is right again because that shower oil is so good. I recommended it about a year ago to quite a few people. They all absolutely raved about it and said yes, never going back."

✓Yay

68%Guru Score

Naturium Salicylic Acid Body Wash

"I love the Naturium Salicylic Acid Body Wash, it is amazing and one of my absolute favorites. It gently exfoliates over the day and I use it every day."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Body Serum

"I've been using this on the chest and on the back, just minimizes any breakouts, prevents any blackheads that might form in those areas, smooths everything out for me. You get so much, you get 240 mil, you can use this all over the body, head to toe, for that great exfoliation, get rid of that dead skin cells, get the skin and the body smooth. Great on the hands if you've got quite rough hands, particularly in winter. It's just nice to see salicylic acid in a 2% strength which is good enough to use all over the body in a good quantity. A lot of these salicylic acids we see are in like 30 mil, that's not going to do much with a body, that's not going to do a whole lot or last long. This really will. I really like it."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

Good Molecules B5 Hydrating Body Serum

"This is the B5 Hydrating Body Serum. If you're somebody that likes to take your serums for the face onto the body but you kind of think oh I don't know I just feel like I'm spending a lot on serums for the face and then using a lot of it to cover the body, don't worry just get this. This is so good, hydrating, even out the skin tone on the body. It's even slightly exfoliating, which means if you've got the old KP, the chicken skin on the backs of the arms, this could really work for you."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Powder & Setting7 reviews

Pixi Flawless & Poreless Primer

"You just put a tiny amount of this. And I mean that is enough. Work it on the top of your sunscreen like that. And look, there is zero shine in that area. I put it in it. It just works. It's a great way of mattifying a sunscreen that might be just a tad on the dewy side for your taste or in certain areas might just be a bit shiny. This will just mattify it down. Absolute perfection."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The Ordinary Sulfur 10% Powder to Cream Concentrate

"This isn't a universal product. I would say you need this if you have breakout-prone skin, rosacea or very sensitive redness prone skin. This actually goes on as a powder but works into a beautiful cream. And you can either use it on areas where you have redness and sensitivity. It works so so well to just calm and soothe. Sulfur is the best ingredient for doing that. Or you can use it on areas where you have a breakout. So if you get that offending pimple, pop some of it on and it'll just reduce the heal time by roughly half. Sulfur is fantastic as an anti-inflammatory, anti-redness agent, but normally it stinks. Sulfur, it smells like rotten eggs. Nobody needs that in their life. This one doesn't because they use colloidal sulfur. Not only is that better in terms of its anti-inflammatory, but it doesn't smell. So, if you want sulfur without the rotten eggs, this is it and I absolutely absolutely love it."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Numbuzin Pantothenic B5 Active Drying Powder

"This is the Numbuzin Pantothenic B5 Active Drying Powder. I love this powder. You can either mix it with a soothing serum and just pop it on that offending pimple. It's a great pimple reducing and inflammation reducing application. You can mix a little in with your favorite serum, only a tiny amount, and apply it to the skin to give some additional calming and soothing. You can put this over sunscreen which will mattify it down. That's a great hack that in summer if your sunscreen is a little bit on the dewy side and you want to mattify it down, use this. It'll just take the shine off. It's a wonderful, wonderful product. The only reason it's not going to be in the all-time greatest is I think it works best for people that have oily, acne prone skin. That's me. I definitely need this in my life, but that's not everyone out there. So I think because it appeals to such a niche group of people, I can't really call it the all-time greatest. If you use this and love it, you'll know. It's one of those little hidden gems. And let me tell you, if you're somebody that has very oily and acne prone skin, get this in your life. You won't regret it. If you got more dryness prone skin type, probably not going to be for you."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

The Ordinary 100% Niacinamide Powder

"You have to mix the powder in with another product and you have to use the right amount, but you still don't really know what strength and concentration you're creating. It was fun in the beginning to be at home chemists mixing our lotions and potions, but it quickly became a little bit too much effort. They got everywhere with that powder and whatever you did, it never really merged with your serum well enough, so it was a little bit on the gritty side. The biggest issue was the scoop. The Ordinary recommended you use a quarter of the scoop that they provided. Why not just provide a scoop that was a quarter of the size? Why are we having to measure and eyeball it, which is never really a good thing when you're talking skincare? People didn't really know what strength they were using. It was a bit of a hot mess."

✕Nay

50%Guru Score

The Ordinary High Spreadability Fluid Primer

"They just weren't that easy to use I also found and maybe it's because both of them have quite a lot of dimethicone and silicons in them that they broke me out"

✕Nay

56%Guru Score

The Ordinary High Adherence Silicone Primer

"I tried these probably three or four years ago [...] and I was completely unimpressed. I don't think I used either of them more than a couple of times because they just didn't work that well. They tend to peel on the skin, they balled up. They did have a certain grip and tackiness to them so great for making sure your makeup really sticks, but beyond that they just weren't that easy to use. I also found that because both of them have quite a lot of dimethicone and silicones in them, they broke me out. That's not something that I always experience with silicones, but with these for some reason they definitely clogged the pores and definitely broke me out."

✕Nay

55%Guru Score

Pixi H2O Skin Veil Translucent Powder

"This one by Pixi is my current obsession, which I love. This will just help mattify it down. A nice powder like this is great if you've got combination skin, particularly around areas where you are a little bit more dry. You just need a couple of extra tools in your kit."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Acne5 reviews

Lion Pair Acne Cream

"This cream actually contains a lot of anti-inflammatory ingredients, which is phenomenal if you're looking to take down the weight, the bulk to any zits that you happen to have, particularly those that are under the skin. It also has some pain relieving elements to it, which will help lessen any discomfort that you have. I'm somebody that can just get a little cystic bump now and then, put this on, it disappears in half the time it normally takes. Takes away the pain, takes away the redness, the inflammation, just genuinely a game changer. If you've got acne, have this on hand because for those days you need it, you will really love it."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

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

"This is one of the most innovative vitamin C's to come out of the Korean skincare market and it's a bestseller for a reason. It's genuinely so so good."

✓Yay

74%Guru Score

The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Blemish Treatment

"There was a lot of talk about this product, Salicylic Acid Blemish Treatment, with people saying this was just bad marketing. This product relies on sulfur to deliver the spot fighting benefit, but sulfur isn't sexy, so it's Salicylic Acid, let's make that front and center to sell the product. A lot of people called them out on it and said it's fancy marketing over actual quality formulations."

✕Nay

65%Guru Score

AXIS-Y Spot the Difference Blemish Treatment

"The ingredients look nice and this is badged as being a super gentle blemish treatment so it's not going to cause any redness, sensitivity, or irritation, but over time it'll minimize any breakouts and congestion that you have in the skin. It's got a touch of tea tree which has been used for millennia to cure breakouts, and it's also got some comfort leaf in here which can act in a similar though different way to sulfur and kind of minimize acne-causing bacteria on the skin, reduce inflammation, and also tackle redness. So I think this has definitely got ingredients in here which are going to deliver. But my biggest concern with this is it might just be too gentle. I [...] think you need to offset that with not going for something that's so gentle you barely get any results. It's finding that middle ground. If I look at the ingredients, I think this would be a step back for me in terms of my own journey with acne because I'm already using products and ingredients that are a little bit more active and actually deliver without causing me too much irritation. But if you've got a breakout and you have super sensitive skin and you kind of don't know where to begin, I think this could be a really great product."

~Mixed

73%Guru Score

The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution

"Salicylic acid is actually oil soluble. So it binds to oil and it goes into the pores. It flushes out dirt, debris, excess sebum, blackheads, sebaceous filaments, all gone. It just makes sense to have salicylic acid in an oil-based formula. And so it baffles me that no other brands seem to be doing this. There are a couple on the market, but they come with quite bougie price points. The Ordinary are, to my knowledge, the only affordable drugstore priced oil-based salicylic acid. And this could be a game changer. How I use it is a couple of times a week. I'd recommend once or twice max. I put a couple of drops of this onto my nose, which is where I tend to get my blackheads. And I massage it in and I keep massaging for a solid five minutes. And then almost you feel this gritty graininess on the hands. And that is all that excess oil, sebum, dirt, debris, and blackheads popping out of the nose, and you'll just be left with such a clear complexion. It takes a couple of goes of doing this to really kick it in. I'd say maybe give it five goes, and that's when you see those elevated results, but it's worth it. Inexpensive, it's less than £10, and you can get rid of all of your blackheads and sebaceous filaments by just doing that twice a week."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Balms & Ointments2 reviews

Prequel 1% Colloidal Oatmeal and Alanine Multi-Ceramides Adenosine Barrier Therapy Rich Skin Protectant Cream

"The Prequel Barrier Therapy Rich is a really good dupe. It's not quite as hydrating. I still think if I was going to say the Allies of Skin one is like 10 out of 10, I'd say the Prequel one is like 8.75 out of 10. It's really good, but it's $20. There's a huge price differential between these two. So I think it's really nice to have two super high performance moisturizers that kind of fit every budget."

~Mixed

80%Guru Score

Vaseline Original Healing Jelly

"Vaseline will provide an occlusive layer locking that hydration, but it does just do that. It provides some occlusivity to prevent transepidermal water loss, but it's not really nourishing or adding anything back to the lips. It's just preventing that dehydration."

~Mixed

86%Guru Score

Eye Makeup2 reviews

The Ordinary Lash Curl Finisher

"I'm not the biggest fan of when brands step out of their niche and their category. The Ordinary do some great skincare, some of my favorite skincare products come from The Ordinary, and this I think is just too far removed from their standard offering. It left people a bit bemused as to what the point of it was. This sort of product already exists on the market. I don't think this is new, innovative or anything beyond what you already get. And so for me it's a bit of a pass. [...] If The Ordinary were going to do this properly, they would have come out with a product that actually was packed full of beneficial skincare ingredients that were going to extend the lash growth cycle, that was going to increase volume and density. [...] But what we've actually got is a bit of a finishing gel for your lashes and your brows. [...] If you want that and you want to do it affordably, this is fine. But I think most of the fans of The Ordinary, myself included, looked at it and thought, 'Really? That's what we plowed all of our research and development into at the expense of other options that they could have developed.' I think brands are best when they just stick to their category. In the case of The Ordinary, that's skincare. This one just missed the mark a little bit."

✕Nay

67%Guru Score

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum

"It's peptide based. It's perfectly safe to use around the eye, which can't always be said for some other lash and brow serums, unfortunately. This one's ophthalmology tested. It's perfectly safe and it genuinely works. You have to be consistent. It's not something that's just going to work overnight. [...] I've used it for the past 2 years and with the exception of this little break that I've taken because I ran out, [...] I don't think I've ever been without it. [...] It not only helps stimulate growth in these areas, so you'll have great amount of volume, you'll have some extra fullness, but also it's quite hydrating too and nourishes. [...] And it tames the brows as well. So, if you want something to slick the brows down, this works really, really well."

✓Yay

68%Guru Score

Blush & Bronzer1 review

Indeed Labs Nano Bronze Bronzing Drops

"This is the Indeed Labs Nano Bronze Bronzing Drops that also have antioxidants and skincare in it. If you want to look Oompa Loompa, absolutely this is the vibe. But it doesn't matter how much you put on. If you put a tiny amount on and try and shear it out, you still look really, really orangey. It's just like no, it's no, just no, absolutely not."

✕Nay

74%Guru Score

Foundation1 review

The Ordinary Serum Foundation

"They also launched or relaunched their serum foundations this year. I'm going to put this in the M tier. Some people like them and I know some people were so thrilled to see the serum foundations back, but they've actually had a bit of a reformulation and people saying it's not quite as good as the original serum foundations from two years ago. So the people that loved it and were really excited for it to come back have been left a bit like, maybe it's still fine, but it's not as good. And there a whole host of people that just said it's awful and I don't like this, I don't like the product. The criticism I see a lot online is that the colors oxidize, so they always end up a little orangier than maybe they looked in the bottle or when you first applied it. I've tried the original ones and that was my experience. It wasn't great. I think it's just like, why are The Ordinary trying to spread themselves thinly and doing makeup instead of just focusing down on skincare, which is really their core bread and butter. Some people might be happy to see it back but a lot were disappointed it's not back in the exact same formulation as they had before. This one's polarized."

~Mixed

60%Guru Score

Haircare1 review

Remedy Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

"They do an Anti-Dandruff Shampoo which is amazing. I'm not somebody that gets a lot of dandruff, but I do find I get product buildup and sometimes, particularly in winter, my scalp gets a little flaky. Nothing's ever worked. Most of the dandruff shampoos I've used before just strip and dry, kind of make the whole thing worse. This actually delivers. Doesn't strip, doesn't dry. Your hair still feels lovely after using it. It's phenomenal."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Tech1 review

Qure Micro Infusion System

"Have you tried the micro infusion systems like Qure? I have tried the Qure one, and really really liked it. I'm still not a big fan of like microneedling, it's not my number one favorite thing to do, but I would say that is probably the best one that I've used. I like that it's easy to apply. It's not going to risk too much damage to the skin. I think it's probably the best of that style of system."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

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