The 46 Best Skin-Care Products of 2021

Fans of botanicals will love the silky evening primrose and lavender oils in Mario Badescu Skin Care Cleansing Oil. Everybody else will marvel at the petal-soft results.

The gentlest of gels, Garnier Green Labs Pinea-C Brightening Gel Wash dissolves makeup and eradicates dullness with vitamin C and a water-thin feel.

Packed to the edges with kaolin clay, each Freeman Beauty Cleansing Mask Bar does your skin a solid, purging pores while lifting away dirt and oil.

The generous dose of aloe (a hero humectant) in Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser melts into skin and locks moisture in place.

A face wash that goes against the grain, Tonymoly I'm Rice Exfoliating Enzyme Cleanser turns into a milky emulsion that polishes without scratching.

Add water to transform a scoop of Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm into a delicate oil — and dry skin into silk.

The cushy little buffers in Bliss Well Yes! Healthy Glow Multivitamin Scrub (they're made of cellulose) dislodge flakes without disrupting your skin's protective barrier; a bevy of B vitamins boost hydration.

With a water-based formula, a no-joke dose of vitamin C, and fruit acids, No7 Radiance+ Vitamin C Glow Toner imparts instant gleamy-ness.

It turns out that tea is balm for the soul and the skin. Infused with hard-core antioxidants and hydrating ingredients, Innisfree Youth Enhancing Serum Mist with Black Tea repels free radicals and steeps your face in dewy moisture.

Think of SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum as the antioxidant equivalent of a parasol: The silky layer of protection reduces environmental damage, present and future.

Containing the purest and most potent form of vitamin A, L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 0.3% Pure Retinol Serum turns over cells at a clip, visibly smoothing lines and reducing wrinkles in weeks.

For those who can't tolerate even a pea-size drop of retinol, the plant-based alternative in BareMinerals Ageless 10% Phyto-Retinol Night Concentrate diminishes lines without redness or irritation.

Similar to notes on a scale, the trio of hyaluronic acids in AHC Aqualuronic Serum penetrate skin at high, medium, and low levels, tuning your moisture barrier to perfection.

The high percentage of lactic acid in Drunk Elephant Protini Power Peptide Resurf Serum dissolves dull surface cells, basically giving skin no choice but to reform its look and feel.

The duo of hyaluronic acid and super lotus extract in Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Moisturizer boost suppleness by binding water to skin and strengthening the skin barrier.

Our oily-skinned testers loved the gel formula of Function of Beauty Custom Facial Moisturizer. Light and bouncy, it plumps skin without smothering pores.

The minuscule peptide molecules in Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide24 Moisturizer penetrate skin to give collagen-producing cells a helping hand.

Murad Intense Recovery Cream is sort of like a seaweed wrap for your face. The velvety emulsion cradles skin, calms redness, and relaxes stress lines with microalgae and mirabilis jalapa plant extract.

Equipped with a click-button pen and rollerball tip, Milk Makeup Sunshine Oil dispenses liquid radiance (vitamin C and olive-derived squalane) wherever we want it (face, chest, cuticles, and flyaways).

Packed with 21 line-smoothing peptides, Peter Thomas Roth Peptide 21 Wrinkle Resist Eye Cream is the next-best thing to getting carded.

The vitamin A in RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream relaxes creases without irritating the tender eye area.

Undereye bloat is the result of excess blood flow. Isdin K-Ox Eyes strengthens tiny capillaries to regulate circulation and reduce puffiness.

The high concentration of vitamin C in BeautyStat Universal C Eye Perfector fades shadows and crepiness over time; hyaluronic acid and plant extracts smooth and illuminate on the spot.

For treatment and coverage, Trinny London BFF Eye disguises dark circles like a concealer (it comes in 12 sheer tints), while peptides firm and vitamin C brightens.

Sourced from the Amazon River, the clay in Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Mask explores every pore, drawing out gunk from depths unknown.

Philosophy Nature In a Jar Skin Rehab Balm with Wheatgrass does not, in fact, come in a jar. But the salve (in a tube) does contain a vegetable patch of nourishing greens, plus coddling glycerin.

Calming and cooling, the anti-inflammatory herbs and humectants in Dr.Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Sleepair Intensive Mask deliver a moment of zen — and lots of moments of luminous skin.

A real glow-getter, GlamGlow Brightmud Dual Action Exfoliating Treatment fits every imaginable brightener (AHAs, BHAs, vitamin C, pumice particles) into one elegant formula.

Our new bedside-table staple, I Dew Care Straight Chillin' Cooling Aloe Sheet Masks are steeped in moisture and packed like tissues into an easy pull-out box.

For an instant glow-up, Eve Milan New York Brightening Vitamin C + CoQ10 Sheet Mask brightens and tightens with antioxidants and daisy extract.

Laced with strawberry extract and resveratrol (the same antioxidant found in red wine), Patchology Serve Chilled Rosé Eye Gels smooth, brighten, and generally take the edge off the day.

Loaded with hyaluronic acid, PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Overnight Mask dives into skin while you drift off to sleep, shoring up your moisture barrier.

There's a texture for everyone! Ideal for anyone on the oily side, Black Girl Sunscreen Make It Matte SPF 45 is a weightless gel that renders a primer-like finish.

We know you know sunscreen is non-negotiable, but did you also know Sun Bum Original Face 70 Sunscreen Lotion is a cream that didn't leave a greasy or chalky finish on any of our testers? You do now.

Shiseido Clear Sunscreen Stick SPF 50+ makes invisible broad-spectrum protection swipe-able.

Unlike some mineral formulas that leave a whitish cast, EltaMD UV Restore Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 40 adapts to every skin tone for a dewy, naked look.

For touch-ups, we love Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Brush-On Shield SPF 50, a brush-on powder that blurs imperfections and helps block UV rays.

One of the most powerful peels we've tried this side of the doctor's office, Paula's Choice 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel gives us the brightest tone we've seen this side of 35.

CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser treats and prevents pimples with salicylic acid, while niacinamide and ceramides exert a calming influence.

Differin Gel Acne Treatment contains a prescription-strength dose of adapalene, a retinoid that penetrates pores to stop breakouts before they start.

Vichy Normaderm S.O.S. Acne Rescue Spot Corrector shrinks blemishes and soothes skin with sulfur and niacinamide.

For a more targeted approach, affix Florence by Mills Spot a Spot Acne Patches to zits and let salicylic acid and tea tree oil do their antimicrobial thing.

With its compact size (think stylish soda can) and USB portability, Hey Dewy Portable Facial Humidifier emits a hydrating mist that goes where sheet masks can't (think Zoom meeting).

There's a four-letter word for uneven makeup: f-u-z-z. Finishing Touch Flawless glides
over the contours of your face, removing unwanted hair so products blend seamlessly.