The 25 Best Skincare Brands, Hands-Down

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From cleansers and serums to moisturizers and treatments, the best skincare brands provide a number of effective options that make it a no-brainer to develop a personalized routine based on your needs and skin type. But with so many trending products available to shop, it can sometimes be difficult to figure out what's really worth your hard-earned dollars.

To help you narrow down your next beauty prospects, Bazaar editors have pulled together what we consider the best skincare brands to always keep in rotation. While choosing a favorite brand is almost like declaring a favorite child, we've tested and reviewed all of the beloved picks listed below to specify what's actually most effective.

Based on our research, the following skin staples from Avène, Olay, BeautyStat, U Beauty, and more are total game-changers—we're betting you'll think so, too.

CeraVe

This drugstore staple has found a new cult following thanks to viral TikToks and social media skincare stars like Hyram. The signature blend of essential ceramides and Derm-favorite ingredients like SPF and hyaluronic acid make for simple yet effective products that won't break the bank.

Price range: $10 to $30

One satisfied customer writes:

“CeraVe has been my go to for years now. My dermatologist recommended it for my overly sensitive skin. I use this as a face moisturizer, all over body lotion, and keep a small bottle of it in my purse for my hands.” —Vanessa M.

Featured item: Daily Moisturizing Lotion

Avène

Nothing works harder to heal sensitive skin than Avène's products, which is why we consider them one of the best skincare brands ever. Once a staple of chic French pharmacies, the brand is now widely available in the States. The products rely on thermal spring water to help calm and soothe all skin types.

Price range: $10 to 75

What the reviews are saying:

“I used to have Rosacea but since switching to Avène products, especially this water, it has resolved. I will never stop using it. Highly recommend.” —Tracy

Featured item: Thermal Spring Water

Olay

Olay's efficacy crosses generations and country lines—it's one of the most recognizable and accessible names in the global skincare game. In fact, industry testing has suggested that their cult-favorite Regenerist Face Cream moisturizes better than some luxury competitors twelve times the price. The line relies on proven active ingredients like peptides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide to make skin look visibly younger at drugstore prices.

Price range: $5 to $40

One satisfied customer writes:

“I love Olay. I’ve been using it for years. It’s the best thing that I’ve used for aging. I wouldn’t use anything else. Great price for people who can’t afford high priced products.” —Anonymous

Featured item: Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream Moisturizer

Augustinus Bader

The brand behind the cult-favorite The Rich Cream was developed by a stem-cell scientist with an innovative approach to skincare. Made with TFC8, this PPC Cellular Renewal Rich Cream is luxuriously hydrating—and worth the price and the hype.

Price range: $23 to $365

One satisfied customer writes:

“I began my Augustus Bader journey two years ago around my 43rd birthday. Using it day and night religiously for two years along with a healthy diet, exercise, great hydration, and adequate sleep, it has allowed me to experience a ‘glow up.’ At age 45, I’ve never felt more confident.” —Anonymous

Featured item: The Rich Cream

U Beauty

Why use eight different products when you can use one? That's the thinking behind U Beauty, started by Bag Snob's Tina Craig. Her products combine cutting-edge ingredients with simple, easy-to-use formulas to deliver major skin transformations with minimal effort.

Price range: $68 to $198

One satisfied customer writes:

“I adore U Beauty. I’ve been using it since the first samples were available and never miss a day. My skin has never looked better. I never wear foundation, I just don’t need it. My skin is luminous with almost an airbrushed texture. I have zero redness in my skin and it feels lovely. My beauty routine is simple with outstanding results—perfection!” —Laura L.

Featured item: Resurfacing Compound

SkinCeuticals

One of the leaders in antioxidant-based skincare, the brand’s science-first philosophy makes it one of the most trusted brands by dermatologists. Their serums are potent (and pricey), but ultra-effective.

Price range: $24 to $169

One satisfied customer writes:

“I've been using this product for years. When I first started using I was getting compliments like your skin looks like it is glowing and now people are always asking me how I look so young. I highly recomend this product for anyone looking to improve the aging of their skin. It is pricey but you cannot put a price on your skin.” —Shanshan

Featured item: C E Ferulic Serum

Drunk Elephant

The name of this brand makes a whole lot more sense once you learn that every product is centered around marula oil. (You see, legend has it Elephants eat the marula fruit and get tipsy in the wild). But Drunk Elephant is so much more than a cute name—it's a skincare powerhouse that combines proven natural ingredients with products that truly work miracles. The Sukari Babyfacial chemical peel is a must-have for anyone with acne-prone skin, dark spots, or fine lines.

Price range: $14 to $90

One satisfied customer writes:

“I absolutely adore the drunk elephant line. It has drastically changed my skin and I am glowing! I was nervous about using the Babyfacial, but it was so worth it! It tingles for a few minutes, but by the end of the 20 I couldn’t even feel it anymore. Such an amazing product.” —KingCait

Featured item: T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial AHA + BHA Mask

SK-II

The entire SK-II line centers around a unique ingredient called Pitera. Legend has it that employees in a Japanese brewery who were exposed to a fermented liquid had shockingly ageless and spotless hands. The secret sauce was bottled up and delivered in a slew of anti-aging creams, serums, masks, and most famously—a skin-brightening facial treatment essence.

Price range: $75 to $385

One satisfied customer writes:

“I have rosacea and recently learned all the acids and masks I was using for fun were making my face a total mess. So I went back to this essence and nothing else, and it’s wonderful. My skin is crystal clear.” —HGinNYC

Featured item: Facial Treatment Essence

BeautyStat

Our digital beauty director swears by this vitamin C serum from culty science-based brand BeautyStat, which was created by an in-demand cosmetic chemist, Ron Robinson, to brighten and balance skin. (He also worked on Hailey Bieber's Rhode skincare brand.)

Price range: $29 to $85

One satisfied customer writes:

“This stuff is really good. My skin is glowing, hydrated, smooth. I noticed instant results. Will not be leaving my routine. I use it in the AM and it's done wonders for my skin.” —Bella

Featured item: Universal C Refiner

Clinique

Perhaps the only moisturizer ubiquitous enough to be recognized by its shorthand nickname DDML, Clinique's pale yellow cream is touted as one of the best skincare products of all time. The brand prides itself in not just creating effective and accessible products for all skin types, but also in making sure those products are easy to use as part of an entire skin-perfecting routine.

Price range: $10 to $73

One satisfied customer writes:

“Literally, my favorite daytime moisturizer! I've used it for years and it works for me. After cleansing my face in the morning, I put this stuff on; it sinks in quickly, doesn't sting, and within about eight minutes, I do my makeup. Another bonus, a little goes a long way and it's not outrageously expensive.” —Patsy61

Featured item: Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+

Sunday Riley

Sunday Riley destroys the notion that natural products are less effective than their more chemical-y counterparts. With catchy product names like Luna, Juno, and UFO—it's no wonder the brand is a staple on the bathroom shelves of It-girls everywhere.

Price range: $20 to $65

One satisfied customer writes:

“Sunday Riley is my favorite skin care brand for sometime now and it’s for a reason. The good genes lactic acid serum is all in one perfect or for my skin. I have been using this for a month now; my skin is glowing, less visible pores even though I am yet to see any visible firmness.” —Anonymous

Featured item: Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment

Estēe Lauder

Estēe Lauder solidified itself as a skincare juggernaut when it released the Advanced Night Repair formula (then just called Night Repair) way back in 1982—and has since become a staple in our makeup bags. In fact, it's credited as the first-ever serum, the first product to use skin-plumping hyaluronic acid, and the first product to recognize and repair the link between DNA-damaged skin and aging skin.

Price range: $24 to $125

One satisfied customer writes:

“I love this product! Estēe Lauder is a trusted name in beauty and the brand never disappoints. The texture of the serum is perfect; it dries quickly and does not make your face sticky. My skin looked supple and radiant.” —Danielle1989

Featured item: Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex Serum

La Mer

Arguably the brand most synonymous with skin cream in the world, we'd actually argue that the best product from the marine-inspired line La Mer is the Regenerating Serum. Centered around the line's nutrient-rich Miracle Broth, the serum delivers a quicker and more potent dose of the cream’s skin-renewing effects.

Price range: $25 to $1,375

One satisfied customer writes:

“I wish this didn’t make my skin amazing. I wish i didn’t notice a difference after the first use. I wish I could find a reason not to buy this. Sorry bank account…” —Mrig1979

Featured item: The Regenerating Serum

Chanel

Chanel introduced its anti-aging hero Sublimage La Créme back in 2006, and it's been popular ever since. Each of Chanel's skincare products are centered around an ingredient its scientists discovered and use exclusively: vanilla planifolia PFA. Die-hard fans can attest to the fact that the claims of smoother, brighter, and more supple skin are undoubtedly true.

Price range: $25 to $800

One satisfied customer writes:

“I have been using Chanel since I was 30 I am now 70 but people think I am 20 to 30 years younger than I am. I do not have wrinkles.” —Lynn

Featured item: Sublimage La Creme

Caudalíe

Caudalíe is a French skincare brand that relies on all-natural grape extracts from the regions of Bordeaux, Champagne, and Burgundy. Red wine drinkers already know this to be true: Grapes are high in antioxidants and compounds resveratrol and polyphenols, which give the entire line its unique and effective anti-aging philosophy.

Price range: $12 to $139

One satisfied customer writes:

“This natural cream is a fantastic product for dark spots and acne scars. I use it with the serum. I love Caudalie because of its ingredients. Great quantity!” —Clea

Featured item: Vinoperfect Instant Brightening Moisturizer

La Prairie

La Prairie's roots go back to 1931, when Professor Paul Niehans began treating patients using cellular therapy in the Swiss countryside. Today, the brand expands on his groundbreaking scientific work to create anti-aging products that straddle the line between cosmeceutical and luxury skincare—just look at the line-plumping cream dubbed Absolute Filler.

Price range: $95 to $1,385

One satisfied customer writes:

“I have been using this line of skincare for just two weeks but I am impressed with the results already. My skin is hydrated, soft to the touch and tone is evening out. Small blemishes are clearing up and fine lines are diminishing.” —CamillainCA

Featured item: Skin Caviar Absolute Filler

Tatcha

If glowy, hydrated skin is what you're after—let us introduce you to the Japanese-and-American brand Tatcha. Inspired by the beauty secrets of geishas, Tatcha's line of cleansers, creams, and serums is centered around three ingredients: green tea, rice, and algae. The line is gentle enough for sensitive skin and pregnancy, natural, and wildly effective. We're in love with the dewy skin products in particular, especially their celebrity-coveted Dewy Skin Cream.

Price range: $14 to $125

One satisfied customer writes:

“I'm older and was looking for a hydrating facial cream that wasn't heavy because I still tend to break out. I tried Tatcha and fell in love. I use the hydrating version but they also make one that is lighter for younger or dry skin.” —B.F.

Featured item: The Dewy Skin Cream

Dior

It's no surprise that one of our favorite fashion, makeup, and perfume companies also makes some of our favorite skincare products. This primer-serum hybrid, specifically, is the best-selling skin product from the entire brand. Layered under foundation as the last step in your skin routine, Dream Skin blurs fine lines, mattifies, and practically filters skin right away and then continues to work harder over time.

Price range: $37 to $615

One satisfied customer writes:

“This primer was my gateway product to the whole Dior skin care line and I’m here for it. I’ve used it daily for 9 months and still can’t quite describe what it does. It’s skin care and skin repair in one. Some people say it’s pricey but few say it’s not wonderful.”—JustMolly

Featured item: Dreamskin Skin Perfector

Shiseido

There is no Japanese skincare brand more well-known and trusted than Shiseido. With over 140 years creating skincare, there are hundreds of products that have become hits with beauty gurus all over the world. It's hard to choose a favorite, but if you're going to splurge on just one product from the brand, try the Pure Retinol Express Smoothing Eye Masks.

Price range: $17.50 to $306

One satisfied customer writes:

“I love Shiseido products and this is one example why...it really works. Takes the undereye bags away and I also spread [the serum] on my face and it does a great job softening wrinkles.” —Elviz

Featured item: Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Pure Retinol Express Smoothing Eye Mask

Fresh

Fresh focuses on familiar food ingredients—like soy, sugar, black tea—to brand their line of cleansers, serums, creams, lip balms, and masks. The Black Tea line is rich in antioxidants and ideal for adding to any routine. This top-rated eye cream combines tea with noni extract to noticeably lighten dark circles and flatten eye bags.

Price range: $15 to $398

One satisfied customer writes: “I started using Fresh products two months ago, and I have to say so far I loved them all, they are not heavy, and I could feel instantly how this eye concentrate helped my eyes, it’s humectant and feels good.” —Zeidy

Featured item: Black Tea Age Delay Eye Cream

Shani Darden

Beloved celebrity aesthetician Shani Darden—who counts stars like Kelly Rowland and Shay Mitchell as clients—transitioned her Hollywood-based treatments to at-home skincare essentials. This culty best-selling AHA and retinol serum from the brand has nearly a five-star rating with over 700 reviews from Sephora customers.

Price range: $38 to $125

One satisfied customer writes:

“Tremendous Shani Darden skin care lover. This product brings my skin back to life with a nice glow.” —Rosealldayy

Featured item: Retinol Reform

Kiehl's Since 1851

It says it right there on every bottle: Kiehl's has been around since 1851. So it's safe to say they know a thing or two about making products that stand the test of time. This top-selling (and deliciously scented) serum combines lavender oil, squalane, and evening primrose oil to repair your skin's moisture barrier while you sleep. You'll wake up looking shockingly well rested (even if you're not).

Price range: $12 to $145

One satisfied customer writes:

“Remind me to kiss my best friend for introducing to me this. I have been obsessed since. Waking up in the morning to see fresh, young skin is a good start to the day. Kiehl's has always been top at their game for a reason.” —nates8

Featured item: Midnight Recovery Concentrate Moisturizing Face Oil

Clarins

The French brand Clarins has creams, serums, self-tanners, and makeup for every age, skin type, and texture. Its most famous product is the Double Serum, which houses two anti-aging plant extracts separately in one tube. This makes the active ingredients more effective in theory and practice—bottles of the skin-firming formula have been flying off the shelves for years.

Price range: $30 to 140

One satisfied customer writes:

“I am already a huge fan of Clarins and this Double Serum is amazing! I’ve been using it for the past few weeks and my skin has been so happy; hydrated, smoother and radiant! It’s gentle and effective on my dry/sensitive skin.” —HayleySavana

Featured item: Double Serum

Lancôme

Though Lancôme's messaging suggests an effortless approach to Parisian beauty, we all know that looking naturally ageless takes some serious commitment to a skincare routine. Their anti-aging serums are some of the best-selling in the world, including this skin corrector that's created to minimize the appearance of wrinkles while evening your complexion.

Price range: $30 to $320

One satisfied customer writes:

“Skip the botox. This little serum is the best for correcting fine lines. It really smoothes the skin and feels great.” —saws

Featured item: Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector

Sisley Paris

One of the pillars of luxury French skincare, Sisley Paris blends botanical extracts with anti-aging formulas that feel uniquely lush and decadent. This black rose dry oil is a savior for ultra-dry or sensitive skin. Just tap two or three drops over your favorite moisturizer to lock-in moisture all day long (the price feels a little less shocking when you realize just how long a single bottle lasts).

Price range: $90 to $895

One satisfied customer writes:

“I absolutely love Sisley and their range. I don't think anything beats it. all plant based and oils. This night oil leaves skin hydrated and dewy.” —lilliefleur

Featured item: Black Rose Precious Face Oil

With so many great brands available, how can I determine which is best for me?

There's no simple way to figure out which brands are most optimal for your specific skin needs without using a little trial and error. Our robust list of tried-and-true brand picks and cult-favorite products can certainly help narrow down your options, and we also recommend slowly incorporating one or two new products at a time into your regimen, rather than trying many new products at once.

What does a well-rounded skincare routine typically consist of?

Although skin routines can vary depending on your overall needs, we recommend keeping a cleanser, mild exfoliant (two to three times per week), moisturizer, and sunscreen (during the day) in rotation at minimum to cover the bases. Once you begin to understand your skin's unique reaction to products or speak with a professional, you might consider incorporating serums, weekly masks, and more into your routine.

What should I do if I start having a skincare reaction?

If you find your skin starts to react (turn red or become flaky or itchy) after using a certain product, we recommend working backwards starting with the newest item in your routine and immediately discontinuing use. If the problem is severe or persistent, contact your physician immediately.

Why trust Harper's Bazaar?

For more than 150 years, Harper’s Bazaar has been the preeminent fashion and beauty resource for women at every age. We cover what’s new and what’s next in beauty by working with the world’s leading authorities in dermatology, plastic surgery, cosmetics, skincare, haircare, and fragrance. Every story we publish has been thoroughly researched and vetted by our team of beauty editors and industry experts.

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