Best Retinoid for 2020

1The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% in Squalane

THE ORDINARY

The Ordinary has quickly gained a cult following for selling effective ingredients at cheap as chips prices. This is a brand that prides itself on their consumer honesty, something they proved when they upgraded all their retinols to a new formula called 'Granactive Retinoid'. Compared to their old formula, Granactive Retinoid gives better results against signs of ageing and leaves zero irritation on the skin.

BUY NOW Feelunique.com, £7.80

2Indeed Labs Retinol Reface Skin Resurface Cream

INDEED LABS

If you're buying your first retinol cream this is a great place to start. It contains Retinol RA (rapid action), which means it converts to retinolic acid faster. This will give quicker results and is also less likely to cause irritation on the skin.

BUY NOW LookFantastic.com, £19.99

4No B.S. Retinol Night Cream

NO B.S.

No B.S. is an indie brand that has just launched on Feel Unique in the UK. Their Retinol Night Cream contains hyaluronic acid and vitamin E to help keep skin hydrated, while doing the work on your fine lines.

BUY NOW Feelunique.com, £58

5La Roche-Posay Redermic R

LA ROCHE-POSAY

This cream contains 0.3% retinol which makes it ideal for first time vitamin A users. La Roche-Posay's minimalist formulas are also great for sensitive skins as they contain no preservatives, fragrance, colourants, or parabens.

BUY NOW Feelunique.com, £29.50

6Paula's Choice Resist 1% Retinol Booster

COURTESY OF BRAND

When it comes to ingredients, Paula's Choice is a brand you can trust. Her 1% Retinol Booster has been designed so that you can add retinol benefits to your favourite moisturiser whenever you need it - Just make sure you read our retinol guide first.

BUY NOW LookFantastic.com, £47

3Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream

DRUNK ELEPHANT

Arguably the most hyped skincare launch of 2018, Drunk Elephant's latest offering, A-Passioni Retinol Cream is the wholly grail for reactive skins. Like all their products, you won't find any of the 'suspicious 6', (SLS, fragrance, dyes, essential oils, chemical screens, drying alcohols, silicones and SLS) in here. Instead their 1% retinol has been blended with soothing botanical extracts, passionfruit, kale, apricot and cherry, so it won't irritate the most sensitive skins. It's also packed full or potent peptides and fatty acids, which help speed up surface renewal, boost collagen and plump up ageing complexions. Tick, tick, tick.

BUY NOW CultBeauty.co.uk, £62

7Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Retinol Night Serum 60 Capsules

ELIZABETH ARDEN

Two wrinkle busting power players sealed in serum capsules, these are a dream if you're always on the go. Single use air tight pods preserve the potency, making it 76% stronger than unencapsulated retinol, while hydrating ceramides prevent the dreaded dryness that can come with retinol. Take a few on your next holiday and you won't have to worry about wrinkles, or the weight of your suitcase.

BUY NOW Feelunique.com, £72

Best Vitamin C for 2020

Ready to boost your antioxidant intake? Here are 10 vitamin C serums that are actually worth every penny:

1. SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic

Aside from 15 percent pure L-ascorbic acid, this Dermstore bestseller also features vitamin E and ferulic acid, which makes this serum an antioxidant powerhouse, providing as much as 8x the skin’s natural protection! It has all the typical benefits of vitamin C—neutralizes free radicals, enhances collagen production and brightens complexion—plus, its super-concentrated formula makes it effective for up to 72 hours. That gives you more bang for your buck!

2. SkinMedica Vitamin C + E Complex

This serum also combines the age-reversing, UV damage–fighting powers of two potent antioxidants: vitamins C and E. But what makes this serum special is its time-release delivery system, which releases the formula gradually so you get all-day protection from free radicals and premature aging.

3. Obagi Professional-C Serum 20%

Another shopper and dermatologist favorite! This serum offers the highest concentration of L-ascorbic acid and is said to deliver significantly better penetration into the epidermis and dermis than most vitamin C serums. And the fact that it’s from Obagi—a world-leader in professional skin care—makes it a no-brainer.

4. Sunday Riley C.E.O. Glow Vitamin C + Turmeric Face Oil

This brightening face oil features THD ascorbate, which is an extremely stable, oil-soluble form of vitamin C. But its beauty benefits don’t stop there. It also has golden turmeric (distilled fraction of turmeric oil), pomegranate seed oil, evening primrose oil and ginger root extract to even out your skin tone, replenish your skin’s moisture barrier and lend your complexion a healthy-looking glow.

5. Jan Marini C-ESTA Face Serum

This professional-strength anti-aging serum combines vitamin C with hyaluronic acid and other nourishing vitamins, which makes it soothing and compatible with a wide range of other skin care products like glycolic acid treatments and other topical medications.

6. Eminence Organic Skin Care Citrus & Kale Potent C+E Serum

Aside from vitamins C and E, this powerful serum features a delicious blend of organic superfoods—kale, broccoli sprout and spinach extracts—to nourish, repair and protect your skin. Think of it as a salad for your face!​

7. iS Clinical Pro-Heal Serum Advance Plus

If you’re struggling with acne, rosacea or just have sensitive or compromised skin, this vitamin C serum is designed for you. It offers iS Clinical’s highest levels of antioxidant protection against free radical damage, plus a blend of soothing botanicals such as olive leaf extract, zinc sulfate, kojic acid and vitamins E and A to calm inflamed or easily irritated skin.​

8. Dermalogica BioLumin-C Serum

This highly-concentrated serum combines the power of vitamin C with other equally potent ingredients like peptides, hyaluronic acid and lactic acid to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while hydrating and strengthening the skin. It’s also free of potential irritants like parabens and fragrances, making it safe to use on sensitive skin.

9. Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster

Already have a favorite serum and don’t feel the need to add another to your routine? Not a problem. Boosters are designed to add active ingredients to and enhance the benefits of your favorite serum. What we love about this booster is that aside from vitamin C, it also has ferulic acid, peptides and vitamin E to up the level of protection your skin gets against free radical damage.

10. Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare C + Collagen Brighten & Firm Serum

This serum combines the power of vitamin C with a blend of amino acids and antioxidants to brighten skin tone, diminish visible signs of aging and protect skin from further environmental damage. It’s also infused with niacinamide to rebuild the skin’s protective barrier. Weightless and fast-absorbing, this formula diminshes the look of dark spots, unveiling a more even skin tone.

Best Sun cream for 2020

KIEHL'Snordstrom.com

$29.00

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Tied as the winner in our Lab test, Kiehl's lotion, designed for face and body, earned high scores all around. Consumers said that this water-light lotion was "moisturizing" and liked its "neutral smell." Its best-rated attribute: Not making skin feel greasy, oily, or slippery, even in the hot sun. However, a few testers did note that the sunscreen was runny when coming out of the tube.

Active Type: Chemical sunscreen
Packaging: Lotion/Tube
SPF Rating: 50 broad spectrum
Water Resistance: 80 minutes

BEST VALUE

X-treme Sport Spray Gel Sunscreen SPF 50

AUSTRALIAN GOLDamazon.com

$9.99

$8.34 (17% off)

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This formula is the best value in our test at $1 per ounce, but not every tester loved its spray nozzle: Some thought it was inconsistent in the amount it dispensed, yet others were impressed by the nozzle's locking feature.

Active Type: Chemical sunscreen
Packaging: Lotion
SPF Rating: 50 broad spectrum
Water Resistance: 80 minutes

Best Moisturizer for 2020

Malin + Goetz Advanced Renewal Moisturizer

Malin + Goetz's new Advanced Renewal Moisturizer is packed with meadowfoam seed oil and linseed extract (a natural source of omega-3 fatty acids) to lock in moisture, plump skin, and ward off the appearance of fine lines.

$76 (Shop Now)

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  2/27

  Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream

  Joining the family of Tatcha's beloved face mist, sheet mask, and night cream is The Dewy Skin Cream, a rich cream inspired by makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic that features Japanese purple rice (hence the lavender color), Okinawan algae blend, and hyaluronic acid to plump skin with hydration. Look for it in stores next month.

  $68 (Shop Now)

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  3/27

  Renée Rouleau Skin Recovery Lotion

  If you have sensitive and breakout-prone skin, then it can sometimes be difficult to find the right moisturizer that calms any inflammation and dryness without leaving a zit in its wake. Enter aesthetician Renée Rouleau's Skin Recovery Lotion, which lives up to the name with its gentle formula that contains panthenol, bisabolol, and two patented, sugar-derived complexes to hydrate and strengthen skin from the inside out.

  $43.50 (Shop Now)

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  4/27

  Paula's Choice Omega+ Complex Moisturizer

  How do you follow up the success of a fan-favorite serum? By releasing a moisturizer version, of course. Paula's Choice's new addition to the Omega+ family features ceramides, botanical oils, and antioxidant-rich guava and passionfruit to nourish dry skin.

  $35 (Shop Now)

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  5/27

  Supergoop Superscreen Daily Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA+++

  Already a go-to brand for everything from brush-on mineral powder sunscreens to the most invisible of formulas (that literally suit every skin tone, might we add), Supergoop's Superscreen Daily Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA+++ has everything we look for in a day cream: It offers protection from UVA and UVB rays, hydrates like a dream, and plays nice under makeup.

  $38 (Shop Now)

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  6/27

  Dove DermaSeries Dry Skin Relief Overnight Face Cream

  Dove's entire DermaSeries range is an affordable option for people seeking clinically proven results from their skin-care products. Its new overnight cream, laced with shea butter and glycerin, penetrates the skin to offer long-term hydration that lasts hours after your 8 a.m. alarm.

  $15 (Shop Now)

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  7/27

  Skinbetter Trio Rebalancing Moisture Treatment

  A go-to brand for dermatologist Dendy Engelman, Skinbetter's first-ever moisturizer, the Trio Rebalancing Moisture Treatment, offers intense hydration, brightens over time, and helps rebalance the skin's barrier, restoring the appearance of a healthy, renewed complexion.

  $135 (Shop Now)

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  9/27

  La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra Night Face Moisturizer

  Moisturizing ingredients including shea butter, glycerin, and antioxidants all work together in La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra Night Face Moisturizer to offer intense hydration and soothing benefits for even the most sensitive skin types.

  $30 (Shop Now)

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  10/27

  Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Dream Night Cream

  Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Dream Night Cream works wonders while you clock in those z's, thanks to a potent blend of super lotus and peach leaf extract, that address signs of aging, like loss of elasticity, fine lines, and dullness.

  $48 (Shop Now)

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  11/27

  CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30

  While we're fans of the original formula, CeraVe's Ultra-Light Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30 is an even better pick if you have oily skin or are looking for a moisturizer that wears well under makeup.

  $18 (Shop Now)