Cleanse, treat, moisturize, protect. Four steps, no more, with the ingredient reasons underneath.
Pick your answers and the shelf shows only what fits.
Ranked by formula, how many people it suits, value per ounce and track record. The rank is the order; we do not print a decimal score. Every pick says who should skip it.
Three ceramides, cholesterol, hyaluronic acid and petrolatum in a thick cream for face and body. The plain standard for dry skin, developed with dermatologists according to the maker.
Skip it if you are oily and it is humid
Ten percent niacinamide with zinc PCA in a water-based serum. Cheap enough to try, and sticky enough that owners complain about what it does under the next layer.
Skip it if you hate a tacky finish; owners call it sticky
A lotion cleanser with three ceramides and hyaluronic acid. No foam and no tight feeling, which is also why some owners feel it never quite washes off.
Skip it if you wear heavy sunscreen or makeup and want it off in one step
The gel version for normal to oily skin, with ceramides, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. Takes off oil and everyday makeup, and drier skin tends to object.
Skip it if your skin is dry or stings easily
Several weights of hyaluronic acid with panthenol, now in a reformulated version with ceramides. A cheap water layer, though it pills for some owners and old fans miss the old one.
Skip it if you expect it to replace a moisturizer; some owners stayed dry
Twenty percent L-ascorbic acid with vitamin E and ferulic acid on a short list. It does what it says until it turns orange, and owners say some bottles arrive that way.
Skip it if you will not finish it quickly; owners report it oxidizes
Three percent of a tranexamic acid form with four percent niacinamide, both stated by the maker, for dark spots and uneven tone. Priced so you can finish a bottle, and many owners do and see nothing.
Skip it if you expect results in a few weeks; owners report none after months
A slippery essence that is mostly snail secretion filtrate, with sodium hyaluronate and panthenol. Most owners like the hydration, and a small group reacts within days.
Skip it if you are squeamish about the main ingredient
Two percent salicylic acid in a short-list, leave-on liquid, sold by the maker to unclog pores and control oil. It has a long record and a tacky finish some owners cannot stand.
Skip it if you hate a sticky finish; owners call this one tacky
A big bottle of seven percent glycolic acid for rough texture and dullness. The maker warns it off sensitive or peeling skin, and the burning reviews suggest it means that.
Skip it if your skin is sensitive or peeling; the maker says not to use it
A short-list cleanser with no fragrance, dyes, parabens or lanolin, dermatologist tested according to the maker. Very plain, which is the point.
Skip it if you want it to remove waterproof makeup
A low-pH gel with a little betaine salicylate and tea tree oil. Easy for mornings, but the tea tree smell divides owners, and the maker wants makeup off first.
Skip it if tea tree oil bothers you, or you dislike a medicinal smell
Three ceramides and hyaluronic acid in a light, oil-free lotion for face and body. Long-time users complain that recent bottles are not the lotion they knew.
Skip it if your skin is very dry in winter
Niacinamide, three ceramides and hyaluronic acid in a thin, oil-free night lotion. The maker marks it PM only, and some owners want more moisture from it.
Skip it if your skin is dry; owners call this too light
A thick, plain cream built on petrolatum and sorbitol, with no fragrance or botanical extracts, dermatologist tested according to the maker. No ceramides and no glycerin, and some owners find it sticky.
Skip it if you want ceramides or any other active
Zinc oxide, octinoxate and 5% niacinamide, by the maker's figure, in a thin lotion labeled by the maker as broad spectrum SPF 46. A long-time favorite that still breaks some owners out.
Skip it if you want a mineral-only filter; this also has octinoxate
A zinc and titanium lotion labeled by the maker as broad spectrum SPF 50, with no chemical filters and no fragrance on its list. It is thick, it can look white, and it takes effort to wash off.
Skip it if your skin is medium to deep; owners report a white or purple cast
Ten percent azelaic acid in a thick silicone cream, aimed by the maker at uneven tone and texture. It works for many owners, but the pilling is hard to get around.
Skip it if you layer other products; owners report pilling and flaking
Encapsulated retinol with niacinamide and ceramides, for night use. Some reviewers call it a gentle first retinol, but the strength is not on the label.
Skip it if you already use a prescription retinoid
Not a petrolatum balm: octyldodecanol and castor seed oil carry panthenol, glycerin and shea butter, preservative and fragrance free according to the maker. Owners like the relief and complain about the taste.
Skip it if you want Aquaphor ointment in a tube; this is a different formula
A cream face wash with glycerin, niacinamide and ceramide for normal to dry, sensitive skin, fragrance free and dermatologist tested according to the maker. It suits light makeup, and a steady group of owners report burning.
Skip it if you wear heavy makeup; owners use a remover first
A creamy cleanser with glycerin, niacinamide and panthenol, fragrance free and dermatologist tested according to the maker. Many long-time users say it is not the cleanser they knew.
Skip it if you loved the old formula; owners say the new one stings or leaves a film
Ceramide, niacinamide, glycerin and squalane in a light cream, fragrance free and dermatologist tested according to the maker. Pilling under makeup and through the day is the complaint that keeps coming back.
Skip it if you wear makeup over it; owners report pilling
Labeled by the maker as broad spectrum SPF 60 for face and body, with alcohol denat. on the list. Most owners like it; the rest report a white cast and a greasy film that will not sink in.
Skip it if your skin is medium to deep and a white cast would show
A moisturizing sunscreen with birch sap and niacinamide, labeled by the maker as Broad Spectrum SPF 50. It uses US chemical filters, and its list includes chamomile and pine oils.
Skip it if you are oily; one owner calls it a grease bomb
Ten percent niacinamide in a thin, watery liquid you can use alone or mix into a moisturizer. Owners like how fast it absorbs, at $53.00 MSRP for less than an ounce.
Skip it if you want value; this is a small bottle at $53.00 MSRP
Retinal in a yellow night emulsion, the maker's strongest retinoid and meant for experienced users. Owners' biggest gripe is the color it leaves on their face and pillowcases.
Skip it if you are new to retinoids; the maker points you to milder ones
A scented, waxy overnight lip balm in a jar, with shea and murumuru butter. Pleasant to use, and a lot of money for what is mostly a lip balm.
Skip it if you want value; this is $24.00 MSRP for 20 g
A light water gel built on dimethicone and glycerin, with hyaluronic acid low on the list, plus fragrance and blue dye. The maker aims it at normal, oily and combination skin, and scent is the repeat complaint.
Skip it if you react to fragrance; the maker's gel cream is the fragrance-free version
A thick cream with 0.5% colloidal oatmeal, labeled by the maker as a skin protectant, plus shea and a ceramide. It also has eucalyptus oil, and long-time users say the current jar is greasier.
Skip it if you react to eucalyptus; it is on the list
A thick balm of sunflower oil, lanolin and beeswax for the driest patches: elbows, hands, heels. Too heavy for most whole faces, and the smell is not for everyone.
Skip it if you avoid lanolin or want it vegan
A clear silicone gel labeled by the maker as broad spectrum SPF 50, made to sit under makeup with no white cast. Nice to wear until it breaks you out or runs into your eyes.
Skip it if you break out easily; owners report it within days
Labeled by the maker as broad spectrum SPF 55 sunscreen that helps prevent sunburn, water resistant for up to 80 minutes. Many owners keep it for the body, because on the face it can sting, cast white or pill.
Skip it if fragrance bothers you; it is on the list
The maker's newer ingredient, Melasyl, with 10% niacinamide, sold to visibly reduce the look of dark spots. Some owners see fading; many report no change after months, and the perfume is strong.
Skip it if you want a sure result; owners report no change after months
A mild AHA and BHA toner in a spray bottle, sold by the maker to beginners for daily use. Too gentle to do much for some, and it still breaks out others.
Skip it if you want a strong exfoliant; some owners see no effect on blackheads
Salicylic acid 2% on a textured pad, labeled by the maker as an acne medication and free of alcohol. The list does have fragrance, menthol and ammonium lauryl sulfate, and owners split on burn and dryness.
Skip it if your skin is dry or sensitive; owners report burning and flakes
A stated one percent retinol with peptides and vitamin C in a light lotion. For skin already used to retinol, and priced like it knows that.
Skip it if you are new to retinol
A water-based caffeine serum the maker aims at puffiness and dark circles around the eyes. Cheap, and owners split between those who see a change and those who see nothing.
Skip it if you want moisture; some owners say it feels dry and tight
A scented gel you sleep in, with squalane, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. Most owners wake up plumper, and fans of the old formula are not happy with the new one.
Skip it if fragrance bothers you; owners call this one strong
A green gel with kale, spinach and green tea extracts in a mild surfactant base. It rinses off easily and costs far more than a drugstore gel; the herbal smell has added fragrance behind it.
Skip it if you are on a budget; $39 MSRP is a lot for a cleanser
A 15% vitamin C serum, by the maker's figure, with ferulic acid, in a vitamin powder you mix in yourself so it stays fresh. Clever, sticky, and it smells like it.
Skip it if you want value; $79 MSRP buys 28 ml
The well-known glycolic toner at five percent, with aloe and witch hazel. Fragrance and dye are on the list, and the scent is what its unhappy owners mention first.
Skip it if fragrance bothers you; owners call this one overpowering
What the maker calls pure retinol with niacinamide, and it says the serum suits sensitive skin. The list has alcohol denat. high up and fragrance, and owners split between smoother skin and red, swollen faces.
Skip it if fragrance or alcohol bothers you; both are on the list
An esthetician's retinol, stated at 1% encapsulated by the maker, with niacinamide and a tripeptide. Newcomers rate it well; people who used the old formula are its loudest critics.
Skip it if you loved the old version; owners say this one irritates
A fragrance-free eye cream with ceramides, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, ophthalmologist-tested according to the maker. Most owners find it pleasant; a steady minority report burning.
Skip it if you want dark circles gone; owners often see no change
A squalane and avocado oil eye cream with caffeine, in a small green-tinted jar. It hydrates; people who bought the old thick version say this one is not the same.
Skip it if you wear concealer over it; owners report cracking and pilling
A soft wax-and-oil stick with petrolatum sixth on the list, plus shea butter, glycerin and vitamin E. It is not plain petroleum jelly, which surprises owners who wanted the small tub.
Skip it if you want plain petroleum jelly; this is not that
A glossy, cushiony balm with shea and murumuru butter in a squeeze tube. The packaging and flavors are half the appeal; moisture lasts less long than the shine.
Skip it if you want value; $24 MSRP is a lot for a balm
A soft cream cleanser that polishes rather than foams, with fine cellulose grit and rice powder. Lovely to use until you react to the fragrance, which is high on the list.
Skip it if you react to fragrance or citrus oils; both are on the list
Moisturizer and sunscreen in one pump, labeled by the maker as broad spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen. Pilling and a white cast are the reasons to walk past it.
Skip it if you wear makeup over it; owners report pilling and clumps
A plush cream with rice ferment, squalane and a silicone that leaves a dewy shine. The texture and the jar are most of what you pay for, and oily skin can look greasy within hours.
Skip it if you break out easily; owners report it within days
The most expensive cream on the shelf: plant oils, squalane and a blend of amino acids and peptides the brand calls TFC8, a name you will not find on the list. Owners who love it talk about feel.
Skip it if you expect a result the drugstore cannot match for less than $315 MSRP