Lava lamps. Jelly sandals. Charcuterie boards. In a world filled with fleeting fads and passing trends, it is a comfort to know that soft, supple, glowing skin will at all times be in style. But trying to realize it has never been a simple proposition. Too often we’re distracted by buzzy ingredients and internet-famous products that quantity to little greater than a flash within the pan. Like a scene from Great Expectations, our drugs cabinet is crammed with half-empty jars and abandoned bottles that seduced us with guarantees, but in the long run, failed to provide meaningful results. All that changes with the Skin Care category’s winners of the 2023 Allure Better of Beauty Awards.

That is why Allure editors spend months every year trying to find the nice exceptions: Creams, serums, and cleansers that do not just represent all our beauty hopes and dreams, they manage to deliver in every department. The winners on our list diminish effective lines, erase dullness, zap breakouts, depuff eyes, lock in moisture, boost glow — and are destined to realize #empties status.

Now, get to know the yr’s best skin-care products. After you are done, take a look at the winners of the 2023 Allure Better of Beauty Awards for the Hair-Care, Nail, and Sensitive Skin categories.

Better of Beauty Awards 2023: Skin Care

Jump to your favorite category or keep scrolling for the yr’s perfect face creams, cleansers, and serums.

• Best Face Serums
• Best Face Cleansers
• Best Exfoliating Products
• Best Essences
• Best Face Mist
• Best Face Moisturizers
• Best Face Oil
• Best Eye Creams
• Best Face Masks
• Best Sunscreens for Face
• Best Self-Tanner for Face
• Best Acne Treatments

Why it won: Loaded with peptides, antioxidants, and niacinamide, Olay Super Serum is your line-smoothing, skin-brightening, free-radical-fighting sidekick. Actually, there’s an excellent likelihood that we’re the sidekick on this relationship. But we’re cool with that.

Why it won: Every dermatologist will inform you that vitamin C is the industry standard for treating signs of environmental damage. The potent dose in Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Vitamin C Lactic 15% Vitamin C Firm & Vivid Serum visibly fades dark spots and evens out tone — everyone else’s standard.

Why it won: Clarins Double Serum Light delivers heavy-duty yet weightless hydration, depositing a veil of glycerin- and squalane-packed moisture with a unadorned feel and primer-like finish.

Why it won: PillowtalkDerm The Depuffer: Arnica Sculpting Serum Roller literally glides (with a built-in two-inch roller) over every curve and contour, distributing a skinny layer of redness-reducing ingredients, including niacinamide, glycerin, and oat kernel extract. Associate features director Dianna Mazzone got hive-y one weekend during this yr’s skin-care testing process (the offender shall remain nameless), but this serum made her face camera-ready again by Monday.

Why it won: With a stable concentration of retinol — certainly one of the few topical ingredients proven to effectively minimize wrinkles — IOPE Retinol Expert 0.1% visibly diminishes lines over time. And the pointed, ultraprecise tube applicator makes it easy to focus on specific areas of the face (crow’s-feet, brow crinkles).

Why it won: Dullness is available in many forms: dead cells, clogged pores, dark spots. Luckily, a comprehensive treatment for it is available in one bottle: Sunday Riley Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment gently sloughs away congestion and damaged layers with lactic acid and brightens with licorice root.

Why it won: The fatty acids and vitamin E in Dermalogica Precleanse Cleansing Oil dissolve all manner of makeup (including for the eyes) without stripping skin — or making a giant ol’ mess, due to its sturdy pump.

Why it won: Filled with spinach, kale, and other nutrient-rich green things, Glomance The Squeeze helps lackluster skin turn over a radiant recent leaf because it cleanses. And the “lovely, spa-like” scent is a pleasant bonus, says senior copy manager Dawn Rebecky.

Why it won: Good Time Gentle Cleansing Face Bar, a soap-free antidote to thirsty skin, tackles dehydration with squalane.

Why it won: For double the scrubbing motion, DamDam Snow Mushroom Salt Cleanser matches into an (included) exfoliating glove and yields the smoothest results, bar none.

Why it won: Evolving from a skinny gel right into a silky emulsion is not the only cool trick that EltaMD Oil-in-Gel Cleanser pulls off; this nourishing wash uses fatty acids and vitamin E to rework tight, flaky skin. It might probably even perform disappearing acts: “It does an important job removing makeup too,” says deputy digital director Kara McGrath.

Why it won: Perfect for a morning pick-me-up cleanse, Prakti PritiPolish accommodates rice granules to loosen flakes, pomegranate enzymes to melt texture, and rose and vetiver to lift your mood.

Why it won: When your gel nail extensions make scooping an impossibility, squeeze into your palm a pea-size amount of the jojoba oil-packed Renée Rouleau Higher Than Balm to eliminate makeup and decongest pores. It’s more of a gel than a salve, but it surely’ll deliver all of the melting power of a standard balm formula.

Why it won: The sleek, buttery texture of Saturday Skin Melt + Cleanse Makeup Melting Balm converts from a solid to an oil the second it hits skin, without forsaking a trace of the day’s grime. (No wonder we keep putting it within the Allure Beauty Box!)

Why it won: The pomegranate and radish root buffers in Dr. Loretta Resurfacing Enzyme Polish dissolve flakes and boost cell turnover for a smoother, dewier appearance. For extra-silky skin, wait a number of minutes before rinsing — a few of our testers also loved this as a mask.

Why it won: Consider Profit Cosmetics The POREfessional Tight ‘N Toned: Pore-Refining AHA + PHA Toning Foam as a private trainer on your skin: alpha hydroxy acids visibly smooth and brighten, while glycerin reinforces the moisture barrier. Skip the cotton pad with this one — pump the airy foam right into your palms and pat it in your skin. (That is right, folks: It is a toner that can also be a foam.)

Why it won: A weekly application of Drunk Elephant Bouncy Brightfacial keeps dullness at bay, due to an exfoliating cocktail of azelaic and salicylic acids.

Why it won: Shani Darden Skin Care Triple Acid Signature Peel goes to town (but not more than twice a month, please) on dead cells, rough patches, and blackheads. Executive beauty director Jenny Bailly likes to make use of it before a giant trip, presentation, or party to get her skin looking luminous and her pores microscopic.

Why it won: A hydrating hybrid of cream and liquid, Laneige Cream Skin Cerapeptide Toner & Moisturizer refines texture and minimizes the looks of pores. It’s a specific favorite of editor in chief Jessica Cruel, so that you know it’s good.

Why it won: Should you prefer to carry the milk post-cleanse, AHC Aqualuronic Toner (here for its second Better of Beauty win) may appear to be straight-up water, however the cushy mix of ceramides and hyaluronic acid gives skin a bouncy feel.

Why it won: The morning dew of facial mists, Fresh Rose Pore-Minimizing Hydration Mist gives skin a petal-soft finish while practically evaporating oil out of your slick T-zone. And the TSA-friendly size makes it easy to pack (or stash on the office), so you possibly can spritz anytime, anywhere.

Why it won: For weightless moisture, one push on the dispenser for the Kate Somerville HydraKate Recharging Water Cream is all it takes. The superbly measured dose that pops up (with a satisfying wobble) absorbs in seconds and provides skin bouncy-castle-level resilience.

Why it won: Senior commerce author Angela Trakoshis credits Caudalíe Premier Cru The Wealthy Cream with curing her skin’s chronic dryness. This decadent cocktail of ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and polyphenols repairs microscopic holes within the moisture barrier, keeping water in and irritants out.

Why it won: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Advanced Barrier Cream marries the richness of a balm with the silkiness of a cream. A tube of these items checks every box, for higher (run-of-the-mill dryness) or worse (eczema flare-ups). 

Why it won: A bath of Aquaphor seems to last endlessly. One dab of this classic salve tames dry patches and peeling lips (and, at Allure HQ, sometimes rogue brow hairs).

Why it won: Ole Henriksen HydraBarrier Nourishing Face Oil, which accommodates antioxidant-rich oils extracted from Scandinavian cloud, lingon, and elder berries, is just like the aurora borealis in a bottle. A couple of drops of this lightweight elixir deliver a lot softness and glow, you’ve to see it to consider it.

Why it won: Unlike some topical formulas that just contain collagen, where the natural protein gives skin volume but doesn’t penetrate the outer layer, SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Advanced Eye encourages cells to produce it, visibly minimizing lines and crepiness over time.

Why it won: Bored with people telling you the way drained you look? A satiny layer of Youth to the People Peptides + C Energy Eye Concentrate takes down bloat, perks up eyes, and puts an end to those unwanted comments with peptides and caffeine.

Why it won: Tula Skincare Glow + Get It Cooling & Brightening Eye Balm, which is pumped with hydrating hyaluronic acid, watermelon, and apple, is a cushiony salve that sinks right in to scale back swelling (for a number of hours). It also has a cold feel, making it a less startling substitute for an ice roller.

Why it won: Ilia Beauty Vivid Start Activated Eye Cream, which accommodates a sea fennel-derived alternative to retinol, diminishes lines and fades dark circles by helping to thicken too-transparent skin.

Why it won: The Outset Purifying Blue Clay Mask is…exactly what it says it’s. The slate-colored paste purges your pores of deep-seated grime using kaolin clay, charcoal, and salicylic acid. The taut, glowy results are equally up front.

Why it won: A wealthy balm that seeps right in, Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Overnight Rehydrating Mask With 10.5% Squalane delivers a gradual stream of fatty acids that plumps skin whilst you sleep — but won’t rub off on the pillow.

Why it won: Farmacy Honey Potion Plus Ceramide Hydration Mask is available in a jar that appears and smells like a pot of honey, but that is not even the fun part. The golden goop melts right into a warm, white cream that gets skin glowing and circulation humming. Meanwhile, ceramides work like busy little bees to repair the protective barrier.

Why it won: The high concentration of vitamin C in Kate Somerville Mega-C 30% Vitamin C Brightening Facial produces a glow that rivals the outcomes of some skilled brightening treatments we have had (and we have had all of them).

Why it won: Not for the reason that invention of goat cheese has there been a greater partner for beets: KraveBeauty Beet the Sun SPF 40 PA+++ harnesses the vegetable’s antioxidant power to neutralize free radicals, while homosalate, octisalate, avobenzone, and octocrylene absorb UV rays.

Why it won: Got a beet allergy (like certainly one of our editors does)? We’re here for you and so is Innisfree Each day UV Defense Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 36. It has a weightless texture and invisible finish that did not read white on any of our testers.

Why it won: We all know you already know that sunscreen is a necessity. But did you already know it may even be a joy to use? A couple of shakes of La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50 Tinted Mineral Ultra-Light Fluid Sunscreen blends mineral blockers and tinted spheres into one tone-perfecting, skin-softening fluid.

Why it won: The one thing worse than streaks in your body is…streaks in your face. That is why we’re awarding Bondi Sands Pure Self Tanning Face Mist on this category. The impossible-to-mess-up mist quenches skin while steadily constructing uniform warmth.

Why it won: What do you get if you mix the bacteria-fighting prowess of benzoyl peroxide with the do-no-harm approach of Cetaphil? Exactly what you’d expect. Cetaphil Gentle Clear Complexion-Clearing BPO Pimples Cleanser helps eradicate breakouts while preserving the skin’s delicate moisture barrier.

Why it won: Breakouts are irritating enough without medication exacerbating the issue (speak about adding insult to injury). That is why Skinfix Pimples+ Adapinoid Gel is your recent go-to for treating pimples. The gel rolls over skin, calms redness, and intercepts pimples with a slow-release retinoid. This product gets bonus points for its ability to focus on blemishes below the neck too, which Allure‘s PR associate Allison Hill was thrilled to find: “It’s great for body pimples!” she wrote — in all caps — in her post-testing review.

Why it won: Zits rarely act alone, which is why Hero Cosmetics Micropoint for Blemishes XL casts a large net. The oversize, niacinamide- and salicylic acid-packed patch targets entire problem areas (cheeks, jawline, chin) to cover outstanding blemishes and their smaller accomplices, bringing them down whilst you sleep.

Why it won: It took some time, but someone finally realized pimples is not nocturnal. Rael Miracle Clear Soothing Spot Gel dries to a transparent, satiny finish that will not disrupt makeup.

---

---