Stress! Pollution! Hormones! Honestly, our skin is constantly put through the ringer. Luckily, the skincare industry is booming with goodness to help you reach your skin goals. Here at Cosmo, we in the beauty team are inundated with new launches hitting our desks – it’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it, eh?
With the overwhelming number of product options to add to basket, it can be a minefield knowing what the right products are for you, and that’s where we come in. For our Skin Awards, we tested hundreds of launches over the past year and found the curated list of the best newness for all skin concerns, from dryness, tightness, to pimple-prone oiliness, sensitivity, to body blemishes. So, without further ado, here are our winners…
A cleanser that doesn’t strip the skin and improves brightness? Sign us up. This makes a perfect double cleanse in the evening to melt away your makeup with no sting or residue.
When it comes to SPF, Australian brands do it best. Case in point: Alpha H. This 2-in-1 moisturiser and SPF formula protects skin against damaging UVA and UVB rays while also leaving a fresh, dewy finish, too. Get you a SPF who can do it all!
Clinique Moisture Surge Active Glow Serum
Dry skin can be one hell of a barrier to glowy skin. Luckily for us, Clinique’s new addition to the Moisture Surge range is a real glow getter. With gentle exfoliation, thanks to the lactic acid, vitamin c and hyaluronic acid, it’s kinda the Holy Trinity for hydrated, dewy skin.
Super affordable and super hydrating, this moisturiser has tri-ceramides and squalane to load your skin barrier with soothing and thirst-quenching ingredients to prep your skin for SPF and any makeup.
Dry and sensitive skin? INKEY has got you covered! With this fragrance and alcohol-free mist this spritz offers an instance boost of hydration in an ultra-fine mist. With a patent ingredient (Hydroviton® Insta) that keeps skin bouncy for hours, we love that you can even spray it on top of makeup for a burst of hydration.
Garnier Pure Active 8hr Invisible Hydrocolloid Blemish Patch
Giving Harry Potter's invisibility cloak a run for its money, these pimple patches are so ultra-thin that they can be worn on the skin undetected. And not only that, but they’re affordable and effective, too, with hydrocolloid absorbing impurities and promoting faster healing.
Often, blemish control serums are fast and loose with the exfoliating acids, but this serum works for even the most irritable skin types to fade away dark marks gently but speedily. Thanks to the encapsulation of kojic and glycolic acid, it reaches below the skin barrier and then works its magic, rather than tearing through the skin barrier and adding to our skin woes.
Salicylic acid is a powerhouse when it comes to tackling acne, and this moisturiser (which is also oil-free, FYI) utilises the ingredient, alongside hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, to unclog pores while also locking in moisture. She’s a multi-hyphenate – and a comfortable, lightweight one at that!
I get it – some sunscreens can feel heavy and thick on the skin, especially for those who are acne-prone. La Roche Posay’s new ‘Air’ formula, however, is just as its namesake would suggest: light as air. Bye-bye, greasy residue, hello invisible sun protection!
Some foam cleansers have a bad rep for not ‘feeling’ like they’re cleaning the skin. This product, however, certainly gets the job done – and gets it done well! The lightweight, gentle formula leaves the face feeling refreshed and moisturised, and it controls oil without over-drying or tightening the skin.
L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Eye Bag Eraser Eye Cream
Seeking a quick and effective solution to under-eye concerns? L'Oréal Paris’ Revitalift is an innovative gel formula that transforms into a flexible, invisible film to tighten and smooth the skin for up to 8 hours. Puffiness and wrinkles? We don’t even know them!
Tiny but mighty, this concentrated serum helps to lift, tighten and brighten in one fell swoop. The texture kind of sits between a toner and serum, so a few drops massaged into skin absorb really quickly and sit under makeup or the rest of your nighttime routine with no pilling.
The fear of the retinol uglies is all but eradicated with a few tiny drops of this innovative retinol. Unlike many vitamin A serums that can irritate skin, this oil doesn’t f-up your skin barrier as it gets to work. It delivers fast-acting results in the least aggressive way possible as you sleep.
Looking to reduce fine lines and wrinkles? This is the ultra-high-tech device for you, thanks to its non-fractional, non-ablative lasers that safely stimulate natural collagen production. And while ‘lasers’ may sound scary, fear not, for it’s completely pain-free. Remember: Consistent use is key!
Weleda Wild Rose & White Tea Smoothing Day Cream
This non-comedogenic formula not only works to strengthen the skin barrier, but it also contains an organic Age Protect Complex that protects against environmental ageing (ie pollution), all while being uber gentle for sensitive skin.
There’s nothing not to love about this creamy cleanser. With sweet almond oil and avocado alongside stabilised vitamin C, it kicks off your glow-giving skincare routine from the word go whether you use it day or night… or both! The creaminess melts away any and all makeup, sweat and grime and leaves our skin smooth, soft and bright.
Some vitamin C serums can feel so claggy and oily on the skin, but not this. The gel/serum hybrid sinks into skin SO well, and the potency of the vit C (plus the phyto-exosomes) leaves skin glowier in just 7 days.
Brighten Up is like espresso for your under-eyes – bold, energising, and secretly powerful. With 2% caffeine (hello actual coffee!), it reduces puffiness and minimises dark circles. Basically, the antioxidant ingredient is great for faking eight hours of sleep…
Gluta-amino is the star ingredient in this SPF. It combines glutathione, a powerful antioxidant, with amino acids to support the skin's ability to produce glutathione. Together, they protect against environmental aggressors and brighten the complexion by reducing dark spots and evening out skin tone. Soon come: A healthy glow!
This silky serum‑cream hybrid delivers a radiant glow without grease, instantly bounces your skin, and balances oil thanks to purple rice, green tea, zinc‑hyaluronate and squalane. Not to mention its light-as-air texture. You best believe we’re milking it, bb. (Soz.)
If you have skin that you need to bring back from the brink, look no further. This gentle cream calms skin in just 30 mins, so no more irritation from heat, hives or dry patches - and it lasts for 3 hours. Honestly, it’s so good we just wish we could slather it onto the rest of our lives.
If you love the idea of a sheet mask, but CBA to sit around with one on, waiting for it to work its magic, this is a perfect alternative. You can smooth the cooling gel-textured formula on and then rinse off after 10 minutes, or you can apply it as an overnight mask. It’s fragrance-free, calming and hydrating and bonus points that it’s under £15.
Laneige Water Bank Gentle Gel Cleanser
Fragrance‑free, sulfate‑free and free of synthetic colourants, this gel cleanser has been formulated with sensitive skin in mind. Though, don’t get it twisted – although she’s gentle, she packs a punch when it comes to cleaning, hydrating and soothing the skin!
Nvm forking out hundreds of pounds for a bougie spa, because with these cooling gel under-eye patches, you’ve got a treatment at home! Stick them on, relax, and awake looking refreshed and effortlessly rested thanks to the blend of hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and caffeine.
Salicylic acid in this lotion’s formula clears clogged pores while simultaneously, glycerin and niacinamide work to hydrate the skin, keeping it soft, not stripped. It’s the rare exfoliator that treats breakouts and behaves like a moisturiser. Smooth move, Cetaphil.
Got chicken skin? (Aka, keratosis pilaris.) Fear not, for this super-affordable body wash will banish bumps and texture in just a few uses. Smooth limbs, clear skin, and a dreamy scent for less than a Pret lunch? Obsessed.
Imperial Leather Ultimate Moisture Foaming Body Scrub Vanilla and White Orchid
Remember that bar of soap that was always in your grandma’s bathroom? Yep, that same brand has brought out an extremely clever body wash/scrub hybrid and we are here for the revamp (and the time saved faffing in the shower).
Lightweight yet moisturising, this needs to be your next body lotion this season. The best part is that the urea actively strengthens your skin barrier so if the summer sun, sea and sweat have been wreaking havoc on your skin, it helps to repair as it hydrates.
