Some spectacular skin-care products have launched recently, and now’s the time to integrate them into your routine. After all, spring is the season of renewal for lifestyle habits (cleaning and detoxifying) and for nature (healthy growth), so why not apply those same concepts to your skin? As temperatures start to climb, peel off some layers with a chemical exfoliant. Combat the effects of daylight saving time with a product that supports your skin’s circadian rhythm. Stave off environmental damage—now that you’re spending more time outside—with some antioxidants. No matter how you want to shake up your routine, these hardworking formulas we’ve curated are scientifically proven to revitalize your skin.
Nocturnal Skincare Polar Night Renewal Serum ($92)
While you’re sleeping, your entire body is hard at work repairing damage—and during this time, your skin is more receptive to topical ingredients as blood flow levels increase. This formula from new brand Nocturnal Skincare was crafted specifically to make the most of your beauty sleep with a blend of peptides that stimulate new collagen and elastin production as well as skin-brightening and -balancing niacinamide. It also contains a unique lipid derived from oats growing just below the Arctic Circle. Harvested in one of the harshest years on record (extremely icy winter and oppressively hot summer), these resilient oats lend their strength to the skin, to help it better receive the other actives in the formula while keeping it nourished. (They also provide a very subtle and pleasant scent.) The serum absorbs incredibly fast, leaving no residue but making the skin feel so moisturized and soft that you might be tempted to skip night cream. You’ll love the beautiful bottle, which never has to be disposed of—it’s easily refilled with a recyclable insert.
SickScience ShapeShift V-Line Defining Serum ($58)
Everyone’s talking about exosomes these days, but only a few brands have been able to harness their regenerative properties in an at-home topical product—and SickScience is the only one that has done so at such an affordable price. Developed by founders Polen Koçak-Denizci, PhD, and Merve Yildirim-Canpolat, PhD (a molecular scientist and a biogenomic scientist, respectively), this formula uses pineapple-derived exosomes and the women’s proprietary technology to target and break down lipid droplets along the jawline. And as if that weren’t enough, the serum features potent firming peptides to comprehensively sculpt and tighten the lower face over the course of eight weeks for a more defined look.
SkinBetter Science Trio Luxe Moisture Treatment ($175)
Sometimes your skin just craves a thick, rich moisturizer; this indulgent new formula from SkinBetter Science will leave dry and distressed skin feeling like it’s been wrapped in a soothing cocoon of nourishment. It works by supporting three intrinsic components of the skin—barrier function, hyaluronic acid levels, and natural moisturizing factors—responsible for lasting moisture. Formulated with ingredients like urea, lipids, fatty acids, and niacinamide, the cream renews and rebalances skin to leave it more comfortable while reducing redness and improving texture. The result: healthy, luminous, and more even-looking skin.
SkinCeuticals Cell Cycle Catalyst ($115)
In some cases, integrating a new exfoliator into your skin-care routine can be a challenge, particularly if you have sensitive skin or have a retinoid on rotation. This gentle, fast-absorbing serum from SkinCeuticals can be seamlessly added into any daily regimen to stimulate cellular turnover, promoting light peeling without leaving skin dehydrated. That’s due to the blend of alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acids, which is supported by taurine, an amino acid that optimizes skin barrier function. Bonus: unlike many chemical exfoliants, it can be used safely in the A.M.
Kate Somerville KateCeuticals SuperCell Rejuvenation Peptide Serum ($95)
Why use an ordinary face roller when you can use one that has a skin-repairing serum built in? This formula from Kate Somerville is loaded with a staggering amount of peptides—one of the most powerful classes of active ingredients—to support the reparative processes of skin proteins. Though it’s effective at firming, soothing, and smoothing skin on its own, this serum is best used after intensive aesthetic procedures like Morpheus8, when it’s better able to penetrate the skin via tiny channels created by the microneedles. And, of course, the massaging head just reinforces the formula’s sculpting benefits.
UBeauty The SUPER Intensive Face Oil ($188)
This velvety face oil absorbs quickly to deliver a gorgeous glow as well as deep, lasting moisture, courtesy of avocado oil, squalane, hyaluronic acid, and astaxanthin. Astaxanthin is a carotenoid, a type of antioxidant that can help repair and protect against skin damage as well as improve moisture retention. It’s also responsible for this product’s pretty orange hue—carotenoids are what gives cuts of salmon (and flamingo feathers!) their color.
Deinde Moisture-Locking Face Stick ($36)
Though moisturizer in a stick format may give you pause, don’t let it: this formula from Deinde is not stiff, sticky, or greasy and delivers nourishing (yet surprisingly lightweight) hydration. In addition to skin-loving lipids like ceramides and squalane, the balm features flavanone naringenin, which offers anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and regenerative properties in addition to helping skin retain moisture, all with a few swipes. We like stashing it in our bag for a quick dose of nourishment; it doubles as a cuticle or lip treatment in a pinch.
SkinFix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream ($54)
While you might be familiar with this product, allow us to reintroduce you to it—it’s gotten a bit of a makeover, as SkinFix reformulated it to include a patented complex designed to support the skin barrier. It combines lipids, peptides, and vitamins that are biomimetic, helping the skin to recognize them and absorb them deeply for accelerated repair (a clinical study shows that the cream strengthens the skin barrier in just 30 minutes). Because the moisture barrier plays such a big role in skin health, you’ll see that this formula leaves skin not only more nourished but firmer, smoother, softer, and more radiant. We also love that it comes in three sizes—standard, mini, and jumbo—and can be refilled.
RMS Beauty Kakadu Luxe Cream ($55)
The star ingredient of this silky cream from clean brand RMS Beauty is kakadu plum seed oil. Native to Australia, this botanical is one of the most potent and stable forms of the antioxidant powerhouse vitamin C. It’s paired here with niacinamide, shea, and plant-derived peptides (pea and quinoa seed extracts) to plump, smooth, and hydrate skin, leaving it luminous and soft.
Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift Instant Firming Retinol Alternative Serum ($84)
If retinol just isn’t for you, you’re not alone. The ingredient is notoriously irritating and can’t be used safely by pregnant or breastfeeding women. But plant-based alternatives exist, including this newly reformulated treatment from Caudalie. It uses a patented blend of the antioxidant resveratrol, hydrating hyaluronic acid, and a vegan form of collagen I (which is found most prevalently in the dermis, the deepest layer of skin tissue) to help firm the skin. In fact, studies show this serum is three times as effective as retinol. Not only is it safe for sensitive skin as well as women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, but the product’s packaging is fully recyclable.
M-61 PowerGlow Peel Body ($56 for 10 treatments)
We’ve long been fans of M-61’s PowerGlow Peel—the OG face formula is seriously effective and can be used anywhere, even from bed when you’re feeling ultra-lazy—and are thrilled by this new iteration for your skin from the neck down. Like the original, the formula features glycolic and salicylic acids to smooth, brighten, and clarify skin plus vitamin K to help improve dry and red patches. However, this one also includes caffeine to help tighten skin and temporarily improve the appearance of cellulite. It’s all delivered via a saturated pad that’s easy to swipe across your body post-shower.
