As beauty editors, we test a lot of products (I know, dream job) — and for many of us, skin-care is the category that holds the most hope. We want every claim to be true; we want to find the one hero product that actually gives us a clear, bright, soft, plump, line-free complexion. Most creams, serums, and sunscreens get the job done pretty well, a handful makes us break out or turn red, and then there are the ones that change our lives and make us believe in miracles.
When we find The One, we stockpile it under our sinks. We squeeze the tube until every last drop is out, then we cut it open so we can scrape the inside. We make sure it's in our carry-ons, because we can't risk losing it to the TSA.
Ahead, nine members of our beauty team share the single skin-care product that completely transformed each of their skin. Because who says you can't pick favorites in the game of beauty?
Cat Quinn, Beauty Director
"I have tried just about every acne product on the planet, and they all leave my skin red, raw, and flaky. Not this. The lightweight cream feels like nothing at all, and I always wake up to fewer zits and whiteheads and overall more even texture. But the weird reason I really love it? It's scentless, peach-colored, and oddly blurring and illuminating — almost like a sheer BB cream. Not at all what you'd expect from a night acne product, and so, so, much better than rocking dots of zit cream in the bedroom."
Avène TriAcnéal Night Smoothing Lotion, $60, available at Avène.
Megan McIntyre, Beauty Features Director
"For the past year-and-a-half, I've been dealing with the worst acne of my adult life. I tested out everything to no avail — but then I tried this sheet mask, and everything changed. No, it didn't cure my acne (I wish), but what it did do was make the breakouts look mildly better, and the cystic bumps as manageable as cystic bumps can be. The mask also comes in other formulas, and now that I'm on Accutane and starting to see my pimples clear up, I've switched over to the hydrating mask. My complexion has truly never looked better."
Talika Bio Enzymes Purifying Mask, $12, available at Beauty.com.
Alix Tunell, Senior Beauty Editor
"I'm disgusting for saying a nearly $900 cream changed my skin, but it's freaking fountain-of-youth, unicorn-tears magic. (As it should be with that price tag.) It completely changed the texture of my skin overnight — and that's not an exaggeration. When I was blessed enough to have it in my medicine cabinet, I used as little as possible to extend the life of it, and it always erased redness, removed dark spots, and cleared up acne in a day. For a few months, I had the softest, brightest, most perfect baby angel skin in the world. Now I'm back to the regular ol' skin of a mere mortal. Fingers crossed I win the Powerball soon, so I can fill my mansion with a lifetime supply."
3Lab Super Cream, $875, available at Barneys New York.
Lexy Lebsack, West Coast Beauty Editor
"Despite all the crazy-expensive products I'm lucky enough to try, one of my most prized is this eye gel from French drugstore brand La Roche-Posay. My eyes get puffy at the drop of a hat — salty food, lack of sleep, even a single tear will do it. (Not kidding.) But this gel, applied morning and night, keeps them in check and doesn't clog my pores the way a rich cream would. I was in Europe this summer and brought back three tubes, but you can score it at Target, too!"
La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intense Eyes Rehydrating Moisturizer, $34.49, available at Target.
Maria Del Russo, Beauty Editor
"I've found that the fewer steps I have in my skin-care regimen, the more likely I am to get through it. That's why I dig a multipurpose product — and Luna is the best of that bunch. It's a retinol-meets-moisturizing oil, which means I press it on as the last step of my regimen and fall asleep. The retinol helps clear my spots, while the blue tansy and chamomile work to combat the redness my overly reactive skin tends to show when using a product with active ingredients. Whenever someone asks what my skin-care secret is, I always tell them about this little blue bottle."
Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil, $105, available at Sephora.
Taylor Bryant, Beauty News Editor
"While some skin-care products come and go, the one product that remains a staple in my bathroom cabinet is Korean brand Missha's First Treatment Essence. Without it, I'm lost — with very dry skin. I'm convinced it's the reason my breakouts have decreased while my skin has become more even-toned. It contains 80% fermented yeast, which helps to moisturize, firm, and balance."
Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence, $49, available at Soko Glam!.
Mi-Anne Chan, Beauty Writer
"For years, I thought that a toner was a completely unnecessary skin-care step. Then I discovered Pixi's Glow Tonic. This alcohol-free toner is formulated with glycolic acid to chemically exfoliate your skin, but
it's also gentle enough to use every day, thanks to the soothing ginseng and aloe vera. When I'm using it consistently, I notice my skin is smoother and I have fewer breakouts. I've been using it almost exclusively for over a year now, and although I'll switch up my toner every now and then, I always go back to this one."
Pixi Glow Tonic, $15, available at Target.
Samantha Sasso, Beauty Editorial Assistant
"Studying abroad meant that I spent a lot of time in dry plane cabins. My skin took a major hit because of this, but once I started using this moisturizer, things completely turned around. After just a week of using it morning and night — and sometimes, even in the middle of the day — I had supple and healthy skin again. I still go back to this whenever I get a flare-up."
Biotherm Aquasource Dry Skin, $41, available at Biotherm.
Megan Decker, Beauty Intern
"This is the only thing that I put on my face every single morning without fail — seriously, I can't go anywhere without it. It's super-lightweight, and the hydrating formula works wonders on my dry skin, keeping my complexion smooth all day long."
Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief, $39, available at Sephora.
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