Best Skincare Brands: Summary
Best Overall
BEST Carrot & Stick
The Full Lust
Best Skincare Brands
Best Overall
BEST Carrot & Stick
Whether you’re already a fan of natural skincare or simply want to try it, one of the newest naturally derived skincare brands is Carrot & Stick. The collection offers the best of both worlds, meaning it combines plant-based ingredients with cutting-edge science to formulate skincare products that are effective and gentle to the environment.
Carrot & Stick takes a tough-love approach to skincare, perfectly balancing the gentle nurturing of plants with the powerful results of innovative science. The result? Straightforward, effective skincare that delivers radiant-looking skin that is good for you and good for the environment. The collection covers all the essential skincare needs with a moisturizer, serum, face wash, brightening pads, and targeted serums to address various skincare concerns.
Formulyst
Formulyst’s philosophy is to create the right products that will help treat skin issues rather than cover them up. The brand believes in long-term solutions and prevention rather than quick fixes. The formulas made in the USA are created with a potent mix of active ingredients. The focus is on gold-standard ingredients that really work, such as retinol, rather than creating products that just feel good and smell good.
The team behind Formulyst comes from the dermatology world, so they know what works and what doesn’t — and that different skin types don’t always react in the same way to the same product. Formulyst incorporates plenty of vitamins and antioxidants in its formulas, such as Vitamin B, C, E, and powerhouse ingredients such as retinol, the gold standard for tackling fine lines and discolorations. Other components include gentle but effective AHAs (alpha-hydroxy acids), which slough off dead skin cells, and rosehip seed oil, a supercharged moisturizer.
The Full List
SkinCeuticals
SkinCeuticals is a brand that offers clinical skincare products that are backed by science. The story behind this brand started long before the company’s founding in 1997, thanks to the pivotal research performed by Dr. Sheldon Pinnell, the leading scientist behind SkinCeuticals. Fun fact: In 1992, Dr. Pinnell filed the very first vitamin C patent. This discovery paved the way for an entirely new skincare category: topical vitamin C.
Dr. Pinnell has been called the “founding father of topical antioxidants,” so they are the key ingredients used in SkinCeuticals products. The brand’s most popular product is C E Ferulic, a potent antioxidant serum. This product, along with the other SkinCeuticals vitamin C formulations, may also correct existing signs of aging since vitamin C promotes new collagen synthesis.
Skinbetter Science
Founded in 2016, Skin Better Science believes remarkable results can be achieved simply through purposeful product innovation. The brand’s products are formulated to prevent and correct signs of aging, such as lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, uneven skin tone, and more. Here at The Derm Review, we love brands that formulate their products based on science, so it’s no surprise that our team enjoyed reviewing the Skinbetter Science products.
Overall, we think that Skinbetter Science products are formulated well with a combination of evidence-based and proprietary ingredients such as AHAs, retinol, hyaluronic acid. Bonus points for being paraben-, fragrance- and dye-free, as well as cruelty-free.
GlyMed Plus
GlyMed Plus was founded in 1991 by Christine Heathman, a Licensed Master Esthetician, Certified Medical Esthetician and Licensed Massage Therapist. GlyMed Plus is a pioneer and industry leader in the field of pharmaceutical skincare products. GlyMed Plus products follow a four-step system to fight the effects of aging, acne, sun damage, pigmentation, rosacea, and other skin conditions. The four steps are cleansing, treating, balancing, and protecting.
GlyMed Plus offers more than 100 products, divided into five sub-lines: Age Management, Master Aesthetics Elite, Cell Science, Serious Action, and For Men. Key ingredients used in the GlyMed Plus products are Advanced Drone Technology and fulvic acid. Advanced Drone Technology is a delivery system using encapsulated peptides to treat targeted skin cells directly. It is said to reverse, repair, and prevent future damage at the cellular level.
NeoStrata
NeoStrata is a skincare brand that offers dermatologist-grade anti-aging skincare products. NeoStrata translates to “new layers,” which describes the brand’s skincare philosophy: visible results come from renewing layers of the skin. This philosophy began in 1974 when NeoStrata’s founders discovered the profound benefits of alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) on the skin.
Over the years, NeoStrata developed several innovative ingredients that are now patented, for example, bionic polyhydroxy acids, Neoglucosamine, and Aminofil. Today, Neostrata skincare products are sold by doctors in 85 countries, and the brand has more than 100 publications and patents.
Tata Harper
Tata Harper founded her eponymous skincare brand in 2010 when the “farm to face” concept was still new. Today the Tata Harper brand is one of the best-known natural skincare brands with fans including Gwyneth Paltrow and Emma Watson. Harper herself is one of many females leading a beauty company, including Charlotte Tilbury, Glossier’s Emily Weiss, and Jamie Kern Lima of IT Cosmetics.
Tata Harper makes natural skincare products made in small batches in Vermont led by an all-female lab. Ingredients not grown in Vermont are sourced from around the world. Tata Harper products use 43 “high performance” ingredients. The company states that “We pack the most ingredients at the highest levels of concentration to deliver maximum results—without a single drop of artificial chemicals.” Each product has its batch number etched on the bottle so that customers can track how (and when) their item was made. Tata Harper products are free from GMOs, toxins, fillers, artificial fragrances, artificial colors, and synthetic chemicals.
ZO Skin Health
If you haven’t heard of ZO Skin Health, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of its founder, world-renowned dermatologist Dr. Zein Obagi. Dr. Obagi is also the creator of his namesake line of products — Obagi skincare. He left that brand in 2006 and launched a new skincare company in 2007 called ZO Skin Health.
ZO Skin Health believes the only way to achieve skin health is through the power of science. We share this belief here at The Derm Review, which is why it’s on our list of the best skincare brands. Each ZO Skin Health product contains different critical ingredients in different concentrations. The brand combines evidence-based ingredients, such as vitamins C and E, retinol, glycerin, salicylic acid, and glycolic acid, with proprietary blends like ZPRO, ZCORE complex, and more.
Dermalogica
Dermalogica is a brand that has been formulating professional-grade skincare since 1986. Products include everything you need to create a complete routine, including cleansers, exfoliants, moisturizers, masques, toners, facial oils, serums, targeted treatments, eye treatments, body care, and more.
Dermalogica is focused on skin health rather than “beauty.” The company takes a no-nonsense approach to its products and packaging. Products have always been formulated without common irritants and ingredients that could cause breakouts, including lanolin, SD alcohol, mineral oil, and artificial colors. The packaging is simple and understated and looks practical rather than luxurious.
Tula Skincare
While dermatologists create many skincare brands, the story behind Tula is a little different. The brand’s founder — Dr. Roshini Raj — is actually a board-certified gastroenterologist. Through her medical career, Dr. Raj found that probiotics could benefit the skin like they benefit the digestive system. And that’s why you’ll find probiotics as the key ingredients in all Tula skincare products.
The probiotics used in Tula skincare products are clinically proven to help promote the look of skin’s natural balance, locking in moisture to leave your complexion more hydrated and reducing the appearance of inflammation. Tula also uses several superfoods in their skincare products, such as blueberries, turmeric, and white tea. All products are 100% free from phthalates, parabens, propylene glycol, petrolatum, gluten, and mineral oil.
Estée Lauder
Estée Lauder, the company, was officially launched in 1946. Lauder promoted her products by pounding the pavement and introducing them to women at beauty salons, where she gave out free samples of her products. Lauder also pioneered the “Gift With Purchase” concept, which is now considered a mainstay.
Today the Estée Lauder brand sells a wide variety of products, including makeup, creams, skincare, serums, and fragrance. Advanced Night Repair is arguably Estée Lauder’s most famous product. Officially called Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II, this product is thought to be the industry’s first serum and is designed to help reduce the signs of aging.
Tatcha Skincare
Tatcha is a Japanese beauty brand that offers a simplified approach to skincare. They combine natural ingredients with Japanese traditions and the latest technology to create luxurious skincare products. The foundation of the Tatcha skincare line is Hadasei-3, the brand’s proprietary blend of three anti-aging superfoods — Okinawa red algae, Uji green tea, and Japanese rice bran.
Tatcha’s first product was the Original Aburatorigami Japanese Beauty Papers, the same blotting papers used by geisha. This was followed by developing cleansers, moisturizers, serums, masks, essences, and more.
Sulwhasoo
Sulwhasoo is a brand of luxury skincare products with roots in Korean herbal medicine and a long tradition of Eastern holistic philosophy. The name Sulwhasoo comes from a combination of two words, sulwha meaning ‘blooming like a beautiful snow blossom on the skin’ and soo meaning ‘exceptionally beautiful.’
Sulwhasoo was founded by Suh Sung-whan, who grew up in Kaesong, a city renowned for the exceptional quality of its ginseng, Korea’s signature plant. Understanding the efficacies of ginseng, Suh introduced ABC Ginseng Cream in 1966, which began the Sulwhasoo legacy.
Today, this brand is known for the best seller Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum. And when we say bestseller, we aren’t exaggerating; one bottle of Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum is sold every 10 seconds in Korea, and since its launch in 1997, more than 35 million bottles have been sold worldwide!e wash, brightening pads, and targeted serums to address various skincare concerns.
Drunk Elephant
Cruelty-free brand Drunk Elephant has several top-rated products. With its clean formulations and Instagram-worthy packaging, Drunk Elephant is beloved by shoppers, influencers, and beauty editors. The brand has received plenty of editorial coverage in publications such as Allure, New Beauty, Vogue, and Refinery29 and has scooped up plenty of industry awards as well.
Drunk Elephant combines tried-and-true skincare ingredients (i.e., vitamin C, retinol, and peptides) with unique extracts (i.e., marula oil, mongongo oil, and more) to create products that truly stand out from the crowd. Plus, the brand leaves out harmful ingredients — aka the “Suspicious 6” — that they believe are at the root of almost every skin issue.
La Roche Posay
Did you know that one of the key ingredients used inside La Roche Posay skincare dates back to the 14th century? We’re talking about La Roche Posay Thermal Spring Water, unique selenium-rich water at the heart of the brand. Fast forward to 1975, and the La Roche Posay Laboratoire Dermatologique was created with its mission being to use this special thermal water to develop skincare products that would provide dermatologists with effective skincare solutions for their patients, especially those with sensitive skin.
La Roche Posay is a dermatological skincare brand that formulates products with high efficacy and safety standards to address skin needs, even sensitive skin. Recommended by tens of thousands of dermatologists across the globe, La Roche Posay has become known for delivering highly effective skincare solutions that target various skin concerns, from acne to aging and more. The brand is committed to making dermatological skincare accessible to those who need it. It offers consumers products for each step of their skincare routine, making it one of the best drugstore skincare brands.
Best Skincare Brands: The Bottom Line
Our top picks are Carrot & `Stick & Formulyst.
