Top 20 Skincare Favorites of 2020

Over the weekend, I shared a blog post with my beauty favorites from 2020, the best in haircare, body care, fragrance, and makeup. I decided to dedicate a separate blog post to skincare cause if I combined the two, there would be no room for anything but skincare 😅

Similar to the previous post, this is a mix of products that were released last year as well as those that have been out for some time. What they have in common is that I tried them for the first time in 2020!

Products marked with an asterisk were press samples, but all opinions are my own as always.

Summer Fridays Super Amino Gel Cleanser*

$38 via Sephora, Revolve (International), Cult Beauty (International), & Selfridge’s (UK)

Foaming cleansers aren’t my favorite, especially in the winter, but I love this one! It lathers up nicely, no devices needed. And rinses away clean without leaving any sort of film behind. As a bonus, it doesn’t sting or burn my eyes like most cleansers. Plus, the packaging is gorgeous— it comes in a luxurious glass bottle with a pump which feels so fancy. Lastly, it smells like Swedish fish!!

Josie Maran Pure Argan Milk™ Intensive Hydrating Treatment*

$56 via Sephora, Ulta, & Anthropologie

Somewhere between an oil and a serum, this hydrating treatment has been a dry skin savior. It can feel a bit oily on my skin but delivers soooo much moisture. Whenever I have dry patches, I’ll apply some of this serum and my skin is much happier at the end of the day. It also has a pretty straight forward ingredients list so there’s no fragrance or essentials or alcohol, making it a nice option for sensitive skin types. If you hate oils but want something that’s just as moisturizing, check this baby out.

HoliFrog Galilee Antioxidant Dewy Drop Serum*

$52 via Dermstore, Revolve (International), & Beautylish (International)

This is like the lighter, little sister of the previous serum. Not quite as oily, a bit runnier, and absorbs more quickly. It also features a whole ton of soothing ingredients so it’s great at calming down irritated, over-exfoliated, angry skin. I filmed a lil’ 30 second review here!

Shani Darden Retinol Reform Skincare*

$88 via Sephora & Net-A-Porter

When I hear the words “celebrity favorite” I think “hidden ad”, not to be too cynical or anything. But this celebrity favorite delivers!! It’s a gentle blend of 2% encapsulated retinol and lactic acid, and is balanced with hydrators. It provides the plumping benefits of retinol without the dryness or peeling. It’s pricey but you only need 2-3 pumps at a time. I’ve been using my current bottle for almost 4 months!

Glow Recipe Papaya Sorbet Enzyme Cleansing Balm*

$32 via Sephora, Glow Recipe, & Cult Beauty (International)

I am all about the decadent cleansing experience cause sometimes it’s the only thing that motivates me to clean my face and do a skincare routine. This cleansing balms feels amazing, smells amazing, and looks amazing. It has a rich balmy texture that melts into your skin and breaks down all my makeup. It can take a few extra seconds to emulsify but once it does, it rinses away clean. I love that it provides a similar luxurious experience akin to balms double the price.

Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Oil Makeup Remover*

$40 via Sephora & Nordstrom

Previously, my favorite cleansing oil had been Tatcha’s. But this Sulwhasoo one is even better! It has a light, watery texture but still feels luxurious (as mentioned above, the ✨experience ✨is v important to me) because it softens my skin and has a delicious scent. I can’t quite nail the notes of the scent, but if you’ve smelled AmorePacific/Sulwhasoo products you’re probably familiar with it. One thing that blows the competition away is the fact that it emulsifies sooo easily with water! Most fancy cleansing oils require the use of a washcloth, which can be a deterrent to using them when I’m feeling lazy… which can be as frequent as 6 out of 7 days of the week.

107 Dewy Glow Serum Mist*

$58 via 107 Skincare

Is it a serum? Is it a mist? It’s both! After 2 layers of this, I truly feel like I’ve applied a serum to my skin. It reminds me of the effect I get from the Laneige cream skin, except without the milky, oily texture. On nights when I want to do the least, this has been key. I’ll cleanse, spray some of this one, and slap on some moisturizer and oil. It’s enough to keep my skin from drying out overnight! Without it, the same routine will lead me to wake up with itchy cheeks and forehead from dryness.

Hanskin Hyaluron Skin Essence*

$25 via Ulta & Soko Glam

This essence has more of a toner texture (aka it’s viscous.) I’ve been sleeping on this!! Less than $30, with a straight-forward ingredients list free of common irritants, feels plumping, and has a bonus comes in cute packaging! I think it’s one of those products that’ll work for most people. It’s also included in Ulta’s 21 day of beauty sale so you can find it for 50% off this Wednesday!

Versed Sunday Morning Antioxidant Oil-Serum*

$20 via Versed (10% off with code “SHARMTOASTER10”) & Cult Beauty (International)

I just reviewed this one Instagram last week— read the review here! TLD;R super lightweight and hydrating. If I’m comparing it to the Josie Maran serum from earlier this post, I would say it has a more watery texture and lighter in terms of moisturizing power. I’ve been using it in place of oils in my morning routine sometimes. Or if my skin is extra dry, I’ll layer it before a heavier oil so I’m not applying 2 layers of heavy oil.

Allies of Skin 1A™ Retinal + Peptides Overnight Mask*

$109 via Allies of Skin, Dermstore, & Beautylish (International)

My wallet weeps over the fact that I’ve fallen head over heels in love with this Allies of Skin retinal. On the bright side, the brand has pretty good sales on their own site as does Dermstore. For me, it is worth the splurge because it delivers results and I’ve yet to find or try anything similar. Over the summer, this works as the perfect one step skincare routine. I noticed my acne scars fading more quickly and my smile lines were less apparent when I used this 3x a week consistently.

Deviant Skincare Gentle Resurfacing Liquid*

$48 via Deviant Skincare (International)

I have a review of this in my drafts soo I won’t get into too much detail here. Basically, it’s my second favorite exfoliating toner after Biologique Recherche’s P50V (reviewed back in 2019 here!) I find it a bit stronger than P50V so I can’t use it as often. It keeps my acne at bay, helps control sebum on my nose, and fades old scarring.

Avène Cleanance Concentrate Blemish Control Serum*

$28 via Dermstore & Avene

I can’t believe I haven’t posted about this serum before cause it truly is a hidden gem. Have you ever felt the impending doom of an upcoming pimple right at the surface of your skin? But asides from helplessly picking at your face, there’s not much you can do it make it stop? This serum is the answer! It uses their proprietary “COMEDOCLASTIN” which is derived from milk thistle, and works to stop microcomedones from developing into larger pimples. As long as I apply this early enough, 2x a day as a spot treatment, I notice my pimples receding away rather than rupturing at the surface. It does have an alcohol base so it’s a bit drying, but the results have been worth dealing with this one side effect.

KEEP COOL Soothe Bamboo Sun Essence*

$25 via Amazon & Jolse (Both International)

After the whole Purito scandal, my trust in lightweight sunscreens has wavered a little— but from all research I’ve done (aka stalked reddit and Instagram), this Keep Cool sunscreen is safe! It’s incredibly lightweight, hydrating, leaves no white cast, and absorbs quickly. There’s no chalky, sunscreen feel to it all. Plus, it turns invisible pretty quickly as you start to blend it in. If you hate wearing sunscreen, give this one a go!

Augustinus Bader The Cream Cleansing Gel

$65 via Net-A-Porter & Cult Beauty (International)

This was purchased on whim as a birthday present from me to me… but I ended up loving it. It’s a creamy texture but still lathers up a little bit. I don’t think I’ve ever tried a cream cleanser that lathers up but isn’t stripping. It is quite pricey but I saved about 30% off by purchasing from Cult Beauty.

Vichy LiftActiv Specialist Peptide-C Anti-Aging Ampoules*

$30 via Dermstore, Target, Ulta, & Vichy

My biggest issue with LAA serums is that they prematurely oxidize. Because these are packaged in little glass vials, I don’t have to worry about them going bad too soon. I’m able to get 2-3 uses out of each one. It delivers results and has a nice, light watery texture that absorbs readily.

Allies of Skin Molecular Silk Amino Hydrating Cleanser*

$38 via Dermstore, Allies of Skin, & Cult Beauty

You absolutely don’t need to splurge on a cleanser, but if you do, this is the one to do it on. It works as a second cleanser, morning cleanser, and first cleanser if you’re wearing lightweight makeup + no foundation. It has a unique gel texture that doesn’t foam up but still does a good job at cleansing. Plus, it’s low pH!

Vichy Aqualia Thermal UV Defense Moisturizer Sunscreen SPF 30*

$31 via Ulta, Target, & Dermstore

A non-Asian sunscreen featured in a favorites post?! I think this is a first! This doesn’t feel like sunscreen, which is 70% off the problem with most American sunscreens. Plus, it doesn’t leave a white cast and wears easily under makeup (read, no pilling.) It’s moisturizing while also providing enough SPF protection for sitting at my computer inside the house all day long. On lazy days, this doubles as face cream.

Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm

$10 via Sephora & Cult Beauty (International)

Affordable, effective, and in easy to use packaging— what more could I ask for? It’s one of the few cleansers that I can use to breakdown eye makeup as it doesn’t irritate my eyes, even when I vigorously rub it in. I also like that it can double as a mask, in the shower or in the mornings! I’ll apply, go about my business (🚽) and then wash it off. My skin feels softer afterwards and ready for the rest of my skincare routine.

Laneige Cica Sleeping Mask*

$34 via Sephora, Laneige, & Jolse (International)

I wasn’t very good at keeping up with seasonal favorites last year, but I did manage to do one. Read my review of this mask in my winter favorites post from a year ago.

The Ordinary Salicylic Acid Masque

$12 via Ulta, Sephora, & Deciem (International)

If I had to pick an affordable mask to recommend for when you’re breaking out— it would be this one. The tube packaging means you don’t have to worry about it prematurely drying out, plus it’s only 1 oz. There’s no frills and thrills with this mask, but it delivers results and is wallet friendly, so I’m pretty okay with that. It’s also pretty gentle so can be used as a wash-off spot treatment several times a week without irritation. I don’t keep it on for too long cause it can be drying. But even applying this for 10 minutes at night can lead to a smaller, less angry zit the next morning.