Happy New Year all! I recently shared my top fashion favorites of 2020 and thought I’d continue on with skincare favorites. I feel like I didn’t do too much experimentation with skincare this year, but I really found out what my skin likes and discovered some products that have become staples in my routine. I hope you enjoy reading about my favorites!
1. Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
This has long been a favorite of mine, but I feel the need to include it again because I used it daily throughout 2020. The Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask is one of the best lip balms, particularly for nighttime use, and I haven’t had chapped or peeling lips once all year thanks to this miracle product. My favorite is the vanilla scent, but I also like sweet candy.
2. Maelove Glow Maker serum
Maelove Skincare’s Glow Maker serum is an incredible vitamin c serum. When I get a bad pimple, it tends to leave behind a mark that can take months to fade. This serum has helped to fade those marks much more quickly as well as leave my skin looking bright and radiant. It’s also been hailed as a dupe for the gold-standard SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic vitamin c serum. I love that one too, but it’s insanely expensive. At under $30, Glow Maker is an amazing deal for such an effective product.
3. Cleansing balm
It’s safe to say 2020 was the year I quit makeup wipes for good. Not only are they wasteful and bad for the environment, but they can be really harsh on your skin too. I’ve been loving cleansing balms to remove all kinds of makeup – they work on a full face, waterproof eye makeup, etc. My favorite is the Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm, but I’ve also tried and loved the Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm and the Drunk Elephant Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser. This is the best type of first-step cleanser in your nighttime routine.
4. CeraVe
After using a cleansing balm to remove my makeup, I’ve been using CeraVe cleansers on and off all year (I still have some other products I’m using just to finish them up). They’re incredible products because of how gentle and effective they are and because of their affordable price. The foaming cleanser is great for bad skin days or oily summertime skin while the hydrating cleanser is great the rest of the time – and it’s a dupe for Fresh and Glossier’s face washes. I also really love CeraVe’s PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion.
5. Rich body lotion
I get dry and itchy skin on my back and legs almost year round, but especially in the winter. I love using a good, rich body lotion like the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration. My favorite thing about this one is that it can also be used on the face, and it really helps the itchiness subside. Other winners in my book are, obviously, the Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream and the Glossier Body Hero Daily Perfecting Cream – both of these have tiny light-reflecting particles to make your body look amazing.
6. Color correcting skincare
This Dr. Jart+ color correcting cream went viral on Tik Tok in 2020, but it’s been around for years. It’s a green-tinted cream (with SPF!) that helps cancel out redness in the skin. I love using this on no makeup days to help even out my skin tone and get rid of any redness from irritation, acne, or other pigmentation. I’d love to try the other products in the Cicapair line as well as the Shiseido WASO color correcting moisturizer that’s supposed to have similar effects.
7. AHA/BHA serum, toners, treatments
One type of product I’ve made a staple in my nightly routine is an AHA or BHA treatment. These types of products help with texture on my skin and help to fade post acne marks. I love Sunday Riley’s Good Genes serum, which contains lactic acid. I really feel like this makes a difference in just one night to help get rid of texture. I also use the Peter Thomas Roth AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel when my skin is congested or breaking out. I also love using peel pads (I find that almost every kind I’ve tried has worked great), and they’re perfect for on the go or even use on the body.
8. Retinol eye products
2020 was the first year I used any kind of retinol product. As someone who spent multiple summers as a lifeguard, I’m definitely going to see the effects in my skin as I’m aging. I also have very sensitive eyes and am squinting constantly whenever the sun is out. I started using the Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask in 2020 and enjoyed it, but my new favorite is the Peace Out Retinol Eye Stick. This literally just came out, but I love it already. It makes application SO easy and makes my eye area feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
9. MakeUp Eraser
The MakeUp Eraser was something I always doubted until I tried it. I received a mini one with a Sephora order and was shocked to find it actually worked, so I bought a full size one. Using just the cloth and some warm water I am able to remove almost all of my makeup with just a few swipes. It feels gentle on the skin, but I like to go in with a cleansing balm afterwards to pick up any excess and really clean off my eye makeup. If you don’t have one, I totally recommend buying one. They are easy to use, easy to wash, and perfect for travel.
10. Pimple patches
I think it’s safe to say 2020 was the year of the pimple patch?! They definitely gained more widespread awareness and use in 2020. I love using pimple patches to help protect and heal a zit overnight (or even under a mask during the day). While they don’t work for all kinds of zits, they do work wonders on most. The CosRX patches, Starface patches, and Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch are my favorite. Bonus – they work great if you’ve picked at an ingrown hair or on oversized pores, too! I’m dying to try regular old hydrocolloid bandages to see if they work as well.
So, did we have any favorites in common? Are you going to try any of these products in 2021? Let me know in the comments!
