The 23 Best Skincare Products of All Time, Tested in Our Labs

Lightweight and mild, Roc’s formula was a heavy hitter for smoothing lines and skin texture in the GH Beauty Lab’s anti-aging day cream test. Digital imaging showed that the cream improved skin’s texture by 11% in four weeks; it also rated highly for diminishing wrinkles and firming. Testers commented on how quickly it absorbed and how smooth their skin felt after use.

Like a refreshing drink for oily, combination or acne-prone skin, No7’s moisturizer hydrates with lipids, glycerin and plant-derived sugars without heaviness or greasiness, thanks to a featherlight gel texture. This GH Seal star formula increased skin’s moisturization for three days post-application and 84% of testers said their skin was glowing after one week of use, according to Lab data.

READ MORE: The Best Moisturizers for Oily Skin

A GH Beauty Award winner, this Clinique classic lives up to its reputation, effectively hydrating skin for hours in GH Beauty Lab assessments, despite its lightweight feel. Calculations with the Lab’s Corneometer device, which measures skin hydration levels, showed that it increased moisture by an impressive 43% over six hours after application. Dramatic, indeed!

READ MORE: The Best Face Moisturizers You Can Buy Right Now

The star (and best value!) of the GH Beauty Lab’s anti-aging day cream test, L’Oréal Paris topped Lab and tester assessments for reducing UV spots, evening skin tone, moisturizing and absorbing fast with a silky finish. The vitamin C and glycolic acid cream received the highest score for minimizing dark spots, by 11% over four weeks, and boosted skin’s hydration by 28%. “It decreased the appearance of my wrinkles and made my skin brighter and more radiant,” one raved. “My skin stayed hydrated throughout the day,” another said.

READ MORE: The Best Dark Spot Correctors You Can Buy

A night moisturizer and skin-smoothing retinol treatment in one, GH Seal star Olay Regenerist Retinol24 was a winner of the GH Beauty Lab’s night cream test thanks to its noticeable brightening, softening, firming and wrinkle-reducing effects. The cream raised skin’s firmness by 27% over four weeks of use, according to the Lab’s Cutometer device, which gauges skin laxity. Every tester agreed it made skin feel softer, and it also ranked best at brightening. “When I woke up each morning, my skin was firmer and smoother,” a tester reported. “I can see that fine lines are less noticeable.”

READ MORE: The Best Night Creams for Every Skin Type, Tested in Our Labs

For high-level sun protection plus proven hydration in one bottle, look no further than Olay’s GH Beauty Award-winning moisturizer with added broad spectrum SPF 30. In Lab measurements with the Corneometer device, this GH Seal star raised skin’s hydration levels by 31%, more than any other SPF 30 we’ve previously tested. “It moisturized my skin and made it feel smooth and healthy,” a tester noted.

READ MORE: The Best Face Moisturizers With Sunscreen for One-Step Sun Protection

Instantly quench dehydrated skin with Aveeno’s GH Beauty Award-winning formula, which melds a water-based gel texture with nourishing, anti-inflammatory colloidal oats. The light moisturizer “melts in with no greasiness or tackiness and cools and calms dry, irritated skin patches on contact,” reports GH Beauty Lab Senior Chemist Sabina Wizemann. “My skin looked better the next day: less red and not rough.”

READ MORE: The Best Moisturizers for Sensitive Skin, According to Skincare Pros

A winner of the GH Beauty Lab’s face serum test, SkinCeuticals’ formula has high levels of vitamin B3 to stimulate cell turnover. The light liquid was the best of the serums tested by the GH Beauty Lab at reducing wrinkles, by 5% after four weeks of use. It earned raves from testers for visible wrinkle softening, brightening and firming. “I could see plumpness in my skin the next day — I was shocked,” a tester said. “Almost immediate results on my fine lines,” another remarked.

READ MORE: The Best Anti-Aging Serums, According to Skin Experts

GH Seal star No7 was the best bargain in the GH Beauty Lab’s face serum test, delivering results on par with or better than pricier options. The peptide, hyaluronic acid and retinol formula earned the best marks for smoothing skin’s texture, plus received strong scores for improving firmness and diminishing pores. Described as “lightweight” by many testers, the serum made skin “look younger” and wrinkles “less visible,” though some reported slight irritation.

READ MORE: The Best Face Serums That Really Work for Every Skin Type

Clarify acne-prone and oily skin with Mary Kay’s top-performing face mask, a GH Seal star and Beauty Award winner. Made with two types of clay, it reduced skin’s oil 89% and shine 84% in 15 minutes, GH Beauty Lab data analysis found. Even though it has intense purifying effects, it doesn’t dehydrate skin, instead leaving it “silky and soft,” a Lab tester reported.

READ MORE: The Best Products You Can Use on Acne-Prone Skin

Lancôme’s luxury, vitamin-packed cream won the “gold” in the GH Beauty Lab’s most recent eye cream test, proving it’s worth the splurge. The formula scored highest for increasing skin moisture levels, by 41% over six hours, in testing with the Lab’s Corneometer machine. It was also near the top for boosting firmness — by 29% over four weeks of use, according to calculations with the Lab’s Cutometer machine. Several testers noted a visible difference: “I received many comments on how great I looked — more than I ever got when using any other product,” one said.

READ MORE: The Best Eye Creams to Erase Dark Circles & Fine Lines

The most affordable winner of the GH Beauty Lab’s most recent face sunscreen test, this matte-finish mineral-and-chemical SPF combo lotion stood out for its mildness and classic “summery” coconut aroma. The fast-absorbing liquid rated well for not irritating, running into eyes or leaving a white cast on skin. “I have extremely sensitive skin, and this didn’t cause irritation,” one reported. “Works much better than anything I’ve used,” a second said.

The lowest-priced winner of the GH Beauty Lab’s anti-aging eye treatment test, Garnier’s cream effectively firmed and moisturized eye area skin. Made with shea butter and caffeine, it increased skin firmness by 32% and hydration by 31%. “It really seemed to diminish my dark circles so that I used much less concealer!” a tester raved. “It also was a great moisturizer and seemed to brighten.”

Number one in the GH Beauty Lab’s test of face scrubs, Acure’s formula clarifies skin with a blend of walnut shell powder and green clay. It earned a perfect score for deep cleansing in a test of full-coverage makeup removal and ranked best among testers for purifying and brightening. “My skin was the softest it’s ever been after using this product,” a tester noted. “My facial skin definitely looked refreshed, smoother and brighter — I felt like a no makeup day was completely okay,” another marveled.

READ MORE: The Best Face Scrubs for Smooth, Glowing Skin

The winner of the GH Beauty Lab’s at-home face peel test from a brand know for its professional spa-level products, this Dermalogica lactic acid formulation rated best with testers for evening skin tone and reducing lines, with 100% confirming that they’d use it again. “My skin immediately felt so smooth and looked even and bright,” a tester marveled. “My skin never felt irritated or dry and the results were instantaneous.”

READ MORE: The Best At-Home Face Peels for Smoother Skin