Best Skincare Products April 2019
17 Must-Have Skincare Products Dropping This Month
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What was the last thing you googled? For me, it was "Why is death so intriguing?" but, uh, that's a story for another time. For you, maybe it was "best new moisturizer," or "What face mask should I use this Spring?" Sound about right? Well, good news! We have the answer for you. (Oh, and congrats on not being a sociopath.)
From volcanic ash-infused skin treats to supercharged serums, the best April skincare launches are everything you could ever need this rainy season and more. To help you sift through the options, we've asked our beauty editors to share the formulas we've been dying over this month. (Too soon?)
Innisfree Pore Clearing Clay Mask With Super Volcanic Clusters
"My idea of romance is sitting in bed, after four too many glasses of wine, and begging the person sitting next to you to do face masks. As was the case with the brilliant Innisfree Pore Clearing Clay Mask With Super Volcanic Clusters ($15): we slathered it on, waited the allotted 30 minutes, and then took nearly that amount of time rinsing it off. It's loaded with volcanic ash, which sops up oil and dislodges any gunk from pores. Sexy. It also has the faintest eucalyptus scent, which left our skin — as she described it — 'with a fresh tingly feeling.' I think I'm in l-o-v-e." — Kelsey Castañon, senior beauty editor
Volition Beauty Strawberry-C Brightening Serum
"If you live on Instagram, you've probably seen a vintage, black-and-white video in which a woman gets a strawberry facial. The fruit is sliced and placed delicately on her skin; she is adorned like a shortcake. It's mesmerizing, but also beneficial: strawberries are rich in vitamin C. Volition Strawberry-C Serum ($42) offers an alternative to all the orange, citrus-focused vitamin C products currently being touted. The power of vitamin C can sometimes be too much for sensitive skin, but this lightweight serum gently absorbs, offering smaller-looking pores, a glowing complexion and plumper skin (thanks to hyaluronic acid). And it seems plenty of people want in on the strawberry action — the serum sold out 10 days after launching on Sephora.com, so you may have to wait to get your fix." — Kirbie Johnson, host and senior reporter
Glossier Mango Balm Dotcom
"I've already adored the other Glossier Balm Dotcoms in every flavor, but the Mango ($12) flavor has truly saved me in more ways than one this week. Not only is it reminding me that warmer weather will soon be here with its tropical taste, but it has also come in handy in moisturizing my lips and nostrils during a nasty cold. If it weren't for this tube of salve, my skin and lips would be raw and flaky, instead of smooth and hydrated." — Sarah Siegel, assistant beauty editor
Honor MD Genetically Blessed Super Antioxidant Serum
"I really love a serum I can feel working. Give me a tingle or even a slight burn, and I'm happy to know my stratum corneum is being exfoliated into oblivion. The Honor MD Genetically Blessed Super Antioxidant Serum ($185) delivers that satisfying feeling thanks to lactic acid, and it also contains intriguing botanicals like cat's claw bark and moringa. It was developed by a plastic surgeon and his wife who were looking for a natural alternative to retinol, and this formula is exactly that: It's a clean formula with serious actives (hence the tingling) that made my skin look glowier after using it for just a week." — Dawn Davis, senior editorial director
Indeed Labs Bakuchiol Reface Pads
"I've been loving the new Indeed Labs Bakuchiol Reface Pads ($20) as a more gentle alternative to retinol while my skin is going through some changes. I don't get any sensitivity when using these and they're super easy to swipe across my face." — Tori Crowther, assistant beauty editor, UK
Fountain of Truth Skin Nutrition Booster Kit
"When I first saw this shelfie-worthy Fountain of Truth Skin Nutrition Booster Kit ($76) I immediately couldn't get over how cute (hello, rose gold packaging) and travel-friendly it was. The booster kit allows me to customize my skincare routine based on my needs for that particular day and apply one — or all three — for a little TLC. It contains a brightening vitamin C serum, a moisturizing sodium hyaluronate serum, and a calming zinc serum. Fountain of Truth only makes clean beauty products with biodegradable ingredients, which is also pretty great." — Jessica Harrington, assistant beauty editor, Makeup.com
Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Sol Oil SPF 30
"I'm completely enamored by this Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Sol Oil SPF 30 ($38), which launched this past month because it makes sunscreen actually fun to apply and wear. It's a shimmering, thick (but not greasy) formula that leaves behind the softest sparkle, perfect for any festival or beach beauty routine. Not to mention, it has a totally addicting coconut scent that's genius because it will make you want to reapply and reapply over and over again, like you should any sunscreen or SPF product." — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, assistant beauty editor, Makeup.com
Origins Plantscription Retinol Night Moisturizer With Alpine Flower
"There are three things I look for in a PM moisturizer: it has to smell good — but not too overstimulating, like a department store at Macy's might be — it should be loaded with good-for-you antioxidants, and it has to be hydrating . . . but not so much that it shows up on your pillowcase the next morning. Introducing: Origins Plantscription Retinol Night Moisturizer With Alpine Flower ($64), which is everything you'd ever want, and then some." — KC
Skinbetter Science Trio Rebalancing Moisture Treatment
"As soon as I hear something is only available at dermatologists' offices, I immediately have to try it. It's something about the exclusivity and the fact that I know there's going to be some top-notch science behind it that gets me every time. And rarely do these products fail me. Case in point: this supercharged Skinbetter Science Rebalancing Moisture Treatment ($135) that's seriously saving my skin from the desert-like conditions in my apartment right now. The consistency is surprisingly light and gel-like for a cream that's so deeply moisturizing. Plus, it does much more than hydrate — like fight fine lines — so I don't feel badly about skipping serum if I'm in a rush. And when I do want to apply 12 products, it layers beautifully over everything else. The irony, of course, is that it's so good it's keeping me out of the derm's office." — DD
Innisfree Nourishing Ampoule Toner With Ginger Honey
"Testing out the Innisfree Nourishing Ampoule Toner With Ginger Honey ($22) as full of happy accidents: First, as I was taking the bottle out of its packaging, I accidentally flung it across the room. Thankfully, the resilient bottle looked completely unharmed when I went to go pick it up. Then, when I went to dispense a few drops of the toner onto my hand, I ended up pouring out way more than what I needed.
I began swiping the floral scented liquid onto my forehead and all the way down my neck and shoulders. I tapped it into my skin for faster absorption, and immediately felt it soften, smooth, and plump up with moisture. Even the upper part of my cheeks — where I have two dry patches that are healing from this winter's harsh cold weather — felt moisturized and calm." — Jesa Calaor, assistant beauty editor
One Ocean Ultra Marine Cellulite Night Cream
"I've been extremely impressed with One Ocean Beauty. Created by beauty-industry veteran Marcella Cacci, she left her cushy job to create a brand that actually gives back; One Ocean was founded on the ideal that we should be taking care of our oceans. This is why a $250,000 donation to Oceana was baked into the operating expenses for the brand from the jump. As someone who gets many pitches about brands giving back, it's rare and impressive for a brand — especially a new one — to commit that type of a money upfront to a cause.
That said, I've also been impressed with the products, too. I think when you hit 30 you start becoming obsessed with skin care for other parts of your body, not just your face. You've spent years devoted to making your mug look amazing, but then you start to realize your body needs some TLC too. I'm now a person who regularly slathers on lotion morning and evening, and these days I'm using One Ocean Bioactive Body Sculpting Cream ($114) and Ultra Marine Cellulite Night Cream ($125). Pick your jaw off the floor — yes, these are beauty investments. And typically I'm very anti-anything being touted as a sculpting or cellulite cream, but the ingredients in these two products plus the way they make my skin feel make me feel confident in recommending them. They're both emollient but dry down beautifully and are made with ingredients from the ocean (without disturbing it). Of course, working out and eating healthy helps with these types of products, but the tone of my skin has improved in the weeks since I started using them. The clinicals for both products are impressive as well." — KJ
Patchology moodpatch Down Time Eye Gels
"Coming soon to the Patchology family are its spring launches: a trio of Moodpatch Down Time Eye Gels ($12) that will wake you up, cool you down and keep your under eyes puff free with rose aromatherapy. My favorite of the bunch certainly has to be the Down Time gels, which are infused with calendula, lavender, and evening primrose. Since the Spring time is when my allergies like to creep out at full force, these patches work miracles to calm down and smooth out any inflammation underneath my eyes and leave me feeling refreshed, cooled and serene." – AK
Eighteen B Revitalizing Hyrdogel Moisturizer
"Engineers, clinical testing, and an ingredient that hasn't been over-exposed in the beauty community? That's my personal kryptonite, and Eighteen B has it all. Launched in early March, the brand is based on their hallmark ingredient, b-silk protein, and was created by Lindsay Wray, who has her PhD is biomedical engineering. (What a boss.) Wray saw how silk works in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, and decided to show how powerful of an ingredient it could be in skin care. This protein is hydrating, lustrous and smoothing to the skin, and even helps reinforce your skin's extracellular matrix — your collagen and elastin. The brand only has two products: the Revitalizing Hyrdogel Moisturizer ($75), which I were during the day, and Hydrate + Restore Rich Cream ($95), which is for when I went to hit Club Beddy Bye. Since testing these products out a few weeks ago, my skin has already shown amazing improvement in firmness and and texture." — KJ
Phyto-Active Skin Firming Face Mask
"I couldn't tell a goji berry from a pomegranate at the grocery store if you paid me (but I'm willing to try if that's on the table for you), yet that's exactly what makes Phyto-Active Skin Firming Face Mask ($60) work so well. It's packed with proprietary stem cell technology to boost skin regeneration — which proved to be true after using this twice a week for a month, despite also eating the kind of foods grocery stores would be embarrassed of selling. I've never looked glowier." — KC
Sol de Janeiro My Sol Stick SPF 50
"I stan pretty much every Sol De Janeiro body product, from its classic Brazilian Bum Bum Cream to its Glomotions Glow Oils, so naturally, I had to try its new Sol de Janeiro My Sol Stick SPF 50 - Sol de Janeiro ($26). The new launch is a sunscreen-meets-body balm-hybrid that takes sun protection to a whole new level. It contains SPF 50 and is designed for strategic touch-ups on your face, lips, tattoos and basically anywhere else where you need some extra coverage. I brought it on my last vacation and now I'm hooked." — JH
Lano Face Base Gel Cream Cleanser
"My skin always gets really sensitive when the seasons change from one extreme (in this case, frigid) to another (Spring!). To combat the redness that comes with this irritation, I enlisted help from Lano's new Face Base Gel Cream Cleanser ($22), which is formulated for even the pickiest of skin types. In addition to hydrating lanolin, the cleanser has a pH-balanced combination of glycerin and amino acids and gets all the makeup and dirt off my face without stripping it. I love that it's free of fragrance and sulfates to minimize the risk or irritation." — SS
