BACK TO BASICS:
A skincare wardrobe doesn’t have to be complicated. Build a simple routine with a cleanser, a serum, a moisturizer, an SPF, and a lip balm you can’t live without.
BEST SPF FOR UNDER
MAKEUP The new Clark’s Botanicals Invisible Hero SPF 30 Anti-Aging Sunscreen ($75) wears more like a primer than sun protection. With marine algae and hyaluronic acid, this elegant formula plumps the skin, then dries to a soft, velvety matte finish.
BEST MOISTURIZER WITH SPF
French pharmacy favorite La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer UV ($19.99) pampers skin with ceramides, glycerin, and spring water.
BEST SPF FOR DEEPER SKIN TONES Black Girl Sunscreen Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion for Face and Body SPF 30 ($18.99) delivers broad-spectrum sun protection, nourishing ingredients (like avocado and sunflower oil), and none of the whitish cast.
BEST ALL-AROUND MOISTURIZER It doesn’t matter how much you spend: It’s hard to buy a better face cream than Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream Moisturizer ($24.99). It’s enriched with vitamin B3 to help with surface-cell turnover and exfoliation. The result is firmer, plumper, more deeply hydrated skin.
BEST CLEANSER Perfect for morning and evening, Avène Tolérance Extremely Gentle Cleanser ($24) removes makeup, oil, and dirt without disrupting the skin barrier. Like all things Avène, it’s great for sensitive skin.
BEST EYE CREAM Treat yourself morning and night with the splurgy Dior Prestige Le Micro-Sérum de Rose Yeux Advanced ($245). Massage the rose-infused product into the contours of your eye area to relieve puffiness.
BEST SERUM Save yourself the counter space and invest in one serum that does it all. Lancôme Rénergie H.C.F. Triple Serum ($135) is packed with hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, niacinamide, and ferulic acid to address dark spots, lines, and volume in one go.
BEST LIP BALM Lips don’t have oil glands, so keep them hydrated with a balm rich in occlusive, or moisturizing, ingredients. Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm ($23) is packed with shea and murumuru butters. It also adds a hint of tint.