One can’t reflect on this year’s best skincare without acknowledging the domination of South Korean brands. Collectively, Yepoda, TirTir, Anua, Aestura, KraveBeauty, Beauty of Joseon, Dr Althea, Innisfree, Laneige and Then I Met You – to name but 10 of dozens – have succeeded in tempting droves of British consumers away from traditional products and towards very hydrated, unagitated and glassy-looking skin.
Space forbids me from covering all their impressive product launches, and so I’ll pick out Beauty of Joseon’s Relief Sun Rice + Probiotics SPF50+ to wave the Korean flag on the nation’s behalf.
This product sums up everything that excites me about the genre: elegant sunscreens; gentle, soothing formulas; stacks of ungreasy hydration; featherlight textures; and crucially, competitive pricing. Suitable for everyone, this is a wonderful everyday moisturiser that for only £15.50 delivers more than we’re used to.
None of this is to say that France has let down its distinguished heritage for skincare. Mimétique is also among my brand launches of the year and should be of particular interest to those with drier skin. The Skin Cloud cleansing balm (from £25) – thorough, fast, without faff or residue – is, to my taste, faultless. CTRL (£43) is an eye cream that I – someone who can take or leave the entire category – have loved using to moisturise, depuff and sit lastingly and obediently under makeup.
High-street breakthrough of the year came from The Ordinary, whose £13.50 GF 15% Solution shamed brands that charge £200-plus for roughly the same technology. This gentle, easy-to-use anti-ageing serum is suitable for even sensitive skins and is a great choice if retinoids, vitamin C and other actives have previously proved tricky (and even if they haven’t, feel free to use this as well).
Bravo to the dermatologists at Hair+Me, who offered proven prescription hair-loss treatments to customers (of any gender) unable to find succour from their doctor.
This year has seen a huge comeback for mineral sunscreen after decades of confinement to the lowest shelf in the skincare aisle. Sunsolve MD, with its elegant, makeup-compatible, new generation zinc-oxide face creams, can take credit for much of it.
I frantically await the UK launch of the less-pricey INN Beauty Project’s Mineral Sun Glow, the tinted facial sunscreen I’ve bought in the US and emptied four times and counting. Hurry the hell up.
