If You Only Try One Luxury Skin Care Brand, These Are the Labels Experts Swear By (2024)

Where does one go for the finest formulas in the beauty industry? To the luxury skin care section, of course. While factors like price and brand name often automatically put labels in the vertical, true luxury skin care goes beyond just a high cost or price packaging. The most important determining factor, in our opinion, is the quality of the ingredients.

“The truth is that many ‘luxury’ skin care brands do not meet that criteria, though they should,” Dr. Blair Murphy-Rose warns. “There are many overpriced skin-care brands with lower-quality products marketed as luxury. So, think of ‘luxury’ as more of a marketing term in skin care, not a trustworthy descriptor of quality.”

As a surgeon, 111Skin founder Dr. Yannis Alexandrides saw firsthand the need for healing skin care. 111Skin was developed to help Dr. Alexandrides’ patients heal pre- and post-surgery. Now, their line is one of the most luxurious, gentle, and effective on the market.

An ELLE editor says: “A moisturizer is only as good as its ingredients. I love this one from 111 Skin because its air-light texture soaks into my skin and feels even better when placed in the fridge for a few hours before use. This is the ultimate plumper for skin, as it uses 11 types of hyaluronic acid to hydrate.”—Nerisha Penrose, ELLE.com beauty commerce editor

If you’re looking for results-driven skin care backed with science and without too many frills, investing in iS Clinical is a no-brainer. From the brand’s must-have everyday cleanser to its specialized serums, this California-based company gives professional-level products to the everyday person.

Our expert says: “This is a potent formulation that contains high-quality ingredients. Key ingredients include L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C), tocopherol (vitamin E), ferulic acid, and hyaluronic acid. They work together to brighten the skin, boost collagen production, and provide antioxidant protection against environmental stressors. The innovative delivery system ensures the stability and efficacy of active ingredients, leading to visible improvements in skin tone, texture, and overall skin health.”—Dr. Azadeh Shirazi

Best for: All skin types

Price range

AziMD is Dr. Azadeh Shirazi’s answer to all her patients looking for efficacious, high-performing products that offer radiance and do exactly what they say. Her products are categorized by skin type to make it easy to treat your specific concerns, from acne to aging to eczema.

Our expert says: “Formulated with all-trans-Retinol, Bakuchiol, and Licorice root extract in a time-release technology that minimizes irritation while enhancing skin retinization, this serum boosts blood flow to the skin, stimulates and protects collagen & elastin, and improves skin tone and texture. In fact, biopsy samples taken from the skin after three months of consistently using Lift + Renew, show an increase in new collagen bundles and less water loss.”—Dr. Azadeh Shirazi

Best for: All skin types

Price range: $$$

Our favorite products: Dermabright, Purify Cleanser, Glow Serum

The internet’s favorite skin-care brand has reached viral status several times for its effective and soothing formulas that marry science and botanical elements.

Our expert says: “Good Genes is known for its effective yet gentle formulation. The star ingredient, lactic acid, is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that exfoliates dead skin cells while providing hydration, making it ideal for improving skin texture and radiance. Its formula also includes soothing botanicals that help reduce irritation, making it suitable for various skin types. The treatment promotes cell turnover and effectively reduces the appearance of fine lines and dark spots.”—Dr. Azadeh Shirazi

Best for: All skin types

Price range: $$

Our favorite products: C.E.O Vitamin C Serum, Auto Correct Eye Serum, Luna Sleeping Oil

Backed by science (and your favorite dermatologist), Alastin Skincare provides solutions for pre- and post-procedure skin, as well as those looking for quality formulas in their daily routines. Alastin packs its products with its signature complex TriHex Technology, which comprises peptides and botanical extracts to improve overall skin health.

Our expert says: “The Renewal Retinol features lipid-encapsulated retinol, which enhances the stability and delivery of the active ingredient while minimizing irritation. This innovative encapsulation allows for a gradual release of retinol, promoting cell turnover and reducing the appearance of fine lines and uneven skin tone without the common side effects associated with traditional retinol formulations.”—Dr. Azadeh Shirazi

Best for: All skin types

Price range

Skinbetter takes a three-pronged approach to skin care: innovation, clinical studies, and building a professional community. As a result, the brand’s products are of the utmost quality, delivering transformative technologies—backed by its pool of dermatologists—in formulas that correct and treat a variety of skin concerns. The high-grade solutions give you professional results in the comfort of your home.

Our expert says: “Skinbetter Science is a brand I trust to deliver high-quality effective products. The AlphaRet Overnight Cream is a dermatologist’s anti-aging favorite that blends a proprietary mix of retinoid and alpha hydroxy acids with other skin-renewing ingredients to prevent and fight signs of aging while sleeping.”—Dr. Blair Murphy Rose

Best for: All skin types

Price range: $$

Our favorite products: AlphaRet Clearing Serum, AlphaRet Exfoliating Peel Pads, AlphaRet Overnight Cream

Skincare Junkie is a dermatologist-created brand that combines efficacious ingredients to deliver visible results. Dermatologists spend their days recommending products to treat a bevy of skin woes, so you can always trust when a derm decides to step into the lab to formulate products they’d be proud to suggest to their patients. Skincare Junkie was designed to fix problems, not create a new batch.

Our expert says: “The Discoloration Fade Wand addresses sun damage, post-acne marks, melasma, and more with the delivery of a proprietary powerhouse combination of clinically-proven kojic acid, tranexamic acid, and vitamin C in their most penetrable, potent, and yet well-tolerated forms. These skin brighteners fade dark spots and reduce stubborn brown patches while soothing antioxidants reduce redness and prevent further damage. The innovative solid stick instantly turns from balm to fast-absorbing serum, allowing targeted treatment to the areas you want to treat and avoiding the surrounding skin.”—Dr. Blair Murphy Rose

Best for: All skin types

Price range: $$

Our favorite products: Gentle Jelly Facial Cleanser, Megadose Super Antioxidant Face Moisturizer, Pore Therapy Daily Toner Pads

Celebrities like Ariana Grande and Naomi Campbell–along with a slew of others–have raved about La Mer. From its iconic moisturizer to its efficacious serums, this brand remains one of the luxury skin-care brands that everyone agrees is wonderful.

An ELLE editor says: “It sounds like an origin story too good to be true, but back in the 1960s, aerospace physicist Dr. Max Huber suffered a burn accident. After numerous tinkering in the lab, with seaweed and fermentation, he developed an early prototype of the cream once loved by Jennifer Lopez and seen as a luxury moisturizer status symbol. Nowadays, the kelp continues to be hand-harvested off the coast of Vancouver Island.”–Kathleen Hou, ELLE beauty director

Best for: Mature skin

Price range: $$$$

Our favorite products: Crème de la Mer Moisturizing Cream, The Concentrate Serum, The New Treatment Lotion

You’d be forgiven for mistaking this brand’s trademark bottles for some kind of witchy potion in a children’s book. In reality, this skin-care brand believes in using botanical ingredients, plastic-free packaging, and ritual-ready products for a beautiful vanity.

Our expert testers say: “‘Eco-luxury’ brand Kindred Black takes self care to new heights with its gorgeous line of skin-care products. Each potion is housed in a recycled, hand-blown glass bottle that deserves to be displayed. It is made with all-natural, time-tested ingredients sourced from around the world. I recently added the Rose Dew Serum to my collection and am already hooked on its lightweight, silky finish and hydrating benefits. Made with organic Bulgarian rose otto oil, cold-pressed squalane, and cloudberry seed oil, it helps calm and plump my skin, layers nicely with my other serums and moisturizes, and offers the most exquisite floral scent.” –Sam Peters, Hearst senior commerce editor

Best for: Normal, combination

Price range: $$

Our favorite products: Rose Dew Facial Serum, Hebe Night Oil, Forbidden Fruit Lip Oil

Korean skin-care brand Sulwhasoo has gone viral too many times to count, thanks to its gentle yet effective products. With a focus on naturally derived ingredients, you can see immediate results with many of its products, along with even greater, long-lasting improvement over time.

An ELLE editor says: “Widely considered the ‘La Mer’ of Korea, this is the luxury skin-care brand of Amore Pacific, creator of some of your favorite K-beauty products like the Laneige Sleeping Mask. Its hero ingredient is ginseng, and through science and research, it has sought to answer the question, ‘If ginseng is good for your body, can it also be good for your skin?’ The answer: Yes, because ginseng is packed with antioxidants and natural anti-inflammatory properties. The First Care Activating Serum is the hero product of the range, and the newest version, VI, just launched this year.”—Kathleen Hou, ELLE beauty director

Best for: Normal, dry

Price range: $$

Our favorite products: Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Rescue Ampoule, Overnight Vitalizing Mask, Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream Classic

Dr. Barbara Sturm believes in the classics: simple serums, hydrating creams, and foaming cleansers. But you’d be mistaken if you thought that simple products should only be bought at the drugstore. Her celebrity-favorite line is backed with science, and the results speak for themselves.

Our expert testers say: “I’ve been using Dr. Barbara Sturm products off and on for years, after seeing them featured in nearly every celebrity routine. As a beauty editor, it’s rare to finish the same products over and over again, but the Dr. Sturm Hyaluronic Acid Serum is a product I will use till the last drop every single time. With her entire line, I’ve never had a breakout or any kind of bad reaction. Just brighter, healthier skin.” –Tatjana Freund, fashion and luxury commerce editor

Best for: All skin types

Price range: $$$

Our favorite products: Hyaluronic Serum, Super Anti-Aging Night Cream, Enzyme Cleanser

Perhaps no skin-care brand is as beloved by celebrities and dermatologists as Skinceuticals. Known for its dramatically effective products and medically backed science, this brand is best known for its brightening and pigment-correcting products.

An ELLE editor says: “No skin-care routine is complete without SkinCeuticals. Backed by science (and dermatologists), the clinical skin-care brand offers a bevy of solutions for every skin concern. The brand’s mission is simple: to improve skin health. SkinCeuticals has delivered on this mission since its 1997 founding, courtesy of products like the bestselling (and my personal favorite) C E Ferulic Acid Serum and other antioxidant-rich serums, as well as its facial cleansers and retinol.” –Nerisha Penrose, ELLE.com beauty commerce editor

Best for: All skin types

Price range: $$$

Our favorite products: Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2, Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier, A.G.E Advanced Eye Cream

Prestige designer brand Dior is well known for its fashion, and its beauty and skin-care line is just as luxurious, and high-quality.

What our testers say: “Christian Dior’s mother, Madeleine, was an extraordinary gardener who was rumored to have over 20 varieties of roses in her garden. Today, her legacy carries on with floral motifs in the fashion, but also with the usage of roses in the brand’s skin care. Dior Prestige uses the Rose de Granville, the first rose ever developed for cosmetic skin care and picked by hand, to capture all of its micronutrients. The Dior Prestige Advanced Serum is particularly loved by skin-care fanatics.”–Kathleen Hou, ELLE beauty director

Best for: Normal, dry

Price range: $$$

Our favorite products: Prestige La Micro-Huile de Rose Advanced Serum, Snow Essence Lotion, Prestige La Crème

Almost out of nowhere, Augustinus Bader appeared and dominated the luxury skin-care space. With several celebrity and makeup artist endorsements, its trademark moisturizers became a staple in beauty lovers’ routines. Now, the line has expanded even further, with each launch cementing the brand as a status symbol.

An ELLE editor says: “This brand has created the new luxury status moisturizer of the past few years. It started as many beauty trends do, with Hollywood. Actresses like Kate Bosworth and celebrity makeup artists like Pati Dubroff continue to rave about ‘the cream.’ The namesake of the brand is Dr. Augustinus Bader, a German doctor whose created an initial hydrogel that accelerated burn healing. That then inspired the development of TFC-8, a complex of over 40 different ingredients, and the hero ingredient now present in all Augustinus Bader products, which allegedly helps ‘activate’ your cells, so that they go into ‘repair mode.’ The brand went from one product (‘The Cream’) to now dozens (even haircare), and is a favorite of fashion designer, Haider Ackermann, who recently worked with them to create a new special edition chrome packaging.”–Kathleen Hou, ELLE beauty director

Best for: Normal, dry

Price range: $$$

Our favorite products: The Rich Cream, The Serum, The Haider Ackermann Set

Crafted in Tokyo using Japanese ingredients, Tatcha is one of the few luxury skin-care lines that nearly everyone who tries it agrees is worth the price. Alongside its botanical ingredients and genius textures, Tatcha’s products knock it out of the park when it comes to efficiency.

What our testers say: “I’ve been a loyal Tatcha user for nearly a decade, and I don’t see that status changing anytime soon. Not only are its products effective, gentle, and created with fantastic ingredients, but its formulations are truly unrivaled in the skin-care world.”–Tatjana Freund, fashion and luxury commerce editor

Best for: All skin types

Price range: $$

Our favorite products: Dewy Skin Cream, Indigo Cleansing Balm, The Silk Serum

When it comes to luxury, no skin-care brand does it quite like La Prairie. While its prices may be some of the highest on the market, its formulations are, too. From the packaging, gentle scent, and results, this Swiss company is working with scientists and formulations that are far ahead of their time.

What our testers say: “The caviar you lift to your lips has benefits for your skin too. Back in 1931, Clinique La Prairie was one of the original wellness centers, boasting visitors such as Winston Churchill and Marilyn Monroe. The brand continues to focus on skin wellness, and every single product contains real caviar extract, which is alleged to boost the skin’s immune system and help firm and strengthen skin. The brand’s Liquid Lift serum is a new favorite containing caviar-like beads that burst onto the skin to create a silky serum.”–Kathleen Hou, ELLE beauty director

Best for: Normal, dry

Price range: $$$$

Our favorite products: Skin Caviar Luxe Cream Moisturizer, Skin Caviar Harmony L’Extrait Serum, Skin Caviar Liquid Lift Serum

French brand Sisley has made a name for themselves when it comes to their makeup, hair, and skin-care formulations. Its products are first and foremost effective, but they also value the experience and rituals associated with skin-care regimens.

What our testers say: “When I need a full day of rejuvenating, relaxing, and play-acting like I’m a French woman on a terrace, I reach for my Sisley products. Not only are they gentle on my skin, but the lingering scent of roses acts almost like aromatherapy, calming me down and turning a nighttime routine into something more.”–Tatjana Freund, fashion and luxury commerce editor

Best for: Normal, combination

Price range: $$$

Our favorite products: Black Rose Cream Mask, Supremÿa Supreme Anti-Aging Night Cream, Ecological Compound

Chanel is perhaps the most iconic luxury brand, so it should come as no surprise that its skin-care products are just as perfectly curated. From rich creams to gentle toners, Chanel’s products are not just eye candy to display in your bathroom but science-backed, research-driven items that you will treasure using.

What our testers say: “Chanel Sublimage is one of the most luxurious creams to ever hit a makeup vanity. Made of Vanilla Planifolia, a special type of orchid with alleged regenerative properties and antioxidant benefits, the incredibly silky moisturizer has been used by Michelle Williams and Jennifer Aniston. It now also comes in a new refillable format.”–Kathleen Hou

Best for: Normal, combination

Price range: $$$

Our favorite products: Sublimage La Crème, Hydra Beauty Lotion, Le Tonique Anti-Pollution Invigorating Toner

Before you begin shopping for skin care, it’s important to understand what your skin needs. “Look for ingredients that address your specific concerns. Make sure to select products that fit your skin type—like oil-free, non-comedogenic options for oily skin, and richer formulations for dry skin. Pay attention to the formulation and delivery system since they can influence how well ingredients are absorbed and work, especially with retinol or vitamin C,” Dr. Shirazi explains. For those with sensitive skin, Dr. Shirazi advises using fragrance-free or hypoallergenic options.

“It’s also essential to ensure products are in the right packaging; for example, vitamin C and retinol should be stored in dark, airtight bottles to protect them from light and air,” she says. Of course, sunscreen is a non-negotiable. “Broad-spectrum SPF sunscreen is a must-have in any routine, and dermatologist-tested products provide an extra layer of safety and effectiveness. Whether you choose luxury or drugstore brands, these factors are essential for effective skin care,” Dr. Shirazi adds.