December 06, 2019 at 10:55PM by CWC
Putting together a skin-care routine from scratch can be a daunting task. Usually, it involves a lot of scrolling through websites wondering where to begin. According to dermatologists, the basics of a good routine include a cleanser, an antioxidant serum, a retinol, a moisturizer, and a sunscreen. So if you’re looking to start fresh, those are all the elements you need. Even with that in mind, putting together a multi-step regimen can often feel overwhelming, especially if you’re new to the game.
The good news? The holiday shopping season has brought along an entire haul of skin-care kits chock full of everything you need for a lot less than what you’d usually spend on crafting a regimen. From cleansers to serums to moisturizers, these babies have got it all—just add some sunscreen into the mix and you’ll be good to go, all with the single click of the “add to cart” button. Shop the best skin-care sets below, and get ready to make 2020 your most radiant year yet.
These are the best skin-care sets for re-vamping your routine
1. Glossier The Skincare Edit, $50
Achieve the #topshelf of your dreams with this set, which puts mini versions of the brand’s cult faves into one place. You’ll get a Milky Jelly Cleanser, Priming Rich Moisturizer, Future Dew and Super Bounce Serums, and two Balm Dotcoms. Your Instagram feed (and your skin) will look lit.
2. Sunday Riley Acid Appeal, $116 ($165 value)
Every serum your skin could possibly need all in one place. There’s the cult-fave Good Genes for chemical exfoliation, C.E.O. Glow Vitamin C for brightening, and A+ High Dose Retinol for stimulating cell turnover. It’s also got an eye cream and a moisturizer, so all you need to bring to a party is a cleanser (which derms say you can totally get at the drugstore) and you’ll be good to go.
3. Fresh Evergreen Routine Set, $65 ($100 value)
This deal seems almost too good to be true. It’s got all of our favorite Fresh products, including the cleanser and lip balm that half of our editors swear by, plus a moisturizer, face mask, and eye cream. You skin will slurp nourishing ingredients like rose, lotus, and black tea right up, and your lips will feel kissable well past New Years Eve.
4. First Aid Beauty Fablantis, $49 ($112 value)
A great skin-care routine has both exfoliating and hydrating elements, which this kit offers in spades. There’s a cleanser to help prep your skin, AHA Facial Radiance Pads to slough away dead skin cells, and a hydrating hyaluronic acid serum and colloidal oatmeal cream to keep skin moisturized. To keep your lips from feeling left out, there’s also a petroleum lip balm that’ll soothe away any chapping.
5. Sephora Favorites Skincare’s Next Big Thing, $40 ($120 value)
Get your hands on Sephora’s seven favorite skin-care products, all in one place. It’s a great way to discover clean brands you may not have tried yet by way of their bestselling products, which do everything from exfoliate to hydrate to soothe your skin. A few of my personal favorite picks from this kit? Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil, Farmacy Honeymoon Glow AHA resurfacing night serum, and Youth to the People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask.
6. The Ordinary The Daily Set, $19 ($25 value)
The best part about The Ordinary? The products are as affordable as they are efficacious—all year round. The Daily Set has everything your dry skin needs, including a hydrating gentle cleanser, a 2 percent hyaluronic acid serum, and an ultra-hydrating moisturizer.
7. Drunk Elephant The Littles Set, $90 ($130 value)
If you’ve heard everyone in your group chat raving about Drunk Elephant for the last few years and have yet to try it for yourself, consider this your best point of entry. This set includes travel-sized versions of the brand’s best sellers, including the C-Firma serum, T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum, and Protini Polypeptide Cream (plus, my personal favorite sunscreen, Umbra Tinte Physical Daily Defense SPF 30). It’s a great way to sample a huge selection of the line before deciding which products are investing in full sizes of. Or, if you’re already a Drunk Elephant devotee, this is a great way to keep your routine with you everywhere you go.
8. Skinfix #Skinfixme Starter Kit, $58 ($80 value)
Protecting your skin barrier is critical to healthy skin, and that’s the priority of this full-service set. The gentle cleanser will get rid of makeup and grime, and the lotion and lip balm help seal in moisture. There’s also an antioxidant treatment that reduces redness and blotchiness, plus irritation-soothing creams for your body and hands.
9. Laneige Hydration-To-Go! Normal to Dry Skin, $29
This line is the K-beauty holy grail for hydration, and is perfect for combatting the effects that cold weather has on your skin during the early months of the year. Each of the products–from the cream cleanser to the essence to the moisture cream to the sleep mask—are all formulated with ingredients to lock in moisture and keep your complexion from feeling parched. Plus, the Lip Sleeping Mask is a treat for chapped lips at all hours of the day and night.
10. The Inkey List Holiday Heroes Set, $35 ($38 value)
Ask any derm the holy-grail serums that everyone should have in their routine, and they’ll tell you Vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and retinol. This kit has all three of them, plus a caffeine-infused eye cream that will make you look instantly more awake.
11. Dr. Dennis Gross Skin Power, $65
12. The Best of Dermstore Holiday Edit, $20 ($100 value)
Hardly surprising, but a lot of Dermstore’s favorite products are our favorite products, too. In this kit, you’ll receive picks from Naturopathica, SkinMedica, Bioderma, Boscia, and First Aid Beauty, among others, that make up an entire multi-step regimen. If you’re not quite sure about going all-in on a single brand, this is a great way to try a lot of different things all at the same time… for a seriously discounted price.
13. PCA Skin The Acne Control Regimen, $144 ($175 value)
Finding the right routine for acne can be a lot of trial and error, but this medical-grade kit does a lot of the legwork for you. It’s got all of the best acne-fighting ingredients like Benzoyl Peroxide and Retinol, plus a niacinamide-packed moisturizer to reduce any irritation from the treatments.
14. Bioderma Sensibo Routine, $38
A fan-favorite brand among both French girls and beauty editors, this oh-so-simple three step routine is perfect for anyone looking to streamline what they’re doing to their skin. There’s a micellar water, which acts as a gentle cleanser, a sensitive-skin-friendly moisturizer, and a puffiness-reducing eye cream to top it all off.
15. Image Skincare Renewing Rituals Collection, $129
This kit has everything you need for cleansing, hydrating and brightening your skin, the combination of which will leave it looking radiant. There’s a stem cell cleanser, three different serums that have hyaluronic acid and vitamins C, A, and E, plus a mask for nights when your face needs a little bit more love.
Here’s what a dermatologist’s skin-care routine looks like:
Looking to buy beauty gifts for someone else this holiday season? Consider this hi-def makeup mirror, or one of the products our readers swear by for bringing dry hair back to life.
Author Zoe Weiner | Well and Good
Selected by CWC