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14 of the most anticipated skin-care product launches of 2019 you can buy now
14 of the most anticipated skin-care product launches of 2019 you can buy now
Jessica DeFino,Jessica DeFinoJan 24, 2019, 01:38 IST
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As a beauty editor, I've had the chance to test-drive some of 2019's most anticipated skin-care launches - and these are my favorites.
I've noticed a few consistent themes across the best of 2019: sleeping masks (to get you glowing in eight hours flat), accessible retinol (which no longer requires a prescription pad), and a focus on skin wellness (via vitamins and supplements).
Want to make 2019 the year of your best skin ever? These products can help.
If you've already broken your New Year's resolution (guilty), here's an easy one to keep: Treat your skin to a little extra care with the best new products of the year.
Many of 2019's most anticipated beauty launches - hinted at on social media for months on end and teased by your favorite influencers - are finally available for purchase. And yes, they were worth the wait…
As a beauty editor, I was lucky enough to have early access to a few of these new additions to the skin-care space to test. The trends I'm most excited about? Sleeping masks (to get you glowing in eight hours flat), accessible retinol (which no longer requires a prescription pad), and a focus on skin wellness (via vitamins and supplements).
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"Typically, a sleeping mask features a specific special ingredient or group of ingredients that help skin while you sleep," Dr. Audrey Kunin, a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of DERMAdoctor, tells Business Insider. According to the dermatologist, regular face masks are often clay based and should be rinsed off after 15 to 20 minutes - but "sleeping masks are often more concentrated creams that are marketed for nighttime intensive use."
Two standouts are KORA Organics' Noni Glow Sleeping Mask, which features hydrating silver ear mushroom and coconut milk to nourish the skin while you sleep, and Youth to the People's Superberry Hydrate and Glow Dream Mask, a creamy vitamin C formula that brightens and helps even skin tone. The best part about this new skin-care category? It's hassle-free. Simply layer the sleeping mask over your usual product lineup before you go to bed, and that's it - you'll wake up looking totally refreshed and renewed (even if you don't necessarily feel it after hitting snooze one too many times).
In contrast, the star ingredient of 2019 - retinol - works hard. A member of the retinoid family, this potent ingredient is known for increasing cellular turnover to give you an acne-free, wrinkle-free face. Although it was onceonly available via prescription, these days, there are more over-the-counter options than ever. My personal favorite is Drunk Elephant's A-Passioni Retinol Cream, since it marries low-dose retinol with hydrating ingredients; if you have sensitive skin, this is the most foolproof way to work retinol into your regimen. Prefer a higher dosage? Check out Sunday Riley's much-hyped A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum, which has already racked up a handful of near-perfect reviews on Sephora.
Wellness buffs, rejoice: This the year of self-care as skin care. HUM Nutrition's recently released Hello Sunshine supplement set features ingestible morning and night capsules packed with skin-healthy vitamins that give a whole new meaning to the term "inner beauty;" while Josie Maran's Skin Dope oil soothes stressed skin with a hit of super trendy (but equally effective) hemp oil. Keep an eye out for more from Briogeo's new wellness line, B. Well, as the year goes on. The brand's initial offerings - Organic + Australian 100% Tea Tree Oil and Organic + Cold-Pressed 100% Castor Oil - feature pure ingredients that can be used alone or mixed and matched with your usual skin care and hair care, to give any product a boost of healthy oils.
Resolve to make 2019 the year of your best skin ever, thanks to the anticipated beauty launches ahead.
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.
Former model Josie Maran's namesake skin-care brand is known for its signature ingredient — argan oil — but in 2019, the brand is branching out with the much-anticipated Skin Dope. The product blends argan oil with organic hemp seed oil, making it a must-have for anyone looking to simultaneously soften and strengthen their skin.
Here's how it works: The fatty acids and vitamin E that naturally occur in argan oil help to keep skin moisturized and plump, while hemp seed oil delivers amino acids — the building blocks of protein — to the skin's surface. The combo strengthens collagen and boosts the skin's barrier, keeping it protected from the elements (not to mention firm-looking).
Youth to the People Superberry Hydrate and Glow Dream Mask
In my opinion, Youth to the People's Superberry Dream Mask couldn't be more appropriately named. It's the literal superhero of my skin-care routine, since it's targeted to treat all my personal skin concerns: dryness, dullness, and acne scarring. And boy, does it deliver.
This overnight mask, designed to be the last step in your regular nighttime regimen, features a slew of natural ingredients — most notably, maqui berry. As the most antioxidant-rich fruit in the entire world, it's a smart choice for helping skin fight the fine lines and discoloration that often result from pollution damage. On top of that, a skin-friendly version of vitamin C (THD Ascorbate, to be exact), boosts collagen production and evens skin tone, for skin that feels firm to the touch — and looks brighter, too. Finally, squalane oil fights dryness by sinking deep into pores without clogging them.
Are you a fan of fuss-free skin care? Then grab a tube of KORA Organics' Noni Glow Sleeping Mask. It's a multitasker that can be used a number of ways to achieve one major goal: hydrated skin that's glowy, not greasy.
Although this mask is intended to be worn overnight (it can be layered over your moisturizers and face oils, no problem — and won't mess up your pillow), busy women can also use it for a quick hit of hydration. "Because it dries as a translucent film, you can also pop out and do errands while it's working its magic…. I picked Flynn up from a play date the other day and no one knew I had the mask on," Miranda Kerr, a model and the founder of KORA, told The Zoe Report.
Noni Glow Sleeping Mask relies on three key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid delivers moisture deep into the pores, noni extract — the brand's key ingredient — is packed with antioxidants to protect the skin from environmental damage, and kakadu plum brightens thanks to a super-infusion of vitamin C.
Drunk Elephant is known as a brand that pushes the limits of active ingredients — its cult-favorite Babyfacial and Glycolic Night Serum products feature high concentrations of AHA and BHA acid exfoliators — so it makes sense that the company's most recent conquest is retinol. A derivative of vitamin A, retinol is known for being one of the most powerful ingredients in the skin-care space; it essentially re-trains skin cells to turnover at a faster rate to tackle both acne and aging.
But with great power comes great irritation (that's how the saying goes, right?), and retinol is famously harsh on sensitive skin — it can cause redness, sensitization, and peeling. But Drunk Elephant has found a way to mitigate those risks with A-Passioni Retinol Cream, featuring 1% retinol. Its creamy formulation is filled with soothing ingredients that stop irritation before it starts, like peptides (to strengthen) and vitamin F (to hydrate). If you've been toying with the idea of adding retinol to your routine, this could be the way to do it.
Retinol veterans, on the other hand, can take their skin-care game to the next level with a pump of Sunday Riley's A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum, which features one of the highest doses of retinoids available without a prescription.
"This pro-strength serum fights the signs of aging with its high dosage of retinoid and is botanically balanced by infusing 5% Hawaiian White Honey, Bisabolol, Ginger, and Prickly Pear Cactus," the brand says in a press release. The result? Fewer lines and wrinkles, improved skin clarity, and blurred imperfections. It's "designed for those who want serious results without the typical retinoid and retinol side effects," Sunday Riley, the brand founder herself, shares.
If you're not applying sunscreen every day, two things: What?! And, Supergoop can help. This Superscreen Daily Moisturizer is a game changer for low-maintenance beauty enthusiasts who prefer to keep their skin-care products to the bare minimum — it's basically a quadruple threat.
In a single application, Superscreen delivers: 1) Moisturization from blue-green algae, 2) SPF 40, 3) protection from atmospheric pollution, courtesy of fermented plant materials, and 4) a blue light shield (via mineral cerium) to keep your skin safe from the glow of your laptop screen. Those who find themselves staring at a computer all day or consistently skipping the sunscreen need this in their lineup.
According to HUM Nutrition, beauty begins within — which is exactly why the brand has released a set of morning and night ingestible capsules to support skin health. The Hello Sunshine kit includes two supplements: Here Comes The Sun (to be taken every morning) and Beauty Zzzz (to be taken at night).
Here Comes The Sun features a bioavailable form of vitamin D, known as D3. When taken consistently, vitamin D helps heal acne and blemishes, smoothes texture, increases elasticity, and brightens the skin (like sunshine in a capsule). Beauty Zzzz banks on the power of sleep to restore and regenerate skin by delivering a dose of melatonin to help you rest easy.
Tatcha Violet-C Brightening Serum 20% Vitamin C + 10% AHA
One of Meghan Markle's go-to skincare brands, Tatcha, is set on glowing up your tired, dull winter skin with its newest release, Violet-C Brightening Serum 20% Vitamin C + 10% AHA. For the uninitiated, 20% vitamin C mixed with 10% AHA (an exfoliating acid) is a highly potent combination that promises to brighten dark spots, buff away dead skin cells, and leave skin looking (and feeling) baby-smooth.
Another bonus? The formula is completely vegan and features natural herbal extracts that honor the brand's Japanese heritage — namely, Japanese angelica root extract. This edible plant has been revered for centuries for its healing capabilities, and makes for the perfect blend of ancient power and modern technology.
Fresh has reinvented its much-loved ingredient, lotus, for the new year with the Lotus Youth Preserve Dream Face Cream. It's designed to work in tandem with your body's natural rhythm; you apply it at night, when your skin cells go into "restore" mode and are most receptive to healing ingredients. When you wake up, expect to notice firmer, brighter skin with fewer wrinkles.
How, you ask? Fresh brings together super lotus and peach tree extract to hydrate and refresh skin, respectively. And if you're wondering what, exactly, "super lotus" is, Fresh has the answer. "[We have] developed a highly sustainable process that allows us to capture the natural plant of the whole lotus — flower, stem, lead and root," the brand says in a press release. "The plant is harvested and processed on-site to ensure that the ingredient is as fresh as possible and any plant by-products are returned to soil to leave minimal environmental impact."
In other words, it's an essential product for every eco-friendly beauty lover.
Volition Beauty Apple Cider Vinegar Resurfacing Peel Pads
Volition Beauty famously works with its fans to create products you actually want and will actually use, and the latest is no exception. Developed in collaboration with "Volition Innovator" and YouTuber/Influencer Kayla M., the Apple Cider Vinegar Resurfacing Peel Pads take a beloved DIY beauty ingredient and make it incredibly easy to use.
The product brings together apple cider vinegar (to improve skin texture and tone and kill acne-causing bacteria), glycolic acid (to exfoliate and brighten), and witch hazel (to naturally balance excess oil) in single-use pads. To use, simply swipe the pad across your face and move on to the next step in your routine.
I have the most sensitive skin on the planet (I'd put money on it), and I'm personally most excited about First Aid Beauty's Ultra Repair BarriAIR Cream. It's designed to build up the skin's natural barrier, making it less prone to irritation, dryness, and pollution damage — and it works. (Nearly 100 glowing reviews on Sephora prove it.)
BarriAIR Cream features ceramides, a lipid that our skin cells naturally produce, to lock in moisture and build up a healthy defense system; hyaluronic acid, a humectant that carries moisture deep into the pores; and linoleic acid — aka, vitamin F — which is naturally present in a strong skin barrier. Despite the fact that it's full of skin-plumping ingredients, this moisturizer magically sinks into the skin like that. Consider this your new favorite moisturizer.
Briogeo B. Well Organic + Australian 100% Tea Tree Oil
My all-time favorite hair-care brand, Briogeo, started 2019 with a bang: B. Well, its new wellness-focused diffusion line, focuses on pure, natural ingredients sourced from across the world that can be incorporated into your hair-care and skin-care routines.
I'm obsessed with this 100% Australian tea tree oil mix-in. Tea tree oil has natural antibiotic properties that make it ace at fighting acne, and Briogeo's pure version is so easy to use. Simply add a drop to your favorite face oil to give it a blemish-busting boost, or dilute it in water and spritz on your skin as a toner. You can even add a few drops to your go-to shampoo to keep your scalp healthy and flake-free.
Physicians Formula Skin Booster Vitamin Shot Time-Restoring Rajeunissant
Who says you have to drop a lot of money on cutting-edge skin care? Drugstore favorite Physicians Formula would argue otherwise with its just-introduced line of "Skin Booster Vitamin Shots." The products can be used on their own or mixed in with your usual serums and moisturizers — the choice is yours.
In my opinion, the best of the bunch is the Time-Restoring Shot, designed to give your skin an undeniable glow in just a few drops thanks to wrinkle-reducing vitamin A, skin-firming algae extract, and elasticity-boosting vegan collagen. Did I mention it's less than $13?
Finally, a toner that corrects dark spots without completely drying out your skin.
What makes Olehenriksen Glow2OH Dark Spot Toner so genius? "This potent toner, supercharged with a high concentration of AHAs (glycolic and lactic acids) and witch hazel water, reduces the look of dark spots in as little as seven days," the brand says in a press release. "But this powerhouse duo has a soft side, too. Infused with sandalwood, chamomile and licorice extracts, it's gentle enough for daily use."
If you've been searching high and low for a way to even out your complexion — whether from sun spots, acne scars, melasma, or hyperpigmentation — Olehenriksen's Glow2OH is going to be your new holy grail product.
