The best face masks you can buy

Why you'll love it: Got sensitive skin? Keep Kiehl’s Calendula & Aloe Soothing Hydration Masque on hand to combat irritation and redness.

I never know just when my skin is going to react poorly to a situation. There are so many factors that can set me off — too much sunshine, an ill-fated skincare experiment, too many active ingredients. My skin isn’t the most reactive, but it can certainly get red and itchy at the mere suggestion of overstimulation.

Enter the Kiehl’s Calendula & Aloe Soothing Hydration Masque. It’s a soothing, hydrating gel mask, the perfect follow-up to more intensive treatments that might leave skin inflamed. As the name suggests, the formula contains calming calendula flower petals and aloe. When you apply it to the skin it feels instantly cooling, but not in that artificial, hurting-not-helping way some products have.

There’s some debate over the effectiveness of calendula as a soothing ingredient, but from my own experience, this mask is great at calming down my skin and minimizing redness, possible thanks to the aloe.

As FutureDerm points out, the ingredients’ list boasts brightening ingredients as well, but you may want to be wary if you’re sensitive to citrus. I’ve used it as a follow-up to particularly drying treatments and after a long day outside that resulted in harsh sunburn on my face. I definitely see myself picking up a second jar after I finish the first.

The Kiehl’s Calendula & Aloe Soothing Hydration Masque has also been recommended by Allure.

Pros: Soothing and hydrating mask, easy to wash off

Cons: Avoid if sensitive to citrus oils, might have a tingling sensation if left on too long

Buy Kiehl’s Calendula & Aloe Soothing Hydration Masque at Sephora for $45

Why you'll love it: When your skin needs an instant boost, reach for the SK-II Facial Treatment Mask.

Sheet masks are great for that instant boost of hydrating and brightening. I love to use them on flights or before a big event. My favorite is the SK-II Facial Treatment Mask, which I used right before my wedding. It’s totally worth the 15 minutes you’ll spend looking like Jason from "Halloween," I promise.

This is basically SK-II’s popular Facial Treatment Essence in sheet mask form. A cocktail of amino acids, organic acids, vitamins, and minerals work together to brighten and rejuvenate the skin. Each mask (sold in packs of 1, 6, or 10) is individually packaged.

Apply the essence-saturated paper sheet to your face for 10-15 minutes, discard, and pat the rest of the serum into your skin — do not rinse! If you wash your face after using this mask you’ll be wasting all the good stuff. Let the essence absorb and move on with the rest of your skin care routine.

As with most SK-II products, the Facial Treatment Mask is really pricey. But you can’t beat the instant results you get. Countless beauty editors and experts agree. It’s been recommended by Allure and Harper’s Bazaar, among others. Here Insider Picks we rated it our top sheet mask pick overall.

Pros: Hydrating and brightening mask, great for special events, packaged individually, fragrance free

Cons: Expensive

Buy the SK-II Facial Treatment Mask at Sephora for $17 to $135

Why you'll love it: If hydration is a top concern, reach for the Lanegie Water Sleeping Mask 2-3 times a week.

When my skin is really dry, I love to reach for a hydrating overnight mask. My favorite is the Laneige Water Sleeping Mask, which I’ve featured on Insider Picks before.

This mask combines Laneige’s proprietary Sleep-Tox and Moisture Wrap blends that respectively repair and hydrate the skin overnight with Hydro Ionized Mineral Water to ensure your skin retains moisture longer.

Plus, it smells like the feeling you get during the relaxation at end of yoga class with notes of rose, orange flower, and sandalwood.

The texture is more like a very thick gel moisturizer than a traditional mask. It goes on clear, albeit a bit wet, and dries down. You could leave the house in this, if you wanted, though it dries down a bit tackier than your average moisturizer so I do only use it at bedtime as directed. When I wake up I wipe any residue off with micellar water.

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask is a 2017 Allure Best of Beauty winner with more than 1,000 mostly positive Sephora reviews.

Pros: Hydrating, lightweight, dries clear, can be left on overnight

Cons: Not fragrance free

Buy the Laneige Water Sleeping Mask at Sephora for $25

Why you'll love it: Glossier Mega Greens Galaxy Pack gently exfoliates and detoxifies using kaolin clay and bitter orange peel.

My favorite beauty products are the ones who are as effective as they are attractive. Glossier Mega Greens Galaxy Pack comes in a really cute jar, but it also really works. This mask detoxifies and gently exfoliates the skin, drawing out impurities and encouraging cell turnover. In other words, it gives you velvety soft cheeks and calms angry blemishes.

Creamy kaolin clay is the hero ingredient here. It whisks away oil and gunk without stripping the skin of moisture. The formula also includes avocado oil and aloe for soothing hydration, a fortifying superfruit antioxidant blend and leafy green phytonutrients (picture a green smoothie for your face), and bits of bitter orange peel that exfoliate when you rinse your face.

I love how soft this mask leaves my face. It’s fragrance free and allergy tested, making it suitable for sensitive skin. This mask has earned a permanent place on the Insider Picks Top Shelf — writer Rebecca Carhart named it one of her top clay mask picks.

Pros: Gentle clay mask, fragrance-free, allergy tested, suitable for all skin types, exfoliates

Cons: Hard to rinse off once it dries

Buy the Mega Greens Galaxy Pack at Glossier for $22

The best anti-aging serums you can buy

Using a serum as part of your skincare routine is essential to keep your skin looking youthful and to keep those darn wrinkles at bay. Considered the superheroes of skincare, serums are packed with powerful ingredients that penetrate deep into the skin.

Anti-aging serums deal primarily with fine lines, wrinkles, and dehydration, but also tone, texture, and dark spots. Some of the best anti-aging Ingredients to look out for are vitamin C, for brightening the skin, hyaluronic acid for plumping it up, and Retinol, a vitamin A derivative that treats a multitude of skin concerns from wrinkles to acne.

Here are our top picks for the best anti-aging serums you can buy:

• Best serum overall: Clinique Smart Custom-Repair Serum
• Best serum on a budget: Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Anti-aging Serum
• Best serum to splurge on: Skinceuticals C E Ferulic Serum
• Best all-natural serum: Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Booster Serum
• Best serum for acne-prone skin: Instanatural Age-defying Skin Clearing Serum

The best makeup remover you can buy

It's good for your skin to remove makeup every night, but it can be a pain without the right makeup remover.

We've done our research and tested the best makeup removers on the market to come up our top recommendations. Whether you're a devout double cleanser or prefer removing makeup on the fly, there's something on this list for everyone.

Here are the best makeup removers you can buy:

• Best overall: Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water
  
• Best cleansing oil: Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil
  
• Best foaming cleanser: Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Face Wash
• Best cleansing wipes: Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water Cloths
• Best milk cleanser: Avène Eau Thermale Gentle Milk Cleanser
• The best eye makeup remover you can buy

The best exfoliators you can buy for any skin type or budget

Whether you're new to the exfoliation game or a seasoned skincare pro, Glossier's Solution is the exfoliator you should be reaching for. Its powerful mix of acids dissolves dead skin cells and improves your complexion, giving your face a gorgeous glow.

You might also like the Simple Kind to Skin Smoothing Facial Scrub, the Dermalogical Daily Microfoliant, the Juara Radiance Enzyme Scrub, and the Ole Henriksen Transforming Walnut Scrub.

The best moisturizers you can buy

Everyone wants healthy, smooth, and soft skin. Dry skin not only looks dull and flaky, it also feels tight and itchy. The solution? A good moisturizer. Our favorite moisturizer for both face and body is the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream.

You might also like the Neutrogena Hydro Boost, the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat, the Pacifica Coconut Probiotic Water Rehab Cream, the Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Unscented Lotion, the Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream, the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream, and the Aveeno Active Naturals Skin Relief Hand Cream.

The best sunscreen you can buy

Daily use of a good sunscreen like the Coppertone Ultraguard SPF 70 or the Goddess Garden Organics' Everyday SPF 30 Natural Sunscreen will fend off sunburns today, and help prevent the skin damage that leads to aged, wrinkled, blotchy skin later on in life. Here are our top picks for the best sunscreen you can buy:

• Best sunscreen overall: Coppertone Ultraguard SPF 70
• Best mineral-based sunscreen overall: Goddess Garden Organics Everyday SPF 30 Natural
• Best spray-on sunscreen: Bare Republic Mineral Spray Vanilla-Coco SPF 50
• Best facial sunscreen: Neutrogena Pure & Free Sunscreen SPF 50
• Best cheap facial sunscreen: Simple Facial Moisturizer with SPF 15
• Best sunscreen for kids: Thinkbaby Safe Sunscreen SPF 50

The best eye creams you can buy

Eye creams and serums are likely the product you know you should be using but have no idea how to actually shop for. If you're unsure of where to start, reach for the Dr. Dennis Gross Ferulic + Retinol Eye Serum. Buyers and experts agree that this is the cream of the crop when it comes to treating under eye circles.

You'll also love the Sunday Riley Auto Correct Brightening and Depuffing Eye Cream, the Aveeno Absolutely Ageless Eye Cream, the Uma Absolute Aging Eye Oil, and the Lancôme Vissionaire Yeux.

The best clay masks you can buy

Clay masks are an easy and cost-effective way to give your skin a boost without hitting the spa. Our top pick is the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Mask because it is a super affordable all-natural mask that deep cleans your pores.

You might also like the Glossier Mega Greens Galaxy Pack Mask, the Pure Biology Clay Face Mask, the L'Oréal Paris Pure Clay Exfoliate & Refine Mask, or the Charlotte Tilbury Goddess Skin Clay Mask.

The best body oil you can buy

If smooth, supple skin is what you're looking for, then the Fresh Sugar Ultra-Nourishing Body Oil is the bottle you want to reach for.

You might also like the Jao Goe Oil, the Herbivore Jasmine Glowing Hydrating Oil, the Kypris Body Elixir Inflorescence, and the Burt's Bees Body Oil.

The best face cream for dry skin

If you're one of those people whose face feels flaky whether it's December or August, finding the right face cream can be difficult. But if full-on hydration and protection are what you're after, Dr. Jart+ Ceramindin Cream is your best bet.

You should also consider the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel, the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream, and the Youth To The People Age Prevention Superfood Cream.