These Are the Most Exciting Skin-Care Products Launching in 2021 So Far

The CeraVe Hyaluronic Acid Serum (£17), which arrived in the UK in March, is exactly what you'd expect from the brand — gentle, effective, fragrance free, easy-to-use, and recommended by skin experts and dermatologists. "There are lots of great HA serums on the market, and this is one area that you can save rather than splurge," Dr Shari Marchbein, a New York City board-certified dermatologist, told POPSUGAR. "The CeraVe Hyaluronic Acid Serum is of my favourites — it contains ceramides and B5 in addition to hyaluronic acid to help boost skin hydration and maintain and healthy skin barrier."

It also features a unique texture. "One of the surprising and lovely things about this serum is it doesn't feel like your average oily based serum," said Dr Ifeoma Ejikeme, an NHS medical consultant, aesthetic doctor, and medical director of Adonia Medical Clinic. "Instead, it is a light creamy texture, but when placed on the skin, it disappears almost immediately — it feels like a drink of water for the skin."

Potent enough to target deep-set wrinkles, the L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum (£25) contains 0.2 percent retinol, but it's not really the amount that's important here. The brand created something it calls the Retinol Stabilisation Technology, which helps protect the retinol and keep it stable in the formula. Because of this new proprietary technology, the brand did not need to add anything to the retinol to protect it or use another derivative of vitamin A, meaning it's a pure form of retinol and not an ester like retinyl palmitate and retinyl propionate, for example. Additionally, the brand also added in hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and three different types of oils to further help stabilise the formula and keep skin happy and hydrated whilst the retinol gets to work.

Always at the forefront of ingredient innovation, the latest skin-care offering from Paula's Choice sees two major ingredients — one trendy and one tried-and-true combined into one formula: CBD oil and retinol. In addition to 0.5% retinol, the Paula's Choice CBD Oil Retinol (£47) contains 150 milligrams of full-spectrum hemp-derived organic cannabidiol — commonly referred to as CBD — as the research around full-spectrum CBD is stronger than around CBD isolate, according to founder Paula Begoun. (Full spectrum means you're extracting all the different compounds from the cannabis sativa plant and not just cannabidiol.)

So why combine the two? Well, why not? It actually makes a lot of sense. Topical CBD's most enticing attribute is its ability to calm inflammation and soothe stressed, dry skin. And whilst studies around the ingredient is still underway, the the data is promising. Pair a soothing, anti-inflammatory oil with retinol, the gold-standard ingredient for treating acne and the early signs of ageing that is known to well, stress skin out a bit when you start to use it, and you have a recipe for smoother, clearer, and glowier. It also may be a great retinol option for people who find they can't tolerate the ingredient in higher strengths.

Ultra Violette is the brainchild of two beauty industry veterans who have been developing and marketing SPF for some of Australia's biggest companies "We wanted to design a wardrobe of facial sunscreen that looked good, felt nice to wear, and didn't bore us to tears," co-founder Ava Matthews said via press release. "Of all the anti-ageing products available on the market, sunscreen is the single most important one," added co-founder Bec Jefferd. "It's about future-proofing your face from the daily toll of UV rays, and having a suite of products that can be adapted for every occasion to do this."

Beautifully packaged with broad spectrum SPF protection (that's not oxybenzone, by the way), the formulas — which the brand calls "Skinscreens" — also contain a host of skin-protecting, antioxidant-rich ingredients native to Australia. We're obsessed with the entire range, which includes a hydrating SPF 50+ sunscreen for the face, a hydrating SPF 50+ for the hands and body, a fragrance-free SPF 30 gel for sensitive skin, as well as an SPF 50+ Zinc sunscreen and SPF-laced tinted lip balms. However, we're particularly impressed by the Ultra Violette Clean Screen Queen Screen Luminising Sun Serum SPF 50+ (£32), which is a silky, serum-like sunscreen (it's not as watery as say, a hyaluronic acid serum, though) that leaves your skin looking dewy (not greasy) and smells like roses.

If you've got temperamental skin but still want to reap the benefits of a chemical exfoliator, lactic acid may be the way to go (its molecule size is larger, and therefore can't penetrate the skin as deeply, meaning less irritation). "Not only does the lactic acid unclog pores and turn over the cell layers, but it also acts as a humectant [at low concentrations] to seal moisture into the skin," dermatologist Dr Ife J Rodney told POPSUGAR.

Lucky for us, one of our favourite skin-care brands has come out with a serum full of it. The Strivectin Lactic Acid Nightly Retexturizing Serum (£60) promises to leave skin smoother, pores clearer, and your complexion generally glowier thanks to its star ingredient, as well as peptides, blue cypress oil, and the brand's patented NIA-114 complex.

Healthy skin starts with a healthy skin barrier. This means the outer layer of our skin is functioning well and protecting against moisture loss. A compromised skin barrier can lead to red, sore, and peeling skin, which is never ideal. That's where the Strivectin Wrinkle Recode Moisture Rich Barrier Cream (£92) comes in.

The heavy-duty cream is packed full of Strivectin's NIA-114, a patented form of niacin, which helps to repair the skin barrier; an ingredient the brand calls 1:1:1 Biomimetic Lipid Ratio, which consists of ceramides, plant-derived cholesterol, and free fatty acids and is ultrahydrating; and Chinese lu gen an poria mushroom extract, which soothes dry skin and calms redness.

As the name suggests, the Wrinkle Recode Moisture Rich Barrier Cream has a thick, creamy consistency, making it incredibly comforting for dry skin types, especially during colder and dryer months.

We're not going to give you a lecture about how much time you spend on your phones because, hey, we're all just trying to make it through this lockdown in one piece. What we can tell you is that if you're worried about lines, creases, and sagging skin on your neck — which can all be exasperated by staring down at your phone all the time — you may want to consider investing in the new Dermalogica Neck Fit Contour Serum (£75)

The neck serum contains peptides and various plant extracts — some that offer antioxidant protection and some that help firm, smooth, and hydrate — to help lift and tone the skin along your neck. And while the formula is the most important part of any skin-care product, we have to say we absolutely love the stainless steel roller applicator. Not only does it feel good as you roll it up and down your neck (like a mini massage), but it also means you can apply it anytime, anywhere. We like to keep it our desks and take a roll break whenever we're feeling a bit stressed.

On 15 Jan., Caudalíe relaunched five of its most popular cleansers and toners with sustainability in mind. The new and improved additions are made from 100 percent recyclable plastic to reduce unnecessary plastic waste. The formulas have also been updated to incorporate more naturally-derived ingredients. We particularly love the Caudalíe Vinoclean Almond Cleansing Milk (£15), which contains nourishing sweet almond oil and grape seed polyphenols that are chockfull of skin-friendly antioxidants.

Introducing Fresh's first ever micellar water: Fresh Kombucha Cleansing Treatment (£19), launching 4 Jan. You could call this newbie the sister product to Fresh's Black Tea Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence, which has been a fan favourite for years thanks to its ability to keep skin ultrahydrated.

The cleansing treatment's new, no-rinse formula works by attracting, trapping, and then sweeping away makeup and pollution buildup on your skin. Essentially, it makes your skin as clean as can be whilst making it silky smooth, too.

And if you're thinking: Kombucha? In a skin-care product? Dermatologist Joshua Zeichner explained that "because of preservatives needed to maintain the shelf life of skin-care products, there will not be any live bacteria in these products. However, they may contain bacterial extracts that can help promote a healthy skin microbiome, which is useful in treating a variety of skin conditions including eczema, acne, and even ageing skin."

Glossier's Milky Jelly Cleanser, the brand's first face wash (and one of its first products actually), is a best-seller and a fan favourite. However, over the years, the brand realised its customers also wanted a cleanser that did a bit more — something that deep cleaned and exfoliated without any gritty stuff, and that wasn't drying or stripping or fragranced. The result? The Glossier Cleanser Concentrate Clarifying Face Wash (£18), which is an exfoliating cleanser that's kind to skin. It uses grape ferment and grade juice extract, both of which contain acids that gently chemically exfoliate the skin, and niacinamide to help decongest pores and refine skin texture. It also contains chamomile flower water and calendula extract, both of which help soothe and condition the skin, and a plant-derived amino acid surfactants (what helps the cleanser foam) that the brand claims is gentler on the skin than traditional surfactants used in soaps.

In April 2021, Weleda celebrated its 100th anniversary with a new range that centres on the prickly pear cactus, which the brand sources sustainably (per the standards set by the Union for Ethical Bio Trade) from Jalisco, Mexico. Why prickly pear cactus? Even in extremely dry climates, the plant is able to store water in something called its mucilage, found inside the paddle-shape lobes of the cactus. This mucilage is like a plant version of our skin's natural hyaluronic acid reserves, helping both attract and retain moisture. Weleda has managed to extract the mucilage — in a patent-pending process that took it six years to develop — which it then adds to the product formulations to help attract moisture into the skin.

The collection includes four products, all aimed at hydrating the skin. There's a Facial Cream, a Facial Lotion, an Eye Gel, and the Weleda Prickly Pear Cactus Hydrating Facial Mist (£17), which can be used throughout the day to add a hit of moisture when you need it or before makeup as a hydrating primer. You can even use it after makeup, and we promise it won't disrupt your base.

Codex Beauty Labs is a plant-based biotech beauty brand that launched in 2019 with the goal of disrupting the industry and setting a new standard when it came to sustainability in skin care. And in April, the company finally released its second range of products called Antü, which is focussed on the skin barrier and the reduction of oxidative stress on the skin from external factors like pollution and UV exposure.

Made up of two products — the Codex Antü Brightening Moisturiser (£76) and a Night Cream — the new collection features a patent-pending ingredient complex created with bio-actives from three plants found in the Patagonian rainforest, which have been combined with hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid to protect and support the microbiome as well as strengthen the skin barrier. And to ensure the ingredients are sourced ethically and sustainably, the brand partners with local Mapuche wild harvesters (the Mapuche are the indigenous people of Chile), and a royalty from all Antü product sales will also be provided to fund local Mapuche initiatives.