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36 Best Skin-Care Products Launching in 2021

2021 is Already Brimming With Skin-Care Products — Here Are Our 36 Favourites So Far

Feb 26 2021

As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. If you buy a product we have recommended, we may receive affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work.

It might have felt like R.E.M. was humming about the end of the world as we know it in the background of every major 2020 moment, but rest assured. We're already heading into the third month of the new year, and there's much more to look forward to in 2021 — especially in the realm of skin-care products.

Consider this: while production schedules stalled and budgets pivoted, product development teams filled the time innovating the best-of-the-best formulas that were well worth the wait. From countless brands taking more concerted steps toward sustainability to products that deliver the "skinimalism" trend to your doorstep — not to mention a single face cream that Jennifer Lopez swears will get you her glow (which, fingers crossed) — 2021 is all but guaranteed to bring brighter days to your skin-care routine.

If the upcoming skin-care launches ahead are any indication, it's the start of a new world in beauty as we know it — and you'll feel fine.

Image Source: Bioré

Laneige Radian-C Cream With Vitamin C

Our editors can attest that there's a lot to love with this Laneige Radian-C Cream With Vitamin C ($35). If it's not the scent — which is positively citrus-forward — maybe you'll appreciate the heavy dose of vitamin C (8.5 percent, in fact) that brightens in no time, or the lightweight vitamin E blend that moisturises the skin without feeling greasy.

Image Source: sephora.com
Laneige Radian-C Cream With Vitamin C
$35
from sephora.com
Buy Now

Shani Darden Intensive Eye Renewal Cream

Formulated by one of the Hollywood's most sought-after aestheticians, the Shani Darden Intensive Eye Renewal Cream ($68) is everything your undereye area needs: firming peptides, hydrating squalane, and barrier-building ceramides. The rich, creamy formula is so effective, in fact, it won the Best Eye Cream category in our February POPSUGAR Beauty Awards.

Image Source: sephora.com
Shani Darden Intensive Eye Renewal Cream
$68
from sephora.com
Buy Now

Banila Co Clean It Zero Pore Clarifying Toner Pads

We love how the Banila Co Clean It Zero Pore Clarifying Toner Pads ($20) introduce a quick-and-easy approach to toning your skin. Each cloth is highly saturated with a blend of gentle exfoliators — like lactic acid, salicylic acid, and tea tree extract — that you swipe on post-cleanse.

Image Source: ulta.com
Banila Co Clean It Zero Pore Clarifying Toner Pads
$20
from ulta.com
Buy Now

SkinCeuticals Silymarin CF

From the geniuses who brought you C E Ferulic — which is often regarded as the holy grail of vitamin C serums by dermatologists and beauty editors alike — comes its latest brightening treatment for acne-prone skin: SkinCeuticals Silymarin CF ($166). It blends the relatively new ingredient silymarin (a milk thistle extract) with the tried-and-true salicylic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and ferulic to keep breakouts in check while simultaneously fading hyperpigmentation and improving skin texture.

Image Source: skinceuticals.com
SkinCeuticals Silymarin CF
$166
from skinceuticals.com
Buy Now

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Peace Out Skincare Blemish Balm Cleanser

The Peace Out Skincare Blemish Balm Cleanser ($22) does double duty in more ways than one. Not only does the solid balm texture mean you'll get to wash away a day's worth of grime while still adding hydrating back to the skin, but it's also formulated with two kinds of gentle exfoliators. The biodegradable beads will physically slough off dead skin cells, while salicylic acid will work to dissolve any gunk from your pores. Win-win.

Image Source: sephora.com
Peace Out Skincare Blemish Balm Cleanser
$22
from sephora.com
Buy Now

Kate Somerville Kateceuticals Total Repair Cream

If the fact that the Kate Somerville Kateceuticals Total Repair Cream ($120) was created by everyone's favourite aesthetician-to-the-stars and boasts a laundry list of skin-loving ingredients — from firming peptides and ceramides to moisturising squalene and hyaluronic acid — is not enough to convince you to buy it, maybe this will: we've yet to find another face moisturiser this year that feels this dreamy on skin.

Image Source: sephora.com
Kate Somerville Kateceuticals Total Repair Cream
$120
from sephora.com
Buy Now

StriVectin Multi-Action Super-C Vitamin C Moisturiser SPF 30 Sunscreen

The StriVectin Multi-Action Super-C Vitamin C Moisturiser SPF 30 Sunscreen ($69) gives you everything you need to take on the day: sun protection, a hit of hydration, and a dose of vitamin C to fight environmental aggressors. It also has the lightest scent of citrus that'll give you an instant pick-me-up the moment you swipe it on.

Image Source: nordstrom.com
StriVectin Multi-Action Super-C Vitamin C Moisturiser SPF 30 Sunscreen
$69
from nordstrom.com
Buy Now

Mele No Shade Sunscreen Oil SPF 30

No white cast? Lots of hydration? A price you can actually afford? You'd think the Mele No Shade Sunscreen Oil SPF 30 ($20) is too good to be true — but this is the sun protection the world deserves.

Image Source: target.com
Mele No Shade Sunscreen Oil SPF 30
$20
from target.com
Buy Now

Hero Cosmetics Clear Collective Exfoliating Jelly Cleanser

The Hero Cosmetics Clear Collective Exfoliating Jelly Cleanser ($13) is like face wash on steroids: it doesn't just rinse away dirt and oil, but it also contains two forms of exfoliation to slough away dead skin cells. The first is chemical — that's glycolic + mandelic acids at work — and the other is physical — thanks to teeny konjac jellies.

Image Source: target.com
Hero Cosmetics Clear Collective Exfoliating Jelly Cleanser
$13
from target.com
Buy Now

Summer Fridays Cloud Dew Oil-Free Gel Cream Moisturiser

What's light-as-air and pretty all over? Cotton candy, sure, but otherwise the Summer Fridays Cloud Dew Oil-Free Gel Cream Moisturiser ($42) is it. This gel feels so weightless on skin, you'll barely notice it's heavy in hyaluronic acid (to hydrate) plus pineapple enzymes (to brighten).

Image Source: sephora.com
Summer Fridays Cloud Dew Oil-Free Gel Cream Moisturiser
$42
from sephora.com
Buy Now

Korres Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser

Creamy, soap-free, delicious-smelling — the Korres Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser ($26) checks all the boxes you'd want from a sudsy-yet-hydrating face wash. Fold that in with the fact that its loaded with probiotics from greek yoghurt and honeysuckle to soothe redness, and you've got quite the treat for your skin.

Image Source: ulta.com
Korres Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser
$26
from ulta.com
Buy Now

Cover FX Custom Blending Moisturiser

In the cosmetics brand's first foray into skin-care territory, we suppose it only makes sense that the Cover FX Custom Blending Moisturiser ($42) is just as perfect pre-makeup as it is on its own. That's because the light-yet-hydrating cream is packed with hydrators like hyaluronic acid, shea butter, ceramides, and jojoba oil to lay the perfect canvas before foundation — but we guarantee you'll like it so much, you'll want to use it on makeup-free days, too.

Image Source: ulta.com
Cover FX Custom Blending Moisturiser
$42
from ulta.com
Buy Now

Peace Out Retinol Eye Stick

Our editors can confirm: eye cream doesn't get much easier to apply than with the Peace Out Retinol Eye Stick ($28). The solid serum formula looks and feels like a lip balm — and you can glide it along your undereye area like one too — but it's also loaded with cell turnover-boosting retinol and plumping peptides to target dark spots and fine lines.

Image Source: sephora.com
Peace Out Retinol Eye Stick
$28
from sephora.com
Buy Now

Keys Soulcare Skin Transformation Cream

If you've bought into skin care as a form of self-care these last few months, allow us to introduce you to your next indulgence: the Keys Soulcare Skin Transformation Cream ($30). One of the first to come from Alicia Keys' new beauty line, it's a rich, luxuriously emollient moisturiser formulated ceramides and hyaluronic acid to moisturise, plus bakuchiol, a plant-based alternative to retinol that helps improve texture and tone.

Image Source: ulta.com
Keys Soulcare Skin Transformation Cream
$30
from ulta.com
Buy Now

Burt's Bees Full-Spectrum CBD Foot & Hand Cream

When you need an emollient hand salve with a nod to the beauty industry's buzziest ingredient, you'll find no product better than the Burt's Bees Full-Spectrum CBD Foot & Hand Cream ($20). It's rich and decadent in all the best ways, but is also formulated with 200 mg of full-spectrum CBD to soothe any redness or patches.

Image Source: cbd.burtsbees.com
Burt's Bees Full-Spectrum CBD Foot & Hand Cream
$20
from cbd.burtsbees.com
Buy Now

Garnier Skinactive Micellar Cleansing Eco Pads

In the wider effort by the beauty industry to introduce more eco-friendly packageing, brands are rethinking single-use products in favour of recyclable counterparts. Exhibit A: the Garnier Skinactive Micellar Cleansing Eco Pads ($9, available in January), which consists of three reusable microfibre pads to douse your micellar water and sweep away a day's worth of makeup. Hand wash the pads afterward with gentle soap and water and then reuse, reuse, and reuse again.

Image Source: Garnier

JLo Beauty That Blockbuster

Jennifer Lopez first gave a sneak peek at her new skin-care collection JLo Beauty in December, and we've been clamoring over it ever since. Among our favourites in the lineup? The JLo Beauty That Blockbuster ($58, available in January), a rich, luxurious cream that uses a combo of hyaluronic acid (to add moisture) and peptides (to boost radiance). You can call it the closest thing you'll get to bottling the fountain of youth.

Image Source: JLo Beauty

Tatcha Dewy Serum

If you like to live by the motto of "do whatever Meghan Markle does that makes her skin look so royally good," go ahead and bookmark the latest from her favourite brand, the Tatcha Dewy Serum ($88, available Dec. 23). The formula boasts its proprietary blend of Japenese rice, green tea, and algae, which all work in tandem to improve the skin's texture, plus the ever-hydrating hyaluronic acid and squalane to keep it plump.

Image Source: Tatcha

Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift Lightweight Firming Cashmere Cream

Hey, oily, acne-prone, or combo skin types: the Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift Lightweight Firming Cashmere Cream ($58, available in January) is hydrating yet lightweight enough that it slips across skin without leaving behind a greasy feel, making it perfect pre-makeup or on its own in the A.M. It's also formulated with a blend of antioxidant-rich resveratrol (the brand's bread and butter for keeping environmental aggressors at bay) and peptides, hyaluronic acid, and squalane (a winning hydrating combo) — all housed in 100 percent recyclable packageing to boot.

Image Source: Caudalie

Curél Extreme Dry Hand Relief Cream

We know, we know: all the regular hand washing and sanitizing this year has turned enough people's skin so stiff and hardened you could place them in a Madame Tussauds museum. That's where the Curél Extreme Dry Hand Relief Cream ($4, available Jan. 29) comes in. It's loaded with heavy-hitting hydrators like coconut oil, vitamin E, monoi oil, and glycerin — just to name a few — to pack on the moisture, and yet somehow never feels greasy. Win-win.

Image Source: Curél

SuperGoop! Daily Dose Vitamin C + SPF

From the brand that's known for doling out one game-changing sunscreen after another, Supergoop! is calling the new Daily Dose Vitamin C + SPF ($46, available Dec. 28) its most innovative SPF formula yet. That's because this serum-sunscreen hybrid packs a heavy punch of vitamin C (a compound that is notoriously tricky to formulate around, thanks to its unstable chemical makeup), making it a first of its kind.

Image Source: supergoop.com
Daily Dose Vitamin C + SPF
$46
from supergoop.com
Buy Now

Simple Skincare Instant Glow & Defend Wipes

Shortly off the heels of the brand's first set of compostable face wipes comes the Simple Skincare Instant Glow & Defend Wipes ($5, available in January) — the latest iteration that are also made with sustainably sourced, fully biodegradable plant fibre that take 42 days when composted. Even better, these are made with hydrating niacinamide and glycerin (but no fragrance, artificial colour, alcohol) to keep your skin supple while wiping away day.

Image Source: Simple Skincare

Drunk Elephant Sweet Biome Fermented Sake Spray

Its name may give a nod to the popular Japanese drink, but the Drunk Elephant Sweet Biome Fermented Sake Spray ($42, available in January) is more like a swig of Gatorade for your skin. Chock-full with electrolytes (like coconut water and sodium PCA), plus amino acids and ceramides, one spritz will make you look refreshed — and ready to take on the day.

Image Source: drunkelephant.com
Drunk Elephant Sweet Biome Fermented Sake Spray
$42
from drunkelephant.com
Buy Now

Bioré Brightening Clay Mask

Yes, the Bioré Brightening Clay Mask ($6) might look like a punchier version of your favourite Capri Sun drink growing up, but what's packed inside — vitamin C-rich yuzu lemon to brighten; papaya enzymes to exfoliate — is even sweeter. Each pouch contains enough juice to use four to five times.

Image Source: target.com
Bioré Brightening Clay Mask
$6
from target.com
Buy Now

Lord Jones CBD Lip Balm

You should be able to count on one of the biggest brands in the CBD game to put their money where their mouth is, which is exactly what Lord Jones did with its CBD Lip Balm ($19). Laced with 25 mg of full-spectrum CBD — plus olive oil, shea butter, and beeswax — it's one of the dreamiest lip salves you'll buy.

Image Source: lordjones.com
CBD Lip Balm
$19
from lordjones.com
Buy Now

Dove Irritation Care Body Wash

This Dove Irritation Care Body Wash ($6, available in January) goes out to the easily irritated types out there. Whether your skin is eczema-prone or just so happens to be more sensitive than the jealous best friend in every RomCom, this sulphate-free sudser is formulated sans any potential allergens so you can wash without the worry.

Image Source: Dove

Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Eye Cream

The team over at Olay really powered up with its Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Eye Cream ($29, originally $39). The fragrance-free, creamy-as-hell formula marries collagen peptides and glycerin to deliver a heavy hit of hydration to the undereye area with niacinamide to target dark circles.

Image Source: olay.com
Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Eye Cream
$29
from olay.com
Buy Now

StriVectin Lactic Acid Nightly Retexturizing Serum

Lactid acid is one of the gentlest exfoliators you can buy, but that doesn't mean the StriVectin Lactic Acid Nightly Retexturizing Serum ($79) doesn't hold its weight. After just two weeks of use, our editors saw a huge improvement in skin texture and brightness — but without the irritation or harsh side effects you sometimes get with other acids.

Image Source: ulta.com
StriVectin Lactic Acid Nightly Retexturizing Serum
$79
from ulta.com
Buy Now

Elizabeth Arden Flawless Start Hydrating Serum Primer

The rosy hue of the Elizabeth Arden Flawless Start Hydrating Serum Primer ($42) helps give your skin an instant boost. Use it under makeup for smooth application or on its own to give your skin a hydrated and glowy appearance.

Image Source: macys.com
Elizabeth Arden Flawless Start Hydrating Serum Primer
$42
from macys.com
Buy Now

Youth To The People 15% Vitamin C + Clean Caffeine Energy Serum

No one will know about your late-night Netflix binge after using the Youth To The People 15% Vitamin C + Clean Caffeine Energy Serum ($68). The lightweight serum helps brighten with a plant called guayusa and depuff with plant-derived caffeine, lending your skin the wakeup call it deserves.

Image Source: youthtothepeople.com
Youth To The People 15% Vitamin C + Clean Caffeine Energy Serum
$68
from youthtothepeople.com
Buy Now

Pacifica Glow Baby Brightening Peel Pads 10% AHA + BHA

Talk about swiping right: the Pacifica Glow Baby Brightening Peel Pads 10% AHA + BHA ($14) uses a blend of lactic, glycolic, and salicylic acids to exfoliate the skin and improve uneven texture, acne, and dullness. Don't worry about it being too drying — the apple fruit extract in the formula helps boost hydration.

Image Source: ulta.com
Pacifica Glow Baby Brightening Peel Pads 10% AHA + BHA
$14
from ulta.com
Buy Now

Clarins Total Cleansing Oil

Nothing is more frustrating — or damageing for the skin – than rubbing frantically at your face trying to remove stubborn makeup. The Clarins Total Cleansing Oil ($35) melts away foundation, waterproof mascara, long-lasting liquid lipstick, you name it, in seconds.

Image Source: ulta.com
Clarins Total Cleansing Oil
$35
from ulta.com
Buy Now

Vaseline Clinical Care Hand Sanitizer Lotion

Ever wish you could get the bacteria-killing benefits of a hand sanitizer, without stripping away every inch of moisture in the process? Introducing the Vaseline Clinical Care Hand Sanitizer Lotion ($4, available in January), which is formulated with moisturising glycerin and vitamin E to offset the very drying properties that could keep you from sanitizing.

Image Source: Vaseline

IT Cosmetics Hello Results Daily Retinol Cream

IT Cosmetics is bringing in the big guns with its Hello Results Daily Retinol Cream ($69), which is formulated with encapsulated retinol to boost cell turnover — plus vitamin E to counter any drying effects that tend to come with it — and housed in a smart dispenser that keeps it from oxidising. Just note that it does have quite a strong scent, so if you're averse to fragrance this one might not be for you.

Image Source: itcosmetics.com
Hello Results Daily Retinol Cream
$69
from itcosmetics.com
Buy Now

Mario Badescu Caffeine Eye Cream

Mario Badescu understands that no one is sleeping well right now. A temporary solve: the Caffeine Eye Cream ($18). It helps depuff and with caffeine and hydrate with ingredients like squalane and jojoba.

Image Source: ulta.com
Caffeine Eye Cream
$18
from ulta.com
Buy Now

Find Your Happy Place Fizzing Bath Bomb

Here's a much better solution to binge-watching The Bachelor: this Find Your Happy Place Fizzing Bath Bomb ($5, available in January) comes with swirls of colour and a rose scent that explodes in your tub — not your TV.

Image Source: Find Your Happy Place

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