Tried and True: 3 Editors Share Their Holy Grail Skincare Products That Have Stood the Test of Time

I was a hardcore skincare brush lover for years and years of my life until it came to light that the brushes could be a breeding ground for lots of bacteria. As a replacement, a few years ago, I bought a FOREO, and I never looked back. I use it every single night while cleansing my face, and I notice an absolutely huge difference in my skin if I skip it for a couple of days. When I’m using it, I have fewer clogged pores and more even skin and my complexion looks brighter overall.

A few months ago, I upgraded to the mini 3 from my mini 2, and I love it even more. Of all my skincare devices, I’m a true believer in this one. If you're looking for a long-term investment that'll last for years to come and give you the best skin of your life, you're going to want to add this LUNA mini 3 to your cart, STAT.

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If you have dry skin, get this and thank me later. This is by far the best moisturizer I’ve ever used in my life and I have gone through more jars of it than I’d like to admit. This is the only moisturizer I’ve ever used where such a small amount goes a long way, and it has completely transformed my dry skin over the past year. This is holy-grail status, no questions asked.

If you’re looking for a super moisturizing night cream, this is the one. I use a prescription-strength Retin-A five nights of the week and experience little to none of the harsh side effects Retin-A is known for, and it’s all thanks to the super hydrating ingredients in the FAB Ultra Repair Cream. While this cream has become a staple in my evening routine for keeping my skin in check while harsher ingredients fight acne (thank you, IUD), I also love that I can use it on other parts of my body, too. When I’m experiencing an eczema flare-up, I can dab a little bit of the Ultra Repair Cream on the spot and let it do its work—and it works wonders.

My everyday skincare routine is all about hydration, as it’s the best way to keep your skin in balance. As the foundation of this routine, I use the La Roche-Posay Hydrating Gentle Cleanser—and it’s the best cleanser I’ve ever used. Once I picked it up a few years ago, I never looked back. It’s super affordable ($14.99 for a large bottle), removes all my makeup flawlessly, and actually leaves my skin feeling moisturized after I use it rather than stripped and dry. I pray to the skincare gods this is never discontinued.

Is this skincare? Is it makeup? Truth is, it’s probably somewhere in between. But it’s such a crucial part of my nighttime routine that I couldn’t contribute to this article without including it. I have very sensitive lips and have such a hard time finding products I can use that don’t cause a reaction (even the cult-favorite Laneige lip mask caused my lips to break out in painful blisters). The Sugar Lip Balm is my holy grail lip product for keeping my sensitive lips soft and moisturized—I use it every single night without fail. The result? A perfectly smooth base for applying the rest of my lip products when I’m getting ready the next day.

Once or twice a year, my skin will do a 180 on me and go bone dry, and my secret weapon is this moisturizer during that time. Now, whenever my skin gets a little irritated or over-exfoliated, I use this for a few nights, and it gets me back to normal immediately. I love the gel texture of this moisturizer because it sinks right in, and it feels extra cooling on my skin in the spring and summer. My skin absolutely soaks up the hyaluronic acid in this formula better than any other moisturizer out there, so it's something I'll always keep in my arsenal.

It took quite a bit of trial and error before I discovered my skin didn't benefit from those milky, hydrating cleansers everyone loves. My combination, acne-prone skin needs something with a bit more gusto to really feel clean after a long day. After trying a few expensive cleansers, I landed on this one and haven't even looked at another one since. After I use this, my skin feels clean but never stripped, and I notice way fewer breakouts than with a hydrating cleanser. If your skin is acne-prone and those ~milky, cloudy, baby, jelly~ cleansers just don't get it, a gel like this might be your answer.

Now, don't get me wrong, I still try a hell of a lot of sunscreens, but I compare every single one to this. This is the gold standard: doesn't break me out, leaves no white cast, doesn't pill, and leaves my skin with a natural glow. This was the first sunscreen that convinced me to actually start wearing it every day. Dermatologists recommend this formula for those with sensitive or acne-prone skin, and I can attest that it causes zero irritation.

I've flirted with other micellar waters, but I always come back to old ye' faithful over here: Bioderma. Nothing compares to this micellar water. It doesn't strip my skin, but I love that it doesn't leave it extra glowy either. It just does exactly what I ask it to do: remove my makeup and leave me feeling fresh. I keep a mini in my gym bag and take this on every single trip. I can't live without it.

I used to think pimple patches were just pimple patches. They're all just hydocolloid patches—what's the difference? Then, I met these. These stick on my face better than any other pimple patch, and they actually draw out all the gross stuff from my pimples in one single night. It takes me forever to use these up because I use one on a pimple, and it's gone. They put some kind of magic in these, and I'm not questioning it.