"Two years ago, I purchased a product that would go on to hold quite a few titles: My Most Repurchased Skincare Product, Most Loved By Everygirl Readers, Most Loved By Everygirl Editors, The Only Skincare Product I’ve Convinced A Man to Buy, The Best Dupe For That Expensive Serum Every Dermatologist Recommends (you know the one)—the list goes on. The serum that started this revolution? Glow Maker by Maelove.
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After swearing up and down about the glowy effects of this serum, our editors began trying all of the inexpensive products from the line, and they all hold up. At this point, we might even be able to say Maelove is our editors’ most loved skincare line, which is high praise for a bunch of editors tasked with trying beauty products for a living. After trying a dozen products in the line, this is our editors’ top 10.
About Maelove
Maelove is a BIPOC-owned skincare line that prioritizes science, efficacy, and value. You won’t find a massive markup on these products or flashy packaging—but that doesn’t mean you won’t feel luxe applying them to your skin. Almost every product in Maelove’s line is under $40, but the formulations rival that of products quadruple the price (and more). Maelove’s products are sold direct-to-consumer from their website, and they have free shipping and returns on all orders (iconic).
Maelove’s approach isn’t about “fast beauty”—you won’t see them launching a new SKU every month. Instead, they slowly roll out new formulations to build out your routine, regardless of your skin type.
Here are 10 of the products our editors love:
Cleansers:
I recently switched from tretinoin to tazarotene (another retinoid that works a little quicker and is better at bringing up congestion in the skin) per my derm’s recommendation, and I’ve experienced quite a bit of peeling. The only thing to get rid of said peeling? This exfoliator. I use it once or twice a week in the shower, and not only does the fine scrub feel like it’s doing something, but I love that it also contains a little bit of BHA to go deeper into pores.
—Beth Gillette, Beauty Content Manager
Serums:
The serum that started it all—Glow Maker is a vitamin C serum with vitamin E, ferulic acid, and hyaluronic acid that leaves skin glowy, even, and bright.
“There’s one skincare product I’ve ever truly splurged on, and it’s the cult-favorite SkinCeuticals CE Feurilic. Unfortunately, it is absolutely as good as they say and made my skin look glowing and incredible every single day—but it’s an insane amount of money. I tried this after hearing that it had a similar ingredient list to CE Ferulic, and after going through multiple bottles of both formulas, I can say the results I get are very similar, and this one is literally around an eighth of the price. I notice a difference with this product very quickly after I start using it and feel the void of it as soon as I stop.” —Madeline Galassi, Fashion Editor
“I’m a sucker for serums, but this is by far one of my must-haves because I noticed a lasting glow and extra hydration (even on dry winter skin). It felt like my skin absorbed the serum flawlessly, but it kept my skin moisturized and even a little dewy throughout the entire day. Plus, the antioxidants work. I noticed a seriously brightened complexion after using it consistently for a couple weeks, while the hyaluronic acid made sure the winter weather didn’t totally dry out my skin. But the best part? I loved using it in the mornings because I got all the benefits of the glow and hydration, but it didn’t rub off or get sticky with makeup application like other serums. In fact, I used it as a primer because I swear it helped my makeup go on smoother. 10/10 recommend.” —Josie Santi, Wellness Editor
“There’s not much more I can say that Madeline and Josie haven’t already, but I will say this: as a beauty writer, I almost never repurchase anything. My backlist of products to try is far too long to ever commit to using a product fully and then buying it over again. (Heck, it’s even a lot for me to use something up at this point.) But this product was the first in my tenure at The Everygirl that I’ve bought over and over again. The glow I get from this serum is worth throwing my beauty writer duties to the wind—and that’s something you won’t catch me saying often.” —Beth Gillette, Beauty Content Manager
Per my dermatologist's instruction, I just switched from using tretinoin (often known as Retin-A) to tazarotene (another prescription retinoid). I was a little nervous at first because I loved how smooth and plump tretinoin made my skin look, so I opted to incorporate a retinal serum about once a week. Retinal is the closest you can get to Retin-A over the counter, and in a few uses, I noticed a difference with this product. I am 25 and started to focus on anti-aging, and this has been a game changer. Unlike other retinol formulas I’ve tried, this leaves my skin looking quite glowy rather than dull and dry from all the irritation—thanks to ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and squalane that nourish skin. If you’re looking for a do-it-all serum for anti-aging, acne, reducing texture, and hydrating skin, this has you covered.
—Beth Gillette, Beauty Content Manager
My toxic trait is that I am addicted to harsh peels, treatments, and exfoliators. I love nothing more than feeling like I’m sloughing off a layer of skin for a smooth, baby-like complexion, even if it causes irritation, redness, or pain (AKA exactly what you should avoid when it comes to skincare). So this retinol was the perfect product for me because it's a retinol, so it’s powerful enough to give me noticeable results (hello, baby-soft skin!) but still gentle enough that I didn’t get any irritation or redness with it. While I have combination skin that only occasionally errs on the side of sensitive (mostly just weather-related), Maelove claims that the Stargaze Retinol is gentle enough for people with even sensitive skin thanks to the calming and hydrating ingredients in addition to the brightening and glow-boosting retinol. I also noticed this product was great at keeping my skin clear of acne (even through period breakouts) while boosting glow and staying hydrated. Win, win, win!
—Josie Santi, Wellness Editor
Even though I use a prescription retinoid for my acne, I like to add an AHA/BHA exfoliating treatment at least once a week to help get rid of all that dead skin and just leave my skin feeling extra smooth. Nothing leaves my forehead as smooth as an AHA exfoliator, and I stand by that. This one is so easy to use, and I notice absolutely no irritation, stinging, or redness when I use it. The formula contains a slew of hydrating ingredients—like argan oil, grape seed, hyaluronic acid, aloe, and more—that moisturize and soothe skin while lactic, tartaric, glycolic, and salicylic acid get to work on texture. When I really want my skin to look good the next morning, this is my secret weapon.
—Beth Gillette, Beauty Content Manager
My skin has been going through it during this Chicago winter, and when our beauty editor suggested that I add in this hydrating serum, I was more than willing to give it a go. I started adding this lightweight yet intensely hydrating serum to my morning and night routines a few weeks ago, and let me tell you: This stuff packs a punch. I feel like adding this piece to my normal skincare routine has given me a one up on the coldest, driest season of the year, and for that, I’m a forever fan.
—Ashley Selleke, Branded Content Editor
I should preface this by stating that after using this product, I discovered that high concentrations of niacinamide break me out—which was a devastating loss for my skin because niacinamide is a powerhouse ingredient for calming irritated skin (think redness, itchiness, etc.), reducing the appearance of large pores, and smoothing out skin texture.
That said, before I discovered that fact, I used this every single night for months without fail. It has a light texture that could work with any skin type (meaning it won’t be too heavy for oily skin or drying for dry skin), and you can actually feel it immediately soothe skin as you apply it. When I first started tretinoin, this was a godsend for alleviating that harsh irritation and redness.
—Beth Gillette, Beauty Content Manager
Creams:
This is Maelove’s newest product, and it became a staple in my routine after using it just one time. I have combination skin, and in the mornings, after I layer all my serums and moisturizer and sunscreen, I have to use so much powder on my face to tone down the shine if I put makeup on. So I prefer to use a daytime moisturizer that is really lightweight and has a natural, soft finish on the skin, and this hit the nail on the head. It leaves my skin feeling just moisturized enough, but it never, ever gets greasy or too glowy for my liking (I didn’t think that was a possibility until my skin veered oily, but I get it now).
—Beth Gillette, Beauty Content Manager
If you have dry skin and are afraid of the horrors acid exfoliation might do to your skin (been there), a product like this is perfect for you. It’s a glycolic acid exfoliant suspended in a lightweight, moisturizing cream you can apply before bed. Not only does it make your skin feel more soft and moisturized while it exfoliates, but it also combines two steps in one. Genius? I think so. I actually used this primarily on my body as a moisturizer on my keratosis pilaris, and it made my skin feel smooth and soft in one step.
—Beth Gillette, Beauty Content Manager
Oils:
Back in December, I walked into The Everygirl office and asked Beth what I needed to fix my skin that was already dry and dehydrated from the cold before the real Chicago winter even hit. She told me to try this face oil, and since then, I have been a moisturized queen. I added it as a last step to my nighttime skincare routine, and I wake up dewier because of it. Maelove calls this oil the “ultimate skin indulgence,” and I couldn’t agree more.
—Jessica Jones, Social Media Editor