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The Ultimate Skin-Care Guide

Wish your complexion would make an about-face? Just rely on these essential creams and cleansers — tested by women like you and handpicked for your skin type

The Ultimate Skin-Care Guide
Ericka McConnell
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Best Skin-Care Products for Normal Skin
Your skin is neither too oily nor too dry, and you rarely break out or experience redness. Your pores are small (practically invisible), and though an occasional blemish may surface, it’s usually tied to your period.

Best Regimen: Cleanse and moisturize daily with gentle, basic products. Look for those with antioxidants, which fight free-radical damage and stave off the signs of aging. You might also consider adding retinoids or vitamin C to your routine several times a week to boost collagen production, says Ava Shamban, a dermatologist in Santa Monica. Finally, don’t forget moisturizer — one with sunscreen for the day and one without SPF at night.

Cleanser
  • Winner: Fresh Soy Face Cleanser, $38, www.fresh.com. A hit for its “creamy texture” and soy proteins, which keep skin tones even.
  • Runner-Up: Skyn Iceland Glacial Face Wash, $30.


  • Moisturizer with SPF
  • Winner: Lancôme Aqua Fusion Cream SPF 15, $37, www.lancome-usa.com. Airy in consistency, this lotion offers moisture without greasiness.
  • Runner-Up: Elizabeth Arden Daily Moisture Lotion SPF 15, $37.


  • Moisturizer without SPF
  • Winner: L’Occitane Olive Radiance Moisturizing Cream, $36, usa.loccitane.com. Olive oil makes the cream “incredibly nourishing but surprisingly light.”
  • Runner-Up: Philosophy Hope in a Jar World Famous Moisturizer, $38.


  • Eye Product
  • Winner: Vichy Oligo 25 Eyes Anti-Fatigue Cooling Effect Stick, $20 at drugstores. Containing the skin-firming mineral manganese, this gel made testers look refreshed.
  • Runner-Up: Benefit Eyecon, $28.


  • Night Treatment
  • Winner: Origins High Potency Night-a-Mins Moisture Cream, $33, www.origins.com. A “thick but not greasy” blend of the antioxidant vitamins C, E, and A makes normal skin even more supple.
  • Runner-Up: Be Fine Food Skin Care Night Cream with Cocoa, Millet & Rice Bran, $20.


  • Specialty Product
  • Winner: Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Daily Regenerating Serum, $13 at drugstores. This anti-aging vitamin C serum gave a boost of radiance to testers, who loved its botanical fragrance, too.
  • Runner-Up: Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum, $19.


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