Each time we twist open a new jar of moisturizer or give a fresh serum a few pumps, we feel a surge of hope—maybe this is the one that’s going to do it. Our smile lines will fade, our dark spots will ease up, our breakouts will clear. More often than not, we move on quickly to the next—maybe the lotion smelled too rose-y, the serum pilled under our sunscreen, or we didn’t get more than a burst of temporary moisture from a cream (hardly worth the price of admission). But then there are the times when the skin-care stars align—the feel, the smell, everything about the formula is so spot-on that just applying it is a win in and of itself. And after we’ve put the cap back on, things only get better from there—our skin looks different right away, and the transformation continues little by little over time.
The way we test skin care at Allure is part science-based data collection: Yes, it says it “smooths wrinkles,” but does the brand have clinicals? Does the ingredient list look promising, based on our collective decades spent interviewing chemists about the difference between capable ingredients and frivolous ones? The other part of our vetting process is more emotional: If something’s got peptides and antioxidants up the wazooo, but we’re not excited about reaching for it, or our skin just isn’t getting to where we want it to be, that’s a pass.
When the science and the spark come together in a way that’s just right, that’s when you get the 42 winners of our Allure Best of Beauty Skin awards. We’ve put these creams, spot treatments, masks, cleansers, and more to the test on our own skin—and our editors’ goals run the gamut. Some of us would like to spend less time cursing sun damage, some of us have been honing a gentle routine for managing acne for years, and some of us want to smooth without exacerbating rosacea or eczema. Now go find the most joyful, most effective skin-care routine to point your complexion in the right direction, wherever that direction is for you.
Best of Beauty Awards 2026: Skin Care
Shop your favorite category or keep scrolling for the year’s very best face creams, cleansers, and serums.
See our winners:
Best Face Cleansers
Best Oil Cleanser: Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil
Best Oil Cleanser
Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil
Why It Won: It smells a little bit herbal and feels completely silky as Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil, with 10 different oils that help soften skin, lathers up to whisk away makeup. It’s meant to be a first step in a double-cleansing routine followed by a gel formula, but frankly, it cleans well enough (and we’re just lazy enough) that we often use it on its own. Psst, if you’re a list-maker, it’s ginseng, coconut, soja, olive, camellia, and black cumin oils that are responsible for making your skin—and this cleanser—feel so good.
