The Five That Actually Earned Their Shelf Space
The skincare we've reviewed, scored highly, and kept reaching for — plus the one catch apiece, because there's always one.
Confession: I have tried an embarrassing amount of skincare. Drawerfuls. Serums that promised the moon and delivered a rash, creams that smelled of expensive disappointment. So when something scores well at Glow Lab, it isn't because I was feeling generous that day — it's because it worked, on real skin, repeatedly, like an absolute trooper. Here are the five skincare winners worth celebrating, who each one is actually for, and the small print nobody puts on the box. There's always small print, darlings.
La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5
For dry, damaged or sensitive skin that's been through the wars, this thick, soothing barrier cream thoroughly deserves its devoted following — it calms like little else. The catch: on oily skin it sits like a duvet in July, so only reach for it if you're properly parched.
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Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
If congested pores and rough texture are your nemesis, this BHA genuinely dissolves them — properly effective, not marketing-speak. Two catches, actually: mind the fakes doing the rounds, and resist the urge to overdo it; more exfoliating is emphatically not better.
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The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
A brilliantly budget hydration serum that people genuinely love and repurchase — ideal for anyone whose skin drinks moisture the way I drink tea. The catch is technique: apply it to damp skin, or it pills, flakes, and leaves you drier than when you started.
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Anti Aging
Not one product but the honest verdict: anti-ageing is sunscreen, retinol, and boringly healthy habits, and the internet already knows it. The catch? No brand will ever admit this, because there's precious no money in telling you to wear SPF and get some sleep.
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CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream
For rough, bumpy arms and legs, this salicylic acid body cream genuinely smooths things over — a body-care staple that earns every bit of its popularity. The catch: the eternal confusion about whether it belongs on your face, so settle that question before it goes anywhere near your chin.
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