Archived Post
If you could only use one brand for skincare, which would it be?
Origins! The formulas work for me, they have good variety, and not too pricey.
— Christine
Explore Temptalia
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Compare Any Two
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
122 Comments
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
Comments on this post are closed.
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
Estee Lauder! They’re skincare products never disappoint me. The Advanced Night Repair Serum is superb!
I’ve used EL skincare especially Advanced Night Repair for close to 20 yrs, and am more than happy with the results.
COSRX, for sure! Everything I’ve tried from them has been a hit for my skin.
Definitely, best brand I’ve tried!
Murad!!! It’s all so good!
I use a variety of brands cherry picking what works for me so no way to settle on just one brand. I will say that most of my skin care does come from Korean/Asian brands and specifically Laneige, Tatcha, Heimish and Sulwhasoo. I have very dry skin and have hyperpigmentation from sun worshipping back in the day, LOL.
If I made bank I’d own everything from Sulwhasoo. They are soooo good. <3 Have you tried Laneige's lip sleeping mask? Fabulous product. (If you haven't tried it, make sure you order from SK, all the American retailers I've seen selling it double the price. I recommend Alice at W2Beauty, she is a gem and always gives wonderful freebies.)
Kimberly, you’re killin’ me here, gurl! LoL!
Ugh. I seriously do not have much, if any product overlap. At all. Basically a different brand for just about every single one of my skincare products in my regimen. I just don’t know. Which I have to do because I have sensitive eyes for eye cream/serum and same for my angst ridden skin.
Murad!
La Mer
Paula’s Choice. Best I’ve ever tried. Reasonably priced and has lots of options.
Ditto. Isn’t it great?
Yes, I would have to say the same if I was forced! Lol!
This would be my pick too except I can’t use their facial spf. But everything else (I already use the niacinamide booster, retinol booster, bha 4, radiance renewal mask daily and keep bha9 and the 5% benzoyl peroxide handy).
Murad for sure!!! I swear by their Age Reform line for my acne prone since its full of great ingredients like beta carotene and glycolic acid. Also their spot lightening treatment and invisible cover SPF are amazing!! Dermatologica is my 2nd choice. Their cleansers are out of this world.
Institut Esthederm, but since it’s impossible to find in the US, I would pick Peter Thomas Roth. I’ve liked everything I’ve tried so far. They really work on their textures to make the products pleasant to use. Algenist is also a contender but I haven’t tried enough products to really know the brand well enough.
Definitely First Aid Beauty. I use a bunch of their stuff, and my particular skin type- very sensitive, quite dry, and with some rosacea, reacts really well to their products. I would love to throw a few Origins, Kiehl’s, PTR, or Body Shop products in with that, but if it came down to one brand, definitely FAB
Also, Christine, which Origins products are your personal faves?
I use A Perfect World SPF25 for day, Ginzing for night usually. I also like Night-a-mins (night cream), Make a Difference (night cream), Three Party Harmony (night).
Yikes, this is a really hard question! Much harder than the makeup ones tbh. I think Omorovicza – it works consistently for me, is gentle for my sensitive skin and there’s enough variety in the range to suit most of my needs. Awfully difficult question though!
Paula’s Choice or Clinique.
Cosrx! ?
I use a real mish mash of products and I’d be happy using any one of them “exclusively”, I guess – Clarins, Bosica, Fresh, Shiseido, Jouviance or Origins. But I’d have to keep my beloved Eucerin Q10 cream as well and 2 creams from Alpha Hydrox.
Clarins. I love their Cleansing Milk with Alpine Herbs 🙂
I’m not wedded to a skin care line. If there was ever a place to find snake oil sold as the fountain of youth, that’s the place to look. I use Kiehl’s for the same reason Christine uses Origins. It cares for my skin properly, I love the way it feels, not super pricey.
Will any skin care line change things dramatically? My feeling is after a certain age, real skin care means medical intervention to see any significant anti-aging — botox and filler particularly. There is no skin care on the market than can turn back the hands of time like that. Personally, I am not into surgery, but if that works for people I say go for it. But to think a cream in a bottle will counteract sagging and the natural lines that comes with age, my experience has shown me that ain’t gonna happen. 🙂
Veritas, says the reader who is older than you, but still battling acne, along with aging.
ditto
Same, KJH. 57 y.o. with breakout prone skin and blackhead issues, combo skin, beginning to get the dreaded turkey neck, have some deep naso-labial lines and the angry 11 in between my eyes.
So true. I am in my late 50’s and I am very skeptical of any line’s claims. I have used Paula’s Choice exfoliators and like them, Neutrogena cleansers, toners and sunscreens. I currently like Japanese sunscreens. I got a sample pack of various Laneige products and despite all the raves I am meh especially about the Water Sleeping Mask.
Last couple years I have moved to a lot of MUAC at home peels and serums. Fair price point and they do improve the look of my skin.
But at my age I have seen tons of claims and agree there is a LOT of snake oil out there.
Hi Claire!
High five! I so hear you. I do think there are lines that “agree” with skin types more than others. That’s true in my personal experience at least. But “agreeing with my skin type” is an ocean away from fulfilling anti-aging claims. I know I thought they were one and the same for many years and mucho dinero later. The deal breaker for me was Caudelie.
I tell my friends to find that skin line than enhances and plays nice with their epidermis, save pennies, and go medical — once you reach that certain age. 🙂
I am 62 with still beautiful skin. i have been using MUAC since I was 40, and shudder to think what my skin would look like today if I had not been diligent with their superb line of pharmeceutical products. Their skincare products are the only ones I put on my face, and their cosmetics, altho limited, are pretty superb as well.
Well, kjh and AB, that just plain sucks.
My aging skin is so reactive and weird (acne prone, wrinkles, dry patches, enlarged pores, and sensitivity to fragrances or anything the least bit harsh), that I practically jump for joy when a product line just doesn’t make it worse. When I see a little bit of actual *improvement*, well I’m hardly safe to sit by! By far, I’ve had the best luck with Paula’s Choice products. They don’t promise the moon, and I don’t get it from them. I just now have skin that looks and feels a little better than it did before I started using the brand.
No doubt Estée Lauder. I’m yet to try a bad product from them and I already use them for most steps of my skincare.
Anything with alcohol denat or plant /synthetic fragrances. So I’d go with Cera Ve or Olay. They don’t break the bank and they work.
Love CeraVe cleanser for sensitive skin. Such a treat for my skin.
*WITHOUT *
I’d use Makeup Artist’s Choice/Bell Evolve. I really need actives as part of my skincare routine, and MUAC has a ton of options at really reasonable prices (their at-home chemical peels are inexpensive and not scary to use). They also have a wide range so I’m confident I could find all the steps I needed in their line.
That being said, I’m relieved I don’t have to make this decision for real. My skincare is from all different brands, based on extensive trial and error. It would be hard to have to start over.
I can’t pick just one; just can’t. The set of products I use has developed over time and I find it tricky to switch out even one product most times. Cerave, Kiehls, Jack Black and Philosophy are main brands for every day products; SK-II and La Prairie for special, more occasional uses; and, also a couple of prescription products.
I just couldn’t do it! I don’t think even two of my skincare products are from the same brand and I’m very particular!
It would have to be Yonka. While there are categories of skincare where there are other lines hat have the odd product that I prefer occasionally, Yonka is just so overall great and highly active with specific items to be combined for cocktailing according to whatever your skin happens to be going through. They also recognize he changes skin goes through seasonally, hormonally and emotionally. Other favourites are Sisley, Sunday Riley, Darphin, Pro-derm and Dr. Haushka. As a very general rule I find he best skincare comes from lines where that is all they do, ☺️
Ooh, this is hard! It’d probably have to be Ole Henriksen. I adore their On The Go cleanser and their Truth Serum, so I know that generally speaking their formulas work for me. The Belif True Cream Aqua Bomb is one of my favorite skincare products but I don’t know that other Belif products work for me, so I’d definitely say Ole Henriksen.
Goodness. I use the On The Go cleanser also!!! I stumbled into it by asking if there were any cleansers with a citrus scent. I really love it. I am loyal to that cleanser.
It’s such a great cleanser! It’s the only one I’ve used that’s non-drying, cleanses well, and doesn’t break me out! Well worth the money for me. I’m concerned that they’ve stopped selling it on Sephora. I’m terrified that they’re discontinuing it! It’s still available on Dermstore though.
What???? Going to check now. Thanks for letting me know about DermaStore. A friend once sold Arbonne and their Re9 cleanser is better and has a nicer (stronger) citrus scent. I really hate pyramid sales and am impulsive. I like to buy what I want when I want it without 3 layers of women making profit. If they were in stores, I would use it. At $40ish for a similar size, though, it isn’t twice as good. It does smell 2x better but I am buying skincare vs. Perfume.
Bobbi brown, I am in love with their skincare range! But that would be a too expensive routine for me so I like to buy one or two skincare products from them sometimes.
Alpha-H I think. Own the most products from them by far.
Osea Malibu. All natural, no animal products or testing, no synthetic chemicals. Their products really really work and they have something for every skin type.
Clinique has worked for me for 10+ years, I love it. I also love the brightening peel pads from Sanitas Skincare.
Philosophy
Skinceuticals. I know they’re pricey, but it works well on my skin and lasts a very long time, not to mention the potent ingredients that work well on my acne-prone skin.
They have a really good mask.
Either Mario Badescu or Peter Thomas Roth, for sure. Their products are the only ones that seem to make a noticeable difference for me (and I’ve tried everyyyything!). It seems like most other things I try either break me out or don’t really do anything.
Probably The Face Shop or Innisfree.
I like a lot of their products and have repurchased some products which is rare since I tend to try a lot.
I just can’t choose one because I love both brands a lot. I’m so glad my friend introduced me to Korean skincare because those two especially have helped with keeping my super dry chin under control.
Definitely Paula’s Choice. I do have other brands as well (Origins for charcoal masks, Dr. Dennis Gross for Ferulic+Retinol, Peter Thomas Roth for Retinol PM, Clarins for toner, Cerave moisturizer, Algenist for Vit C and Firming and Lifting serum, etc) but the bulk of my skincare routine is Paula’s Choice. Nothing has ever worked as well for me. I use her toners (favorite is Resist Repair), exfoliants (Resist BHA 2%/4% foam/9% ER depending. AHA cream and liquid also depending), cleansers (favorite is the Resist one, if you’re sensing a pattern haha), treatments/boosters (vitamin C, Niacinimide, brightening, antioxidant serum, HA booster, etc), and eye cream. Effective, researched, skin-safe, skin-communicable ingredients that I can pair well with each other.
Simple, by far! It is super affordable and amazing for dry skin!
Deciem. But of course I’m cheating since they’re the parent company of several brands 😉
Just googled in the last few days. Admit intrigue and attraction. Niod and others do not subscribe to low pH? Find that odd. Think I’ve adopted a low pH lifestyle, for the better. The philosophies seem sensible.
The only NIOD I’m using right now is the eye serum. I have an order of the Hylamide set coming tomorrow to switch for the morning (currently using the Ordinary HA serum). Will keep using the Ordinary Retinoid and Rose Hip Oil at night. All I can say is my skin loves their stuff. It’s the first brand(s) that I’ve been able to use for months that not only improves my skin but also doesn’t cause eventual breakouts (like the REN and Estee Lauder eventually did). Their family of brands keeps coming out with new things. I suspect if you’re looking for low Ph, that might be on the horizon at some point.
They do use acid toners in the Ordinary range, there are lactic acid toners, here’s one: http://ordinaries.com/product/rdn-lactic-acid-5pct-ha-2pct-30ml
I use their serums and love them!!!
Skinceuticals
Omorovicza, although not sure I could continue to afford it!
I have recently become obsessed with all things Tatcha after trying out the bestsellers kit from Sephora. The Supple Moisture Rich Silk Cream is insane… I am now constantly feeling my face all day because of how soft it feels. I have already purchased a full size and I am slowly trying out more of the products (since they are a bit pricier than I typically spend). I also have a long time love for First Aid Beauty, but a few of the products have not played nice with my skin recently (I love the Ultra Repair Cream and the overnight Eye Cream, but the Hydra-Firm Sleeping Cream and Illuminating Moisturizer were both misses for me).
Either CeraVe or Paula’s Choice (though I don’t care for either brand’s sunscreen formula).
FAB, very easily. Everything I used from them works exceptionally well. I was using their cleanser, ultra repair cream and exfoliating pads together for s while and skin was at its absolute best with no dullness, texture issues or blemishes. (I don’t have any acne, just small blemishes mostly due clogged pores and some rough texture if my skin is ignored.) I try new products to see if I like anything better, so far I haven’t found anything.
I like their triple eye duty as well (thanks to Wendy’s suggestion on this blog!). The only essential products that I don’t have my favorited from them are suncreen and maybe a face oil. I could skip the oil as I very rarely need it.
Does anybody like their spf products?
Yep!!! I am on my 4th tube of their Pure Mineral Sunscreen Moisturizer spf40. I love that it doesn’t make my skin freak out or anything, plus keeps the suns rays off of my face and neck out here in this AZ desert. Great for my Lupus afflicted and eczema prone skin.
Thanks for the comment Nancy! I normally use the Neutrogena Clear Face liquid sunscreen lotion which has spf 30, and it is the one sunscreen I have found that does not clog my pores.
I would not mind using higher spf at all. Perhaps I should the Pure Mineral Sunscreen and then I can only shop from FAB.
Definitely Shea Moisture. It’s affordable, accessible, and cruelty free. Plus it’s the only skincare that’s really worked well for me. Love it!
Hmm…this is tough because I use many skincare brands, most of them from South Korea because they work and aren’t stupid expensive. However, I guess I’d have to go with Missha overall. They aren’t too expensive, their products are very accessible, and they have some of my HG products. I always recommend them to anyone wanting to break into SK skincare because I have yet to use a bad product.
Mary Kay or Burt’s Bees. As much as I love Korres and Fresh they’re just a little too expensive to be my exclusive daily routine.
I would choose Algenist they sell at Sephora and Ulta but on their website they have a points reward program and you save a lot of money that way.I don’t think many people know about the points program on their site.All the products of theirs that I have used for over two weeks I love they work and you can see the results.
Definitely Paula’s Choice. I appreciate that they’ve put the research into using ingredients that work at the right amounts and pH levels, and the correct packaging to preserve their effectiveness. Yet the products remain at a reasonable price. And no irritating fragrance!
Paula is #1, despite some iffyness, uprating their own products versus others, etc. most work well, and I’m skin challenged. It is easy to check ingredients and other product’s ingredients…and I’m massively ingredient challenged. Better than brain challenged. PC is very firm, let me say rigid, on their general principles, so anything with fragrance or alcohol is an automatic low grade. That’s too broad a statement. Fragrance and etoh don’t bother everyone. But avoiding them is not a bad thing for me. #2 is Cosrx. Inexpensive, and taking over a lot of Paula products. The galactomyces is noted as a good sub for SKIi. Love the low pH cleanser. Have ~5 Cosrx. use both Paula and Cosrx bhas daily…about 4 times. Runners up are Mizon and Innisfree. Mizon’s snail recovery gel cream is the bomb. Anything occlusive generally breaks me out.
I have the same concerns about Paula’s Choice – it seems a bit too much self-preservation and it puts me off.
Peter Thomas Roth, This line has turned my skin around.
At the moment, Tatcha. Skin is dynamic and its needs change with the seasons and with the years and, consequently, that means my preferred skin care essentials also change to keep my skin in tip top condition.
OOH this is tough. I’d go with Aveeno because they have EVERYTHING for my skin while my two runner ups Josie Maran and Boscia has some misses for me.
Cerave
This one I cannot pick; I’m all about mixing and matching my skincare for the best results! At best, I can narrow down to 3 brands (but we’re pushing it!) Chantecaille, Sunday Riley and SK-II. I really don’t like this game!!!
Know how you feel. I had these. Only also Dr Dennis Gross. SK II are great too. Too hard.
Drunk Elephant – no fragrance and their C-Firma has transformed my skin into a glowy amazingness
I’m an old Clinique girl. Their products work for me and do not aggravate my sensitive skin. I also like a few products from Origins.
paulas choice. i like the whole bundle with their beautypedia and well explained ingredientlists. my whole own “research” lead me to the same conclusions as paulas choice. and they have an easy distribution in europe, proper website in different languages. and my skin likes it.
but i am always curious for other brands, the whole korean/asian market looks very interesting, distribution isn’t easy yet. the european market is definitely not very easy accessible. and i don’t like to order from awkward ebay-retailers.
well, things need to stay exiting 🙂
Probably Clinique
Lise Watier-I already use several of their products and they work for me. I love that the company is Canadian, uses many unique Canadian ingredients (such as Labrador Tea) and manufactures mostly in Canada.
Like almost everyone here, I like different products from different brands. But, I honestly think I could get by on my Walgreens (Studio 35) house brand products…then I could get dupes for almost everything Walgreens sells in name brands. Out of those, the ones I have rebought after finishing are Olay and Garnier.
Just recently, I was talking with my daughter-in-law’s mother and she mentioned how her skin had never looked better since she started using the Walgreens Studio 35 and she had been a die hard Mary Kay user for years! I never knew Walgreens had their own line of skin care.
It’s just generic versions of name brands. You will find them next to their corresponding name brand product in similar packaging, normally with a tag that says “compare and save” showing you the difference in price between their product and the similar name brand. CVS and Walmart do this too, but I work for Walgreens so I get a discount on these products as well.
That’s a tough question because I change around my skincare products and, like you Christine, I don’t want them to be too pricey because I go through so much. Currently I am using Dr. Lewinn’s Serum, Night Moisturising cream and milk cleanser for mature skin and it is pretty good. I also like Olay Regenerist and I want to try CeraVe too.
My definite product is the Physicians Formula Argon Oil – which is just as good as Josie Maran’s but a quarter of the price.
I LOVE Dr. Denese!
Have tried many starting in my early 20’s with Estee Lauder, then ( in no particular order) Borghese, Chanel, Shiseido, RoC, L’Oreal, but I always come back to LaMer and especially their serum and that’s where I am staying. Cleared my skin from a horrible reaction to Shiseido “Future Solutions”.
Paula’s Choice. It just works and there are Mr. Rebates and eBates too
Elemis. I love to experiment with different brands, but Elemis has worked for me in a way that nothing else has at this stage of my life. I love it. Expensive but I love it.
Le Metier de Beaute! It’s pricey but worth every penny.
One Sunday Riley oh gosh Dr Denis Gross. It’s so hard there are so many good brans. Also love Chantecaille. I give up.
Carols Daughter oil cream. Very liquidy and goes on slightly greasy but absorbs in and leaves face dewey. Eventually soaking all the way in. Face feels wonderful when I wake up.
Mary kay
Clarins.
I am answering before reading comments because sometimes the way others interpret the questions will sway me. Assuming “skincare” means everything, I choose Sonicare. I don’t exactly love their cleansers, etc but the machine exfoliates so well, even drugstore products would work well. Your skin absorbs moisture better with its use. I am not brand loyal with products but at present, I love Skin Inc and am experimenting with cleanser.
Lancer, I have amazing results. It’s a spare product line, not too crazy expensive and people get nice results in about 2/3 weeks.
La Mer for sure!
Paula’s Choice, absolutely no contest. Everything in the “Resist” line works very well for my “complicated skin,” and the brand relies more on effective ingredients than gimmicks or fancy packaging.
Hard question since like most people I use different products from different brands! There are 3 brands that I’d happily just stick to if I had to stick to just one, they are La Roche Posay, Monu or Korres. I have sensitive reactive skin and these are nice products that suit it which is a tall order!
Hmmm……the only brand I can think of that I love ALL their products for my dry, mature, and slightly sun damaged skin is Murad. I like Elizabeth Arden and Estee Lauder but their products have too much scent for my liking. CeraVE is unscented and well formulated but not rich enough for my dry skin. I’m trying a line now from a dermatologist in Utah I really like called TrueLipids though.
Definitely Paula’s Choice! They have products for every skin type and skin issue. Their products are super high quality and not too expensive.
I have yet to find a skin care line that gives me what I need from every product in their line. I have to use a night cream from here and a moisturizer from there, Having said that, I recently moved to the DHC skin care line and am finding satisfaction with almost every product I’ve tried. My fingers are crossed!
I love DHC cleansing oil, its the bomb
L’Oréal Revitalift, Eucerin Q10, Cera Vé. These three I like!
Beware of the Regenerist (forgot who makes it?) in red jar it gave a red rash on my cheeks I stopped using it at all.
Boscia, Fresh, Tarte (sunscreen), sometimes I also use Neutrogena stuff w. Retinol in it. Hmmm, I also like La Roche Posay.
Paula’s Choice!
COSRX
La Roche Posay. Their products are for sensitive / intolérant skin and the Hydraphase sérum saved my skin from dehydration. In fact, I use only this brand for my skincare routine and biological floral water.
Paula’s Choice! The majority of the products are unscented, there isn’t any woo or bogus claims, and the ingredients conform to current research and citation standards.
Just wish they actually sold it in my area instead of having to order online once or twice a year.
I’ve just started using some products from The Ordinary, I saw others mentioning the brand.
If I had to chose today it would have to be Guerlaine, I have and love some of their products. they are pricy but the things I’ve tried have really worked.
Paula’s Choice. It’s the only brand that has every kind of skin care product that I use (cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen, BHA, AHA, antioxidants C, E, ferrulic, niacinamide, retinol) in formulations suitable for sensitive skin. And the prices are reasonable! I would miss some products from First Aid Beauty, CeraVe, Josie Maran, and ColorSciences, but none of these fill all my skin-care needs…
Paula’s Choice!
I agree, Christine! I have dry and super sensitive skin, and I’ve tried out so many brands before trying out Origins.
SK-II
When I can afford it Eminence. I have dry sensitive skin and try and stick with the natural stuff. I really like my Andalou 1000 roses line and First Aid beauty. My favorite cleanser is DHC cleansing oil.
Origins.
If Sunday Riley had a moisturizing essence, I’d say Sunday Riley. I’m really torn between them and Fresh right now.