Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.
Yes, skincare can be a basic necessity, but it can also make a great gift. After all, who wouldn’t want to get that fancy face cream or luxe body butter that they normally wouldn’t buy for themselves? Plus, it’s practical, too—you have to moisturize, people.
Ahead, the best gifts that will please every skincare junkie on your list, from your Sephora-obsessed sister to your face mask-loving friend.
Byrdie HQ is collectively obsessed with this chemical peel and its results. It clears clogged pores and brightens the skin like no other, thanks to a hard-hitting blend of fruit AHAs, BHAs, and enzymes. Dull skin will literally transform in front of your eyes, making this treatment worth every last penny.
Facial fanatics will appreciate this tool, which uses ultrasonic vibrations to deeply decongest pores, clearing out blackheads, whiteheads, and other gunk and grime. It also pulls double-duty, improving the penetration of any active ingredient in the products you’re using.
Effective yet gentle, this peel is a favorite amongst beauty editors and skincare fanatics. This at-home version of the doctor's uber-popular peels comes in two steps and only takes a few minutes.
We have yet to meet someone who hasn’t used this brand’s cult-classic face cream and gotten hooked, and this body variant is equally as addicting. It boasts the same proprietary technology that helps your cells repair and regenerate, helping to improve the look of everything from cellulite to stretch marks. All while delivering the perfect amount of moisture, of course.
Fans of skincare tools and DIY treatments alike will go gaga for this dual-ended device. Start with the derma roller side, which has minuscule, hypoallergenic stainless steel needles to maximize product absorption. Then use the rose quartz side to help reduce inflammation and tension in spots like under your eyes and around your temples.
This brand’s OG product is a veritable Internet sensation—at one point it had a waitlist of 20,000, so snatch it up while you can. The namesake ingredient detoxifies and purifies, and the formula is also packed with Kakadu plum, the world’s richest source of good-for-your-skin vitamin C.
This do-it-all skin saver has the same hydrating benefits of the best-selling OG Lano ointment, but with added manuka honey and vitamin E to further up its moisturizing prowess. Dab it on dry patches on your face body, chapped lips, rough cuticles, you name it, to lock in hydration for up to 48 hours.
The beauty world went nuts when Rihanna launched her makeup brand Fenty Beauty, and even more so when she recently expanded into the skincare space. The streamlined range features just three products, including this toner-serum hybrid that minimizes the look of pores and tamps down sheen, but also hydrates with its gel texture.
Okay, so maybe you can’t gift someone a trip to Greece, but here’s a nice consolation prize. The complete set comes with five of the brand’s top skincare essentials—cleanser, serum, gel-cream, elixir, and sleeping mask—all taking a cue from the country’s best ingredients.
If glowing skin is on your holiday wish list, this carefully-curated set (by a dermatologist, no less) from Dermstore is a one-way ticket. It features skin-brightening favorites from Obagi, SkinCeuticals, Lancer, and more—a $200 value you can snag for just $75.
We’re all for face rolling, but mark our words, everyone is going to be about fascia stimulating come 2021. Unlike rolling, using this tool not only boosts circulation and gets the blood flowing to tamp down swelling and increase radiance, but it also moves the fascia connective tissue in the skin to help stimulate collagen production for an extra youth-boosting benefit.
We’re big fans of this brand’s body offerings, and their latest, this luscious hand cream is equally as pleasing. It’s packed with peptides, vitamins, and fatty acids to both nourish and protect, all in a hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, and fast-absorbing formula.
These iconic bars have been best-sellers for a long time, but they recently got an eco-friendly makeover. All three of the variants—sea mud deep cleansing for oily skin, phelityl cleansing for dry skin, and white marble cleansing for discolored skin—now come wrapped in fully-recyclable parchment paper and with no plastic.
With this revolutionary tool, you (or a friend!) can enjoy the benefits of microdermabrasion from the comfort of the couch. We're talking a reduced appearance of dark spots, wrinkles, and enlarged pores, plus a brighter skin tone and more refined texture with continued use over time. Now tell us, who would be unhappy with a gift like that?
Here’s a perfect gift for anyone who loves skincare, but likes to keep their routine simple and streamlined. The innovative formula is a serum-moisturizer combo, that, as the name suggests, has a slushy-like texture and packs the benefits of both hydrating hyaluronic acid and anti-aging bakuchiol. Also noteworthy: The bottle is the world’s first fully-recyclable pump bottle.
We know what you’re thinking—since when is sunscreen gift-worthy? Well, we think this unique formula most certainly is. The featherweight SPF spritz can go on or over makeup and is sure to please both sun care aficionados and those who still haven’t hopped on the sunscreen bandwagon alike.
Seventeen natural oils are blended together in this do-it-all formula, which can be used, quite literally, from head to toe. Not only does it work beautifully on the face, neck, and décolleté, it’s choice for using elsewhere on the body, and is an excellent dry hair treatment as well. And in true Oribe fashion, it also smells amazing, lightly citrusy and lemony.
Straddling the line between skincare and makeup, this is the product to try for those looking to achieve the trendy ‘glass skin’ effect. Infused with passion fruit and marula oils, the gloss looks gorgeous dabbed onto bare skin, but can also be mixed in with moisturizer and/or foundation, too.
We’ve had dermatologists tell us time and time again that a serum is one of the best skincare products you can buy when it comes to getting a big bang for your buck. There’s certainly no shortage of serums out there, but we appreciate that this new brand is doing serums and serums alone. Choose from a curated line-up of five formulas, each tailored for specific complexion concerns and boasting carefully-chosen active ingredients to address those issues.
While a cleanser may not seem like the most obvious or special skincare gift, it’s undeniably practical. This particular pick is definitely gift-worthy, both for the effective and non-stripping gel-to-oil formula just as much as it is for the chic and minimalistic packaging.
Also in the vein of practical skincare gifts, eye patches are choice to reach for on sleepy mornings or before a big event. These are special enough to gift, touting the same ingredients found in the brand’s other beloved Advanced Night Repair products to help leave the eye area brighter and smoother in as little as 10 minutes.
Stash these babies in the freezer and you’ll have an instant skin pick-me-up at the ready whenever you need it. Roll them over your face and neck to tamp down puffiness, minimize the look of prominent pores, decrease inflammation—you name it, they can pretty much do it. We also appreciate that these particular ones, unlike many others, are smartly-designed with hand grips to keep your fingers from freezing.
A gift that will also do good for the environment? We’re all for that. Enter this newbie, an entirely reusable cotton round that’s made from 70% wood fiber and 30% organic cotton (both sustainably sourced). Unlike many other ones on the market that feel more like cloth, this has the same feel of a traditional, single-use pad—but can be washed and reused over and over for removing makeup and/or applying toners or serums. Just one of these replaces 1000 single-use cotton pads, drastically minimizing waste.
This brand’s body oil is a go-to for Byrdie’s VP/GM Leah Wyar, and also nabbed a coveted Byrdie Eco Beauty Award, so we were more than excited when they launched a face variant. The 100% natural formula is jam-packed with 22 active seed oils, meant to not only impart (non-greasy) hydration but also deliver anti-aging benefits. Plus, how pretty is the packaging?
Even just a tiny dab of this translucent, lightweight balm instantly delivers a gorgeous gleam. Infused with jojoba oil, it’s nice and hydrating and can easily be used on its own, though it also works beautifully dabbed over powder makeup.
This New York City-based skincare spot is all about wrinkle prevention and treatment. Along with Botox injections, they also offer customized consults to help you find the perfect prescription retinoid. And don’t worry, your recipient doesn’t have to be in NYC; these gift cards can also be used for virtual consults and spent on product.
A true treat for your complexion, this mask —which does in fact have a beautiful golden hue—is packed with cold-pressed oils, plant-based antioxidants, and revitalizing skin-loving minerals. It’s choice for calming inflammation in stressed skin, but also works to increase radiance and brighten, too.
This trio is not only cute, but it’s also super practical. You get three scents of the brand’s best-selling body butter (citrus and mint, eucalyptus and lavender, and almond and vanilla), all in travel-friendly size that are great for on-the-go.
A true treat for skin, this plant-based cream is rich and luscious, the perfect antidote to parched spots anywhere on your body. An organic mango butter base imparts plenty of moisture, while a litany of different oils does everything from add even more hydration to brighten to build elasticity.
We’ve seen crystals popping up in skincare before, but this is the first product we’ve seen with this particular one, a powerful healing stone that also cools and rejuvenates the skin. Here, it’s combined with snow mushrooms and copper peptides in a serum that does everything from hydrate to brighten to calm.