Annalina's Pick
Premium Skincare, Ranked by a Biologist
All the most popular premium skincare product, ranked in order — plus why each one made the cut. Drop your email below to see the full list for free.
Here's the full list:
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Clé de Peau
S-tier$150-870
Rare heritage brand where the science matches the price. Sophisticated formulas, earns the price tag.
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Darkfin Labs
S-tier$74-120
Built on actual stem cell signaling science. Longevity Protocol serum moisturizer is a real science nerd product with their L-01™ growth factor peptides.
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Biologique Recherche
S-tier$100-195
Innovative formulation, and there's something for everyone.
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Augustinus Bader
A-tier$190-550
Cell-signaling science (TFC8) is real, but doesn't need to cost $300 for what it is.
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SKII
A-tier$190-255
Built on Pitera, a real fermented active with decades of research. You're paying for a genuinely good ingredient.
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OneSkin
A-tier$117
Great science on senescent cells, but aging is multi-faceted — the formulation works better for mature skin, so maybe skip if you're younger.
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SkinCeuticals
A-tier$150-200
Invented the vitamin C serum category, but not a complex formulation, and many dupes now exist at a fraction of the price.
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La Prairie, Chanel
B-tier$110-900
La Prairie: Paying for platinum and caviar in a beautiful jar — more ritual than science. Chanel: Good formulation that feels good on skin, but paying for the logo than results.
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La Mer, Dior
C-tier$200-370
La Mer: Their best-selling cream is basically Vaseline, and their secret complex is a seaweed they "sing to". Dior: Loaded with fragrance, the most undisclosed and toxic thing you'd want in your skincare.