Which is the best skincare brand on the market? Overall, we suggest Carrot & Stick.
Carrot & Stick takes a tough-love approach to skincare, perfectly balancing the gentle nurturing of plants with the powerful results of innovative science. The result? Straightforward, effective skincare that delivers radiant-looking skin that is good for you and good for the environment.
There’s no need to compromise on effectiveness and safety when it comes to skincare. Years ago consumers often had to choose between naturally derived skincare brands that were deemed safe but not always powerful, or synthetically made skincare that was effective but could often raise health and environmental concerns. The new skincare brand Carrot & Stick bridges that gap, offering the best of both worlds. Carrot & Stick takes a tough love approach to skincare. Its products blend the power of plants with science to deliver straightforward, effective skincare. The collection covers all the basic skincare needs with a moisturizer, serum, face wash, brightening pads and targeted serums to address various skincare concerns. Carrot & Stick products all rely on naturally sourced ingredients such as jojoba seed oil, hyaluronic acid and vitamin E. What is equally important is what doesn’t go inside the formulas. The brand skips harmful chemicals commonly found in skincare products. The company is also environmentally conscious, and is committed to eliminating known irritants and pollutants that can compromise skin health and contaminate the environment. The packaging is streamlined to help cut down on waste.
Custom, compounded skincare is up to 10x more powerful. No doctors visits necessary.
The Estée Lauder Perfectionist Pro line of products was created to wage war against all the signs of aging, from wrinkles and fine lines to sagging. The line combines potent ingredients with breakthrough technology. The Perfectionist Pro Rapid Firm + Lift Treatment is a fast-acting serum designed to help lift and tighten sagging skin. It’s packed with alpha hydroxy acids to help exfoliate the face, revealing softer, smoother looking skin.
Estée Lauder launched Night Repair in 1982, and one of its many claims to fame is that it’s the beauty world’s first serum. It was also one of the first beauty products to use hyaluronic acid, which is now considered a beauty staple. The idea behind Night Repair is that our bodies kick into repair mode while we sleep, which is the optimal time to heal the skin. Night Repair is a lightweight fluid designed to penetrate deeply into the skin, and is ideal for dry or sensitive skin. The serum was first packaged in a brown apothecary style bottle to help protect it from light, and the design hasn’t changed much in decades. Over the years the formula has been tweaked and it’s now officially called Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II. The serum is designed to hydrate the skin and boost its radiance. The peach colored fluid is powered by ChronoluxCB Technology to help reduce the signs of aging. The concept is that the serum works by stimulating the skin’s reparative processes, which then minimizes the appearance of wrinkles and lines.
The inspiration for this serum comes from the famous “Blue Zones,” which are specific areas known for high life expectancy rates, including parts of Greece, Sardinia and Japan. Chanel used three active ingredients found in the diets of the Blue Zone population – including olive oil, green coffee and lentisk gum in its iconic Blue Serum. The product is meant to improve skin texture and smooth out wrinkles. Some of the key ingredients include green coffee from Costa Rica; Chanel says they have 70 times more antioxidant molecules than regular coffee beans, and Bosana olives from Sardinia. These specific olives contain essential fatty acids and higher-level skin-fortifying polyphenols. Rounding out the ingredients list is lentisk from Greece, a naturally occurin oleanolic acid that supports the skin restorative qualities. These ingredients work in tandem to help increase hydration, soften wrinkles and firm up skin.
Chanel’s Le Lift is an anti-aging collection, designed to target sagging and lax skin as well as wrinkles. The line features serums, moisturizers, oil-creams and eye care. It’s powered by an extract of the edulis morning glory plant. Chanel scientists have used this ingredient to patent a compound (3.5- DA) they say is “50 times more concentrated than the original molecule.” Another ingredient, resveratrol-12, works as an antioxidant to reduce and prevent free radical damage.
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser has been a cult favorite product for decades and is beloved by dermatologists. The cleanser originally debuted in 1947, when it was created by a pharmacist, but didn’t gain momentum until the 1960s. It was formulated to be a gentle but effective product that cleans the skin without stripping it, and moisturizing skin without clogging pores. At first the product was available only from pharmacists but its popularity grew as dermatologists, pediatricians and other healthcare professionals recommended it to their patients, especially those with sensitive skin or rosacea. By the 1980s it was widely available in North American drugstores, and the formula hasn’t changed at all since 1947. It has a gel like texture that is soap free and can be used with or without water- just use a tissue or a cloth to wipe it off. The two main ingredients in this product are propylene glycol and sodium lauryl sulfate. Propylene glycol is a popular skin-conditioning agent commonly found in beauty and skin care products. Sodium lauryl sulfate is what causes the foaming and cleansing action in this soap-free formula. This is the ideal cleanser for someone who wants something simple yet effective.
Overall, our top recommendation is Carrot & Stick for daily use. We recommend Day and Night Routine or Complete Collection.
To achieve powerful results, we recommend combining your skincare routine with a custom, prescribed treatment. We recommend Carrot & Stick Rx. For visible aging and damage, we recommend Carrot & Stick Rx Anti-Aging Repair Serum and Carrot & Stick Rx Anti-Aging Cream. For signs of aging around the eyes, we recommend Carrot & Stick Rx The Eye Treatment.
Donna Original review: Mar 20, 2024.
I’ve been using this both Carrot & Stick serums for at least 4 months now and I absolutely LOVE IT! I like that the products are professional grade but are also clean and safe to us. I also use The Moisturizer, which is really good. My skin looks so much smoother. This brand is excellent overall, and I highly recommend trying it.