21 Skin Care Products You Won't Want to Hide in Your Beauty Cabinet

These skin care products are worth their weight in formula, and they double as works of art—so they shouldn't be stashed away in your beauty cabinet. Instead, give these serums, moisturizers, and cleansers prime real estate on your bathroom counter or vanity. 

While we don’t typically condone judging a book by its cover, it’s hard not to when you feast your eyes on these stunning skin care brands—and they're just as effective as they are aesthetically pleasing. As an added bonus, many of these products are ones you'll want to have on hand to protect your skin from the hot summer sun.

Herbivore Botanicals

Founded on the principal that the ingredients on your skin care bottles should be ones you can actually pronounce, Herbivore Botanicals prides itself on using only natural ingredients in its products. But the reason why Herbivore Botanicals have become an instant favorite among skin enthusiasts (including ourselves!) is that the products actually work. The compoany's highly concentrated After Sun Soothing Aloe Mist, for example, instantly cools and soothes sun-exposed or irritated skin (I've also found it to be a lightning-quick remedy for bug bite irritation). Plus, it doesn’t hurt that all of their product packaging is practically made for Instagram.

Public Goods

Facial cleansers, soaps, and hand lotions are daily essentials—and although they aren't typically the prettiest packaged goods in your bathroom, they do need to be within arm's reach as you get ready. That’s where Public Goods comes in. This direct-to-consumer company aims to create premium products (that also are eco-friendly, natural, and organic) without the massive markups—the overwhelming majority are under $10. Each product is also designed to seamlessly compliment the other products you already have in your beauty arsenal.

Glossier

Internet darling Glossier has created a heavy-duty line of products that have quickly amassed a following in the beauty space. That's all thanks to the brand's crowdsourcing approach, which taps into what real users want in their ideal skin care products. The result is skin care products that solve everyday problems with ease—such as a clay mask that detoxifies without drying out your skin, a body wash that keeps moisture locked in even during steamy showers, and an under-makeup sunscreen that feels as lightweight as a serum.

Claus Porto

When you think bar soap, you probably aren’t picturing an Art Deco statement piece. Wait until you see Claus Porto’s soaps. For the past 130 years, the brand has been using locally sourced ingredients from Portugal's countryside to handcraft its paraben-free soaps. All are formulated with 100% vegetable and shea oils that restore your skin—which proves to be especially useful after exposing your skin to the irritating effects of chlorine. The brand also dabbles in hand and body creams that will keep your skin at its most hydrated post-shower.

Grown Alchemist

Time and time again, this writer keeps coming back to Grown Alchemist. The Australian brand’s products not only look great, but they also smell fantastic and work wonders. The company's Polishing Facial Exfoliant is particularly effective, and can easily help buff away dead skin cells and leave your visage fresh and renewed. Other favorites from the all-natural, plant-based skin care line include their Regenerating Night Cream and ultra-hydrating Body Cream, both of which pack your skin with nourishing active ingredients (including aloe vera and jojoba oil) which helps improve your skin’s overall elasticity.

Aesop

Aesop is probably best known for its hand washes and lotions—but if those products are the only things you pick up from the skin care brand, you’re missing out. Aesop's array of aromatic skin care products will leave you feeling restored and rejuvenated—think of them as your mini spa treatments for the day. Products like the Chamomile Concentrate Mask, which helps draw out impurities in your skin as it cleanses, and the Parsley Seed Eye Serum, which helps protect the more delicate areas of your skin and promotes collagen production, all are incredibly potent, gentle on most skin types, and gorgeously packaged. 

Glow Recipe

Glow Recipe’s famous Watermelon Glow Mask once amassed an 8,000-person waitlist. Luckily, you don’t have to wait any longer to get your hands on the Korean line's popular skin care goodies. Some favorites include the aforementioned face mask, which uses the anti-inflammatory properties of watermelon extract to make your face feel baby-soft overnight; a pineapple brightening serum that marries the benefits of vitamin C and hyaluronic acid to help even and brighten skin tones; and a gentle everyday cleanser packed with antioxidant-rich blueberries. The punchy pastel bottling doesn’t hurt either. 

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