It’s time for a restock of your medicine cabinet, because Dermstore’s Anniversary Sale is officially live. Starting today, you can take up to 25 percent off over 6,000 products with the code CHEERS, and Dermstore members can earn up to triple points on purchases for future rewards. That is a lot of products, so I did the digging for you to find the best deals on the beauty essentials we’ve written about, tested, and generally obsessed over. Scroll on to find everything I recommend adding to your cart — from our best overall face sunscreen to rarely-on-sale Olaplex shampoo to Rio’s go-to pimple patches — or find everything that’s on sale here. The sale runs through 11:59 p.m. PT on August 17, but don’t dillydally if something catches your eye, as popular products may sell out.
Rio has called this CosRx snail mucin “a truly skin-changing product, with seriously devoted followers,” because of how it can combat practically any issue — whether it be dullness, dryness, or acne.
Now in brand-new packaging (don’t worry, the formula is the same), EltaMD’s UV Clear is our best overall facial sunscreen. It’s fragrance free, noncomedogenic, and can even help protect against skin-damaging free radicals, according to one dermatologist we spoke to.
Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka, who says she was born “so hairless,” likes this serum, noting that “it actually made my lashes longer and thicker over the course of six weeks.”
Despite the high price point, this Augustinus Bader moisturizer is quite popular with Strategist readers. The brand’s “super-repairing” night cream made the Cut’s former beauty director, Kathleen Hou’s, skin look “healthier, sort of like there was a good bra holding things up under it.”
The best French pharmacy moisturizer is the Embryolisse cream. Several makeup artists we’ve spoken to say it’s ideal for prepping skin thanks to its creamy texture and non-irritating formula.
The face-sculpting NuFace, which uses low-level electrical currents to lift and firm the skin, was hugely popular with Strategist readers (and editors) last month. This all-in-one kit also includes a brightening skin cream and a brush to apply the hydrating gel.
Sunday Riley’s all-in-one vitamin C addresses everything from hyperpigmentation to dullness and fine lines. It’s formulated with THD ascorbate, a highly stable form of vitamin C that’s tolerated well by most skin types.
The Olaplex No. 4 shampoo adds shine and reduces frizz over time, which is especially good for colored, bleached, or relaxed hair. (And if you’ve been watching season two of The Summer I Turned Pretty, you might be interested to know that author Jenny Han uses it and says her hair has never looked better.)
Hairstylists have told us that the (rarely on sale) Olaplex No. 3 visibly strengthens strands, reduces breakage, and improves the overall look and feel of your hair.
CosRX’s clear hydrocolloid stickers have been one of our favorite pimple patches ever since Rio recommended them in her original skin-care Google Doc. “If you pop or pick a zit, put this on immediately afterward, go to bed, and in the morning, you’ll see what I’m talking about and thank me,” she writes.
I’m purchasing this micellar water from Bioderma, which we’ve named our best overall makeup remover. It gently breaks down makeup and oil and works well for sensitive skin because it’s alcohol, fragrance, and paraben free.
La Roche-Posay’s Cicaplast balm, which Dr. Idriss likes, acts as an occlusive to seal in skin-care products. It’s also effective at soothing inflammation and healing nicks and scrapes.
If your hair’s feeling dehydrated from this summer’s heat waves, Christophe Robin’s hair serum can turn crunchy, dehydrated hair silky. Kathleen Hou, former beauty director at the Cut, says that just a few drops makes her hair bouncy and looking as if “it meets its hydration goals on the daily.”
Our best (less expensive) scrub to combat keratosis pilaris is from First Aid Beauty (though Strategist editor Maxine Builder also likes it for prepping her skin for shaving). It has a 10 percent blend of glycolic and lactic acids as well as pumice buffing beads and soothing vitamin E.
And for KP on the face, two dermatologists we spoke to recommended this gentle exfoliating facial cleanser from Glytone. (It’s also our favorite cleanser to use while pregnant or nursing.)
Another pregnancy-safe skin-care product we love is this peptide serum. Consultant dermatologist and mother Dr. Justine Kluk says that peptides act as “messengers,” sending signals to the skin to produce more collagen or elastin.
If you’re new to double cleansing, DHC’s olive-oil-based, fragrance-free cleansing oil is a good place to start.
Dermatologist David E. Bank recommends this antioxidant-rich eye cream for mature skin. It’s formulated with a blend of caffeine, vitamin C, collagen-boosting peptides, and growth factors (which are “proteins that promote the growth, development, and maturation of cells and play a role in maintaining the firmness and elasticity of skin,” Bank explains).
Obagi Medical’s vitamin C serum contains many of the same ingredients as our best-in-class pick, with an added boost of moisture in the form of hyaluronic acid.
Rio suggests using this salicylic-acid-based exfoliating toner “on clean skin in areas with congestion or breakouts (most often the T-zone), avoiding any sensitive areas.”
Dermatologist Dr. Rachel Westbay says this SPF-infused moisturizer “has a creamy texture that melts into skin without leaving it feeling greasy” and doesn’t leave behind a white cast.
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
