Editors’ Picks: 6 Products to Get Your Best Skin Ever (2024)

Giving your body’s largest organ–the skin–your undivided attention at least once a day, if not twice a day, is one of the greatest investments in your health you can make. “Investing early in the health of your skin, with regular skin care, will not only better protect it from the harsh effects of winter, but also keep you looking and feeling your best throughout the year,” says Steven Nwe, DO, a dermatologist with Northwest Medicine. “The key to skin resiliency is knowing your skin and treating it well.” No matter your age or skin type (dry, oily, and combination are the three most common types), a daily skin care regimen should not be considered a luxury or placed at the bottom of your self-care priority list. Beauty experts say that it can also be easy and affordable; like any good investment, even a small daily contribution can yield some amazing results.

As the registered nurse, licensed esthetician and Glasskin Founder/CEO Sonam Sadhwani tells her clients, “Where there is flow, your skin glows. Facial massage is integral for sculpting face muscles and promoting flow.” At Sadhwani’s active skin care hub in New Orleans, Glasskin, all of the treatments are referred to as ‘skin workouts’, where natural holistic facial massage techniques and products meet high technology to produce dewy skin results. According to research gathered by Sadhwani and her team, the benefits of regular skin workouts include:

Reduced stress and fatigue
Reduced appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Improved skin texture
Relaxed muscle tension
Plumper skin
Improved blood supply

With all of these ‘skinprovements’ and life-enhancing possibilities to enjoy, let’s get into some of today’s top techniques, tools, and practices to help your skin shine by incorporating the best of ancient medicine and modern science for some truly luminous results from the inside out.

Ayurveda

According to an article in the Journal of Ayurveda & Integrative Medicine, “Ayurvedic cosmeceuticals date back to the Indus Valley Civilization.” The authors also explain that modern skincare trends are centered on Ayurveda’s anti-aging principles: Vayasthapana (age-defying), Varnya (brightening, skin glowing), Sandhaniya (cell regeneration), Vranaropana (healing), Tvachya (nurturing), Shothahara (anti-inflammatory), Tvachagnivardhani (strengthening skin metabolism), and Tvagrasayana (slowing down the aging process). Some of the most widely used rasayana plants—“path of essence” or life-lengthening, invigorating tools—in skincare are Amla (Emblica officinalis) and Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica), but the rising popularity of Ayurvedic skin products and treatments, not to mention supportive diet and lifestyle changes, includes a long list of many other holistic remedies. What resonates most with modern skincare enthusiasts is the alignment with the “clean beauty” movement and Ayurveda’s reliance on natural ingredients. With personal care products claiming the largest market share of a booming Ayurveda product industry, there’s a global interest in this ancient medicinal system, to the tune of $21B by 2028.

What’s even more appealing is the way Ayurvedic skin care incorporates both maha bhutas (great elements)--Air, Water, Space/Ether, Earth, and Fire–and their interactions in forming the body’s three primary constitutions, better known as doshas. These three doshas–Vata, Pitta, and Kapha–are believed to begin at birth, informing everything from their mental and physical characteristics to the outward expression of these elements and the emotions in the skin.

Gua Sha + Face Tools

Anima Mundi Herbals, the herbal apothecary bridging ancient remedies to the modern world with California and New York outposts, offers a Gua Sha made from rose quartz, a natural quartz formed in either igneous rocks or environments with geothermal waters. The home to over 200 botanical treasures describes Gua Sha as a “traditional Chinese medicine practice designed to help improve overall health by massaging the skin with the aid of Gua Sha tools.” Anima Mundi suggests using the tool in the morning and/or night to improve overall skin health and appearance by stimulating collagen, massaging tense muscles, and promoting lymphatic drainage. According to the herbalists at Anima Mundi, daily Gua Sha use has many benefits:

Improves the appearance and elasticity of the skin
Reduces the appearance of fine lines and puffiness
Eases facial muscle tension
Helps facial oils and moisturizers to be absorbed better into the skin (when massaged in with a Gua Sha tool)

Rose quartz is also believed to help purify and open the heart chakra, and promote love, friendship, self-love, deep inner healing, and feelings of peace. We also suggest pairing a Gua Sha tool and beauty routine with a collagen-boosting oil like the Anima Mundi face oil, which is entirely plant-based, featuring powerful adaptogens like He Shou Wu and Gynostemma, antioxidant Mangosteen, and Rose, regenerative Calendula and Comfrey, and mineralizing Helichrysum, whose moniker “Immortelle” is based on its longstanding anti-aging properties.

Anima Mudi’s Collagen Oil + Gua Sha Gift Set

In addition to their own Petal Gua Sha, Glasskin offers some cutting-edge face tools for Gua Sha lovers and dewy skin seekers–check out their sonic crystal vibrating roller, face mushrooms, and more on their website. In New Orleans and beyond, Glasskin is also known for using a variety of Gua Sha tools and techniques in their most popular “skin workouts” and treatment offerings.

Lymphatic Drainage + Décolletage

Although it’s an often forgotten area, your décolletage is frequently on display, especially if you’re wearing an unbuttoned shirt or showing off a plunging neckline. That’s why caring for this area of the skin matters more than you might think. One easy tip for year-round maintenance of the décolletage is to include it in all parts of your skincare routine, from cleansing and exfoliating (spread a little extra moisture or mask goop there when you’re tending to your face) to SPF and sun protection rituals. Think of your neck, chest, and collarbone area as an extension of your face, not as something separate from it. Treat it as often and as mindfully as you do your face.

Related to this area is one particular technique that can surprisingly be tended to with at-home massages: lymphatic drainage. Rachel Frankenthal, PA-C, MPH at the UCLA School of Medicine says, “Lymphatic massage is an incredibly therapeutic technique for optimizing a person’s health, improving [the] immune system, and decreasing inflammation.” Certified Lymphedema Therapist and Manual Lymphatic Drainage Practitioner Lisa Levvit Gainsley adds: “A good lymphatic system is essential to maintaining your health. Studies show lymphatic drainage accelerates the healing process.” Additional benefits range from de-stressing the body to increased muscle tone and facial skin, relaxing the eyes, face, and neck, and even helping to rebalance the liver and gallbladder while alleviating symptoms of premenstrual water retention and nervous disorders.

Full Body Skin Care Tips

As with the décolletage, the rest of your body beyond your face also needs regular TLC. Especially in the kapha time of the year, from late winter into spring, kapha is known to accumulate in the lymphatic system and/or sinuses, which leads to stagnation in the rest of the body. With a few exceptions (read on for some contraindications), the Ayurvedic practice known as garshana (dry brushing) might be the right choice for many people’s winter skincare reboots.

Like Gua Sha and lymphatic drainage tools and techniques, garshana also promotes lymphatic cleansing while exfoliating, which is an excellent way to get the body’s natural detoxification processes flowing. Whether you opt for a natural bristle body brush, a modern copper brush, or more traditional tools like garbanzo bean flour, raw silk, or linen gloves, dry brushing offers a host of benefits that are especially useful for those who feel physically or mentally dull, experience trouble with bowel movements, or have an overtaxed immune system or excess mucus.

Alternatively, the Ayurvedic abhyanga (self-massage with warm oils) technique may be further enhanced with an all-doshic Ayurvedic ritual oil to follow your dry brushing and shower routine. If you’re eager to try this style of self-massage, after dry brushing, rinsing, and cleansing your skin, don’t fully dry off in the shower. Instead, apply the oil all over the body and let your skin air dry.

One common denominator among the tips, tools, and techniques we’ve covered so far is that they are major stress reducers. By bringing the body into a more balanced state, skin care can yield results far beyond luminosity. In particular, dry brushing has demonstrated the ability to increase muscle tone, support healthy metabolism, act as a natural detoxifier, and enhance circulation. However, it’s important to note that people with very sensitive skin, a skin condition like eczema or psoriasis, irritated skin (including sunburns), open wounds, acute illnesses, and other similar health concerns should avoid dry brushing (both garshana and abhyanga). While many will find these practices revitalizing and rejuvenating, it is recommended that you speak to your preferred healthcare practitioner about any concerns or issues you may be experiencing prior to incorporating these skin care products and rituals into your radiant wellness practices.

Whether you’re just a little skin curious or are already committed to practicing daily skin rituals for the face and body, our editors have prepared a simple guide to some of their favorite skin-enhancing practices, plus 6 Skin Care Products You Need Right Now to get going and glowing!

Editors’ Picks: Top Skin Care Products for the Face (2023)

Living Libations Best Skin Ever – Frankincense

As the brand name suggests, every component of Living Libations’ products is a bioactive, botanical ingredient whose source can be traced from the seed in the soil to the oil arriving at the shores of their headquarters in the highlands forest. This all-in-one cleanser, exfoliator, and moisturizer is composed of liquid pearls distilled from the “tree of life” (Frankincense), a cleansing agent for acne that also soothes redness, softens the appearance of scars and skin tone, nourishes dehydrated skin, and helps calm skin imperfections and age spots. Other powerful natural ingredients include nourishing jojoba oil, virgin coconut oil, skin and sun harmonizing sea buckthorn berry, and tamanu, which boasts a 92% lipid content, making it a master moisturizer.

Primarily Pure Plumping Serum + Gua Sha

Just a few drops of this predominantly organic serum will set you on the path to firmer, more vibrant skin. Those looking for that dewy, youthful glow will love these line-smoothing vitamins, whole plant oils, and natural humectants with the ability to stimulate cell renewal and deliver bioflavonoids that maximize the botanicals’ antioxidant benefits–a key ally in the reversal of free radical damage and boosting skin elasticity. The recently upgraded serum also includes bakuchiol, a natural alternative to retinol whose popularity is on the rise among today’s top holistic skincare brands. Another secret superpower compound in this product that we love is astaxanthin, which is sourced from algae and is hundreds of times stronger than vitamins C and E. We recommend you splurge on an upgrade to get the full Plumping Combo, which includes Primarily Pure’s Rose Quartz Ridged Roller whose stone of unconditional love and acceptance invites us to embrace aging with grace. A partner of small family farms and a sustainable sourcer of wildcrafted botanicals and ethically processed ingredients, this Made in California brand offers a 100% money-back ‘happiness guarantee’ so you can plump with joy and purpose.

Get 10% off Primally Pure’s Plumping Serum with UWM10

HigherDOSE Red Light Face Mask

For all the facial aficionados, skincare geeks, and overworked folks on your holiday gift list, we consider this the absolute most luminous offering out there. HigherDOSE’s amazing cordless Red Light Face Mask & Neck Enhancer helps you glow while you flow, igniting radiant skin. To kick up any skincare routine tenfold, be sure to pair it with their Glow Serum whose light-activated copper peptides reverse the hands of time with potent anti-aging actions. This powerful treatment will help you take your home care to a pro-level care status. For immediate skin elasticity and hydration, try the Ayurveda-inspired Ritual Body Oil. Plus, the supercharged copper dry brush—a longstanding Ayurvedic beauty secret for lymphatic drainage—is a self-care essential for dewy skin, mood-boosting, and total body radiance. Our editors can’t get enough of this turquoise beauty: get one for yourself and one for everyone on your ‘nice list’ this year.

Editors’ Picks: Top Skin Care Products for the Body (2023)

HigherDOSE Supercharge Copper Dry Brush

Lovers of saunas and PEMF sessions will rejoice with the addition of SUPERCHARGE, the copper body brush that takes dry brushing to new heights. With its ion-charged bristles, you get Ayurvedic support with the power of copper, waking up the body, accelerating lymphatic drainage, exfoliating the skin, reducing cellulite, and counteracting modern stressors of daily life. This little handheld miracle tool offers a digital detox at the cellular level, extending your skin’s glow beyond the sauna, shower, and comforts of your home with exceptional results. We especially love the responsibly, humanely sourced natural horsehair bristles that give intense exfoliation and stimulate the skin without irritation or discomfort. Did you know that copper releases neutralizing ions that help to lower acidity levels in the body and balance your energy state? This is a mighty metal if we ever saw one—we’re a little obsessed with this skin brush!

Sahajan Ritual Body Oil

In Ayurvedic traditions, it is believed that one of the greatest acts of self-care is to anoint oneself with oil from head to toe. This ritual body oil from Sahajan is perfect for everyday practices that inspire us to commit to more self-love and compassion. Some might even consider it a little yoga retreat in a bottle! Free from the emulsifiers, fillers, and preservatives commonly found in other lotions, even a small amount of this rich oil provides unmatched, undiluted nourishment for tired mamas and caregivers of all types. Derived from the Hindi word for “intuitive”, Sajahan offers evidence-based clean beauty we can’t get enough of.

ARMRA Colostrum: Immune Revival

They say mother’s milk is best. But second best has got to be AMRA’s Immune Revival, which harnesses nature’s 300 million-year-old superfood, colostrum—a.k.a. the first drops mama secretes after giving birth, which are rich in antibodies and potent prebiotics that get to the root cause of today’s common health issues, including many skin concerns. With AMRA’s Colostrum, you’re not only on the road to revealing healthy skin and amazing hair, you’re repairing your gut barrier, supporting your microbiome, strengthening your immune barriers, and synergistically reviving your entire immune health! Pure, grass-fed colostrum concentrate is the key groundbreaking ingredient in this secret beauty formula, which has been proven to enhance skin radiance, help thicken hair, debloat, jumpstart energy and focus, and improve endurance. What we love most about this concentrate is that it works from the inside out to fortify the skin, lung, and gut barriers while activating cellular health and performance for a total body reset.

Key Takeaways

→ Giving your body’s largest organ–the skin–your undivided attention at least once a day, if not twice a day, is one of the greatest investments in your health you can make.

→ Regular “skin workouts” (facials, facial massage, etc.) help to reduce stress, muscle tension, fatigue, fine lines, and wrinkles while improving skin texture, plumpness, and blood supply.

→ Face tools like Gua Sha, face rollers, and crystal mushrooms have seen a recent rise in popularity, but are rooted in ancient medicinal systems like Chinese medicine and Ayurveda.

→ Caring for your skin is a whole body ritual—don’t forget the décolletage and be sure to give love and attention to your full body when applying products and considering daily routines. There are many treatments and tools that can help jumpstart your skin health commitment, but you should also keep in mind that a lot of the daily maintenance can be done simply at home, too!

→ As guardians of our temple, when we choose products that resonate with our values, ensuring that every ingredient is a blessing and not a curse, these decisions echo in the universe. When we choose clean skin care products like non-toxic sunscreens and the ones above, we’re protecting our skin, our hormonal health, and our Earth Mama. Follow us @urbanwellnessmagand subscribe to our newsletters to receive honest recommendations for sustainable products, health-conscious recipes, great reads, and of-the-moment things to learn, listen to, and watch—all with your holistic well-being in mind. To learn more, shop sustainable skincare products, and find the perfect gift for your loved ones, check out our lovingly curated 2023 Holiday Gift Guides.