Kick Off 2021 With These Six Skin-Transforming Beauty Wonders

Last year certainly took a toll on many things, including our skin - here’s how to bring it back from the brink and dive into this new year with a fresh, new optimistic glow. 

For many of us, 2020 wasn’t exactly the Best Year Ever. (And to think, New Year’s Eve 2019 was spent celebrating the hope and promise of a brand-new decade — ah, the good old days). Adding insult to illness, the past year hasn’t done any favors for our skin: Poor sleep, well-deserved comfort foods, limited exercise options, and serious stress all show up on our skin though fine lines, loss of elasticity, dullness, and more.

If you feel like your skin has aged about ten years in the course of 366 days (of course 2020 was a leap year), it’s time to turn back the clock with these six effective anti-aging beauty products. 

Whether you’re looking for firmer, brighter, or smoother skin, these age erasers will help you counteract the wonky complexion effects of last year and begin 2021 with an alluring glow. 

Brighter (glow-ier) days ahead! …

COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream

Recovery from an unconventional year calls for an unconventional beauty secret: Snail Secretion Filtrate. This beloved K-beauty ingredient improves elasticity and hydrates skin, while the peptide complex in this silky smooth eye cream helps fade away dark undereye circles and reverse fine lines. 

Restorsea Restoring Night Cream

Smooth this over your skin before bed on December 31st, and by the time you wake up on January 1st, it’ll be like 2020 never even happened. (OK, not really — this cream is magical, but not that magical.) While it can’t erase the past year, it does encourage the skin’s natural repair processes to kick into high gear. Formulated with wild oat extract, an olive oil emulsion system, and a proprietary naturally exfoliating enzyme Aquabeautine XL, it provides deep hydration and reduces redness as it gently sloughs away dead skin cells to uncover more radiant skin. 

Shiseido Benefiance Pure Retinol Intensive Revitalizing Face Mask

This powerful mask by Japanese beauty powerhouse Shiseido infuses skin with its Pure Liquid Retinol Delivery, which exfoliates and spurs natural collagen and elastin production to reveal brighter, plumper, even-toned, and more youthful skin. Plus, although retinol (a vitamin A derivative) tends to be drying, this mask counteracts this not-so-pretty side effect with a hefty dose of moisture.

Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Essence

Soften and hydrate dull skin with Haruharu’s Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Essence. This anti-aging concoction plumps and brightens the complexion with an invigorating blend of panax ginseng root extract, aloe vera leaf extract, glycerin, and of course, hyaluronic acid. It sinks in quickly with no sticky residue, so it’s a perfect boost to your morning pre-makeup skincare. 

Luna Nectar Nocturne Anti-Stress & Sleep Magnesium Oil

Treat the underlying causes of lusterless skin with a beauty product that not only helps protect and soothe the complexion, but also promotes stress reduction and restful sleep (two things that have been known to slow skin aging and other facial woes). Luna Nectar’s Nocturne Magnesium Sleep Oil is a topical solution that helps relax you from head to toe before it’s time for some zzz’s, with an extra calming dose of lavender and aloe vera. 

Purigenex Ionized Collagen Mask

Skin in need of some serious TLC? Call in reinforcements with Purigenex’s Ionized Collagen Mask. These bio-active masks contain a type 1 collagen that can penetrate the skin barrier without injections, helping to fill and smooth out fine lines, reduce deep wrinkles (even around the neck and eyes), tone and tighten loose skin, and prevent premature signs of aging. (Need a testimonial? Celeb fans include Kourtney Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, and Chrissy Teigen, to name a few.)