Holidays are lovely, but they can leave you less than happy. Spending late nights at parties and eating rich foods with family and friends can all cause your skin to suffer and make you feel less than merry.
The joy of giving and receiving! Skincare products and tools are a great gift when Christmas and Hanukkah arrive. According to a report published in October 2022 by the NPD group, 28 percent of U.S. Consumers plan on purchasing a beauty gift for the holiday season 2022, spending an average of $161 per recipient.
We’ve compiled a list of great stocking stuffers and gifts that are both budget-friendly and will spread cheer beyond the holiday season. Here are 11 holiday skills dermatologists suggest adding to your shopping list, from TikTok cult faves like Foreo’s Luna 4 Cleansing Massager to products that deliver results with ingredients such as bakuchiol or ceramides.
A set of skin-soothing sheet masks can be a great way to experiment with K-beauty, a Korean beauty trend focusing on clear, hydrated skin and natural makeup. The Cleveland Clinic states sheet masks are a great way to soothe sensitive skin or inflamed areas and help distribute moisturizer evenly on the face. The famous K-beauty line TonyMoly offers over a dozen ingredient options. You can’t decide what sheet masks to put in your stocking this Christmas? Choose vitamin-C-infused I’m Lemon and vitamin-E-infused I’m Tomato as they are both antioxidants that may reduce the appearance of fine lines. Want to treat the K-beauty lover in your life with a special gift? Facetory offers multipacks ( Facetory.com) so that they can sample various products.
1.The Depuffing Gemstone Roll
Are you looking for a beauty product that fits perfectly into a stocking? Kathleen Cook Suozzi, MD, is Yale Medicine’s aesthetic dermatology program director and assistant professor at Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut. She recommends a rose quartz facial roller. Although no scientific evidence supports these products, anecdotal evidence suggests that they can reduce puffiness.
Those looking for a budget-friendly gift can check out the EcoTools Mini Rose Quartz Roller (Ulta.com), while the Vasanti Rose Quartz Roller and Gua Sha Tool (VasantiCosmetics.com) is an excellent luxe option that offers two tools in one.
2. A Hydrating Eye Creme
Lindsey Zubritsky, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in Pittsburgh. She suggests giving eye cream as a gift. She says eye cream is a good gift because we donated and talked about it in our daily skincare routine. She says that the holiday season is full of anxiety, stress, and sleepless night, all of which can cause dark circles around our eyes.
According to board-certified dermatologist Dustin Portela of Boise, Idaho, peptides and ceramides can also be beneficial for eye creams and hydrating agents like hyaluronic, dimethicone, and glycerin.
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Budget? She recommends Sun Bum’s Hydrating Eye Cream, SunBum.com: “I like this product because it is effective and affordable and contains soothing and brightening ingredients such as vitamin C,” she says. She adds that vitamin C protects the skin from harmful free radicals. (Unstable atoms associated with oxidative damage and visible skin aging, according to past research).
Zubritsky recommends Neocutis Lumiere Illuminating eye cream ( NeoCutis.com) as a luxurious gift option. It contains caffeine, growth factors, and vitamin C. She says it includes ingredients that address dark circles, puffiness, and wrinkles.
3. AHA/BHA Exfoliating Treatment
Drunk Elephant, a cult beauty brand, formulates skin care products without using potentially irritating ingredients such as alcohol and silicones. They also avoid fragrances, dyes with sodium lauryl sulfate, and chemical sunscreens. T.L.C. is one of the most popular products in their skincare line. Sukari Babyfacial is a chemical peeling agent formulated with beta hydroxy acids (BHA) and alpha hydroxy acids (A.H.A.). According to a previous research paper, these gentle acids exfoliate dead cells and promote cell renewal. This results in skin that appears smoother and more apparent.
For a 10-minute exfoliating solution that is affordable, The Ordinary’s A.H.A. 30% + BHA 2 % Peeling Solution ( theOrdinary.com ) can be purchased for less than $10.
4. Face Cream with Ceramide Protectors
Do you want to give someone a gift that will plump and protect the skin? Dendy Engleman, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. She recommends looking for creams containing ceramides, a type of fatty acid. She explains, “Ceramides create a protective barrier to protect the skin against irritants and bacteria as well as other environmental toxins.” She cites a report published in 2018 by Clinical Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, which notes that this fatty acid can also help to lock moisture into the face, increasing hydration. This is particularly useful in winter when the air tends to be dryer. A ceramide cream would make a great holiday gift.
She suggests splurging on the luxe and deeply hydrating Advanced Ceramide Lift and Firm Day Cream from Elizabeth Arden (ElizabethArden.com), “which has the bonus benefit of providing light protection against U.V. rays.” (SPF 15 falls slightly under the American Academy of Dermatology Association’s recommendation of SPF 30, but it’s an excellent base for your favorite sunscreen.)
Consider the Mario Badescu A.H.A. The Mario Badescu A.H.A.
5. A High-Tech Facial Cleansing Tool
Zubritsky says that facial cleansing tools can be fun to use but are not necessary. They make a wonderful gift. She says using facial cleansing tools is a relaxing ritual and can help with skincare at night.
Foreo, the famous skincare company that is a TikTok favorite, has recently launched Luna 4, their fourth generation of the Luna cleansing massager. Dermatologists, as well as beauty editors, love the palm-sized device. It purifies the skin by removing oil, dirt, and makeup residue. Clinical tests performed by the brand claim that the device is up to 35x more hygienic than brushes with nylon. Zubritsky says, “This cleaning tool is antimicrobial and effective with silicone bristles while still being gentle to the skin.”
Bonus: It is two-sided! She says that one side cleanses the skin deeply and effectively, while another acts as a massager to help deliver skin care products deeper into the skin.
Zubritsky suggests the Olay Regenerist face cleansing device ( Olay.com ) if the Luna is too expensive for you: “It’s inexpensive, effective, gentle, and easy-to-use.”
6. A Hydrating Lip Treatment
Lip treatments are an excellent holiday gift, especially when you have cracked, dry lips due to cold weather. Zubritsky says that when choosing a lip product, you should look for hydrating and not irritating ingredients. She uses lip treatments containing petrolatum, ceramides, hyaluronic acids, and shea butter or dimethicone. Avoiding products with strong fragrances can cause irritation or dryness of the lips.
Her favorite drugstore product for hydrating and protecting lips is a classic: Ultra.com Lip Repair. It contains shea butter, vitamins C and E, and can soothe and heal dry lips.
She recommends SkinMedica’s HA5 Smooth & Plump Lip System ( SkinMedica.com) if you want to spend a lot on a lip-plumping treatment. She says that the two-step lip treatment hydrates and reduces fine wrinkles around the lips and plumps the lips.
7. A Skin-Brightening Vitamin C Serum
A vitamin C gift will brighten up your day and your skin, no matter the season. Zubritsky says it is a must-have for any skin care regimen, as it helps to treat discoloration, fine lines and protects against free radicals. She thinks it should be used daily, essential to any skin care regimen. It makes a beautiful gift for anyone who loves skincare.
For a budget pick, she suggests L’Oreal Revitalift 12 percent Pure Vitamin C + E + Salicylic Acid Serum (LorealParisUSA.com), touting its combination of ingredients “that work synergistically to reveal younger-looking skin,” she says.
If you want to spend more, try the dermatologist-favorite SkinCeuticals® CE Ferulic. (SkinCeuticals.com). Zubritsky says that the product protects while treating dark spots and wrinkles and reducing their appearance. This formulation is stable, highly effective, and well worth the price.”
Are you looking for something in the middle? Another antioxidant-rich product is Drunk Elephant C’Firma Fresh vitamin C day serum ( Sephora.com), which contains ferulic acids — an ingredient that can protect skin against oxidative stresses when combined with Vitamin C.
8. A Wrinkle-Reducing Bakuchiol Serum
This plant-based ingredient is a superstar in skin care. Could you give it to someone special as a gift? The popularity of bakuchiol is due to its plant-based alternatives to Retinol. It may stimulate collagen, according to Gary Goldfaden, MD.
According to a study published in the British Journal of Dermatology in 2019, this ingredient is an alternative to Retinol. It’s safe for all skin types and has similar benefits, such as reducing fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation, but with fewer side effects.
It’s an essential ingredient in the splurge-worthy GoldfadenMD Radiance Repair Daily Rejuvenation Serum ( Goldfaden.com) of Dr. Goldfaden. He recommends BYBI Beauty’s Bakuchiol Skin Restore Night Cream, a lightweight treatment that costs under $20.
9. A Skin Moisture-Boosting Humidifier
Dr. Engelman says that humidifiers help to maintain an optimal level of humidity in the air, which is beneficial for the skin. She explains that if the air is too dry — such as in winter when it’s cold and dry — or during the summer, when the air conditioner is running full-blast, the environment can draw moisture from your skin. This process, called transepidermal moisture loss, can cause the skin to become dry, cracked, or irritated. A humidifier can help prevent transepidermal moisture loss by adding more moisture to the air. This will make your skin, hair, and scalp healthier.
She says, “I recommend the Canopy Humidifier because it has clever technology to keep the air at a high humidity level (40-60%) so that your hair and skin can remain dewy.” According to the brand, the humidifier has two additional features. It runs until the water is completely gone in the tank, which prevents bacteria and mold growth. PureEnrichment’s MistAire is an affordable option that has been a hit with online reviewers.
10. Subscribe to a Beauty Subscription or Gift Card and Enjoy Effortless Shopping
You may not know the skin type of your recipient or their needs. Are you overwhelmed by the choices? Need a last-minute gift that is foolproof? Consider a subscription or gift card as an alternative to the usual.
BeautyFIX is a monthly subscription to the best skin care products from Arcona Boscia La-Roche Posay Grown Alchemist. There are subscriptions for 1, 3, 6, or 12 months.
If you know that your recipient is a regular in the dermatologist’s office, consider giving them an Alle gift certificate ( All.com) which they can use to pay for treatments such as Botox, Juvederm, or Skinmedica.