The Best Beauty Innovators of 2023

In a rare example of improving upon perfection, Skinceuticals has updated its best-selling A.G.E. interruptor treatment to incorporate the results of 15-plus years of research on glycation—a process that occurs when sugars in our blood attach to tissue proteins like collagen, leading to loss of elasticity. “This new version is buzzworthy because we’re learning that glycation and advanced-glycation end products are one of the primary causes of premature skin aging,” explains Jodi LoGerfo, an NYC doctor of nursing practice certified in dermatology who helps develop and test dermatologic products.

The world has no shortage of serums, but this one manages to stand out for its ability to fade dark spots. That’s thanks to a potent new antioxidant (10 times more potent than vitamin C) called malassezin, which the biotech company spent six years researching and is the first to use in a beauty product. They’ve released two peer-reviewed studies showing it minimized fine lines and wrinkles and improved the skin barrier without causing irritation. It’s derived from malassezia, a type of yeast found on the skin. “While malassezia is associated with certain skin conditions, studies have discovered that malassezin itself possesses unique properties that have sparked excitement in the skin care community,” Dr. Shokeen says. That includes acting as an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial—meaning it also has potential to help people with conditions like acne and rosacea—as well as a skin-evening antioxidant.

Pronounced “fin,” this system comes at acne from a new direction—by focusing on repairing and maintaining the skin’s microbiome, including beneficial bacteria living on its surface. “Our microbiome is part of the layer that defends our insides from the harms of the outside world,” LoGerfo says. “When it’s disrupted, diseases such as acne, eczema, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, or rosacea can occur.” Rather than lean into traditional acne-fighting ingredients, which wipe out both bad and good bacteria, these products balance the skin’s pH, keeping it in a range that encourages beneficial bacteria to flourish but thwarts the acne-causing sort. Meanwhile, bio-succinic acid, an alternative to salicylic acid, gently exfoliates and reduces sebum production, while a Chinese plant extract called E. Sagittatum and polypeptides work together against acne bacteria—in a way that’s nonirritating. The bright packaging is pretty novel to boot.

There are reasons this product sold out within six days of its October launch and amassed a 20,000-order wait list. A combination midweight moisturizer and sunscreen that actually does both things really well, it has a PA++++ rating, indicating the highest possible level of protection against the invisible UVA rays linked to premature aging (this sunscreen rating isn’t required in the US, but the brand sought it out). But that’s not all: The formula also gives skin a filtered look, thanks to tiny particles that reflect light, and contains brightening active ingredients like niacinamide and vitamin C to help reverse the effects of environmental damage.

If you’re looking for an eye cream fueled by cutting-edge science, this unique “eye supplement” is worth a look. Headed up by a team of four female science PhDs, the company OneSkin is focused on improving skin health at the molecular level. This fast-absorbing, hydrating eye cream contains its proprietary peptide called OS-01, which switches off cells associated with aging. It also employs an algae-derived extract shown to minimize dark circles and crow’s-feet. What won’t have longevity is the clear outer bottle, in a landfill—it’s refillable. The formula is also certified free of 1,500-plus toxic chemicals that impact our long-term health and the environment.

This clean-beauty brand—its name means well-being in Swahili—was originally launched to better target the needs of melanin-rich skin; 70% of its clinical test subjects are dark-skinned. But radiance for all skin tones is the goal. One standout product in the collection is this quick-absorbing gel eye treatment; it slicks on using a metal applicator that soothes and cools, and some results are instant: a noticeably smoother and glowier eye area. Over time active ingredients like licorice root extract, vitamin C, and hesperidin get to work, actually lightening dark circles.

We recently shared our 11 favorite lip plumpers of 2023, but this product is different from the usual glosses, which typically use mildly irritating ingredients to make lips swell. Here, press-on lip patches employ 400 dissolving micro-darts that help the ingredients from the included serum ampoule—like vegan collagen, hyaluronic acid, and plant growth factors—penetrate deeply over the course of a half hour of wear. Unlike lip injections, these micro-darts don’t hurt; they just feel bumpy. And this product involves less sting overall than the usual plumping gloss. Given how much other plumpers cost, this mask’s bargain price honestly made us a little skeptical, but after our tester showed us her before-and-after pics, we were sold. Plumped lips for the same price as our Starbucks latte plus tip? That’s a beauty innovation we can get behind.

Finally, we can just walk into our local medi-spa and order That JLo Glow. It only made sense that the goddess of luminosity would collaborate on her own version of the super-popular device-performed Hydrafacial, which J.Lo says helps her maintain her dewy complexion. This is basically a supercharged, instant-gratification version of her brand’s top-selling serum, That JLo Glow. Adding the JLo Beauty Booster at the end of the traditional pore-clearing, skin-smoothing Hydrafacial noticeably tightens, brightens, and hydrates. Best of all, there is zero downtime. We plan to do it again before every major life event where we want to look our most radiant (weddings, vacations, high school reunions where we’ll run into our ex).

This new in-office peel lets you achieve glassy, resurfaced skin without major downtime or discomfort. The 50-minute treatment combines a pro-strength peel (a cocktail of retinol, lactic, and salicylic acids) with red LED light that targets discoloration and fine lines/wrinkles, plus incorporates the brand’s new nano-infusion/microneedling ProPen, which helps topical active ingredients deeply penetrate. “This peel made up for a multitude of summer skin care sins,” said the Glamour editor who tried it. “In less than an hour, my skin's dullness—the result of too much time in the sun—and dark spots—the combined result of post-pregnancy melasma and not reapplying SPF often enough—were both noticeably diminished.”

If you’re a double cleanser, this is a game changer: a remove-it-all balm that’s not waxy and heavy but gets the job done in one step, leaving skin totally clean and residue-free, so you can be sure the skin care you apply next will fully absorb. The coolest part is how it transforms while you use it; first it’s a lightweight oil that breaks down makeup and sunscreen (including waterproof formulas); next it turns into a milky gel that draws dirt and pollutants out of pores. Part of the secret to its success: jojoba oil, which mimics human sebum. “It’s nongreasy and lightweight oil that doesn’t clog pores,” says cosmetic chemist David Petrillo of Reno. To leave skin feeling supple, not stripped, it also employs the power of sunflower seed oil. “This ingredient has essential fatty acids, such as linoleic acid, which help maintain the skin's natural barrier function and prevent moisture loss,” Petrillo says.

If you love getting injections to smooth fine lines but have trouble keeping up with them, this is a new name to know. You can wipe out frown lines with just two treatments a year with Daxxify (DaxibotulinumtoxinA-lanm), which is being billed as the “first true innovation in neuromodulator product formation in over 30 years.” “The primary thing that sets Daxxify apart from other neuromodulators is that it has the potential to last longer, in part due to peptides in the formula,” says LoGerfo, a master injector. “Most neuromodulators last three to four months, and with Daxxify the results can last four to six months—or longer.” We sent a Glamour editor to give it a real-life test run. Her reaction: “The results were the same as what I've come to expect from the OG injectables—less movement, which minimizes my fine lines—but they lasted noticeably longer. My calendar thanks you.” The brand’s peptide-exchange technology also eliminates the human/animal byproducts used during the manufacturing of similar treatments on the market.

Skin care devices always give us a thrill at first glimpse but too often end up gathering dust. Especially in the light-therapy area, it’s tricky to know whether they really do much (other than give a placebo-effect boost to our self-care self-esteem). One notable exception is this wand, which too many of our friends have raved about for us to ignore. “I’ve bought a lot of devices over the years, and I find this little wand the most sustainable—it’s replacing my daily gua sha practice,” one of our testers said. “It’s so easy, the charge lasts a long time, and I see results a tiny bit every time—I get a little less puffy and red and a little firmer.” She sent us photos of just one half of her face looking all glowy and perky post-Solawave and we were shocked…and sold. The “4-in-1” options include red light therapy, galvanic current, facial massage, and therapeutic warmth, targeting skin concerns like fine lines, dark circles, blemishes, and puffiness.

For a gadget that can replace a whole drawerful of gadgets, check out the TheraFace Pro, which you may recognize from your TikTok For You page, where it’s gotten plenty of play this year. Its set of interchangeable rings means you get six different skin therapies/tools: red and blue light LED therapy that targets wrinkles or acne, a sonic cleansing brush, skin-tightening microcurrent treatments, and tension-releasing percussive facial massage. (The same brand makes the viral Theragun body massager.) For $89 more, you can add hot/cold rings, designed to reduce undereye puffiness and facial tension/inflammation. In the brand’s six-week clinical study wherein users followed a regimen rotating the wand’s various functions, 89% reported a decrease in wrinkles and an improvement in facial contour, and 94% reported skin that looked healthier overall.

Did anyone doubt that when Glossier finally dropped a foundation, it would somehow manage to stand out in the endless sea of options on store shelves? Keeping with the brand’s barely there, skincentric ethos, the foundation is designed to flex with the skin for a weightless feel, and it has an 89% skin care base. “I'm a pretty full-coverage gal, so when I met Glossier's Stretch foundation I was skeptical,” says senior beauty editor Ariana Yaptangco. “The brand has always been about no-makeup makeup sheer coverage, after all. However, I was proved wrong and then some. The coverage is great and has the best of both worlds: It's buildable enough to wear for important events, but a thin layer will create a sheer veil that looks like natural skin. Plus, the skin-loving formula makes my face feel like it can actually breathe.”

Microneedling is nothing new (although many people have yet to discover its impressive benefits). What makes this one a breakthrough is the inclusion of ultrasound technology, which gives it an advantage over other radiofrequency micro treatments for its ability to precisely target individual skin concerns like texture irregularities, laxity, and discoloration. “It has more versatility with who can benefit from it, and more customized and tailored treatments it can provide,” says board-certified dermatologist Nava Greenfield of Schweiger Dermatology Group in NYC. “The ultrasound identifies the skin layer depth so the needle lengths can be customized to target the exact depth desired. People are also less likely to experience side effects like hyperpigmentations when the needle depth accurately reaches its target.” Our tester noted that the discomfort level was tolerable and that she had no downtime and saw benefits that will have her going back for more treatments: “It gave me an overall glow that increased in the weeks following treatment, and I can see how it will diminish my fine lines over time.”

If you struggle with excessive underarm sweat, here’s an easier alternative to Botoxing your pits: an adhesive sodium patch that’s applied for three minutes or less in a doctor’s or clinician’s office. That’s it. No discomfort and no sweat for three to four months. FDA-cleared in April, Brella works this seeming magic via patented technology called targeted alkali thermolysis (TAT), which employs a basic concept of chemistry: Heat is generated when sodium meets water. When this patch is applied, an interaction between the water in sweat and the sodium in the patch generates a targeted amount of heat. This causes micro-thermal injuries to the sweat glands that temporarily inactivates them. In a double-blind clinical study of 110 people soon to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, no serious side effects were reported; 78% of users experienced no irritation or redness, with 22% reporting mild to moderate redness and irritation that disappeared within two weeks. Already available in some markets, Brella rolls out nationwide in early 2024; locate a provider near you at MyBrella.com.

For anyone who’s long struggled to cover blemishes while shielding them from irritation from makeup (oh, the endless cycle), the revolution has arrived. Unlike anything we’ve seen before, this product is like a topcoat that keeps skin sealed and protected so blemishes, abrasions, and imperfections can heal—and be more easily concealed. And like any good primer, it’s makeup-friendly, helping it go on smoothly and vastly extending its wear. “I can’t recommend this enough,” our (super-picky) tester says. “I wasn’t expecting much—I’m not a big primer fan. But even I have to admit this is magical. It goes on nongreasy, is nonclogging, and has none of that almost Vaseline feel some primers have.”

If you’re no good at applying liquid eyeliner, this brilliant design may just change your mind. It’s a mascara wand that also has an attached fold-out eyeliner stamp at its tip, and this simple little tool makes winged liner infinitely easier, especially after a few practice runs. (Can’t picture it? Check out the website tutorial.) It’s not just the tool that’s a breakthrough, though. Designed by makeup artist Jillian Dempsey, the nonclumpy, smudge-proof formula is clean, vegan, cruelty-free, easy to remove, and just all-around awesome. “I’m not naturally gifted when it comes to creating a cat-eye look and had pretty much given up on trying to do graphic eyeliner on myself until I discovered the Flyk Trick,” says associate beauty editor Danielle Sinay. “It has everything you need to seamlessly create a showstopping eye makeup look sans smudge or thousands of Q-tips—or any eye irritation—in one sleek and compact tube.”

Whether you’re really into enhancing your brows or barely bother (like our tester), this product is for you. When you’re not in the mood to mess with separate serums, gels, brushes, and pencils, this narrows everything down to a few swipes. The tinted gel and tiny brush let you fill bare patches and fluff brow hairs in a way that feels pretty darn foolproof, while the serum-infused formula helps actually fill your brows out over time—as in, we saw visible results within just a month or so.

With so many nail innovations out there, this one’s appeal is so back-to-basics: Apply it over your polish, and your manicure will last way, way longer—and look way, way shinier to boot. Yes, like dip or gel, but nope, there’s no UV lamp involved. This formula cures using natural light instead. Our testers are addicted and stressed that it’s constantly sold out.

Getting down to the root of healthy hair, this formula centers around the revelation that, yes, our heads have a microbiome too—one that plays a big role in hair heath and prevents hair loss. “The scalp microbiome and the role it plays in hair density and scalp conditions is a really promising area of current research,” says UK-based trichologist Kate Holden. “This formula contains prebiotics in the form of plant-based fibers that feed beneficial microorganisms.” It also hydrates and balances the scalp’s pH to further promote healthy bacteria.

The standout curl-centric product we ID’d among a slew of newcomers: this leave-in, which defines and shines while keeping curls hydrated and protected against humidity. “It’s the best—so hydrating, clean-feeling, smells great, and has chic packaging too,” says our tester, who is known for her enviable bouncy ringlets (the bar is high).

This ultrafine mist is a noteworthy new alternative to dry shampoo; you can apply it to hair right after you shower, let dry, and comb out to extend that fresh-washed feeling for an extra day or two, without any of that familiar dry and chalky residue. Innovative ingredients include green algae to balance oils and a sugar-derived prebiotic to nourish scalp health (that scalp microbiome again!). It also protects your hair against environmental damage from UV rays and pollution.

We’ve sung its praises at length and won’t stop anytime soon: This clamp-and-dry tool gets hair straight and smooth in about a third of the time we’d spend accomplishing this with a brush and blow-dryer. Plus, using it over time encourages much healthier hair, thanks to lower heat (expertly channeled airflow does the work here) and no tugging/brushing. “Using airflow instead of high heat can make a notable difference in the amount of damage your hair sustains, gently evaporating moisture without stripping hair of essential oils,” says Isfahan Chambers-Harris, an NYC-based trichologist, PhD medical scientist, and founder of the hair-health brand Alodia. Best of all, it’s fast and effective whether you’re straight, curly, thick, thin, or somewhere in between—we know because we stalked testers of various hair textures and made them try it out. You can also use it on dry hair, and it operates like a no-clamp regular hair dryer too for when you want to rough-dry roots or do a cold-pass to seal in your style.

Perhaps all you really need to know about the instant cult classic from makeup star Patrick Starrr’s brand is that it kept Beyoncé’s makeup flawless in pouring rain during her Renaissance tour last spring. Or, if you still need convincing, a Glamour writer experienced similar results, her full face of makeup withstanding over 14 hours of sweaty, 99% humidity. Waterproofing aside, people love that the light, nonsticky aerosol formula contains green tea extract to tighten pores as well as refreshing, moisture-controlling witch hazel. Get it if you can; it’s constantly selling out—for good reason.