Everything Worth Buying at Dermstore’s Anniversary Sale (2024)

Whenever I ask dermatologists about their favorite sunscreens, this one routinely comes up. It contains both physical and chemical blockers, goes on smooth, and offers broad UV protection. The only downside is it can be a little whitish on the skin, but the tinted options (which I personally use) are on sale too.

I love a good spray sunscreen for those hard-to-reach areas, and few bring me joy like the Vacation one, which has a distinct, manufactured-nostalgia scent. Well, the marketing is working, because I don’t like to go out without it. Scent aside, it’s also impressively lightweight and water-resistant for up to 80 minutes so I don’t have to worry about wearing it on super-hot days.

I generally think eye cream is useless, but if you are going to buy it, I recommend going for something moisturizing, like the Neocutis one, which contains growth factor that supports and encourages collagen production. It also contains hyaluronic acid and antioxidants, to protect skin from oxidative damage and hydrate the skin.

I use this salicylic acid toner whenever my pores feel clogged, and after just a day or two my skin looks poreless and smooth. I’m not the only beauty writer who’s a fan. Our beauty columnist Rio Viera-Newton has also recommended it, saying it “helps to diminish pre-existing blackheads as well as prevent them from forming in the first place.”

Rio loves this conditioning hair mask from Briogeo, which she says is a good dupe for her “gut-wrenchingly expensive” Christophe Robin. After using it a couple of times she noticed her double-processed hair was smoother, less-tangled, and air-dried beautifully.

The Elemis Pro Collagen Balm works well for removing makeup or as the first step of a double cleanse. Actress Abby Elliot told us it even removes eyelash glue and manages to be “very moisturizing” too, so much so that she sometimes skips her entire skin care routine. “If I’m feeling super tired, I just use this, don’t put anything else on my face, go right to bed, and I feel like I’ve done enough,” she says.

Lots of Sunday Riley stuff is 25 percent off, including the vitamin-C serum, which helps to clear up hyperpigmentation while offering protection against environmental stressors and general skin brightening effects.

And for your nighttime routine, I like the Good Genes lactic-acid treatment from the brand, a gentle-but-effective exfoliant that also targets hyperpigmentation.

I like to rotate between a few different moisturizers depending on the season, but I always come back to the La Roche-Posay Double Repair, which moisturizes and soothes skin simultaneously. Its main ingredients are ceramides, glycerin, and niacinamide, a hydrating and barrier-supporting combination.

Snail mucin has become the “It” skin-care ingredient, due in large part to this essence from CosRX. Made up of 96 percent snail mucin, it promises to fade dark marks, hydrate, and even out skin tone more generally. It’s also well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive skin.

Our favorite cheap hydrocolloid pimple patches, which writer Rachael Griffiths has said is“excellent value for the money” are also on sale. According to Rio, it helps to draw pus from whiteheads without having to touch or pop the pimple. This helps to minimize scarring and, in some cases, cut down on healing time.

We’ve previously named this the best face-exfoliator peel. The two-step system includes an exfoliating pad soaked with AHAs and BHAs followed by a neutralizing pad that soothes and moisturizes skin. Strategist writer Arielle Avila says it’s a worthwhile investment and gave her noticeable results overnight: “After just one night of using this, my skin looks bright and silky smooth the next day.”

Reapplying sunscreen can be a pain, but this powder SPF from Colorescience makes it much easier. It comes in four shades, which offers some flexibility, and helps to absorb any extra skin oils throughout the day.

This multipurpose balm contains shea butter and is good for moisturizing dry skin. Rachael, who describes her skin as so dry it “feels as though it’s cracking if you wait too long after a shower to smear on some moisturizer,” says it totally fixes her problem. “It is so intensely nourishing and quenching that when I put a layer on at night, I wake up without that tightness.”

Makeup artist-kit staple Embryolisse is also good if you need something intensely moisturizing. It’s non-irritating, nourishing but lightweight, and doubles as a makeup primer.