Top 10 Skincare Brands in the World

Skin care is a huge industry, with people investing more and more in quality products to keep their skin looking youthful and healthy. There are over 25,000 skin care brands in the USA alone. But which skin care brands are the best in the world? I am going to look at skin care brands from the viewpoint of a dermatologist and which brands I see my patients from around the world using. In this blog, I'll discuss some of the top skincare brands that are popular worldwide for their effective formulas and innovative ingredients. Remember- just because the brand is a bestselling brand does not mean it actually works. I will look at bestselling brands around the world and tell you which are dermatologist recommended and considered medical grade.

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 Some of the most popular skincare brands worldwide include Skinceuticals, La Roche-Posay, Vichy, CeraVe, Rationale, SkinMedica, and Elta MD. Depending on the country, these medical grade skin care solutions are sold online, in dermatologist's offices, in drugstores and pharmacies, and in skin care retail stores like Sephora, Ulta, Gee Beauty and Blue Mercury. They offer clinical-quality formulas backed by research and technology.

Skinceuticals is known for its vitamin C serums and antioxidant formulas. La Roche-Posay features mineral sunscreens and products ideal for sensitive skin. Vichy has spa-inspired skincare with ingredients like volcanic water. CeraVe uses ceramides to strengthen the skin's barrier. Rationale, an Australian brand, provides customized skincare prescriptions. SkinMedica offers medical-grade formulas like TNS essential serum. Elta MD is popular for its sunscreens that are gentle on acne-prone skin.

Other top global skincare brands include  iS Clinical, SkinBetter Science, ZO Skin Health, and Obagi.

Whether you are looking for luxury skin care, or affordable drugstore brands, you can find brands that really work well if you make sure you are using skin care that is right for your Baumann Skin Type.  (There are 16 skin types!)

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There are many best selling skin care brands around the world listed above. But which work best?  In my dermatology practice in Miami I choose to use medical grade skin care brands for my patients. 

 These are my top 10 dermatologist recommended skin care brands in alphabetical order:

1. Alastin Skincare- unique antiaging technology
2. Cyspera- newest hyperpigmentation technology
3. Elta MD- Affordable wide range of physical and chemical sunscreens
4. Medature- popular in USA and China
5. PCA Skin -most affordable
6. Plated Skin Science- best exosome brand
7. Rationale- Top physician dispensed brand in Australia
8. Skinceuticals - luxury brand
9. SkinMedica- best growth factors
10. VMV Hypoallergenics- best for allergic skin
11. Zerafite- best brand for dry skin

For those struggling with acne, properly formulated skincare can help reduce breakouts and restore clarity. Some of the top acne skincare brands worldwide include Proactiv, Murad, CeraVe, La Roche-Posay, Paula's Choice, Clinique, Neutrogena, and Differin.

Proactiv offers multi-step acne treatment systems with benzoyl peroxide to kill acne bacteria. Murad has acne kits with salicylic acid and sulfur to clear pores. CeraVe and La Roche-Posay use non-comedogenic formulas ideal for acne-prone skin. Paula's Choice features BHAs like salicylic acid to gently exfoliate. Clinique's acne solutions line dries up excess oil. Neutrogena has acne washes with micronized benzoyl peroxide. And Differin contains prescription-strength adapalene to prevent breakouts.

These are our dermatologist's favorite acne treatment products:

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Rationale is a luxurious skin care brand that is a favorite of dermatologists in Australia.  It is now the newest luxury skin care brand  in the US.  Rationale blends real science with luxury formulations.  Cosmetic Chemist Richard Parker has a love for creating skin care products that really work that people want to use. I interview him about his background and favorite products in the video below.

Before spending hundreds of dollars on luxury moisturizers like Crème de la Mer, La Prairie, or Sisley, it's crucial to identify your Baumann Skin Type. This way, we can help you choose the best moisturizer for you from many top brands.

In my dermatology practice in Miami and at SkinTypeSolutions.com, the top-selling moisturizers by far come from Zerafite. Its superior barrier repair technology makes it a favorite for dry skin types. You can read more about barrier repair moisturizers  and why the Maltese cross pattern is a key indicator of a top moisturizer.

Dr. Jong-Kyung Youm, a cosmetic scientist in South Korea, is renowned for creating some of the best moisturizer brands. He specializes in skin barrier repair. I interviewed him in the video below to share more insights. He compares top moisturizers from around the world and looks at their maltese cross pattern to see which  face cream is best.

For those looking to fade dark spots and discoloration, these global skincare brands offer effective skin lightening solutions.  

These popular products can be used to treat forms of hyperpigmentation such as melasma.

1. Cyspera is the newest and most unique of the bestselling skin lightening products.  This hydroquinone free product uses a new ingredient called cysteamine to lighten skin.
2. Obagi uses skin lightening ingredients to inhibit melanin production.
3. SkinCeuticals has a potent vitamin C serum with ferulic acid to brighten skin and protect from free radicals.
4. NeoStrata contains glycolic acid peels to exfoliate and reveal fresher skin.
5. PCA Skin offers many affordable skin lightening products.

Some other top options are SkinMedica Lytera system, Neocutis Brightening Line, and Jan Marini.

In my opinion, the most interesting skin lightening technology is in the brand Alastin. In the video below I interview Dr. Alan Widgerow- the creator of this bestselling s brand- about his skin lightening product Alastin A-Luminate.

When choosing a good skin care brand to lighten skin, make sure that every product is right for your Baumann Skin Type because using the wrong skin care products for your skin type can lead to inflammation which worsens skin pigmentation.

The best skin care brands in the world for melasma will not work unless they are properly combined into a skin care routine that maximizes how well each product works.

For example, the fatty acids in your moisturizer can inactivate skin lightening ingredients- so even the moisturizer you chose matters. My favorite moisturizer to use with skin lightening products in my dry skin patient's skin lightening regimens is Zerafite Skin Brightening Barrier Cream because it has unsaturated fatty acids that help inhibit tyrosinase and helps skin lightening products work better.

These are the best skin lightening products in the world to treat melasma and dark spots on the skin.

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As we get older, using quality skincare can make a visible difference in reducing fine lines, wrinkles, and other signs of aging. The best antiaging skin care products target the causes of skin aging and firm skin by rebuilding and restoring lost collage with antiaging ingredients.

Some top anti-aging skincare brands worldwide include:

• SkinCeuticals, known for its vitamin C serums and antioxidant defense against aging free radicals. They make very strong retinol serums too.
• SkinMedica, popular for its TNS line with growth factors and cytokines to stimulate collagen.
• Revision Skincare contains probiotics and prebiotic ferments to improve the skin microbiome and peptides to firm the skin.
•  Zerafite Wrinkle Defense Barrier Cream, made in S Korea, has antiaging ingredients to address cellular senescence in dry skin and protect from pollution.
• Defensins in DefenAge stimulate LGR6+ stem cell s to repopulate the epidermis with young cells.
• Plated Skin Science has exosomes. Exosomes are the most exciting new antiaging technology and are being found in many top brands. The Plated SkinScience technology is discussed in the video below where I interview the founder Cardiologist Dr. Atta Behfar and Regenerative Medicine Scientist Dr. Saranya Wyles.

You can learn more about exosomes, vs stem cells vs growth factors here.

Sunscreens only work when you wear them!  These top brands have sunscreens you will love to wear. These are my picks of sunscreens that have the latest sun protective technology and are elegant on the skin- which is why they are best sellers.

1. Rationale- founded in Australia where melanoma rates are very high and good sunscreens are crucial, has a sunscreen that is so good it won the Oprah sunscreen award in 2024. My patients love it! The one that won the Oprah sunscreen award is called Rationale #3 The Tinted Serum Broad Spectrum SPF50+. They have another sunscreen that feels like a tinted luxurious facial foundation. It is called Rationale Beautiful Skin SPF30. This tinted sunscreen comes in 6 colors to make all skin color have glowing protected skin. No wonder this is the top physician dispensed brand in Australia!
2. Elta MD started out in a few dermatologist's offices and now is the top affordable sunscreen brand. They have so many different options that everyone can find a sunscreen for their needs. Reef safe? Tinted or untinted? Chemical or physical? They have many options including an aerosol spray.
3. La Roche-Posay Anthelios is one of the best selling skincare brands. However, the Anthelios SPF in the USA is not the same as the ones you can find in french pharmacies. So if you go to Europe, stock up on the better version there.
4. Pavise- They make a vegan sunscreen that contains diamonds and is SPF 30 and reef safe. I love this light sheer sunscreen that is a bestseller in my medical practice and here at Skin Type Solutions. My patients love that it is so light that you do not feel like you have a sunscreen on. It is expensive, but I use it on my face and choose a more affordable one for my body. Why is this the number one selling luxury non-tinted sunscreen? See the video below in which I interview the founder Scientist Sophie Bai.

Wondering which top products are best for you? Take our skin type quiz. Once you identify your Baumann Skin Type, you can look for your skin type octagon next to products to find products that are right for you. Thanks for checking out this blog all about the top 10 skincare brands!

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1. Baumann L. Antiaging Ingredients in Ch. 37 of Baumann's Cosmetic Dermatology Ed 3. (McGraw Hill 2022)
2. Baumann, L. Ch.  Cosmeceuticals and Cosmetic Ingredients (McGraw Hill 2015)

3. Baumann, L. (2008, 2012, 2019). Cosmetics and Skin Care in Dermatology. Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology in General Medicine. 7t, 8^th and 9^th eds. New York: McGraw Hill.

4. Baumann, Leslie. “Cosmeceuticals in skin of color” Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery 35 (2016): 233-237.

5. Baumann, L. (2018). How to Use Oral and Topical Cosmeceuticals to Prevent and Treat Skin Aging. Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics, 26(4), 407-413.

6. Baumann, L. (2013). Nonsurgical skin care and rejuvenation. Gurtner GC, Neligan PC. Plastic Surgery (3rd and 4th ed). China: Elsevier, 25.

7. Kafi Reza, et al. “Improvement of Naturally Aged Skin With Vitamin A (Retinol)” Arch Dermatol 143 (2007): 606-612.

8. Pinnell, Sheldon R., et al. “Topical L-Ascorbic Acid: Percutaneous Absorption Studies” Dermatol Surg 27 (2001): 137-142.