They're Here: the 7 Skincare Brands Dermatologists Always Come Back to

The best thing about being a beauty editor is that I get the opportunity to speak with some of the world’s top beauty experts basically every single day. From celebrity makeup artists to Harley Street surgeons, I am forever picking the brains of experts in a bid to learn everything there is to know about beauty. And while picking up different makeup tips and tricks is wonderful, the one thing I am always most fascinated by is the sort of products skin experts swear by.

There’s no doubt that shopping for skincare can be daunting and often frustrating, and not just because of the abundance of choice. All too often we are let down by miracle claims that don’t live up to their promises. And while most medical skin experts and dermatologists insist that if you have serious skin concerns, you should always seek expert advice, there are a handful of accessible skincare brands that they wax lyrical about.

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(Image credit: @CLAIRE_MOST)

From super-affordable cleansers and SPFs to clinical-grade serums, there are a number of brands and products that come highly recommended time and again. With expert-approved ingredients, when it comes to the skincare brands that derms love, you better believe you’ll see results. Keep scrolling to discover the brands and products that dermatologists always recommend.

Shop the Products Dermatologists Use:

1. La Roche-Posay

French skincare is known for its glowing results, but La Roche-Posay really is in a league of its own. Much like all of the products to follow, its formulas are fuss-free and contain very few what I like to call "luxe additions,” meaning there’s little fragrance and no expensive-feeling slip to the products. They just work.

2. CeraVe

For years, dermatologists raved about CeraVe as the affordable skincare brand that everyone should know about, but it was only available in the U.S. Now, though, you can buy the hero products on British soil too. Again, with incredibly simple formulas that promote skin health in every way, it’s hard to go wrong.

3. Exuviance

While most of the other brands on this list can be purchased either in-store or via mainstream retailers, Exuviance is very much a clinical brand, and you may have to hunt a little harder to find it. It’s likely that you may not have heard of it before, but the shelves of some of the best aesthetics clinics around usually boast an impressive selection of Exuviance products.

4. SkinCeuticals

While dermatologists do have some seriously great affordable recommendations up their sleeves, that’s not to say that the more expensive options are no good. In fact, SkinCeuticals is a brand that dermatologists continue to recommend despite its eye-watering prices. Loved by doctors, aestheticians and facialists, its highly potent formulas are some of the best that money can buy.

5. Bioderma

If you haven’t already guessed, French pharmaceutical brands are a big hit among dermatologists. With simple, fuss-free formulas, they are a go-to for those with problem skin. Bioderma might be best known for its makeup artist–approved micellar water, but dermatologists and skin experts also swear by its Sébium range for controlling breakouts.

6. Acnecide

Once an over-the-counter-only brand and now readily accessible via high street stores like Boots and Superdrug, Acnecide is (as its name suggests) a great brand to check out if your skin is prone to acne or breakouts. Utilising active ingredients like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, the range is formulated to both treat and prevent breakouts, but without irritating or drying out skin.

7. Aestura

Finally available in the UK, Aestura is the number one dermatologist-recommended brand in Korea—it's even used in hospitals. All of the products are specifically formulated to treat sensitive skin thanks to ingredients that mimic the skin's composition and structure of skin lipids for thorough skin barrier moisturisation.

This story was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

Freelance Beauty Editor

Shannon Lawlor is a renowned beauty journalist and has contributed to Who What Wear’s beauty content since 2020. As a leading beauty editor, expert and brand consultant, she has over eight years of experience working for some of the industry’s most esteemed titles, including Who What Wear (of course), Glamour UK, Stylist, Refinery29 and Fabulous. Having also worked behind the scenes with some of the industry’s biggest brands and retailers, Shannon has a unique insight into what people really want from their beauty routines. Understanding that beauty lovers seek honest, open and responsible advice, she has it made her mission to demystify the intimidating world of beauty, taking a no-frills approach to the most relatable topics. While Shannon is the first to admit she doesn’t hold the answer to every beauty question out there, she is dedicated to sharing her expert insights in a bid to help. As a self-proclaimed lazy girl, Shannon has an affinity for easy-to-use, foolproof beauty products and has made it her mission to scope out the best of the best. When she’s not working, Shannon is likely soaking in the bath or giving no-holds-barred beauty reviews on Instagram from her bathroom floor.

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