The 20 absolute best summer skin care products

For dry skin

Fresh Crème Ancienne Honey Mask

This pricey cream looks like dulce de leche and smells like pure honey, mainly because super-emollient honey is the primary ingredient. It’s also packed with shea butter, antioxidant sea buckthorn oil and meadowfoam seed oil, making it rich enough that a 10-minute mini-spa session will leave even the most dehydrated skin glowing, though if you want to maximize your dewiness, try slathering it on before bed as a sleep mask. (Fresh, $140)

St. Ives Oatmeal Scrub + Mask

Dry complexions aren’t exempt from grungy summer skin. Walnut shell powder provides gentle (non-toxic) exfoliation to get every scrap of oil, sweat and pollution off your face, while oatmeal extract and honey soothe and moisturize. (Target, $3)

Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47

Sunscreen is a must have for every season, but this argan oil-infused one is a winner for dry skin types in the summer. The key ingredients here are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which work as physical blockers for dangerous UV rays (that means no painful stinging, even around the delicate eye area). While some mineral SPFs can suck all the moisture out of your skin, this one sinks in with aloe, jojoba seed oil and green tea extract to leave your face feeling as virtuous as it looks. (Sephora, $32) 

Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Cream

Night creams with retinoids can be overwhelming for skin types that struggle for moisture. Instead, this one opts for a mix of amino acids and peptides along with dimethicone and glycerin to hydrate down into the deepest layers of skin and stimulate cell turnover without any nasty peeling — because who wants to look like a shedding snake in their vacation Instagrams? (Walmart, $12)

Estée Lauder Micro Essence Lotion

Remember back in middle school when you splashed your face nightly with toner? Remember gritting your teeth as your skin tingled and your whole face felt like it shrunk a size? This isn’t that. This essence feels like a cross between a toner and a very milky lotion. Just a few drops patted on after cleansing will provide tons of hydration without leaving you feeling like you’re sweltering under a thick moisturizer.  (Macy’s $58)

For oily skin

Avène Eau Thermale Cleansing Foam

Resist the urge to strip every last molecule of oil away, and instead, try a light, soap-free cleanser, like this foaming version. It will still leave your face plenty clean, but without that tight, beef jerky-esque sensation that actually just encourages tragic midday oil slicks. In fact, this one actively works to tamp down on sebum production with glutamic acid, which helps keep your skin looking smooth and matte, even hours after you’ve washed it. (Amazon, $20) 

Elta MD UV Clear Broad Spectrum SPF 46

Sunscreen can feel like pimple-prone skin’s greatest enemy — a tacky, heavy layer that you can practically feel stopping up your pores. Clear, acne-free skin and skin that’s protected from UV damage don’t have to be mutually exclusive, though. This oil-free sunscreen, for example, uses zinc oxide, which is known for curbing greasy tendencies, has sun protection along with vitamin B3, which fends off dark spots and hyaluronic acid, a humectant that pulls moisture from the air for a decidedly un-oily infusion of hydration. (Elta MD, $26)

Bioré Self Heating One Minute Mask

For years charcoal has been hanging out in your friendly neighborhood fish tank to absorb impurities thanks to its porous molecular structure — think of it like a sponge for all kinds of dirt and gunk you don’t want near your fish… or your face. In the context of this super-speed mask (seriously, one minute) charcoal helps vacuum sebum and dirt out of clogged pores while zeolite clay and water mix together to perform some pore-opening, self-heating magic. (Walmart, $6)

Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub

Rice powder does double duty in this scrub. It teams up with hydrated silica to exfoliate dead skin cells, then hangs around to help absorb excess oil so you can stay fresh and clean feeling throughout the day. (Walmart, $6)

Biologique Recherche Lotion P50V

The term “cult classic” was practically created to describe this ultimate French beauty secret. Really, take a second and go Google this stuff. You won’t believe how many models, beauty editors and generally gorgeous-skinned people swear by this mix of exfoliating lactic and salicylic acids, vinegar and antibacterial sulfur. None of those ingredients sound appealing? They will once you see the silky-smooth results of this acne-fighting cocktail. (Vicki Morav, $57)

For combination skin

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel

Hyaluronic acid is a savior for skin that’s greasy in some spots and dry in others, drawing in water from sticky, humid days without adding oil to your shiniest areas. This gel moisturizer goes on incredibly light and melts into skin in seconds, making it perfect for layering under sunscreen.  (Walmart, $18)

Dermalogica Pure Light SPF 50

Why fight UV damage one way when you can double down? The high dose of SPF 50 in this sunscreen will keep you from burning just like any good sunscreen. What makes it special is the niacinamide and peptides that help tone down hyperpigmentation and sun damage for bright, “No, really, I never tanned in college” skin (even if you haven’t always been quite that kind to it) (Nordstrom, $64)

Farmacy Hydrating Coconut Gel Mask Soothing

Sun, sand, surf — why does it seem like all of the best parts of summer are so hard on your skin? You may not be able to take back that one (or two or three) too many umbrella drinks, but you can get your skin back into glowing shape with these biocellulose masks. The coconut gel serves your skin up a tall drink of hydration, while kale extract packs on the vitamins and minerals you might have missed out on at your weekend barbecue. The best part? They come in handy travel-size pouches so you never have to choose between a beach day and a spa day again. (Sephora, $24 for three masks)

Yes To Grapefruit Daily Facial Scrub

For those lazy mornings when coffee just isn’t getting it done, the bright whiff of grapefruit and lemon balm extracts will get you going. Some might miss the gritty feel of more potent scrubs, but by using lactic and citric acids instead of physical exfoliants, this gentle version is mild enough for everyday use — just what you need to keep your complexion clear when the temperature spikes. (Birchbox, $10)

RoC Sensitive Night Cream

Retinol and sun exposure get along like oil and water — that is, if oil and water left you with a stinging, peeling pink face. Giving up on your antiaging regimen during the summer just sets you back, though, leaving room for lines and other pesky signs of aging to creep in. This night cream is a perfect solution. The dose of retinol isn’t some wimpy, watered-down version, it’s designed to release slowly, making it easier for your skin to handle and less likely to result in peeling, redness and irritation. (Drugstore.com, $23)

For sensitive skin

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

There’s a reason this mild cleanser has been recommended by basically every dermatologist on the face of the planet – it gets your skin impressively clean without stripping away the important natural oils that help keep your moisture barrier healthy. It’s soap-free and won’t irritate even redness and rosacea-prone skin which is especially important during the summer when heat, sweat, and sun can make blotchiness worse. (Walmart, $10)

First Aid Beauty Oatmeal Mask

Speaking of blotchiness… stuffed with colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, cocoa butter and feverfew, this soothing, hydrating mask is just what you need to bring your face back from the brink of the red-pocalypse. Just slather on a layer, wait 10 minutes, rinse thoroughly and you and your skin can both breathe a sigh of relief. (First Aid Beauty, $22)

Neutrogena Pure & Free Liquid Sunscreen

Chemical sun protectants and that classic coconut-ty sunscreen fragrance can leave sensitive skin itchy and stinging. This sunscreen isn’t like that. The mineral sun protectants in it are 100 percent naturally sourced, and there are no fragrances, dyes or other chemicals that might make delicate skin conditions flare up. It’s so gentle, it even earned the National Eczema Foundation’s seal of approval. (Ulta, $13)

VMV Hypoallergenics Cleansing Scrub

Specifically designed for delicate skin, this is the scrub for everyone who cringes at the word “scrub.” Free of fragrances, dyes, parabens and pretty much every other scary substance your hippie friends have warned you about, this scrub pairs fine, gentle pumice with coddling coconut oil so your skin gets thoroughly cleaned, but not stripped. (VMV Hypoallergenics, $24) 

Simple Soothing Facial Toner

Sensitive skin isn’t magically zit-free, but high-potency acne treatments can do more harm than good for skin that’s already inclined to get red and irritated. A swipe of this alcohol-free toner will make sure your skin is scrupulously clean and help keep acne-causing bacteria at bay with witch hazel. Meanwhile, chamomile and allantoin will help keep your skin calm and soothed.  (Amazon, $15)