I tested 30+ skin-care products in April — here's what I'm buying for myself

The best skin-care travel products serve double duty, and this face toner from K-beauty brand Pixi does even more than that. It's made with star ingredients like glycolic acid, aloe and ginseng and manages to cleanse, exfoliate and tighten your visage with just a few cotton-ball-soaked swoops. 

I've known about it for ages but somehow only tried it for the first time earlier this month. I was immediately impressed, but not surprised: The award-winning formula is so universally adored that my colleague Marie Lodi named it Yahoo's best toner of the year. 

Frankly, I'd forgotten all about Olay until a middle-aged friend texted last month and said: "You know what's actually working great for my skin? OLAY." 

Suddenly, the brand I used in my youth (back when it was known as Oil of Olay) was back on my beauty radar. I decided to test this iconic serum first, and I was surprised to find how high-end it felt. The formula is fragrance-free and gentle, but potent. 

I love nothing more than a drugstore rediscovery that can replace my bougie skin-care mainstays, and this fast-absorbing gel is ideal for summer months when I want something nourishing but light on my face.

Related: The best anti-wrinkle serums of 2025, tested and reviewed

Beloved spa brand Bliss has been around since I started covering beauty in the early 2000s, but I'm still uncovering its must-have products, like this magical pore serum.

Truth is, before I hit age 50, I did not know pores could suddenly appear enlarged and dug out, making one's complexion look like those close-up shots of the moon. I've tried all sorts of solutions for this new-to-me problem, but right now, I'm loving this powerful potion. It's made with oil-reducing, skin-tightening ingredients like vitamin B and green tea extract to clear out and shrink enlarged pores fast. 

In a clinical study, 95% of users noticed visible pore shrinkage after just one week, along with smoother skin overall. 

When I was in my 20s, French brand L'Occitane was the pinnacle of beauty-product glamour for me. The creams were all rich and beautifully, subtly scented; luxurious in a way I hadn't encountered before. I scooped up as many as I could afford.

Since then, I've tested literally thousands of moisturizers, but earlier this month, I decided to circle back to this classic hand cream. I was not disappointed. The ultra-emollient vegan lotion is packed with shea butter and coconut oil to instantly soften even the driest skin. It's thick but not greasy, ideal for use after hard-on-your-hands activities like dishwashing or gardening. I love it for myself, but it would also make an excellent Mother's Day gift.  

Yes, I know. This is not skin care, but it's too good not to recommend, and I have lots of nostalgia for a time when I could do whatever with my gums and they'd turn out fine.

Last week, my dentist told me I have gum erosion caused by "aggressive" brushing habits and that I need to start using an electric toothbrush STAT. (He also said that everything GenX-ers like me learned about toothbrushing is wrong. The more you know...). 

I picked up this Oral-B based on his recommendation, and I could not love it more. It's especially good for safely removing plaque along the gum line.

For months, I kept seeing ads for this "it" cream from K-beauty brand Zen Dew, and beauty influencers across platforms could not seem to stop raving about its wrinkle-plumping, face-rejuvenating powers. However, I know from experience that just because a product works for a naturally dewy 25-year-old does not mean it will do squat for my own perimenopausal dermis. I decided to test it myself.

Well, it turns out that it's actually great. It's made with 91% snail mucin (always a skin-care boon) and includes a variety of high-quality ingredients like ectoin, which is known for smoothing rough texture and azulene, which helps calm irritation. It's also cruelty-free, paraben-free and delivered in sustainable packaging — much appreciated in an industry that creates so much waste. 

But my favorite thing about this lightweight face cream is the results: My skin looked immediately glowy after using it, an effect that lasted the entire work day.