The Best Skincare According to Reddit

r/SkincareAddiction broadly agrees that SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic genuinely works — several call it the best over-the-counter result they've had, second only to tretinoin — but the dominant sentiment is that it's overpriced and oxidizes too fast in its dropper bottle. With the C+E+ferulic patent now expired, the community increasingly points to cheaper equivalents (Timeless, a $9.99 Trader Joe's version, K-beauty options), while X chatter mixes that dupe hype with the brand's clinical/derm prestige.

Best for: People who want the original, clinically-studied vitamin-C serum and can absorb the price — though most of the community now steers newcomers toward far cheaper, fresher dupes.

The 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant is a near-universal holy grail on r/SkincareAddiction and X — repeatedly described as the only thing that visibly fixed pores and texture. But long-time users mourn the brand's slide since its private-equity then Unilever takeover: prices hiked, formulas seen as "behind the curve," a flagged study questioning its retinol stability, and a former employee's account souring some shoppers.

Best for: Anyone who wants a proven chemical exfoliant — the 2% BHA Liquid remains a safe buy — even as the wider line faces cheaper, more modern competition.

Advanced Night Repair remains an iconic, long-loved serum — X users report a decade-plus of loyalty — but on r/SkincareAddiction the conversation is dominated by ethics and corporate concerns rather than efficacy: a boycott tied to the Lauder family's politics, a $750,000 Canadian environmental (PFAS reporting) fine, and unease that Estée Lauder Companies now owns The Ordinary/Deciem. Product respect coexists with a community actively seeking alternatives to the parent company.

Best for: Shoppers who value the proven Advanced Night Repair serum and aren't deterred by the parent company's politics and environmental record — others in the community are actively switching away.

Reddit is overwhelmingly skeptical of La Mer: a widely-shared teardown pegs production at roughly $35 a tub, commenters call it "overpriced petroleum," mock the "Miracle Broth" branding, and balk at ~$150 for half an ounce — repeatedly floating Nivea and Eucerin as near-dupes. A minority of long-term users genuinely love the rich texture and ritual and say it's worth it to them, and on X the brand mostly surfaces as aspirational, with viral "affordable La Mer" comparisons.

Best for: Wealthy buyers who value the sensory ritual and prestige and have dry skin — but the community's consistent advice is that far cheaper moisturizers perform comparably.