It's my job to test skincare for a living, but I always return to Elemis - I've been using it for over a decade and these are the 8 products I swear by

My job means that I try a lot of beauty products for work, so oftentimes my bathroom cupboard feels like it has a revolving door of things coming in and out as I test, trial and then move on to something new. If I love it, it will usually be finished up pretty swiftly before switching out for an alternative formulation, and if I don’t get on with it then it will be passed onto someone it would suit more. However, there is one brand that remains ever-present in my changing stash of skincare essentials and that’s Elemis.

I first got hooked over ten years ago, before I worked in the beauty industry, when my mum purchased me a gift set of the sadly discontinued Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser and the cult Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, which I consider to be the best moisturiser for mature skin. I have no idea what drew her to the brand in the first place or convinced her that it was a good choice for my oily, spot-prone, 24-year-old skin, but luckily my skin absolutely loved these products. Despite the advanced formulations being targeted toward more mature skin, I was instantly amazed at how bright and healthy my skin looked. And unlike a lot of other products I’d tried previously, it didn’t exacerbate my acne in the slightest. In fact, I credit the brand with really accelerating my interest in skin health. It was the first time in my life that I remember actually enjoying using skincare, rather than it feeling like something I was applying in the hope of getting rid of my spots.

Ever since, I would ask for Elemis skincare for birthdays and Christmas presents, and once I started working as a beauty editor I remember the excitement I felt at being sent my first PR package from the brand. Unique in its ability to transcend the beauty bubble that my industry pals often find ourselves in, Elemis is one of those brands that appeals to both my fellow beauty editors and my friends and family—and that’s because the products deliver. These days, I have a whole host of Elemis products that I repurchase regularly myself and truly can’t imagine my skincare routine without these in them.

Ahead, I share the eight best Elemis products that I swear by for keeping my skin healthy and looking good.

1. Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Wash

I have already written something of a love letter to this face wash as I’m truly that passionate about how good it is. If you have combination, oily or dull and congested skin, then this gel cleanser will undoubtedly impress. It contains a patented tri-enzyme technology that gets to work breaking down all of the dead cells on the surface of your skin that contribute to congestion, blocked pores and loss of radiance. Once rinsed away, your skin is left feeling impossibly smooth and things like enlarged pores (which mine definitely are) look more refined and less noticeable.

2. Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream

I have pretty much always had a pot of this iconic moisturiser in my bathroom since I was first introduced to it all those years ago, because despite it saying ‘Anti-wrinkle day cream’ on the packaging I think this is a universally appealing product. One of my best friends used to work as a beauty therapist and she still touts the benefits of the star ingredient—a superhero algae Padina Pavonica—as the key to this moisturiser’s success as it’s able to mimic the skin’s own function of collagen production meaning that skin remains plump, firm and buoyant. Along with other potent marine and plant actives like chlorella and ginkgo biloba, skin always looks so vibrant and feels hydrated when using this. And the lightweight gel-cream texture means that even oily or congested skin never feels weighed down.

3. Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads

If you’re prone to breakouts like me then likely you will have tried your fair share of exfoliating products. However, after using some incredibly harsh products in my younger years and then over exfoliating with acids in my older years, I am always on the fence with resurfacing products now as I find that they can compromise my skin barrier and actually exacerbate breakouts. However, these resurfacing pads from Elemis perfectly balance the need to remove skin-dulling dead skin cells while keeping the skin’s hydration levels in check. Using the same tri-enzyme technology as in my favourite cleanser along with lactic acid (a gentle AHA) and a probiotic ferment complex, they gently exfoliate, speed up the skin’s natural cell turnover, smooth skin texture and minimise pigmentation. They’re so effective that you’ll look like you’ve had a mini facial after using one, and while skin is always left bright it never feels stripped or dry.

4. Elemis Frangipani Monoi Body Oil

It’s not just skincare that Elemis offers either, its body care offering is equally impressive and I think its range of shower products and body moisturisers is amongst the best. (And perfect for gifting.) I had tried and enjoyed this body oil previously, but it really came into its own for me during my pregnancies. Frankly, I felt like a sack of potatoes both times I was pregnant, but slathering myself in this luxurious body oil helped to fake some of that pregnancy glow that I’d always heard about but definitely wasn’t experiencing myself. A blend of frangipani, monoi and coconut oils, it’s intensely hydrating, but the best thing about it is the incredible scent—like the fanciest tropical holiday that you can imagine.

5. Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm

Probably the most famous product in the Elemis line-up, I don’t think I’ve ever come across a person who has tried the Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm and didn’t love it. From fellow beauty editors and my best pals, to my mum and mother-in-law respectively, basically everyone I know loves this stuff—as do I. While there are sometimes limited edition scents (neroli was a particular highlight for me) and there are also fragrance-free and rose versions available, it’s the original balm that will always have my heart. The scent is truly incredible—a blend of nine essential oils, including chamomile and eucalyptus, so that it smells exactly like walking into a spa for the most expensive and relaxing facial that you’ll ever have. And not only is it an absolute joy to massage into skin, but it is really efficacious too—making light work of dissolving the heaviest make-up and removing all traces of dirt and grime from your skin. While it starts out as an oily balm, it transforms into a nourishing milk on contact with water meaning that skin is left soft and hydrated even once it’s been rinsed away.

6. Elemis Instant Refreshing Gel

I’d love to say that this has made my list of the best Elemis products because my muscles are sore from a rigorous workout routine, but that would be a lie. My muscles are actually sore from heaving around two big kids and pushing a pram around that’s often laden down with what feels like the entire contents of my house. I have always described myself as a fairly physically inflexible person (I couldn’t even touch my toes as a child) but things have definitely gone up a notch in the last few years and my neck and shoulders always feel particularly achy after a day spent hunched over my laptop. After a massage a couple of years ago, the therapist recommended this product and I’ve had a tube on hand ever since. It’s a refreshing body gel that contains arnica, birch and witch hazel to soothe aching muscles and camphor and menthol to relieve tension and invigorate skin. It’s brilliant and provides instant relief, and you can even use it on your temples and forehead to relieve tension and headaches. A really underrated gem.

7. Elemis Pro-Collagen Skin Protection Fluid SPF 50

I have been wanting Elemis to launch an SPF for years and 2024 is finally my year. The broad-spectrum SPF 50 protects skin from UVA and UVB rays via an advanced formula that aims to shield skin from damage while targeting existing skin concerns. More than just sun protection, it’s enriched with the brand’s signature marine algae to deliver that same bright, toned, glowing complexion that we’ve all come to expect from the rest of the Elemis lineup. Most impressively though, this product contains actives from lithops stem cells which help to support the skin’s own ability to produce vitamin D—a key component for skin health. It’s lightweight, layers effortlessly beneath make-up, and has been tested on an array of skin tones to ensure that it has a seamless finish. I can see this becoming my daily SPF for years to come.

8. Elemis Peptide4 Plumping Pillow Facial

When I’ve had a particularly long day or my skin is just going through a phase of not looking as good as I’d like it too, I reach for this overnight face mask. The main aim of the product is hydration so its loaded with Star Arvensis, a natural source of fatty acids, and Peptide4 which uses molecular biology to support skin’s health in line with its own synchronised internal clock—basically it improves skin while you sleep. It feels instantly cooling on the skin (great if you’re the kind of person that wakes up with puffiness) and I think my skin always looks noticeably brighter and more refreshed on the mornings after I’ve used this. It’s not often that I get a full eight hours, but this definitely fakes the appearance that I have done. Oh, and I have to say that it smells incredible too—almost like a sweet lavender scent that’s so relaxing for nighttime.