Louise McSharry: The best new skincare products to add to your routine

Our beauty writer on the just-released must-haves to put on your radar

Ole Henriksen’s HydraBarrier Nourishing Face Oil

Dermalogica’s Dynamic Skin Retinol Serum

New skincare must-have products

MAC Hyper Real SkinCanvas Balm

Ole Henriksen’s HydraBarrier Nourishing Face Oil

Dermalogica’s Dynamic Skin Retinol Serum

La-Roche Posay’s B5 Spray

Klorane’s Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk

Olaplex Dry Shampoo

New skincare must-have products

Louise McSharry

February 16 2023 02:53 PM

The world of skincare is hard to keep up with. New products are launched all the time, with different ingredients becoming buzzworthy every year or so. It’s very easy to feel totally bamboozled by it all. I know I do, and I’m someone with access to more products, and more information about said products, than most. That said, if you can get through the number of products being marketed to you, and the volumes of marketing speak about the best new ingredients, there are gems being released all the time. Today, I want to share some recent launches which are worth having on your radar.

MAC Hyper Real SkinCanvas Balm

MAC is a brand synonymous with makeup but not exactly known for skincare. Its new Hyper Real range (€22-€68 via brownthomas.com), which has been four years in the making, includes Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil, Serumizer Hydration Serum (a serum/moisturiser hybrid) and SkinCanvas Balm, a moisturising cream. The range is built to prime the skin for makeup, and sits beautifully under a full face.

Key ingredients include Japanese peony extract to even skin tone, hyaluronic acid for moisture, niacinamide for increased cell turnover, and ceramides, which protect the skin barrier.

These products will not transform your skin but they will deliver what most people require when it comes to cleansing and hydration. The packaging is beautiful, and I genuinely find using them each day a real pleasure — it’s up to you whether that justifies the price point.

Dermalogica is a brand I trust, so when it launches something, I pay attention. It recently added a new retinol product to its armoury, and I have been loving it. Retinol is a wonder ingredient in that it is scientifically proven to change how cells function and, in the case of the skin, to increase cell turnover. This means it has an impact on the skin’s texture thanks to increased collagen levels. Regular use can diminish the appearance of fine lines and improve the smoothness of the skin.

Dermalogica’s Dynamic Skin Retinol Serum

Dermalogica’s new Dynamic Skin Retinol Serum (€99 via southwilliamspa.com) contains a 3.5pc retinol complex, which is quite high for an over-the-counter product. I’ve been using it for almost six weeks and have noticed a real difference in my skin. It’s advisable with any retinol product to start slow, using it every few days at night-time, before building up to regular use. Once you’ve done that with this serum, you can use it every night, but be sure to use SPF every day, as retinol can increase sensitivity to UV rays. Shop around when purchasing, as there are several promotions available at the moment offering substantial discounts on this product.

Ole Henriksen’s HydraBarrier Nourishing Face Oil

I love a face oil but usually restrict them to night-time use as they can leave the skin looking, well, oily. Ole Henriksen’s new (3) HydraBarrier Nourishing Face Oil (€51 via boots.ie) does what you want an oil to do — strengthening the moisture barrier and therefore protecting it from environmental irritants — without making you look oily. It absorbs almost immediately, making it ideal for daytime use.

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La-Roche Posay’s B5 Spray

Finally, La-Roche Posay’s Cicaplast range is my go-to for skin ailments on both myself and my kids. It soothes and repairs rashes, excema or any other irritation. Now, the brand has launched a spray version of the cream. Cicaplast B5 Soothing Repairing Spray is light and easy to apply and would be a great calming buy for anyone with sensitive skin.

Lost in translation

Keep an eye out for the word chebula in ingredient lists and beauty writing this year. This ingredient is an antioxidant which is credited with minimising redness, reducing signs of hyperpigmentation, hydrating, detoxifying, and regenerating the skin. A natural ingredient (it comes from an evergreen plant native to South Asia), chebula has been used in some alternative practices for healing wounds and skin conditions for centuries.

Something old…

Klorane’s Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk

Klorane’s Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk (€12.99 via boots.ie) has been my go-to for years now. It delivers everything I want a dry shampoo to. It’s easy to use, has instant results, and delivers improved volume as well as a fresh, clean feeling. Some dry shampoos leave my hair feeling a little dry and brittle thanks to their chalky texture, which makes me want to wash my hair immediately, somewhat defeating the purpose of the product itself. Not so with this one, which is very fine and feels almost undetectable on the hair. Often a concern with dry shampoo is white residue, and while I don’t have to worry about that thanks to my fair hair, brunette friends have reported only minor issues with this product. They say that, while there is an initial whiteness, it fades quickly as the product gets to work. I will always have a can of this in my home.

... Something new

Olaplex Dry Shampoo

Millions of people have come to rely on Olaplex treatments thanks to their genuinely incredible impact when it comes to preventing and repairing damage to coloured hair. Brands cannot live on treatments alone though, so since its launch, the range has expanded to include a variety of products, the latest of which is a dry shampoo. Sulfate, phthalate and paraben-free, it’s also cruelty-free and vegan. Aside from all that, it includes the brand’s patented bond-repair technology, meaning it’s working to improve your hair and banishing grease, as well as claiming to detoxify the scalp. It’s pricey though at €29.50 via arnotts.ie.