When we think back over the past year, skincare seems to have taken precedence over makeup. Many of us have had more time at home to mull over exactly what we’ve been putting on our faces all this time and to actively look into new treatments, try different skincare regimes and invest in products that actually make a difference.
Last autumn, global market research company Mintel discovered that during lockdown, UK sales of skincare products skyrocketed, with facial cleansers seeing the biggest rise in usage – up 55% from 2019 – followed by micellar water and moisturiser. Hardly surprising when we’ve been spending the best part of every day staring back at our faces on screens.
Of course, here at GLAMOUR, we are constantly bombarded by new launches and we are no strangers to product testing. In fact, we sample thousands of creams, serums and moisturisers every year – and yet, during lockdown even we couldn’t resist a chance to shop for our skin. After all, our Zoom faces were – like everyone else’s – crying out for a bit of TLC.
One place we found ourselves heading to rather frequently during all three lockdowns was Boots, our local high-street hero, which never lets us down when we need an emergency beauty haul.
In fact, since many Boots stores were open throughout lockdown, and with its website offering home delivery, finding a cult new cream or trying a well-known classic cleanser was pretty easy – and so we shopped like never before.
Naturally, between us all, we unearthed some skincare goodies. And not just any goodies, the ABSOLUTE must-haves; the mega-affordable yet super-effective hyaluronic acid serum, the gentle spot-busting cleanser, the go-anywhere, three-step mini skincare regime, the multitasking parched skin saviour – the list goes on.
So, we’ve whittled down the top 10 for you – the lockdown skincare product discoveries that have since found a spot in our bathroom cabinets and ones that totally deserve to be in yours too, now and forever. Best of all, they can be snapped up either in store or online at Boots.
Scroll down to see our must-buys…
