The best skincare gifts worth the splurge

When things get overwhelming, finding a moment to treat yourself and your skin can be a gift in itself. So while you can’t always give your friends a get-out-of-this-draining-obligation-free-card, you can get them skincare gift sets and little luxuries that will at least help repair some of the worry lines and inflammation the stress caused. We love stress relief gifts, so here are some of our picks for the best skincare gifts that provide relaxation, repair, and care.

• Best for lowering inflammation: Mount Lai Gua Sha
• Best for starting a routine: The Youth System by Youth to the People
• Best for lips: Burt’s Bees Lip Passion Set
• Best for a day out: Supergoop! Mineral Sheerscreen
• Best for a night in: Let’s Do This Sheet Sheetmask Set
• Best for bringing the spa to you: NuFACE Trinity Complete Facial Toning Kit
• Best for treating sun damage: Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream
• Best for the clean freak: FOREO LUNA 3 Facial Cleansing Brush
• Best for the early bird: Drunk Elephant Wake Up Haul Day Kit
• Best for hydration: The Water Cream by Tatcha
• Best for the guy on the go: Jack Black Jetsetter Set
• Best for his full body refreshment: MALIN + GOETZ Essential Starter Kit 
• Best for the beard-grower: Harry’s Winston Shaving Holiday Set

Best for lowering inflammation: Mount Lai Gua Sha

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Give the gift of lymphatic drainage. Even if you aren’t looking to decrease puffiness, a gua sha is a great choice to implement a relaxing facial massage into your daily routine. This gua sha by Mount Lai is made of jade and glides over the skin to give a cooling effect. Although some TikTok users may tout gua sha as a new “trend,” this technique has been around for far longer and originally originated in China as a way to treat sickness. Now, these stones can be used to calm the face and make a morning routine even more relaxing.

Best for starting a routine: The Youth System by Youth to the People

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Looking for a way to help a friend kickstart their skincare regimen? This 100% vegan and cruelty-free skincare line is a favorite among beauty lovers and might be the perfect option. With six different products included, the Youth to the People Youth System set provides a great foundation for any routine. The gift set includes miniature sizes of an Allure Reader’s Choice winner cleanser, energy serum, moisturizer, eye cream, glow oil, and microdermabrasion treatment.

Best for lips: Burt’s Bees Lip Passion Set

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If you’re looking for a smaller, stocking stuffer-style gift, this Burt’s Bees Lip Passion set will have your friends buzzing with excitement. This classic lip-balm brand is consistently ranked as one of the best for its beloved moisturizing lip balms. This gift set includes three passion-fruit flavored options—a lip oil, an overnight mask, and a balm—giving your friends their choice of lip-nourishing products.

Best for sun protection: Supergoop! Mineral Sheerscreen

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If you’ve followed skincare, you’ve seen Supergoop! and there’s a reason why: Their lightweight sunscreens are perfect for everyday use and should, in fact, be used every day. Sunscreen isn’t just the thing you regret when you forget to bring it to the beach; it should be incorporated into your daily routine to prevent skin cancer and premature aging. This mineral sunscreen is a great option for those who have sensitive skin and may react to some of the ingredients often found in chemical sunscreens. Plus, it doesn’t feel nearly as heavy as some of the general-purpose sunscreens you might be used to. Although this sunscreen isn’t totally clear, it blends beautifully with a minimal white cast. If you don’t have sensitive skin, try the invisible, equally reef-friendly, broad-spectrum, oil- and scent-free, Unseen Sunscreen. The velvety, beard-friendly feel has made this the sunscreen of choice for our associate managing editor, who really dislikes heavy lotions.

Best for a night in: Let’s Do This Sheet Sheetmask Set

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In need of a stocking stuffer that can address a variety of skin concerns? This set is for you. The Let’s Do This Sheet set by I Dew Care includes five vegan sheet masks to give your friend the ultimate self-care experience. Whether you’re looking to firm, nourish, illuminate or hydrate, this set will have a mask for you. Plus, if you need to scare anyone away or are looking for a super low-effort Halloween costume that doubles as a spa treatment, slap one of these on your face, and they’ve got you covered—for about 20 minutes.

Worth the extra indulgence

Best for bringing the spa to you: NuFACE Trinity Complete Facial Toning Kit

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It may look frightening but the only thing truly shocking about the NuFACE microcurrent system is the scary good results. This FDA-approved facial toning system sculpts the face by emitting currents to the muscles underneath the skin, essentially working out facial muscles and building them so skin looks tighter. For a long time, microcurrent devices were only available in costly treatments at spas but devices like NuFACE work in your own home. This NuFace kit comes with the NuFACE Trinity device, red light therapy attachment, lip and eye attachment, and gel primer. If you’re looking for a cheaper option, the device also comes in a mini size.

Best for treating sun damage: Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream

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Lots of topical over-the-counter products claim to reduce signs of aging and sun damage, but none actually do it quite like retinoids. This vegan Drunk Elephant cream combines vitamin F and retinol to improve skin texture over time. Retinol can be strong, so a little will go a long way. But this cream includes antioxidants and vitamins to help offset irritation usually caused by retinol. Because of retinol’s collagen-producing and cell turnover-promoting properties, retinol can fade hyperpigmentation, help with acne, and reduce fine lines.

Best for the clean freak: FOREO LUNA 3 Facial Cleansing Brush

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Our faces can get dirty, and so can our towels, brushes, hands … you name it. The Foreo cleansing brush works to clean the face while keeping itself clean. This brush is made of silicone, a non-porous material, meaning it is a lot more bacteria-resistant than other materials. This handheld device gently pulses to remove makeup and build-up. Plus, it’s kind of like a massage every time you wash your face.

Best for the early bird: Drunk Elephant Wake Up Haul Day Kit

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Start your morning off right with the Drunk Elephant Wake-Up Haul Day kit. It includes four products, including a full size of the beloved C-Firm Fresh Day Serum—a vitamin C concoction to firm and brighten skin. Drunk Elephant is known for its products’ abilities to mix and benefit from one another, so this set will have you well on your way to sunny skin in no time. But if you aren’t shopping for a morning skincare person, the Night to Remember kit might be for you.

Best for hydration: The Water Cream by Tatcha

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If you’re looking to combat winter dryness, this fan-favorite cream could be the solution. This luxurious cream moisturizes skin minimizing the appearance of pores. The oil-free formula hydrates skin without leaving it greasy, making it a good choice for combo or oily skin types.

Gift sets for men

Best for the guy on the go: Jack Black Jetsetter Set

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This gift set includes five nourishing products all packed up in the perfect travel bag. Complete with a moisturizer (with SPF!), cleanser,  conditioning shaving cream, body cleanser, and deodorant, this set will leave any man (or anybody!) smelling and feeling pampered and luxurious even on the go.

Best for his full body refreshment: MALIN + GOETZ Essential Starter Kit  

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If you’re looking to gift a full-body experience, this set has got you covered from head to toe. This gift set contains MALIN+GOETZ’s six bestselling products, including a facial cleanser, moisturizers, body wash, body moisturizer, shampoo, and conditioner—all in wonderful scents, like bergamot and peppermint, of course.

Best for the beard-grower: Harry’s Winston Shaving Holiday Set

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Take a vacation to Harry’s hotel with this shaving set (not to be confused with Harry’s House—sorry Stylers). Your lucky gift recipient will receive a shaving gel, body wash, and razor with some of the world’s sharpest high-grade steel replacement blades. Plus, Harry’s is now carried at major retailers like Target, so if your friend loves their new razor set so much, they can keep stocking up easily.