The Prime Day beauty deals our editors already use and love

Amazon Prime Day is a great time to restock your beauty routine, but the sale can also be a lot to sort through. There are thousands of skincare, haircare, makeup, and sunscreen deals live at once, and not every viral product with a discount is actually worth buying.

That's why we're focusing on the Prime Day deals our editors already use, repurchase, or recommend after testing. The best deals we've found include K-beauty moisturizers that have earned permanent spots in our routines, sunscreen that makes reapplying feel fun, a shampoo I think is actually worth the higher price, and the pimple patches our executive editor calls her go-to. We also found discounts on internet-loved brands like Medicube, Laneige, OUAI, Aestura, Vacation, Paula's Choice, Hero Cosmetics, Sulwhasoo, and Tarte.

Below, we've rounded up the best Prime Day beauty and skincare deals to shop now, with quick notes on who each product is best for and why we think it deserves a spot in your cart.

For more Prime Day beauty deals, see our roundups of the best red light mask deals, the best Dyson deals, the best laser hair removal deals, and more.

The affordable K-beauty brand that's taking over the internet

Medicube has become one of the buzziest names in at-home K-beauty, and Prime Day is a good excuse to try the brand at a discount. Its products hit that sweet spot between viral and actually useful: the devices are made to help your skincare absorb better and leave skin looking glowier, while the topical formulas lean into hydration and the glass-skin ingredients people are already searching for, like niacinamide, collagen, exfoliating acids, and PDRN — a salmon-derived DNA ingredient that's become one of skincare's latest fixations..

• Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0, ($31 $15): Medicube's Zero Pore Pads are one of the brand's best-known products, and they're a practical Prime Day pickup if you want a quick exfoliating step for smoother-looking skin. "I have these on subscribe and save because every time I test out stopping them, my skin gets scaly again," says executive editor Sally Kaplan.

• Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum, ($22 $15): This lightweight pink serum taps into the PDRN trend with peptides and niacinamide for a more hydrated-looking finish.
• Medicube PDRN Pink Niacinamide Milky Toner, ($20 $14): A softening, milky toner with PDRN, ceramides, and peptides, this is the one to grab if your skin wants more cushion than exfoliation.
• Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Eye Cream, ($22 $15): This pink peptide eye cream is designed for the under-eye area, with PDRN and niacinamide to target dryness, fine lines, and uneven tone.

See all Medicube products on sale for Amazon Prime Day

A French pharmacy staple

Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré Sensitive, ($35 $28)

Embryolisse is a French pharmacy staple with a reputation that goes well beyond everyday moisturizing — makeup artists often use it as a primer by smoothing on a thicker layer before foundation.

Executive Editor Sally Kaplan likes the sensitive-skin version as a daily face cream and calls it "the most amazing daily moisturizer for dry skin." She has rosacea, so she's especially careful about formulas that can irritate her skin, and says this one hydrates "in a way that no other moisturizer ever has." It's a smart Prime Day pickup if you want a rich, comforting moisturizer that can also help makeup sit more smoothly.

The final boss of lip hydration

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask ($24 $16)

A family friend who works as a flight attendant turned me on to the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask years ago and told me it's a staple among her colleagues for dealing with dry cabin air. It's become a favorite on our team, too, especially in winter when regular lip balm doesn't always feel like enough. Despite the name, it's not just for sleeping — I use it anytime my lips feel chapped and need something thicker, glossier, and longer-lasting.

Pricey shampoo and conditioner at a discount

OUAI Thick Hair Shampoo and Conditioner Set, ($64 $51)

OUAI's shampoo and conditioner sets are among the few haircare products I think are actually worth the higher price. I use the brand's shampoo exclusively, and while it's definitely more expensive than a drugstore bottle, the formulas make my hair feel cleaner, softer, and more manageable without leaving it stripped. That's why this is one of the Prime Day beauty deals I'd actually recommend stocking up on, especially since OUAI makes versions for fine, medium, and thick hair types.

A moisturizer so good, multiple editors have switched

Aestura Atobarrier 365 Cream, ($32 $24)

This is my favorite moisturizer ever, full stop. It's rich without feeling greasy, makes my skin look immediately calmer and glowier, and has the kind of barrier-supporting texture that feels especially useful when my face is dry, irritated, or over-exfoliated.

Senior Associate Style Editor Gabrielle Chase is also a longtime fan: She says that it's "the only thing that keeps my extremely dry skin feeling hydrated for over 24 hours at a time," adding that the finish "almost feels like a wax seal, locking moisture in." Since it's usually pricier than a basic drugstore moisturizer, this is exactly the kind of beauty deal I'd use Prime Day to stock up on.

But we don't just love the moisturizer. The whole line is among our favorite hydrating products of all time. Here are our favorite products:

• Aestura Atobarrier 365 Cream Mist ($24 $18): This ceramide-packed mist is a good desk or gym-bag product if your skin tends to feel dry midday and needs a quick refresh.
• Aestura Atobarrier 365 Hydro Cera-HA Serum ($34 $27): This lightweight serum has ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide, making it a good pick if you want hydration and barrier support without adding another heavy cream.
• Aestura Atobarrier 365 Hydro Soothing Gel Cream ($32 $20): This is the lighter, cooling option in the Atobarrier lineup, and it makes the most sense for combination or oily skin that still needs barrier support.

Our go-to pimple patches

Mighty Patch Original from Hero Cosmetics, ($23 $17)

Hero Cosmetics' Mighty Patch is one of those products that makes the most sense to buy in bulk, since you never really know when a breakout is going to show up. Executive Editor Sally Kaplan calls it her "go-to pimple patch," and this 75-count pack is a practical Prime Day restock if you already know you'll go through them.

The most summery sunscreen

Vacation makes sunscreen feel less like a chore and more like something you actually want to keep reapplying, which is half the battle on pool and beach days. The brand's Classic scent is basically bottled summer: coconut, banana, pool water, pool toy, and swimsuit fabric (if that sounds strange, just wait 'til you smell it — it will make sense). The formulas are practical, too, with SPF 50 options that are water-resistant and designed to feel lightweight instead of gloopy.

• Vacation Super Spritz SPF 50 Face Mist, ($24 $15): Face spray sunscreen is a game changer for pool and beach days because it makes reapplying SPF feel less annoying — no smearing, no gloopy mess, just a refreshing mist you can spritz on throughout the day. It's truly a game-changer for me.
• Vacation Classic SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion and Air Freshener Bundle, ($17 $14): This travel-size lotion is easy to throw in a beach bag, and it gives you Vacation's nostalgic summer scent in a more controlled sunscreen format than a spray.
• Vacation Classic SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion Family Size, ($48 $37): This 20-ounce pump bottle is the practical pick if you want a sunscreen everyone can use all summer without constantly running out.

Shop all of Vacation's Amazon Prime Day deals

The best cleanser for combination skin

Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Foam, ($38 $29)

Sulwhasoo's foaming cleanser is a luxe K-beauty wash that feels more special than a basic morning cleanser, and Senior Home Editor Jaclyn Turner says it's held up as a repurchase since she bought it last Prime Day. "I love starting my morning with this cleanser," she says. "It foams up beautifully and feels velvety smooth on my skin. My skin feels so fresh afterward, and it has minimized breakouts on my combination oily skin."

The ultimate summer vitamin C serum

TruSkin Vitamin C Serum, ($20 $15)

This is my go-to affordable vitamin C serum for summer, when I want something lightweight that helps with uneven tone and gives my skin a little extra support against UV-related damage. I use Sunday Riley's CEO Glow Oil (also on sale) in the winter, but this feels better for hot weather — and you can actually feel that slight tightening effect right after applying it. It also has over 155,000 Amazon reviews and a 4.5-star rating, which is reassuring for a serum that costs far less than most prestige vitamin C formulas.

A lip color with subtle plumping

Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump, ($27 $16)

Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Balm Gloss, ($27 $16)

The Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump or Balm Gloss are great Prime Day pickups if you like the look of a gloss but want something that feels more cushioned than sticky. Senior Home Editor Jaclyn Turner's go-to shade in the Plump formula is Rose Quartz Shimmer Glass, a sheer, sparkly pink that adds polish without looking overdone.

She likes that it has the "perfect amount of shimmer and shine," an easy click-up applicator, and a subtle tingle that makes her lips look fuller. It's the kind of low-effort lip product that works on its own, over liner, or tossed in a bag for touch-ups.

Sally is equally obsessed with her Juicy Lip Balm Glosses, which are hydrating and sheer enough for everyday wear.

A hyaluronic acid staple

Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturizer, ($38 $27)

This Laneige moisturizer is a staple in Senior Home Editor Jaclyn Turner's skincare routine, and it's a good pick if you want something richer than a gel cream but not as heavy as a thick balm. It has squalane, ceramides, and blue hyaluronic acid to help hydrate normal to dry skin and support the moisture barrier, making it an easy everyday moisturizer if your skin tends to feel tight or dehydrated.

The ultimate exfoliant

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, ($37 $26)

I bought this cult-favorite exfoliant to try on my own dry skin, and it was a bit of a disaster — red, irritated, the whole thing. But when I passed it along to my fiancé, who has oily skin, it worked like a dream. I can tell when he's using it consistently because his skin looks smoother, brighter, and more even; when he's slacking, I can tell that, too. The formula uses 2% salicylic acid to clear pore congestion and smooth texture, so it's especially worth considering if your skin is oily or blackhead-prone.

A versatile hairbrush

FHI Heat UNbrush Detangling Brush ($18 $15)

The viral UNbrush is Senior Home Editor Jaclyn Turner's favorite detangling brush, with a lightweight, vented design and flexible dual-length bristles that work through knots on wet or dry hair without making detangling feel like a whole event.

The post The Prime Day beauty deals our editors already use and love appeared first on Business Insider