woman doing skin care in front of mirror - best skin care products uk
woman doing skin care in front of mirror - best skin care products uk

Best Skin Care Products For Students From Lookfantastic UK

Pssst: use our Lookfantastic student discount to get skin care for less. You deserve it.

Love the skin you’re in and let your natural beauty shine through by upping your skin care game and investing in your skin’s health. 

Skin is the body’s largest organ (trust me, I’m a doctor), so don’t treat it as an afterthought. I’m not talking about dropping £££ on a 20ml bottle of snail sperm or whatever it is, I’m talking about giving your skin a little more love and attention — just the basics is enough. 

I’m all for makeup and the self-expression it encourages, but sometimes there’s nothing better than feeling comfortable in your skin and being able to rub your eyes without smudging mascara.

The skin care world is vast, and it can be hard to know where to begin. Social media is rife with skin care routines and the best products to help get that glowy, dewy complexion, but how do you know what and who to listen to?

We’ve been diving into beauty brand Lookfantastic to find out what skin care students are buying with a Lookfantastic student discount to help you start your journey into skin care. Goodbye 2-in-1 body and face washes. 

Jump to:

The skin care products students are loving with a Lookfantastic student discount

We delved into our Lookfantastic data to find out what students are buying, and it turns out that skin care is the number one category for student purchases — 28% more than the second sought after category of hair care.

These are the skin care products students are loving in 2025*. 

Best skin care products UK bought by students

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5 Multi-Purpose Repairing Balm (100ml & 40ml)

@dermarkologist

La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume for a glow up overnight? As a board certified skincare hack HATER, I can actually get on board with this one.. in certain cases are least! Here is what this can work for! Original vid: @thelipstickgirly #cicaplast #skincaretips #dermarkologist #barrierrepair #sensitiveskin #irritatedskin

♬ original sound – Dr. Mark, MD | Dermarkologist

Ideal for:

  • Damaged, uncomfortable, irritated skin
  • Face and body
  • Nappy rashes
  • Chapped lips
  • Dry or cracked skin
  • Minor injuries

Kiehl’s Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum

Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum from Lookfantastic - best skin care products uk

Ideal for:

  • All skin types including sensitive skin
  • Visibly reducing the look of wrinkles
  • Refining skin texture
  • Promoting surface skin cell turnover to strengthen skin barrier

La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVMune 400 Invisible Fluid Non-Perfumed Suncream SPF50+ 

La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVMune 400 Invisible Fluid Non-Perfumed Suncream SPF50+ from lookfantastic - best skin care products uk

Ideal for:

  • Daily use
  • Wearing under makeup
  • Sensitive skin

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner (240ml & 100ml)

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner - best skin care products uk

Ideal for:

  • Gently exfoliating surface of the skin
  • Reducing dead skin cell build-up
  • Improving skin texture

CeraVe Blemish Control Face Cleanser with 2% Salicylic Acid & Niacinamide for Blemish-Prone Skin

CeraVe Blemish Control Face Cleanser with 2% Salicylic Acid & Niacinamide for Blemish-Prone Skin from Lookfantastic

Ideal for:

  • Blemish-prone skin
  • Reducing blackheads
  • Leaving skin smooth and soft
  • Replenishing essential moisture

LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask – Berry (Original)

LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask - Berry (Original) - lookfantastic - best skin care products uk

Ideal for:

  • Dry and cracked lips
  • Leaving on overnight to wake up with healthy lips

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Supersize Serum

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Supersize Serum - lookfantastic

Ideal for:

  • Blemish-prone skin
  • Improving appearance of skin tone
  • Visibly refining pores
  • Removing excess sebum

REN Clean Skincare Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic

REN Clean Skincare Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic - best skin care products uk

Ideal for:

  • Tired/city-living skin
  • Breaking up dead skin cells
  • Dissolving pore build-up
  • Exfoliating skin
  • Brightening and tightening the skin

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (30ml & 60ml)

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 60ml from Lookfantastic

Ideal for:

  • Hydrating skin
  • Strengthening the skin barrier
  • Giving smoother-looking skin
  • Minimising appearance of fine, dry lines

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Cleanser

Ideal for:

  • Oily-combination skin
  • Sensitive skin/allergy-prone skin
  • Reducing unwanted shine
  • Hydrating and conditioning skin
  • Reducing visibility of spots and blackheads

Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Rice + Probiotics SPF50+

Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Rice + Probiotics SPF50+ - lookfantastic

Ideal for:

  • Dry, sensitive skin types
  • Calming and brightening the skin
  • Protecting from UV rays

Korean skin care is all the rage right now, check out more of the best Korean sunscreen and where to buy in the UK.

BEAUTYPRO Retinol Under Eye Patch

BEAUTYPRO Retinol Under Eye Patch - best skin care products uk

Ideal for:

  • Tired-looking eyes
  • Reducing puffy eyes
  • Minimising uneven skin tone

Best cream for dry skin

Dry skin needs moisture and hydration. Drinking water is super important to maintain hydrated skin, but you can also add some extra moisture through your skin care. 

Creams for dry skin help trap in moisture with a protective film, and other ingredients, like avocado, can help to reduce irritation, redness, and soreness caused by dry skin. 

Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado

Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado - look fantastic - best cream for dry skin

Aveeno Face Calm and Restore Oat Gel Moisturiser

Aveeno Face Calm and Restore Oat Gel Moisturiser - best cream for dry skin, lookfantastic

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+M Anti-Blemish Corrective Gel Moisturiser 

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+M Anti-Blemish Corrective Gel Moisturiser - best cream for dry skin - lookfantastic

The INKEY List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturiser

The INKEY List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturiser  - best cream for dry skin - lookfantastic

Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial

Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial - lookfantastic

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA

the ordinary natural moisturising factors +HA - lookfantastic

Best cleanser for dry skin

Cleansers are normally the first part of a skin care routine. They aim to remove dirt, oil, and makeup from the skin, as well as helping to prevent breakouts and prep the skin for the next skin care products in your routine. 

When you have dry skin, you need a cleanser that is mild and won’t strip your skin of its natural oils. 

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm - lookfantastic - best cleanser for dry skin

The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm

The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm - lookfantastic - best cleanser for dry skin

The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser

The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser - lookfantastic - best cleanser for dry skin

What is combination skin?

Combination skin is a skin type with characteristics of oily, dry, and normal skin. You might have combination skin if you have a combination of the following:

  • Oily T-Zone
  • Dry spots
  • Large pores
  • Clogged pores
  • Blackheads
  • Skin feels tight
  • Breakouts

Products for combination skin

If you have combination skin, you need to find products that won’t dry your skin out too much at the same time controlling your oil production. 

Use our Lookfantastic student discount to save your skin and wallet.

Top skin care brands sold on Lookfantastic

Based on our Lookfantastic data, the following are the top skin care brands students are buying:

  1. La Roche-Posay
  2. The Ordinary
  3. Kiehl’s
  4. The INKEY list
  5. Elemis

Don’t forget to use our Lookfantastic student discount to get incredible skin care for less.

If you’re a lover of high-end beauty brands but your bank account says ‘please, stop the spending — I beg’ then check out the makeup dupes you can get on a budget

Unlock even more with Student Beans

All your favourite brands at your fingertips, from fashion and beauty to food and drink, available to college and uni students aged 16 and over. Dive into our blog to find tips and advice to help you navigate student life, from applying to uni to life after graduation.

*Based on products sold using a student discount code between 1st January — 12th February 2025.