Launch List: The Best Skin Care Launching in January

Dior Capture Totale Le Serum (Starting at $100)

The brand is relaunching its best-selling Capture Totale Le Serum this month, debuting a new formula with more natural ingredients, less fragrance (one of my only complaints about the prior formula) and more sustainable packaging. Key ingredients include a hyaluronic acid poly-filler, Tuscan iris from the Dior Garden in Tuscany, and the longoza flower, which Dior has been studying for more than 30 years in a Madagascan rainforest.

With new ingredients comes new claims. In clinical testing, the serum proved to visibly smooth fine lines and wrinkles four hours after application, skin firmness levels doubled in seven days and 80 percent of visible signs of aging were radically corrected in one month.

Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Retinol Serum ($92)

This high-dose retinol is the perfect partner for the brand’s top-selling moisturizer, Dynamic Skin Recovery. The creamy serum treats four signs of aging (pore size, texture, tone and wrinkles) and is gentle enough to use every night without irritation.

“Retinol can sometimes be a pain to use, and you have to skin cycle and use it every second Tuesday when the wind blows to the east [laughs] because you have to build up retinol receptors in your skin, or else you’re get the negative side effects like dryness and irritation,” says Heather Hickman, vice president of education for the brand. “What makes this serum unique is that it preserves and maintains the health of the skin barrier with no peeling, no redness, no irritation—just results.”

“We used three types of retinoids: retinol, encapsulated retinol and granactive retinoid, which is fantastic because it doesn’t have to go through all the conversion steps and rather interacts directly with the retinoid receptor. It’s potent and stable,” says Dr. Angela Murphy, vice president of R&D for the brand. “In our two-week clinical study, 30 volunteers saw an improvement in the reduced appearance of wrinkles, pores, dark spots and uneven texture.”

Medik8 H.E.O Mask ($68)

This two-step overnight hydration mask infuses skin with intense hydration, boosts the skin’s natural moisturization function and supports the skin’s barrier.

This is our winter skin savior,” says the brand’s director of research Daniel Isaacs. “We wanted to do something to address this really important core skin-care need. We went back to core principles—humectants, emollients and occlusives (H, E and O)—because the best moisturizers contain all three. We developed a ratio of H, E and O that would give us the longest-lasting, deepest hydration and moisture, and then we went even further to split it into two steps: Step 1 is our pure humectant gel packed with glycerin and hyaluronic acid. Wait for that to absorb and then apply Step 2, which is our nourishing emollient and occlusive cream that locks everything in for 72 hours so you just need to use it twice a week. It completely transforms your skin’s texture.”

Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Rich Barrier Moisturizer ($58)

Different from the brand’s best-selling Water Drench Hydrating Moisturizer, which provides lightweight hydration, this Rich Barrier Moisturizer is for those with skin that is showing signs of barrier damage, like dryness, redness and irritation. With continued use, it helps increase the look of skin’s thickness, firmness and elasticity by repairing its barrier. It also works to minimize the appearance of lines and wrinkles by plumping skin up with long-lasting hydration.

In a clinical study, 94 percent of users showed immediate skin barrier strengthening, and the formula proved to reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles both immediately and over time. In a consumer percent study, 96 percent of participants agreed their skin felt less dry and chapped after one week of using the moisturizer, and 94 percent agreed their skin looked renewed with a healthy glow.

Pacifica GLOW BABY Super Lit SPF Lotion ($20)

Why not get a little glow from your daily sunscreen? This antioxidant-infused SPF 30 combines a high concentration of zinc (20.8 percent) with vitamin C and kakadu plum for serious mineral protection with brightening benefits. The universal tint also contains unique mineral pigments to reduce the chance of a white or gray cast, which many mineral formulas leave behind. The addition of apple cell extract also works to minimize the appearance of fine lines over time.