The Number 1 Serum in the U.S. Is on Sale at Saks—Along With Other Never-Discounted Buys

Photo: Getty/Hugo Cattelain / EyeEm
Your skin is your largest organ, which means it's well worth whatever investment you decide to put toward maintaining its health. While budget beauty can certainly get the job done, sometimes you can't help but lust after the La Mers and La Prairies of the world. Though these types of pricey products—many of which you probably recognize from the shelfies of the ultra-rich-and-famous—almost never go on sale, right now you can snag them for seriously discounted prices as a part of the Friends and Family Saks Skin-Care Sale.

Wondering how you can suss out which products are worth the splurge? Generally, serums and oils—which have the highest concentrations of active ingredients—tend to give you the most bang for your buck. Beyond that, though, "it’s important to evaluate and investigate the active ingredients in each product and not simply choose a product based on its marketing, packaging, or promises," Rachel Nazarian, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, previously told Well+Good. Lucky for you, our beauty editors have done all the legwork in sorting through Saks' on-sale skin care to determine which products live up to their hefty (albeit currently discounted) price tags. Keep scrolling to shop our picks.

Photo: Estee Lauder
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum Duo Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex — $153.00

Originally $180, now $153

Consistently ranked as the number-one anti-aging serum in the U.S., this serum optimizes your skin natural repair process to fend off multiple signs of aging, including fine lines, wrinkles, and discoloration. Though it’s got a lofty price tag, it serves double duty as a skin-protecting antioxidant serum during the day and a skin-recovery anti-aging serum at night.

NuFACE Limited Edition Magical Beauty Nuface Mini® Hydrate & Contour Mini Facial Toning Set — $177.00

Originally $209, now $177

As far as sculpting skin-care devices go, the NuFace is the best of the best. It uses microcurrent technology to lift and contour your face in five minutes flat, and regularly receives glowing reviews from dermatologists and estheticians alike. Use it as a part of your morning routine to diminish puffiness and wake up sagging skin.

La Prairie Skin Caviar Skin Caviar Nighttime Oil — $451.00

Originally $530, now $451

Nothing says “indulgent” quite like caviar, which happens to be the star ingredient in this evening oil. The luxe formula includes both caviar-derived retinol and lipids, which work together to stimulate cellular turnover and strengthen your skin barrier. You’ll see stronger, smoother, and firmer skin after a single night—and the results will get even better over time.

Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum — $255.00

Originally $300, now $255

Often considered the holy grail of luxury hyaluronic acid serums, it’s rare that you’ll find this stuff on sale (which means that your time to snag it is n-o-w). It contains three different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid, which penetrate and hydrate your skin at different levels, plus purslane, a natural ingredient rich in cell-renewal stimulating vitamin A and moisturizing vitamin E.

Clé de Peau Beauté La Crème — $468.00

Originally $550, now $468

Believe it or not, the moisturizer encapsulated in this luxe-looking gold container is even more opulent than the packaging implies. It combines many of skin care’s buzziest ingredients—wrinkle-fighting retinol, hydrating hyaluronic acid, moisturizing squalane, antioxidant-rich silk—with a proprietary dark-spot-correcting blend, and leaves a luminous finish that only enhances its lavishness.

Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream PPC Cellular Renewal Rich Cream — $145.00

Originally $170, now $145

Often referred to as “the best skin care in the world” the technology used in this moisturizer is truly unparalleled. It was initially developed to help with scarring in burn victims, but was brought to the wider market when developers realized how effective it was in aiding in overall skin health. So what makes it so special? It uses epigentic technology to deliver nutrients to specific parts of the cells to change the expression of their DNA, effectively catalyzing them to repair on their own, which improves the appearance of issues like scarring, discoloration, and wrinkles.

Photo: Violet Grey
La Mer The Concentrate — $178.00

Originally $210, now $178

Made with concentrated amounts of La Mer’s famed “miracle broth” (which is made from hand-harvested kelp) plus a “stabilizing ferment” that combines marine algae and seawater and holds three different types of sea minerals that help rejuvenate skin. When one of our editors tested out the concentrate for a full month, she saw her skin transform into a brighter, more even, and more hydrated version of itself, and deemed the product well worth the hefty chunk of change it will cost you.

Testament Beauty Turkish Coffee 3-in-1 Mask — $58.00

Originally $68, now $58

For $58 (which, admittedly, feels like a steal compared to some of the other products on this list), this mask will give you triple beauty benefits in a single application. Finely-ground coffee seeds exfoliate and awaken skin, a combination of niacinamide and anti-inflammatory botanicals (think: safflower and sunflower) help to calm irritation, and ceramides and fatty acids aid in hydration and skin barrier strength. It’s a scrub, a mask, and a moisturizer all in one, and can be used in place of multiple steps in your usual routine.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream — $136.00

Originally $160, now $136

Your evening skin routine should be all about regeneration (fun fact: your skin repairs itself while you sleep), a process this moisturizer works to support. It’s made with a blend of marine ingredients that infuse hydration, stimulate collagen production, and help ramp up your skin’s own antioxidant defenses, leaving you with a smoother, more supple complexion that will stay moisturized for 12 full hours after you apply.

MZ Skin Lift & Lustre Golden Elixir Antioxidant Serum — $280.00

Originally $329, now $280

I count this as one of the few luxury serums in my own skin-care collection, and can confirm that it’s among the best that money can buy. Formulated by dermatologist Maryam Zamani, it’s made with a concentrated blend of stem cells, botanical extracts, and hyaluronic acid. According to clinical studies conducted by the brand, over the course of 30 days, the antioxidant-rich serum increases hydration by 25 percent, improves wrinkle depth by 16 percent, and enhances radiance by 38 percent. Personally, I love to use it as a part of my a.m. routine (or ahead of special occasions), because its gold flecks give my complexion a lit-from-within glow that looks gorgeous on its own or layered under makeup. What’s more? You can also dab it on your cheeks, brow bones, or Cupid’s bow as a stand-in for your go-to highlighter.

Check out the video below to find out which high-end products are a part of a dermatologist's own routine. 

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