8 Skincare Icons & Where to Score the Best Deal

I recently came across an article about the 100 greatest skincare products of all time and I was excited to see what made the list. After a thorough review, I discovered that I have used 70 of these skincare gems. Naturally, I am now on a mission to use the remaining 30. The only exception may be the La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream which retails for a whopping $800! As I was going through the list I was pleasantly surprised to note that I did not pay full price for a single one of the 70 products. That includes luxe brands like La Mer, Sisley-Paris, Augustinus Bader, and SkinCeuticals. You would be surprised to see where I have picked up some of these products. Here are 8 of my most used skincare icons and where to score the best deal.

1. La Mer Crème de La Mer

WHERE TO BUY: Costco

This cream needs no introduction and it is a staple in my nightly routine. The 60ml size recently underwent a price increase and it now retails for $515 from $475. La Mer does have a Canadian website but they NEVER have discounts. The best you will get there is a gift-with-purchase. Your other options for a discount are Sephora and Holt Renfrew which hold biannual sales where you can score anywhere from 10-20% off on this cream. So where do I buy my La Mer products? Surprisingly, my go-to is Costco. The 60ml retails for $370 which is a savings of 28%. It used to be open to the public to buy on their site but they have since made all luxury beauty products available for members only. If you love this cream then it is worth tracking down someone with a membership. One thing I should point out is that Costco does indicate that they are “not an authorized dealer for this product.” As a result, the manufacturer’s warranty does not apply. The good news is that Costco has the best return policy and will take it back if there are any issues. Also, I have used this product enough to know that their inventory is legit.

2. SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic

WHERE TO BUY: Gee Beauty

This vitamin C serum is deemed by many as the best in the market and I couldn’t agree more. You don’t really see the impact of this serum until you stop using it and lose that beautiful glow. I have given up hope that the SkinCeuticals Canada website will ever run a sale like they do in the U.S. Instead, I have found a few Canadian retailers that run sales on this brand quarterly. Examples include Beautysense and Boutique Skin Envie. If you are looking for the best deal though then the award goes to Gee Beauty that typically runs a “WITH LOVE” sale in November offering 20% off on almost every brand on their site. You can see my full review of Gee Beauty here. One thing worth noting is that SkinCeuticals does publish a list of authorized dealers on their website and all the retailers listed here are all on that list.

3. Clarins Double Serum

WHERE TO BUY: Clarins.ca

This serum has won over 400 beauty awards and is one of those skincare icons that most people know. Clarins boasts that a bottle is sold every 5 seconds. It contains 21 plant extracts that claim to fight all the key signs of aging. I am a loyal user of this serum and love what it has done to my skin. Clarins does run sales almost quarterly where they offer 20% off sitewide and 25% off $150+. I have two suggestions on how to get the best deal on this serum. The first would be to purchase the 75ml which retails for $182. This would give you the best bang for your buck on a cost/ml basis. It would also qualify your order for 25% off. The second option would be to wait until Black Friday where Clarins typically includes giftsets in their sales. There are many sets containing the Double Serum which are competitively priced. Throw in an additional 20-25% off and you are getting an amazing skincare deal.

4. Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment

WHERE TO BUY: Sephora

I am obsessed with this exfoliator and there is a reason that it is referred to as the “2 minute Hollywood facial.” My skin looks so bright and clear every time I use it. Dare I say that it is my favourite exfoliator of all time. I always purchase it from Sephora but not when you might think. Sephora has a Savings Event twice a year where you can save 10-20% off depending on your membership tier. While you could wait for these events there is an even better time to buy this exfoliator. Sephora discounts roughly 500-800 products during every major holiday (i.e. Labour Day, Black Friday, etc.) and I have noticed that this exfoliator is ALWAYS included. I scored the 60ml full size last year for $77 compared to $105. That is a savings of 27%. Now that is a skincare deal worth the wait.

5. Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask

WHERE TO BUY: Kiokii and…

This lip mask put Laneige on the map and also saved my lips. It is one of the younger products as far as skincare icons go. I have lost track of how many jars I have gone through and I cannot go to sleep without it. I don’t love, however, how its price has skyrocketed over the past five years. It now retails for $32.50 at Sephora which is insane. I used to get this lip mask for just over $20! The good news is that there are a lot of options and they are all K-Beauty sites. You can find this product for $25 and under at such Canadian K-Beauty sites as Mikaela Beauty, Bambeau, and Chuusi. My personal preference and go-to is a website and retail chain called Kiokii and… where you can get this lip mask for $23.99. They have multiple flavours and also run sales frequently. It turns out that getting this lip mask for $20 isn’t impossible.

6. Differin Adapalene Gel

WHERE TO BUY: iHerb

While it is mainly used to treat acne this gel has also become quite popular for treating premature aging from sun exposure. It contains adapalene, which is a type of retinoid, and thus has anti-aging benefits. It is said that Differin sells one gel every 15 seconds. I have gone through multiple tubes and my wrinkles don’t stand a chance against it. Differin is actually not available in Canada but you can find it at iHerb. Shopping at iHerb is a treat and you can see my full review here. This gel retails for $28 on iHerb but they run deals weekly and it is easy to score 20-25% off this gem.

7. Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm

WHERE TO BUY: TSC.ca

This cleansing balm is a fan favourite and you have to try it to truly understand why. It fully deserves to be on this skincare icons list as it is a treat for the skin. It also happens to be masterful at removing makeup and dirt as a first cleanse. Elemis isn’t the easiest to get in Canada. Their website does ship here but you are subject to import charges and currency conversions. To that I say no thank you. I used to buy my Elemis products from Nordstrom but have since found a better option since Nordstrom pulled out of Canada. That option is Today’s Shopping Choice (TSC.ca). TSC.ca is formerly known as The Shopping Channel and they have an incredible beauty section. You can find dozens of popular beauty brands including hard to find ones such as Elemis and Beekman 1802. Elemis’ Cleansing Balm retails for $56 but getting 20% off and more is an easy feat on TSC.ca. They run deals regularly and you can bank on getting a 20% off code as a birthday treat. To that I say thank you!

8. EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46

WHERE TO BUY: Beautysense

EltaMD claims to be the #1 Dermatologist-recommended and trusted professional sunscreen brand. In fact, one of the easiest places to find it in person is clinics and medical offices. Their UV Clear SPF 46 Facial Sunscreen is their bestseller and my personal favourite. It is a sheer mineral SPF and contains niacinamide and hyaluronic acid in addition to 9 percent zinc oxide. There are a number of fabulous Canadian beauty retailers that sell this sunscreen but the pricing seems to be all over the place. I have compared them all and the winner of is Beautysense. You can see my review of this retailer here. They sell this SPF for $67.50 and run 15% off sales on the EltaMD brand regularly. They also offer free shipping with no minimums on all orders which is a big bonus. This makes this skincare deal even sweeter.

Stay tuned for a second part to this list and more ways to score the best skincare deal. I am also preparing a similar post for makeup icons. Wish me luck in getting a deal on the 30 skincare icons that I haven’t tried yet!