Our favorite is Carrot & Stick Day & Night.
Did you ever get lured into purchasing a skin care product due to social media (an average of 63% of consumers are likely to trust a brand based on having an Instagram account) or celebrity endorsement that targeted your insecurities, only to be left disappointed? You’re not alone.
Statistics suggest that average American spends approximately $322.88 on skin care per year — and that’s on the low end. These numbers don’t reflect those who typically purchase pricier, high-end skin care brands (think La Mer, La Prairie, medical-grade brands, etc.) or fall into a higher income bracket. Even so, that breaks down to a lifetime spending (46.5 years of dedicated skin care shopping) of $15,000.
For the broader category of skin care and beauty, the average woman leaves her home each day having used at least 16 facial care or cosmetics products and spends between $200,000-$300,000 in a lifetime (or an estimated $250 per month) on skin care and cosmetic products.
With all that said, it’s possible for some of those dollars to be wasted if a product winds up not being all it’s cracked up to be — or not conducive to your skin type. Enter skin care sets, mini versions of a brand’s best-selling products so you can try them out before making a significant financial investment. All of the products in the kit are carefully selected to complement one another and they are catered to different skin types and concerns.
Let’s take a closer look at why so many consumers are jumping on the skin care kit wagon while sharing a list of 23 of the best sets on the market today.
Skin Care Sets and Kits: The List
BEST OVERALL
Carrot & Stick Day & Night
FULL LIST
Formulyst Custom Bundle
Supergoop! SPF All-Stars Kit
Drunk Elephant Nice to Meet You
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Sensitive 3-Step System
Fenty Skin Start’r Set
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Face & Eyes Set
Ole Henriksen Let’s Get Luminous Brightening Vitamin C Essentials Set
Peter Thomas Roth Peptide 21 Wrinkle Resist Kit
REN Clean Skin Start Kit
CeraVe 24hr Facial Hydration Bundle
Mario Badescu 50th Anniversary Essentials Kit
Sunday Riley Power Couple: Lactic Acid and Retinol Kit
Clinique For Men Daily Oil Control Set
Origins Sensational Soothers Skin Care Set
La Mer The Mini Miracle Broth Glow Collection
Soko Glam 10-Step Korean Skin Care Routine Set
First Aid Beauty FAB Faves To-Go Kit
Dermalogica Clear + Brighten Kit
Tatcha The Starter Ritual
Kate Somerville Kateceuticals 3-Piece Clinical Age Repair Set, $220
Glow Recipe Fruit Babies Bestsellers Kit
Skin Care Sets and Kits Versus Bundles
To be clear, skin care sets and kits are composed of two-plus travel-sized (not full-sized) products. On the other hand, Bundles are two-plus full-sized products that are typically packaged this way to save you some money — especially if you get on a monthly subscription program — while helping you establish a solid skin care routine.
Are Skin Care Sets Worth It?
Creating a skin care routine from scratch can take a lot of experimenting (and money) to perfect. In fact, a poll revealed that nearly 80 percent believe in trial and error to determine what products work best for their skin. Even when you find an effective regimen, you’re going to have to tweak it due to age, change of climate, and environmental and lifestyle factors. Not to mention the stress and perpetual mask-wearing due to COVID-19.
So, whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to overhaul your current routine, skin care sets and bundles are an excellent way to test out a product before graduating to full-size formulas.
However, there’s one caveat: Most skin care sets are designed to last a month or less — but certain active ingredients like retinol and niacinamide (among others) can take longer to produce significant results. So, you’ll have to gauge whether or not it’s worth investing in larger sizes, another skin care set, or a completely new brand and set.
Best Skin Care Sets
BEST OVERALL
Carrot & Stick Day & Night
This 24-hour skincare routine will defend against and help repair visible signs of aging by addressing fine lines and wrinkles. Your eyes will look brighter and more refreshed and skin will remain at a healthy moisture level. Use these products day and night to keep skin at its peak.
The brand’s products are designed to work in synergy to address your skin concerns, balancing the gentle nurturing of plants with the powerful results of innovative science.
FULL LIST
Formulyst Custom Bundle
Formulyst’s philosophy is to create the right products that will help treat skin issues rather than covering them up. The focus is on gold-standard ingredients that really work, such as retinol, rather than creating products that just feel good and smell good. While you can purchase products individually, save on your skincare with the brand’s 3-product ($108/shipment) and 5-product bundles ($159/shipment). For example, you can put together your own routine composed of Formulyst’s Gentle Foaming Cleanser, Anti-Aging Eye Cream, Luminous Skin Serum, Super Hyaluronic Water Moisturizer, and Anti-Aging Night Cream With Retinol.
Supergoop! SPF All-Stars Kit
Supergoop specializes in formulating sun care products for your face, body, and lips, and they even offer makeup products with SPF. Since 2007, the brand has been the leader in developing feel-good clean sunscreen — and they were the first to create an SPF without oxybenzone. This kit includes two of Supergoop!’s best-sellers: The invisible and weightless Unseen Sunscreen (SPF 40) and PLAY Everyday Lotion (SPF 50), a fast-absorbing, sweat-resistant formula.
Related: Best Sunscreens
Drunk Elephant Nice to Meet You
Beauty enthusiasts love this cult brand because their products are formulated without any fillers. Instead, it relies on the power of synthetic and plant-derived extracts to help reset your skin. This kit unites minis of the brand’s Protini Polypeptide Cream and Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser and Bamboo Booster. It’s the perfect introduction to this fan-favorite skin care range.
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Sensitive 3-Step System
La Roche Posay is committed to making dermatological skin care accessible to those who need it and offers consumers products for each step of their routine. This three-step, comprehensive system is formulated for sensitive skin. It provides immediate relief for irritated and uncomfortable skin, including skin prone to allergy or intolerances. In this kit, you’ll find the brand’s Toleriane Dermo-Cleanser, Thermal Spring Water, and Toleriane Ultra Daily Moisturizer.
Related: Best Serums for Sensitive Skin
Fenty Skin Start’r Set
Superstar Rihanna launched her skincare line, Fenty Skin, three years after her cosmetics line, Fenty Beauty, in 2020. The products are gender-inclusive, sustainable, and many also support the multi-tasking trend. See what all the fuss is all about with trial-size bottles of the brand’s Universal Creamy Cleanser, Do-It-All Toner Serum, and Two-in=One Sunscreen Moisturizer that work better when used together.
Related: Best Face Washes
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Face & Eyes Set
Due to the price point and the size of the products, this is more of a bundle than a set. Nevertheless, it’s the ultimate duo if you’re looking for a smoother, younger, healthier-looking complexion. This bundle consists of the brand’s iconic Advanced Night Repair Synchronised Recovery Complex II and the accompanying eye concentrate to nourish, strengthen, and brighten while you sleep.
Related: Best Night Cream
Ole Henriksen Let’s Get Luminous Brightening Vitamin C Essentials Set
One of Henriksen’s celebrity clients coined the phrase “Look at my Ole Glow!” upon seeing her radiant, youthful-looking skin in the mirror. So, this has become the brand’s signature tagline. If you’re looking to get a glow of your own, this skin care set is for you. It contains Ole Henriksen’s three best-selling radiance-enhancing formulas to target the visible signs of aging while revealing your skin’s natural luminosity. The Truth Serumhelps brighten and firm skin as it delivers all-day hydration. C-Rush Brightening Gel Crème delivers a 24-hour burst of moisture, firms, and instantly brightens. Finally, the cult-favorite Banana Bright Eye Crème smoothes, refreshes, and illuminates the eye area.
Related: Best Vitamin C Serums
Peter Thomas Roth Peptide 21 Wrinkle Resist Kit
PTR’s products are built on the philosophy that each product is formulated with the most effective ingredients possible — and at the highest level possible to create an astonishing result. This three-piece kit contains three peptide-packed products to visibly reduce the signs of aging. The Peptide 21 Wrinkle Resist Serum and Peptide 21 Lift and Firm Moisturizer effectively treat every area of the face and neck for 360° anti-aging results. The Peptide 21 Amino Acid Exfoliating Peel Pads provide powerful exfoliation while optimizing benefits.
Related: Best Anti Aging Face Serums
REN Clean Skin Start Kit
REN Skincare has a simple skin care philosophy: give you visible results from skincare with ingredients that work with your skin without causing irritation. The brand uses ingredients from sustainable sources and packaging, such as bottles made with ocean plastic and tubes made from post-consumer recycled plastic. New to the brand? This starter kit includes six best-selling products for a comprehensive day and night routine suitable for all skin types.
Related: Morning Skincare Routine
The Ordinary The Balance Set
The Ordinary skincare formulations are simple, including one or two actives and leaving out additives, fillers, fragrances, and dyes. Even the product packaging is minimal, with straightforward names that describe the product without any extra fluff or deceptive details. Additionally, this brand is extremely affordable — and this four-piece skin care set is no exception. It’s made up of a Squalene Cleanser, Salicylic Acid 2% Masque, a Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum, and Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA (hyaluronic acid) to effectively balance the skin, reduce textural irregularities, and minimize pore size without stripping the skin of its natural oils. It’s one of the best skin care kits for acne.
Related: Best Face moisturizers
CeraVe 24hr Facial Hydration Bundle
The CeraVe 24hr Facial Hydration Bundle is one of the best affordable skin care kits you can get from a drugstore. The trio includes TikTok’s famous-famous Hydrating Cleanser, Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF25, and the Eye Repair Cream. The skin is left deeply hydrated, softy, and silky smooth.
Related: Best Hydrating Serums
Mario Badescu 50th Anniversary Essentials Kit
The Mario Badescu collection is a comprehensive line of products with more than 200 items, including day creams, night creams, eye creams, facial sprays, and serums. This skin care set narrows it down to five of the best-sellers over the years: Enzyme Cleansing Gel; Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater; Drying Lotion; Silver Powder; and the Flower and Tonic Mask.
Related: Best Retinol Creams
Clinique For Men Daily Oil Control Set
While gender-neutral products should have made the trend list (Nearly 40% of adults aged 18-22 have shown interest in gender-neutral beauty products, according to NPD’s iGen Beauty Consumer report, yet brands like Clinique will still be attractive to a large portion of the male population. Considered a best men’s skin care kit, this no-fuss routine includes simple solutions such as a face wash, cream shave, and mattifying moisturizer, all of which keep skin clear and shine-free.
Related: Best Moisturizers For Oily Skin
Origins Sensational Soothers Skin Care Set
Sensitive skin can be challenging to manage, so if you’ve tried just about everything without success, give this skin care set a chance. It features Origins number one selling Mega-Mushroom Relief and Resilience Soothing Treatment along with other Mega-Mushroom favorites such as the face serum, moisturizer, mask, and cleanser.
La Mer The Mini Miracle Broth Glow Collection
Any La Mer product is going to set you back more than a few bucks — especially if you invest in La Crème de la Mer’s Crème Régénération Intense, which costs $2,400 for 16.5 oz and is deemed the most expensive skin care product in the world. But if you’re looking to see what all the hype is about — or you have the long-term means to invest in a pricy skincare routine, test out this posh skin care brand’s bestsellers. We’ll leave it up to you to decide if their proprietary Miracle Broth really does miracles for your skin.
Soko Glam 10-Step Korean Skin Care Routine Set
If you’re struggling to maintain a three-step skin care routine, then the concept of a ten-step Korean Beauty regime can be overwhelming. Luckily, Soko Glam, one of the leaders in K-Beauty products, offers skin type-specific sets that take the guesswork out of tailoring the correct multi-step routine. While this kit is on the pricier side, all ten products are full-sized. It’s definitely the best Korean skin care set.
First Aid Beauty FAB Faves To-Go Kit
First Aid Beauty offers an extensive line of problem-solving products that are safe for all skin types. This kit includes the brand’s best-selling products to cleanse, exfoliate, and hydrate most skin types — even those with sensitive skin. The Pure Skin Face Cleanser, Facial Radiance Pads, and Ultra Repair Cream address fine lines, wrinkles, dryness, and dullness.
Dermalogica Clear + Brighten Kit
This skin care kit clears, brightens, and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in just three steps: Daily Microfoliant Exfoliator, AGE Bright Clearing Serum, and AGE Bright Spot Fader. Key ingredients include salicylic acid to exfoliate and clear clogged pores, niacinamide to hydrate and brighten, and aloe leaf extract and lemon to moisturize and lighten age spots. The noticeable results are why it’s one of the best skin care kits.
Tatcha The Starter Ritua
The foundation of the Tatcha skin care line is Hadasei-3, the brand’s proprietary blend of three anti-aging superfoods. There are four Starter Ritual sets: firming and brightening, pore-tightening and balancing, ultra-hydrating and plumping, and calming and soothing. Each kit has four products to cleanse, exfoliate, balance, moisturize, and hydrate and tone the delicate eye area.
Kate Somerville Kateceuticals 3-Piece Clinical Age Repair Set
Another set that’s a bit on the pricey side, but the products are full-sized, and it also comes with a free eye-roller serum. This clinical kit is formulated to smooth fine lines and wrinkles, improve luminosity and firmness, and dramatically smooth, lift, and depuff the delicate eye area. It includes a firming/plumping serum, anti-aging face cream, and a firming/lifting eye cream.
Related: Best Anti Aging Eye Cream
Glow Recipe Fruit Babies Bestsellers Kit
This K-beauty brand really took off in 2017 when they launched their Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask — it has sold out seven consecutive times. This kit includes this best-seller, along with four others: Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser, Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Moisturizer, Avocado Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask, and the Watermelon Glow PHA+BHA Pore-Tight Toner.
Best Skincare Kits: The Bottom Line
What’s the Best Skincare Kit on the market? Overall, we suggest Carrot & Stick Day & Night.
