Bliss Skincare Review: A Review of The 10 Best Bliss Skincare Products

The story behind Bliss skincare begins in 1996 when Marcia Kilgore founded the first Bliss spa in New York City’s Soho. The brand expanded over the years, opening more spa locations and eventually developing a line of clean, cruelty-free skincare products to allow customers to recreate the spa experience at home.

What are the Best Skin Care Products of 2024?

In this review, we’ll discuss the brand’s best selling products, key ingredients, Bliss skincare reviews from real customers, and more. Like all of our reviews, we’ll cover the science that supports (or doesn’t support) the ingredients used in these products so that you can make an informed decision before purchasing Bliss skincare products.

What Are The Top 10 Best Bliss Skincare Products?

Bliss offers a variety of products for every step of your skincare routine, including cleansers, makeup removers, toners, serums, moisturizers, eye care, masks, and more. Below we’ll give you the breakdown of the top 10 best Bliss skincare products.

Bliss Bright Idea Vitamin C + Tri-Peptide Moisturizer

• One of the brand’s most popular products
• This moisturizer is formulated to visibly brighten skin while delivering hydration
• It is also said to protect collagen and defend skin from future free radical damage
• The form of vitamin C in this moisturizer is 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, a stable vitamin C derivative
• Additional brightening ingredients include niacinamide and licorice root extract
• Non-comedogenic
• Contains fragrance

Bliss Clear Genius Toner + Serum

• Combines the benefits of a toner with a serum to purify pores, tone skin, and deliver concentrated ingredients without over-drying or irritating skin
• Includes Bliss’ proprietary CLARITY 5 COMPLEX with BHA (salicylic acid), witch hazel water, niacinamide, zinc PCA and cica
• Witch hazel contains a high concentration of tannins, which can lead to sensitization for some people
• Alcohol free and non-comedogenic

Bliss Bright Idea Serum

• This brightening serum features the highest concentration of vitamin C plus tri-peptide to brighten, diminish the look of dark spots, and visibly firm skin
• The form of vitamin C in this serum is 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, a stable vitamin C derivative
• Additional key ingredients include licorice root extract, squalane, and vitamin E
• Non-comedogenic
• Contains fragrance

Bliss Glow & Hydrate Day Serum

• Hydrating serum that is said to help improve dullness while diminishing pores and blemishes
• The formula includes a high concentration of niacinamide, a multi-tasking ingredient that is proven to reduce inflammation, dryness, blotchiness, hyperpigmentation, acne, and wrinkling
• Additional key ingredients include aloe, sodium hyaluronate, vitamin E, and licorice root extract
• Contains fragrance

Bliss Renew & Smooth Night Serum

• Resurfacing night glycolic acid serum that is said to visibly transform dull skin to brighter and smoother overnight
• Contains a six-acid blend of glycolic acid plus gluconolactone (polyhydroxy acid) and four different fruit acids (sugar cane, lemon, orange and apple)
• These exfoliating ingredients help to remove dead skin cells, leaving skin brighter, smoother, and healthier
• Contains fragrance

Bliss Rose Gold Rescue Cleanser

• Rose water facial cleanser formulated with gentle ingredients to remove dirt, makeup, and excess oil without drying out the skin
• The formula includes surfactants (like cocamidopropyl betaine and cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine)
• A surfactant molecule contains one end that is hydrophilic (attracted to water) and one end that is lipophilic (attracted to oil). This allows surfactants to attract and suspend oils, dirt, and other impurities that have accumulated on the skin and wash them away
• The pH of this cleanser is between 4.5 and 5.5, which is about the same as your skin’s pH
• Contains fragrance

Bliss What A Melon Watermelon Mask

• An overnight facial mask that is said to remove dead cells and toxins for a refreshed, dewy complexion
• One key ingredient in this mask is watermelon fruit extract, an antioxidant-rich fruit extract the replenishes vitamins and minerals as it improves the moisture barrier to help prevent dehydration and water loss
• Additional key ingredients include electrolytes (magnesium aspartate, copper gluconate, zinc gluconate), rice bran extract, cucumber fruit extract, oat kernel extract, and sodium hyaluronate
• Contains fragrance

Bliss That’s Incredi Peel Glycolic Acid Pads

• Single-step, no-rinse peel pads that gradually release glycolic acid overnight to target fine lines, discoloration and imperfections for smoother, brighter skin by morning
• Spa-strength formula – with 10% glycolic acid – inspired by thousands of Bliss Spa facial peels performed by the brand’s skin experts
• Texture and tone is noticeably improved after just one use
• The pads also include witch hazel, a natural astringent
• Witch hazel contains a high concentration of tannins, which can lead to sensitization for some people

Bliss Pore Patrol Hydrator

• Lightweight facial lotion that hydrates skin all day while keeping pores and oil in check
• Willow bark visibly tightens pores and refines texture, while Brazilian sea water helps keep skin balanced, and aloe vera neutralizes shine
• The formula also contains the hydrating ingredients sodium hyaluronate and panthenol (provitamin B5)
• Preps skin for makeup application
• Contains fragrance

Bliss Micro Magic Microdermabrasion Scrub

• Microdermabrasion scrub that polishes away dead cells and clears pores, leaving skin softer and smoother
• The main exfoliant in this scrub is volcanic pumice, a mild exfoliant that purifies and cleanses, removing dead outer layers of skin cells. It does not dissolve in water, allowing time to massage and improve circulation as it exfoliates
• Additional key ingredients include kaolin clay, aloe, panthenol, vitamin E, and chamomile flower extract
• Contains fragrance

What Are The Key Ingredients in Bliss Skincare Products?

Bliss’ formulation philosophy is simple: what’s not in the product is just as important as what’s actually in the product. The brand formulates the Bliss skincare products without over 1,300 harmful ingredients, including phthalates, formaldehyde, triclosan, parabens, and more. Bliss partners with the most responsible ingredient suppliers and follows the strict European Union standards — the highest in the world for skincare safety.

As for the ingredients that the brand does use in their products, we noticed that each Bliss skincare product contains a unique mix of key ingredients. With that being said, there are a few ingredients that show up in several products throughout the collection, and those include vitamin C, sodium hyaluronate, and glycolic acid.

Instead of using pure vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), Bliss uses 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid in their skincare products because it has better stability. Once absorbed into the skin, this vitamin C derivative is converted to ascorbic acid and provides many benefits to the skin.

For example, ascorbic acid exerts potent antioxidant activity and also serves as a cofactor for two enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of collagen. By increasing the amount of collagen in the skin, signs of aging will be diminished and the skin will appear more firm. Lastly, ascorbic acid can decrease the appearance of dark spots and improve uneven skin tone through inhibition of melanin synthesis. Therefore, the Bliss vitamin C products should help to prevent and treat signs of aging, while also helping to brighten the complexion and even out skin tone.

Many Bliss skincare products contain sodium hyaluronate, the salt form of hyaluronic acid. Once applied to the skin, sodium hyaluronate provides the same benefits of hyaluronic acid, such as improving skin hydration while also giving the complexion a more plump appearance.

The final key ingredient that you’ll find in several Bliss skincare products is glycolic acid, a type of alpha hydroxy acid (AHAs). AHAs exfoliate the skin by targeting corneocytes (dead skin cells that make up the stratum corneum) in a process called corneocyte desquamation. By enhancing their breakdown and increasing the separation of skin cells, the rate of cell turnover is increased, leading to smoother, brighter skin and a more even complexion.

According to a publication in the journal Molecules, AHAs can be used to easily peel all types of skin with minimal risk. That makes the Bliss Incredi Peel Glycolic Acid Pads a good option for nearly all skin types.

Lastly, it’s important to keep in mind that nearly all of the Bliss skincare products contain synthetic fragrance ingredients. The use of synthetic fragrance ingredients can be a problem because the brand can use a proprietary blend of chemicals to create the fragrance, and they do not have to disclose which chemicals they use on the label. They are allowed to list this blend as “Fragrance (Parfum)” on the ingredient list.

A 2018 study by Women’s Voices for the Earth discovered that in over 3,000 chemicals reportedly used for fragrances, 1,242 were chemicals of concern – and that included at least 7 possible carcinogenic (cancer-causing) agents. Fragrance ingredients also have the potential to cause skin irritation and sensitivity. This is something to keep in mind before purchasing Bliss skincare products.

Where to Buy Bliss Skincare Products?

Bliss skincare products are sold on the brand’s website, as well as several third party online retailers, such as Ulta, Target, Amazon, and more.

You can also purchase Bliss skincare products in the Bliss spas, of course, or in stores throughout the US (Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Target, Ulta). The brand has a store locator on their website so you can find a location that sells Bliss skincare products near you.

Is Bliss Cruelty Free?

Yes, Bliss is 100% cruelty-free and PETA-certified. They never test their products or ingredients on animals.

Our Verdict

Overall, we would recommend Bliss skincare products if they didn’t contain fragrance, but sadly most of them do.

Pros

• Products contain evidence-based ingredients (vitamin C, sodium hyaluronate, glycolic acid, etc)
• Packaged in opaque bottles that protect delicate ingredients
• Cruelty free
• Many positive Bliss skincare reviews

Cons

• Nearly all products contain synthetic fragrance ingredients

What are some alternatives to goPure?

There’s no need to compromise when it comes to finding skincare that’s effective and safe.

If you’re looking for effective skincare products that skip harmful toxins, one brand we recommend is Carrot & Stick.

Carrot & Stick is committed to creating plant-derived formulas that deliver extraordinary results without relying on toxic chemicals or standard preservatives.

References:
Molecules. 2018 Apr; 23(4): 863.
Women’s Voices for the Earth “Unpacking The Fragrance Industry” 2018