Best Vegan-Friendly: Youth to the People The Youth System

Let’s talk skin care sets!

We love these sets as a perfect gift—or as a way to save over expensive spa treatments. The best sets have a variety of products (not just lotion and eye cream) . . . and yes, a few extras like sunscreen.

For the best vegan-friendly skin care set, we recommend this favorite that our readers told us they love: the Youth to the People set. Unlike other skin care sets we tried, this one is free of sulfates, parabens and mineral oil—and generally made with vegan-friendly ingredients.

What We Liked

• Excellent eye cream.

• Detailed instructions.

• Liked the face scrub with a caveat: it is only recommended once or twice a week.

• Glass containers are a nice touch.

• Great gift idea.

• Great for combination skin.

What Needs Work

• Not the best choice for sensitive skin.

• Not everyone is a fan of the fragrance.

Best For Travel: Meaningful Beauty Anti-Aging Daily Skincare System

Yes, this kit has TSA-friendly size bottles that are a good bet for travel. But we liked it for general use as well—the cleanser is most amazing, said our testers. The lightweight of the creams is also a stand-out. 

What We Liked

• Nicely moisturizing.

• Bottles are sized right for travel.

• Gentle cleanser is a stand-out.

• Goes on easy.

What Needs Work

• Pricey.

• Not everyone likes the scents.

Best Scent: InstaNatural Skin Care Set

We know scented skin care products can be a love/hate issue—for everyone who likes the frangrances, there is someone who doesn’t. That said, the orange/citrus scent impressed most of our testers and we’d agree: these products are among the most pleasing scented skin care sets we tried.

Another plus: larger bottles. Many skin care sets come with tiny bottles. This one has a 6.7 ounce cleanser and 4 ounce Vitamin C toner, among other products. Good bang for the buck.

What We Liked

• Wonderful scent (citrus notes).

• Fresh and clean results.

• Free of sulfates, parabens and silicone.

• Larger size bottles, better bang for buck.

What Needs Work

• Not everyone likes the smell of oranges!

• Some items can be a bit sticky in texture.

Best For Sensitive Skin: Drunk Elephant The Littles 6.0 Skin Care Set

Most skin care sets say they work for all skin types, but we know folks with sensitive skin can take exception with that. We asked our parent readers with sensitive skin to recommend their favorite skin care products and this brand (Drunk Elephant) was a top favorite. So we tried this set (The Littles) and see their point—it is nicely balanced with a regimen for both day and night.

What We Liked

• Great gift idea.

• No essential oils or chemical sunscreen.

• includes zippered bag.

• Nice variety of products (six in all).

What Needs Work

• Pricey for small size bottles.

• Sunscren uses zinc oxide, which not everyone likes.

About the Authors

Denise & Alan Fields are consumer advocates and best-selling authors. The Fields have authored 12 books with three million copies in print, including the best-selling guide to baby gear, Baby Bargains.

The Fields have been featured and quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

As consumer products experts, the Fields have been guests on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America and ABC’s 20/20.

How We Pick Products To Recommend

We often turn to our readers (3 million strong!) to find products to recommend. We ask our parent readers for their favorites and consider their real-world experiences in our recommendations.

When we test a product, we always purchase it with our own monies. We do not take free samples, as we believe that compromises our independence.

We also fact check manufacturer information with our own measurements. If a maker claims a product weighs X pounds, we will weigh it to make sure. If the battery life is supposed to be six hours, we will see how it stands up in the real world.

In some cases, we will do interviews with experts in the field to get additional feedback on products.

To get hands-on time with products, we regularly meet one-on-one with gear companies and even tour manufacturing facilities. (When we do this, we pay our own travel expenses).

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

We make our living from affiliate commissions, but we always recommend what we think are the best bets for our readers (not the ones that are the most expensive). We are always looking for products that offer the best bang for the buck.

Our independence is a key reason why we have been doing this so long. As we mentioned above, when we purchase a product for hands-on testing, we do so with our own money.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!