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Forget glass and glazed doughnut skin, milky skincare is having a moment.
Lightweight and creamy with a barely-there consistency, it shows up across cleansers, toners, moisturisers, and even suncream.
It doesn’t have the thick richness of traditional creams and lotions, which can leave you feeling sticky or with a greasy residue, yet are packed with skin-soothing, plumping, fast-absorbing ingredients.
Some are designed as hardworking hydrators, while others provide gentle exfoliation, and some even make their way into cleansers to remove makeup and keep skin silky soft.
Think ceramides, oat and rice extracts that strengthen your skin barrier, but can also combat harsher actives that may be the source of your skin concerns.
Better still, milky textures sink in fast, layer easily under makeup, and feel luxurious to apply.
So whether you’re drawn to the lightweight feel, hydrating benefits or the satisfying texture, there’s a milky product for every step of your routine.
We’ve rounded up the best milky skincare buys worth adding to your basket right now, from exfoliating peels to SPF and everything in between.
Prequel Multi-Acid Milk Peel AHA Exfoliating Solution
This milky exfoliating fluid is a blend of glycolic, malic, mandelic and lactic acids to smooth texture, fade discolouration and boost radiance, without any harsh scrubbing. It’s also formulated with squalane to keep skin soft and supple, and it’s fragrance-free, making it an easy, fuss-free way to add gentle chemical exfoliation into your routine without irritating sensitive skin types. Simply soak a cotton pad and swipe over your face a couple of times a week.
Buy Now for £25
Tatcha The Milky Sunscreen SPF50
This SPF has a soft, milky finish that melts into skin in seconds, and doesn’t pill under makeup, without a greasy, white cast either. It’s perfect if you hate spending ages rubbing suncream in and want a glowy, radiant complexion with minimal effort. It’s not cheap, but worth every penny.
Buy Now for £49
The Inkey List Hydrating Milk Cleanser
This creamy, milky formula is perfect as the first step in your skincare routine. It removes makeup, doesn’t cost a fortune and suits every skin type, but especially if you’re prone to sensitivity and inflammation. It’s lightweight, rinses off easily and leaves skin feeling soft, smooth and calmer.
Buy Now for £15
Ilia Beauty The Base Face Milk
Ilia Beauty is well known for its tinted SPF drops, but this multitasking face milk is an underrated gem. It hydrates, smooths and preps skin for makeup, and is a great option if you find a traditional moisturiser too heavy for combination and oily skin types. Just a few drops will do, and the frosted glass bottle looks as good as it feels on the skin.
Buy Now for £58
Curél Hydrating Makeup Cleanser
This gentle milk cleanser is better than any micellar water, especially if you find your skin often feels tight. Designed for dry and sensitive skin, it’s filled with ceramides that support your skin barrier, lock in moisture and can soothe irritation. The skinny pump keeps it mess-free, too, making it a great first cleanse whether you apply it with your hands or a cotton pad.
Buy Now for £16.50
Erborian Triple Care BB Milk
This is the newest launch from French-Korean brand Erborian and a triple threat: it hydrates, brightens, and evens out skin tone in a lightweight, low-maintenance formula. It doesn’t pill under makeup and allows your complexion products to glide on and blend easily, and can replace both your serums and moisturisers.
Buy Now for £36
Aestura ATOBARRIER365 Cream Mist
Another Korean beauty brand we love is Aestura, which, while it’s best known for its lotions and face creams, this milky ceramide-rich mist is the solution to giving your skin a moisture boost, while on the go. The mist format also means you don’t need to rub anything in, which is ideal for redness-prone skin, and can be used to set makeup or as a midday pick-me-up.
Buy Now for £18Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
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