Trader Joe's skincare
Trader Joe's is an American skincare brand founded in 1967 and owned by Albrecht family since 1979.
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Trader Joe's is deeply loved for its dependable selection of sunscreens, moisturizers, serums, cleansers, and more, all anchored by thoughtfully crafted formulas. Its products suit balanced, dry, and combination skin types best. The standout products for particular concerns include the Retinol Night Serum for acne-prone skin, the Nourish All-in-One Facial Cleanser for skin with dark spots, and the Ultra Hydrating Gel Moisturizer for mature skin. The brand consistently delivers gentle, effective care that integrates smoothly into any daily routine.
This page covers some of the most popular Trader Joe's products; for the whole Trader Joe's range, with a fit score for every product, use the Lovi app.
People Say
★4.3Overall rating based on 1000+ reviewsReviewers most often praise Trader Joe's for affordability, lightweight feel, and effective hydration. The most common complaints are insufficient hydration and breakouts.
Highlights
Affordable skincare products Mostly Mentioned
- “Fraction of the cost — Watermelon Overnight Face Mask”
Lightweight, hydrating moisturizers Mostly Mentioned
- “sinks in fast — Ultra Hydrating Gel Moisturizer”
- “Eliminated dry patches — Marula Facial Oil”
- “Sinks in quickly — Marula Facial Oil”
High-end moisturizer dupes Mostly Mentioned
- “exact dupe for Clinique — Ultra Hydrating Gel Moisturizer”
- “Exact Drunk Elephant dupe — Marula Facial Oil”
Adverse reactions and dryness Often Mentioned
- “skin peeling — Retinol Night Serum”
- “burned my face — Ultra Hydrating Gel Moisturizer”
- “Tingled a bit — Watermelon Overnight Face Mask”
Availability issues Often Mentioned
- “always sold out — Daily Facial Sunscreen SPF 40”
- “Hard to find — Watermelon Overnight Face Mask”
- “hard to find — Retinol Night Serum”
Sources: lovi.care, traderjoesreviews.com, reddit.com, becomebetty.com, dcgirlinpearls.com, youtube.com, and more
Questions and answers
Is Trader Joe's worth it?
Trader Joe's is worth it for shoppers looking for budget-friendly items, as reviewers frequently mention its affordable skincare products and lightweight, hydrating moisturizers. Lovi rates the Trader Joe's-focused routine Superior for dry skin, oily skin, sensitive skin, combination skin, and acne-prone skin. However, reviewers often note adverse reactions, dryness, and availability issues with the brand.
What are Trader Joe's's best products?
Trader Joe's's best products are the Retinol Night Serum, which Lovi rates Superior for acne-prone and combination skin, and the Nourish All-in-One Facial Cleanser, which rates Superior for combination, oily, and acne-prone skin.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007
Which Trader Joe's moisturizer is best for dry skin?
Marula Facial Oil is the best choice for dry skin, and Ultra Hydrating Gel Moisturizer is another good option, as Lovi rates both High for dry skin.
Does Trader Joe's cause breakouts?
Trader Joe's may cause adverse reactions or dryness for some shoppers, though reviewers also mention affordable and lightweight moisturizers. Lovi rates the Trader Joe's-focused routine Superior for acne-prone skin.
Is Trader Joe's fragrance-free?
Not all of the Trader Joe's products on this page are fragrance-free, as 6 of the 7 products list no fragrance while the Watermelon Overnight Face Mask includes it.
What are the key ingredients in Trader Joe's products?
Trader Joe's products feature key ingredients like retinol in the Retinol Night Serum, which helps smooth mature skin, and sodium hyaluronate in hydrating formulas to help improve skin quality.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007
How do I build a Trader Joe's skincare routine?
To build a Trader Joe's routine, start by washing with Nourish All-in-One Facial Cleanser, then apply Retinol Night Serum at night or Ultra Hydrating Gel Moisturizer for soft, smooth skin. Finish your daytime steps with Daily Facial Sunscreen SPF 40. Lovi rates the Trader Joe's-focused routine Superior for dry skin, oily skin, sensitive skin, combination skin, and acne-prone skin.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Dermatologic Therapy, 2022
What are good alternatives to Trader Joe's?
Good alternatives to Trader Joe's with skincare pages on Lovi include CeraVe, Cetaphil, Paula's Choice, Neutrogena, Kiehl's, and Dermalogica. For dry skin, Lovi rates the CeraVe-focused routine High while the Trader Joe's-focused routine is Superior.
Trader Joe's vs CeraVe: which is better?
Trader Joe's is better for some skin types, as Lovi rates the Trader Joe's-focused routine Superior for dry, oily, sensitive, combination, and acne-prone skin, compared to High for dry skin and Superior for the others with CeraVe. Reviewers mention that Trader Joe's offers affordable skincare and high-end moisturizer dupes, though availability issues and dryness are often reported.
Who owns Trader Joe's, and where is it from?
Trader Joe's is an American brand founded in 1967, owned by Albrecht family since 1979.
Is Trader Joe's cruelty-free?
PETA, Leaping Bunny, and Cruelty Free International, the registries Lovi checks, do not list Trader Joe's as cruelty-free.
Which Trader Joe's cleanser is best for oily skin?
Nourish All-in-One Facial Cleanser is the best choice for oily skin. Lovi rates Nourish All-in-One Facial Cleanser High for oily skin.
Which Trader Joe's sunscreen is best for sensitive skin?
Daily Facial Sunscreen SPF 40 is the best choice among the Trader Joe's sunscreens on this page for sensitive skin, where Lovi rates it Average. Enrich Moisturizing Face Lotion is also on the page, but Lovi rates it Low for sensitive skin.
Research behind Trader Joe's's key ingredients
Molecular basis of retinol anti-ageing properties in naturally aged human skin in vivo
Ascorbic Acid Treatments as Effective and Safe Anti-Aging Therapies for Sensitive Skin
Microneedling by dermapen and glycolic acid peel for the treatment of acne scars: Comparative study
Safety and efficacy of Sclerocarya birrea (A.Rich.) Hochst (Marula) oil: A clinical perspective
Retrospective Review of Dermal Safety Studies of Organic Sunscreens
Saccharide isomerate ameliorates cosmetic scalp conditions in a Chinese study population
Behind these ratings
Lovi rates every product from its full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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