Skincare has, rightfully, blown up over the last few years. As we’re becoming more and more educated on the importance of skin health and a good skincare routine, we’re taking more time to research the brands and products we’re investing in.

As a result, the skincare market has boomed. There are new brands and products seemingly popping up every week, many of which are often touted as “game changing” on social media, leaving us feeling a little overwhelmed by the choice. But there are some brands that are truly worth the buzz.

According to research by beauty e-retailer Lookfantastic, The Ordinary is the world’s most popular skincare brand, garnering a staggering 37,060,000 global searches over the past 12 months.

The Ordinary quickly skyrocketed to cult status when it launched in 2016 by its founder, the late Brandon Truaxe, and is often credited with changing the way we approach skincare. Before the brand launched, consumers purchased products based on their results-driven claims but The Ordinary focused the spotlight on the importance of ingredients.

Each product is named according to the ingredients it contains, from its bestselling Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, £5.90, to its 100% Plant-Derived Squalane, £5.50. It also brought skincare to the masses, delivering high quality and effective ingredients at affordable price points. Its Lactic Acid 10% + HA, for example, costs just £5.85. Over the years, The Ordinary has also extended into hair care and make-up.

Add to that, the fact that the brand’s entire offering is cruelty-free, doesn’t use parabens, sulphates or mineral oils and comes with clear ingredients lists, it’s easy to see why it’s so popular.

Lookfantastic’s findings also named Neutrogena as the second most popular skincare brand with 7,857,000 global searches over the past 12 months. This was closely followed by Foreo at under 6.9 million searches and Eucerin with just over 5.5 million searches.

The list also included sensitive skincare brand Pai, dermatologist-approved Ameliorate, cult hair brand Moroccanoil, Elizabeth Arden, Korean skincare brand Cosrx and Elemis. Here’s the full list:

1. The Ordinary - 37,060,000 annual searches


2. Neutrogena - 7,857,000 annual searches


3. Foreo - 6,851,000 annual searches


4. Eucerin - 5,618,000 annual searches


5. Pai - 4,900,000 annual searches


6. Ameliorate - 2,804,000 annual searches


7. Moroccanoil - 2,682,000 annual searches


8. Elizabeth Arden - 2,286,000 annual searches


9. Cosrx - 2,124,000 annual searches


10. Elemis - 2,079,000 annual searches


Main image: Getty