Your Top Five Products Of '25
Here are our "clear" skin winners for your favorite products in 2025 so far. Our annual sale is a great time to add some of these universally loved Skin MPLS products to your routine staples or check out our recommendations for alternatives to spice up your current routine! Join us for the countdown below!
5. Exfol-A
If your whole TikTok feed is about retinol but you still don't understand what it is or if you need it, read more here! To make a long carbon chain short (haha and thank you to anyone who got our chemistry joke!), Vivant Skincare founder, Dr. Fulton, is the co-creator of retinoic acid, which is a topical form of vitamin A that most people call "retinol," but it has many names and forms that all kind of sound like "retinol."
Since topical vitamin A is beloved for acne and aging, and Dr. Fulton created the best one on the market, it's no surprise that Exfol-A serum kicks off our top five countdown. In addition to vitamin A, Exfol-A contains other skin-changers like glycolic, kojic, and lactic acids, as well as niacinamide. Starting on Exfol-A is the quickest way to experience noticeable skin changes in four weeks or less; however, it can irritate, so it is best used under the guidance of a professional. Luckily, you've got plenty of fantastic aestheticians here at Skin MPLS to help you.
What to try next: If you're not already on Exfol-A, you may be on one of its relatives like Derm-A-Renew, Derm-A-Gel, or Exfol-A Forte. Pair your nightly vitamin A serum with Pure C&E in the morning to cover your essential ingredient basics and lay the foundations for a strong skin-supporting routine.
The reason it's our most popular serum is that mandelic acid takes a "low and slow approach" that gives beautiful results for every single type of skin. The 8% Mandelic Acid Serum is most known for its ability to clear acne, and it makes the skin look remarkably radiant, giving it a bright and clear appearance. It's universally adored and a go-to for new acne clients' home care regimen, or anyone just looking to boost their regimen a bit. It's pregnancy-safe and targets active pigmentation, while keeping new pigmentation from forming.
In case you're not already a superfan of mandelic acid, here is everything you need to know. We vote it "most likely to succeed," and, mark our words, eventually the market will be flooded with mandelic acid, making it a more household name. Dr. Fulton (he was a busy man) pioneered its use in modern skincare and was the first to formulate a line of products with it.
What to try next: You could spice it up by adding 15% Mandelic Acid Serum to your regimen one to two times a week. Don't dismiss the 8% serum if it works for you, though; there's room for two mandelic acid serums in your life.
Please don't make us choose our desert island product, our miracle product, or our favorite step because you need them all! However, cleansing and moisturizing are the bookends of the regimen, so it makes sense that the rest of the list belongs to cleansers and moisturizers. While mandelic acid is an AHA (alpha-hydroxy acid) that gently exfoliates the skin, it's still gentle enough to use daily (even twice a day, for some). It's an excellent choice for regular skin looking for a brightening boost or for acne-prone skin seeking to clear up quickly. For these reasons, plus its gentle lather and ability to cut through makeup, it ranks third on the favorites list.
What to try next: If you like Mandelic Acid Wash, try the Green Tea Cleanser for a gentler option when your skin is dry, or try the Mandelic Acid Exfoliating Cleanser for an extra exfoliating effect when you can tolerate a little more scrubbing.
Dual Barrier Lotion has been a massive success for our clients due to its ability to hydrate and moisturize the skin. Remember, there is a difference between your skin needing oil or water. Too often, people skimp on their moisturizer and opt for over-the-counter products. If your skin is properly replenished, your active ingredients won't work for you the way they are intended to.
And, while the term "skin barrier" is being increasingly used and abused (find out if yours is compromised here), one highlight of the barrier care trend is the availability of more acne-friendly moisturizing products. Historically, most moisturizers and oil serums have tended to clog pores, but more recently, formulators have worked diligently to create better options. In our world, where Dual Barrier Lotion is still reigning queen, there are new contenders on the rise. Is this the year to pick up one of our new acne safe moisturizers at the sale?
What to try next: Just because Dual Barrier Lotion used to be your ride-or-die, it doesn't mean it still is – which is why we are so ecstatic to have more acne-safe moisturizing options! Connect with your aesthetician if you're ready for a change and consider Barrier Care Gel Cream, Comfort Cream, or Allantoin.
If aestheticians had their own holiday, we would slide down your chimney and steal the drugstore cleansers from your bathroom, replacing them with Vivant Skincare's Green Tea Cleanser. Thankfully, since it's our number one selling product, you all are doing that job for us.
A cleanser is not just a cleanser; like you, it contains multitudes. Cleansers are the beginning of a beautiful routine, so use a beautiful cleanser. Green Tea Cleanser is simple and straightforward, lathers nicely, cleans the skin, washes your makeup brushes, and, finally, nourishes the skin. It's not much more expensive than your drugstore cleansers, but it offers so much more. So if elves haven't come for your drugstore cleanser yet, join all our brilliant clients, and add Green Tea Cleanser to your faves!
What to try next: Beef up your cleanse when your skin can handle a little more. Use Green Tea Cleanser to wash, and then follow with another for even more cleansing power. Try Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Wash for its brightening power, or Osmosis' Purify Cleanser for a natural citrus scent and gentle enzymes that exfoliate.