How We Picked the Winners of the 2023 SELF Healthy Beauty Awards

May 22, 2023

By Hannah Dylan Pasternak

Medically reviewed by Shari Marchbein, MD, Fatima Fahs, MD, Julie Cho, DMD, and Joyce Park, MD

Welcome to the 2023 SELF Healthy Beauty Awards! We are thrilled to present you with the best skin, hair, makeup, and body-care products of the year. As editors, this is one of the most fun projects we get to work on: We test thousands of items—an admittedly fabulous part of the job—and then scrupulously review them, all in the name of helping you figure out what's worth it. We dish over Slack, discussing what we loved and what we didn't, sharing our nutty misadventures along the way. We take selfies, videos, and photos of the stacks of boxes crowding our homes—to the dismay of many significant others and begrudging roommates. It's a hectic, complicated, and at times overwhelming process—but we do it so that we can leave you with only the best recommendations.

And we don't just aim to tell you what you should buy; we want to help you figure out how to use all this stuff, and learn what's best for you. Taking care of your body is an extremely personal endeavor, and just because someone on TikTok has a 12-step routine doesn't mean you should. After all, each person has their own goals and preferences. So here's what we’re trying to accomplish instead: We’ll tell you what works and why, and let you fill your shopping cart from there.

Now, let's get into the nitty gritty of our 2023 Awards: You’ll see all the usual suspects, including face moisturizers; cleansers; serums, masks, and spot treatments; body care; shampoos and conditioners; hair care products; makeup; and items to help you take care of your nails, hands, and feet. This year, we’ve added a new category, too: the best high-tech devices for skin and hair. Like last year, you’ll notice our Healthy Beauty badges, denoting what's vegan, pregnancy safe, or Black-owned for shopping at a glance.

To start the process, we opened up submissions, and received more than 3,100 from more than 1,800 brands. Editors went through each one, and determined what was worthy of moving forward to the testing round. From there, we called in 1,200 of those products and put 47 testers—a combination of SELF editors, skin care enthusiasts, dermatologists, influencers, and everyday people who span a wide range of skin and hair types, ages, and even professions—to work. Testers had two months to make their way through dozens of products, and submitted written reviews for each one.

Then, SELF editors dove into the reviews, and combed through tester insights along with ingredient lists. Using criteria we developed alongside dermatologists Shari Marchbein, MD; Fatima Fahs, MD, FAAD; Joyce Park, MD; and dentist Julie Cho, DMD, we determined whether each product had the necessary active ingredients to accomplish its claims. Ultimately, we picked 201 winners. They’re all items we proudly stand behind, and are thrilled to recommend to you.

Below, you can take a look at our Healthy Beauty guide, a breakdown of what products and ingredients you should be looking for based on your skin and hair type. Not sure of yours? No problem—we’ve also included pointers on how to recognize which applies best to you based on your needs. We know that reading the fine print usually isn't the fun part of shopping for a new product—plus, sleek, aesthetically pleasing labels can be convincing—so we’re happy to do the gumshoe part of it all on your behalf.

Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the scroll—the 2023 Healthy Beauty Awards are here.

How to know if your skin is dry:

You might notice signs of inflammation (like reddening, depending on your skin tone), flaking, or itchiness.

What to use:

What to avoid:

How to know if you have combination skin:

People with combination skin usually have areas that tend to be more oily—often around the T-zone—and areas that tend to be dry, like the cheeks. The key? Manage one area without aggravating an adjacent one. Generally, that means using a combination of products that are good for oily skin and dry skin, perhaps by alternating them based on the steps in your routine.

By Kayla Blanton

By Amy Marturana Winderl, C.P.T.

By Ashia Aubourg

What to use:

What to avoid:

How to know if you have sensitive skin: Your skin may react easily or frequently to skin care and makeup products. People with skin conditions like rosacea, psoriasis, and eczema also usually have sensitive skin and may find that their conditions are triggered by certain ingredients like dyes and fragrances.

People with sensitive skin should always patch test a new product before using it on delicate areas like the face and neck. If you find that products frequently irritate your skin, it's worth checking in with a board-certified dermatologist for guidance. They may steer you toward certain types of products or ingredients, do an in-office patch test to check for potential allergies, or prescribe treatments for skin conditions.

What to use:

What to avoid:

How to know if you have oily skin: Your skin may produce excess oil (technically called sebum) and can feel greasy or look shiny. Because extra sebum is a common acne trigger, oily skin is also often acne-prone. One upside: That oil also provides a bit of a buffer that makes it easier for skin to withstand more intense exfoliating and retinoid products.

By Kayla Blanton

By Amy Marturana Winderl, C.P.T.

By Ashia Aubourg

Try to see a dermatologist if your pimples are cystic (large, inflamed, and oftentimes painful bumps without whiteheads or blackheads) or if over-the-counter products just aren't working for you.

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What to avoid:

How to know if you have aging or mature skin: Technically, we all have "aging" skin. That said, your skin starts slowing down its collagen production (the protein that keeps your skin full, soft, and plump) around age 25—so anywhere around then, you might begin to explore skin care products that focus on preventing or slowing down signs of aging. We also use the phrase mature skin to refer to skin that already has fine lines, wrinkles, discoloration, or other signs of aging.

What to use:

How to know if you have discoloration or hyperpigmentation:Dark spots can appear in different forms—and have a variety of triggers. Common examples include acne scarring, skin irritation (like from waxing), hyperpigmentation from pregnancy (which usually lightens postpartum), or sun spots/areas that have been damaged from too much UV exposure.

By Kayla Blanton

By Amy Marturana Winderl, C.P.T.

By Ashia Aubourg

Certain products can help treat these issues, but it's safest to check in with your dermatologist before you try them, especially if you have a deeper skin tone, as some ingredients can have a lightening effect.

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What to avoid:

There's a difference between fine hair and thinning hair: Fineness refers to the circumference of an individual strand of hair, while thinness refers to the density of how many strands are growing out of your scalp. That said, many people who have fine or thinning hair are looking to add fullness and volume—so recommendations are often similar for each, if not the same.

Sometimes the reasons behind thinning hair can be more complex; your genetics, hormones, and underlying health conditions, among other factors, can play a role. If you notice excessive hair loss in a short period of time, or that your hair suddenly feels much thinner than it once did, see a board-certified dermatologist, who can look into a root cause and prescribe treatments if needed.

What to use:

By Kayla Blanton

By Amy Marturana Winderl, C.P.T.

By Ashia Aubourg

What to avoid:

Natural hair refers to Black or Afro-textured hair, which is often kinky or coily and has not been chemically treated or relaxed. This type of hair tends to be prone to dryness, breakage, and damage, as well as some unique types of hair loss.

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What to avoid:

Having oily hair or a greasy scalp often (but not always!) goes hand in hand with dandruff. While the oil gland activity on your scalp is predetermined by genetics (more on that here), adjusting your hair care regimen can help you manage buildup.

By Kayla Blanton

By Amy Marturana Winderl, C.P.T.

By Ashia Aubourg

What to use:

What to avoid:

Everything from the products you use to genetics to the weather can cause hair and scalp dryness. Dry hair might look dull, frizzy, or tangled, and is prone to breakage. A dry scalp may look like dandruff, as they both can lead to flaking—but dandruff is usually caused by a skin condition called seborrheic dermatitis, while dry scalp causes skin to flake off from a lack of moisture, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

You can relieve dry scalp with over-the-counter hair care products, but if you find that you’re experiencing prolonged tingling or burning, or if you begin to develop blisters or open sores on your scalp, see a dermatologist.

What to use:

What to avoid:

If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, always talk to your health care provider to determine which ingredients you should avoid. That said, you might be surprised by how many of your usual skin and hair care products are also pregnancy-safe.

By Kayla Blanton

By Amy Marturana Winderl, C.P.T.

By Ashia Aubourg

What's okay to use, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG):

What to avoid, according to ACOG :

We followed ACOG guidelines to determine which winning products we awarded pregnancy-safe badges to, meaning none of the products with that badge contain phthalates, parabens, oxybenzone, retinol/retinoids, or triclosan.

While ACOG advises pregnant people to stay away from parabens and phthalates—as noted above—dermatologists are divided on whether they’re harmful to pregnant people and fetuses, largely because studies testing these ingredients aren't conducted on pregnant people. Here's what to know about them both:

By Kayla Blanton

By Amy Marturana Winderl, C.P.T.

By Ashia Aubourg

A quick note on sun protection for pregnant folks: Pregnancy can bring on skin changes like stretch marks, melasma, linea nigra, acne, dark spots, and more—so regularly wearing SPF, which protects your skin and helps prevent or reduce the severity of some of these changes —is key. Both chemical and physical (a.k.a. mineral) sunscreens are safe for pregnant people to use. However, if you have particularly sensitive skin, you may prefer a mineral SPF.

A solid oral health care routine includes brushing your teeth twice daily and flossing at least once daily. Adding in mouthwash is recommended, but don't substitute it for brushing or flossing as it doesn't have a comparable effect on removing bacteria from your teeth and gums.

When using a manual toothbrush, a soft nylon brush tends to work best for most people. If you know your teeth and gums are sensitive, you should look for a brush that is labeled with "extra soft bristles" on its packaging.

That said, how you brush your teeth has a larger impact on your oral health than the brush itself. With a manual toothbrush, you should gently brush your teeth using a circular motion with the bristles angled toward the gums, versus scrubbing them using a back-and-forth motion.

An electric toothbrush can be more effective than a manual option because the brushing motion and speed are quicker and more consistent. Budget-friendly electric toothbrushes can usually do the trick—you don't need all the bells and whistles to find one that works. If you have issues with dexterity, look for an electric brush with a smaller brush head, which may be easier to control. To brush with an electric toothbrush, glide the brush over all surface areas of your teeth, taking 30 seconds for each quadrant of your mouth. You don't need to scrub along with the electric brush.

The only way to remove bacteria and food from between your teeth is by scraping floss up and down between them. Traditional string floss is the most effective option. Water flossers are devices that shoot water between and around the teeth but don't have the same mechanical action of scraping off bacteria. That said, it's better to use a water flosser, if you prefer, than to skip flossing altogether. Water flossers can also be extremely useful for people with braces, bridges, or other orthodontia.

If the contacts, or spaces between your teeth, are tight together, you may want to opt for a wax floss or tape-like floss, as it's slightly easier to use than non-waxed floss.

Sensitive teeth and gums will burn or tingle after eating foods that are particularly cold or after using certain mouthwashes and toothpastes. Sensitive gums may be inflamed, swollen, or redder than usual. There are times when some moderate sensitivity is normal, like in the few seconds after rinsing out a mouthwash or flossing. But if that feeling extends for longer—like hours—or your gum tissue has a lingering soreness, you may be dealing with a more significant dental issue. If you experience extreme oral pain or discomfort, or if something with your teeth, tongue, or gums seems off for you, see a dentist as soon as you can.

By Kayla Blanton

By Amy Marturana Winderl, C.P.T.

By Ashia Aubourg

What to use:

What to avoid:

While whitening mouthwashes and toothpastes can be somewhat helpful for surface stains on teeth (like those you might have from drinking coffee), their effectiveness pales in comparison to a true whitening treatment done either at home or in a dentist's office. That's because the contact time between the whitening agent and your teeth is usually too short to respond to the active ingredients.

What makes a whitening treatment effective will depend on a few variables, like the concentration of bleach, the intensity of the LED light being used (if applicable), and the delivery system (how the light and bleach are coming in contact with your teeth). LED whitening treatments work by using blue light to speed up the chemical reaction between the whitening agent, usually hydrogen peroxide, and your teeth. Most LED at-home whitening treatments are not strong enough to cause damage when used as directed, though they may cause sensitivity—which can be abated with the sensitive toothpaste trick mentioned above.

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