We Tested All of the Skin-Care Products at Trader Joe’s. Some of It Is Actually Great.

You get your snacks with punny names, party-hosting dips, and frozen comfort meals at Trader Joe’s, so buying beauty products there may raise a few eyebrows. But its budget beauty products — including a rose facial mist and a marula oil — often go viral online for being dupes of more expensive counterparts. It’s all incredibly enticing

I must also be realistic, though. Trader Joe’s beauty products range from $4 to $12, so I’m not looking for the miracles or heavy glass packaging that I’d expect from luxury products at Sephora. I am, however, seeking pleasant textures and products that work — without angering sensitive skin

Just like Trader Joe’s snacks, the personal-care items tend to change. Even so, for one month I focused on testing its core skin-care offerings, and I got some help from two Wirecutter beauty experts, editor Rory Evans and writer Abbie Kozolchyk. I tracked how the products worked on their own, under makeup, in a dry office, and even during a humid summer trip to France and Greece

And much like the items in Trader Joe’s frozen-food aisle, the products in its skin-care aisle contain un-skippable staples and a few missable flops

What we liked

Fresh as a rose, from head to toe

The most affordable product in our testing pool — the Rose Water Facial Toner — was also our favorite. I used this rose-scented mist multiple times a day throughout testing, and I continue to do so. It has cooled my face on beach days, refreshed my sweaty neck and feet midway through a long-haul flight, set my makeup, and provided a light layer of hydration right after cleansing

The bottle says the product is intended to moisturize and refresh the skin, but it does so much more. My sister, who traveled with me for half of the testing period, used the spray toner daily to refresh her thick, shoulder-length 3C hair. “This works better at redefining my curls than the curl spray I typically use at home,” she raved. Even my partner, whose face was irritated by spring allergies, frequently reached for the cooling, soothing spray.

For a month, I used the toner a lot and shared it with others, and afterward there was still a quarter of it remaining in the bottle

One minor complaint was the product’s name. The Rose Water Facial Toner functions more like a hydrating mist than like a traditional toner (which is typically swept across the skin with a cotton pad to remove residual dirt or sebum). Dermatologist Maryam Safaee also noted that the product includes fragrance (likely there to enhance the natural scent of rose water), so it might irritate those with highly sensitive skin.

But if you go in knowing that this product is more of a refresher than a cleanser, you should be plenty satisfied. After all, it was good enough that I moved it from my bathroom to my purse, and now it never leaves my side — even when I recently crossed an ocean

Not too oily oil

Marula oil naturally contains vitamin C (which can help prevent discoloration) and moisturizing vitamin E, and it can definitely be on the pricier side. Drunk Elephant’s marula oil costs $72 for one ounce, while The Ordinary charges around $11 for one ounce of pure marula oil. Trader Joe’s Marula Facial Oil is even less expensive, at just $7 for 0.85 ounce (or about $8.25 per ounce)

But in my medicine cabinet, the Trader Joe’s oil looks just as luxurious as my Augustinus Bader and Guerlain products, which cost 10 times as much. And on my skin, it had a decadent slip, leaving behind a flower-petal-smooth feel

Intended to hydrate and impart a grease-free glow, this oil did just that for my skin, and it also effectively tamed any frizz and flyaways in my hair, so it’s an excellent multi-use travel companion. Additionally, its texture is slippery rather than heavy, and it absorbs quickly enough that I can wear it under makeup — even on hot summer days

This product contains just one ingredient, pure marula oil. And Safaee said she would even recommend the oil for people with sensitive skin, since it lacks common cosmetic allergens and aggressive additives

A gentle retinol

Trader Joe’s Retinol Night Serum contains 0.3% retinol, an ideal introductory strength for novices. This product balances the potentially drying effects of retinol with nourishing ingredients, like vitamin E and baobab seed oil. We named it a pick in our guide to the best retinols, because of its smooth texture and the clear, beginner-friendly instructions on the label. And this serum’s value was also clear to us, since it includes seven of the same ingredients as Skin Medica’s $95 retinol, another one of our favorites.

I appreciated the serum’s slick, lightweight feel and that it was smooth after drying down. While seasoned users may prefer a retinol with a higher clinical strength, this is a phenomenal, low-risk product for anyone trying retinoids for the first time. Editor Rory Evans, who wrote our guide to the best retinols, noted that its gentle formulation “takes the fear out of a notoriously intimidating ingredient category.”

A sunscreen we’ve loved for years

Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen is famous here at Wirecutter. The gel-like product is a long-standing top pick in our guide to the best sunscreens, and it’s a near dupe for the Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40

The silicone-rich sunscreen completely disappears upon application, leaving an entirely invisible, velvety finish — even on my medium-toned skin. It uses dimethicone crosspolymer — an ingredient frequently found in high-end cosmetic primers — to smooth the texture of skin. While it felt slightly heavy on humid days under a full face of makeup, it was perfect on makeup-free days

My thick-bearded partner also found that the clear gel melted into his skin effortlessly, without clinging to facial hair or leaving a white residue. The sunscreen is ideal for people with normal to dry skin. But those with combination or oily skin may prefer a more matte, lightweight option

What didn’t win us over

Trader Joe’s Natural Facial Cleansing Pads felt like a punishment on my skin. Intended to clean skin and remove oil, the pads themselves felt scratchy, and they left a persistent, uncomfortable film on my skin. Rory, who wrote our guide to the best exfoliants, said the pads felt “rough and lacked the sophistication of our favorites.” And she described their strong tea tree aroma as “Pine Sol–esque.”

Although the pads can provide a quick, cooling wipe for the back of the neck on a humid afternoon, they felt far too aggressive for daily facial use, even on my non-reactive skin. If you want a quick refresh, stick to the rose-water spray. And if you’re seeking an exfoliating pad, try the Pacifica Glow Baby Brightening Peel Pads

Despite its thick, mucus-like texture, the Nourish Hyaluronic Moisture Boost Serum failed to deliver meaningful, lasting hydration. Abbie and I both have chronically dry skin. And we found that even though the initially slippery product absorbed within a minute, it left behind a slightly tacky residue, which Abbie called “unpleasantly snotty.”

The Nourish Antioxidant Facial Serum contains topical antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C, and E. But the waterless formulation relies on a heavy silicone base, so this product feels more like a heavy makeup primer than a serum. We found that it sat on the skin, rather than absorbing weightlessly

Instead, we recommend trying Timeless Skin Care’s 20% C + E Ferulic Acid Serum: It’s one of our best-tested vitamin C serums, and it also happens to contain vitamin E. It’s typically about $18 more than this Trader Joe’s serum, but it has a far more pleasant texture, and it’s easy to wear under other skin-care or makeup products

The Ultra Hydrating Gel Moisturizer is a perfectly adequate emergency purchase if you run out of moisturizer and happen to find yourself at Trader Joe’s, but it’s not really special. The gel texture may appeal to those who dislike heavy creams, but our testing panel found that it lacked long-term moisture retention

If you’re seeking a refreshing, high-performing water gel, try Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Gel Cream from our guide to the best moisturizers. At $20 per tub, it’s pricier than this $10 cream, but it leaves skin feeling hydrated and refreshed — a unique combination for a moisturizer

The bottom line

Trader Joe’s won’t be replacing Sephora or Ulta anytime soon, but a few of its beauty items are well worth adding to your grocery list — along with your Tom Yum Snack Mix and frozen Chicken Tikka Masala. When it comes to skin care, however, Trader Joe’s does the simple items the best

This article was edited by Hannah Rimm and Maxine Builder

Meet your guide

Staff Writer

What I Cover

I cover beauty, which means testing everything from moisturizers and mascaras to hair dryers and heat protectants. I dig into ingredients, research the science behind the claims, and talk to dermatologists, chemists, and stylists to figure out what really works — and what’s just clever marketing. I also look at bigger beauty trends to help readers make smarter, more confident choices in a space that can seem overwhelming. I’m based in New York City, but my testing often takes place in my own bathroom (I’ve used one product on half my hair for weeks, just to know for sure).

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