Dr. Sam Ellis
@drsamellis
835KSUBSCRIBERS
5 YRSON YOUTUBE
57PRODUCT REVIEWS
board-certified dermatologist, based in CaliforniaTOPICS
GrailPeople organizes this creator's product reviews by quote, screenshot, and source video.
Products They Love
“It is just this is in shade taupe and it's one of my absolute favorite brow gels…”
“So beautiful makes the skin just look glowy and radiant but not glittery…”
“Maybe one of my favorite products that I tried all year long…”
“It is very good at helping people who struggle with an itchy or flaky scalp…”
“This is creamier and less wet feeling than this sunscreen…”
Browse All Their Reviews
Variant: The Hottie
- “Maybe one of my favorite products that I tried all year long”10:24–10:30
- “Not only does this have SPF 50 which is fantastic, it also has babol and allantoin which are skin soothing ingredients”10:34–10:42
- “Perhaps even most importantly, it performs so gorgeously just as a blush”10:42–10:51
- “Usually I can't just like paint a cream blush on the skin it would be like too streaky, but the way this just blends out with minimal effort I mean are you kidding me”10:49–10:54
- “I'm so pigmented”
- “I am dying to get my hands on them after trying this. I'm also going to pick this up in other colors because the performance is just levels above a lot of the cream blushes I've tried”11:19–11:24
- “Also getting the sun protection in there with the SPF so nice for my like melasma rosacea prone skin”11:28–11:34
- Source: My Favorite Makeup as a Dermatologist - Nov 22, 2024
Variant: Mojave
- “This is kind of a nice dupe for the Westman Atelier stick, it's way cheaper”9:17–9:22
- “I love these bronzers and blushes. If you have sensitive skin, they have almost no ingredients, like very low ingredients”9:32–9:40
- “I really like it for my patients who have like allergic contact dermatitis or even eczema and they're sensitive to a lot of stuff. This is a brand I recommend a ton”9:44–9:50
- “Their products also have green tea extract in them, which is a nice antioxidant”9:53–10:02
- Source: My Favorite Makeup as a Dermatologist - Nov 22, 2024
Variant: Luminous Bronze Light
- “So beautiful makes the skin just look glowy and radiant but not glittery”10:12–10:22
- “Maybe my favorite bronzer of all time”10:20–10:24
- Source: My Favorite Makeup as a Dermatologist - Nov 22, 2024
- “This one is particularly nice for under the eyes. It just sits and looks so creamy and smooth”7:39–7:46
- “I won't say it never creases. There is not a concealer in the world that doesn't crease under the eyes, but this one looks really good all day”7:46–7:50
- “It keeps the area hydrated. This has hyaluronic acid in it. It also has caffeine, so it's going to help with the eye bags there, and it has centella asiatica which is soothing on the skin”7:54–7:57
- Source: My Favorite Makeup as a Dermatologist - Nov 22, 2024
- “For anyone who is looking for full coverage but do not want to look like they are just wearing like a face caked in makeup, absolutely recommend basically any of the CC creams from the IT Cosmetics line”6:14–6:19
- “This is the natural matte version which is fantastic if you have oily skin”6:26–6:30
- “This is SPF 40, we love that, and then it also has some really good skin supporting peptides in here. It's great for sensitive skin”6:33–6:38
- “This was actually probably like my first line that I used when I was first getting into makeup to really feel confident in my skin, and I still recommend it all the time”6:40–6:45
- Source: My Favorite Makeup as a Dermatologist - Nov 22, 2024
- “I've talked about this on this channel before because to me it is phenomenal and like no one really talks about it at least in like the channels that I'm in but it is so good”2:54–3:00
- “It is like a skin tint but also a primer”3:04–3:08
- “If someone wants light coverage you could go in with this alone but if you wanted to use it as a primer under like a medium coverage Foundation it is also beautiful under other forms of makeup”3:07–3:11
- “I love this because you get a lot of play time with it”3:34–3:41
- “It gives me coverage but it doesn't look heavy on the skin and this is one of those things that looks so pretty in person as well”3:51–3:57
- “It also has hyaluronic acid camide so very moisturizing just very supportive of the skin and it also has licorice root extract which brightens the skin”4:18–4:24
- “This formula is also really acne friendly doesn't have any traditional pork cloggers in it”4:28–4:33
- “Some of my friends who are more acne prone also swear by this”4:33–4:37
- Source: My Favorite Makeup as a Dermatologist - Nov 22, 2024
- “So good I recommend this one all the time to my patients who have more mature skin who have maybe more imperfections that they're trying to cover up”5:47–5:51
- “It has medium coverage, it's SPF 15 which again we're not using our foundation for our sun protection but a nice added benefit, and then it's 86% skincare ingredients”5:54–5:58
- “I just love how it wears on the skin that it's super long lasting so it's not like breaking up on the skin over the course of the day especially if you have like dry maybe even combo skin this is just phenomenal”6:03–6:07
- Source: My Favorite Makeup as a Dermatologist - Nov 22, 2024
Variant: 0.1
- “It's really nicely finely milled and just kind of press that under the eyes, around the nose, little bit in the center of the forehead, and that just to me like blurs everything, makes the pores kind of disappear. Super nice powder”12:01–12:09
- “Wow, that just like brought the whole complexion together. That powder is phenomenal”12:18–12:22
- “I was looking for a replacement for my xoni powder because they reformulated it and the new formula is very glittery shiny. I think that is going to be my replacement for now”12:23–12:28
- Source: My Favorite Makeup as a Dermatologist - Nov 22, 2024
- “This is fantastic, it's so nourishing on the lips”13:52–13:57
- “I like these butter glow sticks so so much because they feel a little bit richer on the lips than a typical balm. They're incredibly nourishing, they're 12% squalane which is just a really yummy ingredient especially for your delicate lip tissue”13:55–14:01
- “I like that they're not really glossy either because sometimes gloss can just look like too much. Plus this time of year if your hair is like blowing around you don't need your hair stick into your lips”14:08–14:14
- “Huge fan of these, I have them in many many shades”14:19–14:22
- Source: My Favorite Makeup as a Dermatologist - Nov 22, 2024
- “IRIS&ROMEO has an SPF 30 lip gloss that is the closest like-for-like option”8:40–8:47
- “It's also zinc based with a glossy finish and a variety of colors”8:45–8:51
- “Although it's not cheap, it's $29, it's not $42”
- Source: Science-backed skincare dupes saving patients thousands - May 29, 2026
- “My brand Prequel launched an SPF 30 lip gloss last year, and I am so proud of the formula”8:56–9:01
- “We used organic UV filters instead of zinc, which allowed us to get a truly sheer, lightweight gloss, which you just can't get when you formulate with zinc because zinc is a white powder”9:01–9:08
- “It also has a sweet minty taste and has none of that gross chemical sunscreen flavor”9:11–9:17
- Source: Science-backed skincare dupes saving patients thousands - May 29, 2026
- “The Colorescience SPF 35 lip gloss was one of the first lip sunscreens I ever used and actually liked, but it's $42 a pop”8:11–8:18
- “It's a mineral lip sunscreen with no bad taste and comes in a variety of colors”8:21–8:25
- “If you are paying $42 for a lip gloss, you may not be reapplying it or even using it as much as you should”8:33–8:38
- Source: Science-backed skincare dupes saving patients thousands - May 29, 2026
Variant: Anywhere Caffeine
- “It does make your lips look a whole lot juicier. You can almost contour your lips with them”13:28–13:36
- Source: My Favorite Makeup as a Dermatologist - Nov 22, 2024
Variant: Taupe
- “It is just this is in shade taupe and it's one of my absolute favorite brow gels”7:00–7:06
- “Just paints every single brow hair without looking too thick or muddy in the brows”7:04–7:13
- “When you have stronger brows it just helps frame the rest of your face like I feel so much better now talking to you”7:13–7:18
- Source: My Favorite Makeup as a Dermatologist - Nov 22, 2024
Variant: Drift
- “This is a waterproof mascara but the thing I like about waterproof mascara is that it curls your lashes a lot better than non-waterproof and it doesn't flake at all over the course of the day”12:42–12:49
- “I mean look how that just like lengthens my lashes and thickens them up so easily”12:54–13:00
- “Wow this is such a good mascara I mean look at the difference mascara no mascara”13:07–13:13
- Source: My Favorite Makeup as a Dermatologist - Nov 22, 2024
- “It starts out as this like very soft creamy wash, but then it lathers into these big beautiful suds”2:06–2:12
- “It's really good at removing makeup”2:20–2:24
- “If I was feeling on the lazier side, I feel like I could go in and just cleanse with this and it would remove pretty much all of my makeup”2:32–2:36
- “It's not going to leave their face feeling stripped”3:01–3:04
- “A lot of times if you have a really thorough cleanser, your skin feels a bit depleted afterward. And that doesn't happen with this at all”3:04–3:08
- “This is 10 out of 10”
- Source: Best Korean Beauty Products of the Year 2025 - Nov 21, 2025
- “I have never had more fun using a cleanser before than this one”4:21–4:27
- “It has this super unique texture that is truly jelly like”4:25–4:32
- “It like jiggles and quivers”
- “As you play with it, it turns into this rich, dense foam that feels so good to wash your face with”4:46–4:51
- “This cleanser was just like surprises all around”4:53–4:58
- “It has these little exfoliating beads in it as well. Not enough to feel like scrapey, scratchy on the skin, but just enough to get like the tiniest bit of physical exfoliation and buffing while you're cleansing”4:56–5:00
- “I actually brought this on a weekend friends trip a month ago... Everyone was obsessed with this. Like even the dudes, they're like, I can't wait to like use that again”5:08–5:17
- “It's very rare that you find a cleanser that's so compelling and this cleanser just makes you want to use it”5:26–5:32
- “It does its job really well as a cleanser. Your skin is clean, it's soft, it's glowy, it doesn't feel tight or stiff after you wash your face”5:35–5:39
- “This is great for sensitive skin”
- “This would be a great face wash for like a kid, a pre-teen, a teen, someone who maybe are trying to get on a hygiene routine and need something a little bit exciting”5:45–5:52
- “It's like fun to use, but it's totally like derm approved in terms of being great for sensitive skin”6:05–6:10
- Source: My new Korean beauty must-haves - Mar 20, 2026
- “This one is exceptional”
- “The packaging is super cool. It has this kind of like grinder cap, so it keeps it really clean”2:50–2:56
- “The product itself is velvety. It's almost buttery. It melts down perfectly in your skin”3:08–3:13
- “As I massage it over my makeup and over my skin, I can really feel it breaking down whatever is underneath it”3:13–3:20
- “I don't feel like I have to scrub super hard to make that happen”3:20–3:24
- “It does rinse truly clean. So, there's no residue”3:24–3:28
- “There has been times where I've actually forgotten to like go in with a second cleanse because I feel so clean and my makeup is completely gone after I use this product”3:26–3:31
- “If you've been looking for a great effective cleansing balm, absolutely give this a try”3:34–3:40
- “If you're newer to the idea of a double cleanse and maybe you haven't tried a cleansing oil or cleansing balm before, I feel like this would be a perfect first experience”3:37–3:45
- “You can use cleansing oils and cleansing balms if you are acne prone or have acne. It is a complete skin care fallacy that you can't use oils or balms if you're acne prone”3:48–3:52
- “This actually helps cleanse your skin better. So, you're removing those impurities and anything that you're putting on your skin as a treatment afterward is going to be more effective”3:57–4:02
- Source: My new Korean beauty must-haves - Mar 20, 2026
- “This is really an eye cream for people who struggle with dark circles or under eye hyperpigmentation”6:19–6:25
- “It has glutathione which is a known brightening antioxidant”6:33–6:38
- “It also has tranexamic acid which is an ingredient often found in hyperpigmentation focused products”6:47–6:55
- “There are not a lot of skincare products and under eye products specifically that utilize those ingredients”6:55–7:01
- “Texturally, this is a really beautiful silky cream. Absolutely nourishing enough to use during the day and at night, especially if you have a more dry or mature skin type”7:17–7:25
- “The other way I would use this eye cream is actually as a spot treatment”7:30–7:34
- “Because it has that glutathione and tranexamic acid and niacinamide, doesn't matter where you put it, it's going to help with hyperpigmentation”7:34–7:38
- “If you get little post acne marks or even if you have like little patches of melasma, I feel like this could be a very multi-purpose hyperpigmentation product”7:41–7:45
- Source: My new Korean beauty must-haves - Mar 20, 2026
- “If you have sensitive skin around your eyes and you're looking for a very affordable, nourishing eye cream that is basically targeted to help with fine lines, I recommend you try this”12:13–12:24
- “I do think this is quite helpful for texture, crepiness, fine lines”12:47–12:52
- “If you're prone to like millia from really rich creams, this is a really nice eye option as well”13:01–13:06
- “It also is quite hydrating”13:06–13:09
- “Texturally stunning, wears well under makeup”13:09–13:14
- “Bakuchiol has only been studied to be effective or as effective as retinol when used twice a day. So this would be a twice a day type of product”13:14–13:18
- Source: Best Korean Beauty Products of the Year 2025 - Nov 21, 2025
- “I have also used this moisturizer. It is excellent. It is incredibly nourishing and contains a patented peptide TFC8 which is designed to promote skin cell renewal”6:02–6:06
- “drier and more mature skin types tend to find it particularly luxurious and effective”6:20–6:25
- Source: Science-backed skincare dupes saving patients thousands - May 29, 2026
- “I also think you could swap this for the INNBEAUTY PROJECT Extreme Cream which is $50 and also be very satisfied”6:25–6:34
- “It has a very similar texture to Augustinus Bader because both are reverse emulsions, meaning that there are water droplets suspended in oil, which gives that rich but not greasy feel”6:32–6:40
- “While the Extreme Cream doesn't have TFC8, it does have its own blend of lipids and anti-aging peptides”6:42–6:50
- “If what you're after is a deeply nourishing skin rejuvenating moisturizer, the Extreme Cream gets you very close at a fraction of the price”6:50–6:55
- Source: Science-backed skincare dupes saving patients thousands - May 29, 2026
- “This is like a camide packed juicy balmy moisturizer”12:01–12:08
- “I would categorize this moisturizer as a true barrier support moisturizer”12:05–12:14
- “It has this like rich balmy texture that just melts into the skin. It feels so so good”12:14–12:22
- “It also has hydroxy desolubiquinone which is an amazing antioxidant. It's an analog of co-enzyme Q10”12:22–12:26
- “For people who don't like vitamin C or can't tolerate vitamin C, but really want a great antioxidant in their skincare, this is a great option”12:28–12:33
- “It's incredibly soothing”12:34–12:39
- “This is nice to have in your routine for days or nights when your skin feels a little spicy, a little sensitive, maybe you went in too hard with your retinoids or your acids”12:38–12:43
- “This is just like an all-around great nourishing moisturizer that leans rich, but I feel like would be fine for anywhere from like combination normal to dry skin types”12:47–12:53
- Source: My new Korean beauty must-haves - Mar 20, 2026
- “This is what I would consider a true anti-aging moisturizer”10:07–10:12
- “This is packed with valuable ingredients”
- “The fact that this has an incredible array of anti-aging peptides that are very evidence-based, plus it has panthanol and shea butter and hoba seed oil and squaline. It's just packed with nourishing ingredients”10:45–10:50
- “This absolutely could serve as like the most enriching, nourishing nighttime moisturizer that also has all these incredible anti-aging properties”10:58–11:04
- “This is a blow me away type of product”11:08–11:11
- “When you apply it, it almost feels like you're applying a gel cream. Like, it's quite lightweight despite all of those nourishing ingredients, but then the way it sits on your skin, it doesn't feel heavy”11:11–11:16
- “If you were to apply it at night, which is how I've been using it, when you wake up in the morning, you still feel its presence on the skin”11:20–11:28
- “For people who feel like their skin just kind of dries out at night, this is such a great moisturizer and then you have all these awesome anti-aging benefits and peptide exposures within it”11:31–11:36
- “Just like really a standout”11:42–11:44
- Source: My new Korean beauty must-haves - Mar 20, 2026
- “I actually think the one from The Ordinary is better because not only does it have that 1% concentration of copper peptides, it also contains a multitude of other anti-aging peptides”3:37–3:42
- “You're getting a much more comprehensive serum at half the price”3:49–3:53
- Source: Science-backed skincare dupes saving patients thousands - May 29, 2026
- “The dupe of the beloved SK-II essence is from COSRX, it is their Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence, which is only $25”5:15–5:25
- “Both essences have a galactomyces ferment filtrate concentration of over 90% and both formulas have very few other ingredients”5:22–5:31
- “The COSRX version has 2% niacinamide, which is actually great for skin brightening and skin strengthening, but some people are sensitive to niacinamide, so I wanted to call that out”5:35–5:38
- “If you are looking for a little gentle oomph in your skincare or you already have a great skincare routine and you want to level up and not spend a fortune, the COSRX version is amazing”5:41–5:46
- Source: Science-backed skincare dupes saving patients thousands - May 29, 2026
- “One of the most respected products in this space is Neostrata's copper amino isolate serum”3:19–3:23
- “It's around $65 and is formulated with a 1% copper peptide complex that can help improve skin elasticity and structural anti-aging”3:26–3:30
- “It's a great product”
- Source: Science-backed skincare dupes saving patients thousands - May 29, 2026
- “I wouldn't call Prequel's vitamin C serum a true dupe because it's more of an evolution of the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic because instead of having vitamin E, it has a different antioxidant called ergothioneine”2:26–2:31
- “It was still formulated with the same goals of giving brighter, healthier skin and it's under $25”2:37–2:42
- Source: Science-backed skincare dupes saving patients thousands - May 29, 2026
- “SK-II is a Japanese brand with a decades-long cult following and their hero product is this lightweight watery essence that you pat into your skin after you cleanse but before you apply your serums”4:19–4:28
- “People who have used it for years describe their skin becoming progressively more even, radiant, and resilient over time”4:31–4:36
- “I actually love recommending this for sensitive skin types who maybe can't tolerate vitamin C or exfoliating acids”4:40–4:46
- “It's also $190”
- Source: Science-backed skincare dupes saving patients thousands - May 29, 2026
- “Another popular dupe is the Timeless 20% C E ferulic”2:04–2:09
- “A lot of people actually like this one better because it comes in a pump bottle rather than a dropper”2:13–2:17
- “If you don't have sensitive skin and that extra 5% increase in vitamin C isn't going to be problematic for you, it's another great alternative and it'll run you like 27 bucks”2:18–2:22
- Source: Science-backed skincare dupes saving patients thousands - May 29, 2026
Maelove$32.95
The Glow Maker
- “One that I love and have recommended for years is the Maelove Glow Maker, which instead of $185, will run you about $33”1:44–1:54
- “It has the same 15% L-ascorbic acid, which is the vitamin C, vitamin E, and ferulic acid at a low pH, just like SkinCeuticals”1:54–1:59
- Source: Science-backed skincare dupes saving patients thousands - May 29, 2026
SkinCeuticals$185.00
C E Ferulic
- “This product paved the way for every other vitamin C serum on the market because this exact formula has been clinically proven to enhance sun protection, reduce fine lines, and fade dark spots”1:02–1:06
- “It's not a bad place to spend your money, and I actually carry it in my own practice because it is the gold standard”1:22–1:25
- “The patent that SkinCeuticals held on this exact formula expired last year”1:27–1:34
- Source: Science-backed skincare dupes saving patients thousands - May 29, 2026
- “The serum one is texturally beautiful”10:19–10:22
- “This also contains encapsulated retinol which means that the way the retinol is released into the skin is more slow and controlled”10:37–10:43
- “Reduces the irritation potential of a product like this”10:48–10:53
- “If I have a patient who is new to retinoids and they're like where do I start? I recommend this one all the time”10:52–10:55
- “For my patients who have rosacea, they're prone to perioral dermatitis, they have seborrheic dermatitis... I will have them start with this”10:57–11:01
- “If you are looking for a retinol that is just incredibly gentle, but also quite effective, this one's it”11:36–11:40
- Source: Best Korean Beauty Products of the Year 2025 - Nov 21, 2025
- “I ordered, I think, six different Azelaic acid serums to try because I love that ingredient so much, but this one stood out above the rest”8:00–8:04
- “It has 12% azelaic acid and when we look at prescription azelaic acid that's 15%, 12% is quite high to see outside of a prescription”8:38–8:46
- “In addition to azelaic acid, this also has salicylic acid, which is a beta hydroxy acid, an exfoliant that helps clear out the pores, helps with texture”8:50–8:57
- “This also has tranexamic acid, which is going to help with hyperpigmentation”8:57–9:03
- “It also has centella asiatica, which is quite soothing on the skin. So, you can tolerate that high concentration of azelaic acid without any irritation”9:03–9:06
- “Texturally, this almost feels like a super super lightweight oil”9:11–9:18
- “If you have more dry or mature skin sometimes that doesn't offer you anything. So the fact that this has like a slight oiliness to it is actually very supportive to the skin”9:20–9:26
- “I love using this in a nighttime skincare routine after I cleanse, apply this, apply my retinoid, apply my moisturizer, and then my skin just feels so supple and nourished”9:30–9:36
- “I've been able to layer a really powerful treatment serum in there that's going to help with hyperpigmentation. It's going to help fade my post acne red marks. Very, very versatile”9:40–9:45
- Source: My new Korean beauty must-haves - Mar 20, 2026
- “This was actually one of my surprise favorites for the year”7:34–7:37
- “The formula is so gentle”
- “It's a really thick, luscious cream”8:02–8:06
- “Rubs in beautifully”
- “It has niacinamide and tranexamic acid, two highly proven ingredients when it comes to tackling hyperpigmentation”
- “Using a product that tackles so many issues that one person might face in a single product was really a nice thing for me to see”8:33–8:37
- “This also has a unique ingredient called Melazero”8:42–8:46
- “Melazero helps promote the breakdown of unwanted pigment of unwanted melanin”8:53–8:58
- Source: Best Korean Beauty Products of the Year 2025 - Nov 21, 2025
- “It is packed with anti-aging peptides”6:15–6:20
- “I was just blown away that this wasn't marketed as an anti-aging peptide serum because to me, that is what this is”6:20–6:27
- “It's texturally superior because it's not sticky”6:43–6:51
- “When something can stand alone as an independent product with a great texture and loaded with fantastic ingredients, I think it deserves a shout out”7:04–7:08
- “I could not recommend more highly”
- Source: Best Korean Beauty Products of the Year 2025 - Nov 21, 2025
- “This is a chemical sunscreen that is just absolutely gorgeous under makeup”1:34–1:38
- “It's a really nice lightweight liquidy texture rubs in super well and has a very nice moisturizing finish”1:38–1:45
- “It's not going to be too glowy too wet where your makeup's sliding around but it's also not matte so you don't have to worry about your makeup looking dry or cakey”1:48–1:52
- “I absolutely love this under makeup and I've actually had a few very well-known makeup artists tell me that they love this too”1:58–2:03
- Source: My Favorite Makeup as a Dermatologist - Nov 22, 2024
- “The e.l.f. Cosmetics Suntouchable Invisible Sunscreen SPF 35 at $14 would be your widely available drugstore alternative”7:51–7:56
- “Also very similar in texture and ingredient profile, and this one actually offers 80 minutes of water resistance, so it's actually a step up in that department”7:56–8:02
- Source: Science-backed skincare dupes saving patients thousands - May 29, 2026
- “Trader Joe's has a practically identical product for $9 instead of 38”7:36–7:41
- “Their daily facial sunscreen SPF 40 is a very similar formula with that same gel primer texture and 40 minutes of water resistance”7:39–7:46
- Source: Science-backed skincare dupes saving patients thousands - May 29, 2026
- “The Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 was considered very innovative when it first launched because unlike other sunscreens that are white creams or lotions, this is a clear silky gel that doubles as a primer and is invisible on all skin tones”7:01–7:10
- “It's also very popular with men because it's not shiny and it doesn't cling to facial hair”7:17–7:22
- “If this product helps you be consistent with your sunscreen application, it is worth every penny”7:28–7:34
- Source: Science-backed skincare dupes saving patients thousands - May 29, 2026
- “If you want something that is moisturizing but not oily, hydrating but not heavy, I would go for this every single time”15:03–15:08
- “It layers beautifully under makeup”15:18–15:22
- “It's not going to have a white cast on the vast majority of skin tones”15:20–15:27
- “I also love this for my body”15:48–15:51
- “I can put it on my son. I can force it onto my husband and I don't feel like I'm wasting it”15:56–16:01
- “These are so affordable as well as cosmetically elegant”16:02–16:06
- Source: Best Korean Beauty Products of the Year 2025 - Nov 21, 2025
- “This is creamier and less wet feeling than this sunscreen”16:34–16:41
- “Still really moisturizing, but just a beautiful matte finish”16:39–16:46
- “Exceptional in terms of performance under makeup”16:43–16:51
- “I reached for it again and again”16:51–16:55
- “No sunscreen that I tried this year, no Korean sunscreen, past these in terms of how much I loved them”16:53–16:57
- Source: Best Korean Beauty Products of the Year 2025 - Nov 21, 2025
- “This is also a really lightweight lotion. Rubs in super well”15:50–15:54
- “I would say it feels a bit more moisturizing on the skin and really has more of a skin-like finish. You look a bit more hydrated when you put this on”15:54–15:58
- “It has these active ingredients in it. It has 5% niacinamide and 1% tranexamic acid which are going to help not only with hyperpigmentation, but that 5% niacinamide is going to help fortify your skin barrier. It's also going to help control oiliness. It's going to help with pores a little bit”16:03–16:09
- “This is like a one-stop shop type of sunscreen, and I think it is awesome”16:38–16:45
- Source: My new Korean beauty must-haves - Mar 20, 2026
- “This is truly the best Korean sunscreen I have ever tried for oily skin”14:20–14:26
- “This is a very lightweight fluid sunscreen”14:36–14:42
- “The first thing I appreciated about it was how matte it dried down”14:44–14:49
- “I got to give this to my oily friends to try. And all of them were like, can I take this from you?”14:49–14:53
- “This sunscreen also has truly zero white cast, so it is completely invisible on the skin, which is great for anyone who has a deeper skin tone”14:56–15:03
- “It's also great for anyone who has facial hair because sometimes in a beard or a mustache, sunscreen can get trapped and get white or even around the hairline”15:03–15:11
- “I also think a lot of men will like this even if they don't have oily skin because it has that really matte finish. Your skin just looks like skin afterward”15:13–15:20
- “I feel like this will just be such a go-to sunscreen if you just want to put on your sunscreen and then forget you have any sunscreen on”15:29–15:36
- Source: My new Korean beauty must-haves - Mar 20, 2026
- “It's quite brightening in nature”
- “It has glutathione in it, which is a very powerful brightening antioxidant that also helps with things like dullness”3:52–3:56
- “When I use this consistently, I feel like my skin is just really glowy”4:06–4:11
- “It layers super well under other products”4:07–4:14
- “It doesn't interfere, but it adds to it”4:30–4:35
- “When you put this on, your skin immediately looks smoother. It looks bouncier”4:46–4:51
- “With consistent use that you're going to see those longer term changes of the skin looking brighter on a day-to-day basis”4:51–4:56
- “This does have fragrance. So, if you are sensitive to fragrance, maybe pass on this”4:58–5:02
- Source: Best Korean Beauty Products of the Year 2025 - Nov 21, 2025
- “Once I started working with professional makeup artist one thing that they all do is put ointment on your lips at the very beginning of your makeup session”2:13–2:19
- “While you're getting your makeup done this is sitting on your lips hydrating moisturizing getting rid of those little crusties”2:27–2:33
- Source: My Favorite Makeup as a Dermatologist - Nov 22, 2024
- “Not only does it detangle your hair really well, it makes styling so much more easy because it reduces the breakage when you are brushing your hair and it has heat protection up to 450°”7:46–7:52
- “I love that this is in a nice spray bottle, so it's really easy to get an even coat of my hair”7:58–8:04
- “A lot of heat protectants can make the hair feel oily or weigh it down and this just keeps your hair having all the volume it was naturally going to have, but it also protects it and it doesn't feel sticky or gross afterwards”8:04–8:12
- “Use it on my son, I use it on me”
- “It doesn't have like a really overwhelming scent. It is just like best all around”8:24–8:32
- Source: Most repurchased haircare products as a hair loss expert - May 1, 2026
K18$48.00
AirWash Dry Shampoo
- “I can literally take a greased down hairstyle, spritz in the K18, and you don't need a lot, and the hair really does look washed”2:39–2:46
- “Definitely of all the dry shampoos I've ever tried, this one makes oiliness disappear the most effectively, and you don't need a ton of product”2:59–3:04
- “If I had to rate this on a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it like a 9.5, which is very generous for me because I'm really picky about things”3:11–3:18
- “In terms of what it actually does for your hair, 10 out of 10”
- “When you spray it, it can leave a little bit of white residue. So if you're wearing dark clothing or you have dark countertops, you will see a little bit of that fall out”3:22–3:27
- Source: Most repurchased haircare products as a hair loss expert - May 1, 2026
- “Their scalp serum is also, I think, quite special”12:53–12:58
- “I just think they make very thoughtful, science-backed products”12:59–13:05
- “It has so many good things in it, the red clover extract with the acetyl tetrapeptide-3, caffeine, it also has panthenol and antioxidants like vitamin E and resveratrol and green tea”13:22–13:25
- “I like that this is not particularly oily”
- “This one's great and is complimentary to minoxidil if you're also on that as well”14:23–14:28
- Source: Most repurchased haircare products as a hair loss expert - May 1, 2026
- “This uses their patented OS-1 peptide, which is really targeted at something called senescent cells in the scalp”14:42–14:46
- “This helps clear those senescent cells out of the way and kind of modulate the scalp environment so it's more ideal for optimal hair growth”14:53–14:59
- “It helps me tolerate my minoxidil better”15:14–15:17
- “Once I started incorporating this, I tolerated my minoxidil so much better”15:23–15:27
- Source: Most repurchased haircare products as a hair loss expert - May 1, 2026
- “This is a bond repair mask that you apply after the shower”10:46–10:50
- “It uses their patented K18 peptide which essentially goes in and penetrates the hair fiber to repair broken keratin chains”11:18–11:26
- “When it repaired those keratin chains, the first thing I noticed is that my hair texture came back”11:56–12:01
- “It's so much shinier and bouncier after I style it”
- “My hair is able to grow longer and healthier and not keep breaking off in the middle”12:23–12:28
- Source: Most repurchased haircare products as a hair loss expert - May 1, 2026
- “It is very good at helping people who struggle with an itchy or flaky scalp”5:03–5:08
- “It is a mild anti-androgen. It helps block DHT, dihydrotestosterone, which is the main hormone that drives female and male pattern hair loss”5:14–5:20
- “I use it essentially every time I wash my hair”
- “Nizoral shampoo is great. It's super affordable”
- “If you have dandruff and hair thinning, this is the single best thing I think you could have in your routine”5:08–5:12
- “The main downside of ketoconazole shampoos is that they tend to be kind of drying”5:54–5:58
- Source: Most repurchased haircare products as a hair loss expert - May 1, 2026
Variant: Shampoo
- “In terms of price, accessibility, and the very comprehensive ingredient list, I think this is one of the best hair loss shampoos that you can get right now”6:27–6:31
- “I also find this to be a very gentle shampoo, so if someone finds Nizoral to be a bit too drying, this is a great option”6:52–6:57
- Source: Most repurchased haircare products as a hair loss expert - May 1, 2026
UNITE Hair$37.50
ELEVATE Mousse
- “This volumizing mousse is so good. You put a little bit into your palm and I just kind of rake it through my roots after I wash and then when you blow dry, you get this beautiful volume up at the roots that just looks really natural and kind of prevents your hair from falling flat over time”9:29–9:42
- “Your hair still feels soft afterwards. Like it's totally touchable”9:53–9:58
- “When I use a mousse, I actually don't have to wash my hair as frequently because it adds so much volume at my roots that my hair is not sitting and getting stuck to my scalp oils”10:01–10:09
- “I remember posting about this mousse on my Instagram stories... I got a couple of DMs from gals I went to college with that were like, 'That mousse is insane. I got so many compliments at work today.'”10:19–10:22
- Source: Most repurchased haircare products as a hair loss expert - May 1, 2026
- “It's kind of like if dry shampoo and hairspray had a perfect little baby”1:18–1:26
- “It gives enough grit to add that instant volume, but does not weigh the hair down at all”1:23–1:28
- “If you have fine or thin hair that tends to fall flat, I feel like this will absolutely elevate your hair game”1:28–1:32
- “I like it cuz it helps keep my hair off of my scalp a little bit, and it just adds this sort of effortless look to the hair”1:44–1:49
- “I can use it multiple days in a row without it building up and feeling heavy”2:10–2:14
- “It smells absolutely divine”2:06–2:09
- Source: Most repurchased haircare products as a hair loss expert - May 1, 2026
- “The brushes you use to apply your makeup really do make a difference and I'm obsessed with these brushes”4:48–4:52
- “I like it because you don't have to put a lot of pressure on the skin to get a really even flawless application”4:52–4:58
- “You don't have to worry about breaking up your sunscreen or your other skincare that's sitting underneath your makeup”5:01–5:04
- Source: My Favorite Makeup as a Dermatologist - Nov 22, 2024
About
NEW VIDEOS GO LIVE EVERY FRIDAY AT 12pm ET/9am PT! Hi! I'm a Board-Certified Dermatologist based in Danville, California. Welcome to my channel! My goal is to answer all your skincare and treatment questions, share honest skincare product reviews, and give you a peek into my life as a dermatologist. Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsamanthaellis