Helen Mirren, Oprah, and I All Use This Famous Plumping Serum That’s on Rare Sale

Despite the hundreds, if not thousands, of products I’ve tested throughout my beauty career, my earliest skin care memories remain vivid: the menthol-y tingle of Noxema, for instance, or the satisfying grit of St. Ives’s apricot scrub, both cornerstones of my highschool-era routine. A decade later, I graduated to more complex, anti-aging formulas, including chemical exfoliators. My first love, Sunday Riley’s Good Genes Lactic Acid All-In-one Treatment, remains in my heart—and medicine cabinet—to this day. 

Oprah—plus Vanessa Hudgens, Drew Barrymore, and Helen Mirren—have used the serum, which satisfies every quality I seek in an exfoliator. The treatment, which Queen O once deemed her “favorite,” is 25 percent off at Dermstore during the retailer’s Anniversary Sale. To score the deal, simply input the code CHEERS at checkout. But hurry—you only have until August 18 before this truly magical elixir returns to full price. 

Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment

Orig. $43Buy Now for $32

The Sunday Riley Good GenesTreatment is a gentle resurfacing serum with a milky, lightweight texture. The formula sloughs dead, dull, surface cells to reveal glowing, silky skin. Additionally, it plumps fine lines, smooths rough texture, and delivers a brighter, fresher-looking complexion—all in a single, three-minute usage. 

Unlike many products of its kind, Sunday Riley’s acid-fueled formula is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive, dry, and acne-prone complexions. I can attest to its versatility: My best friend, twin sister, and I span across the skin-type spectrum, yet we’re equally enamored with the serum’s transformative power. 

Specifically, my friend—whose skin is highly sensitive and prone to occasional eczema flare-ups—praises the serum’s gentleness. My sister, whose skin is oily and breakout-prone, applauds its pore-clarifying prowess. Conversely, my skin is sandpaper-dry, yet significantly more supple minutes after using Sunday Riley’s serum.

The magic ingredients? Lactic acid, for one, as its title suggests. A member of the alpha hydroxy acid family, lactic acid is among the gentlest chemical exfoliants. Ergo, it’s well-tolerated by sensitive skin, dermatologist Dr. Michele Green, M.D., previously told InStyle. A “mild exfoliant,” the pH-friendly acid resurfaces skin sans “redness and irritation.” Instead, expect brighter, smoother skin “almost immediately,” Dr. Green said.

Furthermore, lactic acid has humectant properties. In other words, it acts as a moisture-magnet, hydrating skin and instilling prolonged plumpness. As it pertains to blemish-busting, lactic acid sloughs dead skin cells and other debris from pores, the likes of which can contribute to acne.

In addition to its titular ingredient, Sunday Riley’s Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment contains licorice extract, which brightens hyperpigmentation, prickly pear extract, which smooths roughness and calms sensitivity, and aloe vera, which deeply quenches sans residue.

The serum is a breeze to use. The brand recommends applying one to two pumps to clean, dry skin, up to five times per week depending on your needs. Alternatively, people with sensitive skin may prefer using it as a weekly 15-minute treatment. 

For clear, luminous skin in mere minutes, shop the Oprah-approved serum my friends and I have loved for years. Hurry—up to 25 percent off ends soon. Scoop up more of my brightening must-haves on sale, below.

Olga Lorencin Lactic Acid Hydrating Serum

Orig. $82Buy Now for $63

Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel 

Orig. $92Buy Now for $74

SkinMedica AHA/BHA Cream

Orig. $46Buy Now for $37