Beauty Bay Skincare Takes Inspo From The Ordinary – & It’s Affordable

Beauty Bay is the website many of us head to when we need to stock up on favourites from the likes of Anastasia Beverly Hills, Mario Badescu and Olaplex. Now, it's about to lift the lid on its own line of skincare and by the looks of things, it's going to rival some of the biggest brands out there.

In 2020, it's safe to say that more of us are taking skincare seriously. We're aware of the effects of pollution on the skin, and the hangovers from adult acne, so serums, masks and moisturisers with expert formulas that claim to deliver real results are always on our radar. Enter: Skincare by Beauty Bay.

Created by a team of chemists, there are 11 products in total, all of which boast a number of dermatologist-approved ingredients. The SkinHit Hydrating Serum, £5.95, features hyaluronic acid for hydrating and plumping, while niacinamide (great for minimising oil, inflammation and mild acne) is the star component in the Soothing Serum, £5. Glycolic and lactic acids (which skin experts rate for exfoliating the skin, unblocking pores and reducing skin staining left behind by spots) feature in the Exfoliating Toner, too. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

"Above all, the range is all about simplicity, flexibility, and ingredient transparency," said Beauty Bay. "It'll help customers to build and customise their own personalised routines and shows them different ways to use the products to suit their different needs. It's a no-BS approach to skincare, rejecting impersonalised and expensive routines that lack guidance and value. You won’t find any fads or marketing jargon here, just clinically proven technologies and active ingredients."

It isn't just the flexibility, honesty and trusted formulas which are piquing the interest of beauty editors and influencers, though. The minimal yet Instagrammable packaging (featuring apothecary-style dropper bottles) and product names such as Super Jelly Cleansing Gel, £6.50, and SkinHit Soothing Serum with 10% Niacinamide + Copper, £5, is reminiscent of big-name brands such as Glossier and The Ordinary. Similarly, products are just as affordable and start at £5. In fact, nothing exceeds the £7.50 mark. Whether your skin bugbear is spots, hyperpigmentation, dryness or something else, it's easy to switch products in or out without having to commit entirely.

Much like MAC and Urban Decay, which have been praised for showing 'real' skin in advertisements and on Instagram, Beauty Bay's campaign ditches the heavy retouching. Instead, each shot champions models with cystic acne, scars, pigmentation, moles and freckles – and we've no doubt that it'll be incredibly well received among skincare lovers.

Everything will be available to buy next week, but under-the-radar products we think will be big include the Skin Fixer Clay Mask, £7.50, with kaolin and bentonite clay and PHA. It harnesses two variations of clay to draw away excess oil and gentler forms of exfoliating acids for those who have reactive skin.

Buzzy retinol alternative bakuchiol, which most skin experts tout for sensitive skin, makes an appearance in the SkinHit Clarifying Serum, £6.50. The Day One Light Moisturiser, £6.50, is also predicted to be popular, as one of the star ingredients is squalane (which you'll find The Ordinary often champions, too) for boosting moisture without clogging pores.