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As a beauty editor, I’m aware that my job isn’t exactly normal. Whatever you want to call it—breaking the fourth wall or raising the curtain—I’m about to do it. We beauty editors test thousands of new products every year, manage multiple deadlines at a time, juggle interviews with industry experts, and oversee an avalanche of emails. We do all of this while being chronically online and staying abreast of buzzy beauty news.
I love my job, but in such an oversaturated environment, it’s not always easy to cut through the noise and hand-pick the best beauty products. But I have my ways. One of them is to keep track of what top dermatologists and estheticians recommend during interviews and off-the-cuff conversations. And recently, I’ve noticed a pattern. Not one, not two, but three dermatologists recommended the same skincare brand to me in the last 30 days. So, I did what any good beauty editor would do, and put its products to the test. Weeks later, I can confidently say I have a new go-to skincare brand. It’s affordable, accessible, and clinical-grade (i.e. incredibly effective). Keep scrolling to see every editor-approved item.
Meet the Brand
Meet Prequel, a line of skincare products you might have seen lining the shelves at Target or adorning Amazon’s virtual storefront. Created by Sam Ellis, MD, a board-certified medical and cosmetic dermatologist, Prequel is science-backed and solution-oriented for a range of skin types and concerns. As an editor, I appreciate that every single one of its products is clinically tested for optimum efficacy and real results.
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Look through its extensive product portfolio, and it’s clear that it’s a derm-developed brand; It uses medical-grade ingredients, focuses on elegant, no-frills formulas, and accounts for serious sun protection—SPF, Fingerless Sun Gloves ($25), and a Wide-Brimmed UPF 50+ Hat ($30). Even the name of the brand harkens back to its ethos; “My goal with Prequel was to create a line of products that can be used before you ever need to see a dermatologist,” Ellis says on the brand’s website. “Things that can help keep your skin healthy in the long term.”
The Best Prequel Products
ICYMI, glycerin is a hero hydrating ingredient. In fact, experts say it’s superior to hyaluronic acid in that is has a smaller molecular size, so it can penetrate deeper into the skin. While HA is superior when it comes to plumping, glycerin actually offers deeper, more sustained moisture and barrier-strengthening support. The more you know!
This cleanser is formulated with a whopping 50% glycerin, hence the “Gleanser” name. Due to the high glycerin content, it has a unique, jelly texture that melts onto the skin and emulsifies into a silky lather. It effectively removes sunscreen, makeup, oil, and impurities without stripping the skin or disrupting pH. The addition of arginine, oat extract, and aloe soothe and prevent irritation. The best part? It’s designed fro all skin types.
PREQUEL
Gleanser + Glycolic
There’s also the Gleanser + Glycolic, which has the same base formula as the original (AKA 50% glycerin), as well as 5% glycolic acid for exfoliating and firming benefits. Use it to promote brighter, firmer, smoother, and more even-looking skin. It’s a resurfacing cleanser that won’t strip, irritate, or exacerbate redness.
I love double cleansing, and if you do too, I can’t recommend Prequel’s Pre-Gleanse enough. It’s designed to be used before the aforementioned “Gleanser,” and it has an oil-based formula that cuts through sunscreen, makeup, and other impurities without (get this!) leaving a residue or clogging pores. Yep, that means it’s suitable for all skin types, including acne-prone ones.
It’s all thanks to a unique blend of oils. There’s a mix of cica, linoleic, linolenic, and rice bran. Together, these oils, along with gentle surfactants, rinse away clean, leaving the skin fresh and pores clear.
PREQUEL
AM/PM Moisturizer
This, dear reader, is my new go-to moisturizer. I’ve been using it twice daily for two weeks, and I can’t get enough of it. It’s a mid-weight moisturizer (not too light, not too rich) that’s fast-absorbing, non-greasy, and offers a natural finish. So, in other words, it’s the perfect no-frills formula that does everything I need it to and nothing I don’t.
Formulated with a ferment-peptide complex, ceramides, and hydrating ingredients (glycerin, polyglycerides, and vitamin F), it replenishes the skin’s moisture levels and locks it in. True to the name, I use it both morning and night, and it works well for both. And yes, it plays well with makeup—no pilling, smudging, or cakiness in sight.
After a summer spent at the beach, I’m re-committing to consistent retinol use come fall, and this is my #1 pick. The advanced, highly stable retinaldehyde (the strongest, nonprescription form of vitamin A) targets fine lines and wrinkles, acne and clogged pores, sun damage and hyperpigmentation, and rough and bumpy texture for 360° skin renewal. Yet, it doesn’t irritate the skin to same extent other retinol products do, thanks soothing ectoin and bio-enhanced cica.
Note: Prequel’s Retinal Renew comes in two strengths. 0.1% and 0.2%.
PREQUEL
Multi-Quench Serum
Whether or not you’re using retinol, a good hydrating serum can go a long way to make your skin look smooth, plump, and youthful. And as far as hydrating serums go, this one is top tier. It penetrates the skin, working across multiple levels to re-hydrate it with dual-weight polyglutamic acid, glycerin, ectoin, and osmolytes (small molecules that regulate water levels inside skin cells). Together, these ingredients support the skin’s Natural Moisturizing Factor and are clinically tested to provide 48 hours of hydration.
PREQUEL
Multi-Acid Milk Peel
I love a milky toner. They cushion my skin in soothing, plumping moisture. But a milky toner that’s spiked with exfoliating acids? That’s next level. Prequel’s Multi-Acid Milk Peel is just that. The milk base is formulated with squalane for skin-softening moisture. Meanwhile, a blend of 15% glycolic, phytic, malic, mandelic, and lactic acids slough off dead skin cells for smooth, bright, and firmer-looking skin.
PREQUEL
Redness Reform Sulfur Cleanser
I have rosacea, which means I struggle with chronic redness all over my face, neck, and chest. It’s stubborn, but not impossible to treat. Whenever I’m having a flare up, I reach for this cleanser first. In fact, I actually awarded it as one of the best cleansers for rosacea a couple of months ago.
The “plush” foaming cleanser feels luxe and indulgent, yet features an efficient, unsexy formula—2.5% colloidal sulfur, azelaic acid, cica, bisabolol, panthenol and aloe. (ICYMI: sulfur is a do-it-all ingredient that soothes inflammation, unclogs pores, and reduces redness.) It never fails to make my skin look calmer, clearer, and less patchy and irritated. I love it so much. Take this as my official fan letter.
Oh, one more thing. Ellis shares a tip for using it as a mask on the website. Simply let it sit on the skin for 2-3 minutes before rinsing, and the redness-soothing ingredients will work even better.
PREQUEL
Redness Reform Serum
The natural next step is to use Prequel’s Redness Reform Serum. Formulated to visibly reduce redness, it uses a blend of soothing ingredients, like arnica, oat, and vitamin F to “put out the fire,” so to speak. In my experience, it really, truly works, and I’m not the only one who thinks so. In a clinical trial, 91% of participants felt it neutralized visible redness.
This thicker, skin-protectant cream alleviates all kinds of irritation and itchiness, including those from eczema. It’s all thanks to a blend of healing ingredients, like colloidal oatmeal, a multi-ceramide blend, allantoin, and adenosine. Recently, I applied it to a minor burn I suffered from my curling iron. The whopping 10-ounce bottle means it can be used on both the face and body for barrier-strengthening moisture.
I love vitamin C. Not only does it fight free radicals and prevent premature signs of aging, but it brighten dullness and fades discoloration, and my sun-damaged skin has both. While I would bathe in vitamin C if I could, it’s not always easy to find a high-quality vitamin C serum. Not only do they have to be highly stable (vitamin C is a notoriously unstable ingredient), but it has to be non-irritating. This checks every box. It’s formulated with L-ascorbic acid, ferulic acid, ergothioneine, niacinamide and inulin. Together, these ingredients provide potent antioxidant protection and all the skin benefits that go with it.
PREQUEL
Solar Shade Broad Spectrum SPF 46 PA++++
I love chemical sunscreens. There, I said it. While I can appreciate a mineral formula, chemical ones tend to feel lighter, more hydrating, and look nearly invisible on the skin, so I tend stick with them. And this one just earned a spot in my core collection. The watery texture feels featherweight, organic UV filters offer broad-spectrum SPF 46, and rice phytomolecules and microalgae offer antioxidant protection. It’s everything I want from a daily sunscreen.
PREQUEL
Lip Visor Broad Spectrum SPF 30 PA+++
It’s easy to forget about sun protection for your lips, but this is my PSA to change that by investing in an SPF-infused lip product. Prequel’s Lip Visor soothes and hydrates the lips, while providing broad-spectrum SPF 30 PA+++. The best part? It doesn’t smell bad, leave a white cast, or taste horrible the way other SPF lip products do. In fact, it doesn’t smell like much, is virtually clear (unless you reach for one of the tinted ones), and has a pleasant mint flavor.
Prequel’s Lip Visor is available in clear, as well as five sheer shades.
PREQUEL
Scar Solutions Stick
While I love so many Prequel products, I have to admit that this one feels the most special in that it fills a big blank space in the beauty market. Prequel’s Scar Solutions Stick reduces the appearance of red and healing scars, stretch marks, and acne marks. Formulatde with 60% silicone (a clinically proven scar-fading ingredient), onion bulb ferment, centella asiatica triterpenoids, and bisabolol, it *actually* improves the appearance of stubborn scars. Simply swipe it on a scar, straight from the stick, and it will go to work. Brilliant! No wonder it went viral on Instagram and TikTok.
How We Chose
Beauty editor Kaitlyn McLintock has a decade of experience testing and reviewing beauty products. She curated this list of the best Prequel products by personally putting them to the test, polling her fellow Who What Wear editors, and reading real-world reviews. She also took real dermatologist recommendations into account. At the end of it all, she had a robust, deeply researched list.
Why Trust Us
At Who What Wear, we know that beauty isn’t one-size-fits-all. Over the years, our editors have tested thousands of products—including skincare, makeup, haircare, and nails—while also working closely with trusted experts, like renowned dermatologists, celebrity makeup artists, and other leading industry insiders. Together, this ensures every guide is well-researched, inclusive, and relevant to you.
We focus on formulas that deliver, whether they’re affordable favorites or luxury investments. Our product selection is based on tangible results, ingredient know-how, and what we’d truly recommend to our closest friends and family members.
