Perricone MD and the Dermatologist Who Wanted Skin to Look Rested

Perricone MD and the Dermatologist Who Wanted Skin to Look Rested

Perricone MD began in 1997 with a dermatologist and a very particular idea of what a face should look like on a good day. Here are the serums and finishing creams the brand built its name on, the No Makeup range for days you want less, and the firming moisturizers from other labels that I would put next to them.

Perricone MD was founded in 1997 by Dr. Nicholas Perricone, a board-certified dermatologist, and you can still feel that origin in how the brand talks. It keeps returning to one idea, that skin which looks rested and firm needs very little on top of it. In May 2000 his book on the subject came out from Rodale and became a New York Times bestseller, which is a decent clue that a lot of people were listening.

The line I associate most with the brand is Cold Plasma, one of its best-known franchises and something Dr. Perricone invented. The Cold Plasma+ in this grid carries the name, and the Cold Plasma Plus+ Lip Therapy brings the same thinking to a smaller, softer area. I like when a brand has a signature and sticks with it.

Then the serums. The High Potency Hyaluronic Intensive Hydrating Serum is what I would reach for when skin feels tight and flat by mid afternoon. The Growth Factor Firming & Lifting Eye Serum is the one for the delicate area under the eyes, which is where tired shows up first for me. Two of the High Potency Classics finishers close the loop: the Face Finishing & Firming Moisturizer for plain days, and the Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30, which is the one I would use if I only wanted one step before leaving the house.

Use a serum on clean, slightly damp skin, give it a minute, and only then add your cream. Order matters more than quantity.

Collage of Perricone MD serums, moisturizers and lip products, No Makeup balms and oils, and firming peptide creams beside a fresh-faced portrait and a mood photo of rippled cream texture.
Perricone MD serums and moisturizers, the No Makeup range, and peptide creams from other brands.

Perricone MD skincare

The No Makeup range, for lighter days

The No Makeup range is where the brand loosens up. The idea is the same, but the finish is glowier and the products are made for people who want to look put together without looking like they tried. If the classics are the tailored blazer, this is the soft white shirt.

The No Makeup product itself is the anchor of the group, and the Instant Blur Priming Moisturizer is what I would use under it, or on its own, when I want pores and texture to look softer without a heavy base. It sits between skincare and makeup, and it is what I would use on a quiet weekday when I want to skip foundation. Sit it under a little concealer where you need it and nowhere else.

The Radiant Glow Balm is the one for cheekbones, the bridge of the nose and the middle of the lids, and it works best in tiny dabs with a warm fingertip. I would rather build it slowly than swipe it on and regret it. The Lip Oil finishes the set with a little shine, and it is easy enough to put on without a mirror.

The test for a range like this is simple. Time yourself: five minutes to get ready, and you should still look like yourself. If that works, keep it. If you find yourself layering three products to get the same glow, you have too many.

Perricone MD No Makeup

Firming creams from elsewhere

It is only fair to look at what other brands are doing with firming creams, since the category has been busy. Almost every option here leans on peptides, which are short chains of amino acids that brands use in moisturizers made to look plumper and smoother, so this is really a shelf about texture and feel.

Drunk Elephant's Protini is a refillable moisturizer with peptides, a good choice when you want a cushioned, dense cream for the evening. Eadem's Cloud Cushion is dewy and plumping, with ceramides and peptides, and it is the one I would pick for skin that looks dull in winter. Paula's Choice puts its Pro-Collagen gel-cream on the lighter side, so it suits people who dislike a heavy cream. belif's The True Cream is a bomb of moisture with peptide and ceramide, springy and cool on application.

Laneige's Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic moisturizer adds peptides and squalane, and it is the one I would recommend if you live somewhere with dry indoor air. Caudalie's Resveratrol-Lift cashmere moisturizer is the softest and most comforting of the group, made as a firming alternative to retinol for people who prefer to skip it.

What I would skip: buying three firming creams at once and switching between them every few nights. Skin needs a couple of weeks to show you anything, and hopping around tells you nothing. Pick one, use it every day, and take a photo in the same light at the start and the end.

Firming creams from other brands

How I would choose between them

Choose by texture first. If you like a light, springy feel, look at the gel-creams. If your skin is dry, go for the denser ones. If you would like a bit of tint and sun protection in a single step, the tinted moisturizer with SPF 30 is a practical answer.

Keep the routine short: a serum, one moisturizer, sun protection in the morning. Change one thing at a time and give it two weeks before you decide. If something stings, stop using it, and if you have skin that is persistently red, itchy or sore, please see a doctor. Firm-looking skin is mostly about sleep, sunscreen and patience, and the best products only make those habits a little nicer to keep.