The Wirecutter Show

Trader Joe's is beloved for its quirky snacks and frozen meals, but its beauty aisle has quietly become a hotspot for budget-friendly skincare and viral "dupes". 

This week, beauty writer Neha Tandon shares the results of her extensive hands-on testing of Trader Joe’s moisturizers, cleansers, serums, and sunscreens. She reveals which $10-and-under products are high-performing gems and which popular items missed the mark.

This episode covers:

• The $4 Holy Grail: Why the Rose Facial Toner is a highly versatile, multi-use must-have for refreshing skin, setting makeup, and even reviving curly hair. 


• A $7 designer "dupe": How the single-ingredient Marula Facial Oil performs just as beautifully as luxury versions costing six times as much. 


• The absolute misses: Why Neha suggests skipping the "Pine-Sol-esque" tea tree oil cleansing pads and the snotty-textured Hyaluronic Moisture Boost Serum.  


• Better alternatives: Superior options for exfoliating pads and vitamin C serums if you want to upgrade your skincare routine.

Products we recommend: 

• Rose Water Facial Toner 


• Marula Facial Oil


• Retinol Night Serum


• Daily Facial Sunscreen SPF 40


• Instead of Trader Joe's Natural Facial Cleansing Pads, try Pacifica Glow Baby Brightening Peel Pads


• Instead of Trader Joe's Hyaluronic Moisture Boost Serum, try Timeless Skin Care 20% C + E Ferulic Acid Serum

Additional reading:

• We Tested All the Skin-Care Products at Trader Joe’s to Find the Best 


• This Trader Joe’s Sunscreen May Be Even Better Than Its Much Pricier Counterpart


• The 7 Best Retinol Products of 2026 


• The 5 Best Exfoliants of 2026

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The Wirecutter Show is executive produced by Rosie Guerin and produced by Abigail Keel.Engineering support from Maddy Masiello and Nick Pitman. Episodes are mixed by Catherine Anderson, Efim Shapiro, Rowan Niemisto, Sophia Lanman, and Sonia Herrero. Original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Diane Wong. Wirecutter’s deputy publisher and general manager is Cliff Levy. Ben Frumin is Wirecutter’s editor-in-chief. Hosted by Rosie Guerin, Caira Blackwell and Christine Cyr Clisset.

Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast

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