Sunday Riley

Sunday Riley was founded in 2009 by cosmetic chemist Sunday Riley in Houston, Texas. The brand is Leaping Bunny and PETA certified cruelty-free, B Corp certified, and holds the #1 brightening specialist position in the US by NPD data. The brand settled with the FTC in 2020 over fake reviews posted between 2015 and 2017.

15 products reviewed

71/100 Score

Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum white pump bottle

Gentle Glow Powerhouse

Sunday Riley serum

C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum

C.E.O. is the vitamin C serum for people who have given up on vitamin C serums. The THD ascorbate formula is genuinely gentle, impressively stable, and delivers real brightening over time. The disclosed 15% concentration inspires confidence. But the citrus essential oils undercut the gentle positioning, the beeswax excludes vegans, and the $85 price tag is increasingly hard to justify as THD ascorbate becomes available at lower price points.

normaldry Paraben Free

Lightweight Glow Getter

Sunday Riley moisturizer

Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream

Tidal was ahead of its time — an alpha-arbutin brightening moisturizer that predated the ingredient's mainstream popularity by years, wrapped in a K-beauty-inspired water cream texture. The hydration is excellent, the brightening is real if gradual, and the lightweight formula genuinely works for oily skin. Its discontinuation is a loss for the category, though the price was always steep for what's inside.

combinationoily Fragrance Free

Sunday Riley exfoliant

Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment

Good Genes delivers undeniable instant radiance and a uniquely luxurious AHA experience — but at $85 for an undisclosed concentration of lactic acid wrapped in lemongrass oil, you're paying a significant premium for the sensory ritual and cult status as much as the exfoliation itself.

normaldry Paraben Free

Sunday Riley retinoid

Luna Sleeping Night Oil

Luna is a beautifully formulated introduction to retinoids for anyone who's been burned — literally or figuratively — by traditional retinol. The HPR-in-oil delivery is genuinely clever, the botanical support system works, and the sensory experience is luxurious. But the undisclosed retinoid concentration and steep price-per-ounce make it a better gateway product than a long-term workhorse.

drynormal Paraben Free

Gentle Retinoid for Beginners

Sunday Riley retinoid

A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum

A thoughtfully formulated dual retinoid serum that prioritizes tolerability through HPR's direct receptor activation and generous soothing botanicals. It's genuinely gentle for a retinoid this ambitious, but the premium price and the gap between the 6.5% marketing claim and the 0.5% HPR reality demand scrutiny.

normalcombination Fragrance Free

Juno Antioxidant + Superfood Face Oil

A radically minimal face oil — just nine cold-pressed seed oils, no fragrance, no preservatives, no synthetic anything — that delivers immediate radiance and genuine barrier support. The ingredient quality is exceptional, and the zero-irritation profile is almost unmatched in prestige skincare. But the premium price for what amounts to a carefully curated oil blend is the question every buyer has to answer for themselves.

drynormal Fragrance Free

Sunday Riley treatment

UFO Ultra-Clarifying Acne Treatment Face Oil

U.F.O. is a genuinely innovative acne treatment that rethinks how salicylic acid should be delivered — but at $80 for a modest 1.5% BHA concentration, the creative formulation philosophy costs significantly more than the conventional alternatives it aims to outperform.

oilycombination Paraben Free

Botanical Ritual Cleanser

Sunday Riley cleanser

Blue Moon Tranquility Cleansing Balm

A genuinely sensorial cleansing balm that turns makeup removal into an aromatherapeutic ritual — the natural blue color from chamazulene is stunning and the dual-chamomile soothing complex is thoughtful. But seven essential oils, cocoa butter comedogenicity, and a $50 cleanser price tag mean this is a product for the ritual-minded, not the practical-minded.

drynormal Paraben Free

Gentle Clay Daily Cleanser

Sunday Riley cleanser

Ceramic Slip Clay Cleanser

A daily clay cleanser that actually understands what most clay products get wrong — it purifies pores without punishing the skin barrier. The dual kaolin-montmorillonite system draws out oil and impurities while phospholipids and oil esters keep the barrier intact. Thoughtful formulation at a premium price.

oilycombination Fragrance Free

Award-Winning Vitamin C

Sunday Riley serum

C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum

An award-winning vitamin C serum built around a smarter, stabler, gentler derivative that trades the proven potency of L-ascorbic acid for superior wearability and shelf life. The 15% THD ascorbate concentration is generous and the brightening results are real, but the premium price and citrus essential oils deserve scrutiny.

normalcombination Paraben Free

Saturn Sulfur Acne Treatment Mask

Saturn is a thoughtfully formulated sulfur spot treatment that combines FDA-recognized acne-fighting power with niacinamide and zinc — but at $55 for half an ounce, you're paying a steep premium for a sulfur mask that goes fast and smells like it means business.

oilycombination Paraben Free

Martian Mattifying Melting Water-Gel Toner

The Martian toner's gel-to-water texture is genuinely clever and the immediate mattifying effect is real, but alcohol denat. as the second ingredient, a polarizing post-application scent, and the product's apparent discontinuation make this a curiosity piece rather than a staple. Oily-skinned users who can still find it may enjoy it; everyone else can pass without regret.

oilycombination Paraben Free

Instant Brightening Eye Treatment

Sunday Riley eye-cream

Auto Correct Brightening + De-Puffing Eye Contour Cream

A clever hybrid eye cream that delivers instant optical brightening through light-reflecting particles while deploying caffeine, horse chestnut, and acmella oleracea as longer-term treatment actives. The immediate visible correction is genuinely impressive, but the $65 price tag for a half-ounce with fragrance compounds near the eye area is a hard sell for sensitive skin types.

normalcombination Paraben Free

Skincare-Grade Scalp Treatment

Sunday Riley treatment

Clean Rinse Clarifying Scalp Serum

A genuinely innovative scalp treatment that applies facial skincare logic — triple-acid exfoliation, sebum regulation with zinc PCA, barrier support with niacinamide — to a body part that's usually an afterthought. The actives are well-chosen and the concept is ahead of its time, but the niche audience, premium pricing, and apparent market exit limit its practical relevance.

oilycombination Fragrance Free

Prestige Barrier Builder

Sunday Riley moisturizer

Ice Ceramide Moisturizing Cream

A scientifically thoughtful ceramide-cholesterol-phytosphingosine barrier cream dressed in prestige packaging and priced accordingly. The lipid architecture is genuinely impressive, but the inclusion of fragrant essential oils and a $65 price tag in a market where pharmacy brands deliver comparable ceramide science make this a harder sell than it should be.

drynormal Paraben Free

★★★★★

4.3 (550)

$65.00