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My Skin Looks So Much Younger Since I Started Using These Clean Beauty Products (+ Save 20%)

Carleigh Ferrante
Author:
August 23, 2024
Carleigh Ferrante
mbg Senior Commerce Editor
By Carleigh Ferrante
mbg Senior Commerce Editor
Carleigh Ferrante is the Commerce Editor at mindbodygreen.
photo of three ships beauty products on writer's table on blue background
Image by Carleigh Ferrante / mbg creative
August 23, 2024
We carefully vet all products and services featured on mindbodygreen using our commerce guidelines. Our selections are never influenced by the commissions earned from our links.

Getting older is a privilege, but I, for one, would prefer to slow down the physical signs of aging as much as possible. That’s why I’ve recently made it my mission to preserve my skin’s longevity, which includes being very mindful of the products I’m using. 

Enter: Three Ships, a clean beauty brand with affordable, natural, and effective products made from science-backed ingredients. I started testing these creams, serums, toners, and masks about one year ago, and now it seems my entire skincare lineup is coming up Three Ships—and I have glowing, younger-looking skin to show for it.

Keep scrolling for my honest Three Ships review with everything you need to know about the brand, plus where each product fits in your skin care routine.

photo of three ships beauty products on writer's table
Image by Carleigh Ferrante / mbg creative

What is Three Ships?

Three Ships' clean, affordable, and fast-acting beauty products initially won me over because they're all vegan, cruelty-free, and dermatologist-tested. The brand makes face creams, cleansers, toners, masks, and serums, along with eye and lip treatments.

Every formula contains minimal ingredients, each with a specific benefit. Plus, I love that they are science-backed.

When perusing the Three Ships site, you can shop based on product type (e.g., cream or mask), skin type (dry, normal, combination, oily, sensitive, or mature), or skin concern (acne-prone, fine lines, dullness, visible pores, or uneven tone).

The female-founded brand was born out of frustration with greenwashed, overpriced, and overcomplicated skin care products, with a mission to bring simple, clean, effective solutions. It’s now a Certified B Corp company, meaning it meets high standards for social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. 

The best Three Ships products we've tested:

Firm Believer Smoothing Neck + Face Cream by Three Ships

The details
Best for:
Mature skin
When to use:
After water-based serum and before oil-based serum (morning and night)

Pros & Cons

Pros

A little bit goes a long way

Hundreds of rave reviews from women 50+

Formulated for mature skin to visibly reduce the signs of aging

Cons

Sometimes a single pump gives too much cream

If you've been neglecting your neck (confession: I have too), this cream will help you catch up. I started to see the most impressive results after just a few weeks: smoother, more hydrated skin and less visible fine lines and wrinkles.

Even though the cream is quite rich, it doesn’t leave my skin feeling oily or weighed down. One single pump covers my entire face, neck, and decollate (sometimes with excess leftover).

I’m using this cream more as a preventative measure to support my skin’s longevity, but I love to see how many women over 50 swear by this cream to turn back the clock on their skin. 

There are hundreds of rave reviews from shocked women who say this cream has diminished fine lines and visibly firmed their neck’s sagging skin.

What's in the cream:

Dew Drops Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin C Serum by Three Ships

The Details
Best for:
All skin types
When to use:
After cleansing and before creams (morning and night)

Pros & Cons

Pros

Instantly plumping and brightening

Smoothes wrinkles over time

Very hydrating

Cons

Can pill slightly

Small bottle doesn’t last very long

Not so fun fact: You lose about 50% of your body’s natural reserve1 of hyaluronic acid (HA) by the time you reach your 50s, resulting in more visible fine lines and wrinkles, and dry, lackluster skin.

The first time I used the Dew Drops I was shocked by how bright and glowy my complexion looked the next morning. My skin literally drinks this formula in, and it doesn’t feel sticky like other HA formulas I’ve tested.

I have noticed it can pill slightly under makeup, so I keep this as a nighttime serum—and I love that my hydrated glow lasts through the entire next day. After a few weeks of consistent use, my skin feels so smooth and looks plumper and more youthful.

What's in the serum:

  • Tremella extract, a potent natural source of HA, increases hydration, softness, and elasticity (for a natural plumping effect) while reducing the appearance of crows feet and fine lines over time. 
  • Kakadu plum decreases sun damage and dark spots, supports your skin's immune system, and minimizes inflammation and redness.
  • Red Algae Extract boost hydration and promotes plumper, healthier-looking skin.
before and after images of writer
Image by Carleigh Ferrante / mbg creative

Fresh Start Resurfacing Treatment by Three Ships

The details
Best for:
Oily and combination skin
When to use:
At night after cleansing, before the rest of your skin care routine

Pros & Cons

Pros

Gently buffs away dead skin cells

Leaves the skin significantly softer and brighter

Minimizes the appearance of pores

Cons

Bottle can sometimes leak while traveling

I swear my pores shrunk overnight the first time I used this toner. Usually (no matter how much moisturizer I apply) I wake up feeling dry, but that morning my skin looked dewy, bright, and fresh and my typical redness was gone.

My boyfriend (who, by the way, has never once shown interest in skin care) actually asked if I had put on makeup to go to the gym—and I’ve since turned him and numerous friends onto this sleeper treatment.

This toner has helped me finally skin with an exfoliating routine, and now my skin is brighter and glowing more than ever. I've already noticed dark spots and discoloration starting to lighten up, my pores look significantly smaller, and my complexion looks brighter overall. 

What's in the toner:

Radiance Day Cream by Three Ships

The Details
Best for:
All skin types
When to use:
In the morning on clean, dry skin

Pros & Cons

Pros

Fast-acting and fast-absorbing

Visibly smooths the skin

Lasts for a long time

Cons

Sometimes a single pump gives too much cream

Before I tested the Three Ships Radiance Day Cream my skin was perpetually thirsty, but even after just two weeks it looked fresher, plumper, and younger.

I genuinely feel as though this cream helped make up for years of lost moisture. My skin now looks significantly healthier, and I’m experiencing less redness and puffiness as well.

I love that it’s lightweight-yet-moisturizing and sensitive skin friendly. Plus, a little bit goes a long way. The $37 tub has already lasted me two months of daily use.

What's in the cream:

  • Squalane encourages collagen production, which improves the skin’s elasticity and gives it a plumper, firmer appearance. 
  • Grape stem cell extract protects the skin from free radicals.
  • Upcycled bark extract (rich in polyphenols) adds hydration and promotes skin elasticity.
two photos of editor's skin after using the day cream

Dream Bio-Retinol Night Cream by Three Ships

The Details
Best for:
All skin types
When to use:
At night after water-based serums and before oil-based serums

Pros & Cons

Pros

Deeply hydrating yet lightweight

Short- and long-term benefits

Significantly gentler than retinol

Cons

A few reviewers say their skin took some time to acclimate

Retinol has a ton of great benefits (e.g. a reduced appearance of fine lines, faster skin cell turnover, and fewer breakouts), but the ingredient can often come with some skin purging and irritation. That’s why I (and hundreds of others) love this bio-retinol cream.

The gentle formula has all the same benefits, without the potential downtime. The cult favorite tackles dryness, replenishes the skin barrier, and evens out skin tone overnight—which explains the cream’s perpetual sellouts.

I love the instant glow this cream gives my skin, and the fact that it’s helping to minimize the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines over time. When I use it at night before bed, I wake up to a fresh, dewy, well-rested face.

What's in the cream:

Brighter Days Biodegradable Eye Masks by Three Ships

The Details
Best for:
All skin types
When to use:
2 to 3 times per day on clean, dry skin

Pros & Cons

Pros

Instantly brighten and de-puff the under-eye area

Biodegradable (!!!)

Soothing

Cons

Some batches do not dissolve as easily as others

Our beauty editor was floored by her results the first time she used these eye patches—and I had a similar experience. The masks instantly brighten, hydrate, and de-puff my under-eyes. 

They’re also quite cooling, which dials down inflammation and constricts blood vessels to help deflate any under-eye swelling.

Another fun perk about these masks is that they are 100% biodegradable. After letting them marinate on your skin for around 10 minutes, you’ll simply pop them in warm-hot water for another 10 minutes so they can dissolve; then you can pour the remaining liquid down the drain.

What's in the masks:

  • Glycerin and red algae extract (two beloved humectants) to hydrate and plump the skin naturally.
  • Allantoin to sooth the skin and reduce inflammation (for a natural de-puffing effect).
  • Upcycled avocado extract deliver conditioning fatty acids to soften and soothe the delicate under-eye area. 

First Light Vitamin C + Caffeine Eye Cream by Three Ships

The Details
Best for:
All skin types
When to use:
After water-based serums, before creams (morning and night)

Pros & Cons

Pros

Fast-acting

Sits well under makeup

Cooling sensation

Cons

Product can get stuck in the squeeze tube

The First Light Eye Cream is like a shot of espresso for my tired, shadowy eyes. There’s a cooling, soothing sensation when I apply the lightweight formula, and it sits well under makeup. 

It visibly decreases puffiness and brightens my under-eyes faster (and more noticeably) than any other I've tried. Plus I love knowing I’m also smoothing out those pesky fine lines around my eyes over time.

What's in the cream:

Is Three Ships sustainable?

Three Ships truly does set the bar for sustainability and transparency. Every product page has a Source Map showing exactly where every ingredient came from, and a lot of the ingredients are upcycled.

What’s more, Three Ships is shifting to 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging (by 2025). The brand uses materials such as non-toxic glass and recyclable cardboard, with screen-printed labels rather than plastic.

Three Ships also partners with nonprofit organizations to collect hard-to-recycle items such as pumps and serum droppers—and shoppers can even join the program to return their old product bottles.

The takeaway

I test a lot of skin care products, and unfortunately many of them turn out to be smoke and mirrors—but Three Ships continues to surprise me. Since integrating these formulas into my routine, my skin is noticeably brighter, firmer, and more youthful. 

Editor’s tip: If you really want to amp up your skin’s longevity, might I suggest adding LED light therapy to the mix?

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