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My Skin Looks So Much Younger Since I Started Using These Clean Beauty Products (+ Save 20%)
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.
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:
Pros & Cons
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:
What's in the cream:
- Goji stem cell cultures contain mesenchymal cells that secrete exosomes to promote collagen production and help smooth fine lines and wrinkles.
- Edelweiss, a strong antioxidant, improves skin elasticity, density, and thickness.
- Pomegranate extract helps ease inflammation in the skin.
Pros & Cons
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:
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 crow’s 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.
Pros & Cons
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:
What's in the toner:
- Aloe vera moisturizes, fades dark spots, promotes skin healing and natural collagen production, and reduces inflammation
- PHAs (gentle acids) buff away dead skin cells and add a boost of hydration to reveal smoother, brighter skin.
- AHAs help brighten your complexion, reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation and melasma, remove dead skin cells, hydrate the skin, and minimize fine lines and wrinkles.
Pros & Cons
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:
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.
Pros & Cons
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:
What's in the cream:
- Bio-retinol, a gentle research-backed vegan alternative to retinol, (derived from Picão Preto) reduces appearance of fine lines, promotes faster skin cell turnover, and clears up breakouts without irritation.
- Vegan squalane to promote collagen production and strengthen the skin’s natural barrier.
- Shorea butter, a lightweight (yet deeply hydrating) alternative to shea butter that's rich in vitamins and essential fatty acids.
Pros & Cons
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:
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.
Pros & Cons
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:
What's in the cream:
- Caffeine extract to decrease puffiness, wake up the eyes, strengthen the skin barrier, and support hydration.
- Acerola cherry, rich in vitamin C, to brighten the skin and protect it from external stressors while boosting collagen production.
- Squalane to support and replenish the skin’s native lipid barrier, which prevents dryness and protects against external irritants.
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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