I Grabbed 18 Skincare Products During a Layover in Iceland—Now I'm Obsessed

Let's start with one of the most recognizable Icelandic skincare brands. Bioeffect is known for its effective, high-tech formulas. That's probably why I had to jostle through a small crowd to gain access to the Bioeffect shelves at the Reykjavik airport. 

This is one of the brand's best-selling products. It uses epidermal growth factor (EGF) to signal cells to produce collagen. With time, it can significantly and visibly reduce signs of aging like lines, wrinkles, and loss of elasticity. There's a reason so many beauty editors rave about this product; it's the real deal. 

No product pairs better with the aforementioned serum than this moisturizer. I love that it's fragrance-free and nonirritating, has a water-cream texture that makes my skin look plump and bouncy, and contains a bevy of active ingredients. These include Icelandic water, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and the brand's go-to ingredient, which is epidermal growth factors. 

Interestingly, it doesn't contain any oil. Instead, it uses a humectant-rich formula to lock water to the surface of the skin. The brand says the hydration-boosting benefit will last up to 12 hours. 

Another Bioeffect product I love, this one is oil-free, fragrance-free, alcohol-free, paraben-free, and gluten-free. Its hero ingredients are lava-filtered Icelandic water and glycerin, two hydrating ingredients that leave the skin soft, smooth, and prepped for the brand's other products. In fact, it actually boosts the results and absorption of its epidermal growth factors. Cool, right? 

Blue Lagoon is another Icelandic skincare brand that I was familiar with before my travels. There are so many products I love, but this cinches the top spot. It's an overnight mask that replenishes moisture and smoothes the skin with geothermal bioactive Blue Lagoon seawater. When I use this regularly, I can tell that my skin barrier is strong and healthy. I see less redness, irritation, and texture. 

I'm not being dramatic when I say I've used this face oil over three times a week for months. The noncomedogenic formula never breaks me out, and I love that it's infused with bioactive Blue Lagoon microalgae. This ingredient is chock-full of nutrients, vitamins, and electrolytes that strengthen the skin. 

I use it to seal in moisture as the final step in my skincare routine and whenever I feel like doing an at-home facial massage. Since it doesn't leave a thick, greasy residue and doesn't have an overwhelming fragrance, I basically douse my skin in it. 

Everything I just said about the face oil applies to this body oil. In fact, in texture, scent, and appearance, they're basically the same. I use this after showering to seal in moisture and make my limbs feel soft and smooth. I love that it treats my body to the same bioactive Blue Lagoon microalgae that are found in the face oil. 

If there's one thing that sets Skyn Iceland apart, in my opinion, it's the brand's eyecare products. These eye patches are some of my favorite. They feel nice and cooling on the eyes, which gives them a depuffing effect, and active ingredients go to work to minimize signs of stress and aging. There's elastin and hexapeptide to promote firmness and smoothness; there's ginkgo biloba to depuff; and there's CoQ10, which is an antioxidant that defends the skin against free radicals in the environment.

Remember when I said Skyn Iceland specializes in eyecare products? I wasn't kidding. This potent eye serum contains amino acids, antioxidants, glycolic acid, jojoba, and vitamin C. Together, this ingredient combo targets everything from fine lines and wrinkles to dark spots, dryness, and visible texture.

While I have experience using the brand's eye patches and face masks, I want to try these peel pads next. Each one is soaked in a glycolic acid complex as well as antioxidants and antibacterial ingredients. Together, they slough off dead skin, brighten dark spots and hyperpigmentation, and keep breakouts at bay. The best part? They're gentle enough to use on sensitive skin like mine. 

Angan is a brand I learned about via a safety video ad from Icelandair. As a beauty editor, I took note, researching the brand as quickly as I could connect to the plane's Wi-Fi. This is one of the first products that piqued my interest. 

It's a detoxifying clay mask formulated with Icelandic botanicals and volcanic ash. It's supposed to be used as needed to lightly exfoliate the skin and deliver essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. While many clay masks can be harsh on sensitive skin, this one is gentle and safe for all skin types, including acne-prone skin. 

If a bodywash can cleanse my skin without stripping it, contains active ingredients, and smells good, I'm sold. This one is next on my wish list. Here's why. It's formulated with aloe, bilberry extract, and gentle surfactants to clean the skin while leaving moisture behind. As for the scent, it's crafted from natural sources like juniper berries, lavender, and thyme. Dreamy.

This is a product I literally can't wait to get my hands on. It's a mineral-rich body scrub that uses handpicked Icelandic moss and a blend of oils to exfoliate, moisturize, increase circulation, and prevent ingrown hairs. It smells divine thanks to an essential oil blend of grapefruit and bergamot. 

This is another one I discovered after my layover when I was researching Icelandic skincare brands and products on the flight. I was struck by the simplistic names of the products and the relative simplicity and efficacy of the formulas. 

Let's start with the brand's cleansing balm. It removes makeup, SPF, and other impurities, like any good cleansing balm should do. With murumuru butter and a combo of skin-smoothing oils—meadowfoam seed, apricot kernel, and grapeseed—it moisturizes and firms the skin.

The perfect no-frills hydrating serum does exist, and it's packaged in a little blue-and-black bottle. Pure Icelandic water is the first ingredient, followed by multiple humectants such as glycerin, sodium PCA, and sodium hyaluronate. 

This product intrigues me because it contains two types of gentle exfoliants. The first is jojoba beads, and the second is enzymes. Both are known to physically yet gently slough away dead skin without causing redness or irritation. 

Dögg means "dew" in Icelandic. This moisturizer is super light in texture but extremely hydrating. It uses two Icelandic herbs and several oils. There's also birch to boost collagen and elastin production and bearberry to target sun damage.