The Good

Formulas that work (especially if your skin hates heavy oils)

• “It’s an outstanding line. I’ve swapped most of my skincare routine to them. Love that they have super hydrating products heavy in glycerin rather than shea butter, etc. My skin dislikes the latter and thrives with glycerin. Formulas are simple and very effective.” (15 upvotes)

Gleanser has a cult following

• “The texture is like lube and it’s fucking great.” (69 upvotes)
• “I have been using the cleanser and I LOVE it as well.” (13 upvotes)

Milk Peel stands out as a P50 dupe

• “I just switched to the Multi-Acid Milk Peel after finishing my last bottle of BR P50 a few weeks ago. I like it better already.” (66 upvotes)
• “If you haven’t tried the Milk Peel on your body yet, I highly recommend it. I do that and then layer with the urea lotion and it makes my skin so smooth and glowy, as well as helping with little ingrowns on my legs and KP.” (41 upvotes)

Esthetician-approved

• “I’m an estie and I use mostly luxe skincare and I am such a HUGE fan of Prequel. I think they are all great.” (40 upvotes)

Affordable Vitamin C win

• “I realize it’s only been a week but I really like the Prequel one and it’s keeping my skin bright and glowy.” (19 upvotes)
• “I have used SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic for over 6 years… picked up the Prequel Lucent C from Target… if my skin stays like this, I may switch to it permanently.” (19 upvotes)

Moisturizers that actually help barrier issues

• “It definitely has helped fix my skin barrier, calmed my redness, and helped w my dehydrated skin issues.” (11 upvotes)

Hydration without hyaluronic acid

• “It’s a glycerin and butylene glycol serum. I love the fact that it’s not HA as I feel like it hydrates so much better!” (18 upvotes)

The Not So Good

Some users experienced infections from contaminated Barrier Cream

• “The Prequel Barrier Cream may have caused an infection in my leg… My doctor was perplexed when I developed a strain of staph on my left leg that is typically associated with UTIs.” (20 upvotes)
• “I’m going to move forward with legal action, the product gave me cellulitis, which is a possible outcome of being exposed to staphylococcus saprophyticus.” (31 upvotes)
• “My sibling was very possibly affected by this. They’ve been struggling with really weird and uncomfortable eye and ear symptoms for a while now.” (20 upvotes)

Trust issues over reformulation and transparency

• “Prequel reformulating products without drawing attention to it/disclosing, which leads to trust issues.” (68 upvotes)
• “That bit about Dr. Ellis not even knowing which formulation is being sold atm is the most concerning bit to me.” (34 upvotes)
• “I find it concerning that the recall notice they emailed did not directly mention the specific bacteria involved.” (31 upvotes)
• “I’m irritated by how this recall was handled. A short email without any real details.” (15 upvotes)

Some product misses

• “I tried Gleanser and had to get rid of it, the texture just always felt slimy and like my face wasn’t clean.” (12 upvotes)
• “The only product I’ve tried that I found wasn’t good for me was their sunscreen. It left me really greasy.” (12 upvotes)

Value and Comparisons

Comparable to more expensive brands

• “I do prefer Lucent-C to SkinCeuticals, but candidly I just haven’t ever really been a big fan of the SkinCeuticals CEF product.” (12 upvotes)

Elevated drugstore vibe

• “I would consider it an elevated version of CeraVe or Eucerin.” (11 upvotes)
• “My absolute favorite products are Gleanser and the Barrier Therapy moisturizer. Both very generous quantities for a very affordable price.” (12 upvotes)
• “Oh my god I saw this box and thought it was going to be so expensive. $18? It’s not drugstore prices but that is definitely affordable!!!” (24 upvotes)

Skepticism around brand origins

• “It’s owned by Ben Bennett, same guy behind Naturium. They just churn out stuff to get bought by one of the big companies eventually.” (11 upvotes)
• “I like Dr. Ellis a lot but after doing some digging I think she is more of a figurehead… the formulas are not created in house or with her expertise.” (18 upvotes)
• “Develop? There was nothing to develop. This formula has been around for a while already.” (27 upvotes)

Final Verdict

Prequel delivers when it comes to effective ingredients, smart formulation, and fair prices. Products like Gleanser, Lucent-C, and the Multi-Acid Milk Peel have strong fan bases and are often compared favorably to pricier alternatives.

But recent trust issues—especially around the contamination recall, vague reformulation policies, and murky brand ownership—have sparked concern. If you’re thinking of trying Prequel, it might be best to skip the Barrier Cream for now and stick to their more proven staples.

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