December 08, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC If your skin is temperamental and likes to flare up with a dramatic outbreak of redness or irritation, serum cycling may be your new flex. What is it, you ask? The idea is that if you alternate the active serum that you’re using each night, your skin will have an easier time working with the powerhouse ingredients, so you’ll get the effect you’re looking for without any negative side effects that might come with overusing a single ingredient. “Rotating serums is helpful when using ones that can be slightly irritating, such as chemical exfoliators like salicylic acid,” says Robert Anolik, MD, a New York City-based dermatologist. Though he recommends using retinol nightly, it’s “perfect for rotation” if yours is irritating to your skin (you’ll know because it will feel extra dry and might even get a bit red and itchy). If you find yourself dealing with this, rotate in calming ingredients to help mitigate irritation. “Alternating serums is a good idea, especially if you have sensitive skin,” echoes Shirley Chi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist. “You still want to use a retinol because it’s going to promote collagen production, but you can use it three times a week and alternate with something else like hyaluronic acid on the others.” It’s also a smart skin-care practice if you’ve got dry skin (which might as well be everyone this winter season). Looking for the best serums to use at night in your cycling regimen? Keep scrolling for
Tag: Facials
Body serums keep skin hydrated from head-to-toe without a hint of stickiness in sight
December 06, 2019 at 04:34PM by CWC Your skin, as any derm or doctor will tell you, is your largest organ. Yet, when most of us talk about “skin care, we’re usually only referring to the space between our necks and our foreheads, and our bodies don’t get the same star treatment. In fact, I’m willing to bet that most of us have a good scrub down in the shower, and maybe slather on some lotion when we get out, before calling it a day. But with dry skin season upon us, there’s one more step worth adding into the mix: a body serum. “Body serums, like face serums, are used to introduce nourishing or revitalizing ingredients to our skin,” says board-certified dermatologist Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, MD. In the same way your face serums tend to be the most potent products in your routine, body serums tend to be chock-full of active ingredients that make them more concentrated than your usual body lotion. They’re ideal for “rejuvenating and moisturizing your skin,” says board-certified dermatologist Shari Sperling, DO, and can be beneficial for all skin types. Unlike creams, lotions, and oils, these products tend to be ultra-light, and won’t leave any sort of grease or film behind on your skin. They can be used on their own (particularly if you hate the texture of lotion, or are looking for something lightweight in a warmer climate) or layered underneath a thicker cream to really double down on moisture. Below, dermatologists share their
These dreamy multi-tasking night serums are like lullabies in a bottle
December 05, 2019 at 11:54PM by CWC Chances are, you’ve got your bedtime routine down to a science. Whether it’s drinking herbal tea or unwinding with a few pages of Gabby Bernstein’s latest, by now, you’ve likely figured out the best way to power down your body, and you should be doing the same exact thing for your skin by using the best night serums around. “Most skin repair happens at night, so it’s very important to prepare it by ‘putting skin to sleep’ as best as possible,” says board-certified dermatologist Sapna Palep, MD of Spring Street Dermatology in New York City. “Your skin is affected by circadian rhythms. Stem cells in the epidermis mainly reproduce at night, creating new skin cells that replace aged cells and reduce the appearance of aging. This is the time when these delicate processes are less likely to be interrupted or disturbed by the external environment.” Most skin issues—including UV damage, inflammation, pigmentation, and the loss of collagen, elastin, and hydration—are best remedied while you sleep. A few other ingredients worth looking for while you snooze? Hyaluronic acid and glycerin, which help with hydration; ceramides, which strengthen the skin barrier; as well as “calming” ingredients like CBD and niacinamide, since skin tends to be more prone to inflammation at night. Below, six of the best-of-the-best evening serums that deliver on this and more. Photo: Superflower Superflower The Everyday Serum, $68 While this serum is technically called “the everyday,” its calming, soothing, and hydrating properties
9 serums that make your skin so bright you can ditch the foundation
November 20, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC In the last few years, the lines between skin care and makeup have become increasingly blurred. There’s foundation that acts as skin care, skin care that acts as foundation, and heck, even eyeshadow that acts as SPF. Now that we have less time than ever before to put on our beauty products, we’ve started to demand that they do more so that we don’t have to use as many of ’em to get the job done. The latest hybrid skin step worth getting on board with? Serums that look like makeup and help cut at least a single step out of your routine. In addition to doing some skin-friendly things for your face in the long-term, these serum makeup primer hybrids (which, really, can act as all three at once) leave behind a finish that will make you excited to use them as one of the final steps in your routine. Some are tinted, making them A-plus subs for foundation, while others are dead ringers for the primer that you almost always forget to use unless it’s a special occasion. You can wear each of these products on its own, layer them under your existing steps, or mix them with foundation for an easier application and more radiant glow. The result? Your skin, illuminated. Shop our favorite serum makeup primer hybrid products, below. Photo: Glossier Glossier Futuredew, $24 Part oil, part serum, this product is meant to give skin a radiant glow (that comes
The 3 most important things a dermatologist says to look for when choosing a serum
November 02, 2019 at 09:00PM by CWC If we had a dollar for every time we heard a dermatologist suggest using a serum, we’d be happily retired on a Tahitian beach right about now (covered in SPF, of course). Seriously, in the—very, very—saturated beauty product world, serums remain one of the most important players. And while yes, they technically may not be a bare necessity in the way a cleanser or sunscreen is, they’re essential if you want to incorporate a lot of skin-care ingredients into your complexion (and quick!). “Serums are unique in that they’re highly concentrated, cosmetically elegant, and easy to layer,” explains board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD. “This means you only need a little bit to get the benefits of the active ingredients, and you can use it alongside your usual skin care routine without incident.” Not only are they more concentrated, they also penetrate deeper into the skin and are more stable, allowing them to work more effectively than other products. Here’s what to know about using one that’s packed with vitamin C, straight from Dr. Gohara: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0sqKBXyjls] “Serums deliver active ingredients past the superficial layer of the epidermis and are usually fat-based, which helps stabilize and preserve the important ingredients until they can be absorbed by the skin,” says Sheel Desai Solomon, MD, FAAD, a dermatologist in North Carolina. A quick note on application: Because they’re so light, serums should go directly onto clean skin, before any other products. The only drawback? There are
If you’re only going to buy one facial serum, make it one of these multitaskers
October 29, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC My serum collection is about as vast as my hot sauce collection: I have a lot of both. While I tend to use only one of my hot sauces (Valentina ILYSM), my serums overwhelm me to the point that in a skin-care-induced craze I just slather on the many active ingredients I want to feed my face with—vitamin C, retinol, and hyaluronic acid—but I’d love if I could streamline things down and just use one super-incredible multitasking serum that does it all. You feel me? It’s actually not the most out-there thing to have on a wish list, though. Plenty of multifunctional serums line the beauty shelves—you just have to know what to look for. “Most dermatologists subscribe to this multi-tasking policy,” says Rachel Nazarian, MD, board-certified dermatologist with Schweiger Dermatology in New York City. “If we had to use one ingredient per product, our regimens would be long and multi-stepped—we opt for shorter skin-care regimens with multiple active ingredients per product.” Celebrity facialist Joanna Vargas, who has an eponymous skin-care line Joanna Vargas Salons and Skin Care, says she specifically formulates her serums to pack a lot of benefits into a single bottle. “I wanted good nutrition for the skin and products that multitask when I use them,” she says. “A serum made with ingredients tends to assimilate into the skin better, and has a lot of vitamins and minerals to keep the skin balanced all day.” Her tip? Look for green
Everyone’s buzzing about “serum oils,” but where the heck do they go in your routine?
October 28, 2019 at 09:48PM by CWC In recent years, the Internet has run wild with things that aren’t quite as they seem. Is the dress black and blue, or white and gold? Is the shoe pink and white, or teal and grey? Is she saying “Yanny” or “Laurel”?! The trend has recently taken hold in the beauty world, too, with the serum/oil hybrid—a new product category that has us asking, “Is it a serum, or is it an oil?” Well, as with all of the other examples, this isn’t an “either/or” situation—it’s both. Which means figuring out where the heck to use it can be about as challenging as trying to convince your coworkers that the dress is, in fact, black and blue (and I will fight you on that). To understand what serums and oils do when they’re combined, it’s first important to understand how they function on their own. Serums, the central star of any skin-care routine, are known for having high concentrations of actives like vitamins, peptides, or AHAs/BHAs. They’re generally lightweight, which means they can penetrate the skin more deeply and deliver all of those important ingredients deep within its layers. Oils, on the other hand, tend to be made with essential oils and botanical ingredients, and are meant for locking in moisture. “Oils have larger molecules, so they can only penetrate the outer layers of the skin, which is what makes them different from serums,” says Cindy Kim, co-founder of Silver Mirror Facial Bar.
This $16 serum singlehandedly stopped me from biting my cuticles
October 25, 2019 at 06:00PM by CWC It happens when I’m stressed, under a deadline, or right as the plot twists in a movie. Sometimes it happens when I’m nervous, or annoyed, or even when I’m bored. Whatever the case may be, when tense times strike, you can find me biting my cuticles. Often. “Biting your cuticles can cause damage to the nail, create more hangnails, jagged edges, and even cause infection,” says Sarah Gibson Tuttle, founder and CEO of Olive & June. According to her, this creates an unhealthy condition, which is not optimal for nail growth. When nails are dried out, we have a tendency to pick at them more, so maintaining well-moisturized fingertips can be helpful. “The more hydrated the cuticle, the less tempted you’ll be to pick or bite,” says Tuttle. Yet—I have always found moisturizing my cuticles to be annoying. A lot of the times cuticle moisturizers come in oil form, and leave your fingers sticky and damp for awhile after you apply them (not to mention they leave their mark—just look at my keyboard, which is fully stained from oily-fingertips). This was all until I found the Olive and June Cuticle Serum ($16), which helped to halt my cuticle biting compulsion. Photo: Olive & June Instead of a sticky oil that I haphazardly drop onto my nails, this one’s applied with a fuzzy ball tip that’s infused with moisturizing ingredients, including cactus flower. It feels like you’re giving your nail beds a kiss from
These are the best serums for dry skin, according to a dermatopathologist
October 13, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC You can always count on serums to give you your glowiest, healthiest skin. While the magic potion of sorts does wonders for any skin type, taking advantage of the product’s hydrating qualities can be especially beneficial when dealing with dryness, whether that’s a year-round or seasonal thing. Think of your serum as a tall drink of water for your skin. Because of its potent mix of skin-boosting active ingredients, they can take dry, flaky skin to glowy and moisturized overnight. And according to Gretchen Frieling, a Boston-based dermatopathologist, there are three key ingredients to look out for when buying a serum when you have dry skin—the first being hyaluronic acid, which is an all-star in replenishing moisture. “As age, we naturally lose the ability to retain moisture in our skin. Moisture is needed for a supple and youthful look and feel. Without an adequate amount, our skin begins to lose plumpness and firmness,” Dr. Frieling says. “Hyaluronic acid is super effective because it can absorb up to 1,000 times its own weight in water. Since it’s so absorbent, it’s able to draw in water and lock in vital moisture. By rehydrating the skin, it smooths and plumps the surface, while dramatically reducing fine lines and wrinkles.” Also important? Vitamin C, which is hands-down one of the best nutrients for skin health. Dr. Frieling says the powerful antioxidant not only protects the skin from damaging free radicals, aids in cellular repair, helps with wound
There’s never been a better time to buy an inexpensive serum—and these under-$35 options are proof
October 04, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC With so many great serums on the market filled with it-ingredients that you’ve just gotta have for your routine, it’s hard to resist going gaga over them all… like a child pining for every doll in the toy store. Beauty shelves are minefields of options, and it makes it far too easy to empty your wallet in pursuit of a healthy complexion. So what’s a girl to do? With a seemingly infinite number of skin-care serums out there to choose from, there are more affordable—and effective—options than ever. Formulators have nailed how to pack actives like vitamin C, retinol and niacinamide into products that everyone can manage to snag for themselves without breaking the bank. The Ordinary has been dutifully offering potent skin-care serums since 2016, with not one bottle running past $29 (and for what it’s worth, that single $29 serum is double the cost of the rest of the line). Over the past year or so, even more wallet-friendly skin-care brands have infiltrated the shelves: There’s Versed, a solution-oriented collection you can get at Target; The Inkey List, a London-based beauty brand where nothing costs over $15; Sweet Chef, a spin-off line from buzzy K-beauty brand Glow Recipe that’s sold at Target and makes nutrient-dense serums for much less than its sister brand; and Ghost Democracy, a derm-backed skin-care line offering the most coveted ingredients at more cost-effective prices than most. Drugstore staple brands like Neutrogena and Olay have even caught