Confession: I’m a Skin Picker But Swear By These Acne-Scar Treatments

April 24, 2020 at 08:00AM Like any other night, I go to the bathroom and begin my skincare routine. Next thing I know, I’m leaning over the sink with my face up against the mirror, picking and prodding my face, not realizing that 30 minutes have passed. As soon as I break my trance-like state and see my red, splotchy skin, the shame sets in. Because the thing is, my skin is generally good. I mean, I get a few blemishes around my period, when I eat poorly, or if I’m stressed (and 2020 has been stressful, people!), but I’m the one who makes matters worse by squeezing the tiny bumps that no one can see, turning them into big red marks that can last for weeks to months and are always worse than the damn blemish itself. “Picking at acne scabs will make them worse and delay healing,” says Michele Farber, MD, of Schweiger Dermatology Group in NYC. “It results in a cyclical process that causes progression of marks or scars.” Now, I know there’s no magic wand that can fix a scar or spot overnight, but there are a few things you can do immediately after a skin-picking episode: “I recommend that patients very gently clean their skin to remove any surface bacteria and decrease the chance of infection and then apply a very small amount of hydrocortisone cream followed by a layer of a petroleum ointment such as Aquaphor or Vaseline,” explains Rachel Nazarian, MD, FAAD, at

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I Never Sit in the Sun, But These Gradual Tan Products Keep Me Looking Bronzed

April 24, 2020 at 06:30AM There is nothing I love more than sunbathing. I’m ashamed to admit it, but it’s true. The feeling of joy that I get as I lay outside, sipping on a cooling spritz as my skin soaks up all of the vitamin D truly can’t be beaten. And boy have I taken advantage of every minute of sun that’s come my way over the years. However, about a year ago, as I hit my mid-twenties, years of sun damage started to catch up with me. I started to notice creping on my forehead, pigmentation across my cheeks and spider veins on my nose, and I knew the reason why.  From then onwards, I refuse to sit in the sun for prolonged periods of time, and for the few minutes I do sit out, you better believe I’ve slathered every inch of exposed skin in SPF50. The problem with this is, however, that I love being tanned. In fact, when I’m not looking my most bronzed and sun-kissed, I really don’t feel like myself. And this causes issues, especially considering I’m really not a huge lover of fake tan. Don’t get me wrong, as much as I love the feeling I get when looking in the mirror after I have applied fake tan (Bondi Sands Aero, I love you), the fuss and hassle of applying super dark formulas is just too much. Luckily for me, over the past year or so, the amount of products that aim to deliver

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My 68-Year-Old Mom Says These Anti-Aging Night Creams Are So Worth It

April 24, 2020 at 05:00AM When you’ve been interested in skincare for over five decades, you definitely learn a thing or two along the way. Such is the case with my beautiful 68-year-old mom, Lucy. When I asked her to review some of her favorite anti-aging night creams for this story, she sent me back a novel chronicling her entire experience with beauty products—even before high school—leaving me to edit it down and extract the good stuff. (Love ya, Mom!) But trust me when I say there is plenty of good stuff to go around.  “At age 12, I fell in love with my lovely grandmother’s favorite skin treatments from Dorothy Gray,” my mom told me about her first interest in beauty products. “She bought them from elegant cosmetic saleswomen in white coats at the Rexall Drugstore. Her skin was luminous.” Since then, my mom has honed her product-testing skills and uncovered the most effective products for her dry/combination skin. “Years after learning about Dorothy Gray, I fell in love with everything French and became a devotee of Lancôme, my first department store brand,” she says. These days, she still loves Lancôme but also has a lot more brands in her repertoire, making her a great source of intel since she’s tried so many products. Below, I had my mom reveal her favorite anti-aging night creams that she says are tried-and-true.  “As my face has started to sag, I have really appreciated this stiff, rich cream that is supposed to act as

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5 Skincare Experts Share the Best Products and Tips for Unclogging Pores

April 24, 2020 at 05:00AM In the pixel-perfect digital days of 2020—when every pore seems to be visible in selfie mode—it’s understandable to be concerned or even borderline obsessed with the state of your skin. We know healthy skin comes from a combination of a clean diet, a consistent routine, regular exercise, and good genes, but sometimes all those variables just add to the stress and confusion of an already overflowing beauty cabinet. Maybe you’re burnt out from work, or perhaps you overdid it with sunshine and salt at this weekend’s poolside barbecue… The good news? We have a solution. Below, we aggregated an all-star panel of skincare experts to share their smarts about all things pores including the tried-and-true ways of giving your face a thorough cleansing, the best products to achieve and maintain radiance, and other tips for glowing, clean skin. The reality is that if your pores are clogged, you’re in need of a professional facial with extractions. “You should schedule a facial that deep-cleans the pores and cleanses,” says Christine Chin. Renée Rouleau agrees: “As much as skincare companies want you to believe it, products will NOT remove them. When there’s a blockage of hardened oil that is impacted deep in the pore, it must be gently extracted. Depending on how quickly they come back or how many of them you have, you may need to get this done every two weeks for a while until you can get ahead of them.” Have a bad habit

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According to Reviews, These $25-and-Under Face Masks Might Rival a $200 Facial

April 24, 2020 at 05:00AM Face masks are one of those pesky categories of skincare that practically beg us to pull out our credit cards and start swiping with zero abandon. Not only does packaging seem to get prettier and prettier (conveniently in tandem with our bank accounts getting tinier and tinier), but the benefits, technology, and overall allure of face masks are also increasing at a rapid rate. Ingredients are getting more exotic, and suddenly, the tempting nature of additions like crushed diamonds, 24-karat gold, exfoliating acids, superfoods—heck, even things like adaptogens and CBD—make forking over $50, $100, or even $200-plus seem like the norm. But of course, it doesn’t have to be. Sure, there are plenty heart-stoppingly expensive face masks we love and salivate over, but the quality of drugstore beauty offerings has also reached a steep incline in the past few years. For $25 and under, you can still satisfy your craving for lust-worthy ingredients like volcanic crystals, lavender oils, and manuka honey but at a fraction of the cost. We’re big fans of customizing your skincare routine so you’re getting the best, most bang-for-your-buck results regarding your skin concerns, and we’re here to tell you that there are some best-selling, high-quality drugstore formulas that we recommend (and use!) as beauty editors and that have the sky-scraping reviews to back them up. So if you’re looking to save some extra money this season, we recommend scrolling ahead to peruse 16 of the best drugstore face masks, sorted

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Glossier Spent Two Years Creating the Perfect Hand Cream—and It’s Finally Here

April 23, 2020 at 12:31PM The first 10,000 went to hospitals and healthcare workers. Historically, we’ve referred to every single launch from Glossier as “important.” Each new formula feels more innovative, exciting, and buzz-generating than the last, and certain products like Boy Brow ($16) and Balm Dotcom ($12) have become nonnegotiable inclusions in the kits of everyone we know—from family members to makeup artists to fellow beauty editors. Another thing we love? Glossier actually listens to its legion of fans, internalizing customer feedback into existing and future formulas and prioritizing specific product requests from its overwhelming fan base. Interestingly, Glossier’s loyal followers have been begging the brand for a Glossier hand cream for years, and the brand, with open ears and perfectionistic formulating tendencies, has spent nearly two years concocting the ultimate formula. (Think lush ingredients, a “second skin” finish, and a speedy, five-second absorption time.) Of course, no one could have expected the final product launch would come at such a pivotal time when high-demand products like hand cream and hand sanitizer are conjuring record-tall request rates.  Normally, the first samples of a highly anticipated Glossier debut would be dispersed to editors, influencers, and other important people within the beauty industry to test and review pre-launch. But given the current circumstances, Glossier took the initiative to prioritize all of the hospital and healthcare workers who really, truly need an amazing hand cream right now and donated the first 10,000 units to help support those on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response. (The brand has also donated thousands

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This Is the One Skincare “Scam” I Just Can’t Quit

April 23, 2020 at 06:00AM In the ever-evolving skincare industry, there’s a constant influx of information that isn’t always the easiest to make sense of. On any given day, you can find dozens of articles praising so-called miracle ingredients, ones presenting the latest and greatest in anti-aging, and everything in between. But there are some topics in this realm that continue to spark debate among skincare professionals, editors, and enthusiasts. One such topic is sheet masks. Do they work? Are they a complete scam? What’s the deal? A simple Twitter search will turn up endless threads of impassioned debates on this practice that gained popularity in the U.S. as Korean and other Asian beauty regimens took hold stateside. While these skin-prioritizing communities have touted the benefits of sheet masking for generations, there are skeptics out there who think sheet masks do little more than let product sit on top of your skin. Some of the commonly noted benefits of sheet masks are hydration and improved product absorption, but some actually believe that when left on too long, these masks can actually pull moisture out of your skin. Just like with any other skincare practice out there, there will always be opposing schools of thought on their efficacy. But for this editor, sheet masks have been a true godsend that leaves my sometimes-dehydrated skin hydrated, plump, and glowy. I fully subscribe to the power of sheet masks! For those who agree, or those who want to experience firsthand what all the fuss is about, check out this edit of the

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I’ve Struggled With Acne for Years—These 11 Serums Are Actually Worth Your Money

April 23, 2020 at 05:00AM Cheers to clear and glowy skin. FYI—there are more than 430 face serums available at Sephora. At Dermstore? More than 650. Clearly, there is no shortage of covetable serums within the skincare-obsessed day and age we live in, but if you have certain kinds of skincare conditions like acne, finding the right formula that will help (not hurt) can be tricky. Some formulas might be too oily, which can exacerbate bumps and quickly cause pores to clog with buildup. Others might be aggressively laced with acids, exfoliants, and botanicals that just further irritate and worsen sensitive, breakout-prone skin types. I’ve struggled with adult acne for years now and have tried my fair share of acne serums. Sadly, only a large handful have actually helped. To combat whiteheads, blackheads, cystic breakouts, and beyond, I’m sharing 11 of the best acne serums below I swear by for a brighter and clearer 2020. Keep scrolling! This lightweight treatment gel from clean skincare brand Ren was a new discovery this year and one that left me super impressed. Not all acne serums have the gusto to tackle more stubborn textural issues like whiteheads and blackheads, but this one does so handily. It’s easy to layer with your other skincare products and features a skin-improving blend of 0.5% salicylic acid and prebiotic chlorella extract.  Swiss skincare brand Weleda is one of the most beloved lines in the industry, but, truth be told, most of its formulas have proven just a tad too rich for my congestion-prone complexion.

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FYI: This Is How Our Beauty Editors Execute an Expert-Approved Facial at Home

April 23, 2020 at 05:00AM Giving yourself a celeb-caliber facial at home might sound intimidating, but we’re here to break the joyful news that it definitely doesn’t have to be. Sure, there are a number of steps involved and it’s definitely the kind of self-care ritual to indulge in when you have some extra time on your hands, but we’re fully convinced our at-home routine is *almost* as transformative as an in-office booking. (That said, you’ll save yourself a large booking fee and some painful extractions!) As beauty editors, Courtney and I are well-versed in the art of home facials. We’ve tested enough products, chatted up enough dermatologists, and experienced plenty of professional-level treatments to know how to re-create a truly indulgent glow-up from the comfort of our own homes. That said, to back our regimens with some extra expert guidance, I asked one of L.A.’s most sought-after celeb facialists, Candace Marino, to break down a 10/10 at-home experience step by step. Then, Courtney and I filled in the blanks with all the specific formulas we rely on no matter the state that stress, lack of sleep, or one too many glasses of wine throws our skin into. So take a deep breath, tap that diffuser, light a candle, turn on your humidifier, put together a playlist, and have at it. Your expert-led guide for how to execute the facial of all facials at home is just below. Keep scrolling! First and foremost, Marino says to start your at-home facial

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