Retinoids work, wipes don’t: 21 things I’ve learned about skin care
1. The fastest way to make your skin look better is to cleanse properly
If you’re currently relying on wipes or plain water, try using a balm or oil and then a warm washcloth to remove makeup – skip this in the morning – followed by a gentle face wash or cleansing milk to cleanse your skin . You will usually get smoother skin within a week.
2. If a product is on its way to the drain hole, spend less on it
Everyone wants to know where to spend and what to cut back on, and my advice is always this: Spend as little as possible on things that are quickly washed away (cleanser, body and face wash), and save the extra money for the products that stay on your skin. all day, such as serum and foundation.
3. A good SPF is one you want to use
I was once scolded by an extremely defensive brand founder for saying this, but I stand by it: I don’t care how innovative and groundbreaking a sunscreen is, whether it’s greasy, ashy, smelly, lumpy, grainy, streaky, or is drying. it’s not good for anyone. What makes one worth buying over the other is your willingness to use it. And that depends on an attractive, easy-to-use formula that works for you. The recommended dosage for facial sunscreen is approximately two full finger lengths of product for face and neck combined. My experience is that people only apply half of that. So use the highest possible SPF, go for excess and provide as much extra protection against SPF makeup as possible.
4. No one looks at your pores
Social media, magnifying mirrors and widespread photographic retouching have convinced at least three generations of women that their pores are gaping chasms that need to be filled or closed. Wherever I go, women tell me theirs are huge. But no one – and I mean that no one – must have noticed. At best, people see us and think “she looks nice”. Often they don’t pay any attention to it at all.
5. Botox does not replace skin care, just like a mattress does not replace sheets
Toxin injections – for those who choose to get them – work on the muscles and are great for dynamic (mobile) wrinkles, frown lines and light drooping wrinkles. But they do nothing for the condition of the skin itself. For the over-30s, a radiant, healthy-looking complexion comes from a well-considered lifestyle and a solid, diligent skincare routine, or from a genetic lottery win, never from Botox. Furthermore, if a topical skin care product claims to be ‘Botox in a bottle’, it is not. The two are not remotely interchangeable.
6. Beautiful makeup consists of 75% skin preparation
Flaky foundation and concealer aren’t a makeup problem, it’s a skincare problem. When people tell me their makeup clumps and cakes, I usually discover that they don’t exfoliate regularly. Using a washcloth to cleanse (see above) and applying a gentle exfoliant a few times a week will give you a smoother surface for whatever comes next.
7. Retinoids work
It’s perfectly possible to have great-looking skin without retinol and it’s certainly not an ingredient that’s right for everyone. But if you want to tackle signs of aging such as sagging, lines and discoloration, retinoids (vitamin A derivatives) such as retinal, retinol and tretinoin work. Unlike many other widely marketed ingredients, the benefits of retinoids are not a matter of opinion or debate. That being said …
8. People do too much
A few years ago I noticed that the vast majority of women I met at in-store beauty events were using far too many high-concentration products, causing irritation and a visibly compromised skin barrier. Just because an ingredient like glycolic acid or retinol is proven does not mean that using it at maximum strength will produce better results. In many cases the opposite. A little glycolic acid gives shine, but too much glycolic acid makes the skin even duller than before. An active-based routine is all well and good, but know that inflammation is one of the leading causes of premature skin aging, so never confuse damaged, angry and sore skin with effectiveness.
9. Nobody waits long enough
As a society we are impatient. Usually, when someone tells me that an active ingredient like retinol, vitamin C, or peptides didn’t do anything for them, I quickly find out that they used them for a week or two before switching to something else. It can take some time – about six to eight weeks – for skin care ingredients to produce results. If you’re purely looking for instant gratification, try humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, which give a temporarily plumper and juicier appearance, and facial oil, which adds glow.
10. Wipes do not clean the skin more than Febreze washes clothes
They are an emergency measure if you have difficulty reaching a basin, for example during festivals and hospital stays. Don’t bother buying expensive ones. Simple is as good as any wipe can get.
11. The secret to skin care is actually… doing It
The boring truth is that good skin largely comes from careful care and not from the products themselves. There’s absolutely no point in buying an expensive moisturizer if you’re going to sleep with your makeup on at night. My skincare routine is quick but consistent: light cleansing, serum, moisture and sun protection during the day; deep cleansing, retinoid and moisturizer at night. Just like with diet and exercise, this is what happens most of the time that matters. So repeat this daily, with the exception of an occasional drunken night late in the evening. But that reminds me…
12.”Someone’s beautiful grandma used to use water and Vaseline and die without a line on her face”
It makes for a charming story and I admire her genes and modest lifestyle. But what people think it disproves about the science around sun damage, smoking, pollution, inflammation and stress, I don’t know. There is certainly wisdom in a light touch, but moderation is completely compatible with advanced products that contain more complex ingredients than paraffin.
13. Being told you have to buy a whole range doesn’t work well enough
“Cross-selling” skin care is an old-fashioned sales tactic and a bad sign. If a sales associate tells you that you need several items from the same brand for a regimen to pay off, then none of the products individually are good enough. Walk away.
14. A good daily intake of water goes a long way in keeping the skin looking its best
Do I drink enough of it? No. I am a shell.
15. Women preaching about leave skin age graceful are almost always physically attractive and under 35 years of age
It’s a perfectly reasonable ambition, but please come back to me when you’re 45 and tell me you still think life is that simple (and that you don’t miss your old lips).
16. “Clean beauty” is an American marketers’ invention
In fact, this stems from the fact that the US has looser ingredient safety standards than Britain and the EU, which are among the strictest in the world. If you adopt a principled environmental policy against petrol derivatives, animal ingredients and the like, modern ‘clean’ brands can be very welcome. But know that “chemical-free” is complete nonsense, and take the opportunistic American scare tactics surrounding deadly and dangerous “toxins” in skin care with a grain of salt.
17. Acne is not an inevitable part of being a teenager
It is a medical condition that can seriously affect a person’s mental health. No one should expect a young person to simply tolerate a health problem that causes them physical discomfort and emotional distress. If acne is negatively impacting your child’s life, go to the doctor and get proper treatment, just as you would with an injured limb or persistent headache. Treatment usually involves a prescription for topical peroxide-based products, antibiotics, or, in severe cases, a strong form of retinoid (or an escalation through all three until it is effective). And while acne is common during adolescence, it also occurs in adults, especially around menopause in women. Don’t try to solve a health problem with beauty products. Request a prescription.
18. “Wall Street high flyer/fund rich kid got eczema/psoriasis and couldn’t find any product for her skin, then went to a quaint village somewhere far away where everyone ate a rare fruit/rice/plant and looked 12, was inspired to launch her own $2 million skincare brand and now would like to share her journey” is not the unique, credible and newsworthy story of the founders and marketersrs believe it to be so
I’ve heard some version of this at least twice a year for the past twenty years.
19. If you don’t have a lot of money, consider spending it on brands with piles of cash
Mega brands from L’Oréal (such as CeraVe, Garnier), Unilever (Dove), P&G (Olay), Beiersdorf (Nivea, Eucerin) and Walgreens Boots Alliance (No7) have enormous bulk purchasing power, recruit top cosmetic scientists and spend more on research every year and development than most brands spend in their entire lifetime. Squeezing all this into an affordable price is hell for a small, independent brand. So if you necessarily have shallow pockets, you may want to put aside your principles and plunder the deeper ones of a global bigwig.
20. Dermatologists will disagree
My respect for dermatologists is endless. I could not do my job without the knowledge and expertise of those trained in the science of skin health and disease. But as with experts in any field, opinions often conflict. For example, I once worked with a senior male dermatologist who only wore sun protection abroad, while many of his peers would be shocked. I know several who completely disagree about acne treatments. Nevertheless, dermatologists seem to be the only type of doctors whose words, according to the Internet, are beyond doubt or second opinion. In the meantime …
21. aAny good dermatologist will tell you that no one knows more about the temperament and responsiveness of the skin than the person living in it
You are the expert on your own skin, so pay attention to how it responds to ingredients and lifestyle changes, how it behaves in different weather conditions, which treatments work. The best experts – both laymen and doctors – combine their learned expertise with lived experience.