It’s late July. Leo season is in full swing. And my birthday celebrations (plural!) have not stopped since I kicked off them off with a return to the KAWS exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum last weekend.

In lieu of the usual birthday weekend brunch where I’d host all of my closest friends on my actual birth day, I enjoyed a few quiet, intimate dinners with a couple of friends throughout the week.

Of course, it wasn’t the same as having everyone together making collective memories, but it was equally gratifying.

In the Covid era, birthdays are more muted, less celebratory and somehow seem extravagant. Last July 28th, it was as if my birthday didn’t even exist. The big celebration was nothing more than a cupcake at the world-famous Junior’s Cheesecake across the street from my apartment building. They’re just not the big thing they were 18 months ago, pre-Covid. I feel like I should be sad about that, but I’m somehow not. I think that belies the seriousness of the past year. Duh.

Yesterday, I headed to my favorite nail salon in TriBeCa, Jin Soon. Inspired anew by KAWS, I asked my nail artist, Marta, to hook me up with a yellow smiley face featuring X’s for eyes. (If you’re unfamiliar with KAWS the artist, you may be familiar with his work — super creative, colorful pop art pieces that feature X’s for eyes!)

With my newly minted nails, I linked up with another friend Friday evening for dinner at Eataly. Then we headed to the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit at Pier 36 on the East Side of Manhattan — overlooking the East River and Downtown Brooklyn.

Since experiencing the artist Christo’s The Gates in Central Park in February 2005, I’ve loved and sought out immersive, outdoor art exhibits. I imagine Christo would be supremely gratified to know that he’d had that effect on me!

Even though I’d been eagerly anticipating the Van Gogh Exhibit for weeks, I really didn’t know what to expect. Of course, since it was to be the highlight of my birthday celebrations, I’d splurged on VIP passes which let us skip the line meandering along the building out toward the river that separates Manhattan from Brooklyn and Queens.

Entering the cavernous exhibition hall, we were handed Van Gogh-branded seat cushions and, well, sat on his face on the floor for the show. We were surrounded, enveloped by what seemed like 20-foot or higher walls. It was so immense it was hard to get a real grip on the enormity of the space — and my place in it.

Then, without warning, those gargantuan walls came alive!

Majestic projections of Van Gogh’s most famous works were beamed from the high-tech equipment above onto the walls and floor. We were literally immersed in Van Gogh, lost in his mind. A brilliant light show ensued with fantastic music that reverberated through our hearts, heads and souls.

Suddenly, I was sitting in Van Gogh’s 1888 work Café Terrace at Night on the streets of Paris delighting in a rich, frothy latte.

Then the lights dimmed and I found myself lazing about in a Wheatfield with Crows — the menacing creatures soaring above and around me. I wouldn’t have been the least bit surprised if I’d been struck by bird droppings!

And I could be forgiven if I swore that I smelled the heady aroma of blooming irises as perhaps Van Gogh’s most famous work, Irises, overtook and overwhelmed me.

Throughout, Van Gogh’s paintings cascaded upwards from floor to ceiling, swayed side to side along 60, 80, 100-foot long walls. They moved rhythmically behind, below, and above me — all set to uplifting music, some of it familiar to me, most completely foreign to my ears.

And every note seemingly on point, as if Van Gogh had selected the musical pieces himself.

My favorite segment featured Edith Piaf breathing life into reed upon reed of wheat with her characteristic Non Je Ne Regrette Rien. Her voice was mesmerizing; it strikingly and effortlessly met the moment.

I left a better, more inspired and more enlightened human — the greatest gift of great art. Of course, I already have plans to return. As was my experience on my repeat visit to the KAWS exhibit, I expect to see and feel it all in a different way, with fresh, newly enlightened eyes. I expect to come away with a deeper, more introspective perspective.

It was the best possible of birthday weeks…

The skincare stuff starts here.

As I do each summer, it’s time to feature what I consider the best lightweight moisturizers of the season — the ones that have stood out to me since the weather began to warm up in June. And, as in years past, I’m segmenting it into two digestible parts.

Last year, I featured five of my favorite warm weather face creams in an article titled, Summer Moisturizers Part I – Some Of The Best Lightweight Face Creams For Oily Skin And All Skin Types In Hot Weather. Perhaps the star of the range was the Organic the New Beauty Clear 1% Centella Cream Serum — one of the best organic face creams I’ve ever tried. I’ve long been out of it and I still miss it, which says a lot.

SUMMER MOISTURIZERS PART I – SOME OF THE BEST LIGHTWEIGHT FACE CREAMS FOR OILY SKIN AND ALL SKIN TYPES IN HOT WEATHER

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Two others in that initial SS20 collection of lightweight face cream were The Inkey List’s Peptide Moisturizer and the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Oil-Control Moisturizer — one of the best face creams for oily skin.

First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Oil-Control Moisturizer remains a favorite of mine on the hottest, most humid day. In fact, Ultra Repair Oil-Control is as light as air and feels virtually weightless on the skin — something I know people with oily skin can appreciate.

It’s more oil control than moisturizer, though. Since there are no oils in Ultra Repair Oil-Control Moisturizer, it doesn’t actually infuse skin with moisture; rather it helps prevent moisture and water loss through the inclusion of occlusive Dimethicone and a small amount of humectant Sodium Hyaluronate — the salt form of Hyaluronic Acid that’s the most skin-compatible.

PRODUCT REVIEW: FIRST AID BEAUTY ULTRA REPAIR OIL-CONTROL MOISTURIZER – BEST FACE CREAM FOR OILY SKIN

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Controlling surface oils is the main benefit of the Ultra Repair Oil-Control formula. One of my favorite brands for sensitive skin, FAB achieves that with what the brand refers to as Oil-Absorbing Microspheres — a blend of mineral powders that absorb excess sebum on the surface of the skin to mattify the complexion. If you’re super oily, give First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Oil-Control Moisturizer a serious look.

With seriously hot weather upon us here in NYC, and humidity reaching 75% on even seemingly pleasant, rain-free days, I’m reluctant to put anything on my face. Some days, I struggle to apply much more than a humectant serum, my favorite Niacinamide serum (the Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster!) and sunscreen.

But, I know my skin needs more than just that no matter the weather. The heat is both drying and dehydrating and while it may not seem like it when your face is greasy, skin needs oil replenishment, too.

What’s the Difference between Dry Skin and Dehydrated Skin?

Many people confuse the two. They’re not the same thing and it’s helpful to understand the difference in order to advance your skin health. For the answer to that vexing questing, as I most often do, I turned to the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team for insights. There’s a superb piece on the Paula’s Choice site titled, What is Dehydrated Skin & How to Choose the Best Products. Here is an excerpt:

Dehydrated skin often looks and feels like dry skin all over your face, but there's a major difference between the two: dehydrated skin is usually a temporary concern (with various surprising causes) and dry skin typically doesn't change over time. If you have dehydrated skin, your skin may also produce a normal or even excessive amount of oil on its surface.
"Dehydrated skin" is something we’re asked about frequently. It seems there’s a lot of confusion about what this skin concern is about. A major part of the confusion is that the term "dehydrated skin" is often used interchangeably with "dry skin" or "combination skin" but they are not the same! Dehydrated skin can occur in all skin types and is not exclusive to those with dry skin or combination skin.
The Difference Between Dry Skin and Dehydrated Skin
Having classically dry skin is easy to recognize. Dry skin frequently feels tight and dry, with no oil anywhere to be seen. This situation rarely fluctuates; skin feels dry all year long. The dryness might get worse depending on the climate, season, or activity, but regardless of those things, without great skin care products, the uncomfortable dry, tight feeling will persist.
As mentioned above, dehydrated skin can look and feel similar, but there’s a major difference: Dehydrated skin tends to come and go, it does not persist.

For most of the year, facial oils are generally my favorite form of moisture replenishment. But as with most people, for me facial oils are way too heavy for the summer. A lightweight face cream is the way to go. And that often means a moisturizer marketed for oily skin.

Here are my favorite picks for the SS21 season — five face creams that I’ve come across throughout the year that I believe are ideal for all skins on hot days; two are perfect for oily skin year-round.

Wander Beauty’s Sight C-er Vitamin C Concentrate was first featured in my blog article titled, New Vitamin C Serums I’m Crushing on from Wander Beauty, Glossier, Kat Burki and More. It was published in June, just as the warm weather began to kick in. With its ideal blend of pore-clearing Niacinamide, brightening Vitamin C and replenishing plant oils, it’s been a go-to for me.

The Kat Burki Vitamin C Intensive Face Cream is among the best Vitamin C face creams — and an excellent option for brightening and moisturizing summer skin and defensing it against environmental damage. I’m a huge fan of the Kat Burki brand and I make no bones about the fact that Kat Burki’s Goji Essence is one of the best Lactic Acid toners and perhaps my favorite product discovery of 2021.

PRODUCT REVIEW: KAT BURKI GOJI ESSENCE - BEST LACTIC ACID TREATMENT, BEST FERMENTED ESSENCE

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Good Science Beauty was one of the first brands I’d ever collaborated with, perhaps five years ago now. So I discovered the Good Science Beauty’s 004-Br Skin Brightening Cream a while back. And, as with too many great skincare products, I forgot all about it. It’s powered by a trifecta of antioxidant skin brighteners — Ascorbic Acid (pure Vitamin C), Melatonin and Glutathione. I’m excited to re-introduce it to the mix in my summer moisturizer series.

Next in the collection is Glossier’s Priming Moisturizer Balance. It’s the best face cream for oily skin among the whole collection, with mattifying properties similar to last year’s pick — First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Oil-Control Moisturizer. I love Glossier’s super-affordable, relatively well formulated skincare and have featured several Glossier products, including their three popular “super serums” on the blog.

And last is the Skinfix Redness Recovery+ Antioxidant Redness Treatment Overnight Mask. Wait. A mask as a moisturizer? Imagine that. Yes, it’s an off-label hack! More on why I like it as a daily moisturizer in the product review below.

Let’s have a look at my five super lightweight summer moisturizer picks for SS21 in part one of my two-part series…

Wander Beauty | Sight C-er Vitamin C Concentrate

New Vitamin C serums are always my favorite skincare discoveries. It literally feels like Christmas when I get my hands on one. I was so honored to be among the first to experience Wander Beauty’s new Sight C-er Vitamin C Concentrate. I’ve been using it now off and on for the better part of the last four months and as the weather has warmed up, I’ve found myself reaching for Sight C-er as my daily moisturizer rather than as a layering serum.

In fact, I’ve reached for several Wander Beauty products this past year. Among my absolute faves is the Wander Beauty Do Not Disturb Overnight Repair Concentrate — one of the least irritating Retinol serums I’ve come across. I’m no fan of Retinol as it just doesn’t play well with my skin and Wander Beauty’s Do Not Disturb is one of the best Retinol creams for sensitive skin.

PRODUCT REVIEW: WANDER BEAUTY DO NOT DISTURB OVERNIGHT REPAIR CONCENTRATE - BEST RETINOL FACE CREAM

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So I had high expectations for the Wander Beauty Sight C-er Vitamin C Concentrate. It’s met my expectations — and more. Honestly, it’s just a genius product, beginning with the name itself. As a copywriter who specializes in naming products, I love a good product name and I wish I’d thought of it myself!

Sight C-er is a brightening and antioxidant powerhouse with a blend of Vitamin C in the form of Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate and Vitamin C’s BFF Niacinamide — part of Wander’s proprietary C-Suite complex. Composed of six potent actives, the blend also includes moisturizing Squalane and Vitamin E, brightening Kakadu Plum Extract, and seven forms of Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate skin and prevent trans-epidermal water loss.

Do Vitamin C and Niacinamide Go Together and What Happens if You Mix Niacinamide and Vitamin C?

With the combination of Vitamin C and Niacinamide in the Wander Beauty Sight C-er Vitamin C Concentrate, you may be wondering if the two work in combination. Well, contrary to the urban myth that Vitamin C and Niacinamide don’t play well together, Viamin C actually loves Niacinamide. There is a huge misunderstanding that the two powerful antioxidant vitamins somehow deactivate one another or worse, cause irritation.

It’s time to put that myth to rest.

There’s an excellent article from the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, Can Niacinamide and Vitamin C Be Used Together? — available on the brand’s site to read in full here. This is what I found most salient:

The studies showing incompatibility between niacinamide and vitamin C date back to the early 1960s (yes, that far). These studies were off from the start because they used non-stabilized forms of both ingredients, whereas both ingredients are typically stabilized when used in modern-day cosmetics formulas.
Niacinamide is a pretty “tough” ingredient; light and air don’t have the same effect on it as they do on antioxidants like vitamin C. What’s important for niacinamide is that the product be formulated at a pH that’s close to neutral. Vitamin C (pure ascorbic acid), on the other hand, does best in a low-pH (acidic) environment. However, nicotinic acid—the undesirable by-product of niacinamide and vitamin C—becomes an issue only when the niacinamide and vitamin C are combined in a high-temperature environment for a long time. That temperature is higher than you’d find in most at-home scenarios, including leaving a box of skin care products sitting outside in the sun for a couple of days.
Also, it’s important to point out that this concern applies only to pure vitamin C, not to its many other forms (such as magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, and ascorbyl glucoside). So, to reiterate, combining ascorbic or l-ascorbic acid with niacinamide is fine.
In short, any studies that show a definite issue from combining niacinamide and vitamin C were conducted in an environment that does not reflect what average skin care products experience during development, manufacturing, or in real-world storage and usage.

So yes, use your Vitamin C and Niacinamide serums in the same routine, any time you want. And if you can get the power pair in a well-formulated product like the Wander Beauty Sight C-er Vitamin C Concentrate that’s even better — and more convenient.

Wander’s Sight C-er has a super lightweight texture that’s more like a velvety milky serum — and it’s quite easy to layer.

It’s also super comfortable on skin and melts right in. There’s even an ever-so-subtle iridescent hue that gives the complexion an instant radiance boost. It’s nearly invisible but I like that barely discernible glow. My complexion just looks a touch healthier.

Again, with its non-fragrant plant oils and humectants, Sight C-er makes a perfectly effective moisturizer for oily skin — or all skin types in warmer weather.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Wander Beauty Sight C-er Vitamin C Concentrate for $42 here.

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NIACINAMIDE IS THE GAME CHANGER YOU NEED TO DEFEND AGAINST SKIN DAMAGE AND MAINTAIN OPTIMAL SKIN HEALTH

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**Wander Beauty Sight C-er Vitamin C Concentrate**
**Kat Burki Vitamin C Intensive Face Cream**
**Good Science Beauty 004-Br Skin Brightening Cream**
**Glossier Priming Moisturizer Balance**
**Skinfix Redness Recovery+ Antioxidant Redness Treatment Overnight Mask**

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Kat Burki | Vitamin C Intensive Face Cream

I’d read that this delicate little brightening face cream is a cult favorite from the Kat Burki collection. So I was naturally amped up to try it out for myself. I love a good Vitamin C treatment of any kind — be it a serum, an oil or a moisturizer. Vitamin C is one of the most pro-skin health actives found in skincare. If you’re looking to enhance your skin health from the outside in, then Vitamin C is simply indispensable.

According to the Mayo Clinic, Vitamin C is an essential nutrient, required by the body to support multiple functions and structures. It’s used “to form blood vessels, cartilage, muscle and collagen in bones. Vitamin C is also vital to your body's healing process.”

BRANDS I LOVE: KAT BURKI SKINCARE BASED ON NUTRITIONAL SCIENCE - BEST BRIGHTENING FACE CREAM,

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Vitamin C also helps protect our cells against free radical damage and even helps the body store reserves of beneficial iron.

Ironically, given the human body’s extensive needs and uses for Vitamin C, it is entirely incapable of producing and storing the substance on its own. How can that be? What an evolutionary fluke!

Instead, the antioxidant nutrient must be taken in via other means, including through our daily diet and the application of topical skin care like Vitamin C-infused serums, oils and face creams.

The Kat Burki Vitamin C Intensive Face Cream is a light-textured moisturizer powered by a 15% concentration of Vitamin C in the form of Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate.

As I’ve shared previously, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate is a stable, water-soluble form of Vitamin C. It’s even characterized by the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team as one of the best actives in skin care — with particular benefits for oily and acne-prone skin.

According to the Paula’s Choice team, “Sodium ascorbyl phosphate is a stable, water-soluble form of vitamin C that functions as an antioxidant and is potentially effective for brightening an uneven skin tone. There is also research showing amounts of 1% and 5% concentrations of sodium ascorbyl phosphate can influence factors linked to breakouts.”

THE YEAR’S BEST VITAMIN C SERUMS WITH PAULA'S CHOICE, SUNDAY RILEY, THE INKEY LIST AND MORE!

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What Does Vitamin C Do for Skin?

There’s an excellent article on the remarkable benefits of Vitamin C for the skin from the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, What is Vitamin C and How Does it Benefit Skin?

Vitamin C is one of the most exciting, research-proven ingredients you can apply to skin. This water-soluble antioxidant is a natural component of healthy skin. When we’re young, vitamin C levels in skin’s outermost two layers (epidermis and dermis) are abundant, but as we age, these levels naturally deplete. Unprotected sun exposure (UV damage) and pollution can accelerate this decline, leading to skin looking and feeling dull, uneven, and less firm than it once was.
Luckily, there are topical skin care solutions that can help mitigate this damage, so skin looks and feels healthier and younger longer.
Vitamin C Benefits for Skin
Vitamin C’s benefits for skin are vast, including its ability to even out skin tone and diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. While this powerhouse ingredient is well-known for its skin-brightening benefits, research also shows it can shield skin from the visible impacts of environmental stressors, including free radical damage. This synergy of mitigating problems both before and after they occur makes vitamin C a force to be reckoned with.

At the heart of the Vitamin C Face Cream, as with all of the brand’s formulas, is Kat’s signature antioxidant botanical blend — KB5 Complex. It comprises five natural, antioxidant extracts of arnica montana, centella asiatica, lavender, calendula and chamomile.

The Vitamin C Face Cream is essentially an antioxidant powerhouse with vital pro-skin health benefits that can help to brighten the complexion and maintain and optimize the health and wellness of the skin, day after day. That said, because it is delivered in a jar, all of those beneficial antioxidants will degrade and lose potency over time. Because of that, I appreciate the fact that it comes in what would otherwise appear to be a rather stingy one-ounce or 30 mL size. Use it or lose it!

If you have oily, acne prone skin — or are looking for a well-formulated moisturizer to brighten up complexion on a hot summer day — the Kat Burki Vitamin C Intensive Face Cream is an ideal option for you.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Kat Burki Vitamin C Intensive Face Cream for $139.20 here.

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**Wander Beauty Sight C-er Vitamin C Concentrate**
**Kat Burki Vitamin C Intensive Face Cream**
**Good Science Beauty 004-Br Skin Brightening Cream**
**Glossier Priming Moisturizer Balance**
**Skinfix Redness Recovery+ Antioxidant Redness Treatment Overnight Mask**

Good Science Beauty | 004-Br Skin Brightening Cream

I first explored Good Science Beauty on the blog in the winter of 2017, soon after the brand launched (and soon after Skincarma was born, come to think of it!). Developed by Dr. Suzanne Saffie-Siebert, each of Good Science Beauty’s products is powered by what the brand calls Good Silicon+ technology, a skincare delivery system developed to help drive active ingredients deeper into the skin and to release benefits over a sustained period for enhanced efficacy.

Funny, looking back on that initial blog article, I’m reminded that I was headed on vacation to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and took the entire Good Science Beauty skincare collection along with me.

With four heavy glass bottles, my carry-on weighed like 87 pounds and my right shoulder was sore the whole trip! What price good skincare, huh?

I recall being most impressed with the Good Science Beauty 004-Br Skin Brightening Cream on the trip. It felt great on my skin in the Mexican heat and humidity.

To this day, Good Science Beauty’s 004-Br Skin Brightening Cream is among the best brightening face creams for most skin types.

With its lighter texture, it’s ideal for a summer skincare routine, but particularly for those with normal, dry and combination skin. In fact, the texture is so light, I think of it as more of a thick, milky serum. It feels like nothing on the skin.

“I know from surveys that for most people healthy skin is almost as important for their personal happiness as family and health. Skincare really matters. Frustratingly, a lot of people spend time and effort on their skincare with disappointing results. I know this all too well, I’ve been through it for many years myself. For me, science is the answer. My team and I spent almost ten years developing a unique technology to make skincare products more effective. We’ve called it Good Silicon+. We’ve made it our mission to use science to solve problems without creating new ones. And help everyone to feel great in their own skin.”

- Dr. Suzanne Saffie-Siebert, Ph.D. Chief Good Scientist, GSB Laboratories

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The people behind Good Science Beauty like to emphasize the distinction between silicone and silicon, upon which their proprietary technology is based. To start, it’s essential to understand that silicon (without the E) is a natural element, a mineral found in the body that’s part of what makes us human.

In the body, silicon works to enhance the remineralization of bone tissue, helping to ensure calcium and other minerals are deposited onto the bone. Not to be confused with silicone — a controversial, manmade substance — silicon is recognized by the body in much the same way Hyaluronic Acid and Squalane are, making all three “bio-compatible” and more effective and beneficial for the skin.

The brand’s proprietary Good Silicon+ technology was developed to enhance the penetration of each formula’s actives into the skin barrier. The delivery technology’s silicon molecule is actually wrapped in skin-compatible lipids which allows the formula’s ingredients to be drawn deeper into the skin’s outer layers.

Armed with this advance in skincare technology, Good Science Beauty uses it to power up well-known active ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid, Omega-3 and Barley Extract — all proven to be pro-skin health. By enhancing the benefits and delivery of proven ingredients, Dr. Saffie-Siebert was able to develop more effective skin care. It’s really as simple and beautifully scientific as that.

Good Science Beauty’s serum-like 004-Br Skin Brightening Cream moisturizer combines what the brand refers to as “power partnerships” — the pairing of select active ingredients. The Skin Brightening Cream formula features a trio of brightening actives: Glutathione, Melatonin, and L-Ascorbic Acid (pure Vitamin C) — a combination that makes for an effective complex of skin brighteners.

The most intriguing of the trio to me is the Glutathione. As I indicated in my review one of my favorite brightening serums, the Faded Serum For Dark Spots & Discoloration, Glutathione has an unpleasant sulfuric scent that gives any product a medicinal, often foul odor. And as with Faded’s Serum For Dark Spots & Discoloration, I appreciate the fact that Good Science Beauty used no potential skin irritants like masking fragrances or essential oils to conceal the stench.

PRODUCT REVIEW: TOPICALS FADED SERUM FOR DARK SPOTS & DISCOLORATION - BEST BRIGHTENING SERUM

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What Is Glutathione and What Is the Use of Glutathione in Skin Care?

Glutathione is generally known as the body’s “de-stressing antioxidant.” In fact, it happens to be one of the most powerful antioxidants found in the human body. Glutathione helps to interrupt the synthesis of melanin and protect against collagen degradation to support skin’s innate reparative processes. The substance achieves its exceptional brightening effect by interrupting melanocytes from forming in the skin’s layers, helping to encourage a more even and unified complexion.

In addition to reducing oxidative stress in both the body and the skin itself, Glutathione has been shown to minimize cell damage by protecting the cell’s mitochondria and eliminating the presence of free radicals in skin cells.

In a skincare formula, Glutathione also has the ability to moderate Vitamin C degradation and to improve the powerful antioxidant activity of the vitamin.

According to the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team, Glutathione is considered among the best skincare actives. From the team:

Powerful, non-enzymatic antioxidant which naturally occurs in the skin where it serves to help defend it against the visible effects of environmental damage. The gradual decline of the natural supply of glutathione in the body is believed to be a key marker of many outward signs of aging.
Glutathione is a tripeptide comprised of three amino acids (cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine), which work in unison to offer skin-restoring and brightening benefits when used in topical products.

In addition to its potent brightening complex, Good Science Beauty’s 004-Br Skin Brightening Cream also contains numerous skin replenishers at relatively high concentrations. Among them, non-fragrant plant oils like Shea Butter, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, and Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Oil — at ingredients one, two and three respectively.

Notably, the brand claims that its 004-Br Skin Brightening Cream was proven in a clinical study to deliver a 44% reduction in age spot pigmentation within 28 days. I have no way to put that to the test since my complexion is free of age spots, thanks to my liberal, consistent use of sunscreen beginning in my 20s. If true, though, that’s a significant benefit.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Good Science Beauty 004-Br Skin Brightening Cream for $78 here.

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Glossier | Priming Moisturizer Balance

I wouldn’t call myself a #glossierfanboy, per se. My affinity for the pink, girlie brand doesn’t go that deep. But that’s not to say that I’m not an admirer of the brand’s relatively well-formulated, affordable skincare products. In particular, I actually quite like Glossier’s three “super serums” — Super Pure, Super Glow and Super Bounce.

In the grand scheme of things, the Glossier Super Pure Niacinamide + Zinc Serum is not the best Niacinamide serum, but it’s effective for the price — and one of the best Niacinamide serums for oily skin or acne prone skin.

PRODUCT REVIEW: GLOSSIER SUPER PURE NIACINAMIDE + ZINC SERUM - BEST NIACINAMIDE SERUM FOR OILY SKIN

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Also ideal for acne prone and oily skin is the Glossier Super Glow Vitamin C + Magnesium Serum. While the $28 Super Glow is a relatively uncomplicated formula, it’s packed with intrigue in the form of pure mineral magnesium, or Magnesium PCA. Minerals help to regulate water flow within the skin’s layers to balance out hydration levels and maintain skin health. You can’t say that about even the best Vitamin C serums for face!

Rounding out the brand’s three super serums is the Glossier Super Bounce Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin B5 Serum. I featured it in my recent blog article titled, New Hyaluronic Acid Serums I Love from Farmacy Beauty, Herbivore, Glossier and More - Best Hyaluronic Acid Serums, Best Hydrating Serums For Face. Psst…you can catch the full piece here.

NEW HYALURONIC ACID SERUMS I LOVE FROM FARMACY BEAUTY, HERBIVORE, GLOSSIER AND MORE

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Also priced at $28, the Super Bounce Hyaluronic Acid serum is a viable option if you’re in the market for a well-formulated hydrating serum at a great price. With a milky, silky texture reminiscent of a personal favorite, Herbivore’s Cloud Jelly Plumping Hydration Serum, the Super Bounce serum is a relatively simple formula with an INCI that’s just about a dozen ingredients deep. But sometimes skincare doesn’t need to be “deep” to do what it needs to do; in this case, effectively hydrate skin.

So I was excited to take Glossier’s Priming Moisturizer Balance for a test drive throughout the month of July, which boasted the hottest, most humid days of the year. On some days last month, temps reached into the mid-90s and felt like well over 100. The humidity felt like 1,000%.

Standing on a hot AF subway platform one day, I recall thinking that the Glossier Priming Moisturizer Balance was actually holding up well. While I would otherwise look like a grease monkey (whatever that is!), I looked fresh and relatively matte in my selfies.

With its light-as-air silky serum texture, Priming Moisturizer Balance is a treat for skin on a hot summer day. If you’re oily, it would likely be a mattifying treat for skin all year round. Even though it’s a gel-cream, I would characterize it a gel-serum. Most gel-creams, while light, wouldn’t dispense as well out of a tube. Glossier’s Priming Moisturizer Balance certainly does.

PRODUCT REVIEW: GLOSSIER INVISIBLE SHIELD DAILY SUNSCREEN+ SPF 35 – BEST CHEMICAL SUNSCREEN FOR FACE

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In fact, it’s so lightweight that it absorbs nearly instantly and dries down to a soft, matte texture with a powdery finish — something most oily skins would appreciate. I’ve examined the INCI over and over and just can’t put my finger on which ingredient or blend of ingredients actually give the Glossier Priming Moisturizer Balance its mattifying oomph.

The brand claims that a marine extract “sourced from the fermentation of Antarctic Ocean marine bacteria reduces the appearance of shine instantly, throughout the day, and over time.” I have no reason to doubt that, but I have a hard time understanding how seaweed is mattifying. Unless it’s magic seaweed!

No matter, it does mattify quite well — and for an extended period of time; hours, in fact. The brand claims that Priming Moisturizer Balance controls skin for up to 12 hours. (That’s a lot of time on a hot subway platform!)

There’s also a bit of antioxidant, brightening Niacinamide at what I estimate to be about a 3-4% concentration. At higher levels, Niacinamide can unclog pores, though I’m not sure that a lower concentration can achieve that.

For a bit more pore maintenance, Glossier included Willow Bark Extract, a botanical derivative with pore-refining qualities similar to Salicylic Acid.

For just $25, the Glossier Priming Moisturizer Balance is a nice formula and, if you’re oily or acne prone, one of the best lightweight moisturizers for you. For the rest of us, its mattifying properties are welcome during the dog days of summer!

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Glossier Priming Moisturizer Balance for $25 here.

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SUMMER 2020 MOISTURIZERS PART I

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Skinfix | Redness Recovery+ Antioxidant Redness Treatment Overnight Mask

If you followed my ramblings throughout the winter, you know Skinfix literally got me through the cold. The Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Face Cream (referred to by skinfluencers and those in-the-know as TLPC) was my skin savior. The Triple Lipid-Peptide moisturizer is deliciously rich, thick and creamy — the perfect moisturizer for dry skin and pretty much all skin types in the cold winter months.

In summer, not so much!

PRODUCT REVIEW: SKINFIX BARRIER+ TRIPLE LIPID-PEPTIDE FACE CREAM – BEST FACE CREAM FOR DRY SKIN

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For summertime, the brand’s Redness Recovery+ Antioxidant Redness Treatment Overnight Mask is a remarkably effective daily face cream. The super lightweight Antioxidant Redness Treatment Overnight Mask has kind of a hybrid gel-cream texture that feels like liquid velvet on the skin.

It’s infused with a soothing complex of honey, peptides and Colloidal Oatmeal to blanket and comfort irritated, sensitized skin — a condition that’s common to a lot of us in summer due to the harsh, dehydrating heat.

Since it’s classified as an overnight mask, I’ve used it off-label during the day. I’ve simply loved how Redness Recovery+ Antioxidant Redness Treatment Overnight Mask leaves my skin so soft and healthy looking the mornings after masking with it.

As a daily moisturizer applied before sunscreen, I found it to work perfectly well in my AM regimen, too. The INCI of the clean Antioxidant Redness Treatment Overnight Mask formula reads like a compendium of pro-skin health actives. Included in the top ten: Glycerin, Grape Seed Oil and Tetrapeptide-14. There are also numerous ceramides, antioxidants, humectants and, interestingly, two hydrating botanical waters.

MY WINTER SKIN SAVIOR: SKINFIX BARRIER+ LIPID REPLENISHING SKINCARE - BEST ANTI-AGING CREAM,

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The Redness Recovery+ Antioxidant Redness Treatment Overnight Mask also features Boswellia Serrata Extract. I love discovering bizarre ingredients in an INCI that I’ve never heard of!

What’s Boswellia Serrata Extract? From the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team: “An extract from the gum resin of a tree and also a source of Indian frankincense, this plant extract has both positive and negative qualities for skin. Its fragrant components have the potential to be sensitizing. On the flipside, Boswellia serrata also has research showing it has on skin-soothing effect.”

I literally learn something new every day.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Skinfix Redness Recovery+ Antioxidant Redness Treatment Overnight Mask for $50 here.

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That’s it, guys! I hope this helps you to find the perfect summer moisturizer for you. Part two is in the works and should be out in a week or two.

See you soon. Until then, stay cool…

💟 Carmine @skincarma

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