208SkinDoc, dermatologist: 233 skincare products reviewed

Every review.

All 233 products 208SkinDoc has reviewed, grouped by product type. Click a product to see the full guru consensus.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Against the gurus

Type

Serums37 reviews

"The formula is straightforward, no fragrance, no unnecessary filler ingredients, just the active ingredient doing its job. The Ordinary sometimes gets a bad rap because the packaging is a little boring and the texture can feel a little sticky, but I don't really care about that, I just care about whether it works, and this one does work. I've had patients use it for months and see real improvement in texture, tone, and breakouts."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Face Reality 8% L-Mandelic Acid Serum

"Face Reality has an 8% mandelic acid serum, which has a really nice texture, but it will set you back about $44."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Vivant 8% Mandelic Acid Three-in-One Serum

"If you hate the peeling or tackiness that can come from some products, this will solve that problem. I'd recommend this for people who already tolerate mandelic acid and want to level up, and it's great for anyone dealing with acne and hyperpigmentation, because the niacinamide and licorice root extract help with redness and barrier repair while the mandelic acid handles the exfoliation. Clinically, it's very effective, with a little better texture and added ingredients to amplify the results."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Reale Actives Go Deep 8% Mandelic Acid Serum Concentrate

"Mandelic acid is a really smart choice for an acne-focused line, and it's not an ingredient a lot of other lines have focused on. It's an alpha hydroxy acid with a larger molecule size than something like glycolic acid, so it penetrates more slowly, which makes it significantly more gentle, especially for sensitive or darker skin tones, where other AHAs can cause irritation or even post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster

"A second option I recommend is Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster. This one also includes salicylic acid, making it great for oily or acne-prone skin."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Corrector Serum

"There's a newer ingredient from La Roche-Posay called Melasyl that works on pigmentation. It doesn't work directly on the tyrosinase enzyme, but instead it takes away the amino acids that would go into making pigment. It's very well tolerated, very safe, and highly effective. Studies show it's more effective than 4% hydroquinone. You can get it in the Mela B3 serum. This is one of my favorites, and I've recommended it and given samples to many of my patients."

✓Yay

67%Guru Score

Glow Recipe Prickly Pear Peptide Mucin Serum

"One here that I've been liking recently is the Glow Recipe Prickly Pear Peptide Mucin. It has a very similar texture to snail mucin, but it's fully cruelty free and ethically sourced, and the texture gives you the same experience as snail mucin. That is your best alternative to snail mucin."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

"The Ordinary Niacinamide 10 percent plus Zinc I think is the gold standard for affordable niacinamide serums. You can get it for about $10, the same concentration of the same ingredient as many of the more expensive brands. If you are paying more than $20 for niacinamide, I kind of think you are being scammed."

✓Yay

69%Guru Score

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5

"The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2 percent plus B5 costs about 10 bucks and works just as well as serums costing $100 or more. If you are spending much more than $20 on a pure hyaluronic acid serum, you are really just paying for marketing, not necessarily better ingredients."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum

"CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum is another great option. You are getting those same plumping, hydrating effects without paying for packaging and marketing."

✓Yay

68%Guru Score

Paula's Choice Niacinamide 20% Treatment

"If you want a higher concentration of niacinamide, Paula's Choice 20% Niacinamide is something you can choose. It is going to be a little bit more pricey, and I am not sure that 20 percent is going to do a whole lot more for your skin than 10 percent."

~Mixed

68%Guru Score

The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%

"If you want to try vitamin C, try the Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension. You are getting the same anti-aging and brightening benefits as the expensive luxury serums without the luxury markup."

✓Yay

51%Guru Score

Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Vitamin C Serum Capsules

"If you want to try vitamin C, you can also try the Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair. You are getting the same anti-aging and brightening benefits as the expensive luxury serums without the luxury markup."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum

"If you want to try copper peptides, I recommend starting with The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Plus Copper Peptides 1%. It's straightforward and it's affordable. Copper peptides are probably the most legitimate peptide in the skincare industry right now, since copper is essential for making healthy collagen and elastin, but they're not going to turn back the clock twenty years, so don't expect overnight miracles."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

SkinMedica TNS Advanced+ Serum

"You will find this peptide in the hugely popular SkinMedica TNS serum, which is kind of an expensive product, so you're paying for a premium, but it's a cult favorite and it's widely loved by the people who use it frequently. This is really for skincare enthusiasts who want to try cutting edge ingredients and don't mind paying for that, even if the science isn't quite there yet."

~Mixed

74%Guru Score

Biossance 100% Squalane Oil

"If you have really dry skin or live in a dry climate, the Biossance squalane oil feels great on the skin. Squalane is a natural lipid that's incorporated into your moisture barrier."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum

"CeraVe also, with ascorbyl glucoside, has a great vitamin C. This is one of the entry-level ones that I would recommend."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C10 Serum

"The vitamin C face serum from La Roche-Posay is also really good. It is going to be a little more expensive than the Derma E vitamin C."

✓Yay

60%Guru Score

SkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum

"It has vitamin C, but it also has a complex of 20 different antioxidants in it, so you're getting a whole range of additional ingredients to help fight free radicals. To be frank with you, this is the one that I use every single day. It comes in an airless pump and you get about 150 days of use out of it, so even though it comes in at like 190 or 210 dollars, you do get a long time of use out of that."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster

"The Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster is 15% ascorbic acid in a stabilized formula. It's definitely going to be more expensive than the previous options we've talked about, but it's a very good vitamin C, and they've done some great demonstrations through social media showing its antioxidant power."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Drunk Elephant Amino Rain Glass Water Serum

"I just tried the Amino Rain product from Drunk Elephant, with hyaluronic acid in it, and it just really does kind of give you that glass skin appearance."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

Neutrogena Collagen Bank 15% Vitamin C Serum

"It's a small bottle so you'll run out faster if you use it on your arms and legs, but it's twenty dollars on Amazon and Walmart, compared to a similar stack of ingredients in CE Ferulic that retails at a hundred eighty five dollars, so I think this is a very worthy contender. I'm impressed with the ingredients and I think this is a very compelling product for the skincare routine of anybody who's interested in preventing the signs of aging and preventing collagen loss."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

Abreva Cold Sore Treatment

"Abreva has been shown to shorten the duration of the outbreak, which usually lasts two to three weeks until it's completely resolved. It can shorten that duration if you catch it early, but if you wait later, once it's blistering and it's been established for three or four days, Abreva may not do too much for you."

~Mixed

58%Guru Score

Remedy Dark Spots Nightly All-in-One Treatment

"I've had the chance to use this and recommend it to patients, and it is pretty well liked. It has a really nice cosmetic feel to it, and most importantly it does a good job of reducing unwanted pigmentation. It starts with an encapsulated retinol, which makes it a little more gentle on the skin, along with mandelic acid for gentle exfoliation, one percent kojic acid, glutathione, three percent tranexamic acid, silymarin, and I do like the addition of five percent niacinamide."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Eucerin Radiant Tone Dual Serum with Thiamidol

"It was tested against hydroquinone and actually shown in a clinical trial to be as effective as four percent hydroquinone, without the risk of toxicity to the melanocytes or the risk of ochronosis. You use the serum twice a day, the sunscreen in the morning, and the moisturizer at night, and you'll see a significant reduction in pigment. There are some amazing before and afters I've seen on Reddit in the skincare addiction subreddit."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

Vichy LiftActiv Vitamin C Brightening Skin Corrector Serum (15% formula)

"The Vichy LiftActiv Vitamin C is a really great option that's a little bit higher price point but has a nice elegant feel to it. This is one that I enjoy using, and it's travel friendly, so I often keep it in my travel bag when I'm taking trips."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

SkinBetter Science Trio Rebalancing Moisture Treatment

"We're going to finish off this routine with a moisturizer, the SkinBetter Science Trio Rebalancing Moisture Treatment. This has a nice complement of lipids in there to complement your skin's natural lipids, to help repair and restore that moisture barrier. This is a really rich, luxe feeling cream that's going to be a great user experience, but it is going to be at a much more premium price point than many of the products that we've talked about."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Depology Matrixyl 3000 Serum

"I have used a product from Topology that has Matrixyl in it, which is designed to stimulate collagen production in the skin. I find that the Topology product actually feels really great on the skin, it's a lightweight serum, and I have recommended it to patients who maybe can't tolerate a retinol or a prescription strength retinoid but want something to help boost their collagen production."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic

"SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic is another great option, but it's definitely at a higher price point."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Serum

"If you want to know my favorite retinol, and the one that most of my patients use now and absolutely love, it's the AlphaRet Overnight Serum from SkinBetter Science. The regular one has lactic acid, retinoic acid, and glycolic acid in it, so it has some exfoliating benefits plus that retinol, and it's available over the counter. The main benefit to AlphaRet is the very low level of irritation."

✓Yay

91%Guru Score

Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Dark Spot Serum

"This is the Vinoperfect from Caudalie, a resveratrol that comes from the grape peel. This is very good to help at the end of the day kind of neutralize any free radicals that you were exposed to."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Serum

"This is the phytocorrective essence mist. This is great before you use a moisturizer, morning or evening, or even throughout the day, you can keep it with you."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Acid Serum

"This is the Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Acid Serum from Laneige. She is an ambassador for the brand, but I do like this product. Hyaluronic acid helps bind moisture and keep it on top of the skin, it doesn't penetrate to deeper layers because the molecule size is too big for that, but Laneige created this as a proprietary formula with hyaluronic acid plus a special moisturizing ingredient derived from algae, which is where it gets the blue color. This is a really good hyaluronic acid product."

✓Yay

74%Guru Score

The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%

"The Ordinary Azelaic Acid 10% Suspension is like $12 at most stores, and that's usually my OTC pick for azelaic acid. Azelaic acid is my pick if you deal with redness, sensitivity, or post-acne dark marks. It can help calm inflammation and fades discoloration over time."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel with Hyaluronic Acid

"For moisturizing after Epiduo, I like something hydrating that doesn't feel really heavy on the skin, like a gel-based, oil-free moisturizer. That can work really well for a lot of people, and I often recommend Neutrogena Hydro Boost. I think it's a great option."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

VT Reedle Shot 100 Collagen

"I've personally experienced using it, which has genuinely been positive, like smoother texture, a nicer glow. The user experience is really fun and unlike anything else I've had in any other skincare line. When used appropriately based on your skin type, maybe doing some patch testing, starting with a lower concentration and pairing it with sun protection, I feel confident saying you're going to enjoy the user experience and probably see great results from it."

✓Yay

59%Guru Score

Clarins Double Serum Eye

"As a dermatologist I'm always a little skeptical when a product claims to do everything, because usually that's a red flag, but this is one of the rare exceptions where I've actually looked at the science and thought, okay, this checks out, they've got the right ingredients, and so far my user experience backs it up. [...] I only talk about stuff that I genuinely recommend to my own patients and to my mother."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

Sunscreen37 reviews

Smart Care Mineral Enhanced Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50

"This is the Smart Care mineral enhanced sunscreen lotion, SPF 50 with 19% zinc oxide. It's thick, like diaper rash ointment, and you have to rub it in a lot more than your average sunscreen. It has kind of a baby powder scent. Looking in the mirror I don't see a terrible white cast, but there are gobs on my ears, and looking at the camera it looks a lot more white. I'm not super impressed with the sunscreen. If you had a darker skin tone this wouldn't look very good."

✕Nay

62%Guru Score

Then I Met You Light Essence Broad Sunscreen Moisturizer SPF 50

"This is the Then I Met You Essence Light Sunscreen. I've used this one on my face several times. It starts out white, but it blends in very nicely."

✓Yay

69%Guru Score

Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Probio-Cica Glow Sun Ampoule SPF 50+ PA++++

"This is the Madagascar Centella Probio Cica Glow Sun Ampoule SPF 50 plus PA 4 plus. It has a very nice texture and blends in even faster than the Then I Met You sunscreen."

✓Yay

68%Guru Score

EltaMD UV Daily

"One of my go-tos is EltaMD UV Daily because it's lightweight. It doesn't leave a sticky feeling and there's no white cast. It's also very hydrating to the skin."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Eucerin Radiant Tone Sunscreen SPF 30

"The SPF contains thiamidol and it blends in really nicely with the skin, leaving a sheer finish. For a moment I was worried it was going to cake up in my beard, but as I kept rubbing it in I didn't have any issues with it leaving a white cast on my skin or that white gunk in my beard that some sunscreens leave."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

BYOMA Ultra Light Face Fluid SPF 30

"The one that I've been using recently and really liking that I'll leave for your recommendation is BYOMA. BYOMA is an inexpensive line of skin care. This is an SPF 30 broad spectrum UVA, UVB, and it's an ultra light face fluid. [...] It's pretty lightweight. [...] That is definitely enough sunscreen."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Badger Mineral SPF 35 Stick

"Either try a Badger or All Good Sunscreen. So, Badger and All Good are reputable brands of sunscreen. Those are SPF 30 or higher. And if you like using them, by all means, you certainly can."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

EltaMD UV Skin Recovery Sunscreen Green Tinted

"The EltaMD UV Skin Recovery sunscreen is my favorite one to recommend for patients who have rosacea because it has many ingredients to help repair the skin barrier. It also comes with a little bit of a green tint, not enough [...] to look strange, but enough to help mask redness [...] and give you a more even skin tone."

✓Yay

98%Guru Score

EltaMD UV Stick

"I had never tried a stick sunscreen until recently, and I really like it. I used the EltaMD UV Stick. I was wearing sandals that can get wet, and it was really nice, I could rub it onto my feet real quick and it worked around the sandals. It was really convenient, and I could do areas like the tops of my ears easily."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

Colorescience No-Show Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50

"There's a little bit of stuff in the beard, not too bad, and a little bit of white sheen on the skin. I don't want to rub that completely away because then you're rubbing away some of the effectiveness of the sunscreen, so we're going to be a little bit white today. Would I wear it in clinic? Not so sure. Would I wear it to a social function? Not so sure. But on vacation with my kids, absolutely. I appreciate the water resistance."

~Mixed

74%Guru Score

ISDIN Fusion Water Magic SPF 40

"This is the Isdin Fusion Water Magic SPF 40 broad spectrum daily use sunscreen. This is a good hydrating sunscreen and it's very much like a fluid in its consistency. I have worn it before and it's done a good job protecting me. This is a chemical sunscreen, no white cast, not gunking up in the beard at all."

✓Yay

74%Guru Score

Neutrogena Sport Face Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF 70

"This sunscreen I kept in my bag for a long time, I use it frequently when traveling. This is oil free and it sits on the skin pretty well. Maybe a little bit of stuff in the beard, but not bad."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

Sun Bum Premium Moisturizing Sunscreen SPF 70

"If you haven't used it before, they are great sunscreens. They do have fragrance to them, so if that's irritating to you, you need to find an option that doesn't have fragrance. But this is a premium moisturizing sunscreen, SPF 70, which is great, and it's water resistant for 80 minutes. This one has been going on me and my kids, and I've reapplied it on my face as well when we've been out at the beach for several hours."

✓Yay

67%Guru Score

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Sunscreen SPF 60

"If I'm going to be just out playing with my kids or something, it's usually going to be La Roche-Posay Anthelios, it's water resistant. I use it as well and I like it a lot."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen

"If I'm going to be just out playing with my kids, it's usually going to be La Roche-Posay Anthelios or Neutrogena Ultra Sheer, both water resistant. Those are kind of the ones in my rotation."

✓Yay

67%Guru Score

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Moisturizing Face Serum SPF 60

"This morning I'm wearing the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face Serum SPF 60. It says it's water resistant for eighty minutes, and I'm going to be sweating on a three and a half hour hike up a volcano, so I want to make sure I'm staying protected as long as possible. It's also very handy, I can take it with me."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Tower 28 SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation

"This is the Tower 28 SPF 30 Save Our Skin. It's a 12.5% zinc oxide sunscreen. Tower 28 makes a lot of great products, and their sunscreens are also very nice. This one is a tinted sunscreen that's going to mask any appearance of a white cast. If you like a little bit of tint to your sunscreen, it will blend well under makeup. Looks great on the skin. It's a mineral only sunscreen."

✓Yay

64%Guru Score

Innisfree Daily UV Defense SPF 36 Sunscreen

"This is the daily UV defense sunscreen from Innisfree. This one is a no white cast, glowy finish, and it's a chemical sunscreen with active ingredients including enzacamene, homosalate, and octisalate. Innisfree makes some really good sunscreens. They feel very good on the skin, very smooth, and just like the Ranovat, this one is available at Sephora as well."

✓Yay

67%Guru Score

Youth to the People Youth Screen SPF 60 Daily Hydrate Plus Pollution Defense Fluid

"This is the Youth to the People Youth Screen Daily Hydrate SPF 60. This has a nice fluid serum like feel to it. This is a chemical sunscreen from Youth to the People, I think it's a newer addition to their lineup. It does not smell like a sunscreen, like your typical SPF smell, not heavily fragranced or anything like that. So, big fan of that one. This one does not say water resistant, but would make a very good daily sunscreen."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 70

"But it's about as good as you can get for a mineral sunscreen, it's gentle on the skin, dries quickly, isn't sticky or greasy, and I think it would work well under makeup. I would recommend this product, I'd put it on my kids in the summer, though it's probably not going to be my everyday sunscreen."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

EltaMD UV Sport SPF 50

"UV Sport, I love that one for when I'm out mountain biking or playing pickleball outside. It doesn't get in my eyes, it doesn't sweat off, and it doesn't leave white streaks on my face."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

EltaMD UV Restore Broad-Spectrum SPF 40

"I'm going to be using UV Restore from EltaMD today because this is going to be a little bit more cosmetically elegant, but it's still a very moisturizing, very hydrating sunscreen. It's a physical sunscreen with zinc oxide, but it has natural squalane in it, so it is going to hydrate very well."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume UV SPF

"I love Cicaplast Balm B5 as a healing balm, as a healing cream, I give this to a lot of my patients who have rosacea or a compromised skin barrier. This particular one is an SPF 50 sunscreen version, so it's going to help keep my skin hydrated while protecting it. It's a very thick sunscreen though, not the kind I would typically use as a daily sunscreen, it's very thick and white and feels almost like a diaper rash ointment, but it's excellent when you're healing."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

EltaMD UV Skin Recovery SPF 50

"It feels great on the skin and I love the way it looks and feels. [...] If you're looking for a new sunscreen I do highly recommend the EltaMD UV Skin Recovery. It's been one I've been recommending frequently to my rosacea patients, and I've been using it myself after lasering my face a couple months ago and [...] loved the results even for myself."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics SPF 50+ PA++++ (Korean formula)

"They sent me the Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun a while back and I have loved using it. It's a very lightweight Korean sunscreen that does not sit heavy on the skin, and I use it all the time, even all the way up over my head. It provides SPF 50 level protection without leaving a heavy feeling on the skin. This is a great option for those with acne prone skin who tend to produce a lot of oil, because it's not going to add another layer on top that feels really heavy."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel SPF 50+ PA++++

"The Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel is another Korean sunscreen, and I find that Korean sunscreens are a lot better than a lot of the ones we have available in the US. They have better filters and better UVA protection. This is a really great option for your skin. It's the one I took to Hawaii last year because it was really hot and humid and I wanted a lightweight sunscreen that would protect my skin, and this one did an excellent job."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

La Roche-Posay Mela B3 UV Daily Moisturizer SPF 30

"La Roche-Posay also created the MelaB3 UV sunscreen. It's a chemical sunscreen and it's not tinted. My personal preference is that if you have significant melasma I like my patients to use a tinted sunscreen, but this one feels really nice on the skin, it's very lightweight, and it spreads very easily. It also contains MelaB3, so you're getting an extra dose of that compound to help target excess pigmentation. It's an SPF 30 sunscreen and it also contains five percent niacinamide."

✓Yay

69%Guru Score

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30

"If you need a moisturizer for the daytime, or a moisturizer and sunscreen, I strongly recommend Cicapair from Dr. Jart. It's a moisturizer, or a moisturizer and sunscreen, that's specifically made for individuals with redness on the skin because it has a little bit of color correction in it. If you have excess redness in the skin, getting something with a little bit of a green tint helps to neutralize the appearance of that redness."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

EltaMD UV Clear Tinted SPF 46

"The most popular sunscreen I sell in my clinic is EltaMD, the UV Clear tinted version, and it's a fantastic, fairly universal tint."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40

"I love the Unseen Sunscreen from Supergoop. It feels good on my face, it's not heavy, I'm not overpowered by fragrance, it doesn't leave me shiny, and it provides 40 minutes of water resistance. But at 38 dollars for 50 milliliters it's the most expensive sunscreen by the ounce of all four I tested, and because of that I think the Trader Joe's dupe beats it out. I do love Supergoop, but it's probably my third favorite of the four."

~Mixed

73%Guru Score

Black Girl Sunscreen Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30

"I like the formulation, that it's a little higher SPF, and that it's better rated for water resistance. But it feels a little more oily and thicker, it doesn't rub in quite as well, and I just didn't enjoy the texture of it as much as the others, though that's an individual personal preference. I wouldn't make this my primary sunscreen if I were jumping in a pool, since I feel like it can rub off and I don't know that you get the same longevity out of it."

~Mixed

87%Guru Score

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30

"It's [...] safe to use on both the face and body, it's non-comedogenic so it won't plug your pores, [...] and it's [...] developed in collaboration with dermatologists. [...] I personally love the daily moisturizing lotion, I've used it for a long time, and I use it on my kids on both face and body. If you have dry skin or even normal skin, this is going to work really well for you."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

Bliss Block Star Daily Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30

"This is the Bliss Block Star sunscreen, a tinted sunscreen. If you're prone to melasma you want not just a sunscreen but a mineral sunscreen that's tinted, because it helps block the blue light and the infrared, the heat you feel, and those things can flare melasma. So this is going to be great to protect you against melasma, especially if you're prone to it."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

Eucerin Sensitive Mineral Face Sunscreen SPF 35

"This is the Eucerin sensitive mineral face sunscreen. This is a great sunscreen if you're active, if you're going outside, you're golfing, you're running, exercising."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica SPF 50

"I'm using this one myself, the Isdin Eryfotona Actinica. It's super popular, and it's not an inexpensive sunscreen, but it's one hundred percent mineral."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46

"The most common sunscreen that I recommend for an acne routine [...] is EltaMD UV Clear, because it contains niacinamide and it's specifically formulated to help acne-prone skin get and stay clear. I like a light, elegant, no white cast formula that you'll actually enjoy wearing, because if you don't like the way it feels or it clogs your pores, you're not going to wear it."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Neutrogena Collagen Bank SPF 30 Facial Moisturizer

"This is a chemical sunscreen, so it's not going to leave a white cast. I appreciate that it doesn't gunk up in the facial hair, and it doesn't have that strong sunscreen smell either."

✓Yay

69%Guru Score

Cleansers32 reviews

CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser

"It's no surprise that I like the CeraVe Hydrating Cream to Foam Cleanser. It does a great job of cleansing without being too aggressive on your skin."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

RoC Barrier Renew Gel to Foam Cleanser

"It's no surprise that I like the [...] RoC Barrier Renew Cleanser. It does a great job of cleansing without being too aggressive on your skin."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser with 4% Benzoyl Peroxide

"So if you use [...] the acne foaming cream wash there is no reason to panic, you do not need to throw it out. That said, the science on whether benzoyl peroxide degrades into benzene under normal conditions is genuinely contested, so I'd store it as labeled, at room temperature and out of direct sunlight, and replace it by its expiration date or every few months if you're using it regularly."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Reale Actives Get Bare Cleansing Balm

"This is a cleansing balm, and the delivery system here is genuinely clever. You twist the top, it carves off just the right amount of product, and you apply it directly to dry skin so the oils can bind to the oils on your face, whether that's sunscreen or makeup, and pull all of it off. The key ingredients are squalane, green tea extract, centella asiatica, vitamin E, and a sebum dissolving oil complex with seabuckthorn, grapeseed, and meadowfoam seed oils."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

Reale Actives Pore Power Exfoliating LHA plus BHA Gel Cleanser

"The instruction to massage it for 30 to 60 seconds is actually important, not just filler copy. The brand recommends using this AM and PM, but if you're already using the mandelic acid serum at night you're starting to stack exfoliation up multiple times a day, so if your skin is on the more sensitive side I would start with this cleanser just once a day and see how it responds before going twice a day. That's not a knock on the product, it's just smart skin care practice. It's priced at $28."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser

"If you want chemical exfoliation, I recommend starting off with over the counter products containing salicylic acid or glycolic acid in low concentrations, like the CeraVe SA Cleanser. These are formulated for at home use, the pH is appropriate, and the concentration is such that it won't send you to the ER."

✓Yay

75%Guru Score

Cetaphil Fragrance Free Daily Facial Cleanser

"The cleanser I recommend is the Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser. It's a soap free, non-comedogenic cleanser, so it's not going to plug up your pores and cause acne. It will remove dirt, oil, and makeup without stripping your skin or causing irritation."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Eucerin Radiant Tone Face Cleansing Gel with 2% AHA

"I've used the Eucerin Radiant Tone cleansing gel for a couple of weeks now and I haven't experienced any dryness, either long term or immediately after using it. It lathers really well and does not leave my skin feeling dry, tight, or squeaky clean, just a nice refreshing clean while still feeling hydrated."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

CeraVe Acne Clay to Foam Cleanser

"I've been recommending it to more of my patients, especially those with oilier skin, but if you have normal to dry skin and some acne this may not be the right product for you, it's certainly not for everyone. It's not my daily cleanser since I have more normal skin myself and use it sparingly, [...] but if you have oily, acne prone skin and want something versatile, I think this is going to be a really good option for you."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser

"The La Roche-Posay purifying foaming cleanser is going to be better for somebody with a little more oily skin, maybe a little bit of acne. This foaming cleanser is going to remove excess oil from the skin, and it's still very gentle. I've used that face wash and liked it."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Avène XeraCalm A.D. Lipid-Replenishing Cleansing Oil

"The other one I have here is called XeraCalm AD. If your skin is dry, irritated, and itchy, this has extra ingredients that help turn off something in your skin called substance P, which propagates the itch signal from nerve to nerve, so it's very good if you're really itchy. I love the packaging, because the way this pump is formulated, the contents remain sterile until it comes out of the tube, so you're guaranteed to be putting on a sterile cream on really sensitive skin."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Olay Cleansing Melts Hyaluronic Acid

"It's hard to bring a good facial cleanser on vacation because they come in bigger bottles and are hard to get through if you're not checking a bag, so when I travel I always bring with me the Olay cleansing melts. They feel like a little piece of fabric, but when you get them wet they immediately dissolve and melt in your hand."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm

"I have done double cleansing. There's a brand called Pharmacy and they have a cleansing balm that's very nice, though it does have fragrance."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes Fragrance-Free

"If you're really in a pinch, a makeup removing wipe is good enough before you crash and go to bed for the evening. Neutrogena makes some great makeup removing wipes."

✓Yay

61%Guru Score

Bioderma Sensibio Oil Cleanser

"I used a Bioderma oil cleanser which is very gentle, fragrance free on the skin, and it helped to remove all the Dr. Rogers restore and the sunscreen that I had on there previously."

✓Yay

65%Guru Score

CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser with 2% Salicylic Acid

"I really like the CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser. It's a 2% salicylic acid wash, you rub it on and leave it on for 30 to 60 seconds before you rinse it off."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating Salicylic Acid Cleanser

"Cetaphil has a great salicylic acid cleanser."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser

"It's very gentle for all skin types and it's not going to strip your skin barrier. La Roche-Posay products all contain thermal spring water, which is high in mineral content and helps to increase microbial diversity on the skin, strengthening your microbiome and helping to prevent so many different skin problems like acne, rosacea, dryness, and irritation. It's a really great suite of products, and this is just one great cleanser option."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser

"A foaming cleanser does a better job removing excess oil from the skin, but if you have very dry skin, this one may be a little too much for you, even though it has ceramides and hyaluronic acid. If you tend to be oily and you produce a lot of oil as the day goes on and want to get that off after a workout or at the end of the day, the foaming cleanser is going to be the best option for you."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser

"This one is strictly made for dry to very dry skin. It's going to be really gentle, it's not going to remove excess oil from the skin, it's going to help to hydrate like all CeraVe products. It has essential ceramides in it to help replenish and strengthen the skin barrier. It can also be used as the first step of a double cleanse."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Cetaphil DermaControl Oil Removing Foam Wash

"This wash does not have salicylic acid in it like the others, so it's less targeted specifically to treating acne, but it does a really good job removing excess oil. The claim is that it removes 99% of excess oil without overdrying or stripping the skin. It has hydrating ingredients in it so you're not left feeling dry and tight, and it has zinc, which can also play a role in regulating oil production."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

"I like a gentle cleanser like a basic Cetaphil cleanser. It works really well and it's not going to overdry the skin."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Gel Cleanser with Hyaluronic Acid

"I like a gentle cleanser like the Neutrogena Hydro Boost. It works really well and it's not going to overdry the skin."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

Bubble Fresh Start Gel Cleanser

"I got the Bubble gel cleanser, the gel cleanser is going to be a little better for oily skin."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+ Gentle Foaming Moisturizing Wash

"This is the Lipikar AP Plus Wash from La Roche-Posay, it's a very gentle cleanser. It's going to foam up just a little bit and feel like a nice lather on the skin, but it's not going to remove a lot of extra oil from the skin and it's not going to leave you feeling tight and dry. So this is a great option for a pre-teen."

✓Yay

90%Guru Score

Biore Ultra Deep Cleansing Pore Strips

"We've got a Bioré pore strip on a mostly willing participant here but pay attention as it comes off because these are not just normal sebaceous filaments"

~Mixed

56%Guru Score

PanOxyl 4% Benzoyl Peroxide Cleansing Wash

"PanOxyl is another brand that's hugely popular. PanOxyl makes a great wash that I often recommend to my patients as well."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

Neutrogena Classic Salicylic Acid Face Wash

"Neutrogena also makes some good salicylic acid washes. These are the ones in the orange bottle, and you can find them at most drug stores."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

COSRX Low pH Niacinamide Cleansing Water

"This is the low pH niacinamide cleanser from CosRX. This is great to help remove makeup and things at the end of the day."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Laneige Cream Skin Milk Oil Cleanser

"I like the products from Laneige. They do tend to be a little bit more on the expensive side, but this is a good gentle cleanser, not an exfoliating cleanser, and if you have a history of sensitive skin, this is a really good option."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser

"One of my personal favorites is the CeraVe cream-to-foam hydrating cleanser. It's pretty gentle. It removes the day's dirt, oil, makeup, sunscreen, sweat, and it doesn't leave your skin feeling tight or reactive. [...] Your cleanser's only job really needs to be to get your face clean without irritating it."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Mantle Magic Milk Cleanser

"This is a really nice cleanser. It smells amazing. I use this on my face and on my scalp."

✓Yay

74%Guru Score

Moisturizers32 reviews

Elidel Pimecrolimus Cream

"It's a topical calcineurin inhibitor, so it doesn't have any of the steroid side effects. It's been around for over twenty years, it has a solid track record of safety, and it does work in calming the inflammation of seborrheic dermatitis on the face. For long term management, a non-steroid option like Elidel is, in my opinion, a way better option for your face than steroids."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Beta Glucan

"The product I'd recommend here is The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors plus Beta Glucan, and it retails for only $6.50. It's really worth trying."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Prequel Reactive Skin Solutions 5% Ectoin Cream

"I still stand behind the product I recommended in my last video on ectoin, and that's the Prequel Reactive Skin Solutions 5% Ectoin Cream."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Reale Actives Do More Barrier Boosting Moisturizer

"It's got a quad ceramide complex, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, ectoin, lactobacillus ferment for microbiome support, and willow bark for a very gentle ongoing BHA effect. Overall, this is a well-built moisturizer, you can use it morning and night, and it's lightweight enough that it won't feel heavy underneath SPF in the morning."

✓Yay

71%Guru Score

Dermavant Vtama Cream 1%

"We've also recently had approved by the FDA things like obsura, zarieve and vitam that can be helpful here."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Cetaphil Healthy Renew Skin Activator Hydrating and Firming Cream

"One cream I've recommended to my patients, the before and afters look great, my patients have been happy with, is the Cetaphil hydrating and firming cream. It works beautifully here and it's not going to break the bank at under $20."

✓Yay

90%Guru Score

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream

"CeraVe Moisturizing Cream costs about $16 and is probably more effective than a $200 luxury ceramide cream. CeraVe was actually developed with dermatologists and contains the same types of ceramides that luxury brands charge premium prices for, and it basically has all the ceramides your skin needs."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion

"CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion contains niacinamide plus ceramides and hyaluronic acid for around $15 to $20. So you get multiple ingredients in one formula, and really not a bad price."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer

"The Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer contains effective ceramides at a very reasonable price. You really do not need to spend $100 plus on ceramide products."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Avène RetrinAL 0.1% Intensive Cream (reformulated)

"The retinoid I recommend for nighttime use is the Avène RetrinAL 0.1% Intensive Cream. It contains retinaldehyde, which is a gentle form of retinol that's less likely to cause irritation than most prescription retinols. This is the one product that's going to give you the most dramatic long term improvement in your skin. The Avène retinol is gentle enough for sensitive skin, but still very effective."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion

"The moisturizer I recommend and use frequently is the Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion. It's a lightweight but hydrating formula that works for most skin types and won't clog your pores. Even if you have oily skin, you still need to moisturize."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream

"This is a very popular product. It hydrates very well. [...] Definitely has a little bit thicker texture to it, but even with that thicker texture, I'm not seeing a lot of it gunk up in the beard. I do like this product."

✓Yay

90%Guru Score

Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream

"Then you layer on top of that the Cicalfate+. This is a really thick moisturizing cream. It is fragrance-free. It is about as gentle as you can get, with the exception of plain Vaseline. It almost feels like Desitin, like diaper rash ointment, to me, but it is a miracle worker for sensitive skin."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5

"If you're dealing with sensitive skin and rosacea, you want an excellent moisturizer, and La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5 is one of my favorites. It's a [...] thick moisturizer that's easier to use at night than in the daytime, but you want a generous amount on the skin to really help repair the skin barrier. I use it on my patients after laser procedures to repair their skin barrier, and [...] I've also seen it work really well on patients who have rosacea."

✓Yay

92%Guru Score

Vanicream Moisturizing Cream

"If you're dealing with sensitive skin and rosacea, you want an excellent moisturizer, and Vanicream is one of my favorites. It's a [...] thick moisturizer that's easier to use at night than in the daytime, but you want a generous amount on the skin to really help repair the skin barrier. I use it on my patients after laser procedures to repair their skin barrier, and [...] I've also seen it work really well on patients who have rosacea."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

Equate Gentle Skin Cream

"It has so much fragrance to it, the added fragrance, the camphor, the phenol, you can smell all of it, and I did not enjoy this. There's propylene glycol in here too, which can be an irritant or allergen for some people, and phenol at high concentrations is what we use in the most aggressive chemical peels in dermatology. The smell reminds me of the cadaver lab from college and med school. [...] It's no wonder I had flakes of skin all over my face like sandpaper from using this."

✕Nay

65%Guru Score

Benadryl Topical Cream

"I'm not a big fan of Benadryl cream. I don't think it does a lot, [...] but some people like it."

✕Nay

51%Guru Score

Silicone Scar gel

"You can use a silicone scar gel. I've got one on my website. And gentle massage. Those things are going to help with time. Time is your best friend with scars to help make these things look better."

✓Yay

88%Guru Score

Silagen Scar Gel

"Another brand you can get over the counter is Silagen. It's a little bit more expensive. They have a silicone Scar Gel product and a UV product, a Scar Gel sunscreen, and they're generally well liked."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Cream

"The third product is a lightweight lotion, the tolerance control lotion. It's a lot more lightweight, kind of your final layer, that you put on to really moisturize the hands after the thermal spring water and the XeraCalm. Using it together with the overnight glove routine is really going to help repair the skin barrier because of the ingredients Avène comes with."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

"The moisturizer option is the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. It has a nice rich texture to it, and it's great for helping to repair the skin barrier. It is a little bit more expensive than the Neutrogena Hydro Boost we talked about, but it has a really elegant feel to it, a little bit more premium, a little bit elevated experience, and I think that you'll really like it, still without really breaking the bank."

✓Yay

74%Guru Score

Neutrogena Collagen Bank Non-SPF Peptide Moisturizer

"It's a very lightweight, silky texture that spreads very easily. Instead of SPF it also has bakuchiol, which some people call nature's retinol, though it doesn't really work the same way retinol does. I'm not so impressed with the bakuchiol, but I do think it's a useful addition, and I think the peptides are probably going to do more to build collagen than the bakuchiol is. [...] I like the way it rubs in and it covers a lot of area with a little bit of product. It's also $22.99 for 2 ounces."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Matte Moisturizer

"There's also the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Matte Moisturizer. I'm a big fan of their products, and this one has silica and perlite in it, which help absorb some of that excess oil so you're not left looking shiny. It's a really good moisturizer that you can use day or night, and it's not going to sit heavy on the skin. It's going to leave your skin feeling really, really nice."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

SkinFix Barrier+ Triple Lipid & Peptide Cream

"I really, really like the one from Skinfix, their Triple Lipid Barrier Plus moisturizer. It's kind of in between a mass market product on price and something like SkinCeuticals, and it works really well."

✓Yay

91%Guru Score

Prequel Advanced Relief 10% Urea Moisturizing Milk

"I've been loving a new moisturizer from Prequel, the Advanced Relief Moisturizing Milk. It's a pretty lightweight moisturizer with shea butter, glycerin, niacinamide, and ten percent urea to really help draw water into the top layers of the skin. I've been loving it for both my face and my body."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Moisturizer

"It's going to be just a nice lightweight moisturizer to use in the morning, and you can also repeat it in the evening. This is probably the more expensive product we have in this routine and it's not necessary for everybody, you could certainly go with a less expensive moisturizer."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

The INKEY List Bakuchiol Moisturizer

"The Inkey List Bakuchiol Moisturizer is a retinol alternative and it works really well. The Inkey List always comes in at a great price point, so if you don't want to spend a ton of money, it really gives you a good option to start incorporating bakuchiol into your skincare routine."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Eucerin Skin Balance Facial Day Cream

"This is a moisturizer I was recently turned on to and I've really liked it. It has what they call a tri-balance complex of ingredients to help soothe the skin, fortify it, and repair your moisture barrier. Just as important as what they put in it is what is not in there, and this moisturizer is free of a number of things that could lead to irritation if you're really sensitive, including preservatives, parabens, alcohol, dyes, and other emulsifiers."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream

"This is the skin barrier cream from Dr. Jart. It's a very rich moisturizer."

✓Yay

65%Guru Score

Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Acid Cream Moisturizer

"This is the Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Acid Cream Moisturizer. It's a complement to the hyaluronic acid serum, using the same filtration process and fermentation with algae and hyaluronic acid, but in a thicker base, so it does impart better hydration to the skin for longer. I do like this moisturizing routine, first with the hyaluronic acid serum, now with the water cream, you're going to get a little bit longer effect from that."

✓Yay

66%Guru Score

Epiduo Epiduo Gel

"This is Epiduo, the first FDA-approved over-the-counter dual-active acne gel combining 0.1% adapalene, which is a true retinoid, with 2.5% benzoyl peroxide. This combo has been one of my go-to prescription treatments for acne [...] for over 15 years. [...] Adapalene helps clear the clogged pores and has some anti-inflammatory benefits, and the benzoyl peroxide kills the acne-causing bacteria. [...] Honestly, I think it's long overdue that Epiduo became over-the-counter."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream

"If you're going to add one proven active on top of your basics, I'd recommend a retinoid, and your late twenties or early thirties is a great time to start thinking about it. AlphaRet from SkinBetter Science gives you prescription retinoid level results in my opinion, with a gentler experience, and that's where I'd put my money. I'd be using something like that before I'd put anything on my skin with longevity on the label."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Other32 reviews

Winlevi Winlevi

"This is a topical acne medication that targets the oil glands specifically to reduce oil production so we don't feed the bacteria that cause acne. Topical Winlevi is very similar to oral spironolactone, which is commonly used in females for hormonal acne. Winlevi has to be used twice a day to be effective, and currently it's only a brand-name medication, meaning it's going to be expensive depending on your insurance plan."

~Mixed

67%Guru Score

Compound W Compound W

"Over the counter there are a lot of remedies, and you can get things like Compound W. These are largely salicylic acid, and you put them on the wart daily, and it pulls water into the wart, then you use a pumice stone or [...] scrape off the dead skin. In time these will work, but you have to be very persistent."

~Mixed

72%Guru Score

Melanotan Melanotan II

"There are also multiple published case reports linking Melanotan use to melanoma, and because it directly stimulates your melanocytes, the exact cells that become melanoma, this is the reason I would never recommend this peptide to anyone. It is an unregulated, non-FDA-approved product usually sold as a powder online with no quality control and no standardized dosing, so people end up having to be their own chemist calculating their own dose, and the reality is this is not worth the risk."

✕Nay

47%Guru Score

Opzelura Opzelura

"And we've also recently had approved by the FDA things like obsura, zarieve and vitam that can be helpful here."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

The Ordinary Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12%

"You can get the Ordinary ascorbyl glucoside 12 percent, which has that same active ingredient as the $380 Augustinus Bader serum, for about $17. What matters most is the concentration of vitamin C, the pH of the formula, and whether it is packaged in a way to prevent oxidation, and you can get all of that in a really affordable formulation like this one."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA

"You can find this peptide in The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% Plus HA. The science here is pretty limited, mostly manufacturer claims and small studies, so there's not a lot of independent research to get excited about. This falls into the it might help and probably won't hurt category. If you're already using a product that contains it I think that's fine, but I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to add it to my routine if I wasn't already using it."

~Mixed

77%Guru Score

Skin Better Alpharet

"It keeps the minor pimples and blackheads away, keeps my skin bright, and keeps the dead skin cells and debris off. [...] I've even moved up to the Alpharet Advanced, which has a higher percentage of glycolic acid, and I still don't need a moisturizer after I use it, which is wild. [...] I've never used a product from Skin Better Science that I didn't like."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

Gloves in a Bottle Gloves in a Bottle

"Gloves in a Bottle is a really good brand for that because it's still very lightweight. It's not thick and greasy, but it's formulated in a way that stays on the hands better through multiple rounds of hand washing. I've had a lot of people who work in food service or in hospitals and healthcare use it, and it really improves their hand dermatitis."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

Hibiclens Hibiclens

"You could also use Hibiclens in the shower, which is something that I actually use. After I'm working out or after I play pickleball, I will wash the armpits and the groin with Hibiclens just to prevent any bacteria there from flourishing and causing body odor."

✓Yay

66%Guru Score

Accutane Accutane

"I had a bigger one on my cheek a couple of weeks ago. I took Accutane when I started to feel that deep one coming up, and it knocked it down, perfectly."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

Avène Thermal Spring Water

"The first thing I like to do is use the Avene Thermal Water. It's sterile inside the canister, and when you're really hot after a laser treatment, that feels great to spray on your skin. This has been shown, because of the high mineral content, to improve microbial diversity on the skin, so it promotes more growth of good bacteria and more diversity of bacteria, so you're less likely to deal with infections."

✓Yay

65%Guru Score

SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Intensive

"I've had no trouble using AlphaRet Intensive either, which just has a little higher glycolic acid so you get a little more exfoliation. It's still very gentle on the skin."

✓Yay

69%Guru Score

La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water

"The Thermal Spring Water from La Roche-Posay is something I often recommend to my patients with really dry skin. Spritz it on the skin first because there's high mineral content, and it's been shown in studies to increase the microbiome diversity on the skin, giving more varied types of good bacteria, before you follow up with your moisturizer."

✓Yay

72%Guru Score

Domeboro Aluminum Acetate Medicated Soak

"What works really well to help repair skin barriers quickly, or at least soothe the skin, is something called Domeboro soaks. You put the packet in a bowl of lukewarm water, soak a washcloth in it, and lay it on the affected area, and that helps soothe the skin and calm down things like allergic reactions or really severe itchy eczema, so patients don't have to be using a steroid constantly. For the right skin condition it can be helpful, but for others it may not be."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Listerine Listerine

"Traditional mouthwashes like Listerine are too harsh for the oral microbiome. Ingredients like SLS, parabens, dyes, alcohol, and peroxides are things to avoid. If I don't have access to a good, gentle product, I'd rather tell someone not to use any mouthwash at all than use something like that, because the saliva is really what's best for keeping the mouth healthy."

✕Nay

64%Guru Score

Dove Beauty Bar

"I feel like that soap is going to dry you out leaving it on for 30 minutes"

✕Nay

73%Guru Score

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Stick

"The thing I'm taking with me on the hike is the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Stick. It's really easy to take with me and reapply, and I need to cover my head, my ears, and the back of my neck, so I'm pretty liberal with it. I do like this sunscreen because it doesn't leave me any white cast. It's a chemical sunscreen and it doesn't clump up in my facial hair."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Dew Shield Hydrating Fluid

"This is the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Dew Shield Hydrating Fluid. I've loved pretty much every product from Glow Recipe, but they do have fragrance, so it may not be ideal if you're sensitive to fragrance. This is a chemical sunscreen with active ingredients including enzacamene, homosalate, and octisalate, which are very effective UV filters. This spreads very well, feels excellent on the skin, and has a really pleasant fragrance. Love the way that it looks and feels on the skin."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Polysporin Polysporin

"Polysporin is similar to Neosporin, it just doesn't contain the neomycin. But even there, there's some risk of allergy, and you just don't need to spend the extra money when just plain Vaseline actually is superior in most cases of wound healing."

✕Nay

61%Guru Score

Bellafill Bellafill

"There was one that came out called Bellafill. I've never used it, but it's more of a semi-permanent filler that can last up to five years, and I'm generally not a fan of things that are going to last that long, because if you don't like the way it looks or there's a lump or a complication, you kind of have to cut it out."

✕Nay

55%Guru Score

Alastin Regenerating Skin Nectar

"This is the Alastin Skin Nectar, their TriHex technology, a peptide product that helps promote cellular regeneration and healing. I have found that it works really well post laser procedures. Every day, morning and evening, I'm using it to help accelerate healing, and one regular size bottle will last you the entire length of time you need for laser recovery."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

SkinBetter Science Solo Hydrating Defense

"After I get out of the shower and I dry my face, the next step that I'm going to do is put on an antioxidant. The one that I've been using is from SkinBetter Science, it is the Solo product. This is an antioxidant. I think there's 19 different antioxidants in the Solo product."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Vicks VapoRub

"Vicks VapoRub, with its camphor and menthol, is another one that may have some antifungal properties. You can rub that on the nail at night, put socks on before bed, and it's a good idea to have breathable footwear too."

~Mixed

69%Guru Score

Lamisil Lamisil

"This 10% terbinafine solution does tend to work pretty well, but you have to be committed to use it consistently, painting it on the nail and under the edge every single night for about a year. For the oral pill I usually use terbinafine because it carries a lower risk of interactions with other medications, and clearance rates with oral terbinafine are much higher than with the topical medications."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Drysol Drysol

"For many people that is an excellent plan that leads to significant improvement in their sweating. One challenge with Drysol is that it can be irritating to the skin, so it can't always be used as much as we prescribe it, and if that's the case I just have patients use it as frequently as they can without causing too much irritation."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Qbrexza Qbrexza

"This is a topical that comes in a cloth you rub under the arms, and it works by stopping the transmission from the nerve to the sweat gland, so even if you have hyperhidrosis you will have significantly reduced sweating. It's a brand name medication and not many insurances cover it well, so it gets expensive, though compounding pharmacies can make versions of it as a topical solution or on presoaked pads."

~Mixed

73%Guru Score

Frownies Forehead and Between the Eye Wrinkle Patches

"When you're putting an adhesive on the skin every day it does overtime increase your risk for a contact allergy to the adhesive. [...] When you're buying them every day the price does add up over time and I'm not sure how much money you're saving over just doing Botox in that area. Some people don't like needles and that's okay, so you can use Frownies if you want, but it's not my choice for reducing wrinkles on my forehead."

~Mixed

62%Guru Score

Remedy For Pore Size

"It spreads easily, there's clearly no fragrance and no irritation to the skin. My initial impressions of this product are really great. It's thirty two dollars, so it's a little less expensive than [...] Remedy for Dark Spots [...] and really not out of reach for most people if you're going to get longevity out of the product."

✓Yay

91%Guru Score

Tazorac Tazorac

"I was using a brand name prescription called Tazorac all throughout my dermatology residency. It's considered one of the strongest retinols, but over time it just became too irritating for my skin, and so now I most commonly use over the counter retinols that just aren't quite as potent."

✕Nay

57%Guru Score

Epiduo Forte

"Using it as a spot treatment instead of all over the face is an atypical, non-traditional use for that ingredient, but it's working well for her and I would encourage her to keep doing it."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Shark Beauty FacialPro Glow

"You guys know that my preferred device for this is the Shark Beauty FacialPro Glow, and there's going to be a link to that in the video description. I've featured it on the channel before."

✓Yay

Notverified

Shark Beauty Depuffy

"The Shark Beauty Depuffy attachment, I think, is genuinely innovative. This device is incredibly easy to use. It only takes about 10 minutes, and the extraction results speak for themselves. This satisfies that same urge that we get while watching pimple popping videos, but it's actually good for your skin. The hydration boost from the products is real. At $399, it pays for itself after just three uses because professional facials in the dermatology office can cost $150 or more."

✓Yay

Notverified

Haircare12 reviews

Nizoral A-D Anti-Dandruff Shampoo (1% Ketoconazole)

"First up is Nizoral shampoo, which contains ketoconazole, a common antifungal agent. This is my go-to recommendation over-the-counter. It's a true antifungal and directly targets the malassezia. You can get the one percent version over the counter at pretty much any pharmacy or off Amazon, and if your case is more stubborn there's a two percent ketoconazole version available by prescription."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

CeraVe Anti-Dandruff Shampoo with Zinc Pyrithione

"The CeraVe hydrating anti-dandruff shampoo and conditioner contains pyrithione zinc, and it's my favorite pyrithione zinc option. This one is really gentle and it's a really solid maintenance option, and it can also be great during a flare, using it two to three times a week, applying it, scrubbing it into the affected area, and waiting five minutes before you rinse it out. I'm such a big fan of the CeraVe, I actually appeared in a commercial with them."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Rogaine Minoxidil 5% Foam

"It comes in a 2%, marketed toward women, and a 5%, marketed toward men. The 5% is absolutely going to work better, and I generally recommend that for my female patients as long as we've covered all the risks and benefits, because at those higher percentages there might be a little more risk of irritation. I generally find that they charge more for the 2%, and it definitely doesn't work as well as the 5%. So if you are a candidate for Rogaine, I would just start with the 5%."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Nutrafol Hair Growth Supplement

"Hair, skin, and nails vitamins like Nutrafol are some of the most common supplements marketed to you on Facebook and Instagram. I think there's a role for these to make sure your body isn't deficient in any of the essential vitamins or minerals that are important for growing hair. However, they tend to be quite expensive."

~Mixed

65%Guru Score

Viviscal Hair Growth Supplement

"Hair, skin, and nails vitamins like Viviscal are some of the most common supplements marketed to you on Facebook and Instagram. I think there's a role for these to make sure your body isn't deficient in any of the essential vitamins or minerals that are important for growing hair. However, they tend to be quite expensive."

~Mixed

65%Guru Score

Kirkland Signature Minoxidil

"Buying a generic brand like the Kirkland brand at Costco is going to give you the same result as the brand name minoxidil."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Selsun Blue Selenium Sulfide Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

"Other types of selenium sulfide shampoo, like Selsun Blue, can sometimes be beneficial as well for an itchy, irritated scalp from dandruff."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Vichy Dercos Anti-Dandruff DS Shampoo

"If your scalp is itchy and irritated from the dandruff, the Vichy selenium sulfide shampoos can sometimes be beneficial as well."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Neutrogena T/Gel Coal Tar Shampoo

"I use T/Gel personally. I know it does not smell good, it smells like tar, it's a tar based shampoo and it stinks the whole bathroom, your wife's going to yell at you. But it does help me, it helps my itch, especially any inflammation going on in the scalp. That tar based shampoo is very anti-inflammatory on the skin and really does a great job of breaking up scale. It's becoming harder to find unfortunately, but it's a good option."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Neutrogena T/Sal Therapeutic Shampoo

"T/Sal is also made by Neutrogena. It doesn't have the tar in it, but it's more of a salicylic acid base to really help break up scale, so it would be effective for psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Head & Shoulders Classic Clean Shampoo

"Pick up some Head & Shoulders shampoo or some ketoconazole shampoo which you can get over the counter and use that as a body wash, wash it onto the skin, lather up and let it sit for about five minutes and that's going to help kill that little yeast that is causing the tinea versicolor. And even when you're totally clear, just do that once a week and it'll help prevent it from coming back because people that tend to get tinea versicolor often have it come back, you know, often every summer."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

First Aid Beauty Ingrown Hair Pads

"This is the ingrown hair pad from First Aid Beauty. This is good post shaving so that you can kind of avoid ingrown hairs."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Masks & Peels10 reviews

Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

"I also recommend Paula's Choice BHA, it's very popular. These are formulated for at home use, the pH is appropriate, and the concentration is such that it won't send you to the ER."

✓Yay

89%Guru Score

St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub

"My first experience with physical exfoliation was the St. Ives apricot scrub. It has little shards of walnut shells in it that are just tearing your skin. We just didn't know better, we were rubbing that stuff all over our face thinking it was doing something, but what it's doing is causing little micro tears all over your face and compromising your skin barrier. I typically don't recommend physical exfoliants very often because it is harsh on the skin and it can tear it."

✕Nay

41%Guru Score

Perfect Derma Peel Perfect Derma Peel

"Our esthetician does a lot of the Perfect Dermapeel. It has several different ingredients in it, including a little bit of phenol at a very low concentration, so it acts almost as an anesthetic, which makes it a very comfortable peel, but it can still give you up to a week of peeling so it can still be very effective. It also has glutathione in it, so it's really good for those with hyperpigmentation, and it's been shown to be safe for lots of different skin types."

✓Yay

74%Guru Score

SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Exfoliating Peel Pads

"The AlphaRet peel pads from SkinBetter Science are a retinol style chemical peel you can do at home. They come in a little towelette you wipe on your face, and they give you a little boost above and beyond what the AlphaRet is already doing for you. Just skip your retinol on the night you use it."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Philosophy Micro-Delivery Peel Kit

"After using it, I actually really love the way my skin feels right now, it feels really smooth. I do want to stress that using this peel one time is not going to deliver incredible results for fine lines, wrinkles, and enlarged pores, but with continued use up to two times a week you will start to see results. I don't think the results the company reports are overstated, I think they're pretty modest. I'm very happy with it and I would recommend this as an at home treatment."

✓Yay

85%Guru Score

Bubble Overnight Hydrating Sleep Mask

"This overnight hydration mask is essentially just going to be a moisturizer, we make it sound more fancy by calling it a mask. Not the clay mask, but the moisturizer, this is going to be an appropriate step for a tween, just fine."

✓Yay

65%Guru Score

VI Peel

"This person had the VI Peel and they're removing the dead skin as it comes off with scissors rather than peeling it off. If you peel it off you're going to be removing the skin that isn't ready to come off yet, so just trim carefully."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Paula's Choice Glycolic Acid Leave-On Exfoliant

"Paula's Choice has a 10% glycolic acid solution that's going to be a little bit more on the aggressive side, but it's really good for exfoliating the skin. They also have an AHA BHA combination and a body lotion with glycolic acid, so there's a wide range of products available from Paula's Choice."

✓Yay

74%Guru Score

Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel Pads

"The peel pads she's using from Dr. Dennis Gross are designed to be used daily, but if you have sensitive skin I don't recommend any type of exfoliator used daily, and if you're exfoliating daily I would not recommend using a separate retinol or other exfoliating or peeling product. It's a self-neutralizing peel, and the second step has retinol, retinoic acid, and resveratrol, a lot of antioxidants along with the retinol to help reduce or prevent fine lines, wrinkles, and pigmentation."

~Mixed

70%Guru Score

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask

"This is the Water Sleeping Mask from Laneige. This one has mineral water in it, which can help to balance the skin's microbiome, and it's going to have a little bit of fragrance as well, so be careful if you're sensitive to fragrance, this may not be a great option for you. But this is kind of a boost of hydration on top of your regular moisturizer, you put it on and go right to sleep, so it's not the kind of thing you'd use as a morning moisturizer, but it's great for nighttime."

~Mixed

65%Guru Score

Retinoids9 reviews

Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1%

"This skin would improve so much with a retinol. Even just starting with over-the-counter adapalene, like Differin gel, would tighten up the pores and limit the number of blackheads he's getting. [...] Technically you could use [...] a little Differin gel on a Q-tip in the ear too."

✓Yay

94%Guru Score

Innisfree Retinol Green Tea PDRN Firming Serum

"This is where I really like the Innisfree Retinol Green Tea PDRN Firming Serum. It has a nice texture to it, as most Korean serums do, and it has a little retinol in it plus PDRN, so you're getting some peptide type action, plus green tea antioxidants to help with anti-aging."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Pro+ Regenerating Cream

"You can also try the Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair, which is available at a much lower price than the luxury retinol creams. When it comes to retinol, you do not need to pay luxury prices."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum

"You can also try the CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum, which is available at a much lower price than the luxury retinol creams. When it comes to retinol, you do not need to pay luxury prices."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream

"The $30 RoC retinol cream contains the same active ingredient, retinol, as the $300 La Mer retinol cream. Your skin cells do not really care about luxury, they care about the active ingredient, so this is a far cheaper option that does the same job."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

The Ordinary Retinol 0.2% in Squalane

"Another budget friendly option is the Ordinary 2% Retinol in Squalane. Squalane is an important lipid for your skin, so it's got ingredients to help hydrate the skin, and the Ordinary is a great budget friendly option. It's definitely not going to break the bank."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum

"This one is great for beginners because it has ceramides to help hydrate and repair the skin barrier, and it is a gentle retinol. I personally didn't see amazing results with it, but I'm an experienced retinol user and my skin has been used to retinol for about 10 years, so it was a little bit on the weak side for me. But if you're brand new to retinol, it actually is a great option."

~Mixed

74%Guru Score

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Adapalene Gel 0.1%

"La Roche-Posay also makes an Effaclar 0.1% adapalene, and it's very similar, just formulated by the La Roche-Posay scientists. It includes their thermal spring water and other ingredients to help build your microbiome. These are two really great options and my favorites to recommend for my patients who want an over the counter option that helps control their acne and can also help with oil production."

✓Yay

86%Guru Score

Naturium Retinaldehyde Cream Serum 0.5%

"These are retinaldehyde, and they're good, like anti-aging, they help with lines and wrinkles, all of that stuff."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Body & Tan6 reviews

SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Body

"AlphaRet Body from SkinBetter Science is a moisturizer with retinol specifically formulated for the body. It's not going to be as potent as the one used on the face. [...] It combines their retinoid with an alpha hydroxy acid to give effective results with minimal irritation, though it's a bit more expensive than the other body firming cream I also recommend."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Differin 2% Salicylic Acid Body Spray

"Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid that I like on the back as well, it can help get down into the pores and decongest them. It comes in sprays, which is really convenient if you can't shower right away since it's hard to reach the back. Differin makes a spray you can just hold and spray on your back to help kill some of the bacteria, get down into the pores a bit, and remove some of the oil and sweat and dirt that accumulates."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Eucerin Advanced Repair Lotion

"The Eucerin Advanced Repair Lotion is a great body moisturizer. It has five percent urea in it, which is more than double what your own urine produces, and it's not going to make you smell bad. In addition to the urea, it has other beneficial ingredients like ceramide three and other natural moisturizing factors that actually help hydrate your skin and contain the lipids your skin barrier needs. If you just have dry skin and need a good moisturizer, the Eucerin is going to be a great option."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream

"Neutrogena Norwegian Formula is a good hand cream. It's really really hydrating."

✓Yay

92%Guru Score

CeraVe SA Lotion for Rough and Bumpy Skin

"If the CeraVe Acne Control Wash is a little drying or irritating for you, you can use CeraVe SA instead. It has a lower percentage of salicylic acid, low enough that they don't disclose the percent on the bottle, but it would still provide some efficacy for acne, especially if you have very sensitive skin. Like all CeraVe products it has ceramides and MVE technology, so it's hydrating and tends to be less irritating than generic products."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

Naturium Skin Renewing Retinol Body Lotion

"This is the skin renewing lotion from Naturium. It's a great brand. This is a retinal body lotion so it's good for smoothing the skin."

✓Yay

74%Guru Score

Tech5 reviews

Qure Q-Rejuvalight LED Mask

"The Cure Red Light Mask is a really good brand, very popular and reputable, with scientific studies to back it up. I have that one at home and I've recommended it frequently to my patients. It has enough high quality lights in there to get the benefits of red light, you just have to use it consistently, once a day every day."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

Qure Micro Infusion System

"I have here the Cure Micro Infusion System, and this is the one product that I think is superior to any other at-home product. [...] You get the bottle, and when you take it off you've got tiny little needles that only go 0.25 millimeters into the skin, but it delivers a solution as it does that can help with fine lines, wrinkles, and pigmentation. You use a new bottle of solution every time and a new tip every time, so you're not having to clean it, and these come in sterile packaging."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

CurrentBody Skin LED Hair Growth Helmet

"When you use this as your third layer on top of the foundational treatments and the medical treatments, it's a really smart addition to your hair loss treatment regimen. [...] It actually fits comfortably on the scalp, you get full coverage from the LEDs, [...] and it has built-in Bluetooth speakers, which [...] makes it a lot easier to actually stick with. [...] For me, the Current Body helmet checks these boxes easily."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Ulike ReGlow LED Mask

"The reflective technology on the inside means as much of the light as possible reaches your skin. The battery pack that it comes with means that I'm not tethered to a wall. [...] LED therapy is one of those things where consistency is everything [...] and for me, this one fits easily into my routine. [...] The Ulike ReGlow mask is FDA cleared and has 272 LEDs, which is [...] double what most other competing masks have. More LEDs mean more coverage, more intensity, and faster results."

✓Yay

Notverified

Ulike Air 10 IPL Hair Removal Device

"The Ulike Air 10 IPL is absolutely one of the better at home IPL devices that I've tested, primarily because of the safety features and the ice cooling technology. It's not going to replace professional treatments, but it is a solid option for hair reduction if you are the right candidate. The price point of $399 puts it in the premium category for at home devices, but when you compare it to the cost of professional treatments, it's reasonable if you're committed to using it."

✓Yay

Notverified

Balms & Ointments4 reviews

Protopic Protopic (Tacrolimus Ointment)

"Tacrolimus ointment is another one in that same family."

✓Yay

83%Guru Score

Vaseline Original Healing Jelly

"The problem with slugging isn't necessarily the Vaseline itself, it's that people don't understand what Vaseline is used for and how to use it properly on their skin. A lot of people just don't know what they're doing, which is the case with a lot of TikTok trends."

~Mixed

85%Guru Score

CeraVe Healing Ointment

"The CeraVe Healing Ointment is the favorite in my family, my wife and kids use it all the time on every cut, scrape, or dry skin area. It's primarily petroleum jelly, but it comes in a tube so you can squeeze out just what you need instead of dipping your fingers into a jar. It also contains ceramides, which are important lipids and proteins for your skin barrier to function properly."

✓Yay

87%Guru Score

Neosporin Neosporin

"Dermatologists hate Neosporin. It wasn't developed or recommended by dermatology. Neomycin, one of its main ingredients, was named the contact allergen of the year, so a certain percentage of people who use it become allergic to it. I've seen this so many times in the clinic where somebody just had surgery, put Neosporin on against our advice, and became allergic to it."

✕Nay

31%Guru Score

Acne3 reviews

Cetaphil Gentle Clear Mattifying Acne Moisturizer Salicylic Acid Treatment

"The Cetaphil Mattifying Acne Moisturizer has a 0.5% salicylic acid, so it helps leave a matte finish on the skin, and it has ingredients to help remove excess oil and directly treat acne. It's okay to use in this routine and should play well with your retinol. It's designed to be a lightweight moisturizer that doesn't sit too heavy on the skin."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Neutrogena Stubborn Acne AM Treatment 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide

"Neutrogena also makes a really good benzoyl peroxide product that I recommend often to my patients who are looking for a non-irritating over the counter option. That product is called the Stubborn Acne AM Treatment, and it's widely available on Amazon or Target or pretty much anywhere."

✓Yay

77%Guru Score

CeraVe Acne Control Gel with Salicylic Acid

"For salicylic acid, if you've got oily skin, get a lot of blackheads, or have texture and congested pores, I think this is the smartest pick. It's a chemical exfoliant that gets down into the pore a little more, which makes it great for clearing out the gunk that turns into breakouts. [...] For this one, I would usually recommend the CeraVe Acne Control Gel, a 2% salicylic acid that you can apply and leave on the face."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Eye Care3 reviews

RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream

"The skin around your eyelids can still benefit from using a retinol as long as it's properly formulated for that eyelid skin, with lower concentrations than what you'd use on your face, and it can help with dark circles and increase skin thickness. I often recommend the RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream in my clinic."

✓Yay

78%Guru Score

SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Eye Cream

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Plus Caffeine Eye Gel Cream

"If the dark appearance is due to prominent blood vessels, there's a really inexpensive caffeine-based eye cream that's easily available at pretty much any drugstore, the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Plus Caffeine Eye Gel Cream. Most Neutrogena products are under fifteen dollars, this one might be a little closer to twenty."

✓Yay

82%Guru Score

Lip3 reviews

Prequel Lip Visor Sunscreen SPF 30

"The one I have here is Prequil, the Lip Visor sunscreen broad spectrum SPF 30. Many different lip products do not give you SPF 30 protection, but the Prequil lip visor does."

✓Yay

81%Guru Score

Remedy Lip Balm

"It's sixteen dollars, definitely more expensive than your average chapstick, but it's definitely a better product than your average chapstick. I do like this product very much and I'm definitely going to keep using it. If you get great results from plain Vaseline or Aquaphor, there's probably not a big reason you need to switch unless you just want to support the mission of the company."

✓Yay

70%Guru Score

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask

"This is the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, and it's just going to help hydrate the lips before you go to bed. You could use plain Vaseline here too, but this is a really popular product, people like the flavor. There's a little fragrance in there, so if you have bad perioral dermatitis you may not tolerate it, but she's doing well with it, no issues with the routine at this point."

~Mixed

73%Guru Score

Mists & Essences2 reviews

COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence

"This is the advanced snail mucin serum from CosRX. All of their products contain snail mucin and it sounds kind of gross but it's actually really good for your skin, it's very very hydrating."

✓Yay

76%Guru Score

VT PDRN Essence 100

"The PDRN essence is packed with vegan PDRN from Korean wild ginseng. It's got multiple types of hyaluronic acid and peptides. The idea here is the Reedle shot opens the door and the PDRN walks through it to deliver barrier support and glow where it actually counts."

✓Yay

79%Guru Score

Supplements2 reviews

Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides with Amino Acids, Iron and Protein

"I personally take Vital Proteins. It's not terribly expensive."

✓Yay

67%Guru Score

Inner Glow Soul Defense Gummies

"These are the Inner Glow Soul Defense Gummies, one of many over the counter supplements that have polypodium leucotomos in them, an antioxidant extract from a fern. When you take it about 30 minutes before you're going to be in the sun, it helps prevent sunburn and damage from the sun, though it's not a substitute for sunscreen. Inner Glow vitamins are formulated by a dermatologist, they're gummies, and they taste amazing. You should take that one home."

✓Yay

84%Guru Score

Toners2 reviews

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution

"If you want chemical exfoliation, I recommend starting off with over the counter products containing salicylic acid or glycolic acid in low concentrations, like The Ordinary Glycolic Toner. These are formulated for at home use, the pH is appropriate, and the concentration is such that it won't send you to the ER."

✓Yay

73%Guru Score

The INKEY List Glycolic Acid Toning Solution

"The Inkey List also has a glycolic acid toner, and that's going to come in at a really great price point compared to Paula's Choice. It's still not terribly expensive with Paula's Choice, but you are going to save money by going with the Inkey List."

✓Yay

80%Guru Score

Powder & Setting1 review

Rare Beauty True to Myself Tinted Pressed Finishing Powder

"I like Rare Beauty, but these are more makeup products, [...] probably not necessary for a tween, and it's definitely influenced because she couldn't even pronounce them."

~Mixed

68%Guru Score

Tools1 review

Solawave 4-in-1 Radiant Renewal Skincare Wand

"Do you need red light therapy in your routine? The short answer is no, but it can be a nice thing to add on. Don't look to red light to solve all your skin's problems, if you're not wearing sunscreen every day, exfoliating in some manner, and using vitamin C in the morning, you're not going to see a ton of benefit from it. This is a really popular device and it's not terribly expensive, especially compared to some LED masks that cost close to five hundred dollars."

~Mixed

52%Guru Score

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