The Ordinary just launched a Caffeine 3% + Escin 1% Face Serum, and the name will trip a few people up. This is not the Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG you reach for under tired eyes. It’s a face serum,…
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What Is Ectoin If you have spent any time on this blog, you know I have little patience for ingredients that seem to exist purely for the algorithm. My roundups on retinoids, vitamin C, and barrier repair products for overexfoliated…
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What a year. If you’d told me in December 2024 that 2025 would unfold like this, I probably would have skipped the whole eating-12-grapes-under-the-table-at-midnight ritual in Connecticut for good luck. Clearly, the grapes were feeling bold. What was meant to…
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At the risk of sounding like a snob and a half, The Ordinary continues to be the epitome of a mixed bag for me. I love the clinical aesthetic and fully support the concept, but only every fifth product I…
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Smoothing and soothing are technically skincare opposites. And opposites attract. Here’s how I combine the two for best results. When it comes to my own skincare efforts, smoothing almost always comes before soothing. My skin isn’t naturally sensitive, so I…
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To be fair, Argan Oil should rightfully take credit for the single ingredient facial oil craze that began over a decade ago. This skincare enthusiast, however, had never been persuaded by what the New York Times once referred to as…
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The Ordinary built its reputation on a simple premise: effective ingredients at prices that make the rest of the industry look embarrassed. No elaborate packaging, no inflated claims, no markup that requires a second mortgage. Just straightforward formulas with active…
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