After a week of scrolling through hundreds of Nordstrom beauty deals, I’ve officially determined that the best savings are in the body care section. And you know what? As they should be. I’m relishing in walking around New York City in my favorite long shorts and summer dresses, with weekends spent at the beach to soak up all that delicious sunshine while we still can. That means my skin from head to toe is seeing more environmental exposure (and, sadly, sun damage), so nourishing and repairing products are a must. From hand creams that leave me looking like I just came from a luxury manicure to foot masks that pamper my tired heels after a day of traipsing around the city, the best body care deals at the 2026 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale will leave you looking and feeling like a summer siren—glowy, hydrated, and utterly relaxed.

Keep scrolling for the 10 body products I’m scooping up during this year’s sale.

From Hand to Toe

Your feet and hands take a beating during the summer months, so it’s the ideal time to indulge in a few targeted treatments to soften and smooth the skin.

Cream de la Cream

I always, always, always apply lotion after a shower, no matter the season, and—not to brag—everyone always comments on how soft my skin feels. Just saying…

Sunshine Staples

Summer means more sun exposure, obviously, so restocking my body SPF is non-negotiable. Remember—UV damage is the number one cause of premature skin aging!

Smell You Later

Listen, I’m a sweaty gal, and that’s okay—it means I regulate my body temperature like a pro. But I also don’t mess around with my deodorant, which is why I’m buying a few refills during the sale so I’m always well-stocked.

Wash the Day Away

Is there anything better than a refreshing shower after a day out in the sun and heat? I’m making sure my bathroom is stocked up with my go-to body washes to help my shower feel like a luxury spa experience.

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Building an effective skincare routine used to mean applying sunscreen in the morning and maybe a retinol at night. Now? It can feel like you need to be a biotech major just to shop for an anti-aging serum. Ingredient lists sound more at home in medical journals than Sephora aisles as brands continually embrace science-heavy ingredients—think PDRN, copper peptides, and exosomes—and it’s on us to figure out which innovations are genuinely legitimate versus simply well marketed. Growth factors are the latest craze in this category, popping up in luxury-leaning serums and medical-grade moisturizers (often accompanied by eye-watering price tags). The promise? Brighter, smoother, more resilient skin. But do they actually deliver?

To see if growth factors are truly pulling their weight, I consulted dermatologists and a plastic surgeon to uncover everything there is to know about the buzzy ingredient. Ahead, you’ll discover what growth factors are exactly, their key benefits, and if they’re worth the investment.

What Are Growth Factors?

Growth factors aren’t just a hyped up skincare ingredient in fancy serums. According to Daniel Gould, MD, PhD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California, they’re naturally occurring signaling proteins that are called into action when your skin’s in need of repair. “They tell cells what to do, like divide, move, build collagen, or heal,” he says.

The mechanism is similar when they’re applied topically. Brendan Camp, MD, a double board-certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist at MDCS Dermatology in New York City and Long Island, likens them to text messages between your skin cells. “These ‘text messages’ target separate aspects of your skin,” such as repairing the skin barrier or producing collagen, “yet they work together to produce balanced, beautiful, and healthy results,” he says.

What Are the Different Types of Growth Factors?

The key types of growth factors, meaning the ones you’ll most frequently see in skincare formulations, include epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF). “EGF primarily works on epidermal cells in the outer layers of the skin, helping support skin renewal, barrier repair, and overall skin texture,” says Kseniya Kobets, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and director of cosmetic dermatology at Montefiore Einstein Advanced Care. “FGF works deeper in the dermis on fibroblasts—the cells responsible for producing collagen and elastin—so it is more closely associated with firmness, elasticity, and structural support.”

While some formulations rely on one or the other, some include both—not to mention a host of other regenerative powerhouses. “Some contain a mixture of growth factors, cytokines, peptides, conditioned media, or exosome-derived signaling molecules designed to mimic the complex communication network involved in wound healing and skin rejuvenation,” Dr. Kobets explains. It’s also common for growth factor products to pack hydrating and barrier-supporting ingredients you’re more familiar with, including hyaluronic acid, glycerin, niacinamide, and ceramides. At the end of the day, Dr. Kobets says it’s best to evaluate the overall formulation versus whether a given product contains EGF, FGF, or both.

How Are Growth Factors Sourced?

According to Dr. Gould, there are three primary sources of growth factors. First up are human-derived growth factors, which come from cultured fibroblasts, fetal foreskin fibroblasts, or platelets. These are the most-studied types, not to mention closest match to what our own skin produces naturally. Next are recombinant growth factors, which are lab-made using bacteria or yeast. “They are purified, defined, and consistent from batch to batch, and they can be very effective,” says Dr. Gould. There are also plant-derived growth factors, but Dr. Gould says the science behind them is weak. “Plants do not have the same signaling biology that humans do, plant growth factors lack receptor homology to human skin cells, and the evidence that they provide meaningful benefit is thin,” he says.

Your best bet is to read the fine print and opt for human-derived or lab-made growth factors. Just be warned, however, that they tend to be pretty pricey—oftentimes climbing up to three figures. “With some growth factor products, a higher price tag is warranted due to complex production and premium costs associated with sourcing them,” says Dr. Camp. “Growth factors are incredibly delicate and require biotechnological processes to ensure they remain stable and effective.” That said, a high price tag won’t guarantee a quality product. Dr. Camp advises considering brand legitimacy and prioritizing formulas with proven clinical results.

What Are the Skincare Benefits of Growth Factors?

Growth factors are primarily used to support collagen production, improve skin texture, soften fine lines, and enhance the overall quality, function, and repair of your skin, says Dr. Kobets. “They can also help support barrier recovery and may improve the appearance of photodamage [e.g., wrinkles and sun spots] over time,” she adds.

Growth factors are especially beneficial when used alongside in-office treatments such as microneedling and fractional laser resurfacing. Such treatments create controlled micro-injuries in the skin, which triggers a wound-healing response. Not only do growth factors help prep the skin to become more resilient before the procedure but also support recovery afterwards. “Growth factors are naturally involved in that healing cascade, so applying them during the recovery phase may help support tissue repair and optimize results,” says Dr. Kobets.

According to Dr. Camp, they can even enhance recovery after certain surgeries. “Because growth factors specifically target areas of the skin that need repair, they work efficiently to accelerate healing and improve complexion,” he says.

Who Should Use Growth Factors?

Dr. Gould explains that ideal candidates to use growth factors include adults over 30 who have thin or compromised skin and could use ongoing collagen support. Since they’re gentle, growth factors are also a solid choice for those seeking anti-aging benefits but can’t tolerate stronger actives like retinoids or exfoliating acids, adds Dr. Kobets. However, since they support the skin barrier, using them alongside these heavy hitters can make your skin more readily accept them.

How Do You Use Growth Factors?

Convinced that it’s time to add growth factors to your lineup? Some good news: Unlike some other actives, they’re refreshingly low maintenance and work with just about every other skincare product.

For best results, Dr. Gould suggests using a growth factor serum twice daily. In the morning, apply it after cleansing and a vitamin C serum and before your moisturizer and SPF. In the evening, apply it in between a retinoid or exfoliating acid (never both) and your moisturizer. And if you’re using a growth factor moisturizer, you don’t need another EGF serum in your lineup.

Once you start using them, it’s possible to notice increased hydration immediately after use—namely if the formula contains humectants and barrier-boosting ingredients. However, Dr. Kobets says that you’ll need some patience to experience more significant results. “Early improvements in radiance and skin smoothness may become noticeable within four to six weeks, while meaningful changes in texture, fine lines, and overall skin quality typically take closer to two to three months of consistent use,” she says.

The Bottom Line on Growth Factors

While growth factors aren’t new, they’re becoming more common in science-driven formulas to support resilient, youthful-looking skin over time. They’re trendy enough to power luxury launches, yet backed by enough science that dermatologists continue to praise them. Just don’t expect Botox in a bottle.

All said, Dr. Kobets says growth factors should be viewed as additional skin communicators rather than miracle ingredients. “Unlike fillers or neuromodulators, growth factor products are not quick fixes,” she says. “They’re a long-term skin health investment.” And the best results won’t come from patting on an EGF serum and calling it a day. Instead, pair it alongside tried-and-true standards—including your morning sunscreen and antioxidants plus nightly retinoids—and maybe the occasional in-office rejuvenation procedure. In time, the team effort should pave the way toward your most coveted complexion goals.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Experts

Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peek into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

Lindsay Schiffman is a 29-year-old woman living in NYC. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2025 and underwent breast reconstruction in July 2026. This is her story, as told to Marie Claire, edited for length and clarity.

I got engaged in July 2025. We met out East, and he proposed in Amagansett, on the beach, three summers later. I had never been happier.

Just after Labor Day, I felt a lump in my armpit. To reason with myself, I repeated: the lump is so far from my boob. I’m 28. I’m strong and healthy. I’m planning a wedding. I’ve booked a band, a venue, and a photographer. My engagement party is in a few weeks. Maybe I was just coming down with something?

But I knew that the BRCA gene runs in my family. My grandfather was BRCA positive, as is my mom. I was telling my fiancé’s sister, who is an OBGYN in Chicago, about the lump I felt. From the keywords I was using (small, hard, unmoving, painless), she immediately urged me to get an MRI. Everything moved very quickly from there—scans, biopsies, doctors' offices all over the city. Three days before our engagement party, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

We still celebrated. I also asked how quickly I could schedule my double mastectomy.

My doctors told me, This is not a boob job. This is a life-saving surgery. That mindset switch was essential. I was no longer focused on aesthetics, but on surviving. I had spent so many years caring about appearances, but a diagnosis like this rearranges your priorities very, very quickly, and there’s some degree of detachment that happens subconsciously as a temporary coping mechanism more than anything.

Some women considering prophylactic double mastectomies discuss the procedure as a cosmetic one. In reality, it’s everything but—and I actually think it’s dangerous to speak about mastectomies in that way. Choosing a mastectomy is a sign of strength, courage, and self-preservation. It’s also a profound privilege, and one I don’t take for granted, to have access to a surgery capable of saving your life. That being said… did I want to go a little bigger? Of course. I’ll happily take my new 295 cc's as my present at the end of this very long, difficult road.

The Double Mastectomy

Finding the right team of doctors, ones I could wholeheartedly trust, was essential. During a DMX, the breast surgeon first performs the life-saving technique of removing all the breast tissue, and then the plastic surgeon focuses on the cosmetics of it all. Funny enough, I was referred to my plastic surgeon, Steven Sultan, MD, who I quickly learned was the son of Dr. Mark Sultan, who did my mom’s prophylactic double mastectomy 10 years ago. It runs in the family.

During my double mastectomy surgery, Dr. Sultan did the cosmetic stitching and placed my tissue expanders, which I had for eight months of treatment. “After a mastectomy, one of the main things we worry about is the blood flow to the skin—in a lot of cases, if we were to put in a full-size implant right away, it would threaten the skin by stretching it. A tissue expander is a temporary implant that’s only partially inflated, and that allows us to let the skin rest and recover,” explains Dr. Sultan.

Recovery from this surgery was intense—I felt like I was hit by a truck. I spent two nights in the hospital; I couldn’t lift my arms and had to take two weeks off of work. On top of recovery, I quickly began the process of two back-to-back rounds of egg freezing to preserve embryos before I began treatment.

Treatment

Because my tumor was so small, I was a candidate to undergo my DMX before treatment. Knowing that the tumor had been physically removed from my body brought a wave of relief. But that was just step one. In December, I began 16 round of treatment. I started with four, bi-weekly chemotherapy session. Once that was complete, I had 12, less-intense weekly infusions. Cold capping—which is a cooling treatment that’s worn on the scalp before, during and after treatments in an effort to minimize hair loss—made my treatment days eight hours long.

Because I had the tissue expanders in place from my DMX, we gradually filled them several times throughout treatment until I reached a size that felt right for me. “In the office, we actually put a needle into a port in the expander, right through the skin. We inject fluid over the course of a couple weeks, and it reinflates the implants, stretching the skin into a pretty shape,” adds Dr. Sultan.

Aesthetically, they looked like boobs. I have bikini photos in them. But physically, they feel much harder, although you wouldn’t realize that unless you hugged me. They were a little uncomfortable, but never painful.

Mindset throughout treatment was everything. Staying positive, doing Pilates, keeping movement in my body. I didn’t want to miss a day of work. My schedule was so important, and maintaining a sense of normalcy was what kept me going.

My bridesmaids group chat turned into a support group. They are the ones who truly carried me through. We called it The Climb, because for the first few months I couldn’t even say the word “cancer.” There was so much joy and love—we made a playlist for the last day of treatment, and when I walked out of the hospital, all of my friends were standing there, blasting it. I felt every emotion that one could feel. It was the most joyous, exciting, and empowering day. But finishing treatment is also incredibly scary. For months, I was in this cocoon of doctors and nurses watching over me. I went from having blood work every week to suddenly having nothing. I had heard that when the physical work ends, the emotional work begins.

Having my reconstruction to look forward to felt like a light at the end of the tunnel. In many ways, I knew it would really mark the end of this chapter and the beginning of the next, which is more about survivorship than active treatment.

The Reconstruction

Although your plastic surgeon is only one piece of the puzzle, Dr. Sultan has supported me since my double mastectomy. Weekly check-ins, occasional expander inflation—he even dropped in to say hi on one of my treatment days. Leading up to my reconstruction, we had a pre-op appointment where we reviewed what was to come and how it all goes down. My understanding was that in the grand scheme of things, reconstruction was a much more palatable surgery than my initial mastectomy.

One of the strangest parts of reconstruction is being presented with all of these implants and actually holding them in your hands. They don’t speak in terms of A-cups or B-cups - it’s all 225cc, 295cc, or whatever Kylie says. Even crazier, when you’re under, the surgeon may try several different sizes before determining what looks best. You do not really know what size you will wake up with, so you really have to trust your doctor. My final direction right before I went under was “tasteful oomph.” That was the vision.

At the beginning of this journey, I couldn’t even have blood drawn without lying down and recovering afterward with apple juice. So I never imagined there would come a day when I would say I was excited for surgery. But by then, I was ready. When I woke up, my mom said I couldn’t stop smiling. No drains this time around, nipple preservation, lollipop scars. Dr. Sultan was able to reopen the same incisions from my mastectomy. I carry other physical reminders of cancer—like the scar by my armpit from my axillary dissection where they removed some of my lymph nodes—but the scars on my breasts are nearly invisible.

The Recovery

Compared to my first surgery, recovery felt like a breeze. I woke up, and I was like, let’s go. I had surgery on a Monday, and by Tuesday I was shopping on the Upper East Side with my mom. I don’t want to say it was easy, because getting implants is still a major surgery. But after everything my body has endured, this recovery felt less like another mountain to climb. It was such a relief.

I am just so happy. For the first time in a long time, I feel like my body is mine again. I know I will never be the girl I was before this experience, but I’m beginning to live like a normal 29-year-old again. I’m traveling. I’m re-planning my wedding. I’m thinking about the future again. I could have cried every day in bed for the past eight months, or I could have gotten up and said, This sucks, but let’s move forward—one day at a time. I just caught my breath, looked up, and realized I’m living again.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Expert

As a beauty editor, I stalk skincare deals for a living, and this year's Nordstrom Anniversary Sale might take the cake. An overall theme? The selection is packed with products guaranteed to deliver a glass-skin complexion—but the term is more than one of skincare’s favorite buzzwords. "Glass skin" comes from the Korean beauty philosophy, where the goal is skin that looks so hydrated and smooth that it is at its healthiest, glowing state—no strategically placed highlighter required. The effect results from consistency and formulas that prioritize moisture and barrier health over quick fixes. And because that's the secret to incredible skin, that got me thinking: Which products in this year's sale fit into that approach?

As I scrolled through the sale, I realized that while most of the brands aren’t Korean, many of the products embrace that same skincare philosophy. (Plenty of American brands have now borrowed a page out of K-beauty's playbook.) I found deeply hydrating serums, barrier-supporting moisturizers, gentle exfoliants that help create a smoother-looking surface, and sunscreen to protect all of that hard work.

And, of course, there’s one of my all-time favorite K-beauty brands in the mix. Whether you’re committed to glass skin or simply want your complexion to look fresher and more luminous, these are the eight deals I’d actually shop at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.

Best Nordstrom Anniversary Deals for Glass Skin

• Best Essence for Glass Skin: Shiseido Eudermine Hydrate & Brighten Set
• Best Firming Serum for Glass Skin: Sulwhasoo Jumbo First Care Activating Serum
• Best Exfoliant for Glass Skin: Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare The Peel Vault Gift Set
• Best Moisturizer for Glass Skin: Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream Jumbo
• Best for Mature Glass Skin: Dr. Diamond's Metacine Instafacial Plasma Bioactive Growth Factor Serum
• Best SPF for Glass Skin: Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Jumbo Duo
• Best Cleansing Balm for Glass Skin: Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm
• Best Body Care for Glass Skin: L'Occitane Showered in Almond Gift Set

Best Essence for Glass Skin

Best Firming Serum for Glass Skin

Best Exfoliant for Glass Skin

Best Moisturizer for Glass Skin

Best for Mature Glass Skin

Best Sunscreen for Glass Skin

Best Cleansing Balm for Glass Skin

Best Body Care for Glass Skin

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Every summer, as temperatures and hemlines rise, our legs face public exposure and, often, our private scrutiny. One focus of that thorough examination, particularly as women age, are leg veins. To be clear, this is not a new fixation. Women have never not had visible leg veins (in the Ebers Papyrus, an ancient Egyptian medical text dating to 1550 BC, they’re referred to as “serpentine windings”) and we’ve never not subjected ourselves to various, sometimes grisly, treatments to try to get rid of them. From surgical removal to phlebectomy (where a doctor makes an incision and then uses a hooked tool to pull out a vein, formerly without anesthesia) to iron or iodine injections, to “stripping” procedures using steel wires, vein treatments have historically come with a lot of pain and little gain.

Thanks in large part to our modern (read, increasingly sedentary) lifestyles, leg veins remain a major issue, but how we address them has, thankfully, evolved dramatically. Here’s everything you need to know about treating visible leg veins, straight from the professionals.

What Are Leg Veins?

The veins in your legs have one-way valves, working against gravity, that keep the blood flowing back toward the heart, says Christine Chung, MD, a clinical associate professor and director of the NYU Langone Vein Center in Long Island, NY. Over time, those valves can weaken or become damaged, causing blood to pool in the lower legs.

“As we age, just like we get wrinkles, the walls of our veins and the valves inside them naturally become less elastic and less efficient,” says Hugh Pabarue, MD, a physician and vein specialist at Metro Vein Centers in the Midwest. “Think of it like a door hinge that has been used thousands of times; after a while it may not close as tightly as it once did.” Those faulty hinges often manifest as two kinds of leg veins, spider and varicose, which vary in size, appearance and severity. Spider veins are small, wispy red, blue or purple veins that appear close to the skin’s surface and can look like a faint spider web (hence the name). “Often they are simply a cosmetic issue, but sometimes they can be associated with bleeding, itching or discomfort,” says Dr. Chung. Varicose veins are larger, twisted bulging veins deeper below the skin’s surface which, says Dr. Chung, are associated with leg aching, heaviness, swelling, itching, and tiredness. Their appearance, adds Dr. Pabarue, can indicate an underlying circulation problem.

Why Do We Develop Visible Leg Veins?

While men are not immune to developing leg veins, women experience them in far greater numbers. Dr. Pabarue points to a number of reasons why, including hormonal changes that can affect vein walls and valve function, while hormonal fluctuation during menstruation, pregnancy and menopause can contribute to vein enlargement. Pregnancy can be a particularly prone time, with blood volume increasing and a growing uterus placing extra pressure on leg veins, but they can, says Dr. Chung, improve postpartum. Genetics also play a big role in determining your vein risk factor.

“If your mother or father had them, you’re likely to get them too,” says Macrene Alexiades, MD, a dermatologist in New York City who treats veins. The other factors that can lead to the development of veins or venous insufficiency (when veins have trouble sending blood to the heart) are often related to our diet and lifestyle, two things that have changed significantly since the days of “serpentine windings.” Prolonged sitting or standing and a very sedentary lifestyle with little exercise can set veins on a crash course. “The muscles in the legs are less active to pump the blood from the veins back to the heart,” Dr. Chung explains. Increased weight can put extra pressure on your venous system, she adds, while tobacco can damage vein walls. A high sodium diet can also lead to fluid retention and swelling.

How Can I Minimize Leg Veins?

Luckily, there are many different ways to get rid of pesky leg veins. Whether veins pose a health or cosmetic concern, there are a number of ways, with varying degrees of pain and commitment (both financial and timewise) to address them.

The Lifestyle Shifts

To prevent veins from getting worse and new ones from forming, staying active is key. If work requires you to stand or sit for much of the day, try to find a balance. If you sit for work, elevate the legs and stand and walk every hour, says Dr. Pabarue. If you stand for work, shift positions frequently, and take walking breaks whenever you can squeeze them in. “Simple leg exercises at your desk, such as calf raises, can also keep the blood moving,” says Dr. Chung. If you’re a leg crosser, balance that too. “Make sure you’re not putting excessive pressure on one of the lateral vessels on a regular basis by crossing in the same direction all the time,” says Dr. Alexiades.

Maintaining a healthy weight, staying hydrated and eating a diet rich in fruit, vegetables and fiber all help with vein health as well. So can wearing compression socks regularly, a therapy that has been used by physicians for centuries. “Compression socks (if they are graduated and medical grade) apply the strongest pressure at the ankle, with pressure gradually decreasing up the leg,” says Anna Zahn, founder of cult body sculpting destination Ricari Studios, which makes branded compression socks. “This targeted compression optimizes blood circulation by directing flow through narrower channels toward the heart which reduces pooling in the lower limbs.” Doctors agree that wearing a pair during prolonged periods of sitting or standing, and on flights, can help manage and improve veins but they won’t cure them, notes Dr. Chung.

The In-Office Treatment

Surface lasers (which usually require several sessions and feel like a warm rubber-band snap) can do the trick for tiny spider veins, says Dr. Pabarue. Larger spider veins and smaller varicose veins (called reticular veins) often respond to sclerotherapy, whereby a chemical solution is injected causing the vein walls to stick together and eventually be absorbed by the body, says Dr. Parabue, adding that it feels like a series of small pinches. Post-treatment, patients can return to normal activities immediately.

To treat larger varicose veins, Dr. Chung suggests radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or endovenous laser therapy (EVLT) which both use ultrasound-guided heat (from radiofrequency or laser energy, respectively) and are performed under local anesthesia, addressing one vein per procedure. Patients often describe the pain more as pressure, says Dr. Chung, and they are able to return to regular activities in a few days. The most invasive option, a stab phlebectomy, has been refined to be infinitely more tolerated in the centuries since it was first introduced. The procedure still uses a small hook to remove the vein, but, says Chung, the incisions are tiny, require no stitches, and it’s performed with local anesthesia and sometimes sedation for maximum comfort. Any swelling or bruising usually resolves in a few days.

The Topical Route

If the thought of vein treatments makes you squeamish, consider a camouflage approach instead. “One of the most underrated benefits of spray tanning is for veins,” says Erika Vasco, founder of The Tan Edit, adding that it works best on mild spider veins and flat surface veins. “A spray tan lays a unified veil of color over the skin that smooths and evens out the complexion.” Pain factor? Zero.

Are There Risks to Ignoring Leg Veins?

For those with mild to moderate leg veins there are no dangerous risks to ignoring them, says Chung. If patients have serious venous disease, such as venous ulcers, that’s another story, she adds, and ignoring them can lead to infections and other serious consequences. No matter what your level of leg vein symptoms, they tend to grow worse with age, says Pabarue. But if you’re diligent with compression sock use, weight management, exercise and leg elevation, you can manage vein symptoms and prevent them from getting worse—a routine that makes a visible difference.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Experts

It’s the thick of summer, and if you, like me, refuse to smell anything other than completely magnificent, then I have something to tell you: Frédéric Malle has extended its Acne Studios collaboration to include two brand new formulas.

​While I don’t typically subscribe to any fragrance rules, I do find myself gravitating toward fresher, cleaner, and even citrus scent profiles in the summer months. That’s exactly why the creation of the body wash and milk formulas in the popular Acne Studios scent caught my attention immediately. The fragrance that resulted from the collaboration between the two houses is a perfect scent for the sweltering summer heat that is blanketing New York City right now. Aldehydes, rose, peach, vanilla, and more combine to create a slightly fruity but extremely soapy scent that makes me feel like I just stepped out of the shower for the entire life cycle of the perfume.

​With the new body care formulas readily available to layer with, I expect this already beast-mode scent to become nuclear when I stack all three products back to back. With that being said, if you’ve never tried the perfume and don’t want to commit quite yet, the body care formulas are a fantastic way to get in on one of my favorite summer scents. Keep reading to see my full review of both the body wash and milk, plus a few of my other favorite products from the esteemed house of Frédéric Malle.

What Do the Acne Studios by Frédéric Malle Body Care Formulas Feel Like?

As the name suggests, the Body Milk is a much lighter formula than a traditional lotion. While that means it sinks into the skin much faster, don’t let that lead you to believe the scent is affected at all. In fact, the fragrance is so strong that you can dab a bit on your pulse points like you would a traditional eau de parfum, and the scent trail you’d leave behind would still be unbeatable.

​For the body wash, the same rules apply. There is an overdose of the peachy, aldehydic fragrance that is the signature of this collection. When using in the shower, note that a little goes a very long way, as you can see in the video's viscous, thick texture. It doesn’t have the most bubbly lather; however, the formula does make my skin feel clean without completely stripping it of moisture, all without compromising the mouthwatering scent.

What Ingredients Are in the Acne Studios by Frédéric Malle Body Care Formulas?

There are a few standout ingredients across both launches that lead me to believe that these formulas are wonderful for a wide range of skin types. The body wash has hexylene glycol, which is acne-safe and acts as a penetration booster, helping the soap's cleaning agents penetrate a bit better. There are also oat amino acids, which help to condition the skin, and castor oil, which acts as an emollient to keep the barrier moisturized.

​As for the body milk, a myriad of oils like sweet almond and safflower seed keep the formula nourishing, while butylene glycol helps with retaining moisture to keep the skin looking soft and supple. Both formulas are applied like any other body care product: the body wash is used in the shower and can be applied with a washcloth, African net sponge, or loofah, and the body milk can be used either in place of or paired with a thicker lotion.

Is the Frédéric Malle Acne Studios Body Care Collection Worth It?

In short, these new formulas are exactly what this line needed, and this launch was timed perfectly. Acne Studios for Frédéric Malle is the perfect summer scent, especially for anyone who wants to smell sweet, clean, and a little fruity without having to put on three different perfumes. Each olfactive journey is so distinct, but when they all mingle at the end of the day, the result leaves you smelling fresh and inviting.

​This line isn’t the only thing that Frédéric Malle has become known for, so keep reading to see a few of my other favorite products from the brand. Expect compliments and thank me later.

More Frédéric Malle Products I Love

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For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Although I work in the media sector, it’s rather rare that I get excited to meet a celebrity. All that nonchalance went out the window when I met Hilary Duff for the first time. Not only is she one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met, but she looks incredible. And not in a flippant way. I mean, everything about her looks ridiculously good. Her hair, her nails, her teeth. She looks just like she did on my TV screen growing up, and when I finally saw her in person, the nostalgia hit me like a freight train.

​I’m sure this isn’t a unique experience. In fact, I’m certain because that was exactly the vibe that Bath and Body Works was channeling when the brand decided to partner with her for its new Fruit Fusions line. “It felt like the perfect partnership because one: I want to look like that all the time,” Duff told me in a recent sit-down, cheekily pointing to the campaign she shot with the brand that was playing on a screen behind her. “But also Bath and Body Works is such a fun brand that many people, including myself, have grown up with.”

​Not only is this collaboration a meeting of two icons, but I also got a chance to use the products from the new line, and I have to say: these are some of the best scents that have come from Bath and Body Works in a while. Both Duff and I share an affinity for the Tangerine Twirl mist, but for even more insight on the singer’s beauty routines and favorite products, keep reading for the rituals and practices that help Hilary Duff get In The Mood.

"I more so have a practice than a mantra: I’ve been waking up earlier than the rest of the house and making my morning matcha. There’s something so indulgent about having on some cozy pajamas and making a delicious drink just for myself that I love. As a mom of four, I don’t get to wake up gently, well, ever, so this alone time has become sacred to me."

"I’m really big on scent, so I actually love making my showers smell really good. Something I've been doing with these products is putting on my lotion in the shower instead of getting out and doing it separately. It makes my skin feel super moisturized. I also love using the shampoo and conditioner from the brand RŌZ. The founder is an incredible hairstylist, and the products are phenomenal. Before I get in the shower, I also love dry exfoliating with the Goop brush. It’s wonderful."

"The first one would have to be my night guard. But I also have a Lyma laser that I love, but I have to admit it’s a little scary-looking. When I use it in bed, I often wonder if my husband is giving me the side-eye."

"Berry Bliss and Tangerine Twirl are my favorite scents right now. They're also what I've been wearing on tour. They’re perfect for a light misting that doesn’t feel suffocating. I’m in my fruity era right now, probably because of the heat."

"I'm going to use a little bit of concealer. I’m going to contour with a bronzer. I'll do a little tiny flick of a cat eye, but not like a liquid liner because I'm going to smudge it out. I’ll curl my lashes, but I'm not wearing mascara. Then I'm going to overline my lips, dab on a little lipstick, and then probably put a gloss on top. I’m obsessed with the Victoria Beckham bronzing drops, as well as a bronzing mist from a brand called Luna Bronze."

"A slicked-back bun. It’s functional but chic. I also have a lot of piercings and love to wear jewelry, so I feel like that hairstyle shows them off really well."

"I’m a minimal nail girl. I just like a nude, long, almond-shaped, super glossy manicure. Sometimes I’ll do a French tip, but I typically keep it simpler."

"I go full throttle. I never abbreviate my skincare routine. I also am a consumer to my core, so I love trying new skincare products all the time. My dermatologist told me I should be exfoliating quite a bit, and one of my tried-and-true products is the MBR Enzyme Cleansing Booster. I love it."

Shop Hilary Duff's Beauty Routine

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For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

My skin runs naturally red, so my makeup goal is always the same: even it out without pissing it off more. The problem isn’t necessarily finding enough coverage—it’s finding something that tones down the redness without looking heavy, clinging to dry patches, or making my skin feel suffocated by the end of the day. That’s why Clinique’s new Daily Calm Collection immediately caught my attention.

This is the brand’s first full skincare-to-makeup lineup created specifically for sensitive and reactive skin, with formulas designed to soothe visible irritation and support the skin barrier. The four-piece collection starts with a gentle cream cleanser that removes dirt and makeup without being too rough, followed by a rich repair cream meant to restore moisture to the barrier and calm irritation. The skincare is a natural fit for the concept, but the makeup is what really caught my attention.

The two products I was most interested in were the makeup: the Daily Calm Makeup Balm and the Lip + Cheek Color, both of which promised to bring that same barrier-minded approach into my glam routine. The Daily Calm Makeup Balm gives skin a light veil of coverage that can be layered where needed, while the Lip + Cheek Color leaves behind an easy wash of pigment in a comforting balm texture.

What makes the collection feel genuinely fresh is that the makeup isn’t just sitting on top of sensitive skin and covering the evidence—it’s meant to keep supporting the barrier while you wear it. From the first swipe of foundation to the final dab of color, the idea is essentially a soothing hug for reactive skin that lasts all day. Here's my review of the brand-new Clinique makeup balms.

How Many Shades Does the Daily Calm Balm Cream Foundation Come In?

The Makeup Balm comes in eight flexible shades, and I wear Light Medium 3 when I’m at my summer color. Because the coverage is sheer and the balm melts into the skin, there’s more wiggle room with the match than there would be with a traditional medium- or full-coverage foundation. It still gives me enough tint to take down my redness, but eight shades is a fairly tight lineup, and “flexible” can only stretch so far—especially at the deeper end of the range. Something to keep in mind: the foundation color looks much darker in person, so be wary when choosing your shade.

How Many Shades Does the Clinique Daily Calm Lip and Cheek Cream Come In?

The Lip + Cheek Color comes in six options: five tinted shades and Whisper, a completely translucent balm. Since the pigment is sheer and buildable, the colors adapt to the skin. Whisper is the sleeper hit for me: tapped onto the high points of the cheeks, it creates that glossy, editorial highlight that looks very glass-skin-esque. It’s the finishing touch for days when I want my skin to look healthy, and I'm not wearing much makeup. Of the tinted shades, my favorites are Tender Heart and Sweet Nectar—both give my lips and cheeks an easy flush. I am definitely a fan of using it as a blush, but personally, I love it for my lips most.

What Makes the Clinique Daily Calm Line Different?

All the Daily Calm line formulas center on Uniflavon, Clinique’s proprietary blend of Chinese skullcap root and moso bamboo leaf extracts. Chinese skullcap root helps calm the visible redness and irritation that come with sensitive skin, while moso bamboo leaf provides antioxidant support against the everyday stressors that wreak havoc on the skin barrier.

From there, the two makeup formulas go in slightly different directions. The Makeup Balm pairs Uniflavon with soothing magnolia, glycerin, and sodium hyaluronate, all suspended in a silicone-and-wax base that melts over dry patches and creates that smooth, blurred finish. The Lip + Cheek Color is more cushy and emollient, with hyaluronic acid, olive-derived moisturizers, and vitamin E to keep it comfortable on both areas of the face.

How Should I Apply Clinique's Daily Calm Line?

Neither formula is made for a full-glam, high-coverage makeup day, which normally wouldn’t be my first choice—I like coverage. But when I use the Daily Calm lineup together, my skin looks less flushed and feels more settled before I even get to the makeup, so I don’t feel like I need to cover quite as much. The Makeup Balm is very lightweight, but it gives more coverage than you’d expect from something this sheer. It tones down my redness beautifully, and my skin feels like it can breathe.

I apply both formulas with my fingers, per the directions—the warmth helps melt the balms into the skin—then quickly go over it with a fluffy brush to make sure everything looks seamless down the neck. The Lip + Cheek Color starts off subtle, but it builds easily when I want more pigment. The final effect is super fresh and glowy—a perfect combination for summer.

Is the Clinique Daily Calm Makeup Collection Worth It?

For quite some time, Black Honey has felt like Clinique’s undisputed main character—and for good reason. It’s one of those rare products that still feels relevant decades later. But Daily Calm is the first launch in a while that, in my opinion, could give the brand another signature. The concept is smart, and the formulas feel genuinely considered.

This isn’t the collection I’d reach for when I have an event or need to glam it up, but that’s also not the point. It’s for the days when I want my redness toned down, my skin to look healthy, and everything underneath to feel calm and comfortable. Clinique took its sensitive-skin authority and extended it into makeup—and the result is a winning idea with genuinely great products behind it.

More Clinique Products I Love

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Not many people can claim to still be at the top of their career after decades in the entertainment industry, but Christina Aguilera is one of the few who can. The Dirrty singer has spent decades in the spotlight as a vocalist, actor, and entrepreneur, and if you’ve long been a fan, you’d know that many of her eras are marked by some rather dramatic hair changes.

​While her signature color was (and remains) blonde, the singer has been seen in everything from jet black to bright red over the years, even playing with different lengths and haircut styles in the process. Aguilera’s hair has gone through its own journey throughout her career, which is why she says partnering with Nexxus made so much sense.

​“My hair has been through a lot,” Aguilera tells me in a recent sit-down. “I've had a career of so many different looks, and I love, love, love to play and experiment. My hair is and has always been a part of my creative expression.” Though she has long been a fan of the brand, her partnership introduced her to the Nexxus Keraphix Liquid Crystallizer Reconstructive Leave-In Treatment Serum, which she said has been a game-changer not only for the strength of her strands but also for the glass-like shine it delivers. (Editor’s note: I saw said shine in person; it was incredible.)

​Hair tips aside, Aguilera and I talked about all things beauty, from her favorite skincare formulas to her go-to perfume. For all the products and routines that make her the icon she is, keep reading for everything that gets Christina Aguilera In The Mood.

“I'm at peace. I am safe. I am in my own power."

"I’m both a shower person and a bath person. So for the latter, I love using those little shower scent diffusers, and depending on how I want to feel, I switch up the scents. If I wanna be a bit more uplifted and happy, I go for an orange scent. If I want to relax, I’ll do lavender. I’m very scent-oriented. Fragrance can really have such a big effect on my mood."

"There are so many. I think pasties are inherently really unsexy, but I can’t live without them. We have to have our little secrets."

"I love scents that are a little musky and a little floral. A little smoky, too. Two of my favorite scents in the world are Roses and Tuberose from Diptyque. As for perfumes, I’ve made a ton, but my favorite right now is Eau So Beautiful."

"If I'm going out, I'll probably just do a light little concealer, a little foundation, lip liner, and a balm, then I'm good to go. I don't love to fuss after all these years unless I'm literally having to get ready for an event or something like that. But if I'm on my own downtime and just have a day to myself to enjoy, and I still want to look put together, it would be just that minimal. I’ve been obsessed with the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation for years, and the Charlotte Tilbury foundation is new to my arsenal. Those two are my go-tos when I’m doing my own makeup."

"My dream is always to have big, voluptuous, beautiful hair. I love all the texture, curls, and volume. But also, if I want no fuss and I just want to go out, we'll keep it simple. Think texture-y and simple beachy waves."

"I think red nails are so sexy. I love a black nail with a dark red French tip."

"I’ll always do my skincare routine, but I can’t be bothered to have 20 steps. I’m a mama to many creatures. I don’t have time to be in the bathroom all night; it’s bedtime."

"The journey still to come. There's an endless bucket list of things to do out there and adventures to have. Make those plans and set those goals. I'm so appreciative of the experiences and the lessons that I’ve had to learn, unfortunately, sometimes the hard way, but they got me to where I needed to be next. I wouldn’t have the life I do now without the past I’ve had, and that makes me look forward to the future and aging even more."

"Sunscreen. My partner is a water baby, so he spends a lot of time in the sun. He’s always complaining and asking how I look younger than him. My answer? SPF."

Shop Christina Aguilera's Beauty Routine

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale has finally arrived and I’m strapping in for over two weeks of incredible savings, especially when it comes to my beauty routine. We’re still in high summer, my friends, and my highlighted blonde hair, temperamental skin, and sweat-proof makeup routine all need a few goodies to beat the heat and UV exposure. Luckily, this year’s Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is, dare I say, the best one yet. Some of my favorite brands are offering steep discounts, from skincare heroes like Dr. Diamond’s Metacine and Allies of Skin, to makeup must-haves like NARS and Bobbi Brown. And the hair deals? Squeal. Pretty much every high tech gadget to help with everything from hair loss (with Higher Dose) to all-in-one styling (from Dyson, of course). Plus all of the dreamiest body care staples, from Salt & Stone to Supergoop! have got you covered and smelling delicious for the rest of the summer.

So, with the start of the sale underway (although you have until August 9th to shop) here’s everything I’m adding to my cart from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale this season.

Skincare Staples

You know I’m not about to let my favorite skincare products pass me by when they’re on sale, right? I’m searching for refills on my most tried-and-true formulas to keep my skin glowing all season long.

Makeup Must-Haves

While I consider myself a makeup minimalist, I won’t lie and say I ever leave the house totally barefaced. Where’s the fun in that? This sale is the ideal time to scoop up some of my favorite glam necessities.

Hair Heroes

My long, blonde, wavy hair may look effortlessly beachy, but it’s decidedly not low-maintenance. I’m looking for repairing products to protect against damage and styling staples to make my routine quick and easy.

Body Care Baddies

Remember, skincare doesn’t stop at your neck! I love pampering my skin from head to toe with luxe, hydrating, and targeted body care formulas both in and out of the shower.

Fragrance Favorites

Sure, my perfume collection might be nearing the 100-bottle mark but that doesn’t mean I’m not scoping out the fragrance deals this sale season. Summer scents are some of my favorites to layer, which means a new addition or two feels like a must.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

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Call it an occupational hazard, but because I’m a beauty editor who is lucky enough to test pretty much every single new serum, cream, and cleanser in existence, I’ve morphed into an on-demand skincare concierge for my friends and family. At least twice a day, I field texts from everyone from my mom’s best friend to a loose acquaintance from college, who is dying to know which product is best suited to their skin concern of the moment. I’ll throw in a medical-grade treatment here and there and love the occasional drugstore find, but without a doubt, my most-recommended skincare brand—regardless of age, skin type, or texture—is YISE Beauty. And let me just say: every person I put on one of these products repurchases them.

The brand, founded by Molly Sims in April 2023, prides itself on a tight edit—skincare products that are effective, multi-tasking, and no-BS. “I wanted glowing skin on a busy mom’s schedule, so I created it,” Sims says. She’s also struggled with melasma and perioral dermatitis (same, same), so the product line was designed to even skin tone, strengthen the skin barrier, and provide effective results without irritation. The brand has been expanding its presence in my skincare routine with every new launch, and my skin has genuinely never looked glowier, tighter, or bouncier. The products play in the luxury space, but the price point isn’t outright absurd like some other brands—I really do feel like you get what you pay for.

The best testament to the brand is the products themselves. If you’re not sure which one to start with, let this be your guide. I’ve tried ‘em all, but these seven are hands-down my all-time favorite YISE products of the bunch.

• The Best YISE Beauty Peptide Serum: Xtreme Glow Dewy Peptide Serum
• The Best YISE Beauty Moisturizer: Xtremely Rich Moisturizer
• The Best YISE Beauty Primer: Skin Glow SPF 30 Primer
• The Best YISE Beauty Exfoliator: Your Favorite Ex Exfoliating Pads
• The Best YISE Beauty Lip Gloss: Like a Gloss Lip Tint
• The Best YISE Beauty Vitamin C Serum: Morning Cocktail Vitamin C Serum
• The Best YISE Beauty Cleanser: Take It Off Gel Oil Cleanser

Best YISE Beauty Peptide Serum

Best YISE Beauty Moisturizer

Best YISE Beauty Primer

Best YISE Beauty Exfoliator

Best YISE Beauty Lip Gloss

Best YISE Beauty Vitamin C Serum

Best YISE Beauty Cleanser

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

I’ve always thought of Bobbi Brown’s Vitamin Enriched Face Base as the product that sits between skincare and makeup. It’s technically a moisturizer and primer, and I always reach for it when I need some smoothing before makeup. Now, the brand is introducing Vitamin Enriched Face Base+, which is a reformulation and replacement of the OG product, and Marie Claire has the exclusive first look.

Face Base already did exactly what I wanted it to (hydration! foundation prep!), so I wasn’t automatically sold on the promise of more skincare benefits. Still, the additions make sense for the way people use primer now. “Consumers today expect more from every step—they want real skincare benefits, even from their primer,” says Aylin Guven, the brand’s director of product development. The updated formula adds more hydrating ingredients, plus niacinamide and a gentle smoothing ingredient designed to improve the look of skin over time.

Still, a longer ingredient list means very little to me if the product stops doing the thing I reach for it for: making my makeup look better. Guven says the goal was to “elevate performance, while protecting everything people love.”

So, does it still have that plush, instantly smoothing feel? And does the skincare upgrade make any noticeable difference? I tested the new Face Base+ to find out.

How Is the Bobbi Brown Face Base+ Formula Different From the Original?

The most interesting part of this update to me isn’t one of the (many) new vitamin additions. The original Face Base contained two silicones—D5, listed as cyclopentasiloxane, and dimethicone crosspolymer—both of which give it its silky glide and smoother finish. These ingredients have been removed from Face Base+. D5 is also set to be restricted in leave-on cosmetics in the European Union beginning in June 2027 because of environmental concerns. Bobbi Brown hasn’t linked the reformulation to the new rule, but the timing is notable.

Instead of swapping in another silicone, the brand appears to have recreated that silky, smoothing feel with a mix of lightweight emollients and texture enhancers. Together, they help the cream spread easily, soften the look of texture, and give the foundation a smoother base to sit on.

The skincare side got an upgrade, too. Niacinamide supports brighter, more even-looking skin, while glycerin and increased amounts of hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 boost hydration. There’s also acetyl glucosamine, a sugar-derived ingredient that helps gently refine the look of texture over time. As Guven puts it, “It’s not just an instant payoff; it’s also a longer-term investment in your skin.”

How Does the Bobbi Brown Face Base+ Feel and Wear On the Skin?

My skin feels like freaking butter when I apply Face Base+. It still has that rich, cushioned quality, but it doesn't feel quite as thick as the original on my skin. The texture spreads easily with a punch of moisture and leaves behind the perfect amount of grip for makeup—without any of the tackiness I associate with traditional primers.

Once the foundation goes on, that grip earns its keep. My makeup doesn’t catch on dry patches or look like it’s sitting in a separate layer on top of my skin; everything just looks smoother and more luminous. Guven says the formula “helps prevent caking and flaking, so makeup stays fresh and smooth throughout the day.” So far, that’s been true for me.

The OG grapefruit-and-geranium scent is still there, too. I personally love the zesty smell, and my skin has always reacted well to the formula, but it’s worth noting for anyone with very fragrance-sensitive skin.

I’ve also started using Face Base+ at night. It’s technically marketed as more of a makeup-prep product, but I love it as a light, mask-like treatment when my skin needs something extra without being smothered in a heavy cream. Guven says people often come for the primer benefits and eventually use it on no-makeup days, too. I get it—I think I actually prefer this version to the original.

Is the Bobbi Brown Face Base+ Worth It?

I expected Face Base+ to feel mostly the same as the original. Instead, I’ve been reaching for it more. It feels lighter, makes my skin look more luminous, and gives foundation exactly the kind of smooth, grippy base I love.

The real surprise is how often I use it when makeup isn’t involved. I’ll wear it alone when I want my skin to look a little more even or apply it at night when I need extra moisture but don’t want a thick sleeping mask. It still feels unmistakably like Face Base—just less heavy and more useful in my routine. I like the original, but I’d choose this one any day—and that’s coming from a very picky beauty editor.

More Bobbi Brown Products I Love

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peek into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

Marie Claire Beauty Editor Siena Gagliano shares her story of undergoing earlobe repair surgery for a stretched piercing.

I have worn gold hoop earrings nearly every day for as long as I can remember, so the slow collapse of my right earlobe felt less like a minor cosmetic issue and more like a threat to my aesthetic. I got my ears pierced when I was two, but the real downfall began in college, when one of my hoops got caught on another girl’s leather jacket at a bar. It didn't rip through completely—apparently my earlobe had just enough strength left—but the piercing was never quite the same afterward. Over the years, the hole crept closer and closer to the bottom of my lobe. At 27, putting in an earring felt like testing my luck; I was convinced every hoop could be the one that finally finished the job.

Board-certified plastic surgeon Ira Savetsky, MD says the first signs of damage are often subtle for earlobe repair patients. “Initially, patients may notice the piercing sitting lower or the hole becoming more oval-shaped. As the tissue continues to stretch, the skin underneath becomes thinner and weaker until it can partially or completely split.” (I know, I know, an uncomfy thought.) Mine had reached the unmistakable danger zone: elongated, noticeably lower than the piercing on my left ear, and struggling to hold an earring in place—I mean, really, it was holding on by a thread.

I had already attempted the less-invasive fixes. Filler was placed under the piercing to provide the thinning tissue with more support, but my earlobe apparently wasn't interested in a temporary solution as it hardly helped. I also tried wearing a new stud earring in a slightly higher piercing I had done a few months before, but it sat too close to the original hole and never looked right. I needed a permanent option.

I had the damaged piercing surgically closed, gave it time to heal, and eventually had it pierced again in a better position. The procedure took about an hour, required only local anesthesia, and was so easy that I went straight to work afterward. Now, my hoops hang evenly, and putting them on no longer feels like a high-stakes decision. Ahead, my experience getting earlobe repair surgery for my stretched piercing.

Day of the Procedure

After years of anticipating the dramatic moment my earlobe might finally split, the actual repair was beyond uneventful. I arrived at Dr. Savetsky’s office, sat in the procedure chair, and walked back out roughly an hour later. My nail appointments are longer.

The numbing injection was the only part I felt. It was a quick pinch, and within moments, my entire earlobe was numb. There was no sedation or operating room; I remained awake, and my role in the procedure was limited to sitting still and chit-chatting while Dr. Savetsky worked.

“Earlobe repair is typically a straightforward in-office procedure performed under local anesthesia,” he says. Once I was numb, he addressed the damaged hole itself. “The elongated or torn piercing tract is carefully excised so that fresh tissue edges can be recreated. The lobe is then meticulously reshaped and closed with fine sutures to restore a smooth, natural contour while minimizing visible scarring,” he says. In simpler terms? He removed the stretched-out hole and sewed the healthy edges back together. Since my piercing had stretched but had not torn completely through, the bottom edge of my lobe was still intact.

A fully split lobe would have been repairable, too, though restoring its shape could have required a more involved technique. “Depending on the extent of the deformity, the repair may involve a simple linear closure or more advanced techniques to preserve the shape and prevent notching,” Dr. Savetsky says. Let's just say, I was happy to have intervened before my hoop completed the job.

An hour after sitting down, the stretched hole was gone, and my earlobe was whole again. The operation I had avoided for years was, without exaggeration, one of the easiest beauty procedures I have ever done.

The Healing Process

I left Dr. Savetsky’s office with a tiny Steri-Strip covering my repaired lobe and instructions to keep it in place for the next week. He sent me home with extras in case they fell off, but the aftercare was a breeze. I could shower normally and continue my usual routine.

I replaced the Steri-Strips only once, which was about as demanding as the recovery got. They were visible but small enough that no one seemed to notice unless I pointed them out. My main responsibility was leaving my ear alone for the healing process, which, as Dr. Savetsky says, occurs over approximately one week, when sutures are typically removed. “However, the scar continues to strengthen and mature over several months.”

The Follow-Up Appointment

One week later, I returned to Dr. Savetsky’s office so he could remove the Steri-Strips and examine the repair. My earlobe already looked totally normal, just without the piercing hole, and was replaced by a few bruises.

Its appearance, however, didn't reflect the actual healing process. Although the surface had closed, the tissue underneath still needed time to strengthen before it could safely support new jewelry. Dr. Savetsky generally recommends waiting at least six to eight weeks before re-piercing, although he sometimes prefers waiting two to three months to allow the tissue to fully heal and soften.

The location of the new piercing is equally important. “When patients do re-pierce, it is important that the new piercing is placed slightly away from the scar line and not too low on the lobe,” he says. This prevents the problem from happening all over again.

Getting Re-Pierced

Eight weeks after paying to close a hole in my ear, I went to my favorite piercing and jewelry store, Mejuri, to put one back in. This time, everything—from the placement to the thickness of the jewelry—would be far more intentional than when I had been pierced with a gun in a mall pop-up when I was two.

If you haven't been to Mejuri, let me tell you, it's as luxe as it gets. Everything is meticulously clean, and the pretty jewelry surrounding you is candy for the eyes. Before picking up a needle, my piercer, Lyght Ruiz, examined both the front and back of my right lobe, felt along the repaired area, and assessed how the incision had healed. He told me there was hardly any noticeable scar tissue and considered the lobe fully healed.

Rather than simply placing a dot directly above the old hole, he looked at the entire scar line and the natural shape of both ears. “A lot of people want that symmetric look. It’s not necessarily possible all the time—or the most flattering,” Ruiz explained. “The goal is to place each piercing where it looks best on the individual ear, rather than forcing both sides into identical positions." After all, no two earlobes are perfectly the same.

Ruiz marked the proposed spot and let me examine the tiny dot before moving forward. Once we agreed on the placement, he created the new piercing with a 16-gauge needle and inserted a seven-millimeter post. The gauge system runs backward: the lower the number, the thicker the jewelry. At approximately 1.2 millimeters, a 16-gauge post is slightly thicker than the 20-gauge posts commonly found on traditional earrings.

That extra width was deliberate. “We use the 16-gauge for healing and swelling, so that way we don’t have a cheese-cutter effect,” he says. A thinner post concentrates pressure on a smaller area, almost like a wire cutting through cheese. The thicker-gauge spreads that pressure across more tissue as the piercing heals—an especially important consideration for an earlobe that has already stretched once and undergone surgery.

The piercing itself took seconds, and I hardly felt it. When I looked in the mirror, the jewelry sat comfortably away from the incision and looked completely balanced with my left ear.

Eight weeks will not be the right timeline for every repaired lobe. Ruiz told me he will turn a client away if the tissue does not appear ready, regardless of the general window a surgeon may have provided. “Everybody heals very differently,” he says. He explained that overall health, lifestyle, scar formation, and a history of keloids can all affect the decision. Some people may need to wait six to nine months or even a year before being pierced again. Just make sure you go to a reputable piercer who has enough experience.

Before and After My Repaired Ear Piercing

The Takeaway

For years, I treated my stretched piercing like a problem I could outsmart. I tried filler. I had a new hole pierced above it and wore it for a few months. I switched to lighter earrings when I remembered. I used supportive earring backs. But none of it stopped the original piercing from creeping lower—or changed the fact that I was eventually going to have to deal with it.

The surgery itself was quick, the recovery barely interrupted my life, and the final result solved something filler and strategic re-piercing could not. That does not mean I am suddenly retiring my gold hoops, but I am more conscious of how I wear them. Dr. Savetsky says the most common mistakes after repair include re-piercing too soon and immediately returning to heavy jewelry. “In my opinion, prevention is key after repair—lighter jewelry, occasional breaks from earrings, and avoiding repetitive tension on the lobe can help maintain the result long term.”

What surprised me most was the relief that came from fixing something so small. No one else was studying the distance between my piercing and the bottom of my ear, but I was—and I had been for years. Now, my earrings sit evenly, the repaired lobe looks completely natural, and I no longer feel like every night out could end with my hoop finishing what that leather jacket started.

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It feels a little ironic: peptides—short chains of amino acids —have existed in my body my entire life. Yet I've spent more time thinking, talking, and writing about them in the past six months than ever before. I'm hardly alone. According to Google Trends, searches for "peptides" have climbed 80 percent, while searches for "what is a peptide" are up 70 percent.

The fascination makes sense. In a matter of months, topical peptides have gone from cosmetic chemistry insider speak to skincare's most talked-about ingredient. YSE Beauty launched its Dewy Peptide Serum in March. Dr. Barbara Sturm followed in April. CosRx released one in May, and Remedy announced its own this week. They're suddenly everywhere—but ask what peptides actually do, and the answer is surprisingly murky.

That's because "peptides" isn't a single ingredient in the way hyaluronic acid or niacinamide are. It's an entire category of molecules, each with a different job. Some help support collagen production, others improve hydration or strengthen the skin barrier, while certain peptide blends are marketed for their wrinkle-smoothing, Botox-in-a-bottle effects. The benefits depend entirely on which peptides you're using.

In other words, not all peptides are created equal. Knowing the difference can help you choose the right formula—or decide whether stacking your peptide serums makes sense for your routine. To sift through the science, I spoke with cosmetic chemists to break down what peptides are, how they work, and which ones are actually worth paying attention to.

What Are Peptides?

The short answer: “Peptides are short chains of amino acids, the same building blocks your skin already uses to make collagen and elastin,” explains Susie Wang, chemist and founder of 100% Pure. The long answer: Peptides are pretty nuanced and serve as an umbrella term for many different molecules with a range of skincare benefits. “Some are for firming, some are for brightening, and some are for antimicrobial or anti-inflammatory benefits,” explains cosmetic chemist Ginger King.

Regardless of the intended benefit, peptides function like messengers. When applied topically, they sink into your skin and bind to their respective receptors, signaling your skin to amp up cell turnover, plumping, or glow.

The key differentiating factor between peptides and other anti-aging actives like retinol, alpha-hydroxy acids, or beta-hydroxy acids is that peptides are much gentler and more well-tolerated overall. “They don’t exfoliate or force turnover, but support the skin’s own machinery,” explains Wang. “They’re one of the few high-performance actives you can hand to sensitive skin without hesitation.”

Where Do Peptides Come From?

Because peptides are naturally occurring in your body, most cosmetic peptides are engineered in a lab to be biomimetic, which means they mimic those that already exist in your physiology. This way, once you apply your skincare product, your skin cells will respond immediately—knowing exactly which receptors to target. It’s a work-smarter-not-harder mentality. That said, some brands also prioritize sourcing their peptides from natural sources. They can be derived from everything from plants to quinoa.

Are Topical Peptides Different Than Injectable Peptides?

Despite having the same name, topical and injectable peptides are very different both in their delivery and safety. “Topical peptides act like messengers by triggering cells to produce more collagen and elastin, or soothe and calm and repair the skin’s barrier. Injectable peptides, on the other hand, bypass the skin and go directly into your bloodstream, which can affect the metabolism of the entire body—not just the skin,” says cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson. There’s an obvious trade-off. Injectables have a more full-body, faster-acting effect, while topicals are limited to your skin and take time to work.

As far as safety is concerned? “Topicals are safe for daily use and integrate into a routine without downtime,” says Wang. Injectable peptides, on the other hand, are a bit of the Wild Wild West. “They have a higher risk from a safety perspective and are unregulated,” says Robinson. While a physician can prescribe certain injectable formulas, there is little FDA regulation, and improper use can lead to serious side effects.

Take, for example, CHK-cu, which is used for skin repair, wound healing, and collagen and hair follicle support. Used topically, it’s generally well tolerated, with the worst side effects limited to some redness or irritation. However, the injectable form of the peptide is much more unwieldy. It’s understudied and not FDA-approved. In fact, until April 23, 2026, CHK-cu, along with six other peptides, was on the FDA’s no-compound list due to insufficient research and safety data. (Note: Its ability to be compounded is being reevaluated at an FDA panel held on July 23-24.)

What Are the Different Types of Peptides in Skincare?

Peptides are a category, not an ingredient. Think of it similarly to the antioxidant family, which encompasses vitamin C, vitamin E, niacinamide, ferulic acid, and so on and so forth. “Not all peptides are equal, and the type dictates the benefit,” says Wang. “So when someone asks 'should I use a peptide serum,' the real question is which peptide, for what goal?”

While there are dozens of peptides, they can be grouped into four families.

Signal Peptides

Chances are, at least one of your skincare products contains a signal peptide. The short of the long: they tell the skin to produce more collagen and elastin. “They’re your firming and smoothing workhorses,” says Wang. Matrixyl, otherwise called palmitoyl pentapeptide, is one of the most studied ingredients on the market. Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Decapeptide-4, Tripeptide-1, and Hexapeptide-3 are also popular. “It’s a workhorse for an anti-aging routine and well-tolerated across skin types,” says Wang.

Carrier Peptides

Ever heard of copper peptides? It’s the most popular in the carrier peptide family and probably the one your dermatologist loves the most. Its goal: “These deliver trace minerals that support wound healing and collagen synthesis,” says Wang, making it ideal for those with a compromised skin barrier, mature skin, or those dealing with post-procedure skin. If you’re scanning a label, it’ll often be depicted as Copper Tripeptide-1 or GHK-Cu, says Robinson.

Enzyme-Inhibiting Peptides

If you’re trying to minimize the look of crow’s feet or eleven lines between the brows, then you should probably keep your eyes peeled for enzyme-inhibiting peptides like oligopeptides and soy-derived peptides, as well as decarboxy carnosine HCl. “They slow the breakdown of collagen you already have, so you keep more of your natural firmness,” says Wang. More often than not, you’ll find these in a formula along with a neurotransmitter-inhibiting peptide.

Neurotransmitter-Inhibiting Peptides

While you can’t actually bottle Botox, this peptide family, which includes ingredients like argireline, pentapeptide-3, and acetyl hexapeptide-8 (arguably the most popular), comes pretty damn close to recreating the effects of a line-smoothing neuromodulator. “They temporarily soften the muscle contractions that create expression lines, easing forehead and crow’s feet creasing,” says Wang.

Should I Use Multiple Peptide Serums?

In the injectable space, peptide stacks—meaning the combination of various different peptides used in a given week—is pretty popular. Topicals function a bit differently, though. “When it comes to formulation, specificity, product stability, and product irritation, there’s a lot to take into consideration,” says King. “Peptides are in general expensive, and you can only take so much into the skin without leading to a stability issue or potential irritation. There can be too much of a good thing.”

Consider using one or two peptide serums in your routine (one in the morning and one at night), and see how your skin reacts. In general, keeping your routine more streamlined and less complicated will yield the best results, and not stress out your skin barrier. Remember—more peptides does not always equal better skin. Instead, target your routine to the skincare concerns you want to address the most.

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Vitamin C has never agreed with my sensitive skin. In fact, without fail, it’s either broken me out or stung my already-compromised skin barrier. After years of forcing myself to make it work because everyone swore it was the gold standard for brighter skin, I finally gave up. To my surprise, I discovered a handful of gentler alternatives that delivered the same juicy glow without the redness or irritation.

The antioxidant is considered a skincare staple (and for good reason!), but according to board-certified dermatologist Antony Nakhla, MD, “several ingredients offer comparable brightening benefits.” Better yet, he says, “most alternatives are more stable and better tolerated,” making them an excellent choice for anyone whose skin can’t handle traditional vitamin C formulas.

“Ingredients like mandelic acid, tranexamic acid, kojic acid, azelaic acid, and niacinamide are among some of the most effective vitamin C alternatives available,” notes Nakhla. When matched to the right skin concern, he claims these ingredients can help improve radiance, even out skin tone, soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, boost collagen production, and reduce hyperpigmentation.

Ready to break up with vitamin C? Well, sorta… ahead, meet the 10 best alternatives that finally deliver the results my sensitive, breakout-prone skin deserves.

Nia-cin’ You Later, Fine Lines

Think of niacinamide (also known as B3) as vitamin C’s gentler cousin. The two ultra-mild serums below support the barrier and help skin look plumper, all while reducing the appearance of fine lines and dark spots.

Talk Tranexamic to Me

Like vitamin C, tranexamic acid significantly reduces pigmentation. So, if, like me, post-breakout dark spots are your biggest skin concern, these powerful yet gentle serums deserve a permanent spot in your skincare routine.

Take It Easy(laic)

If you deal with acne, your derm has probably recommended azelaic acid. Known for its anti-inflammatory and gentle exfoliating properties, azelaic acid is a great option for calming breakouts and fading discoloration.

Can’t Get Enough of Kojic

Whether you’re trying to minimize hyperpigmentation caused by sun damage, age, melasma, or acne, the kojic acid-based options below can help fade dark spots and reveal a brighter, more even-looking complexion in no time.

Make Room For Mandelic

The secret to effective exfoliation isn’t just a good vitamin C product. These two mandelic acid (AHAs) serums penetrate the skin more slowly, helping treat dullness, uneven texture, acne, and hyperpigmentation without causing inflammation.

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Few skincare ingredients have attracted the level of global attention that PDRN has in recent years. Once best known for its use in Korean dermatology clinics, the DNA-derived ingredient has since made its way from injectable treatments into serums, masks, and other skincare products around the world. Now, as vegan versions begin appearing on shelves, one question keeps coming up: Are they backed by the same science as traditional PDRN products—or simply sharing the same acronym?

What Is Traditional PDRN?

“PDRN, short for polydeoxyribonucleotide, refers to a mixture of purified DNA fragments traditionally derived from salmonid fish,” explains Ethan Wonuk Hwang, founder and medical director of Cheongdam Le Belle Clinic in Seoul. In aesthetics, it became popularized through injectable treatments such as Rejuran, which is marketed for its regenerative skin benefits, including claims related to skin repair, elasticity, and overall skin quality.

As beauty brands adapted PDRN for at-home skincare, they expanded its reach beyond the clinics, positioning serums, masks, and other topical products as a way to bring similar skin-quality benefits to everyday routines.

“It has to be purified DNA—not just extracts that contain DNA—to qualify as PDRN,” says Danny Guo, MD, a double board-certified dermatologist in Calgary. The versions most widely studied and used in aesthetic medicine have historically been derived from salmon or trout.

However, much of that research comes from injected medical applications, including chronic wound and diabetic ulcer treatment, rather than from studies examining topical use on healthy, intact skin. Dr. Guo notes that those are very different applications from the serums and creams now entering the skincare market. He adds that there is still limited evidence showing that a topical product can produce meaningful results on its own without a delivery method designed to improve penetration, such as microneedling, electroporation or microspicules.

Despite these limitations, PDRN’s association with regenerative medicine and its popularity in Korean aesthetic treatments have helped propel it into the global spotlight. And as interest in the ingredient continues to grow, several brands are exploring new ways to create versions that align with different consumer preferences, including demand for vegan alternatives.

How Is Vegan PDRN Different From Traditional PDRN?

As brands develop vegan alternatives, some are turning to biotechnology to create plant-derived ingredients inspired by PDRN. Haruharu Wonder’s Rose PDRN is one example. The brand says its Rose PDRN is created from the callus cells of the Damask rose, using biotechnology and purification processes to produce a rose-derived DNA ingredient.

According to the brand’s R&D team, their internal testing suggests the ingredient may support skin renewal and improve the appearance of wrinkles, pointing to results related to increased wound-healing markers and proteins associated with skin elasticity. Haruharu Wonder says its technology highlights why evaluating vegan PDRN requires looking beyond its source alone, and considering the molecule itself, how it is produced, and the research supporting its claims.

Whether these newer formulations ultimately produce the same clinical outcomes associated with salmon-derived PDRN, however, remains an open question.

Does the Source Really Matter When It Comes to PDRN?

The rise of vegan PDRN has prompted a broader question: How much does the ingredient’s source actually matter? Experts say that while the source may influence production, it does not automatically determine performance. As Hwang explains, “The source matters less than the final molecular structure.”

Victoria Fu, cosmetic chemist and co-founder of Chemist Confessions, agrees, adding that the more important distinction goes beyond the question of source and comes down to what’s actually in the formula. True PDRN refers to fragmented DNA itself, not simply an ingredient designed to recreate some of its effects. So if a plant extract mimics certain functions associated with PDRN without containing identifiable DNA fragments, she says it would be more accurate to consider it a PDRN-inspired ingredient rather than PDRN itself.

What Should I Look For In a PDRN Product?

With PDRN products multiplying across the market, the most useful information is often found beyond the front-of-pack claims. Take a closer look at a brand's website, ingredient pages, or published clinicals to see whether it clearly explains what the ingredient is, how it's made, and what testing or research supports the benefits it's highlighting.

Fu says it’s also important to remember that the ingredient is only part of what makes a product work. “You can’t just toss an ingredient into a simple water solution and call it a day,” she says. The overall formulation—including the ingredients and technologies designed to help protect PDRN and improve how it interacts with the skin—can influence how well it performs.

To that end, some brands use delivery technologies such as encapsulation, which surrounds PDRN with a protective coating that helps keep the ingredient stable and intact as it moves through the skin. Fu notes that some encapsulated PDRN products aim to improve the ingredient’s chances of reaching the skin’s fibroblasts, the cells involved in collagen production and repair. But she cautions that “encapsulated PDRN” is not necessarily a sign of a better product, since different encapsulation methods can vary in effectiveness. Instead, she recommends looking for clinical testing that supports a product’s claims—not just the way it is marketed.

According to Guo, the way a product is used matters, too. Because topical PDRN still faces the challenge of penetrating the skin barrier, he recommends considering leave-on treatments over rinse-off formulas like cleansers, since they provide more opportunity for the ingredient to remain in contact with the skin.

Is Vegan PDRN a Worthwhile Replacement for Traditional PDRN?

None of the experts interviewed for this story dismissed vegan PDRN as a gimmick, but they emphasized that it’s still too early to consider it a replacement for salmon-derived PDRN—or other more established skincare ingredients, for that matter. As Dr. Guo points out, the ingredient is already being discussed online with the confidence of established actives like retinoids and vitamin C. "That is definitely a stretch."

Hwang views vegan PDRN as a separate area of innovation, rather than the future of PDRN. “Traditional PDRN already has a substantial body of scientific and clinical evidence behind it. New biotechnology-derived alternatives may eventually prove their value, but they still need to build a comparable foundation,” he says.

Same acronym, next chapter. Whether PDRN swims in from the sea or is born from biotechnology, the future of the ingredient will come down to one thing: whether the science can keep pace with the hype.

The Best Traditional and Vegan PDRN Products to Try

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As The Odyssey press tour finally wraps up (the highly-anticipated Christopher Nolan film hits theaters on July 17, 2026) we'll sadly have to bid adieu to the cast's unbelievable red carpet looks. I mean, Zendaya! Charlize! Anne! And, of course, Lupita! Take your pick from any of these leading ladies and you'll be blessed with endless hair and makeup inspiration. But the glam didn't stop at the neck, especially for the Oscar-winning actress and Black Panther alum. Lupita Nyong'o's body glow reached lens-cracking proportions by the time she hit the Paris photocall on July 8th, wearing a Chanel Resort 2027 red gown and SAUER x Jason Wu Branch earrings, and I, for one, was desperate to know the secret to her head-to-toe luminosity. Don't worry, fellow beauty obsessives. I uncovered the answer, and it's a totally achievable combination of skincare and makeup.

"[The glow is from] a combination of things," her makeup artist, Nick Barose, tells me, adding that he usually starts this full glam process by scrubbing down Nyong'o's arms with a warm washcloth. This provides a gentle exfoliation to remove any lingering rough or dry patches, which in turn preps the skin for hydrating and glow-boosting products. "Then I applied Hume Dry Body Oil, [which] she actually turned me on to. I love it because it adds shine and hydration minus the grease." You gotta love a Hollywood star who is just as entrenched in finding great skincare products as the regular beauty fans!

Barose reveals that to enhance the highlight on the actress's collarbones, upper shoulders, and the center of her arms even further, he added the Chanel Baune Essential Stick in Golden Light (a favorite of this editor as well, but a color that is sadly only available in Europe at the moment). For the Paris premiere, however, he took it a step further and reached for coppery glitter from Ben Nye, a true if you know, you know brand beloved by theater performers and celebrity makeup artists for its long-lasting formulas that can withstand hours of sweat and heat.

With the summer wedding season still in full swing, I know that this is one makeup-meets-skincare combo that I'll be using to enhance my seasonal radiance. If you're also in the market for Nyong'o's red carpet glow, keep scrolling to snag everything her glam team used to prep her for the Paris premiere.

When you go on vacation, you tend to throw at least a few of your favorite pieces into your suitcase. Of course, you want to be comfortable and pack sensible clothes, depending on your destination—but you also want to bring your go-to outfit formulas and beloved garments so you can feel confident on any occasion and be ready for any photo opp. When the airline loses your luggage, however, that plan goes out the window, and you have to figure out how to make do.

That’s exactly what I had to do when I traveled to the Balearic Islands in Spain for the first time in June. Thanks to a mishap with my layover from Madrid to Mallorca, my bag stayed on the mainland while I traveled to Palma, Mallorca. Of the Balearic Islands, Mallorca has a reputation for falling somewhere between Ibiza and Menorca—meaning it has cities known for their 13th-century history and arts scenes, as well as sprawling mountains and picturesque beaches. So, it’s safe to say that I was bummed that the swimsuits I hoped to throw on as soon as I landed and the sundresses I intended to keep cool in while exploring Palma or on my scheduled Riva Yacht cruise were stuck in my lost bag.

Thankfully, my lodging, Hotel de Mar Gran Meliá—a five-star hotel that’s among the Leading Hotels of the World and just celebrated its 70th anniversary—was super accommodating. It’s actually because of the hotel’s wonderful management team that I got my bag back after two days of it being stuck in Madrid, and they arranged for me to go shopping to pick up a few things. After all, I had very little with me, save for a backpack with the books I planned to read on the beach and my purse with a few personal items and toiletries.

There were a few products that helped me stay well-dressed and enjoy my stay even with the stress of lost luggage on my mind. And let’s be real: How could I not still enjoy my vacation? Hotel de Mar is located on the seafront and features a luxury spa; I was eating extremely fresh Mallorcan cuisine, as the island relies heavily on its own agriculture, and I essentially woke up in a Mediterranean paradise. But below, you’ll find what I was glad to have in my carry-on or picked up upon arrival—and what I suggest you do too if you’re ever in the same scenario.

Welcome to Marie Claire’s Global Glow Guide, your one-stop-shop to the best beauty destinations around the world. Whether you need to find a bouncy blowout while traveling abroad or the best facial to rehab post-flight skin, we’ve got you covered.

Turkey holds a very special place in my heart—I got engaged there on my first trip in 2023 and I recently had the chance to visit again with my best friend. It was just as fantastic as I remembered—if not better. There are many reasons to put Turkey at the top of your must-go list: the incredible Mediterranean-meets-Middle Eastern cuisine, the something-for-everyone landscapes of sweeping coastal seaside towns, busy metropolises that straddle two continents, and underground cities carved into volcanic rock, and of course, the living, breathing thousand-year-old history of Byzantine, Roman, and Ottoman empires. But perhaps one of the best reasons to book a trip is the legendary spa treatments.

You may have heard of Turkey for the wave of medical tourism (hair loss transplant anyone?) or perhaps some World Cup buzz. But the culture of beauty and wellness has been intertwined into the very fabric of Turkey from the beginning. It's the home of the centuries-old bathing ritual called the Turkish bath, natural mineral-rich thermal waters, world-famous botanicals like roses (a town called Isparta, for example, produces 60% of the world's rose oil), and cutting-edge aesthetic treatments.

There is so much to discover—along the Turkish Riviera in Bodrum there's a spa resort so fantastic that you don't even need to leave the property; in the bustling city of Istanbul, Turkish baths, facial hotspots, and salons galore that are reason enough to return again and again. Read ahead for my personal guide to Turkey's best beauty destinations.

Best Spa and Wellness Resort

Maxx Wellbeing at Maxx Royal Bodrum

If you're lusting after a Slim Aarrons getaway—complete with crystalline blue water, catch-of-the-day lunches, and postcard-worthy views of the Aegean—there's no better place than Maxx Royal Bodrum. Right on the Turkish Riviera, glamorous doesn't even begin to cover it: guests flutter by in shimmering Missoni kaftans, a bottle of Veuve and a generous platter of juicy, fresh fruit is delivered to your room around 5p.m. as a post-beach-pre-dinner treat, and you're assigned an "assistant" from the second you arrive who makes sure you don't lift a finger to book a dinner reservation at one of the property's many delicious restaurants (there's ultra fine dining like Spanish steakhouse Lẽna, Caviar Kaspia, and Wolfgang Puck's Spago, as well as beachside bungalow Casa Sol, Seavore, with the freshest seafood you've ever had, and more) or schedule a spa treatment. Truly, they even escort you anywhere on property in golf carts so you don't have to walk. It's my favorite kind of spa and wellness retreat—the kind where your time feels relaxing, abundant, and restorative instead of restrictive.

The spa echos that sentiment which was important to the spa director—the team wanted the treatments reflect the overall vibe of the resort. It's a spa for people who still want to enjoy a beachside rosé with lunch or stay up a little too late dancing and eating and singing, but still want high-performance body treatments or holistic facials or longevity consults. The 5,750 square meter compound is pure heaven and has everything you could dream of. There's an impressively large swimming pool, state-of-the-art gym, and hydrotherapy circuit (more on that below). And the treatment list is extensive: there's massages and facials, yes, but also reflexology, pressotherapy (for lymphatic drainage), classic hammam rituals, shirodhara, a Zerobody cryo float pod, a Nuvola warm floatation and saltwater flotation. I particularly loved the facial and pairing the cryo cold float with the Nuvola warm float for a total recharge. Regardless of how you spend your spa time, I guarantee you'll feel more rested, relaxed, and rejuvenated when you leave.

Best Turkish Bath

Zeyrek Çinili Hamam

If you looked up the definition of luxury spa in the dictionary, you'd find a picture of Zeyrek Çinili Hamam. The 500-year old historic hammam (it reopened in 2023 after an extensive restoration project that took 13 years to complete) is tucked right in Istanbul's old town among ancient cisterns and mosques. You have not truly lived until you've experienced a traditional Turkish bath and there is no better place to do it than Zeyrek. My friend and I both opted for "The Refresh" treatment. It's a multi-step body treatment that starts with a chilled cup of sherbet (like a rose tea) before you strip down and move into the marble hot room to begin. You pour hot water all over your body a few times (truly a rinse and repeat) before your hammam guide begins scrubbing every inch of you down rigorously with a textured kese glove. It's followed with a hydrating mineral-rich clay mask that nourishes your skin. Then you move to the marble slab where they pour a frothy cloud of soap all over your body before a relaxing massage, leaving you loose-limbed and quiet-minded. There's something softly ceremonial and restorative about the experience—there's a level of a care and intimacy you receive from a total stranger that's truly transformative.

When you're finally returning back to this astral plane, you can't skip the fantastic museum showcasing the history of the hammam, including artifacts recovered during the restoration. And don’t miss the Byzantine cistern next door, which hosts rotating contemporary art exhibitions a must-see experience!

The Refresh: 75 minutes

Cost: 160€

Best Hydrotherapy Circuit

Raffles Istanbul

I don't think it's possible to have a bad experience at a Raffles hotel and the Raffles Istanbul is no exception. It's primely located close to Zorlu Center, a luxury shopping mall (Prada! Burberry!) where you can do some serious sartorial damage, so it's ideal for the fashion lovers. From the huge, sumptuous suites with picturesque views of the entire city to personal butler you can text anytime, everything about the property is luxurious. A modern, sleek sensibility and exceptional service (our waiter at breakfast brought us local Turkish delicacies and offered us tips of things to do and see) already make it a fantastic stay—before you even get to the spa. The spa is the dreamiest and has one of the most gorgeous hydrotherapy circuits I've seen and if you're a guest (which, you absolutely should be) you can enjoy it whenever you'd like. Even when full booked, I rarely ran into other guests while doing my sauna-steam-cold plunge-whirlpool circuit which made it feel especially intimate and luxe. You should definitely indulge in more treatments at the spa if timing allows—the facials are to die for, but there's also a jasmine and rose body wrap, massages, and the combined hammam and massage treatment called the Anatolian Grace Hamam Journey that gives you the best of both worlds: a 60 minute exfoliating, soothing, softening hammam experience (with a honey body mask) before 60 more minutes of the most nourishing massage.

Tip: The spa is open from 7:00a.m. to 10:00p.m. which is earlier than many other spas. I highly recommend taking advantage of the spa early (my favorite was doing the sauna, steam, and pool circuit before I started my day of sightseeing (or left for the airport).

Anatolian Grace Hamam Journey: 120 minutes

Cost: 380 €

Maxx Wellbeing

Bodrum is about as dreamy as it gets. And it's even dreamier if you're staying at Maxx Royal. It's no surprise that Maxx Royal's spa, Maxx Wellbeing, has world-class spa amenities. The best part? No reservation required. Elegant and airy, the wet spa is open to all guests during spa hours. Beyond the stunning indoor pool (where I spent mornings swimming laps), the space is complete with a lavish floor-to-ceiling marble hammam, a eucalyptus-infused steam room, hot infrared sauna, Himalayan salt room, cold plunge, LED therapy water showers, calming relaxation rooms, and more to indulge in anytime you like.

Best Massage

Mandarin Oriental Bosphorus, Istanbul

A sweet waterfront respite with unmatched views of the Bosphorus, the Mandarin Oriental Bosphorus feels intimate and grand at once. It's the ideal stay for perfume lovers—the hotel has a uniquely delightful scent of jasmine, sandalwood and vanilla that wafts by you the second you step foot in the lobby.

One of the best parts of the Mandarin Oriental Bosphorus is The Spa. They've created a massive (3,500 square meters) subterranean oasis with a dreamy lush spa garden in the center that instantly pulls you into the zen mood before you even step into the treatment room. And you'll want to spend time in the treatment room—particularly getting a massage. There's everything from massages and scrubs, to body wraps and advanced detox therapies using the infrared MLX I³Dome. Everything has a holistic through line and a massage is the ultimate delight. It's not only the massage you want...it's the massage you need. Somehow the massage therapist gives individual attention to each tendon, muscle, ligament, and fascia, loosening knots and tightness I've had for years.

Oriental Essence Massage: 60 or 90 minutes

Best Facials

Merve Akkaya Beauty Institute

For treating your skin head to toe, Merve Akkaya Beauty Institute was recommended to me by a local for fantastic facial treatments from head to toe. You can get everything from fractional microneedling with RF and LED light therapy, to CACI microcurrent therapy and ultrasonic peels for exfoliation. They also have body treatments, masks, and more (and use Biologique Recherche products in some treatments).

Ayna Ayna Beauty

In the Kadıköy neighborhood, this spot delivers is a go-to for a great classic facial. There's hydrafacials, glass facials, platinum facials, or the ultimate, an everything facial that encompasses deep cleansing, exfoliation, and extractions, to microneedling, LED therapy, oxygen infusion, and targeted masks. Everything is customized for your most gorgeous glow.

The Everything Facial: 120 minutes

Cost: 10.000 TL + VAT (approximately $215 before tax + tip)

Maxx Wellbeing

As someone with sensitive skin, I usually play it safe when trying facials in foreign countries. But once glance at the Black Diamond Non-Surgical Lifting Facial created with one of my favorite beauty brands 111SKIN and I was willing to risk it. And I'm so glad I did: the sculpting, soothing, firming, lifting magic that happened in one hour was almost too good to be true. My fine lines? Erased. Dullness? Vanished. Dryness? Eliminated. It completely massaged away any signs of jetlag or late nights cocktails leaving my skin impossibly glow, lifted, and sculpted to the gods.

Black Diamond Non-Surgical Lifting Facial: 60 minutes

Cost: Quoted upon arrival

Best Private Hammam Experience

Sanitas Spa at Çırağan Palace Kempinski Hotel

Is there anything more glamorous than sleeping in an actual palace? Dating back to the 17th century, the grand Çırağan Palace Kempinski Hotel was formerly an Ottoman-era imperial palace. It's since been reimagined with more modern comforts, but the opulence is still there. The open-air courtyard is draped with greenery and flowers as you watch boats sail past on the Bosphorus; it’s minutes away from some of Istanbul’s most famous sights; and the Sanitas Spa is fantastic.

Traditionally, hammams are a community-based experiences. It's not unusual for you to be totally in the buff (save for disposable underwear) while being scrubbed down next to a total stranger. So if you're a bit more shy or prefer something more intimate, this is where to do it. Ask for Diaz—she was the most incredible spa attendant. You kick off the treatment with a hot sauna before going into the hammam. Then you get scrubbed down head to toe with a kese glove in an almost surgical level of precision. It follows with being enveloped in a cloud of warm, soapy foam before an uber soothing massage. After a rinse, your entire body is covered with a mask made of honey, milk, and rosewater, that naturally warms your body as its applied. As you let it get to work, the spa technician washes and conditions your hair before a final rinse off. At the end, they help dry you off and apply a super calming rosewater tonic to your skin to seal it all in. Pure bliss.

Best Blowout

LUXUS Istiklal Cadessi

Hair is basically a religion in Turkey and most local women have a standing salon treatment to keep is glossy and bouncy. It's sort of a rite of passage in Istanbul and you can't pass up the opportunity to get a good blowout or silkifying treatment. It's especially ideal in summer, if you, like me, have been swimming in the ocean and out in the sun leaving your hair dry, brassy, and straw-like. Here you can get a bouncy blowout, trim, tone, gloss, hair botox, and more. The result? The shiniest, happiest hair you've ever had.

Wash, blowout, + trim: Depends

Cost: 200 TL, 500 TL, 1000 TL (approximately $37 USD)

Best Manicure + Pedicure

Pap Art Nail Studio

If you're going to Turkey, you should definitely get your nails done. Not only are the manicures amazing, but it's so much more inexpensive to get your nails done. (For example, a gorgeous gel mani with design costs about $35 USD.) Whether you prefer something simple or more elaborate with art or designs, Pap Art Nail Studio came highly recommended. The nail technicians are talented and meticulous with their attention to detail and the salon is clean and orderly—a dream for someone type A, like me.

Gel Polish Renewel + Gel Polish Manicure: 1450₺ (about $31 USD)

Nail Art: 30-150₺ (about $3.50 USD)

Best Shopping

My favorite choice of souvenir anywhere I travel is a fantastic local beauty product. There's no shortages of markets, shops, and boutiques in Turkey and everything I've found has been beyond dreamy.

Pelcare

Sun butter? Superfood glow cream? Saffron sunscreen? Those are just the few things you'll find created by gorgeous Istanbul-based beauty brand Pelcare. Everything is beyond gorgeous and smell absolutely divine.

Abtira

I'm a sucker for a great botanical-based skincare brand and stumbling across this gorgeous one was a stroke of luck. It has an impressive amount of skin serums, oils, balms, and tinctures—it even has a line tailored to menopausal skin. I'm partial to the lavender marigold SPF balm.

Atelier Rebul

If there's one thing I want to smell like, it's golden hour. And this beauty brand does a fantastic Istanbul-inspired scent that bottles that exact scent. The brand dates back to 1895, where French pharmacist Jean Cesar Reboul is said to have founded Turkey's first "pharmacie," Rebul Pharmacy). I spray a little cloud over my skin every morning and I swear I’m instantly in a better mood. It’s uniquely warm and refreshing vanilla scent with pear, neroli, jasmine, and toasted coconut. So subtle, yet it lingers all day, and I’ve never gotten more compliments.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Call me a hater, but in years past, I’ve found the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale to be, kind of, sort of, maybe a bit… lackluster. It’s always the same brands, sometimes even the same products, that get the Big Time discounts. But for 2026, well, we're all in for a treat. I spent my morning scrolling the early deals selection—the official sale kicks off on July 18 and runs through August 9—and found myself genuinely mind-blown-jaw-on-the-floor-shocked at how many of my favorite luxury beauty brands were all-in on this annual sale in a BIG way.

My exosome-powered Angelia Caglia Cell Forte Serum, which I swear changed my skin’s tone, texture, and fine lines, is more than $200 off (!!), and makeup kits from Westman Atelier are available for a mere fraction of the price. And that’s just the start. I spent the past couple of hours combing through the hundreds of skin, hair, makeup, and home fragrance brands participating in the sale to find the deals and discounts that are actually worth your money. Shop my favorite early beauty deals from the 2026 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale below.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

There’s nothing that gets me going more than the prospect of saving money. Tack on the fact that those savings are on products that my beauty-loving heart was probably going to buy anyway? Take my money. This is exactly what Ulta Beauty intends to do with its Big Summer Beauty sale, and I have to admit: they got me.

​Some of my favorite brands are on major sale right now, with deals of up to 40 percent off retail prices. The promotion will run until July 11 and will take place both in stores and online. So whether you want to settle into bed and curate your shopping cart or just run to your closest Ulta store when you have some time, don’t fret; you won’t be missing out on the chance to get hold of your must-have items.

​If you’re not like me and don’t constantly have shopping carts full of products on all of your favorite websites (don’t judge me), then allow me to curate your Ulta sale cart for you. Whether you’re looking for new hair products, makeup, skincare, or—and I can't believe I’m saying this—getting ahead on holiday shopping, keep reading for the best deals during the Big Summer Beauty sale.

Hair

If you have dry hair, as I do, the products below are more than worth picking up on sale. Plus, quite a few of the offerings come in jumbo sizes, so they should last you a while before you have to stock up again.

Makeup

Of course, this is also a fantastic time to stock up on your favorite makeup products and try a few new ones.

Skincare

There’s no good makeup without a fantastic skincare routine, so shop the products below that I believe literally anyone with any skin type can benefit from.

Fragrance

If there is a good deal on fragrances anywhere near me, trust and believe I will always scope out the scene. The two below boast fantastic formulas and notes. Tack on a discount, and you’re basically in fragrance heaven.

Tools

Some of the best deals will always be in the beauty tools section. I swear by the two below, and I’ve even put some of my best friends on to these two specific products.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Everyone keeps saying women’s sports are having a moment. But it’s more than that. On and off the court, women’s sports are changing culture, conversations, and even our personal style. For Marie Claire’s Women in Sports series, we talk to the athletes, executives, and industry vets who are at the top of their game.

Nothing exposes a beauty product’s weaknesses like elite competition. Think your mascara has staying power? Try wearing it through a hurdler’s world-record run. That top-rated flyaway wand? See if it keeps those baby hairs in place during a figure skater’s gravity-defying routine. Under that kind of pressure, product flaws show quickly—and successes are more notable.

Alysa Liu landed seven triple jumps in a single free skate—rotating three times in the air and leaping more than 17 inches off the ice—while her winged liner stayed razor sharp. Sydney McLaughlin‑Levrone ran a world‑record 400‑meter hurdle race at nearly 18 mph, and her medium-coverage foundation looked remarkably fresh under the bright lights of the cameras. Julie Ertz played every minute of all seven games during her first World Cup win, yet kept her ponytail so sleek, she could have been starring in a hair commercial.

For women playing competitive sports, eight-hour-long wear claims are the bare minimum. These athletes aren't just pushing their bodies; they're pushing every beauty formula they wear to its breaking point. As McLaughlin‑Levrone tells me, “Beauty is part of my preparation and game‑day ritual—it’s like putting on my game face.”

So forget marketing claims: I asked some of the biggest names in women's sports what products never leave their locker room bags. There are the obvious staples like heavy duty cleansers that unclog pores and gels for slick-backs. But not every answer is about performance. Some of these athletes’ favorites were simply about the products that make getting ready a little more fun. Because somewhere between Olympic medals, championship trophies, and world records, there’s still time to obsess over a Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment.

Alysa Liu, American Figure Skater

What beauty products always make it into your locker room bag—and why can’t you live without them?

The beauty products that always make it into my makeup bag, regardless of whether I’m training or competing, are a good black eyeliner (I love a smoky eye), e.l.f. Lash XTNDR Tubing Mascara, and usually a tinted lip balm or lip gloss to bring my look together. I don’t wear foundation, so I love playing with my eye makeup by creating a smoky eye with a touch of highlighter in the corners of my eyes to brighten everything up. One of my favorite body products is the Gillette Venus MoistureGlide Razor. I love it because it has two moisturizing bars, so if I’m in a rush or need a quick touch-up before a competition, I can just use water and not rely on shaving cream.

After a long, sweaty day at work, what's your go-to routine for resetting your skin and hair?

It’s pretty simple. I like using a cleanser to wash my face, then I’ll use an eye cream, followed by a moisturizer, and I’m done. For my hair, I’ll brush it again and either put it back or leave it down, depending on what I’m feeling.

What's your favorite hairstyle for game day?

I don’t have a favorite hairstyle. I really just love any opportunity I get to be me and wear my hair down. I know my hair has made a huge impact on my fans, and I love using it for self-expression.

Is there a beauty product you wish existed to solve a common athlete skin or hair dilemma?

This isn’t specific to being an athlete, but an eyeliner applicator that gets it perfect on each eye on the first try! Especially getting the upper lid even on both eyes.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, American Hurdler and Sprinter

What beauty products always make it into your locker room bag—and why can’t you live without them?

My go-to products are Neutrogena’s Makeup Remover Facial Cleansing Towelettes and Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen. Since I train outdoors for hours at a time, sunscreen is absolutely essential. The wipes are perfect for refreshing my skin and removing dirt and sweat between practices when I don't have time to fully reset at home.

How has being a professional athlete changed the way you approach beauty?

It’s made beauty feel like part of my preparation and game-day ritual. It's almost like putting on my game face. You don't have to choose between being a high-performing athlete and embracing beauty—they can absolutely coexist and complement each other.

After a long, sweaty day at work, what's your go-to routine for resetting your skin and hair?

I love using Olaplex [products] on my hair, especially a nourishing deep conditioner after spending hours on the track. It helps bring my hair back to life and feels like the perfect reset after a long day.

What's your favorite hairstyle for game day?

My go-to is a low slick-back bun with a middle part. I love having my hair pulled back and out of my face so I can stay focused and not have to think about it while I'm on the track.

Is there a beauty product you wish existed to solve a common athlete skin or hair dilemma?

I'd love a completely sweat-proof blowout product. It would be amazing to train in the heat and sun without sweating out straight hair or worrying about my edges afterward.

Rose Lavelle, American Soccer Player

What beauty products always make it into your locker room bag—and why can’t you live without them?

I would say the number one thing is SPF. I either use Shiseido or Versed, which my U.S. Women’s National Team teammate Emily Fox put me on to. Post-training, after I've washed my face and showered, I like to put on Avène Cicalfate. It's supposed to help restore your skin barrier, which I feel like I need after I've been sweating, in the sun, and covered in dirt and grime.

I also always have Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 68 Beija Flor in my bag. That's my little scent that I spritz before and after training. A little random, but I always have Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment with me as well.

How has being a professional athlete changed the way you approach beauty?

A couple of things about being a professional athlete have affected my approach to skincare. First, I'm very habitual about it. I have a morning routine and a night routine that I do not stray from. I do it every single day. That's just the athlete in me.

The other part is being in a sport where I'm playing outside in the sun, rolling around in the grass and dirt, sweating a lot, and getting plenty of grime on my face. It has made me take my skincare very seriously. Making sure I protect my skin from the sun and keep it clean and refreshed after training or games is really important.

After a long, sweaty day at work, what's your go-to routine for resetting your skin and hair?

For my skin, I like to double cleanse just to make extra sure I'm getting all the sweat and grime off my face. I really like the Melting Balm Cleanser from BYOMA, and I use La Roche-Posay's Vitamin C Brightening Facial Cleanser.

When I'm out of the shower, I use Avène Cicalfate again. It's really moisturizing, and I feel like I need it after a long, sweaty day. Then I'll put on Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer. It's super light and made with simple ingredients, and I feel like it works really well on my face.

For my hair, I really like OUAI shampoo and conditioner, specifically their Detox Shampoo. I use it all the time because I feel like it really gets the sweat and grime out of my hair. When I get out of the shower, I use Lush Super Milk, which is a leave-in conditioner. It smells so good. I also recently tried a new product from Crown Affair—their Smoothing Air Dry Cream—and I've been liking it a lot. My hair gets dry and frizzy, so between the two, they help add moisture and define my curls and waves a little more. I also love K18 products. Their Molecular Repair Hair Oil is really helpful for adding moisture back into my hair after it's been out in the sun and sweaty.

What's your favorite hairstyle for game day?

I’m pretty boring with my gameday hairstyle. I literally just put my hair in a ponytail and put pre-wrap on. It's nothing special. The important piece is the pre-wrap because I have a lot of flyaways that need to be tamed.

Is there a beauty product you wish existed to solve a common athlete skin or hair dilemma?

There may already be this product, and I just haven't discovered it yet, but I feel like a lot of us like to slick our hair back when we put it in a ponytail. The gels and waxes we use to tame flyaways and make it look cleaner aren't necessarily great for our hair.

I want a dual-purpose hair mask that can slick back my hair and tame flyaways while also serving as a leave-in treatment. That way, my hair is actually getting a little treatment while I’m running around. Then, when I shower, I wouldn’t have this big, sweaty, tangled mess. Instead, it would be like washing out a nourishing hair mask, and my hair would be left feeling soft and healthy.

Lexie Hull, American Basketball Player

What beauty products always make it into your locker room bag—and why can’t you live without them?

Honestly, my bag is a little window into my world—who I am, what I stand for, and the whole reason I built FORTA Cosmetics, where performance and beauty meet. The constants are lip balm (I'm always testing new ones), hair ties, and a mini brush. Then there's my post-practice bag: face lotion, deodorant, concealer, brow gel, blush, and mascara. But none of it means anything without my FORTA Lock & Go Setting Spray because none of it actually lasts without it. I'm a professional athlete, so I'm constantly sweating, and Lock & Go is what holds everything in place through an entire workout. Like I always say, you don't have to sit still to look pretty. That's exactly why we built it. It's the product I always wished existed.

How has being a professional athlete changed the way you approach beauty?

People don't realize how much beauty actually matters when you're an athlete. Between the travel, the cameras, and the recovery, your skin takes a beating, and you still want to look good because looking good is part of feeling ready to compete.

Every product in my bag has to earn its spot. My routine is faster, more functional, and more skin-focused—built for my real lifestyle. The biggest thing I've learned is that real confidence comes from feeling healthy, capable, and completely put together, no matter what the day throws at me.

After a long, sweaty day at work, what's your go-to routine for resetting your skin and hair?

The biggest thing is getting everything clean and hydrated again. I always remove my makeup, cleanse, and reach for products that calm inflammation and bring moisture back.

In the shower, I use a gentle CeraVe cleanser. Once I'm out, I use a complexion pad to get my skin extra clean, then follow up with Weleda Skin Food. Hairwise, I usually wear a slicked-back look with a headband for games and practice, so afterward I'll either wash it or keep it slicked back and add more leave-in treatment, since I'm often right back at it for another session.

That reset is as much mental as it is physical. Clean skin, fresh start, ready for whatever's next.

What's your favorite hairstyle for game day?

I have really long, thick hair, so keeping it secure and out of my face without damaging it is a constant battle. I always wear a pre-wrap headband, which keeps my hair off my face while still making me feel confident and put together.

For bigger events or career moments, I usually lean toward soft waves because they feel a little more elevated while still feeling like me. It also lets me show a different side of myself than the one people see on the court.

Is there a beauty product you wish existed to solve a common athlete skin or hair dilemma?

That question is what drove the creation of FORTA. A true performance beauty category never really existed before. There just weren't products built for the way active women actually live.

I wanted something that could handle sweat, heat, movement, travel, and long days without sacrificing how it feels on your skin. So I built it, and then I put it to the test—about 30 rounds of testing—through my own training and across the wide range of skin tones and skin types in the WNBA.

That's what it took to make Lock & Go what it is. But it's just the start. We have more products on the way, all built on the same idea: beauty that performs as hard as athletes do, so they can show up fully and express themselves, whether that's on the court or anywhere else life takes them.

Julie Ertz, Former American Soccer Player

What beauty products always make it into your locker room bag—and why can’t you live without them?

Medicube PDRN Pink Niacinamide Whip Cleanser is the face wash I'm using right now. I love trying new products, and this one stuck with me. Benefit Cosmetics They're Real! Mascara—there's nothing like a boost of confidence from your mascara. Look good, feel good, play good. For skin tint, my two favorites are Ilia and IT Cosmetics. Something with good SPF and a little tint always picks me up. I also never travel without my Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask because dry lips are a no-go. A beauty influencer got me addicted to these Bessrung Nylon Hair Ties from Amazon that come in a pack of 100. They never break, and I love how they hold my hair. For deodorant, I use Just Ingredients. And when it comes to pimple patches, I have every brand. They make it easy to take care of blemishes fast.

How has being a professional athlete changed the way you approach beauty?

Being an athlete reinforces confidence in who you are. If you like something and enjoy it, who cares what others think?

I love that I could be strong on the field while also expressing my feminine side through makeup and clothes. Because we're constantly on the go, it's also forced me to perfect my 10 to 15-minute routine.

After a long, sweaty day at work, what's your go-to routine for resetting your skin and hair?

A new addition to my bag was recommended by my dermatologist: Hydrinity Hyacyn Active Purifying Mist. It helps kill bacteria and refreshes my skin after a workout. For my hair, I reach for either a boar-bristle brush or my Wet Brush, depending on how hard my workout was, plus Vegamour GRO Dry Shampoo.

What's your favorite hairstyle for game day?

High ponytail, baby—with some volume. I just loved the routine of getting ready for a game.

Is there a beauty product you wish existed to solve a common athlete skin or hair dilemma?

When you're practicing or playing in the rain, your hair becomes one giant knot if it's in a ponytail or bun. I need a spray or serum that stops the 45-minute comb session it takes to undo all those tangles.

Classics are classics for a reason, and vitamin C is a certified must-have for both your skin and your body. We can't produce the essential nutrient on our own, so making sure we're reaching the right levels (hit up the farmers market, baby!) is important for our health and—when a vitamin C serum comes into play—for our glow. The antioxidant helps your skin fight off environmental stressors, smooth texture, target fine lines, fight acne, and generally brighten, fading scars and dark marks in the process.

“I’m obsessed with vitamin C,” Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and associate clinical professor at Yale, shares. “It’s cosmetically elegant, it rarely irritates the skin, it doesn’t interact with other topicals, and it makes everyone look really, really good."

Typically safe for most skin types (if you have very sensitive skin, this may not be the right option for you) and extremely well-researched, the ingredient can be found in a number of formats, from pure vitamin C (L-ascorbic Acid) to derivatives like sodium ascorbyl phosphate, which is beloved for acne-prone skin, or tetrahexyldecyl (THD) ascorbate, which is oil-soluble.

“Vitamin C is one of the most powerful antioxidants available to treat the skin,” adds board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD. "It acts like a fire extinguisher to put out the inflammation and damage caused by free radicals.”

While today's formulas are as elegant as Dr. Gohara claims, the ingredient is finicky when bottled up. It goes bad quickly, so finding a vitamin C serum you love enough to use every day is the trick. Ahead, discover 10 of the best formulas on the market, from options you can mix yourself for optimal freshness to drugstore picks that won't break the bank.

All-Time MVPs

There's no doubt that some great vitamin C creams exist, but I've always preferred the ingredient in serum form for my morning skincare routine. It sinks in quickly and makes me feel brightened up and ready to face the day.

Feeling Luxe

While a great vitamin C can stand on its own, there's something to be said for skincare brands that take the ingredient to new heights, whether that means pairing it with powerhouse peptides or crafting an intriguing brand story.

Mix It Up

Vitamin C tends to oxidize quickly, which renders the ingredient inactive. For peak potency, these products have a DIY component that uses a two-part system to maximize freshness. It's your turn to play cosmetic chemist.

Drugstore Favorites

While all of the options on this list are worth the (sometimes hefty) price, you don't need to hand over a handful of cash for a great vitamin C serum. In fact, there are excellent options available in the aisles of your favorite drugstore.

The Classics

There are a couple of vitamin C serums on the market that, when I think "vitamin C serums," my mind immediately turns to. As I said, classics are classics for a reason! New or old, there's a reason the skincare world is obsessed with these options.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Experts

If you know me, you know I have sensitive skin—partly because I don’t shut up about it, and partly because I have a rash, breakout, or irritation 70 percent of the time. I have rosacea, eczema, and perioral dermatitis, along with a general proclivity for mysterious red splotches and bumps. “Sensitive skin is generally characterized by the experience of unpleasant sensations like stinging, burning, pain, or tingling without any visible clinical signs,” board-certified dermatologist Dustin Portela, MD, previously told Marie Claire. “It’s a condition where the skin gets easily irritated by various elements such as skincare products, environmental factors, or physical factors.”

The best way to manage sensitive skin is to keep things pretty pared back—nothing too irritating or too fragranced. That said, as a beauty editor, I refuse to let my skincare routine be sterile and boring, so I’ve made it my mission to discover the most effective, gentle, still-look-pretty-on-a-vanity products. I’ve found soothing moisturizers and SPFs, along with skincare that excels at neutralizing redness. But my routine would not be complete without the best serums for sensitive skin.

This curated selection of 10 products is responsible not just for keeping my skin calm and happy, but for actually transforming it into a glowing, plump, and bouncy complexion. Some of these products excel at reducing redness. Others replace harsh actives like retinol—but still give the same resurfacing results. And a handful are vitamin C serums that actually agree with my skin (if you know, you know). To shop my favorites, keep scrolling.

Hydrating Serums

The best way to treat a flare is to avoid one in the first place. The best way to do that? Make sure your skin barrier is intact and healthy. I always try to incorporate a soothing, moisturizing treatment serum into my nighttime routine, looking for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, centella asiatica, and squalane.

Vitamin C Serums

If you have sensitive skin, then you’re well aware that vitamin C serums are risky business. They’re among the best brightening agents and free-radical protectants in our toolbox, but they often leave sensitive skin red, irritated, or broken out. Not these.

Retinol Serums

I’m not anti-retinol by any means (I used a prescription-strength formula for over 14 years). But my skin has been much happier and stronger now that I’m using gentler alternatives. I apply one of these every other night, and my skin has looked bouncier and fresher—without irritation or flakiness.

Eye Serums

As a chronic dry eye girlie with generally sensitive eyes, I have to be very careful when choosing an eye cream. I’ve actually found that lighter serums are better suited for my needs—these two brighten my dark circles without irritating the whites of my eyes and making them bloodshot.

Tinted Serums with SPF

If you have sensitive skin, then you know that finding an SPF that doesn’t lead to breakouts is a tricky feat. While I wouldn’t recommend either of these as your primary form of sun protection (check out my go-to mineral sunscreens for that), these tinted versions are perfect for an extra little something-something on summer days when I don’t want to wear foundation.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

There are plenty of viral skincare ingredients floating around the internet right now. PDRN, a.k.a. salmon sperm? Check. Volufiline, a.k.a. filler in a bottle? Check. But of all these sexy, slightly mysterious newcomers, diaper cream has to be the one I was most surprised to spot on my TikTok FYP.

Zinc oxide is the true hero behind the diaper cream craze, which has been a lauded for its skin-soothing properties for decades. In addition to these benefits, "zinc [oxide] forms a seal over the skin," says Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and Associate Professor of Dermatology and the Director of Cosmetic & Clinical Research in Dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital. "This allows, the skin to heal itself from the inside out, preventing environmental aggressors from damaging the skin barrier."

Considering how buzzy barrier repair products are at the moment—a natural reaction to the (over) exfoliation craze of the last few years—it's not super surprising to see that zinc oxide conversations are bubbling to the forefront of TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit. But is it really a good idea to smear a thick layer of diaper cream on your face in order to achieve an even, glowing complexion? Or is this another beauty trend that looks intriguing through the screen but is more hype than actual results?

How Does Zinc Oxide Help Improve Skin?

Per a TikTok posted by board-certified dermatologist Neera Nathan, MD, "Zinc oxide is a skin protector that creates a barrier on top of your skin that helps trap in water, and it has anti-inflammatory properties, so it can help soothe redness, irritation and even breakouts." It is also the ingredient most commonly used in diaper rash creams; however, that's not the only product on the market to contain zinc oxide. "The same active ingredient is actually used in sunscreens, however in different formulations at lower concentrations," says Dr. Zeichner. Indeed, fans of mineral sunscreens (which "block" both UVA and UVB rays and scatter them to prevent sun damage) will recognize zinc one of the two active ingredients in their favorite physical SPFs—the other being titanium dioxide. Best of all, it's one of those rare skincare ingredients that all skin types can handle. "Zinc oxide is extremely gentle, and can be used across skin types, even in those who are sensitive," says Dr. Zeichner.

Still, the elevated mineral sunscreens that have come to define 2026 are a far cry from pure zinc oxide creams and diaper creams, both of which tend to be extremely thick and paste-like. The concentration is lower in SPFs (while still being enough to protect against sun damage) at about 15-25 percent zinc oxide. Diaper rash creams, on the other hand, typically contain between 10 and 40 percent zinc oxide, which gives users that TikTok-friendly all-white mask when it's applied all over the face and neck.

Basically, this is not something you'd want to wear out of the house or under makeup. Blendability? Not a chance, and that's the point. Remember, most skin-repairing products aren't designed to be disguised on your complexion—that's why a night cream is meant to be worn while you sleep, to deeply moisturize and repair, rather than under your foundation where it could potentially slip-slide all over your face throughout the day (even though most night creams will blend into your skin). But is a diaper cream really the best option to repair your moisture barrier and leave your skin feeling soothed, supple, and hydrated?

Should You Use Diaper Creams On Your Face?

"Zinc oxide [products] are typically used for irritated skin on the buttock, [they] also can be used on other parts of the body such as the face, especially if the skin has become inflamed or irritated," says Dr. Zeichner. In fact, while the trend may seem a bit bizarre at first glance, using formulas that are designed for babies is generally a good idea if you have extremely sensitive, irritated skin as they are most often fragrance-free (a common skin irritant) and are formulated with even more soothing ingredients like shea butter or cica. So yes, a diaper cream might actually be a worthwhile addition to your skincare lineup, even if it's best to save it for when your skin barrier is extremely stressed, like after a sunburn, or over-exfoliating, or a chemical peel.

But if baby butt cream doesn't sound like an appealing product to join your nighttime skincare routine (I get it), there are plenty of products on the market that contain zinc oxide at lower concentration levels, which prevent the cream in question from making you look like Casper the friendly ghost. Plus, the barrier repair cream category is flush with new launches and clinically-proven formulas to maintain healthy, happy, irritation-free skin. Keep scrolling for a few dermatologist-approved barrier repair products that are exceptional alternatives to diaper rash creams.

Shop Barrier Repair Creams

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Bradley Cooper supposedly did it. Word has it that Adam Levine, Justin Theroux, Gavin Rosdale, and Jim Carey joined the club too. The procedure in question? Male blepharoplasty, a.k.a. an eye lift performed on the upper eyelids, lower eyelids, or both. If it seems like everyone, including the most famous male faces in Hollywood, is doing their eyes right now, it’s because they are.

The eyes are often the first part of the face to show signs of aging, which is why board-certified oculofacial plastic surgeon Flora Levin, MD, says there’s a growing trend among men to surgically address them, whether it’s dark circles, puffiness, or skin laxity. “Across the board, we are seeing more males and females getting surgery and upper blepharoplasties at younger ages because it’s an easy procedure that seems like a no-brainer.”

While male aesthetic culture has predominantly been rooted in hair restoration, light-handed injectables, and basic skincare, the entry-level bleph is a less taboo way for men to look revived and feel confident. Double board-certified oculofacial plastic surgeon Sarah Avila, MD, adds that there is also far less stigma surrounding cosmetic procedures than there was a decade ago. “Men are realizing that a well-executed blepharoplasty doesn't make them look different but instead more rested, approachable, and refreshed while often providing the added benefit of improved vision.”

Amid its breakout moment, the influx of fresh male celebrity eyelid surgeries tends to boast telltale signs of the procedure, with some stars even looking a bit feminized. Even though male blepharoplasties are holding their own with no signs of slowing down, there’s plenty to know about before committing to the procedure. Ahead, discover everything to keep in mind to achieve a natural-looking blepharoplasty that leaves the eyes looking refreshed and has everyone asking, “Did he do something?”

What Is a Blepharoplasty?

A blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) is, by definition, a surgical procedure that improves the appearance and functionality of the upper and/or lower eyelids. Double board-certified facial plastic surgeon Jonathan Cabin, MD, says treating the upper eyelids involves removing excess skin that causes hooding or heaviness. Fat bags and hollows are targeted during a lower blepharoplasty, which he explains can be achieved through skin manipulation or removal, fat grafting for volumization, or laser resurfacing to tighten the skin. The incisions, which are used to correct an array of concerns, are well hidden in the upper eyelid crease or lower lash line so that there are generally no signs of surgery while restoring a more balanced look to the face.

For many men, the eyes communicate fatigue and aging more than almost any other facial feature, says oculofacial plastic surgeon Robert Schwarcz, MD. “Addressing the eyelids provides a rejuvenating effect without the expense, downtime, or perceived invasiveness of a facelift. A blepharoplasty can often take years off, while still allowing someone to look like themselves, which is appealing to male patients.”

The Rise of the Boy Bleph

Men are dipping their toes into the world of aesthetics thanks to the plethora of less invasive treatments and procedures. According to the 2024 American Society of Plastic Surgeons statistics report, more than 120,000 male blepharoplasties were performed that year. The reason: Dr. Cabin points to the evolution of technology and trends that have us all more attuned to how we look. “There’s social acceptance concerning men and how they view their appearance. Eyelid surgery is a relatively easy, low-risk, low-cost, and minimal recovery way of improving the eyes.”

Male celebrities are no different, and many undergo eyelid surgery, especially as male plastic surgery continues to be democratized. Often, male patients book consultations with their plastic surgeon because they feel like their eyes portray them as tired or angry. Yet despite the influx of social media posts highlighting what some people may categorize as ‘bad blephs,’ when surgery is done well, it goes unnoticed—the goal of any procedure.

For most male blepharoplasty patients, the surgery isn’t about creating a more feminized appearance. Nor is it about beautification or creating a more lifted, sculpted look. “For many men, a blepharoplasty provides substantial rejuvenation without altering the masculine character of the face,” says Dr. Avila. “Men simply want to look less tired and more alert.”

How Do Male vs. Female Blepharoplasties Differ?

The goal of any blepharoplasty, regardless of a patient’s sex, is to create more youthful-looking eyes. “Preserving identity is one of the most important principles in plastic surgery, and the goal should never be to erase the features that make someone uniquely themselves,” Dr. Avila says. But the devil is in the details, and a handful of crucial distinctions can make the procedure a success or a full-on fail.

Male and female orbital anatomy differ, as do distinct aesthetic characteristics and preferences. Most men naturally have low-set eyebrows, more upper eyelid fullness, and less visible upper eyelid show, whereas women tend to have more of a defined eyelid crease and greater upper eyelid show. “With a male blepharoplasty, we need to be considerate of the baseline anatomy,” Dr. Levin says. “With female patients, it becomes more of that conversation of ‘did she do something to her eyes?’ But with men, the surgery is so unforgiving, and there’s little room for error, which is why surgeons must be incredibly mindful of what a normal youthful male eyelid looks like, which is not the same as a female one.”

When Blepharoplasty Creates a Feminized Look

A standard upper blepharoplasty removes excess skin from the eyelids so that they appear lifted and more open. But here’s where things get tricky. As Dr. Levin explains, younger males typically have a heavy lid, like bedroom eyes, with little space between the upper eyelid crease and the eyelashes. “The short distance creates a youthful-looking male lid,” she says. Positioning the crease too high hints at surgery. So, to maintain masculinity, the lid-to-brow complex shouldn’t have too much space, otherwise Dr. Levin says it makes a man’s eyes look more like a woman’s. “This is why some celeb blephs lend a semi-feminized look.”

A well-executed upper blepharoplasty should prudently restore natural symmetry to the eyes while preserving the innate male ruggedness of the face, even if that means leaving some upper lid hooding. “Conservative skin removal, fat reduction, and brow contouring allow for the masculinity and character of the eyes to remain while rejuvenating them,” Dr. Cabin says. Problems arise when the eyes are aggressively treated, leaving them looking hollowed out or overly sculpted and contoured. While most surgeons, including Dr. Cabin, use the same surgical techniques for male and female patients, the measurements and surgical combinations differ. The reason some men appear feminized following eyelid surgery isn’t necessarily because of a poorly executed procedure, but rather poorly executed measurements, he says.

Equally important is brow elevation. While blepharoplasty alone does not reposition or address a low-lying eyebrow (only a brow lift can fix this), elevating the brows to a higher position, combined with excess skin removal, can over open the upper lids, leaving them hollowed and lacking structure. The eyebrows should also always appear straight without a defined arch.

There’s no denying the popularity of brow lifts, and Dr. Cabin believes more males, especially male celebrities, are getting them, which can contribute to feminization, with or without a blepharoplasty. “In men only, I’ll occasionally recommend a direct brow lift, which uses incisions at the brow hair as opposed to the hair line. Men have higher hairlines, which can make a traditional brow lift more challenging, but their thicker skin and bushier brows camouflage the direct brow incision better,” Dr. Cabin explains.

Other dead giveaways of a feminized boy bleph include a more rounded or unnatural shape to the eye through lower lid skin removal or adjunct procedures that change the canthal angle. In the case of a ‘botched’ blepharoplasty, which Dr. Levin says can occur from aggressive fat removal or pre-existing deflation that’s unmasked further by removing skin, sometimes, “a ¼ syringe of filler or fat grafting to the eyes can take someone from miserable to happy.”

The Bottom Line on Boy Blephs

Men deserve equal face time, and as Dr. Schwarcz points out, the rise in male eyelid surgery reflects a broader shift in how men currently approach self-care and aesthetics. “They want to look healthy and rested rather than dramatically transformed. There’s less of a focus on chasing youth and more of one on optimizing appearance while maintaining authenticity.” The key to good results is a subtle transformation, the kind that won’t have every plastic surgery watchdog calling out the next bold-faced celebrity who opts for a little "work." “Men need very little done to look better,” Dr. Levin says. “I think we are seeing some men do too much with a lack of understanding of what they really need. Instead, it should be a sprinkle of this and a dash of that rather than bulldozing the whole building.”

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For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Experts

While many people are looking forward to family time, sun, and fun this weekend, with the current heat wave ahead, I plan to be seen only by my cats, my husband, and the walls of my apartment. Of course, this means that I’ll be shopping all of the July 4th sales, the first of which has already started.

​From June 30 to July 7th, Bluemercury is having its Summer Essentials sale on its website, and I will be front and center (virtually, of course). There will be a 25 percent discount on select sunscreens, body washes, self-tanners, and more. Plus, expect the discount to extend to everything from M-61 to Lune+Aster, Bluemercury’s in-house cosmetics brand.

​I don’t know about you, but I am completely feral for a good beauty unboxing, so I will be placing an order as soon as I get some holiday downtime. In the meantime, I’ll be building my cart for easy checkout, and, luckily for you, I'll be sharing all of my picks that I think are worth grabbing. Think of this as being able to shop a beauty expert’s curated shopping cart.

The Makeup

A beauty haul is nothing without a few makeup products, and the items below should cover you for the rest of the summer.

Skincare

Whether you’re trying to protect yourself from the sun or just want to stock up on your sunscreen stash, the SPFs below will help protect you from those pesky UV rays.

The Body Care

Body care is one of my favorite parts of my beauty routine, so, of course, the products below are the best ones to pick up during the sale.

The Tools

For some extra indulgence this holiday weekend, I will be incorporating the tools below into my routine. There’s nothing like a little at-home spa moment.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Filler in a bottle. Those four words continue to pop up in beauty-focused social feeds everywhere, on posts enthusiastically touting the skin-plumping abilities of Volufiline. Which, if you are to believe the acolytes of your algorithm, can camouflage smile lines, revive deflating cheeks and pouts, and restore under-eye hollows. On TikTok, devoted users are MacGyvering their bottles of The Ordinary’s Volufiline with rollerball tops to make application easier; they’re sharing before-and-afters of newly volumized features; and they’re trying to prove the plumping powers of Medicube’s new Pink Collagen Volume Multi Balm Stick (which features Volufiline) by testing it on their, wait for it… fingertips. Reddit threads are also awash with curious shoppers seeking the truth about the latest skincare craze. But what exactly is Volufiline, and can the niche ingredient live up to the online hype?

What Is Volufiline?

Volufiline is a trade name for a cosmetic ingredient made from sarsasapogenin, a plant-based isolated compound extracted from Anemarrhena Asphodeloides, or Zhi Mu, as it’s more commonly known in China where the plant has medicinal value and is widely used. “In TCM [Traditional Chinese Medicine] the herb is used to address dryness, fluid depletion, and the excess heat that can arise because of it,” says Sandra Lanshin Chiu, DACM, a doctor of acupuncture and TCM, and the founder of Lanshin clinic in New York. Topically, Volufiline claims to be able to go more than skin deep, reaching our fat cells, which has major implications to potentially plump the skin.

Ron Robinson, a cosmetic chemist and founder of the skincare brand, BeautyStat, explains that Volufiline claims to work by stimulating fat cells to multiply, thereby creating a fuller, more sculpted appearance. These are, to be clear, claims from the ingredient’s manufacturer, not a third-party review. Thus far, there has only been one small study (by pharma manufacturer Sederma) conducted on a group of 28 women who applied a cream with five percent Volufiline to one breast; after two months of use an average increase in volume of 2.2 percent was recorded. But breast size can be wildly variable from month to month, not to mention that while it is skin, it’s not the same as testing the product on faces where skin is generally thinner and more sensitive.

What Can (And What Can't) Volufiline Do?

The appeal of Volufiline is that it purports to work differently on the skin than other more popular skincare ingredients that plump and restore volume via hydration. “Unlike hyaluronic acid or glycerin that attract water to the skin to help visibly plump it, this ingredient has a unique mechanism of action whereby it stimulates fat storage to visibly plump the skin,” says Robinson. It’s something that no topical ingredient has been proven to be able to do.

Monica David, a New York-based facialist who has been using the ingredient on herself and clients, says Volufiline’s mechanism of boosting volume by stimulating lipid storage in your existing fat cells is what makes it unique. But Abigail Waldman, MD, a dermatologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, is, like a number of doctors, skeptical about Volufiline. “There are ingredients that can improve texture, color, and evenness of the skin, and some, like retinoids, can increase collagen and improve the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, but currently there’s no topical ingredient that adds volume to the face,” she says.

Julian Sass, PhD, a cosmetic scientist beloved for his practical stats-driven distillation of beauty trends, said in a TikTok about Volufiline that while it’s very difficult to get a product down to the fat layer of the skin, there’s a chance that the ingredient could trigger a response in the upper layers that signals the fat cells below. But still, no proof of that yet. Chiu posits that Zhi Mu (or sarsasapogenin), from which Volufiline is extracted, may be influencing the tissues around your skin’s fat cells. He cites recent research showing that these cells don’t function independently and are, rather, influenced by their environment. Perhaps, but again there is no proof yet.

What is definitively not possible is for Volufiline to be “filler in a bottle.” There is no cosmetic ingredient, says Robinson, that can duplicate the effects of a professional injectable filler. “Cosmetic products are designed to target the superficial appearance of the skin, not to impart the same instant and lasting changes as injectables,” says Rita Silva, global senior manager of scientific communications and brand engagement at DECIEM (which owns The Ordinary). Any change Volufiline makes will be subtle, says David. “Those looking for a more extreme result should temper expectations with this ingredient,” she adds.

What Are the Risks of Using Volufiline?

Per Robinson, when using a product with Volufiline there is the potential risk for skin irritation and acne breakouts. Chiu has also read feedback from people who claim that their eye bags seemed worse when using the ingredient, though she hasn’t seen this firsthand with her own patients. David too hasn’t seen any negative results on her own clients but admits to going down Reddit rabbitholes where people claim their face was permanently altered from the plumping effect which, she adds, is very dubious. But Waldman thinks that if Volufiline really lived up to manufacturer claims, there could be other risks to consider.

“If it really worked how it claimed and caused fat cells to locally store more fat and cause skin ‘filling’ then the potential side effect would be lipomas (fatty growths beneath the skin surface),” adds Dr. Waldman. While there is the small Sederma trial and The Ordinary conducted its own short-term hydration study on its own Volufiline formulation to confirm its suitability for all skin types, what’s clear is that the ingredient warrants further clinical research. “If the ingredient is making strong claims for delivering volume, then it should have third party testing data to validate those claims,” says Robinson.

So, Is Volufiline Worth Trying?

Consumers, says Silva, are looking for more affordable at-home options to in-office procedures that provide similar benefits, meaning topical solutions for fine lines and volume loss that aren’t Botox or filler. Beauty consumers are craving something impactful, even subtly so, that isn’t invasive or expensive, adds David. “There is a large middle ground between basic skincare and medical procedures that often gets overlooked, and people underestimate how meaningful those middle ground changes can be,” says Chiu, which is why some brands are betting on Volufiline’s potential. The Ordinary’s version marries Volufiline (at 92 percent) with Pal-isoleucine (at one percent), another plant-derived ingredient that claims to address volume loss, and is targeted for use under the eyes and around the cheeks and smile lines, while Medicube’s Pink Collagen Volume Balm combines Volufiline with PDRN, NAD, caffeine, retinol and EGF (all buzzy ingredients in the skincare space). Both have become bestsellers.

At Olive Young, the popular K-beauty retailer that just opened its first US flagship in California, shoppers can get their Volufiline fix with D’Alba’s Volufiline Spray Ampoule and Grinding Cream where it’s paired with white truffle. And at Lanshin (Chiu’s clinic and store in Brooklyn) and Monica David’s spa, TOV’s CaviPLLA O2 Advanced Volumizing Serum, which stacks Volufiline with Poly-L lactic acid, peptides and niacinamide, is a top-seller.

Chiu has noticed a discernible difference (an improvement in hydration quality and what she calls “cushioning”) in the skin of her regulars who are regularly using TOV’s CaviPLLA Serum and so have they. “Volufiline generates more excitement among them than any other ingredient,” says Chiu, who often has clients slather on the CaviPLLA serum after a hydrating mist, then top it off with a facial oil or moisturizer, then SPF. “They all report changes in plumpness, volume and skin glow,” she says.

Robinson believes the marketing of Volufiline as a filler dupe is behind the growing interest, and anecdotal evidence goes a long way online. But for many who do incorporate Volufiline into their routine, the proof may be in the plumpness. “Even when doctors started debunking the filler claims on social media, the comment sections were still full of people loving their results,” says Chiu. For brands like Medicube, the Volufiline proof may also be in the receipts: since launching in mid-March the K-beauty brand has sold more than 1 million Multi-Balms.

Shop Volufiline Products

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Experts

There is nothing in this world that thrills me more than unboxing new beauty products. Thankfully, it’s my job to do just that, to spotlight the best launches worth adding to your beauty routines.

​In case you missed a few, June saw a healthy number of body products launch. Think SPF for your entire body, not just your face, and a pearly body oil that will make you glisten like a Victoria’s Secret angel while you galivant in the city. If a new skincare routine is in your future, a delightfully sensorial face wash caught and kept my attention, and a new set of exfoliating pads from one of my favorite dermatologist-approved brands made my skin glisten like glass.

​As for my summer makeup routine, I finally found a powder blonzer (or blush-bronzer hybrid) that makes me look perfectly sunkissed, while helping to keep my oily skin at bay. There was also a new mascara that gives sky-high volume with just a few swipes of the wand. Don’t even get me started on the absolutely stunning fragrances that I’ve been obsessed with either. Seriously, there’s something here for anyone and everyone.

​July will see me with my freshest, most dewy skin yet, and of course, I’ll be smelling fantastic too (hint: Bottega Veneta is involved). So if you want to be in the same boat, keep reading to see all the products that Marie Claire editors are loving in June.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

A new skincare debate is coming to your TikTok feed: healthy sun exposure. Considering how vigilant dermatologists and estheticians are about sun protection, this is quite the 180 for the larger skincare conversation, but a book released this June is destined (in fact, intended) to ruffle some feathers in the beauty community and beyond. In Defense of Sunlight by Rowan Jacobsen investigates the health benefits of going out into the sun. Across 250+ pages, Jacobsen includes research linking lack of sun to heart disease, dementia, autoimmune disease, and more. Beyond the familiar vitamin D discussion, he notes that these benefits may be connected to other biological reactions to sunlight. Most notably, he cites a 2020 paper by 15 scientists published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, which estimates (key word: estimates) 820,000 deaths a year in Europe and the US from sun deficiency. An eye-catching stat, to put it mildly.

Then there’s Jacobsen’s poke at America’s “campaign to prevent overexposure,” which he describes as “a kind of fundamentalism.” The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends that all people should apply SPF 30 or higher to skin not covered by clothing every day you go outside and reapply after two hours if you stay outside, no matter your skin tone or the weather. Some dermatologists even recommend sunscreen while indoors if you work near a window since UVA rays can penetrate glass. Jacobsen frames the approach as “sunscreen absolutism” in his viral Atlantic article in 2024 which questioned the US’s anti-sun stance and earned him a stern response letter from the AAD. Now, two years later, he’s doubled down with this deep dive.

Jacobsen writes about sunlight’s benefits to our microbiome, circadian rhythm, and immune systems, and also reports that while sunscreen prevents common skin cancers, it’s not clearly proven to prevent melanoma specifically, calling a central premise of the industry into question. “Moderate sun exposure provides tremendous benefits,” he writes.

Still, a book like this makes me, a longtime beauty writer, nervous. Not because I see it as a contradiction of my pro-sunscreen work, nor do I think it’s 100 percent misinformation, but because it presents nuances and technicalities for which today’s media formats are not ideal. Reading this book, I ask myself: Is this MAHA? Is it a watershed moment? What will the dermatologists I work with think if I even touch this subject? More importantly, what will a busy reader take away at first glance if all they have is a first glance?

What Is the Argument for "Healthy Sun" In 2026?

I’ve written about sunscreen for nearly 20 years, reporting on skin cancer as well as cosmetic benefits like wrinkle and spot prevention. I am a sun protection know-it-all who has visited sun filter labs around the world, guided many friends to the SPF they enjoy wearing every day year-round, and pressured just as many into annual skin cancer checks. In fact, it was this pressure that helped my mom catch her melanoma in its early stages. Grave statistics are practically tattooed on my brain: More people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the US than all other cancers combined. It’s estimated that the number of new melanoma cases diagnosed in 2026 will increase by 10.6 percent. Nearly 20 Americans die from melanoma every day. I also have a very fair skin tone and am, well, vain by profession, so I’m all in with minimizing UV exposure.

And yet.

Jacobsen’s book presents attention-grabbing caveats page after page. “... Rates of skin cancer continued to rise despite massive sun-protection efforts...” “One of the weirdest things about melanoma is that the survival rate is worse among those who receive little sun exposure.” “People exposed to the most light were 34 percent less likely to expire than people who got less daylight than average.” “Immunologists were finding that sun deprivation during childhood led to higher rates of autoimmune disease.” I think about the high rates of multiple sclerosis in my cloudy hometown of Seattle. I also think about how these snippets will come across out of context on Instagram in the coming weeks.

Jacobsen, whose press tour this month has included appearances on popular bro podcasts that make me bristle, like Joe Rogan, as well as at liberal bookstores, like my local Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn, expresses similar concerns. “Here I am, a Vermont progressive, and you write a book about sunlight and you’re automatically MAHA,” says Jacobsen during an interview in May. “Hopefully a high level discussion can be had, and books are so good for that. But people’s attention spans are really shrinking.”

It is important to note that he is not anti-sunscreen. “If sunscreen gets you outside more that’s a total win,” he says. The bigger issue is that we are not going outside enough. We already miss out thanks to our indoor lifestyles, but it’s further undermined if people are terrified of UV. “One of my concerns was that in an attempt to do a good thing, the [anti-UV] messaging got so strong that it was keeping people indoors unnecessarily and that’s not good,” he says. In other words, with a modern screen-focused lifestyle that keeps us more sedentary and inside as it is, we don’t need added incentive to avoid the outdoors.

The healthy sun debate is much older than sunscreen itself: A century ago, doctors literally prescribed sunbathing (heliotherapy) for conditions ranging from tuberculosis to general vitality. My mom tells me my grandfather was sent from Michigan to Florida to recover from polio around 1930. Not long after, antibiotics revolutionized medicine, melanoma became more commonly diagnosed, and medicine pivoted, researching and publicizing its connection to the sun for the next many decades. Today a small but vocal group of researchers and clinicians at top universities (as well as some MAHA politicians and wellness influencers) ask if we overcorrected, but this tends to be fraught territory. About ten years ago, I interviewed a famous board-certified dermatologist with a cult skincare line who told me, strictly off the record, that they did recommend about 20 minutes of direct sun exposure every morning for health benefits including, but not limited to, vitamin D. They didn’t want to be quoted, however, because they worried it could threaten industry relationships and even their certification. I agree that it would have.

What Is the Medical Community's Current Stance on Sun Exposure?

I never heard another dermatologist recommend more sun exposure again, on or off the record, but another headline-making doctor recently picked up a similar thread publicly only to land in hot water. “You need daylight, girl,” orthopedic doctor and skincare brand founder Barbara Sturm recently told WSJ. Magazine. “Go in the morning sun when there’s low UV and get early morning light.” Comments under an interview clip of Dr. Sturm advocating for sun exposure on Emma Grede’s podcast range from “So stupid!” and “You can tell she is not a dermatologist.” to “I’m so happy to hear someone say this! The sun is LIFE!!” Though Dr. Sturm never advises against sunscreen in her interviews—in fact she sells an SPF in her brand—the beauty world was aghast as though she had. “Did you see the Barbara Sturm sun thing?” colleagues asked me with raised eyebrows over business lunches the following week.

Reductive messaging is a double-edged sword. While it dumbs down nuance into snackable tidbits of misinformation that practically power the internet, it also simplifies important public health advice to memorable action. Pregnant women need folic acid. Wear your seatbelt always. Get 7-9 hours of sleep. Wash your hands. In the case of standard sun protection guidelines, if skin cancer deaths aren’t falling (they aren’t), of course derms would balk at adding caveats to the standard wear-SPF-30-every-day-you’re-outside guidance. “AAD member dermatologists see the effects of skin cancer every day, and UV exposure is the most preventable skin cancer risk factor,” then AAD president Seemal R. Desai, MD, FAAD, wrote in a 2024 response letter.

This tension is heightened by the political climate of health leadership, as well as urgent headlines about the dangerous return of tanning. It feels dramatic because it appears that a misstep in either direction can cost you your life. So if you feel the need to decide whether there is a big conspiracy to unearth, pause. In reality, using sunscreen and being in the sun are not directly at odds: sunscreen was created to enable time outside.

“Some amount of sun every day is good for psychology and sleep patterns, but there is an appropriate way of experiencing the outdoors,” says board-certified dermatologist Dhaval Bhanusali, a New York City- and Florida-based dermatologist who helped formulate Rhode, among many other brands. “I would never tell my patients not to go out in the sun—just wear protection.” Dr. Bhanusali advises universal daily SPF 30 or higher for all patients, in line with AAD recommendations.

Meanwhile, Dr. Richard Weller, professor of dermatology at the University of Edinburgh who wrote the foreword for In Defense of Sunlight, diverts from this norm.

“My advice, speaking medically, is don’t get sunburned,” says Dr. Weller. “If I go somewhere sunny for holiday I wear sunscreen to avoid getting burned, but [otherwise I don’t because] I’m not worried about wrinkles.” He agrees that sunscreen prevents photoaging—he’s the chief medical officer for a new UV tracking wearable called Gem, “so you can age smarter in the sun”—but he doesn’t call for daily sunscreen in low UV environments, like Scotland, unless it’s for those cosmetic benefits. Scotland, he tells me, also has a high rate of MS.

The Evolving Conversation Around "Healthy Sun"

Dr. Weller believes he won’t be alone forever in his more moderate sunscreen approach. “Science is self-correcting,” Dr. Weller says. “It works from the best information at the time. You’re continually accumulating, reconsidering, and moving on. And I’m frustrated with dermatologists who won’t reconsider [the guidelines], but they’re beginning to.”

Like hormone replacement therapy, the recommended age for mammograms, BMI as a health measure, and how to introduce babies to peanuts, guidance does sometimes evolve. In fact Australia, which is considered a sun protection thought leader, has revisited its sun protection guidance to offer more personalization. In 2023, The Australian Skin and Skin Cancer Research Centre issued a position statement with sun protection recommendations broken down into three different risk groups that factor in skin tone, which has become adopted clinically. The official public health message did not change, but this update is a standout globally and spurred Jacobsen’s Atlantic article.

As this hot topic kicks off, I come back to the concept of absolutism. We are in the era of -maxxing and it’s arguably an American tradition to take something to an extreme, from total sun abstinence to unprotected sun seeking. Because the podcast clips will inevitably be flying, my hope is that derms and other skincare experts do not simply reject this book on its premise alone. To do so will likely alienate the very people most at-risk of unhealthy sun habits. Instead, I would ask doctors, what research about healthy sun exposure is valid in your professional view and how could it apply to the sun curious patient in front of you?

“People like to take polarizing stances, but a true physician will always weigh the cost and benefit of any situation,” says Dr. Bhanusali. “Extreme anything is not good.”

If you are looking for a head-to-head on this subject, you’re in luck. Dr. Weller tells me that at next year’s World Congress of Dermatology in Guadalajara, Mexico—a summit that convenes every four years like the Olympics and World Cup—he will be arguing one side of an Oxford-style debate on healthy sun exposure.

For my part, I won’t make any changes in my diligent SPF routine, but I am considering sunnier vacations in the winter and whether I’ve gotten some time outside each day, the same way I think about whether I've gotten enough steps. As for Jacobsen’s bottom-line advice, he writes: “Go outside. There’s no need to overthink it. Wear a hat, wear sunscreen, do what you gotta do, just get out there. That’s right, don’t throw away your sunscreen… Most sunscreens also allow a smidge of UV to sneak through, and often a smidge is all you need.”

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If you're looking for a sunny beach vacation, chances are you've already considered booking a flight to the Caribbean, especially if you live on the east coast of North America—the convenience is undeniable. But if you're looking for something other than one of the major players among the 30+ countries and territories of the Caribbean, like the Bahamas, Barbados, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica, or St. Barths, then I suggest taking a trip to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines as soon as humanly possible.

Located only four and a half hours from New York City—less time than it takes to fly to Los Angeles—the stunning volcanic island is one of the most southernmost Caribbean getaways (which means that it was still toasty warm when I visited in March, while NYC was buried under a blanket of snow), with stunning blue-green waters, soft sandy beaches, and a delightfully laid-back attitude. Time moves a little slower upon arrival, and truly nothing feels better than leaving behind the frenetic hustle and bustle of the city in favor of a few relaxing days under the sun—so long as you apply plenty of SPF, of course.

Now that summer vacations are finally upon us, use this as your insider guide to the best beauty and wellness treatments on Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and enjoy everything the island has to offer.

Best Facials

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Canouan

If you want a comprehensive facial combined with a relaxing head massage (and honestly, who doesn't when you're on vacation?) look no further than this luxury spa. Coupled with guided breathing and visualisation, the facial massage portion is sure to help you melt into the table for an hour and a half of pure bliss.

Mindful Facial: 90 minutes

Cost: $380

The Magnolia Spa

The hundreds of five-star reviews sold me on the no-frills facial at The Magnolia Spa. Sometimes, you just want to rest easy knowing that you're going to walk out the door with clear pores, a sculpted set of cheekbones, and ridiculously glowy skin. It doesn't hurt when the price is right, either.

Relax, Revitalize Facial: 75 minutes

Cost: $120

Best Spas

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Canouan

The Mandarin Hotel is the pinnacle of luxury, and there's no better way to melt away the stress hiding in your body than with one of the spa's signature treatments. From massages to facials to full-body scrubs, good luck choosing just one to indulge in during your Caribbean trip. The warm Oriental Harmony scrub is one of the best, with two providers working in tandem to buff away rough skin and banish post-flight tension.

Oriental Harmony: Two hours

Cost: $540

Sandals Saint Vincent Red Lane Spa

Nothing says "I'm on vacation" quite like a body wrap treatment. The newly redesigned Red Lane spa at Sandals Saint Vincent is the epitome of relaxation, and the Deaging Body Wrap Treatment is everything your tired, dehydrated skin deserves on vacation. Tighten skin laxity and enhance skin's natural radiance during an hour of pure bliss—then spend the rest of your afternoon on one of the lounge chairs by the pool with a glass of champagne. You deserve it!

Deaging Body Wrap Treatment: One Hour

Cost: $183

Best Massages

Sandals Saint Vincent Red Lane Spa

There are few things I love more than a hot stone massage, and the treatment I received at The Red Lane Spa nearly put me to sleep I was so relaxed. The additional minerals help to soften and purify the skin, while a skilled masseuse releases those stubborn knots from your back and hips. The stunning redesign of the space is also made for lounging around in a robe, sipping champagne, as I did after my hour-long treatment.

Himalayan Salt Stone Massage: 60 or 90 minutes

Cost: $206 - $282

Bequia Beach Hotel Spa

For a fully customized treatment that features hot volcanic stones (from the island!), deep tissue massage, and aromatherapy, the stylish spa at Bequia Beach Hotel has hands-down one of the most relaxing massages you'll ever receive on vacation. My advice? Pretend you're floating on one of the high, fluffy clouds around the island while your aches and pains disappear..

BBH Signature Massage: 60 minutes

Cost: $145

Best Manicure + Pedicure

The Onyx Spa, Paradise Beach Hotel

Hey, sometimes you just don't have time to get your manicure or pedicure done before hopping on a plane to paradise. Book an appointment at the Paradise Beach Hotel's spa to receive a classic, gel, or Gel-X manicure or pedicure and feel prepped and ready to be blissfully shoeless on the beach for the next few days.

Gel Pedicure: 75 minutes

Cost: $90

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

It's hot outside, y'all. I just walked back inside from grabbing an afternoon latte, and even a stroll down the block (between two steaming subway grates, mind you) was enough to make me feel a human ice cream cone melting into the sidewalk. Even with my work bag stacked with cooling products, like hydrating face mists and cryotherapy tools (yes, I'm that girl) I'm finding that I need a little extra help to keep from sweating through my linen shirt and long shorts. Any babes that tend to run hot know the struggle. That's why I've decided to add a personal fan to my essentials list during the summer, and luckily, there are some incredibly chic options on the market right now; the kind that doesn't immediately scream "I'm on a family vacation to Disney World."

"I think people often underestimate how much heat itself, separate from UV light, can drive inflammation and skin dysfunction,” Kseniya Kobets, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and Director of Cosmetic Dermatology at Montefiore Einstein Advanced Care, previously told Marie Claire. "“When skin overheats, blood vessels dilate, which increases redness, flushing, swelling, and can worsen conditions like rosacea, melasma, acne, eczema, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and allergy reactions.” Obviously, none of those heat-related issues are enjoyable, aside from just the pure discomfort of being outside in extremely high temperatures.

So, if you're also experiencing a relentless heat wave wherever you are in the world (Europe, you're in my thoughts) I highly suggest scrolling through the five best personal fans to help you survive the boiling temps without wasting away in a pool of sweat. These, plus a healthy dose of full-body deodorant, should be enough to get you through the summer heat in style.

Shop the Five Best Personal Fans

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Expert

As a Midwestern gal who loves a good state fair, I learned long ago that almost everything is better when consumed or presented in stick format. Corn dogs, fried pickles—you get the point. So when skincare that took on the same form came across my beauty editor desk these past few months, to say I was intrigued would be an understatement. As for the shining stars of this budding category? Serum sticks—and I'm not the only one who agrees.

Muneeb Shah, MD, who you likely know online as @doctorly, says one of the biggest advantages of a serum stick is its precision. "Most serums are designed to be applied with your hands, which works well for the face, but can be messy or inefficient when you're targeting specific areas like the neck, jawline, chest, or backs of the hand. A stick allows you to apply the product exactly where you want it without dripping or wasting product," he explains.

Another bonus? Serum sticks are incredibly convenient. When skincare is easy to use, you're more likely to use it consistently—and it's more likely to work. "Consistency is what ultimately drives results," adds Dr. Shah. "The format isn't just about convenience; it's about helping people treat areas they often neglect, like the neck and décolleté, which are some of the first places we start to see visible signs of aging."

Ahead, discover 10 of the best serum sticks on the market, all ready to be applied exactly (and I mean exactly) how you see fit.

Serum Stick MVPs

Though there aren't as many serum sticks on the market as there are actual serums (you can find serums for mature skin, serums packed with actives, hydrating serums, and on and on and on), the category is expanding quickly. These are the formulas I return to again and again, despite constantly testing what's new.

Glass Skin Awaits

Now, we're going to look at some hydrating serums designed to give you a glass-skin glow. Because they create an occlusive layer on the skin, balms already offer a nice moisturizing effect by locking in hydration. Add some extra skin-loving ingredients to the mix and we're really talking.

Retinol Round Up

Retinol is everything, so it only makes sense that some great retinol stick serums would join the lineup here. "For products containing retinaldehyde, I generally recommend starting a few nights a week and increasing frequency as your skin adjusts," notes Dr. Shah. "The goal isn't to use the strongest product possible; it's to use one that you can tolerate consistently."

Liquids to Sticks

Something interesting has been happening in the stick serum market. We're seeing formulas we already love translated into a new format. And no, you don't lose any effectiveness when using a stick serum versus a classic liquid.

"The effectiveness of a skincare product comes from the formulation and delivery of the ingredients, not whether it's a liquid, cream, or stick," explains Dr. Shah. "In fact, an anhydrous stick format can actually offer formulation advantages for certain ingredients because it minimizes exposure to water, which can help support ingredient stability. The key is making sure the active ingredients are formulated to remain effective and are delivered evenly to the skin."

Complexion Perfectors

Can't wait long for your serum stick to fully do the work? I get it. While I wait for the other options on this list to really kick in (with consistent, sustained use), here are some tinted serum sticks that offer immediate skin-perfecting properties—plus all the same skin-loving ingredients as every other option on this list.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

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I’m a luxury skincare aficionado. While products don't have to be expensive in order to be effective (shoutout: Naturium, La Roche-Posay, CeraVe), there are a few brands, albeit on the pricier side, that have invested so heavily in their product development, clinical studies, and result-driven formulations that I’m able to justify the price tag. Case in point: U Beauty.

Since its launch in 2019, the brand has released 20 products across skin, body, and fragrance. The differentiating factor is the science that powers them. After a decade of research, the brand patented a little something called Siren Capsule Technology. The gist: it allows skincare formulas to deploy certain ingredients precisely where your skin needs them. Think of it as an invisible skin scanner that knows which areas of your face would benefit from added hydration, exfoliation, or antioxidant protection. As a result, skin is more balanced, more protected, and more youthful. “Our mission is to simplify skincare without compromising results, even for sensitive, irritation-prone skin, using the smartest technology available,” says founder Tina Chen Craig. “Science doesn’t need to feel clinical, and luxury doesn’t need to feel traditional. Their intersection should be deliberate, intelligent, and deeply personal. U Beauty skincare that adapts to you, not the other way around.”

Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of trying each and every one of U Beauty’s launches, which makes me uniquely qualified to tell you which items deliver results so good that you’ll not only want to buy them but also restock them. My honest thoughts on the seven best items in the line, ahead. (P.S. Make sure to subscribe to Marie Claire's beauty and fashion newsletters, Face Forward and Self Checkout. In July, U Beauty will be offering a special discount to our most loyal readers.)

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

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Call me naive but I always assumed that one of the best parts of getting older—at least from a beauty perspective—was the inevitable demise of breakouts. After the unpredictable zits that popped up throughout the teen years and the hormonal shifts that plagued the early 20s, arriving to the 35+ age demographic was supposed to mean that acne was firmly in the rear view mirror. In place of whiteheads, there would be fine lines, and concerns about clogged pores would give way to laxity anxiety (essentially a never ending struggle on the skincare front). My, how wrong I was.

As a 36-year-old woman, I have seen more pesky closed comedones and angry pimples in the past few years than my late 20s and early 30s combined. Among the frantic texts I've fired off to my dermatologist: Is this normal? How do I get rid of these? Why is my skin so temperamental?? And according to my fellow mid-to-late 30-somethings, I'm not the only one seeing a rise in adult acne.

"While acne is often thought of as a teenage condition, it is increasingly common to see women seeking treatment for persistent or new-onset breakouts in their 30s, 40s and beyond," says Marisa Garshick, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City (and the recipient of many of my acne-related texts). "Acne is one of the most common conditions I treat, and in a typical day, acne concerns account for 30 percent of my visits. A significant proportion, often close to half, are adults over the age of 30."

So what is behind the rise of adult acne in 2026, and what exactly do the experts recommend doing to combat breakouts and return to calm, clear, healthy skin? Tired of my own pimple problems, I went searching for answers.

The Rise of Adult Acne

While it's inevitable to experience a rogue pimple or two after your teen years, many experts have seen a higher number of patients and clients over 30 with acne-related issues. "We see over 600 clients a month at the studio, and the vast majority come in for some form of acne concern," says Sofie Pavitt, a New York-based esthetician and founder of Sofie Pavitt Face. "I would say most are between 25-40, so [we] really a focus on adult acne for sure."

Dr. Garshick also notes that many of her patients land in her office to address unwanted breakouts, and many of them are in their 30s, 40s, and beyond. "The number seems to have increased and become more apparent over time," she says. "While adult acne has always existed, there is greater awareness now about 'adult acne' and more people are seeking treatment rather than simply accepting it as something they have to live with." She adds that the prevalence of social media has resulted in a growing interest in hormonal influences on the skin, and encourages more adults to seek treatment, whether by consulting a board-certified dermatologist or a licensed esthetician.

What Hormonal Shifts Occur In the 30s and 40s for Women?

If you're a woman over 35, you've likely been bombarded with messaging about how you've entered the era drastic hormonal shifts, whether that's speaking to geriatric pregnancy or perimenopause. Sadly, these changes can have a major impact on your likelihood to develop adult acne as well. But what exactly is causing such frustrating changes to your skin condition?

As clinical pharmacist Stephanie Redmond, PharmD, CDCES, BC-ADM, and founder of Dr. Stephanie’s Vitamins and Supplements explains of this period of life, "Estrogen becomes erratic (perimenopause) and then declines," noting that the decrease can be mild or rapid. "Progesterone and testosterone both also consistently decline. The hormone changes trigger a cascade of events that impact your gut microbiome, stress response (i.e. cortisol levels), and insulin resistance, which all can impact skin complexion and acne production."

She notes that when estrogen drops, your androgens and testosterone levels become unbalanced and more dominant. "Without estrogen to 'quiet down' androgens, the androgens can wreak havoc on skin, increase sebum production, and clog pores." Fun fact: this is the same process that contributes to age-related hair loss. "Estrogen is pro-hair growth, [while] DHT (androgen) miniaturizes hair follicles," says Dr. Redmund. "So the same hormone fluctuations causing acne is causing hormonal hair loss in women entering their 40s. "

Dr. Garshick explains that the reason why more mature woman are experiencing breakouts isn't just attributed to hormones, but rather results from a combination of factors including hormones, stress, and other environmental triggers. "For some people, the breakouts may only occur in relationship to their menstrual cycle which sometimes can indicate that it is hormonal [acne]. In many cases, adult acne is multifactorial, so it may not be one single cause but rather several factors working together." She adds that some people may even see breakouts for the first time, even if they didn't experience acne as a teenager (fun!).

What Lifestyle Factors Cause Adult Acne?

Like so many skin conditions that result from inflammation in the body (eczema, perioral dermatitis, and more), acne is prone to flaring when you make certain lifestyle choices. Yes, that means more than just what night cream you apply on a given day.

"It is always best to focus on stress management, maintain good sleep habits, and follow a balanced diet," says Dr. Garshick "Some individuals may notice that foods with a high glycemic index or excessive dairy intake can worsen breakouts." Pavitt agrees, noting that she's had a lot of clients find success when they increase their fiber intact. "There’s limited data, but I see a huge link between diet and breakouts," she says. "Sleep hygiene and stress management can also be so impactful." She also emphasizes that not every skincare product on the market is a must-have in your daily routine. "I think that everyone is doing way too much," says Pavitt. "Just because an ingredient is trendy and gets a lot of press it doesn’t mean it’s right for you."

What Ingredients Should You Use to Treat Adult Acne?

While many of the acne-fighting ingredients the experts recommend for mature skin types is similar to those for teens and 20-somethings, there are a few caveats. "The approach often needs to be adjusted because mature skin is more prone to dryness and irritation," says Dr. Garchick. "For example, retinoids like adapalene or prescription tretinoin, salicylic acid, and benzoyl peroxide may still be used but for those with more sensitive skin other ingredients like azelaic acid and sulfur may also be considered."

She stresses that regardless of what ingredient is the most effective for your skin, it's best to only introduce one new product at a time. That way you can assess what's working, what's irritating, and whether or not it's worth more space in your beauty budget. "It is also important to support acne treatments with gentle skincare products such as cleansers and moisturizers that help support the skin barrier and reduce irritation using ingredients like ceramides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid," says Dr. Garshick.

Paying attention to the products in your routine is also important when eradicating acne. As Pavitt suggests, "double check your products (including hair care) for pore-cloggers." Comedogenic ingredients (those that can clog your pores) don't necessarily mean that they will lead to acne, but she suggests eliminating them from your skincare lineup to achieve your initial goal of calming breakouts, and then adding them back in one and at a time to see what works for you. These include things like shea butter, avocado oil, sweet almond oil—check the INCI list for a comprehensive guide to potentially pore-clogging ingredients.

The Final Word On Adult Acne

As with the acne you may have experienced as a teen, there is no magical quick fix to cure your adult acne. Finding the right combination of skincare products, lifestyle shifts, and expert help will take time and patience. But try not to get discouraged. "Lifestyle changes can feel overwhelming," says Dr. Redmond. "But try your best to give it a good two weeks. It doesn’t happen overnight, but this has to be foundational before chasing topical solutions and supplements. The best skin product in the world isn’t going to overcome poor sleep, diet, and out of control stress." If there was ever a reason to use some PTO, take a vacation, and get to bed earlier, finally getting rid of that stubborn adult acne feels like it's worthwhile. Do it for the sake of your skin.

The Best Products to Treat Adult Acne

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For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

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As far as wellness fads go, sitting in a warm pool being massaged by jets is quite pleasant when you compare it to popular longevity treatments like NAD+ drips and breath restriction exercise. Despite being a buzzy concept in the modern longevity movement’s quest to live longer and age slower, hydrotherapy—or using water to help treat common concerns like muscle aches, stress, and fatigue—has been around pretty much since the start of human history. The ancient Romans famously had their public bathhouses, while ancient Greeks are considered the inventors of contrast therapy.

While you might be familiar with, or even partaken in a sauna and cold plunge, it turns out there are a few things experts say we’ve been getting wrong when we submerge ourselves. I know, it’s just water, how complicated could it be? While you will still see some benefits if you just dunk yourself in cold water and call it a day, you won’t get the full scope of what hydrotherapy has to offer, says Marcus Coplin, ND, medical director at Murrieta Hot Springs Resort and The Springs Resort, and chief medical director at Bastyr University. Everything from how long you spend in the water to the type of water and even the order you do your treatments will influence how effective that treatment is, he says.

With that in mind, I asked the pros to reveal which hydrotherapy option will help you achieve your wellness goals and how best to practice it in order to reap the maximum benefits. Keep reading to learn four expert-approved ways to get wet.

Contrast Therapy

What Is Contrast Therapy?

While sauna and cold plunge might be the most well-known iteration of contrast therapy, any combination of exposing yourself to alternating temperatures—even a hot-and-cold foot soak, can help with recovery.

“You're exposing the body to two extremes of the stress spectrum,” Dr. Coplin explains. “The heat is increasing the red blood cells' ability to release oxygen to be used by the cells as fuel, increasing the entire metabolic capacity of the body.” The heat also expands your blood vessels, he says, allowing more blood to circulate throughout your system. When you then get into the cold, it contracts the capillaries, pumping all that metabolically rich blood back into your organs, which Dr. Coplin equates to “putting gas in the tank for these tissues.” The cold also helps get your lymphatic system moving, and the shrinking of the blood vessels helps alleviate inflammation by moving the blood away from those sore, swollen areas. Dr. Coplin does note that opting for wet or dry experiences will also impact the therapeutic benefits you see from contrast therapy.

“When you are immersed in water, there's a physical element to that,” he explains. “There's the pressure that the water exerts on the skin, which moves the lymphatic fluid from the skin into the capillaries. It creates a gentle pump for the body that way. Water is more directly therapeutic with that deep metabolic reset, whereas the drier experiences are more longer term.”

How Do I Do Contrast Therapy Correctly?

The ideal routine to reap these benefits, says Dr. Coplin, is to follow a heat, cold, rest, repeat program. Resting your body at room temperature after contrast is fundamental, he explains, because after heating up and cooling down, your body needs to rediscover its equilibrium. “It does that by activating the parasympathetic element of its nervous system, which is the de-stress element,” he explains. “If you're walking around with a low degree of chronic stress, putting your body into an intentional and targeted heat stress, and then cold stress, letting the body rest erases that chalkboard that's been slowly keeping tally of all those subconscious chronic stresses that your mind maybe didn't register, but your body certainly did.”

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t reap more benefits the longer you subject yourself to temperature extremes, meaning endurance is absolutely not the name of the game. “Go with what your body is telling you,” he says, meaning if you start to get dizzy or out of breath, then that’s your body’s way of saying it’s time to get out. He says his initial recommendation for contrast therapy is to do five minutes in a heat element, followed by 30 seconds to a minute in the cold, and then two to three minutes at room temperature resting, repeating that cycle three times.

While many biohackers have turned cold plunge into an endurance sport, Dr. Coplin says that can actually be detrimental to your goal. “You should always stay in cold water just long enough to where you can feel yourself relax into the discomfort. It doesn't need to be forcing yourself to stay in there.” And, there’s truly no reason to do more than three cycles, he says. In fact, it can be detrimental to your end goals. “It might overwhelm your body to the point where you're going to be tired and grumpy because your body is eliminating at a faster rate than it can handle.”

Hydrotherapy Circuit

What Is a Hydrotherapy Circuit?

For those that like a little variety, hydrotherapy circuits have been gaining in popularity as destinations for health-conscious guests across the globe. Depending on the locale, you can find everything from the usual saunas, steam rooms, cold plunges, and whirlpools, plus more unique experiences like the frost-producing shower at the St. Regis Resort in Long Boat Key or the icy walls of the Snow Room at the luxe Meraki Wellness in Grand Cayman. In Denver, Coba has a 43,000 square foot bathhouse in the works that will feature indoor and outdoor water elements like a float pool, heat stone, and cold sauna that guests can access with a $50 day pass.

According to Meraki co-founder Peter Clarke, hydrotherapy circuits allow for more tailored treatments that better fit your needs. “You might be an elite sportsman and you may want to do something one way or you might be a total novice and never ever done it in your life,” he says. “They would want different things.” Maybe you know that your body responds better to a wet heat, like a steam room, but prefers a dry cold, like a cold sauna. Or perhaps you like the double whammy of wet that comes from a heated whirlpool and a cold plunge. Hydrotherapy circuits allow you to experiment with different elements of contrast therapy and find the modalities that work best for you.

How Do I Do a Hydrotherapy Circuit Correctly?

Some circuits are unguided, while others have attendants to move you through the flow and advise you on timing and order of treatments to best achieve your goals. According to Giota Strikoudi, wellness concierge and founder’s ambassador at Meraki, they advise everyone to start with the sauna, because it provides the most impactful heat treatment. “Sauna influences heart rate variability, a marker of autonomic nervous system regulation in the heart,” she says. “It's related to stress regulation, so on that aspect, sauna has the same benefits as low to moderate exercise.” From there, Strikoudi says you should head to a cold element, like an experiential shower, followed by the steam room to help re-moisturize the skin after the dryness in the sauna.

But the beauty of a hydrotherapy circuit is you can find what works for your needs. If a cold plunge is not something you can handle, hydrotherapy circuits provide alternatives that allow you to experience the benefits of cold therapy in a more manageable format. “The snow shower is lovely — it's much easier than the cold plunge because you're not submerging your whole body in the cold,” says Janet Monroe, a licensed massage therapist at the St. Regis Longboat Key.

The important thing is not what type of cold you do, but just that you do it. “You're missing a very powerful therapeutic if you don't do the cold,” says Dr. Coplin. “If you can get connected to your breath and get in the cold water for as little as 30 seconds, what you find is that each time you do it, you're more adapted to the cold. You're actually retraining your body's window of what comfort feels like, and that is that neurological reset, hormonal reset, circulatory reset.” Just don’t forget to follow that heat, cold, rest, repeat cycle no matter which elements you choose.

Hot Springs

What Are Hot Springs?

While hotspots like Colorado and California boast an impressive array of natural mineral hot springs to soak in, many Americans have less exposure to balneotherapy—the technical term for mineral water bathing—than their European counterparts. Balneotherapy combines the physical benefits of contrast hydrotherapy, says Dr. Coplin, along with trace amounts of mineral absorption, which can have a range of impacts on the skin, from arthritis relief to remedying inflammation, depending on the mineral. “Every mineral spring is unique—each is based on the unique path that water found its way up to the surface from these supercharged water reservoirs deep in the earth,” he says. “As it finds its way up, it's collecting different mineral profiles based on the sediment beds that it's moving through.” In the U.S., our most common minerals are sulfur, sodium, potassium, silica, lithium, and calcium, he notes.

“Mineral waters provide both transdermal mineral absorption, where minerals like magnesium are going into the skin and being incorporated directly into the intracellular space,” says Dr. Coplin,who is also board president of the Balenology Association of North America. “There’s also what we call the mechanical aspect of some minerals, like sulfur, which actually creates an enhanced opening of the capillary beds in the skin, improving the circulation into chronically inflamed skin and helping the body better deliver nutrients and oxygen to that tissue. For hundreds of years, sulfur hot springs have been used to successfully treat skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.”

What Is the Correct Way to Maximize Hot Springs Benefits?

Just like the heating elements in contrast therapy, there’s no need to spend hours soaking in a steaming pool. Fifteen minutes will do the trick, and if the hot spring you are at has some sort of cool shower or stream nearby, do yourself a favor and do a 30-second dunk in the cold. While you might be thinking you need to find a hot spring with the specific mineral content that addresses your needs, Dr. Coplin says that there’s no reason to jet around the world in search of the “right” hot spring for you. “Everybody wants to know which is the best hot spring for them,” he says. “The real answer is that all of them are going to have a benefit. If someone who has arthritis goes to a sulfur spring they're still going to get a benefit. It's just maybe not as targeted and specific.”

Mineral Baths

What Are Mineral Baths?

If you’re not fortunate enough to live close to one of the Uninted State’s 1,600+ natural hot springs, your next best option is to create a mineral soak in your bathtub. Brands like Flewd and Esker offer formulas that are high in minerals like magnesium and loaded with beneficial aromatics and vitamins to soothe the skin and the senses. While baths lack the high heat benefit of most hot springs, says Andrea Colón, NMD, which are typically anywhere from 94 to 104 degrees, an at-home soak is a more accessible and convenient option for most.

“Soaking in mineral baths can alleviate muscle tension and stiffness,” says Dr. Colón. “Minerals like magnesium are known for their calming properties due to its ability to activate GABA receptors. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that can help to regulate the nervous system and promote overall relaxation.” Magnesium tends to be the most common mineral for at-home bathing, says Flewd founder and CEO Michael Lupo, because it’s one of the easiest to work with (outside of lithium orotate) and least likely to irritate the skin. “With a lot of minerals you read about the benefits and it sounds great, but there are issues where it smells bad, or it doesn’t dissolve, or it leaves a film,” says Lupo.

Magnesium also has the most research around transdermal absorption (although all of our sources agree that more studies are needed). “Transdermal absorption relies on having the right convergence of warmth, water, and weight,” says Lupo. ”You need to have some kind of temperature increase to help open the pores. You also need the aspect of high water solubility. Magnesium chloride has one of the highest water solubilities out of all of the variants of magnesium. It also has one of the smallest molecular weights, which means it's much easier for it to get through your skin into your bloodstream through transdermal absorption.”

What Is the Correct Way to Maximize Mineral Bath Benefits?

While magnesium chloride is often thought of as the gold standard for mineral baths, the more common (and affordable) type of magnesium you usually see is magnesium sulfate, or epsom salts. “Both forms of magnesium have been associated with muscle relaxation, pain relief, and stress reduction,” says Dr. Colón. “But there are a few differences in how well they are absorbed”

You have a few options these days for the type of bath, with the most common being salts, like those found in Flewd’s muscle-melting Ache-Erasing Anti-Stress Bath Treatment, and liquids like Esker’s Liquid Magnesium Bath Enhancer, which features two types of magnesium and a gorgeous blend of palo santo, eucalyptus, and lavender essential oils. “If you have sensitive or dry skin, you may prefer the magnesium liquid which is better for moisturizing,” says Dr. Colon. “For someone with more oily or acne-prone skin, magnesium salts might be the better choice.”

Dr. Coplin says the best way to mimic a natural hot spring at home is to do a little bath alchemy. “I usually recommend people buy bulk epsom salt from the drugstore, and then get the beauty brand that they like that has some kind of trace mineral,” he says. “Put in three or four cups of your bulk salt, and then add your bath treatment, and that's where you can really create a beautiful experience that has a therapeutic benefit. Magnesium salt at that ratio helps drive those trace minerals more effectively, so you can enhance the therapeutic effect of the other minerals by increasing with the epsom salt.”

While you may think soaking longer would be better, Lupo says that transdermal absorption for magnesium happens at around 10 minutes, so anything after that doesn’t necessarily mean you are getting a higher absorption of minerals. Be sure not to wash off after your bath, as there may still be trace minerals on your skin that could absorb, says Dr. Coplin. Rinsing is fine, but skip the soap.

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Meet the Experts

If you told me I could only use one body care brand for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t be too pressed—as long as said brand was Cyklar. I, along with the entire Marie Claire Beauty Team, am obsessed with the deliciously luxurious lineup. There are honestly no misses; the body washes have a perfect foam and fabulous sillage; the body oil-in-balm gives a non-greasy shine and impeccable hydration; the lotion—no notes; and don’t even get me started on the gloriousness that is the brand’s shimmering body oil.

Part of what makes the lineup so special is its fine fragrance infusions. Every product is scented with the most intoxicatingly yummy scents. Some fan favorites include my personal go-to, Vanilla Verve, along with Sacred Santal, Bergamot Bond, and Naked Neroli. But while Cyklar products are top-tier, they’re also not cheap. That’s what makes their inclusion in Amazon Prime Day so incredibly exciting. The catch? Prime Day ends on Friday June 26 at 11:59 pm PST, so there are just a few hours left to stock up while the products are discounted. To make it as easy as can be, I’ve rounded up my all-time favorites below.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

With summer in full swing, it's officially impossible to hide dry elbows and a farmer's tan under long sleeves, so I'm in the market for a good body serum and a self-tanner. I also need to stock up on some post-shaving care, and maybe some body lotion while I'm at it. You know, now that I think of it, it's tie to revamp my entire body skincare routine. Thank the shopping gods it's Amazon Prime Day.

As you likely already know, the Amazon Prime Day sales event is in full swing, with hundreds of products on sale through Friday, June 26. Luckily, the sale includes discounts on everything you need to create a new body care routine—body wash, body scrubs, lotions, and more—not to mention luxury products that'll leave your skin glowing like never before. Beauty tools are also on sale, including one of our favorite at-home laser hair removal devices and an electric flosser that'll totally change your oral hygiene game. Curious? Check out the 15 body care products worth your money during Amazon Prime Day 2026.

Best Body Care Products to Buy on Sale For Amazon Prime Day

Best Body Care Tools to Buy On Sale at Amazon Prime Day

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

"As a beauty editor, buying skincare is technically research" is a sentence I tell myself year-round, but it feels especially convincing during Prime Day. Every few months, my skin presents me with a brand new set of demands. In the winter, it wants rich creams and barrier repair. Right now, in the summer, it's suddenly oily, dehydrated, and demanding lightweight hydration, better sunscreen, and products that can survive New York City's heat and humidity. It's an occupational hazard, and I rarely say no.

With Amazon Prime Day ending this Thursday, June 25, I'm using the final days of the sale as an excuse to refresh the parts of my routine that aren't quite pulling their weight anymore. That means makeup-melting cleansers that actually remove every trace of waterproof mascara, K-beauty staples that deliver glass skin levels of glow, moisturizers that keep my skin barrier happy, sunscreens I'll genuinely look forward to applying, and self-tanners that make it look like I've spent more time outside than I actually have, sans the UV damage.

Ahead, the 10 best Amazon Prime Day skincare deals I'd add to cart before the sale disappears.

The Clean Team

From a cleansing balm that dissolves every trace of SPF and foundation to a body wash that leaves skin feeling soft over-stripped, these formulas do the dirty work so your skin doesn't have to.

Shortcut to Glass Skin

The glowiest complexions on my feed have one thing in common: K-beauty. These skin-plumping, radiance-boosting formulas help deliver that coveted glass-skin look with their hydrating superpowers.

Barrier Builders Club

Think of these moisturizers as the protective armor of your skincare routine. Packed with nourishing ingredients, they help strengthen the skin barrier, lock in hydration, and keep irritation at bay.

UV Defense Department

I may sound like a broken record, but the best sunscreen is the one you'll wear every day. These MVP formulas disappear into the skin, layer beautifully under makeup, and make reapplication feel far less annoying. Plus, they offer adequate SPF levels and broad-spectrum protection.

Vacation Skin, No Passport Required

A great self-tanner can fake an entire week of beachside lounging—without the sun damage. These streak-free formulas deliver believable color and a gorgeous, healthy glow.

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For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

One thing I learned very quickly when I took up the beauty beat is that dermatologists love La Roche-Posay. Ask one for skincare recs in pretty much any category—sunscreens, products for sensitive skin, acne solutions—and there’s a solid chance at least one of their picks will come from the storied French pharmacy brand. (Which, considering how flooded the skincare market is, is really saying something.) While I’ve emptied my fair share of LRP products over the years, and can thus speak to their quality firsthand, I still always wonder: In a world filled with science-backed heritage skincare brands, what makes this one so special?

As it turns out, the answer is pretty simple: La Roche-Posay’s offerings “are well priced, well formulated, and contain key active ingredients that deliver results,” says board-certified dermatologist Ava Shamban, MD.

More specifically, many of the brand’s products “are hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, and non-comedogenic,” says board-certified dermatologist Gloria Lin, MD. And the company puts in the work to make sure that its products do, “partnering with dermatologists to conduct actual clinical research.” So when you pick up something with that famous white and orange packaging, you can be confident it won’t leave you with stinging skin or, conversely, no results at all: “They favor proven ingredients like ceramides and niacinamide rather than ‘trendy’ ones that lack the science-backed data to support their use,” says Dr. Lin.

While Dr. Shamban says the brand excels across categories, it’s especially adept at “products for compromised skin: lotions, creams, balms, or serums for face and body that address extreme dryness, irritation, atopic conditions, or a compromised barrier. These are pretty exceptional.” Also among the standouts? The sunscreens and moisturizers, “since they can be suitable for a wide variety of skin types and tones,” says Lin.

But which La Roche-Posay products really, really stand out? Read on to discover the best La Roche-Posay products, per me and the derms.

Favorite Face Washes

Every good skincare routine starts with a great face wash—and the best face washes remove the day's dirt, grime, and makeup without leaving your skin tight and dry. These two do exactly that.

Standout Serums

The “gentle but effective” ethos that defines LRP’s more high-profile categories applies to its serums as well, which are efficacious yet sensitive-skin-friendly.

Must-Have Moisturizers

If you, like me, prefer to keep your most potent actives in your serums and treatments in favor of gentler moisturizers, La Roche-Posay has plenty of options. You truly can’t go wrong with any of them, but these two are particularly noteworthy.

Sensitive Skin Picks

Keeping it 100: My skin can tolerate a lot, so I don’t exactly feel comfortable speaking to the sensitive skin category. But if there’s anyone who can, it’s the folks who quite literally do it for a living: Derms. Both of the ones I talked to recommended these two products.

SPF Faves

SPF is one of the brand's most popular categories (which is really saying something), so the options are plentiful. “There are many different types of La Roche-Posay sunscreens, so it may be very personal to your lifestyle and needs for which one you might prefer,” says Dr. Lin.

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For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Experts

While I love a good skincare routine, I’m a big proponent of using them as a supplement to in-office procedures. That being said, not everyone can afford to see a dermatologist for elective procedures that are not covered by insurance, which is why, to me, the growth of medical-grade, over-the-counter skincare products makes so much sense. It’s also why EGF—or epidermal growth factor—serums are having a moment right now.

​EGFs have actually been around since the '60s, so they're definitely tried and tested, and backed by skincare professionals. As board-certified dermatologist Kseniya Kobets, MD, explains, “Epidermal growth factors are naturally occurring signaling proteins that help regulate skin repair. Think of it this way: EGFs work from the top layer of the skin down, while something like an FGF (or fibroblast growth factor) works on the inverse, at the dermis level on fibroblasts.”

But before you start buying all of the growth-factor-powered serums you can get your hands on, Dr. Kobets explains everything you need to know about the buzzy skincare ingredient. From the benefits that you can expect to see while using them to who actually would be the best recipient for these ingredients, keep reading for the need-to-know on the world of skin-repairing EGFs.

What Are the Benefits of Using Epidermal Growth Factors?

We’ve touched a bit on what EGFs are, but what exactly do they do? It turns out, they’re kind of like little personal trainers for your skin. “EGFs primarily work on epidermal cells in the outer layers of the skin,” Dr. Kobets says. “They help support skin renewal, barrier repair, and overall skin texture.” In short, the ingredient focuses on improving the skin’s surface and barrier, making it stronger and more resilient.

​That said, most modern anti-aging skincare products that promote any variation of EGFs don't rely on the growth factors alone. “Most EGF serum formulas often contain a mixture of growth factors; cytokines, peptides, conditioned media, or exosome-derived signaling molecules, designed to mimic the complex communication network involved in wound healing and skin rejuvenation,” Dr. Kobets says. She adds that many EGF formulas on the market right now also also include barrier-supporting and hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, niacinamide, squalane, and ceramides, "which can make skin look and feel better almost immediately.”

The Best Epidermal Growth Factor Serums

Who Can Use Epidermal Growth Factors?

Technically speaking, anyone can use EGFs; however, some people may see results more readily than others. “They are a great addition to a skincare routine for patients who are noticing early to moderate signs of aging, including fine lines, loss of firmness, and dullness,” says Dr. Kobets. “They can also be a nice option for patients who want anti-aging benefits but cannot tolerate stronger ingredients like retinoids or exfoliating acids because of sensitive skin.”

​If you don’t quite fall into that category but still want to try EGFs, there are a few things to keep in mind. “Rather than replacing proven ingredients like sunscreen, retinols, antioxidants, and barrier-enhancing moisturizers, EGFs work best as an additional layer of support and stimulation,” says Dr. Kobets. They also make a fantastic addition to your procedure aftercare routine, if approved by your dermatologist. Because in-office treatments such as microneedling temporarily disrupt the skin barrier, EGFs take advantage of the microchann

“It’s wonderful for use with microneedling, in particular, which creates microchannels in the skin that may enhance the penetration of topical, regenerative ingredients,” Dr. Kobets notes.

How Do I Use Epidermal Growth Factors?

“I typically recommend applying a growth factor serum once or twice daily after cleansing and before moisturizer,” Dr. Kobets says. “Think of it as one of the first leave-on products that goes onto the skin.”

Again, EGFs pair particularly well with hydrating and barrier-supporting ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, ceramides, squalane, niacinamide, and antioxidants. They can even be combined with retinoids. “The two work through different pathways and can complement one another,” she says. “Growth factor products may also help support the skin barrier, which can be helpful for patients who experience irritation from retinoids or exfoliating acids.”

That being said, if you notice your skin becoming sensitive when using EGFs with retinoids or stronger formulas like glycolic or salicylic acid products, use the acids during one of your skincare routines, either in the morning or at night, and EGFs in the other, as a precaution. The most important thing to note when using epidermal growth factors is to always pair it with daily sunscreen. “If you are investing in collagen-building skincare, protecting that collagen from UV damage is essential,” Dr. Kobets says.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Expert

I don’t know if I’m showing my age here a little (I’m a loud and proud 29-year-old), however, it’s always a little trippy when a product you’ve used and loved for ages suddenly goes mega-viral. So you can imagine my surprise when I was doing my nightly scroll on TikTok and came across a treasure trove of videos showing people falling in love with a product that I have used and adored for years: the By Terry Tea to Tan Hydra Bronze Mist.

The timing couldn't be better. Bronzing tints, glow mists, and body shimmers have become some of TikTok's favorite ways to fake a post-vacation glow (shoutout to the just-as-viral Victoria Beckham Color Wash Bronze Water Tint and Lux Unfiltered Summer Nights Body Tint). As lightweight, skin-first makeup continues to dominate, it's no surprise that another formula for sexy summer skin is having a moment.

The rise of these lightweight bronzing formulas reflects a broader shift in beauty right now with the start of summer: less coverage, more glow. That's certainly been true for my own makeup routine. My foundations have gotten lighter (some have even been fully replaced by skin tints), my four-step lip combinations have been replaced by stains and glosses, and even my skincare routine has seen a complete overhaul. Everything is getting more lightweight and dewy and that’s exactly why I started using my Tea to Tan formula again—it’s the perfect product to add a bronzy glow to the skin without making your pores feel weighed down or suffocating in the heat.

​If you’re curious about what all the hype is about, discover my in-depth review of the liquid bronzer, also known as my summer secret sauce. (Well, if the hundreds of videos on TikTok have anything to say about it, it’s not so secret anymore.) Still, the glowy tint that the formula provides is undetectable, so maybe that’s the same thing, right?

The Formula and Ingredients

One of the most fascinating things about this formula, to me, is that it essentially has taken an age-old hack—using tea bags to tint the skin—and perfected it. Gone are the leaves that have to be steeped to give the color that you’re looking for. In its place? This chic bottle that mists the perfect amount of product, every time, anywhere on the body. It’s the perfect product to both travel with and incorporate into your everyday routine at home, and mine hasn’t left my vanity area in weeks—I’ve been using it that much.

As for the ingredients, black and red tea complexes provide lots of antioxidant support to the formula while also giving the liquid a DHA-free tint. Moisturizing ingredients like glycerin and cherry essence contribute to the formula's elegance, allowing the liquid time to blend before drying down, which helps avoid patchiness. Did I also mention that this tint dries down matte and is completely transfer-proof? It’s sorcery.

The Texture, Application, and Shades

This is a liquid, water-based product, so expect it to work like any other face mist in your routine. While the original version, which is the one I have, came in a glass bottle, the newer iteration comes in a plastic one. Both have an atomizer component that allows the formula to be sprayed onto the face or onto a brush with ease, making for quick, easy blending into the skin. Tea to Tan only comes in one color, but it’s a formula that layers beautifully, so you can build it up to your desired depth.

The Takeaway

All in all, I’m glad that Tea to Tan is having its moment right now, and I absolutely co-sign the hype it’s getting on social media. I personally stick to using it on my face, but it can absolutely be used all over the body, including the legs and décolletage, for a glowy, just-got-back-from-vacation vibe. It’s a hot product, so catch it while you can, and while you’re at it, shop a few more of my By Terry favorites below.

Shop More By Terry Products

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For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

It’s no surprise that wellness is booming—according to McKinsey, it’s a $2 trillion industry with four to five percent growth per year. Contrary to popular belief, wellness isn’t just supplements and workouts. In fact, pretty much every industry is getting a beauty-centric makeover. Hole care (yes, I’m talking about your tush) is low-key cool now. Detergents have never looked better, with fine fragrance infusions infiltrating mass market offerings. Even the dentist has been dubbed a wellness experience (seriously, read all about it in MC’s Teeth Week). But perhaps the most out-of-pocket category to infiltrate my bathroom cabinet is an unexpectedly chic allergy care routine.

I know I am far from alone in suffering something serious this season. My eyes weigh 9,000 pounds (and are incredibly bloodshot to boot). I can barely breathe through my nose courtesy of an excess of pollen. And every inch of my skin is so disturbingly itchy that I’ve had to contemplate sleeping in gloves. "Allergies in the northeast portion of the country seem to be worse this year, based on a number of factors—increased pollination of all trees has been noted overall, and the weather pattern has caused some of the pollination to be delayed and dispersed over many weeks, so allergies are lasting a longer time than usual," says board-certified ENT Eric Holender, D.O. But rather than being forced to stock my shelves with sterile-looking medications and products that don’t match my aesthetic, I’ve found a shockingly elevated allergy routine. These products do the job, do it well, and frankly, would look right at home in Sephora. Shop my favorites, ahead.

Pay Attention to Itchy Eyes

I ran to my eye doctor (hi, Dr. Knesia Goman) last week because I was convinced I had a stye forming. Turns out, the soreness and tenderness were just a result of some pretty nasty allergies. I started out with the classic Pataday, but after a little research, I’m turning my attention to the two products below.

Itchy Skin Is No Joke

I’m an itchy girl to begin with. My eczema has been in a flare for the past few months—on my ears, eyelids, and forehead. Now, I’m contending with itchy skin pretty much everywhere the second I decide to venture into Central Park. Alas, I’m a glutton for some greenery, so I just make sure to pack these babies in my bag.

The Need to Breath

If you feel like you’ve had a chronic cold for the past two months, you’re not alone. But rather than grabbing my usual Flonase and NeilMed Neti Pot, I’ve found brands that make a very unsexy regimen feel so much more luxe. Well, as luxe as clearing my nostrils can be—there’s a limit.

Purify the Air

My home is my happy place, so having dander, pollen, and all the other triggers floating in the air isn’t an option. These two air purifiers help prevent mold, increase circulation, and were designed to be compact and sleek. Bonus: they’re small enough for my New York City apartment.

Clean Bedding 24/7

I have a very strict no-outside-clothes-on-the-bed rule, which I highly recommend enforcing in your own home. Allergens can travel with you, so I always hop in the shower before crawling into bed, and I make sure to wash my sheets at least once a week. I find that I sleep more soundly and breathe more easily when I’m religious about it.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Summer has barely started, and yet, I’m already in desperate need of a reset. The rise in temperature paired with the emotional highs and lows of watching the Knicks in the NBA playoffs was simply too much for my nervous system to take. So, naturally, I’m in the mood for some retail therapy to help get me—and my skin and hair—back on track. And lucky for me, there’s plenty of beauty sales going on this week, so I don’t have to spend all my money to do it!

After indulging in the Bluemercury Summer Shopping Party Sale, my wallet needs a bit of a break, which is why this week I’m turning my beauty editor eye towards sales on products that are all about performance, less about luxury branding. I’m talking about products like the high-end, but still reasonably priced, Shark Beauty Flexstyle, currently on sale at Ulta, or the Vegamour GRO Scalp Detoxifying Serum on sale at Sephora. Not interested in hair or tools? No worries, Ulta and Sephora sales also feature some must-have skincare and makeup products you’re going to want to check out. Trust me, these 10 beauty products currently on sale at Sephora and Ulta are worth the splurge.

The Best Beauty Products to Shop on Sale at Sephora

The Best Beauty Products to Shop on Sale at Ulta

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

I will do a lot in my quest for flawless skin, including traveling almost 7,000 miles to Seoul, South Korea, a.k.a the mecca of skincare innovation, to discover the latest and greatest in beauty development. I'm talking buzzy ingredients that you can't yet find in the States, aesthetic treatments that leave your skin looking naturally airbrushed, and of course the beauty technology that is primed to inspire a new wave of device innovation around the world. Such was the case when the Medicube team invited me to their Korean headquarters to learn all about the new Booster Pro X2, the next generation of the brand's iconic Booster Pro line.

In case you're not already familiar with the skincare tool or brand—but really, if you love beauty tech, I sincerely hope you are—Medicube is at the forefront of K-Beauty science, and has been since 2016, bringing now-household items like exfoliating toner pads and PDRN serums to market. You also may have spotted Hailey Bieber using the Age-R Booster Pro on TikTok in 2023. Now, two and a half years after the launch of the original Booster Pro device in February 2024, the brand is revisiting its hero device and updating it with both new software and new hardware to enhance the lifting, firming, and anti-aging benefits.

As Medicube CEO and founder Byung-hoon Kim explained to media at the brand's headquarters, "Medicube is really about the speed of innovation and how fast we can get things out to market. It feels like that's kind of the differentiator when it comes to K-Beauty itself and K-culture, that we're really that fast-paced culture, and it feels like that's one of the deep-rooted secrets of K-Beauty in general." Serving the consumer, who obviously wants noticeable results as fast as possible (as long as you use any device consistently!) is just one of the reasons why both Korean Beauty and skincare devices are having such a moment in 2026.

With over six million devices sold around the world at the start of 2026, per Joe Cho, Medicube's media relations lead, the buzz around the K-Beauty brand shows no signs of slowing down. The only thing left to do—after sleeping for 15 hours upon my return to Brooklyn—was to test out the Booster Pro X2 for myself.

What Is the Medicube Booster Pro X2?

The Booster Pro X2 is a Korean skincare device that features seven modes of action to improve your skin, and offers benefits that are comparable to in-office treatments, all in the comfort of your own bathroom (or wherever you decide to use it—you do you, babe). Compared to the first generation model, the Booster Pro X2 now has seven core modes, up from four, with an additional level of intensity, six compared to five, and a 1.3x larger head to reach more surface area for more efficient treatments. "With the Booster Pro X2, we built upon that same idea by making the experience even more effective, enhancing performance to help consumers better maintain healthy-looking skin and stay ahead of potential concerns over time," explains Cho.

The four original modes are all still included, with three more options to enhance your at-home skincare regimen for a more lifted, glowing effect. But now, "the Booster Pro X2 has two times the output power, two times the electrode count, and two times the LED coverage," says Cho. Each mode also includes LED benefits to boost collagen production and minimize inflammation (you can adjust the settings in the AGE-R App). The seven modes are as follows:

• Air Shot mode: Targets needle-free technology to create tiny micro-channels in the skin and exfoliate for a brighter, more even complexion.
• Booster mode: Helps ensure maximum absorption of your topical skincare products via electroporation technology.
• MC mode: Uses microcurrent to smooth fine lines and plump the skin.
• Derma Shot mode: Features mid-frequency electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) to tighten, lift, and improve skin elasticity.
• AI mode: Uses AI-guided recommendations to tailor your device usage though the AGE-R app.
• Mask mode: Designed to be used with a Korean sheet mask to support ingredient absorption
• Dual mode: Allows the user to utilize two modes at one time.

So if you want to wear your sheet mask and receive a boost of EMS to tighten your skin, the Booster Pro X2 makes it possible. I know I certainly want to achieve maximum benefits in as little time as possible, so I started to incorporate the device (most often the Dual mode setting with Mask and MC mode) into my morning skincare routine four times a week. Can you use it everyday? Absolutely, but I'm only human with a tight schedule!

How Do I Use the Medicube Booster Pro X2?

One of my favorite parts of this device is that you don't need a conduction gel to make it function. You can simply apply your favorite skincare serums and slowly swipe the device around your face. For the Airshot mode, you're meant to use the device on clean, dry skin (angling it slightly so it doesn't pull at your skin), but otherwise, you can reach for your go-to skincare and use the Booster Pro X2 until your product has fully absorbed.

I prefer to use a sheet mask from my stash (like the Biodance Bio Collagen Real Deep Mask or the OMAD Bio Cellulose Restore & Repair Serum Mask) while on the Mask mode. For the Booster mode, a serum with active ingredients like EGF or PDRN is a must for me (try the Angela Caglia Cell Forté Serum With Biomscor the Medik8 Exo-PDRN Prismatic+). The MC mode definitely needs a plumping and hydrating product (I gravitate towards the StriVectin Peptide Plump Line Filling Bounce Serumor Dr. Barbara Sturm The Peptide Serum). The only real rule here, per Cho and the Medicube team, is to avoid using the Booster Pro X2 with any retinoid product or a spicules product so as to avoid potential irritation. Otherwise, consider the device as a seamless accessory to your established skincare lineup.

My Experience with the Medicube Booster Pro X2

There are so many ways to use this device, but I decided to focus on lifting and contouring my face since my allergies are leaving me a little puffy, and helping my usual skincare absorb more effectively. More bang for my buck, right?

After cleansing my face with a gentle gel cleanser in the morning, I added a hydrating toner (the Isla Tone Balance Elixir is a favorite right now) and a plumping serum (the StriVectin Peptide Plump Line Filling Bounce Serum) in the MC mode twice a week, or an antioxidant serum (the Biologique Recherche Spectral Serum) in Booster mode twice a week.

I really appreciated that I could feel the microcurrent (and see it—my eyes and brows went wild with the stimulation), and that I didn't need the conduction gel to make it happen. For the Booster mode, it was harder to tell if the Booster Pro X2 was really helping my serum absorb better, but considering how finicky my skin has been lately, I'll take all the help that I can get. The device is super intuitive, and I've been enjoying toggling through all the different modes and intensity levels. For example, on a Sunday morning, when I've had a busy weekend, I like to turn it up to a level five or six out of seven to really tone my face, but on a Tuesday morning, I keep it to around a three. For days when I need to film content, or I have an important meeting and I want to look my best, I know that I'll be reaching for this device to ensure my complexion looks snatched and ridiculously glowy.

I'm considering it both an investment in the longterm health of my skin and an immediate boost to my appearance, especially when my lifestyle choices have affected my skin (read: two glasses of wine with a friend and some extremely greasy pizza). So while I may not make it back to Seoul anytime soon, I can rest easy knowing that the Korean Beauty philosophy of highly effective skincare is feasible from home—no appointment or plane travel require.

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When I think of the skincare product that got me into skincare, I think of face exfoliators. In middle school, there were silicone scrubbers, and in college, there was a not-to-be-named, pink-capped bottle full of a chemical exfoliant that I used constantly. It absolutely destroyed my barrier, but left my skin feeling oh-so soft.

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