RELATED: The Products You Need for the Ultimate “Everything Shower”

We can all benefit from the protective properties that sunscreen offers, like helping to prevent sunburns, skin cancer, and premature signs of aging like wrinkles and fine lines. The SPF of our beloved sunscreens is an indicator of how well a sunscreen can protect against UVA and UVB rays, and we should be aiming to use products with a minimum SPF of 30.

Here’s the thing: We love sunscreen and all that it does for us, but finding one that blends well with our makeup and doesn’t leave behind a white cast or a greasy finish is no easy feat. It’s true that you should be applying sunscreen daily and all year round, but if you’ve neglected this step during the winter months or haven’t found a sunscreen that works for you, allow us to introduce 12 new SPF-packed products we think you’ll love. From multifunctional creams to dewy serums, there’s a face sunscreen here for everyone.

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Sun Bum

SPF 30 Glow Sunscreen Face Lotion

($24, Sun Bum)

Sun Bum’s newly launched sunscreen is all about the glow and we’re here for it! Drawing from its antioxidant-rich Kakadu plum ingredient, this sunscreen boosts our skin’s natural radiance while keeping it protected.

Buy Now

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Dr. Jart+

Premium BB Tinted Moisturizer SPF 40

($57, Dr. Jart+)

This multipurpose beauty balm by Dr. Jart+ is formulated with niacinimide, glycerin, and SPF 40 to hydrate and protect skin while offering a light layer of coverage.

Buy Now

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Cay Skin

Isle Glow Face Lotion SPF 45

($45, Cay Skin)

This Cay Skin face lotion comes from Canada’s very own top model, Winnie Harlow. Just launched in Sephora Canada, it packs a moisturizing punch. Plus, it’s infused with an illuminating pearl blend for an extra glow.

Buy Now

4/13

Burt’s Bees

Renewal Firming SPF 30 Day Lotion

($32.99, Burt's Bees)

Reap the benefits of UV protection and achieve firmer skin with this new launch by Burt’s Bees from their first ever anti-aging Renewal line.

Buy Now

5/13

Coola

Dew Good Illuminating Serum Face SPF 30

($70, Coola)

Dewy skin? Check. Sun protection? Check. This SPF 30 serum from Coola is ticking all our boxes. And with its BlueScreen Digital De-Stress technology, we’re also getting much needed blue light protection from our digital screens and other environmental stressors.

Buy Now

6/13

Belif

Aqua Bomb Broad Spectrum SPF 50

($50, Belif)

K-beauty brand Belif launched this dual-purpose sunscreen and moisturizer earlier this year, taking inspiration from the brand’s popular Aqua bomb moisturizer. No white cast or oily residue here.

Buy Now

7/13

Shiseido

Urban Environment Vita-Clear Sunscreen SPF 42

($48, Shiseido)

TikTok loves Shiseido’s sunscreens, and the latest addition to their popular Urban Environment sun care collection is this vitamin C-infused, invisible and waterproof Vita-Clear sunscreen with SPF 42.

Buy Now

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Clé de Peau Beauté

Protective UV Cream SPF 50+

($170, Clé de Peau Beauté)

This creamy sunscreen by Clé de Peau is formulated with skin-supporting Moroccan thyme extract, and uses Adaptable Innershield Technology to boost our skin’s innately protective abilities.

Buy Now

9/13

Dermalogica

Porescreen SPF 40

($77, Dermalogica)

Just this week, Dermalogica launched this multifunctional SPF 40 product that offers UVA and UVB protection while minimizing the appearance of pores. It’s a total win-win.

Buy Now

10/13

Dr. Dennis Gross

All-Physical Lightweight Wrinkle Defense Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 30

(Coming Soon, Dr. Dennis Gross)

This Lightweight Wrinkle Defense Mineral Sunscreen by Dr. Dennis Gross is already available to shop in the US, and we can’t wait to get our hands on it in Canada come April 25. Daily sun and wrinkle protection? Yes, please!

Buy Now

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Lotus Aroma Body & Face SPF 50

Body & Face SPF 50

($42, Lotus Aroma)

The new water-resistant and reef-safe offering from Lotus Aroma can be used on both your face and body for broad spectrum protection. Formulated with avocado and coconut oils,
it provides both hydration and sun protection.

Buy Now

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Keys Soulcare

Daily Moisturizer Broad Spectrum

($51, Keys Soulcare)

Keys Soulcare (the Alicia Keys-founded beauty brand) just unveiled an SPF 30 sunscreen in Canada that harnesses the powers of squalene and niacinamide to help moisturize, brighten, and protect the skin from summer sun rays. Plus, it layers beautifully beneath makeup and skincare.

Buy Now

13/13

Vivier

Sheer SPF 30 Mineral Tinted

($58, Vivier)

Let’s face it — no one wants to wear layer after layer of product on their face in the summer. SPF, illuminator, concealer and foundation? Not a chance. Vivier’s Sheer SPF 30 Mineral Tinted Sunscreen gives you a radiant, glowy finish plus a touch of skin tone-evening colour, and of course, UVA and UVB protection.

Buy Now

This article contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

The post The Best New Face Sunscreens To Add to Your Summer Skin Routine appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

We all want skincare products that deliver the results we’re after and leave us looking and feeling our best. We want to see a decreased appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, increased radiance, and an overall smoother, more even complexion. We also want to know what the ingredients we’re putting on our skin are, and really understand how they work. Oh and better yet, we’d like to achieve those results using local, good-for-you Canadian ingredients. Is that too much to ask?

The newly reformulated Watier Age Control Supreme Sublime Advanced product range, including a day cream and light day cream, checks every single one of those boxes. Now formulated with superstar local Canadian ingredients and featuring more protection via antioxidants, you’ll see the anti-aging, brightening results you’re after in less time than ever. Their recent clinical study resulted in a significant anti-wrinkle and smoothing effect after only 14-28 days.

This range was re-formulated with Canadian women in mind. Our harsh Canadian climate, along with other daily stressors, impact our skin more than we realize. This is why their formulators decided to add extra levels of protection and antioxidants in these new and improved products.

“The global anti-aging benefit is still present (wrinkles, prevention, uniformity and radiance of the complexion, hydration, plumping effect). However, we wanted to make the antioxidant protection shield even more powerful and complete,” they said. “We also wanted to promote local Canadian key ingredients. Using our distinctive Canadian ingredients goes one step further than simply claiming to be a local brand.”

Whether you’re looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift for Mom, or shopping for yourself so you can feel strong and confident in your skin, Watier’s newly reformulated Age Control Supreme Sublime Advanced line has what you need. Continue reading for the ultimate decoder about the hero ingredients in this collection and how they can help you achieve stronger and healthier skin.

@fashionmagazineHave you heard the news? Watier has reformulated its coveted Age Control Supreme Sublime Advanced products. They’re now made with superstar local Canadian ingredients and feature more protection via antioxidants, so you’ll see the anti-aging and brightening results you’re after in only 14 days. Take a close-up look at their new and improved products, and hop onto our website for more deets on their new formula! 🧖🏼‍♀️✨♬ original sound – FASHION

Labrador Tea +

Extracted from the Labrador Tea plant, the hero ingredient in Watier’s Age Control Supreme Sublime Advanced product range is known for its age-defying properties and incredible ability to keep skin looking youthful and healthy. The recently reformulated products now feature Labrador Tea in encapsulated form, so the ingredient can better penetrate and diffuse into the skin. It also ensures its potency is preserved. A powerful antioxidant, Labrador Tea + helps the skin maintain its elasticity and firmness, helping it effectively reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Thanks to this new encapsulated formula, when you apply their day cream (also available in a light formula), the concentration of Labrador Tea + can better penetrate, allowing for even better and faster results.

Cranberry Biopeptides

Peptides derived from cranberries are featured in all two formulations of their Age Control Supreme Sublime Advanced line. From soothing and moisturizing skin to revitalizing dullness, cranberry biopeptides can really do it all. In fact, they also have serious anti-aging properties, working faster than retinol (yes, really) to address issues like wrinkles and dullness without any irritation. They don’t call cranberries superfruits for nothing.

Boreal Chaga Mushroom

It’s no secret that a strong skin barrier is crucial for healthy skin, which is why Boreal Chaga mushroom is a key component of Watier’s Age Control Supreme Sublime Advanced line. The extract is rich in polyphenols, which help rejuvenate skin. Boreal Chaga mushroom, which is a more potent antioxidant than vitamin C, strengthens the barrier function of the outermost layer of skin. Better yet, the Boreal Chaga mushroom used in Watier’s formulations is responsibly and sustainably harvested in Canadian forests.

Boreal White Pine

Thanks to Boreal White Pine’s unique antioxidant composition, it targets three major areas of skin issues: pigmentation, inflammation and translucency. When you use Boreal white pine, you will see a reduction in the appearance of dark spots, discolouration and uneven skin tone. It also brightens the complexion and leaves you with luminous, glowing skin.

Click here or scroll below to shop the collection today.

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Age Control Supreme Sublime Advanced Day Cream

($120, Watier)

This deeply nourishing and replenishing day cream is suitable for all skin types and will leave you feeling smooth, even, plump and protected.

Buy Now

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Age Control Supreme Sublime Advanced Light Day Cream

($120, Watier)

Perfect for those with normal to combination skin, this lightweight and comfortable formula restores balance to your complexion, while also leaving your skin smoother, plumper and brighter. 

Buy Now

The post 4 Canadian Skincare Ingredients You Need To Know About appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Making more eco-conscious choices when shopping for new products and establishing your beauty routine is easier than ever. While positively impacting the environment may feel like a hopeless feat for a single person, every little bit helps. Here are five tips to get you started.

Shop from environmentally conscious brands

Make sure you buy products from companies committed to shrinking their carbon footprint, like Aveeno^®. The brand is making a number of changes to its packaging to be more sustainable, including their popular Daily Moisturizing Lotion, which is now packaged in 30 per cent post-consumer recycled plastic. Committed to being an environmentally conscious brand, more than 70 per cent of all Aveeno^® packaging is recyclable. They’re also working towards expanding their line of existing refillable packaging, along with plant-based, home-compostable wipes with recyclable packaging. By 2025, they aim to be 100 per cent recyclable and reusable and run their manufacturing sites solely with electricity. As a consumer, try your best to be educated on the brands you invest in. 

Recycle your jars and packaging

Find different uses for your jars and packaging to avoid them getting tossed in a landfill. Hot tip: clean out empty makeup bottles and use them as travel-friendly containers for your go-to skincare products or reuse glass jars to keep your beauty drawer organized—they’re perfect for holding bobby pins and hair elastics. 

Pay more attention to ingredients

Simplify your routine using cleaner products, like the Aveeno^® Daily Moisturizing Lotion. It’s formulated with prebiotic oat and rich emollients and has been proven to protect and balance your skin’s natural moisture barrier and keeps your skin hydrated for 24 hours. Plus, it’s free of fragrance, parabens and dyes. In addition, the brand uses a patented system called the “Global Aquatic Ingredient Assessment” tool to protect aquatic life and neighbouring ecosystems. Choosing clean beauty ingredients that are derived from natural sources and are non-toxic can help protect the ocean. All this said, look deeper into ingredients that are good for you and the planet. 

Reduce your consumption habits

Be mindful of overconsumption. It can be tempting to hop onto new beauty trends. Ask yourself: do I want to use this product or do I want to buy this product? A less-is-more approach is better both for your skin and your wallet. Stick to refilling products you know and love when necessary. Plus: makeup and skincare products expire faster than you think. If you hoard more than you can handle, it can lead to unnecessary waste. Try embracing a minimalist, “less is more” routine.  

Use reusable beauty tools

Reduce, reuse and recycle—that’s the name of the eco-conscious game and also applies to your choice of beauty tools. It’s time to get rid of those single-use products once and for all and invest in reusable cotton pads, makeup remover pads, cotton swabs (yes, those exist), and face and eye masks. Try opting for the Aveeno^® Refillable Moisture Pouch or the Calm + Restore Nourishing Oat Cleanser Refill Pouch to kick-start your new reusable packaging routine. Minimizing your ecological footprint all comes down to these simple green swaps; you’ll be amazed by how easily you can adopt a more eco-friendly beauty regimen. 

Click here to learn more about Aveeno^® and how they care for the environment.

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Aveeno® Calm + Restore Nourishing Oat Cleanser Refill Pouch

($18.02, Aveeno^®)

In a convenient refill pouch, the Aveeno^®Nourishing Oat Facial Cleanser is a gel cleanser ideal for sensitive skin. It cleanses, hydrates, preserves, and strengthens the skin’s moisture barrier, leaving it healthy-looking and hydrated.

Buy Now

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Aveeno^® Daily Moisturizing Body Wash Refill Pouch

($19.99-$22.99, Aveeno^®)

It’s your favourite daily moisturizer now in an eco-friendly package. The Aveeno^® Refillable Daily Moisture Pouch helps lock in and keep your skin feeling smooth and nourished all day long. Formulated with oat and rich emollients, you’ll notice healthier-looking skin in no time.

Buy Now

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Aveeno^® Daily Moisturizing Lotion

($9.27-$16.99, Aveeno^®)

Proven to relieve dry skin, this Daily Moisturizing Lotion works to revitalize your skin—with significant improvements visible after just two weeks. Specially formulated with colloidal oatmeal and rich emollients, it leaves your skin soft, smooth and healthy-looking all day long.

Buy Now

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Aveeno^® Daily Moisturizing Body Wash

($7.49-$8.99, Aveeno^®)

Healthy skin is beautiful skin. Boost your natural radiance with Aveeno^® Daily Moisturizing Body Wash. Specially formulated with soothing colloidal oatmeal and rich emollients, this body wash cleanses and leaves skin feeling moisturized and looking healthy.

Buy Now

The post How To Make Your Skincare Routine More Sustainable appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

RELATED: The Best New Face Sunscreens To Add to Your Summer Skin Routine

We already love self-tanners for their bronzing capabilities, but we can get more use out of self-tanners than you might think. On TikTok, the #selftan hashtag has amassed more than one billion views across an infinite amount of videos — many of which include self-tanner tricks you didn’t even know you needed to try. From faking freckles to facial contouring, turns out self-tanners are indeed a multi-use product. Below, we unpack four self-tanner beauty tricks from TikTok and how to test drive them at home.

Chisel your cheeks

Who knew self-tanner could be a secret contour weapon? Content creators on TikTok are using this bronzing trick to sculpt cheekbones and achieve a natural-looking facial contour. To get the look, you’ll want to apply a pump of your self-tanner to a tanning mitt that’ll act as a makeup palette and allow you to have more control over how much product you use. Then, using a makeup sponge, begin applying self-tanner to your cheeks, forehead, nose, and jawline as you would typically apply your bronzer or contour products. “My best advice would be to blend it out as much as you would blend out your contour because it’s going to be on our face, right? It’s going to be staying there for a few days,” says TikToker Abby Baffoe in a viral video sharing her self-tanner contour routine. Once the product has been evenly blended to your liking, allow it to sit for a few hours before you wash your face and reveal your new contour. You’ll be looking snatched for days.

Fake your freckles

If you love adding faux freckles to your makeup routine, a self-tanner can make it easier to achieve a more natural, semi-permanent freckled look. Depending on your desired end result, there are several techniques that you may want to test out. For all-over-the-face freckles, you can add your fake tanning product of choice to a spray bottle and do a couple of spritzes as you would with a setting spray — but don’t get too carried away. Once set and dry, dab your face with a towel to unveil a natural-looking layer of faux freckles. For a more localized look — say, a smattering of freckles over the nose — you’ll find that everyday beauty tools like tweezers, spoolies and toothbrushes can be used to flick or dab your self-tanner across the desired area and atop your makeup (or on a bare face if you’re going makeup-free). No matter your preference, each of these methods will give an abstract finish that looks much more authentic than hand drawing each freckle.

Line your lips

From overlining to using plumping glosses, there always seems to be a new way to hack our lips into looking larger and fuller. Well, here’s another one — lip contouring with self-tanner. This temporary trick allows you to define your lipline while leaving behind a naturally lined look with no filler needed. Using a small makeup brush, you’ll want to dip into your fake tan and trace the outline of your lips as you would with a lip liner pencil. (Hot tip: Extending the line ever so slightly beneath your lip will give an even more contoured effect.) After the tan has settled, your lips will be left with a darker outline, which will give the illusion of a fuller, naturally contoured pout.

Tint your brows

Love a bold brow? Allow a self-tanner brow tint job to be your next TikTok-inspired beauty venture. In one video on the app with over nine million views, TikTok user @tiktokteenagers documents her process while trying this hack — and in the second part of her video, she reveals successfully tinted brows that appear thicker and more thoroughly filled out. To recreate the look, grab a self-tanner in a shade that is most similar to your natural brow colour. Then, use an angled makeup brush to fill in your brows, emphasizing any areas that look particularly sparse. After you’ve cleaned up the edges with a Q-tip, use a spoolie to evenly disperse the product throughout the brow. After one hour, you may want to wipe away some of the product around the perimeter of your brow to avoid any harsh lines that may dry down too dark. Finally, after an additional two hours, wipe your brows with micellar water and observe your freshly tinted new look.

The post Try These TikTok-Approved Self-Tanner Beauty Tricks appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

“Our sales of tanner have gone up 300%, with people feeling like they want a lift,” James Read (who has bronzed Mariah Carey and Lady Gaga) of his eponymous line, told us back in 2020. “Everyone’s doing FaceTime and lots of Instagram videos so, things have really picked up.”

Squeezing in a self-tanning session can also save you time on the daily, delivering an evened-out complexion that won’t wash off like foundation does. “I’m seeing a trend where people aren’t necessarily using makeup and are letting their skin breathe, but still want a hit of coverage,” says Jules Von Hep, founder of Isle of Paradise and trusted tanner to Kate Moss and Sienna Miller. The safest way to get that bit of colour is by using a product with DHA (that’s short for dihydroxyacetone, an ingredient derived from sugar cane and beets) rather than trying to catch some rays. No matter the weather, you still need sunscreen every time you go outside—and even inside—to protect your skin from cancer-causing and aging rays.

Scared of a streaky fake-bake nightmare? We called on the pros to walk you through every step of the way, and rounded up our go-to self-tanners that won’t leave you looking orange—swear!

Can people of all skin tones use self-tanner?

You bet; though self-tanning products are often marketed as a bronze boost for light skin tones, dark complexions can also benefit. “We see a removal of any grey or ash undertones when self-tan is applied on dark skin tones,” says Von Hep (as such, his brand Isle of Paradise offers a more inclusive approach to tanning). “It’s not about a colour change but a more uniform and even finish on the surface of the skin.”

That’s why his line of self-tanners borrows from the same colour-correcting principles you often see in makeup: “We use a violet pigment within our dark range to counteract any sallow undertones, green pigment in our medium to hide redness, and peach in our light range to add brightness.”

Which formula should I pick?

In the past decade, the self-tan section seems to have exploded, with more and more brands emerging and each offering its own gamut of lotions, mousses, mists and more. So how do you know which is best for you? “Pick your formula based on your skin type and your lifestyle,” says St. Tropez skin-finishing expert and runway glow-pro Sophie Evans.

First, the basics: If you have dry skin, a lotion or gel will lend much-needed hydration, while a quick-drying mousse is better suited to oily types. (Body mists are great here too but can be a bit trickier to apply without making a mess of your bathroom.) From there, you can also consider other factors. For example, pick an express formula that only needs to stay on for an hour if you have a workout planned or tend to get sweaty easily. Or, if you’re a skincare fanatic, self-tanning drops that can be mixed into your serum, moisturizer or body lotion might be right up your alley. (Bonus: Drops made for face will often incorporate hydration-boosting hyaluronic acid or skin-brightening vitamin C.)

The other main consideration is whether you want to go with a clear formula or something that leaves behind an instant bronze while you wait for the DHA to kick in. “If you’re new to self-tan, it’s easier to use something with a guide colour,” says Evans, adding that it helps you make sure you don’t miss a spot. Sound like too much too fast? If you’re a total newbie and are feeling intimidated by the whole thing, try a gradual tanner, which builds the colour up slowly over several applications.

What do I have to do *before* I start?

“The better condition your skin is in, the better your tan will last,” says Evans. “Think of your skin as a canvas and the self-tanner as paint.” To start, you’ll want that canvas completely clean, because deodorant and perfume can sometimes react with self-tanner and leave behind a bluish or greenish hue. Hard pass. It also helps if you use a body scrub the day before to whisk away dead skill cells and get you set for a more even and long-lasting tan.

Next, hit your elbows, knees, hands and feet with oil-free moisturizer. (Oils can break down self-tanner, so make sure to check the ingredients.) These dry areas can come out a lot darker than the rest of your body, so the lotion will act as a barrier to limit how much self-tanner gets absorbed there.

A little more moisturizing can help on your face too, says Read. “I like to do a face mask the same day to give skin that extra hydration.” If, on the other hand, you’re prone to breakouts, Read has a trick for that too: “Rub an ice cube over the face first to seal your pores, then pat dry with a tissue before putting tanner on.”

What if I want to shave or wax?

Get it done 24 hours in advance. “When you shave or, particularly, wax, hair follicles open up,” explains Evans. “If you put tanner on top, it can develop into a spotty look.” You’ll also want to hold off on shaving and waxing right after your application, as both will shorten your tan’s lifespan. To get around this, Read suggests using an electric shaver. “It just takes off the top layer of hair, whereas, if you wet shave, it strips dead skin as well so you’re effectively exfoliating.”

It’s go time—what’s the best way to apply self-tanner?

No matter which formula you choose, you’ll want a tanning mitt to help spread the self-tanner evenly and keep your palms protected. You can start on any part of your body that you like, but it helps to follow a system. “Map your body out in stages so you don’t miss bits,” says Read, who likes to start with his face. “It’s the first thing you see, so it’s the first thing you should concentrate on to make sure the colour is perfect.”

For a natural look, apply just one layer on your face and two on the rest of your body. Evans recommends being generous with the self-tanner: “You get streaks from lack of product.” It should be easy to glide on, she says, and you want to overlap the areas so that you don’t miss a spot. Don’t worry, it won’t come out darker where you double up, adds Evans. “As long as the skin’s covered, you can’t go wrong.”

The only areas where you don’t want to load up on product? Your hands and feet, which you will have already moisturized during your prep. “Stop at your ankles and wrists,” says Evans. “Then use the excess on your mitt to fade down and between your toes and fingers.” (You’ll then want to follow up with even more moisturizer; more on that in a minute!)

Any tips for acing the application on my face?

While you technically can use the same formula on your face as your body, a drying mousse could leave the delicate skin on your face feeling parched. Plus, you’ll be missing out on all the skincare-inspired ingredients that are packed in for-face formulas.

To build your tan up slowly, add tanning drops to your go-to moisturizer a few times a week. If you want to get glowing ASAP, try a spray-on self-tanner. “Hands down, the easiest way to do your face is with a mist because it hits every area,” says Evans. She recommends spraying it down the middle of your face and neck, then going over each side of your profile—no need to rub it in.

After you’re done spraying, Von Hep has a few tips to finish if off: “Take a clean kabuki brush and buff along your hairline, then use the residue you’ve picked up and go over your ears and eyelids.” He also recommends going over your brows with a spoolie brush to make sure the self-tanner doesn’t gather in the hairs, and if you’re tanning before bed, don’t forget to brush your teeth before you get started.

How on earth do I cover my back?

No worries if you don’t have someone to lend you a helping hand. “Turn your mitt around so that the foam sits on the back of your knuckles—it will reach further,” says Von Hep. “If you still can’t reach every spot, tape the mitt to a wooden spoon.”

Will I overdo it if I leave the self-tanner on for too long?

Even if you wait a whole day to shower, your skin will stop getting darker after the first eight to 12 hours, depending on the formula (or, for an express tanner, that limit might be as short as a couple hours). “Skin can only absorb so much DHA,” says Evans. For the same reason, applying an extra thick layer won’t make a difference either.

What’s the secret to making it look real?

“The hands are the first thing that give away your tan,” says Read, who recommends you pay them extra care after you finish applying your self-tanner. “Naturally, when you tan, you don’t tan the sides of your hands or wrists; it fades naturally. So, I always put a little moisturizer on the wrists and then buff into the self-tan so you don’t get a tan line.”

Go over knuckles, ankles, the backs of your heels and between fingers and toes with moisturizer too. “Get in the habit of using a wet wipe on nails and cuticles,” adds Evans. “If tan goes into your nails and cuticles, it doesn’t wash out, so you’ll have to wait for it to grow out.” (Use wipes instead of washing under the faucet to avoid splashing the water up onto your forearms.)

Oops! How can I fix mistakes?

“The real trick with tanning is to not get yourself in that state in the first place,” says Von Hep. “Really be meticulous with how you prep and apply—and the buffing right after really does make a difference.”

Still, should you find yourself in need of a speedy removal, most self-tanning brands now sell removal products that you leave on a skin for about five minutes, then hop in the shower and scrub with an exfoliating mitt to make your colour disappear. In a pinch, Evans suggests cutting up lemon and mixing it with baking soda for a DIY tan eraser.

How do I make this faux glow last as long as possible?

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. You’ll want to use an oil-free lotion or cream daily to stretch out your tan’s lifespan, which should be about five to 10 days. “A good trick is to use an after-sun lotion after three or four days and mix in some tanning drops,” says Read. “You’ve only added enough drops to pop your colour, not to tan you, and the after-sun works to help the tan last longer.”

Ready to get your tan on? Here are the best self-tanners

Best Self-Tanner for a Customized Glow

James Read Click & Glow Tan Drops

Mix two to three drops of this gradual tanner with your facial moisturizer to build your bronze over time and get an extra hit of hyaluronic acid and vitamin C. The carry on-friendly size makes is a great way to revive your colour mid-vacay, too (for whenever we do that whole thing again).

$45, jamesreadtan.ca

Best Self-Tanner for When You’re in a Rush

Bondi Sands Aero 1 Hour Express Aerated Self Tanning Foam

This Australian-made brand just landed in Canada, delivering that Down-Under glow in easy-to-use mousses. This coconut-scented formula only needs an hour to develop—perfect to get you glowing for a last-minute Zoom happy hour.

$40, beauty.shopperdrugmart.ca

Best Self-Tanner for Dark Skin

Isle of Paradise Glow Clear Self-Tanning Mousse in Dark

After years of using colour-correcting makeup as a follow-up to self-tanner on his celeb clients, Jules Von Hep rolled up his sleeves to launch his own colour-correcting self-tanning line, Isle of Paradise. (P.S. they also make the prettiest mitt in the game!) This formula includes violet pigments to combat sallowness in dark skin tones.

$60, Amazon

Best Self-Tanning Mist for Face

St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Face Mist

This lightweight antioxidant-loaded spray makes it easy to cover your face, with no rubbing or blending needed. It goes on clear (with a slight sheen that lets you see where you’ve applied) and then develops over four to eight hours. Bonus: the mist works over top of makeup too.

$42, sephora.ca

Best Gradual Self-Tanner

Jergens Natural Glow + Nourish Daily Moisturizer

An oldie but a goodie, this lotion can be applied daily to get your tan going slow and steady (expect to see results in about a week), making it a great pick for the tan-shy. Its glycerin and vitamin E leave your bod feeling super soft, and also help the subtle colour stick around longer.

$15, beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca

The post How to Get a Convincing Self-Tan at Home appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Canadian temperatures can be unpredictable and confusing at best (from beach weather to parka weather in a week is the norm, tbh), but we all know that whether we’re indoors or outdoors, it’s pouring rain or the sun is shining, SPF is a must, day in and day out. But the unfortunate truth is that most people are still not wearing sunscreen. According to a 2017 Statistics Canada report, only “30% to 40% of adults use sunscreen or seek shade.” The reasoning behind these stats is varied and complex, of course, but the role that misinformation plays cannot be discounted. Harmful and inaccurate tanning myths, originating long before we had the information and knowledge we do today, still exist in the public consciousness. That’s why we spoke to two pros to help us set the record straight on these tanning myths, once and for all. Read on to learn how to properly and effectively protect your skin from the sun.

RELATED: The Best New Face Sunscreens To Add to Your Summer Skin Routine

True or False: Getting a ‘base tan’ from a tanning bed prevents burning later on

False. This is one of the most popular tanning myths out there. But “there’s little evidence to support the idea that a base tan protects you against sunburn,” says dermatologist and founder of New York-based clinic Fifth Avenue Aesthetics, Dr. Marie Hayag. In fact, if it does offer any protection at all, it’s only the equivalent of wearing sunscreen with an SPF of 3 to 4. While this is better than nothing, no credible expert would ever recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF of 4. (An SPF of at least 30 is what’s recommended by most dermatologists for daily use!)

This myth is especially problematic when you consider that most people go the ‘base tan’ route before heading on vacation, where they’re laying on the beach and exposed to the sun for even longer than usual. “The risks of long-term tanning outweigh the unproven benefits of a base tan,” says Dr. Hayag. “Most tanning beds expose people to UVA radiation, and UVA rays are longer and reach deep into the skin. Any tanning damages the skin and can increase the risk of skin cancer, especially if it is frequent or prolonged.”

True or False: Sunscreen will prevent the body from absorbing vitamin D and lead to a deficiency

False. “Studies have never found that everyday sunscreen use leads to vitamin D insufficiency,” says Dr. Hayag. In fact, when studied, people who use sunscreen daily were found to be totally capable of maintaining their vitamin D levels. “One of the explanations for this may be that no matter how much sunscreen you use or how high the SPF, some of the sun’s UV rays do reach your skin. An SPF 15 sunscreen filters out 93% of UVB rays, SPF 30 keeps out 97% and SPF 50 filters out 98%. This leaves anywhere from 2% to 7% of solar UVB reaching your skin, even with high SPF sunscreens—and that’s if you use them perfectly.”

And the truth is that it’s much easier to get a sufficient amount of vitamin D than most people realize—or than conspiracy theorists claim. “Humans can meet the daily requirement for vitamin D through diet or vitamin supplements,” explains Dr. Hayag. “Some food products naturally contain vitamin D, while others are fortified with it, so if you’re worried about getting enough to maintain your health, have a look at your diet first. It is an easy solution and a lot healthier than sitting out in the sun.”

Dr. Hayag suggests “fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna, which are especially good sources. Small amounts of vitamin D are also present in egg yolks, beef liver and cheese. Many common items, such as milk and orange juice, are fortified with vitamin D.” We could go on and on. The bottom line is that with a combination of eating the right foods and getting some protected sun exposure, your body will get all the vitamin D it needs (really!), so there’s no need to subject yourself to the many risks of unprotected sun exposure.

True or False: Tanning beds are safer than being exposed to the sun’s UV rays

False. Like, extremely false. When it comes to tanning myths, this could be one of the most dangerous. “Exposure to UV radiation [via UVA and UVB rays], regardless of its source, is linked to skin cancer and premature photoaging of the skin,” explains Dr. Hayag. “The fluorescent bulbs used in tanning beds emit both UVA and UVB, but the UVA is estimated to be about three times that of natural sunlight. And because these rays penetrate deeper into the skin than UVB, there is a stronger link between UVA exposure and melanoma, which is the deadliest form of skin cancer.”

At the end of the day, “UVA and UVB rays cause damage to the DNA in our skin cells. This damage is cumulative and can, over time, lead to mutations in our DNA, and these mutations are what scientists believe to be the precursor to most types of cancer,” says Dr. Hayag. So whether you’re prone to burning or tanning, in the sun or in a tanning bed, “any colour change that occurs on your skin as a result of UV exposure is a sign of DNA damage.”

True or False: Self-tanner can *also* be damaging to skin

True—but only if used incorrectly. “DHA [dihydroxyacetone, which is the active ingredient, a colour additive, used in most self-tanners], when used on its own and in very high quantities, can dehydrate the skin, which of course can lead to premature aging,” says Sophie Evans, St. Tropez’s Celebrity Skin Finishing Expert. This 2008 study found that DHA in self-tanning products introduces free radicals in the skin, a leading cause of premature aging. That being said, the study looked at DHA at concentrations of 5%, 10% and 20%, and it’s important to note that most commercial self-tanners contain 3% to 6% DHA. And the light, gradual self-tanners usually only contain 1% to 2% DHA. (“However, spray salon tanners can be up to 15% to 20%,” says Dr. Hayag.)

So while more studies are needed to better understand the effects of DHA, as long as you’re following usage directions, there’s really no need to freak out about your use of self-tanners. But there are precautions you can take to make sure you’re taking care of your skin. “I would limit UV exposure when wearing a self-tanner,” says Dr. Hayag, “because it really doesn’t provide any UV protection. So you must still wear a broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen daily.” She also recommends using antioxidants, like vitamin C, as part of your skincare routine and finding a self-tanner that’s also formulated with antioxidants, to combat the effects of free radicals.

And there’s another reason to pay attention to ingredients: Evans says they also have an impact on getting streak-free results. “St.Tropez tanning products are formulated using other tanning agents alongside DHA . [This includes] Gransolve DMI, a natural ingredient to help the absorption of DHA so the colour develops quicker, and plant-based melanin pigments for zero chance of developing orange hues,” says Evans. “Formulas that work solely [based on] DHA percentage are more likely to streak and are also harder to achieve a natural colour with.” Choosing a self-tanner that simultaneously hydrates, plumps and treats skin is the key to achieving a healthy (and streak-free!) glow, while ensuring your skin is still protected. (For everything you need to know about applying self-tanner at home, make sure to check out our comprehensive guide here.)

True or False: Darker skin tones don’t need sunscreen

False. Everyone should wear sunscreen because everyone is prone to sun damage, albeit to varying degrees. That being said, we’d be remiss to not address the glaring race issues that exist within the field of dermatology and unfairly oversimplify a complex and ongoing problem.

Much of the research that’s been conducted in the field of dermatology has been, and still is, focused on white skin. In a recent analysis of dermatology textbooks, dark skin tones were found to only make up between 4% and 18% of the images in those textbooks. This sets dermatologists-to-be up for failure when it comes to being able to properly diagnose, treat and understand skin issues—including skin cancer—in dark-skinned patients, and contributes to the ongoing problem of misdiagnosis or underdiagnosis of skin conditions.

This bias is what led Malone Mukwende, a medical student at St. George’s University of London, to launch Mind the Gap, a handbook that visually presents skin conditions on darker skin. Take, for instance, melanoma, the most deadly and aggressive form of skin cancer. We know that the earlier melanoma is caught and treated, the higher a patient’s survival rate. For white patients, that survival rate is 94%, while for Black patients, it drops down to 70%, largely because it is diagnosed at a later, and often more aggressive, stage.

This brings us back to wearing sunscreen. While it is certainly true that skin cancer is possible and has been recorded in all skin tones, just how susceptible darker skin tones are to sun damage is an area that requires more research. For now, what scientists have found is that those with darker skin tones have more productive melanocytes (the cells that produce melanin), contributing to an absorption rate of UV rays that’s roughly 30% to 50% of the absorption rate of UV rays found in white skin. (Oh and, while we’re debunking myths, we should also note that while dark skin does naturally have some SPF, it’s only around SPF 13—i.e. still not the SPF 30 that dermatologists recommend wearing daily for proper sun protection).

So, are you less likely to get skin cancer if you have Black or Brown skin? Yes, it appears so (though more research is needed). But if a Black or Brown person does develop skin cancer, are they less likely to have it caught early, thus making it more dangerous and likely to spread? Also yes. So should everyone, including those with darker skin, wear sunscreen to protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays, especially since the system that’s currently in place to protect the health and well-being of its citizens often fails them due to dangerous and deep-rooted biases that are rampant in both the healthcare and education systems? Yup.

The post 5 Tanning (and Self-Tanning) Myths You Need To Stop Believing appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

RELATED: There’s A Lot Going On in Dior’s Latest J’adore Spritz — In the Best Way

Since 1986, Dior’s Capture Totale line has been defined by its avant-garde advancements in targeting signs of aging, like skin texture and dullness. From spearheading the use of liposomes in cosmetics to developing innovative floral sciences, Dior has spent decades making unprecedented progress in the skincare sphere. In 2023, Le Sérum is the 10th edition of this popular formula, with ingredients sourced from lush pockets of the globe, including the depths of the Madagascan rainforest and Dior’s iris garden in Tuscany.

In January, I spent a day at New York’s picturesque Salon 94 with Dior Beauty, and it was there that I learned more about Le Sérum and the innovative platform used to bring forth the most inclusive iteration of the Capture Totale serum yet.

Housed in a sleek newly designed bottle, Madagascan longoza flower extract is Le Sérum’s star ingredient. Dior maximizes the power of this “phoenix flower” (which the brand has cultivated for 30 years) through multi-fermentation, while 85 molecules found within the flower fuel skin-regenerative properties and assist a process called anchoring — which Dior science believes may be the key to unlocking firmer skin.

“Every three weeks you have new cells in your epidermis, but with ageing, we know that we have a decrease of the cellular renewal,” Virginie Couturaud, Dior’s skincare director of scientific communication, tells FASHION. Our skin’s texture can be revived through re-anchoring by strengthening mother cells in our skin’s dermo-epidermal junction (the network that supports our outermost layer of skin) to increase firmness.

Two new ingredients are also introduced to the formula: Tuscan iris, which helps maintain skin’s radiance by forming a surface shield against damaging UVA rays, preserving the ecosystem where our mother cells live; and an active called hyaluronic poly-filler, which combines two hydrating hyaluronic acids with emulsifying polyglycerols for an immediate and lasting skin-plumping effect.

To test Le Sérum’s efficacy, Dior pushed the boundaries of inclusivity beyond the outdated Fitzpatrick scale, launching their internal T.O.T.A.L (Tones, Omnigender, Types, Ages and Location) testing platform to ensure the most inclusive results for all. By testing on individuals of over 100 skin Pantones across Asia, Europe and the United States from ages 18 to 70, Dior studies how each of these factors affect our skin and the ways we all age differently. The result is a product that is truly universal.

In my own routine, Le Sérum has become a one-product solution to a lengthy skincare regimen that follows nightly cleansing. In the weeks I’ve spent testing it, I’ve looked forward to the luxe experience that is applying Le Sérum, and the skin-plumping after-effects that endure. When I had the pleasure of chatting with Dior U.S. skincare expert Sean Garrette — whose skin is just as glass-like in person as his followers may imagine — I was assured that this serum could grow with me. Le Sérum is appropriate for all ages, with mature skin reaping its anti-aging benefits while users in, say, their mid-20s (like myself) soak up skin barrier support.

After I absorbed all of Garrette’s skincare expertise, he walked me through his path to Dior Beauty. While the skincare guru faced racial and gender discrimination in his search for work as an aesthetician early in his career, he was simultaneously growing his social media presence by sharing his knowledge of how to treat skin of colour. Last year, Dior appointed Garrette as the brand’s U.S. skincare expert.

“When I came to Dior, obviously, I jumped at the opportunity because it’s exciting, but I never want to be a token in a company or brand. And I never felt like that,” he expressed. “My Blackness was never put on display or felt like it was being sold to fulfill a quota.”

In perhaps what should have been a shocking statement but wasn’t, Garrette revealed that one of his most asked questions as an aesthetician is whether or not high-end beauty products “work” for skin of colour. As a woman of colour myself, I understood this sentiment. It is not uncommon for us to be excluded from having a seat at luxury beauty’s proverbial table, or to be an afterthought.

“When I started talking about Dior products [with clients], I would hear ‘Oh, that’s not for Black people!’ And I was like, ‘Well, it is,”’ he said.

As I sat across from him, I imagined the trail he would continue to blaze for diversity in the cosmetic industry. And I had one proud response: “It is now.”

The post Dior’s Capture Totale Le Sérum Is Better (and More Inclusive) Than Ever appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Though we still love getting facials, the evolution of at-home skincare technology — think LED masks and microcurrent devices — is showing no sign of slowing down. These at-home and user-friendly devices give us the freedom to DIY many of the treatments traditionally reserved for trained professionals, allowing red and blue-lit LED face masks to target acne or hand-held tools charged by microcurrent to sculpt away at the hollows of our cheeks.

At this intersection of beauty and technology, there are passionate advocates for these take-home tools like JJ Walsh, founder of Vancouver’s Formula Fig, the lush green-tiled beauty bar new to Toronto and Los Angeles. Walsh tells FASHION that Formula Fig’s skincare educators and experts encourage the use of these devices to expedite the healing of treatments carried out in the salon such as laser or nano-needling. And like many other beauty trends, says Walsh, the growth in take-home skincare tech is a byproduct of the pandemic.

 

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Walsh has labeled this at-home skincare tool phenomenon the “mimic clinic effect” — a recreation of treatments typically carried out in professional settings being used within the comfort of your own bathroom instead. Where self-care is concerned, comfort and convenience are major factors, so the ease of skincare devices that deliver impressive results at home make them worthy of becoming routine regulars. “Pairing these devices with highly active skincare [such as firming creams or lifting serums] in turn offers incredible results, quickly,” says Toronto-based facialist Vee Mistry. “With visible results, customers are more likely to remain dedicated to these tools.”

But the DIY skincare devices on the market are ever-changing, making it difficult to determine exactly what each one does, how it does it, and whether or not it works. The pros agree that the most popular and worthwhile tools on the market are those that use LED lights, microcurrent and cryotherapy. Read on we as unpack the science behind this trendy trio of DIY treatments and their skincare benefits.

LED light therapy

 

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LED light therapy uses varying wavelengths of light, including red and blue light frequencies, to combat skin concerns including acne and inflammation. Red light treats the epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin), which absorbs said light and begins to stimulate collagen proteins. The more active collagen is in the skin, the more plump and smooth it appears, which means wrinkles and fine lines will be less visible. Blue light is aimed at the sebaceous glands (oil glands) located beneath the hair follicles which, when overactive, can cause oilier skin and acne. To remedy breakouts, blue light seeps into the skin and slows these overactive glands. Plus, it can also destroy acne-causing bacteria. “It improves skin tone and texture, reduces breakouts and flare-ups, and helps to overall firm and brighten,” says Walsh of LED light therapy, which she adds can also be used to stimulate healing after procedures such as laser.

Microcurrent

 

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As for tech fuelled by microcurrent, what you’ll experience during use is a painless, repeated delivery of low-grade electrical currents that mimic the natural ionic flow of the body and awaken the facial muscles. Think of it as an at-home facelift of sorts, minus the whole surgical aspect. “By using a facial ‘workout’ device frequently and consistently, it stimulates facial muscles to help tone and lift, plus allows the products you apply afterward to work harder,” explains Walsh.

Cryotherapy

 

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Cryotherapy is a soothing technique that constricts blood flow to calm the skin while regulating circulation and tightening pores. The anti-inflammatory at-home alternative to clinical cryo facials (where liquid nitrogen is involved) often requires the storing of your tools in a freezer. Freezing temperatures cause blood vessels to contract, so once your skin returns to its normal temperature these vessels dilate swiftly and increase the flow of blood and oxygen to the face. This rush promotes the appearance of brighter, tighter, glowing skin that is also less swollen. So, freezing your cryo tools is absolutely essential if you want to achieve the look of a true “frotox.”

Many of the devices available for at-home use target multiple skin concerns at once (which can limit your spending on several devices), like Mistry’s two-in-one facial tool that combines the benefits of cryotherapy with a gua sha. “Our own SkinByVee Gua Sha Cryo Sticks support in sculpting, lifting, cooling and soothing inflammation, leaving the skin more balanced and controlled, and [stimulate increased] collagen and elastin production.”

As you experiment with high-tech at-home skincare devices, remember we’re talking real technology here. That means there can be consequences for misuse, which is why Mistry recommends having a pro set up your tools and demonstrate how to best use them for optimal results. Not to mention, your skincare devices should be kept clean to avoid causing breakouts and introducing bacteria — especially if your tool exfoliates, abrades, or punctures the skin (think: microneedling derma rollers), Walsh warns. Consult with your aesthetician for advice about any devices that may conflict with health concerns or other procedures you’ve had. For example, if you’ve used Botox recently, Walsh advises waiting two weeks before picking up a microcurrent device.

Finally, experts warn against putting too much pressure on these tools to perform. “I always remind my clients that beauty tools and skincare are only one part of the jigsaw puzzle,” Mistry shares. “To get your best skin, you must focus on the organ as an entire entity — that means we must look at overall health, sleep, nutrition, using the correct skin care prescription and lastly, commitment. These are the important pieces for lasting results!”

Whether you’re using these tools to maintain clinical skin treatments or for a high-tech facial pick-me-up, shop our curated list of the best at-home skincare devices below, complete with recommendations straight from the pros.

1/7

NuFace

Trinity + Eye and Lip Enhancer Attachment Bundle

($500, NuFace)

This NuFace bundle includes a microcurrent device for facial toning and contouring, plus a Trinity Eye and Lip Enhancer attachment that targets the eye and lip areas to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

Buy Now

2/7

Omnilux

Omnilux Clear

($475, Omnilux)

Omnilux’s red and blue light therapy mask targets active acne, redness, and inflammation while also working to fade acne scarring and clear breakouts quickly.

And if you’re looking specifically to target the skin on your neck, the brand also sells a mask designed for use over the neck and upper chest, targeting fine lines and wrinkles with light therapy.

Buy Now

3/7

Lyma

Lyma Laser Starter Kit

($2,695, Lyma)

This Lyma laser combats several skincare concerns from wrinkles and skin elasticity to skin texture in just 30 minutes of use a day.

Buy Now

4/7

Skinbyvee

Skinbyvee Gua Sha Cryo Sticks

($175, Skinbyvee)

These freezer-stored custom cryo sticks cool, lift, and sculpt the face through cryotherapy and traditional gua sha motions.

Buy Now

5/7

Ziip

Ziip GX

($667.32, Ziip)

Pair this microcurrent tool with its corresponding phone app for tips and tutorials on how to Ziip your way to more youthful looking skin, decreased acne scarring, and a more radiant texture.

Buy Now

6/7

Radford

Light: The LED Mask

($375, Radford)

Aesthetically pleasing and effective, this LED mask by Radford is clinically proven to treat acne and reduce the appearance of fine lines.

Buy Now

7/7

SolaWave

Advanced Skincare Wand with Red Light Therapy

($206, SolaWave)

This SolaWave wand uses four powerful treatments, including microcurrent and LED, to de-puff and energize the skin in only three sessions per week.

Buy Now

Products contained in this article have been selected by our editorial team. However, we may receive a commission when you click on the product link or purchase it.

The post DIY Skincare Devices Are Taking Over — Here’s Why appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Winter and dry skin just go together. The pairing may be unpleasant, but it’s perennial. Kind of like Tom and Shiv on Succession or Fitz and Olivia on Scandal. As the enfant terrible of the skincare world, chilly weather tends to unearth issues that otherwise get literally glossed over by summer’s dew. By the time the first snow falls, there’s often a new emergence of cracked lips and skin so dry that it can be likened to a chalkboard. Winter is a universal adversary against hydration, but it’s particularly pressing for darker skin tones, on whom these skincare issues can be more pronounced.

We all feel winter’s ashy wrath, but you’re more likely to actually see it on deeper hues. “In melanin-rich skin there can be increased water loss from the epidermis along with a faster rate of shedding these layers of skin,” explains NYC-based dermatologist and 4.5.6 Melanin Skincare founder Dr. Carlos Charles. “When taken all together, these factors contribute to what is often colloquially termed ‘ashy skin,’ which will typically get worse in the frigid winter months.”

There obviously isn’t a one-size skincare solution for all people of colour, but to build our winter skincare cheat sheet for darker skin tones, we tapped Dr. Charles and esthetician Orica Smart, owner of Ajax-based skin clinic The O Spot, to answer our top-of-mind q’s.

Are some ingredients more winter-friendly than others?

Knowing which ingredients to look out for comes down to understanding what our skin is lacking in the winter. “Black skin and Asian skin doesn’t naturally produce a lot of ceramides, which are natural fats that protect our outer layer of skin.” Smart explains. This ceramide deficit is what’s to blame for the dryness that tends to rear its head from December onward.

To make up for this loss of protection, Smart recommends not only reaching for products rich in ceramides, but also hyaluronic acid, squalene and glycerin. Steer clear of lactic, glycolic and salicylic acids, as these blemish-destroyers can be too drying for daily winter use.

“Exfoliation can still play a role in your winter skincare routine, however you should keep it to a minimum as it can lead to dry, irritated and inflamed skin,” says Smart. It’s all about smart doses of gentle exfoliants when it comes to BHAs and AHAs. These, paired with mild enzymatic exfoliators, can buff away dead skin without disturbing your skin’s equilibrium or leaving you vulnerable to the elements.

Do I need to swap out my usual cleanser?

“Ditch the over-drying, water-based gel cleansers,” Dr. Charles says. I know — over-drying and water-based don’t sound like qualities that belong in the same sentence. Here’s the thing: water-based cleansers draw out water-based impurities like sweat and sebum, but they don’t replace what they remove. Instead, Dr. Charles recommends opting for something lighter with more lipids and less water. “A gentle, creamy cleanser will help to restore and maintain the skin barrier,” he says. If you have oily skin that’s prone to breakouts, look for ingredients such as cucumber extract and tea tree oil, which will keep sebum overproduction at bay without leaving your skin feeling stripped.

How can I step up my moisture game?

“The biggest concern as we enter the winter months is moisture retention,” Dr. Charles says. “As melanin-rich skin becomes dry, it also can become inflamed and sensitive. This is a perfect storm for darker skin tones as the inflammation can result in hyperpigmentation.” No, thank you. Since dry skin triggers this domino effect, sealing in hydration is key. Providing a barrier for your skin during the winter months is the best practice for deeper complexions because, as Dr. Charles puts it, “melanin-rich skin is more prone to trans-epidermal water loss, which is when we lose water through the outermost layer of our skin.”

For POC, childhood memories of being slathered in Vaseline or shea butter may no longer be a thing of the past (we’ve been serving glazed donut skin before glazed donut skin was ever a thing.) “Those are legitimate protectants and they’re great for winter, especially if you’re going to be spending a lot of time outside,” says Smart. “They protect our skin barrier, so they work to bounce dust and pollution off your face. While they won’t actually nourish the skin, they do seal in moisture.”

The post How to Care for Your Melanin-Rich Skin This Winter appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Step into 2023 with a new addition to your skincare ritual — this Truly Becoming Multi-Benefit Peptide Serum offering from Keys Soulcare. Clinically proven to provide hydration all-day long and reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles, this serum is formulated with skin-nourishing polypeptide complex, marine bamboo and multi-weight hyaluronic acid ingredients. “This is my skin’s soulmate — it plumps, it hydrates, and you can see changes right away. I super, super love it,” reveals Alicia Keys, creator of the brand. So, this product is the secret to emulating the star’s enviably smooth skin? *Adds to cart*

Travel to Provence with Maison Margiela Replica’s rosy new fragrance

Picture this: it’s an end-of-summer evening and you’re soaking in a vineyard view with your dreamy date at sunset in Provence. The swirling scents of blackcurrant liquor accord, romantic rose, bergamot and patchouli fill the air around you. OK, back to reality — the latest fragrance in the beloved Maison Margiela Replica family has found a way to bottle up that feeling and those notes. This newly released On a Date perfume follows the “memory in a fragrance” mantra of this fragrance brand as it whisks you away with one sweet spritz.

Fresh’s latest anti-aging cream is coming to Sephora stores IRL

If you’ve been eyeing Fresh’s Black Tea Advanced Renewal Cream online, we’ve got good news. Come December 30, the anti-aging cream will be available to test in-person at Sephora stores. Approved for all skin types, this cream is a lightweight blend of advanced skincare ingredients like plant-derived squalene, ceramide NP and BT Matrix™, a naturally derived retinol alternative that delivers the same skin-firming results without harsh side effects. After eight weeks of sampling this product, consumers reported smoother wrinkles, visibly firmer skin, and more radiance. What’s not to love?

Up your cleansing game with Glow Recipe’s newest release

Mark your calendars, Glow Recipe’s Avocado Ceramide Moisture Barrier Cleanser is set to arrive at Sephora on December 27. Packed with ceramides, prebiotics and postbiotics to strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier, this gentle lotion-to-foam cleanser sounds like a total winter skincare staple to us. Plus, colloidal oatmeal and avocado collaborate in this cruelty-free product to deeply nourish the skin while hydrating and soothing redness caused by dehydration.

The post Alicia Keys Unveils a New Serum + More Beauty News appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Yes, we know Rihanna isn’t the most consistent artist out there when it comes to music releases — but she’s been making up for it with back-to-back Fenty Beauty drops. Speaking of which, a covetable new collection for us fans has just arrived. Aptly named “The Navy Collection,” this limited-edition set is RiRi’s way of celebrating her loyal fans who call themselves RiRi’s “Navy.” And what would a navy collection be without corresponding navy blue products and packaging? Inside the keepsake makeup bag designed by L.A. artist Obi Arisukwu, find a matching mirror, a classic red Fenty Icon Lipstick packaged in a brand-new blue tube and a set-exclusive Wish You Wood Longwear Pencil Eyeliner in the shade “My Navy.” We thank you endlessly, Rihanna.

Discover Pat McGrath’s new Star Wars-themed collection

From a galaxy far, far away and into the hands of makeup lovers worldwide comes the second Pat McGrath Labs Star Wars-inspired makeup collection. In celebration of the film’s classic original trilogy, this limited-edition assortment boasts luxe packaging decorated with imagery of some of your favourite Star Wars characters, from Darth Vader to C-3PO. “Our second collaboration with celebrates characters representing the light side and the dark side, finding that electrifying equilibrium between two opposing forces,” shares Dame Pat McGrath. Also inspired by the film’s intergalactic landscapes, this collector-quality collection of otherworldly-coloured eyeshadows (including the return of the iconic Mothership VI: Midnight Sun Eye Palette) and metallic lip finishes is no doubt a Star Wars-meets-makeup enthusiast’s fantasy.

Sephora’s Fragrance for All sale is happening now

 

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Listen up, fragrance fanatics! Sephora’s Fragrance for All event is officially underway and you’re going to want to take advantage of it. Here are the deets: From now until Christmas Eve, all Beauty Insider members (regardless of tier) will receive 15 per cent off of fragrance purchases after spending $50 or more in store or online when using code FRAGRANCE15. Also worth nothing: Beauty Insider members are now eligible for free same-day delivery while the promo is active with code FREESAMEDAY. Oh, and the fragrance deal is only eligible for a one-time use, so be sure you’ve got all your fragrance gifts (and perhaps something for yourself) in one cart before checking out.

Ole Henriksen dropped an overnight cream

The latest product to join Ole Henriksen’s five star Dewtopia franchise is this glow-inducing Dewtopia 5% Acid Firming Night Crème, now available on both the Ole Henriksen and Sephora Canada websites. Inspired by the beloved Ole Henriksen Dewtopia 20% Acid Night Treatment, this product is made with chemically exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids, firming Scandinavian-inspired Edelweiss plant stem cell and nourishing shea butter. If you weren’t sold yet, this transformative crème promises to deliver your dream skin while you snooze, as it provides all-night hydration, plus improved skin elasticity and 30 per cent firmer skin in just one week of use. A product that does all the work while you sleep? Yes, please.

Jennifer Aniston’s best-selling detangler has been supersized

LolaVie’s Glossing Detangler is back in a big way since it kicked off the launch of Jennifer Aniston’s haircare brand — it just got a 12oz upgrade. In addition to the full and travel bottles, this supersized packaging relieves the stress of running out of the multitasking spray that tackles tangles, acts as a heat protectant and adds a smooth, glossy finish to the hair with the aid of vegetable ceramides and a superfruit complex. Free of silicones, sulfates or parabens, and formulated with 99 per cent naturally derived ingredients, it’s no wonder why you’ll never want to be without it.

The post Rihanna Releases a Makeup Set for Fenty Beauty Stans + More Beauty News appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Come winter and its frigid, drying temperatures, our skin is exposed to an abundance of unwelcome yet unavoidable threats. Which means there is much to be done in order to nurture and protect it — cleansing, exfoliating, moisturizing. Maybe the occasional massage. Well, this is your sign to make room for dry brushing in your regimen, because this practice is the extra step that delivers revitalized winter-proof skin.

 

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This sensory act of self-care is co-signed by celebrities with stakes in the wellness space like Goop mogul Gwyneth Paltrow and supermodel Miranda Kerr, not to mention aesthetician to the stars Joanna Vargas, whose clientele includes Vanessa Hudgens and Tessa Thompson. “Dry brushing is my favourite method of body exfoliation because it’s multitasking: it’s actually incredible as a cellulite treatment, it increases blood flow and it dramatically increases elasticity, so it’s great for lifting and toning a problem area,” Vargas told New Beauty earlier this year.

For the lowdown on how to buff your way to smoother skin one stroke at a time and why you should start dry brushing, read on.

What is dry brushing?

Simply put, dry body brushing is an energizing and detoxifying skincare ritual with cultural roots that date back to ancient Ayurvedic history. A common practice in Ayurveda, the natural system of medicine that originated in India thousands of years ago, dry brushing is also known as garshana, which translates from ancient Sanskrit to “friction by rubbing.” It involves using a body brush in firm strokes and circular motions on dry skin, upwards from your feet to your neck.

@sruthi.jayadevan Have you tried dry brushing? #ayurveda #morningroutine #wellnesstok #healthyliving ♬ original sound – sruthijayadevan

What does dry brushing do? 

This act of dry brushing one’s skin is beneficial for several convincing reasons, from increasing blood circulation to encouraging lymphatic flow. Working also as an exfoliant, dry brushing improves skin texture and can temporarily reduce the appearance of cellulite. Most of all, it’s a near-therapeutic experience that feels good for both the body and the mind. Taking five to ten minutes of me time to participate in invigorating body brushing provides necessary time to reset and detox.

@oseamalibu Dry Brushing 101 ✨ #oseamalibu #drybrushing #drybrushingroutine #drybrushingtechnique #drybrushingforcellulite #undariaalgaebodyoil #undariaalgaeoil ♬ wash – favsoundds

How do I use a dry brush? 

To embark on your exploration into dry brushing, you’ll want to shop for a natural fibre body brush — like this long-handled one, this viral plant-based handheld brush from OSEA, or this dry brush from The Detox Market that can be used handheld or with the long removable handle attached. To reap the best circulation benefits, you want to brush dry, bare skin, starting at your feet, and brush in upward motions towards the heart. Around your joints, work in circular motions and brush in a clockwise direction around the stomach, as per Goop’s guide. You can work this step into your self-care routine, either before you step into the shower or afterwards if you’d like to use a few drops of body oil along with your brush. Keep in mind that this is a refreshing and energizing practice, which could mean you’ll opt to start your mornings with this technique instead of brushing before bed. When you’ve completed these steps, follow up with your favourite moisturizer to lock in all your skincare efforts.

What should I not to do when dry brushing? 

Our skin is delicate and in this case it’s also dry, so you’ll need to exercise caution when brushing. Avoid scrubbing vigorously, and remember that this should be a relaxing and beneficial supplemental step in your skincare routine — not working against you to cause micro-tears or irritation. Brush firmly but gently, and steer clear of any brushes that may be too hard or stiff. Lastly, be wary of over-brushing. Depending on your skin type and its sensitivities, you may want to engage in this wellness exercise daily (following Vargas and Kerr’s footsteps) or simply one to two times a week, if your skin is more sensitive.

With your new dry brush in hand and five minutes to spare, we hope you take a little time to connect with your mind and body as you uncover a plump new layer of skin, and a new you.

The post Are You Dry Brushing Yet? Here’s Why You Should appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

For a long time, I used to think they were just random skin tags that always seemed to first present themselves as flesh-toned before becoming hyperpigmented over time. It wasn’t until earlier this year, when, at the age of 33, I decided to book an appointment with Dr. Geeta Yadav, a dermatologist and the founder of Facet Dermatology in Toronto, that I discovered what these spots actually are.

The motivation for finally seeing a dermatologist was my skin journey during and after pregnancy. While I was pregnant with my daughter, more spots erupted — everywhere this time, it seemed. Along with several more on my face, dots appeared on my neck, an armpit, a breast and even my belly button. And when my daughter was born last year, she became obsessed with touching my face, a fascination that led her to fixate on my spots and pick at them while I sat quietly in discomfort. Don’t get me wrong: I absolutely loved this bonding time with her, but, ouch, it could hurt! Then one day she scratched one right off. “That’s it — these babies have to go,” I said to myself.

During my consultation with Dr. Yadav, she told me that these bumps are called dermatosis papulosa nigra (DPN for short), a benign skin condition common in dark-skinned people that is often hereditary and becomes more frequent with age. “They grow on the surface of the skin and are a variant of something called seborrheic keratosis,” she said. “People commonly refer to them as age spots, wisdom spots or liver spots even though they have nothing to do with the liver.” Other variants, especially those found on lighter skin, look similar to warts and can even appear barnacle-like. “The DPN variant found in brown and Black populations more commonly appears as these skin-tag-like papules,” she continued. She also went on to note that one of the most famous people with DPN is legendary actor Morgan Freeman. (Just think of the iconic raised growths along his cheeks and around his eyes.)

It felt really good to finally get a name for the spots that were gradually appearing all over my face and on other areas of my body, and I was thrilled to learn that the condition is harmless. As for my DPN’s unexpected ramp-up during pregnancy? “Everything tends to grow when you’re pregnant — like your hair, for example,” explained Dr. Yadav. “Your whole body is in this growth phase; you’re very vascular.” Then she laid out my treatment plan.

The procedure

To remove my facial DPN, Dr. Yadav prescribed electrocautery, which involves the use of a current-based fine-needle-tipped device to burn off spots. For larger DPN markings that really stuck out, snip excisions using surgical scissors would be done. And to ease any pain during the procedure, a topical numbing cream would be applied first. Afterwards, she explained, “those lesions will crust as they heal and fall off on their own, revealing new and healing skin underneath.” She mentioned that laser therapy can sometimes be an option for removing dark spots like these, but it can be tricky on darker skin tones since the laser can have trouble distinguishing between dark skin and the spots, which can lead to scarring.

For several weeks before my electrocautery procedure, I had to apply a custom-blended prescription cream made of hydroquinone, a mild steroid and vitamin A and C daily to prep my face. “Any time you treat something on brown or Black skin, there’s always a risk that the treatment itself leaves behind a mark; this cream helps reduce the risk of discoloration by targeting your melanocytes so that they don’t activate as much,” Dr. Yadav explained, referring to the cells responsible for the skin’s colour. “It acts like a primer to help your skin not overreact in terms of pigmentation from the treatment itself.”

My treatment didn’t take long, and I was shocked when I saw just how many DPN spots I actually had. (The electrical current caused a crust to immediately form, which allowed me to see what I had mistakenly thought were freckles and moles all these years.) And just like Dr. Yadav indicated, the scabs healed in a week’s time with the help of Vaseline, which I would slather on after gently cleansing my skin morning and night. “You can’t put bandages on all of these spots, but you can use Vaseline to create a barrier,” she said. (Let’s just say it was a week of camera-off Zoom meetings and limited outings.) I also had to be extra diligent about applying sunscreen, and once I was scab-free, I continued using my prescription cream for a couple more weeks to keep any discoloration at bay.

One thing to note

Cauterizing is a temporary solution. “You’re still aging, and you have a predisposition for making DPN spots, so they will come back over time but not necessarily in the same locations,” Dr. Yadav shared. It’s now seven months post-treatment, and she was right: I currently have four new DPN spots.

As for getting a second treatment, I’m holding off. Sure, it was incredibly nice having an even-toned complexion for a while (and no spots for my daughter to pick at), but as someone who has been working on adopting a positive mentality about growing older — especially after entering motherhood — despite our youth-obsessed culture, I want to learn to embrace my DPN. Now that I know what my spots actually are, I like to think of these “wisdom” markings as the story of my life.

Pigmentary skin conditions beyond DPN

Facet Dermatology’s Dr. Geeta Yadav notes that in addition to DPN, there are other pigmentary dermatological conditions that occur more often and present differently in people of colour, including melasma and post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation after skin inflammation or injury, like acne. If you’re looking to be proactive, she recommends maximizing your skincare routine by incorporating a serum targeted at fading existing dark spots and preventing new ones from occurring. More importantly, use an SPF 30 or higher on the daily. “People of colour often think they don’t need sun protection, but it should be number one,” she states.

This article first appeared in FASHION’s Winter issue. Find out more here.

The post <em>FASHION</em>’s Beauty Director On Her DPN Skin Journey appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

The good news? A complete overhaul of your skincare routine isn’t necessary. “Regardless of the season, you should stick to the same basic steps,” says Dr. Nazli Ghiasi, a dermatologist and the owner of MapleDerm in Vaughan, Ont. Gentle cleansing, hydration and sun protection are essential but can be expanded to include antioxidants, exfoliants and retinoids depending on your needs. While the blueprint of your daily routine might remain relatively the same, there are a few simple measures you can take to prevent dryness, irritation and redness before they rear their ugly, flaky heads.

Choose the right cleanser

As previously mentioned, maintaining the health of your moisture barrier is a must. “The most important component of having healthy skin, regardless of its condition, is to ensure that the skin barrier is intact,” Ghiasi states. Because winter weather conditions are slowly chipping away at your skin (a.k.a. zapping its moisture), lathering up with the right cleanser can help to maintain those all-important hydration levels. Ghiasi recommends swapping out any gel-based washes for a gentler alternative like a cream or foam as it will remove daily dirt and oil without stripping the skin.

Hydration is key

The thickness of your moisturizer is another key factor to consider if you want to take your winter skincare routine to the next level. “Choose moisturizers that provide more protection from the cold,” says Guo. “For the most part, thicker products such as balms and ointments are more protective than lotions and gels.” Lightweight creams are typically formulated with a high water content; this might sound good for your skin, but most of that water ends up evaporating. “Keeping the skin moisturized is more about retaining your natural water by enhancing your skin barrier than by externally applying water-based products,” he explains. Balms, ointments and oils often contain little to no water and have thicker textures and ingredient-rich formulas that act as protectants. If using a heavier product in your morning routine doesn’t feel right, try applying your go-to moisturizer and then layering a lightweight oil or balm over it to soften the skin and act as a seal.

Look for these winter skincare ingredients

Stacking your beauty routine with the right ingredients will ensure that your skin gets the nourishment it needs to make it through the winter unscathed. While it feels like there’s a buzzy new skincare ingredient trending on TikTok every week, there are a few tried-and-tested ones that both derms swear by. At the top of that list is ceramides. Naturally found in the outer layer of the skin, ceramides are fats and lipids that work to hold the skin’s cells together and keep the barrier intact. Using a moisturizer that contains this heavy-hitting ingredient is the number one thing you can do to set your skin up for success and help stave off an eczema flare-up. In addition to trusty ceramides, Guo mentions squalane as another barrier repair agent to look for, along with emollients like lanolin and petroleum jelly. He also recommends adding a hyaluronic acid serum into the mix as it acts as a humectant, drawing moisture into the skin.

Exfoliate with caution

Because skin is more likely to become compromised in the winter, if you notice any dryness, redness or irritation, dial back your use of actives (retinoids and exfoliants such as alpha-hydroxy and beta-hydroxy acids). “How frequently you exfoliate should depend on how your skin reacts,” says Guo. Using ingredients that can irritate the skin when you have existing dryness can be a recipe for disaster, especially if you’re new to using actives like salicylic acid and retinol. The best mantra? Slowly introduce them to your skin, and select products that have low percentages of active ingredients. Choosing a lower-dose retinol — say a 0.1 or 0.3 per cent instead of a 1 per cent — allows you to continue using the popular wrinkle reducer while minimizing the chance of irritation.

Say yes to SPF

While wearing sunscreen daily is a must, many skip this essential step once the summer sun fades. “One of the most common misconceptions is that there’s no ultraviolet radiation during the wintertime,” says Guo. While it’s true that UVB, the rays that are responsible for burning the skin, are less intense during the colder months, UVA is present year-round and contributes heavily to premature aging. Look for a sunscreen with an SPF 30 or higher that also contains moisture-replenishing ingredients like squalane and shea butter.

Here are FASHION’s top-recommended products for winter skin salvation:

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U Beauty

The Mantle Skin Conditioning Wash

($78, U Beauty)

Inspired by the practice of hair co-washing, this rich, balmlike formula gently cleanses and conditions without disrupting the skin barrier. Containing a blend of hyaluronic acid and chamomile, this one-step cleanser makes quick work of waterproof makeup, SPF and excess oil.

Buy Now

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Summer Fridays

ShadeDrops Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Mineral Milk Sunscreen

($47, Summer Fridays)

Step up your sun-protection game with this lightweight mineral sunscreen. With its serum-like texture, this SPF shields skin from both UVA and UVB rays while delivering hydrating ingredients like squalane and vitamin E.

Buy Now

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Kiehl’s

Retinol Fast Release Wrinkle-Reducing Night Serum

($98, Kiehl’s)

This night serum ensures that your skin receives a fresh dose of the formula’s 0.3 per cent pure retinol by isolating the active ingredient in a separate pouch that’s added to the bottle upon first application.

Buy Now

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8 Faces

Boundless Solid Oil

($108, 8 Faces)

Containing a cocktail of powerful antioxidants, minerals and essential fatty acids like amla berry and kokum seed oil, this multi-purpose cocoa butter-based balm can be used on the face and body and in the hair for a hit of hydration.

Buy Now

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Drunk Elephant

Ceramighty AF Eye Balm

($79, Drunk Elephant)

Packed with a 3 per cent ceramide blend and omega-rich plant oils and butters, this replenishing balm supports the delicate skin around the eye area while delivering much-needed hydration.

Buy Now

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Garnier

Hyaluronic Acid and Aloe Replumping Super Serum

($20, Garnier)

This serum is like a tall glass of water for the skin. Hyaluronic acid is known for its ability to hold 1,000 times its weight in water, and when it’s combined with the humectant glycerine and soothing aloe vera, it has a plumping and hydrating effect on your skin.

Buy Now

This article first appeared in FASHION’s Winter issue. Find out more here.

The post Expert Skincare Tips for Facing Cold Winter Weather appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

“Retinol and other Vitamin A-based products can help treat and prevent acne and acne scarring, reduce hyperpigmentation and blemishes, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and improve the glow and texture of the skin,” says Dr. Benjamin Barankin, a Toronto dermatologist and Medical Director of Toronto Dermatology Centre.

One drawback to retinol? Its quickened cell turnover process can also lead to a fair amount of dryness, flakiness and irritation, which can turn people off of using this anti-ageing ingredient. With this in mind, Biossance produced a powerful, yet gentle, Squalane + Retinol Night Serum that is ideal for both novices and more experienced users. Alongside retinol and retinal (a more potent retinoid), its key ingredient is squalane, a soothing, plant-based emollient that is proven to effectively deliver the retinoids while simultaneously providing moisture and minimizing the dryness and irritation that can happen when you first try this powerful ingredient. Its blend of rosemary and saffron also provides antioxidant protection and help support overall skin health and aging.

While anti-ageing skincare products used to be viewed or even reserved solely for those in their 40s and up, taking care of your skin proactively, starting as early as your 20s, is becoming increasingly common and even recommended by dermatologists. Using products, such as Biossance’s Squalane + Retinol Night Serum, gives you the preventative power to keep fine lines and wrinkles at bay for longer before they even appear. To sum it up: It’s never too early or too late to start using retinol and taking care of your skin.

We connected with Dr. Benjamin Barankin to get his best retinol tips for every age and stage.

If you’re in your 20s

First of all, kudos on being proactive and setting positive skincare habits early. Whether you’re trying to treat acne, pigmentation, texture or proactively get rid of any fine lines, Barankin recommends taking it lower and slower early on in the process. “Pick up the lowest concentration product and use it two nights per week, and increase the frequency by 1 night per week each month,” he says. “Once you can tolerate it nightly, increase the concentration of the retinol and repeat.”

Biossance’s Squalane + Retinol Night Serum is both a sensitive skin and beginner-friendly blend perfect for those who are dipping their toe into the world of retinol.

For those with sensitive skin or well-controlled rosacea or eczema, start even slower at once a week at a low dosage and work your way up. If you have oily skin, which is more common at a younger age, Barankin also recommends starting with a mid-level retinol (0.025% – 0.04) and working up to a higher strength (0.1%) over top of a moisturizer.

If you’re in your 30s

If you’ve just started your retinol journey, make sure to follow the beginner notes above. If you’ve already been using retinol for a few years, you’ve probably developed a good tolerance at this point in your skincare journey. If you feel your results have plateaued, try increasing your dosage or frequency as needed (don’t skimp out on the moisture and sunscreen). If you feel your skin is thriving, maintain the routine you currently have.

“The higher the concentration you can ultimately tolerate, the better the results you’ll have,” says Barankin. “For your 20s and 30s, it’s important to work your way up with a retinol as the plan is to use them for life.”

Looking for a mid-level retinol with extra skin benefits? Biossance’s Squalane + Retinol Night Serum is a blend of Vitamin E and sustainably-sourced saffron, rosemary, sunflower, and rice bran extracts that work together to not only minimize irritation from the retinol and retinal, but also minimize skin texture, age lines, and blemishes.

If you’re in your 40s

For both our retinol novices and pros in their 40s, hydration and sun protection are more important than ever. While dermatologists recommend wearing sunscreen (another anti-ageing gold standard) every day and at every age, it becomes even more important at this stage because retinol will make you, even more, sun sensitive and vulnerable to burning. Plus: UV rays have a drying effect on the skin and may make you more prone to irritation.

“In your 40s onwards, we’re starting to get drier, and so applying a moisturizer first before the retinol will make more sense,” says Barankin. “If you get too dry or red or peeling or irritated from retinol, simply take a break for two to three nights, moisturize only, and then resume using it. Our skin will typically get used to the products over time.”

With irritation minimization in mind, Biossance’s Squalane + Retinol Night Serum is a special time-release formula that slowly dispenses product into the skin over the course of eight hours. The squalane also simultaneously hydrates and nourishes the skin.

If you’re in your 50s and beyond

If retinol’s been a part of your skincare routine since your 20s and 30s, you’re a superstar and we can all learn from you. According to Barankin, at this point, your skin has probably “retinized” and you’re already able to tolerate higher concentrations of retinol and are able to increase your potency (with a lot of moisturizer and sun protection, of course).

For those in their 50s or 60s and just starting their retinol journeys, it’s important to be extra gentle with your skin because, as you know, it is going to be a bit thinner, dryer and more sensitive than it was in your 20s or 30s. Make sure to always wear SPF and to start with the lowest potency of retinol paired with “more and/or thicker moisturizer, cream or balm.” From there, you can slowly work your way up as needed. For effective results minus the dryness and irritation, opt for a more gentle retinol-based product, such as Biossance’s Squalane + Retinol Night Serum.

Note: Your skin may be even dryer during the winter, so either double up on the moisture or take breaks when needed.

Click here to start your retinol journey and try Biossance’s Squalane + Retinol Night Serum today.

The post The Ultimate Age-by-Age Guide To Retinol appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

In the beginning, my acne started off slowly, but then it kept getting worse, to the point where I knew my spots were no longer just hormonal breakouts. I became really anxious about them; I wanted to make them go away — I tried so many different remedies — and when my acts of desperation didn’t work, I lost my confidence because now my skin was something I wasn’t in control of.

It became hard for me to be around other people because I felt like they were looking at my acne and not me. I thought they were disgusted and questioning what was on my face. I went through a long period of thinking that people were looking at me in a negative light, and I would cry on my way to class and not want to show my face in pictures. I even became insecure around my partner at the time because I felt like they were looking at me differently. You wouldn’t think that having acne would change how you view a relationship with somebody so close to you, but it did for me.

I already had a YouTube channel, and eventually I said to myself, “I can’t let acne stop me from doing what I love.” I love being in front of the camera. Even though it came out of nowhere, acne was now part of my story and therefore part of my content. So one day I just decided to talk about what was going on with my face in a video (I knew my audience was going to wonder about it) and things took off from there. That video ended up reaching a whole community of people.

I received responses like “I never felt seen until I saw your pictures” and “You give me the confidence to go outside with no makeup on.” Some people even told me that they never felt pretty or never felt like they had permission to be confident because of their acne. Of course, there were others who said negative things, like “She looks like a crunch bar” and “She needs to wash her face.” There was even a meme that went viral. It was a photo of my face zoomed into my acne and said, “Share this photo or you’ll have bad luck for a year.” I remember someone telling me afterwards that they would have felt so scared and embarrassed if that had happened to them, but, honestly, it was exciting for me. It was like winning the lottery because I knew going viral was going to turn into something great.

Peter DeVito, a photographer in New York, must have seen my content, and one day he invited me to his studio to be part of an [unretouched] series he was working on. I added my own little spin — some colourful winged eyeliner — and I don’t think either of us expected the portrait to blow up the way it did. People related to it so much and felt so recognized. I loved what it represented: making noise in the space of perfection.

Now, my skin isn’t as bad as it used to be. I only really get breakouts around my period or if I’ve been eating poorly. My goal was never to be known as a skin influencer — I still talk about my journey because it’s my story — so I’ve been transitioning my content into a broader umbrella of genres, including fashion and lifestyle. I didn’t become a content creator just to be known as the girl with acne.

Nazhaya Barcelona’s acne fix

It took visits to three dermatologists before one prescribed tretinoin (for my discoloration), clindamycin (for the bacteria) and Epiduo (for my active pimples). I always remember those three prescriptions because they actually transformed my skin — those three along with sunscreen. I swear up and down by sunscreen because while the other products were breaking down my acne and discoloration, the SPF was adding a protective shield. If you use those prescriptions without sunscreen, you will only damage your skin.

This article first appeared in FASHION’s November issue. Find out more here.

The post I Finally Realized That I Can’t Let Acne Stop Me appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Ghlee

Co-founder Varun Sharma recalls his mom telling him to “just put some ghee on” his dry lips during cold Canadian winters. “He started tinkering with our dad’s ghee recipe and other ingredients like vitamin E and coconut oil and five months later developed Ghlee,” sister and co-founder Arati Sharma shares. The family business extends beyond the brother-sister duo. “My sister Deepika works on content, our mom fills orders and our dad manages the ghee production,” she adds.

Ghee is just beginning to gain popularity in North America: Used for centuries by South and Southeast Asians as a staple in the kitchen, the powerful butter is now popping up in grocery stores and trendy diets. And though it’s rooted in cuisine, “Ayurvedic medicine designates ghee as a salve to soothe burns and as a potent moisturizer to heal dry skin and dry hair, being rich in healthy fatty acids like omegas 3 and 9 and vitamins A, D, E and K,” notes Arati.

Ownership is especially meaningful to Arati, who has become frustrated with how South Asian and other cultures are being appropriated in the wellness industry. “It’s important for South Asian founders to lead South Asian products so that stories are shared through our lens,” she says. And she is paying it forward to other BIPOC women: Arati is also an angel investor, providing funding for women and BIPOC founders, especially in the e-commerce space, who often get overlooked by traditional investors.

Whether they’re donating to food banks or supporting local women’s organizations with self-care packages, Varun and Arati have community at the forefront of their brand, acknowledging and appreciating that their first and most loyal customers are within the community. “Our goal is not to try to represent every single South Asian and Ayurvedic ritual — just the ones that we, as part of the diaspora, have adopted from our immigrant parents,” Arati says.

Hymnologie

It was a culmination of life events that led Dr. Jigyasa Sharma to found Hymnologie in 2020. She dealt with acne when she was a teen, learned about the adverse effects of synthetics and preservatives while studying dentistry and acquired a hyper-awareness of what harm the chemicals in her skincare could do during pregnancy. When she arrived in Canada with her husband and two children, she realized how heavily she’d been relying on the natural homemade skincare remedies of her native India, which made her decide to embark on the journey of becoming a beauty-brand creator.

Sharma pulled inspiration from her mother’s DIY skincare—organic complexion-boosting recipes that require minimal processing and are free of synthetics and parabens — to deliver skincare solutions that focus on the purity of their ingredients. “Bringing Ayurvedic skincare, like Hymnologie, to the Western world comes at a time when consumers’ knowledge of ingredients is intensified and the demand for all-natural, preservative-free products is high, especially after coming out of COVID,” she shares.

For Sharma, paying respect to the communities that have shaped who she is today is also key. Ingredients like chamomile, calendula and saffron are sourced from the foothills of the Himalayas, which are surrounded by the forest reserve — one of the world’s purest natural havens. She also wants to pay homage to the roots of this country. “Hymnologie donates 5 per cent of all profits to the Legacy of Hope Foundation, which endeavours to raise awareness about the history of the residential-school system as well as address racism and promote equality of rights for Canadian Indigenous peoples.”

Sharma believes that beauty is more than skin deep. “I see it in my children’s laughter, in my grandma’s hugs and in how we look after ourselves,” she expresses. “What you pay attention to becomes beautiful.” It is with this philosophy that she strives to create products that will not only evoke the senses but also offer a beautiful experience of self-love and self-care, creating a harmonious balance between mind, body and soul.

Sahajan

Sahajan comes from the word sahaja, which is Hindi for “intuitive.” Unexpectedly, it was mother’s intuition that compelled founder Lisa Mattam to launch the brand. “Sahajan started for me the day I told my daughter that she couldn’t play with my skincare because I was worried about what the chemicals would do to her beautiful young skin,” she says. In that moment, Mattam realized that the only products she trusted for her daughter were the oils and creams found in the tiny bottles her parents would bring back from their native Kerala, in Southern India. She came to understand that the homemade concoctions she grew up with, laden with ingredients like turmeric, triphala (a herbal remedy of dried fruits) and plant extracts ashwagandha and gotu kola, were more than family traditions — they were elixirs steeped in the science of Ayurveda.

“I studied deeper and realized that Ayurveda is the gateway to wellness and beauty,” shares Mattam. “I wanted to share the healing system with people in a meaningful way: leaning on the ancient texts, working with Ayurvedic doctors in India and marrying that with my previous background in pharmaceuticals to demonstrate clinically that Ayurveda delivers unparalleled results.”

Beyond her mission to give shoppers cleaner skincare, Mattam knew from its inception that Sahajan would involve giving back. In addition to the brand’s Lip Karmas, which were launched in conjunction with Plan International Canada’s Because I Am a Girl campaign, AccelerateHER by Sahajan was born this past spring. The initiative pairs businesses with volunteer mentors (all Canadian women entrepreneurs), the goal being to provide each cohort of women with an increased knowledge base to grow their businesses. And as Sahajan evolves with new innovations, so, too, does its success: Beginning this October, the brand will launch in-room at Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W and JW Marriott hotels.

Shop the brands’ must-try products

Photography Courtesy of Ghlee

Photography Courtesy of Hymnologie

Photography Courtesy of Sahajan

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Ghlee

Ghee Lip Balm

($15, Ghlee)

This nourishing lip balm comes in four flavours: mint, rose, mango and chai. The latter has become a cult favourite, with customers raving about how good it tastes on their lips.

Buy Now

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Hymnologie

Brilliance Repair Treatment Facial Mask

($87, Hymnologie)

Formulated with saffron, calendula, chamomile and vitamin E, this mask exfoliates dead skin cells and lifts impurities for a silky-smooth complexion.

Buy Now

3/3

Sahajan

Nourish Face Cream

($64, Sahajan)

This combination of triphala and gotu kola with a whisper of coconut oil visibly transforms the look of the skin.

Buy Now

This article first appeared in FASHION’s October issue. Find out more here.

The post 3 Canada-Based South-Asian Beauty Brands on Harnessing the Power of Ayurveda appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

The problem, of course, is that by avoiding sunscreen, my skin was left vulnerable to the sun’s harmful UV rays, increasing the risk of cancer and premature aging.

Thankfully, in recent years, some brands have stepped up their offering, keeping all skin tones in mind. Once I started to test out some of these formulas, my faith in sunscreen was renewed. In addition to not leaving behind any white residue, many are now formulated with skin-first ingredients like antioxidants, vitamin C and botanicals that leave skin glowing.

But with so many sunscreen formulas for dark skin tones on the market, it can feel overwhelming. So below, we round up some of our top picks so you can apply all the SPF you need worry-free.

Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40

 

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This invisible, weightless, scentless primer’s matte, oil-free formula glides smoothly onto the skin, giving you shine control and a velvety finish. But the best part? The silky transparent cream leaves behind no residue, plus its gel texture feels weightless on the skin. With the addition of red algae to help protect against blue light emitted by electronic devices, this is easily one of my favourite picks!

If you’re into more of a dewy finish, look no further than the Supergoop! Glow sunscreen. This multitasking TikTok favourite is formulated with hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 to hydrate, with SPF 40 and blue-light protection.

Alumier Clear Shield Broad Spectrum SPF 42

 

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This lightweight, non-comedogenic, quick-drying sunscreen has a clear formula that works perfectly on dark skin tones, leaving behind no dreaded white cast. It contains zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, two physical sunscreen agents which reflect and scatter UV rays.

Laneige Hydro UV Defense Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50+

 

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A great option for darker skin tones, this formula is lightweight and easily blends into the skin. It’s formulated with glycerin and Hydro Ionized Mineral Water that hydrates and soothes, with a powerful blend of plant extracts including lavender, aloe, broccoli, hibiscus and quinoa seed.

Tatcha The Silk Suncreen

 

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Japanese brand Tatcha’s skincare products take inspiration from traditions that go back centuries, and their sunscreen offering is no exception. The Silk is a weightless and hydrating mineral formula with SPF 50 protection from UVA/UVB rays. Promising to visibly even skin tone, this neutral formula goes on sheer and feels like a silk moisturizer, just like the name implies.

Biossance Squalane + Zinc Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30

 

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For those with dry skin, this invisible, broad-spectrum mineral SPF 30 is both lightweight and deeply hydrating. The super sheer lotion blends in quickly without a trace and leaves you with a soft, dewy finish. This has easily become a staple in my daily routine. The two standout ingredients are water lily to calm skin after UV exposure and squalane to help sunscreen glide effortlessly so your skin glows after just one application. What more could you ask for?

Summer Fridays ShadeDrops Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Mineral Milk Sunscreen

 

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I call this my lazy BFF. It’s perfect for when you need to quickly apply sunscreen before going out. This lightweight, reef-friendly, SPF 30 mineral sunscreen is enriched with vitamins, antioxidants and soothing chamomile. The tinted formula easily blends into the skin for a dewy glow and — you guessed it — no white cast. I love using this one on a day to day basis because not only does it contain zinc oxide to shield skin from damaging UV but also ingredients like squalane for a softer and smoother look and vitamin E to help protect against free-radical damage.

La Roche Posay Anthelios Ultra Fluid Face Sunscreen SPF 50+

 

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This ultra-light cult favourite sunscreen delivers high broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection. It’s a lightly tinted sunscreen formulated with 100 per cent mineral filters and is suitable for sensitive skin. Once you blend this in, you’re good to go from the gym to the beach to the patio and everywhere in between – it even works as a sweat and water resistant formula!

Drunk Elephant Umbra Sheer Physical Daily Defense SPF 30

 

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This is another skincare brand that is worth all the hype. This sheer sunscreen delivers powerful broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection and aids in the prevention of free radical and oxidative damage. It’s ideal for daily use without white residue or greasiness. Plus, it contains sunflower shoot extract that helps neutralize free radicals and exhibits strong anti-glycation properties.

Dermalogica Invisible Physical Defense Sunscreen SPF 30

 

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This is a super lightweight physical sunscreen defense that is formulated for all skin types, including dark skin tones. Since it blends so easily, this is my go-to when I apply makeup because it layers well under foundations and is loaded with antioxidants to leave the skin looking plump.

The post Facial Sunscreens for Dark Skin Tones That *Actually* Look Good appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

While completing her PhD in bioanalytical chemistry with a focus on small-molecule development, Bao often found herself in the same position—hunched over her computer, working on her final thesis. Keen on multitasking, she began taking advantage of that time by using hydrating facial sheet masks daily. Around a month later, she noticed a rash spreading all across her body and knew the sheet masks were the glowy culprit.

“Even though I studied chemistry, I rarely paid attention to the ingredients in my cosmetics,” says Bao. “It really opened my eyes and made me want to stop using 90 per cent of my products and start my own cosmetic company.”

Enter: BAO Laboratory. A Canadian skincare brand that is known for its science-driven, small-molecule formulas that are customizable, 100 per cent natural, vegan, CertClean, highly effective and cruelty-free.

What is a small molecule formula?

You may already be using a few of them already. Small-molecule formulas contain—you guessed it—small molecules that are easily absorbed into your system. Think finely milled vitamins or over-the-counter medications. They’re quite common, but not among cosmetics.

During her PhD, Bao invested a lot of time researching this technique and knew it would be a skincare game changer since it would allow for products to be more potent and absorbable.“They’re so small that they can penetrate into the skin more rapidly, while larger molecules from popular creams or lotions often sit on top and create a barrier,” she says.

Which products can I find it in?

From essences and oils, to serums and masks, BAO Laboratory currently offers an array of healing and protective small-molecule formulas, but their Lotus Squalane Healing Facial Oil is currently garnering a lot of buzz in the skincare world for being certified by the Skin Health Program of the Canadian Dermatology Association and recognized for its fragrance-free, minimally irritating formulas that is also free from most common allergens. This product was even the winner of the Best Facial Oil 2022 Beauty Award—and for good reason.

Its healing combo of natural lotus wax and squalane leaves your skin and skin barrier healthier, nourished and renewed. Bao specifically favours squalane because of its anti-inflammatory properties and recommends this oil to anyone who may be dealing with acne, redness, dryness or irritation.

“If you have a problem, just grab this bottle, stop whatever you’re using at the moment and try it for one to two weeks. Then you’ll see the improvement,” she says. “So yeah, I would call that an almighty healing oil.”

How can I use it?

Bao recommends first cleansing your face before applying this product and then waiting five to ten minutes for the small molecules to fully absorb into your skin before applying any other serums or creams on top.

Because of the small-molecule formulation, she also recommends directly applying it with clean fingers so it immediately gets absorbed into your skin, rather than with a cotton pad.

Beauty tip: Make sure to also show your neck some love and work your products down there as well.

Ready to heal your skin inside and out? Visit baolaboratory.com to buy this award-winning oil and plug in BAOPROMO to get 20% off your order, a free travel set and shipping with your purchase.   

The post What is Small-Molecule Formulation and How Does it Improve Skincare? appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Acne-prone skin: La Roche-Posay Anthelios Clear Skin Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 60

 

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A cult favourite, La Roche-Posay is considered the holy grail of facial sunscreens. The SPF 60 formula filters out 98 per cent of UV rays. Plus, it’s lightweight and won’t clog your pores. Enough said!

Dry skin: Tatcha The Silk Sunscreen SPF 50

 

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If you’ve been searching for something to provide you with both hydration and protection, look no further. The dewy formula contains hyaluronic acid and niacinamide. According to Tatcha’s website, the latter is responsible for supporting the skin’s barrier by reducing the number of pollutants and allergens that enter the skin whilst preventing moisture from escaping. Sounds like a win-win to us!

Sensitive skin: Innisfree Daily UV Defense Sunscreen SPF 36

 

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If your skin is a little more picky about products, this Innisfree sunscreen is about to become your new BFF. The blendable formula is gentle and includes sunflower seed oil, which is responsible for giving you a plump, healthy glow all day long.

Oily skin: Supergoop! Mineral Mattescreen SPF 40

 

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The fix is in the name! If you’re someone who struggles with oily skin, this sunscreen promises to mattify all your worries away. The mineral formula smoothes out and minimizes the appearance of pores, all while providing you with ample sun protection.

Combination skin: Fenty Beauty Skin Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen

 

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Rihanna has done it again! This refillable (brownie points for being earth-friendly) sunscreen targets dark spots, is makeup friendly and doesn’t leave a white cast — what more could you ask for? While it’s mainly advertised as a moisturizing sunscreen, combination skin reviewers on Sephora swear by it!

Mature skin: Dr. Dennis Gross All-Physical Lightweight Wrinkle Defense Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 30

 

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This oil-free, non-greasy formula is the perfect daily sunscreen to protect your skin from forming wrinkles and fine lines — protecting you from photoaging. The blendable formula can be worn alone or even under your makeup to provide all-day protection.

The post Facial Sunscreens for Every Skin Type appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

What exactly is the skin barrier?

The skin has several layers which all work to protect our bodies. Think of the top layer—the skin barrier or the stratum corneum—as a kind of brick wall: it’s made up of skin cells held together by lipids that contain ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids.

What does the skin barrier do?

Our skin’s natural barrier has a few different roles, but essentially, it protects us from environmental toxins and helps our bodies maintain hydration. Without it, our skin and bodies would lose water, and we’d end up dehydrated.

When it comes to protecting the skin barrier, some things—like mother nature—are out of our control. Environmental factors, including dry air and allergens, can mess with skin’s function, as can pollutants. Certain genetic factors can make you more susceptible to skin conditions like psoriasis. But there are some things we can avoid, like unprotected sun exposure, over-exfoliating or using harsh skincare products, which can also wreak havoc on the barrier.

If your skin barrier isn’t doing its job, you might start to notice signs on your face. Look out for inflammation, acne, itchiness, rough patches and/or dry skin.

How can you protect and replenish your skin barrier?

Fortunately, it doesn’t take a complicated 10-step routine to keep your skin’s natural barrier functioning well. (In fact, a regimen that uses lots of products can actually weaken the skin barrier.) All you need is a gentle cleanser and a hydrating cream with soothing ingredients that support your skin’s moisture barrier.

One of the best ingredients to add to your daily routine is prebiotic oat. It works to nourish the skin barrier with a moisturizing layer of protection, relieving itchiness and reducing inflammation. Prebiotic oat also balances the skin’s pH and supports its natural ecosystem for healthier-looking skin.

Formulated with the same trusted prebiotic oat used in the beloved bestselling Daily Moisturizing Lotion, which is known for its ability to nourish and hydrate dry skin all over the body for a full 24 hours, the new Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Face Cream is made to help take care of your skin’s complexion. Aveeno’s prebiotic oat is the perfect solution for dry skin and the new Daily Moisturizing Cream is designed specifically for the face, with a lightweight, non-greasy feel. It protects the skin barrier and is deeply hydrating, without parabens, fragrances or dyes. (Bonus: it’s super affordable, too).

A two-step skincare routine is all you need to nourish and protect your skin barrier. Start with the Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Facial Cleanser to wash away dirt, oil and other impurities. Follow with Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Face Cream, which also contains glycerin to help the skin attract moisture, and enjoy 24 hours of hydration.

The post What is the skin barrier and how does it work? appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

With that in mind, it’s crucial to adjust your skincare routine to focus on hydrating and barrier-protecting products and ingredients. Enter: Oats.

This natural skincare ingredient has been used as a hydrating and healing agent as early as  2000 BC in ancient Egypt. In 1945, with the help of modern technology, researchers were able to finely grind up kernels of oats to make dissolvable colloidal oatmeal for topical skincare products such as Aveeno’s Daily Moisturizing Body Wash and Lotion.

If you’re struggling with dry skin this winter, here’s why oat-based products may be your saving grace.

Hydrates and soothes

Oats have been used as a topical treatment for centuries and this has a lot to do with its anti-inflammatory properties. It’s even been proven to significantly improve skin dryness, scaling, roughness and even itchiness.

Aveeno’s Daily Moisturizing Body Wash and Lotion combo is an easy way to add colloidal oatmeal into your daily winter routine. The soap-free body wash is gentle and hydrating, but still highly cleansing, while the lotion is fragrance-free, non-greasy and leaves your skin hydrated for up to 24 hours. Plus: they’ll provide double the moisture when used together.

Fortifies skin’s moisture barrier

Since colloidal oatmeal is primarily made of starches, it acts as a super sponge and can absorb large quantities of water—making it an ideal ingredient for dryer seasons. Oat-based products help prevent water loss and strengthen your skin’s moisture barrier by forming a protective film on the skin’s surface, which is key to keeping your skin happy and hydrated during cooler months.

Balances skin’s pH

While pH is thrown around pretty often in the skincare world, many people still don’t know exactly what it is or why it’s important. A balanced pH is key to having a protective skin barrier. Colloidal oatmeal has been proven to help restore normal pH levels since it “acts as a buffering agent.”

According to a study by the NCBI, colloidal oat-based creams have been proven to “significantly improve skin pH, skin barrier function, and skin hydration” and “1% colloidal oat eczema cream [specifically] improves microbiome composition and significantly repairs skin barrier defects.”

Cleanses + reduces inflammation

Oats have developed a pretty stellar reputation for being soothing due to their anti-inflammatory properties. They’re also a powerful cleansing agent, which makes them ideal for those with sensitive and acne-prone skin. They cleanse gently while not messing with your skin’s moisture content.

If you’re struggling with dry skin this winter, it’s time to look into colloidal oat-based products. There’s a reason why Aveeno is so well known for using this ingredient in its products. Formulated with oatmeal and rich emollients to both cleanse and nourish your skin, the Daily Moisturizing Body Wash will help to replenish your skin’s natural moisture. Building your regimen to follow with the Daily Moisturizing Lotion will further improve your natural moisture barrier and relieve dry skin for a soft and healthy-looking finish.

Visit the Aveeno website to learn more and purchase this hydrating duo

The post The Benefits of Oats in Skincare appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Dries Van Noten Beauty

Enigmatic Belgian designer Dries Van Noten is bringing his unique POV to your beauty routine. Inspired by his “impossible combinations” of colour and print, the collection of makeup and fragrance is sure the make the hearts of his fans sing. Described by Dries as  “playing creative ping-pong,” in reference to his collaboration with various makeup artists and perfumers, the first drop features 10 refillable eaux de parfums, including scents such as Neon Garden — inspired by Dries’s own garden and featuring an unexpectedly offbeat combo of mint, orris, lavender and carrot seed — and Voodoo Chile, containing notes of rosemary, patchouli and balsam. There are also 30 lipsticks, available in four eye-catching, refillable cases, scented soaps and hand creams, as well as other inspired accessories, including beautiful leather pouches, a comb and eyeshadow brush, which are all packaged to-go in the boutique in patterned drawstring pouches.

Heat Healer Sauna Blanket

This buzzy best-selling infrared sauna blanket is now shipping to Canada and is also available exclusively at Holt Renfrew. The blanket, which launched in Australia in 2019, uses a carbon nano-fiber heating element and nearly 100 tourmaline and jade stones to evenly distribute a relaxing heat sensation heat throughout your body. Said to be a game-changer for better sleep, post-workout recovery, increased energy, anti-aging and immune system support, the luxe blanket has been racking up celeb fans, including wellness-lovers Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker.

YSL Black Opium Illicit Green Eau de Parfum

When Black Opium first launched in 2014 with its signature floral-coffee twist on the famous original, it was an instant hit. Addictive in its clash of strong notes such as white flowers, black coffee and gourmand vanilla, the juice is now being reinvented once more. The new YSL Black Opium Illicit Green parfum is predictably still quite bold, but is a fresh take with notes of sparkling green mandarin, crisp fig leaf and an accord of creamy fig fruit.

Noble Panacea The Exceptional Chronobiology Sleep Mask

We’ve all been told that getting a solid night of sleep is the secret to keeping everything from our mind to our weight in check. Now, Noble Panacea, founded by British-American scientist Sir Fraser Stoddart (who won the Noble Prize in 2016 for his lifetime contributions to organic chemistry), is taking a deeper dive into how we can optimize our skin’s nightly DNA repair and recovery in sync with our circadian rhythms. The brand’s new overnight mask contains a series of potent and sophisticated actives, such as exfoliating polyhydroxy acid, retinol, peptides and two weights of hyaluronic acid (to reach different levels of skin), each of which are programmed to release in sequence so that it works with your skin’s overnight phases of detox, repair and regeneration. The treatments, packaged in a reusable plastic-free box made with renewable starch, come complete with an applicator and a Xiuyan white jade gua sha — the perfect bedtime routine for reaching the ultimate dream state.

Dior La Mousse Off/On

Designed for all skin types, including those that are very sensitive, this new foaming cleanser from Dior contains over 90 per cent naturally-derived ingredients, including detoxifying water lily extract, which is sourced from the house’s new Latour-Marliac garden. Inspired by having to gently and effectively remove makeup backstage during fashion week, the creamy foam also targets impurities from pollution, while maintaining the skin’s pH and moisture barrier.

Avène Cleanance Comedomed

Everyone knows that the best time to target a breakout is as soon as you feel that painful pressure brewing below your skin’s surface. Avène’s new drying emulsion was made for getting ahead of a pesky spot (or many) and limiting its havoc to just one day. The spot treatment was developed with the brand’s trademark thermal mineral spring water sourced from the south of France, along with Comedoclastin, an active ingredient which limits the development of microcomedones, and retinaldehyde, a vitamin A derivative widely used by derms for treating acne-prone skin. Simply dab it on where needed and wait for the magic to happen.

Buxom Power-full Lip Scrub and Balm

Just in time to makeover those dry and flaky lips for spring, Buxom has released their newest luscious lip scrub and balm duo. The mess-free sweet guava lip scrub gently exfoliates with sugar while also leaving behind nourished lips thanks to tomato seed oil and vitamins c and e. For an extra-pillowy pout, the First Crush tinted lip balm contains peptides for a gentle plumping action and imparts an effortlessly flattering hue that’s customized to your lip’s natural pH level.

Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Primer

It’s official: Makeup is back. We’ve kept our routines to a minimum for the past couple of years in favour of focusing on more mask-friendly skincare, but this season’s looks are all about playing in our cosmetics bags again. You may have forgotten that primers even exist, but the new Hourglass formula will remind you why you fell in love with them in the first place. A refreshing gel that’s as light as a feather, the formula contains innovative micro-spherical powders which absorb oil to control shine, smooth skin texture and blur fine lines and imperfections, all while extending the wear of your fearless new looks.

The post The March 2022 Beauty Launches You Need to Know About appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Inspired by a Monet-like garden filled with shimmering water and lush blooms, these three new limited edition lipsticks from Hermès are meant to bring a little light to your makeup routine. Acting like watercolours, the formulas look bright but go on with a glossy, transparent finish in shades of peach, orange and pink. The three limited edition tubes designed by Pierre Hardy (who is also the mastermind behind the brand’s shoe and jewellery collections) come packaged in the brand’s trademark orange box and can be refilled with existing lipstick hues (or new ones to come.)

Klorane introduces sustainable shampoo bars

French pharmacy favourite Klorane is extending its best-selling mango butter and oat milk shampoo range, which are both ideal for dry hair, to include more sustainable bar formulas. Free of silicone, sulfate-surfactants (the ingredient that creates lots of lather and bubbles but can be extremely harsh on the skin and hair), the bars hold up the same effective formulas as the originals, but without the excess packaging. Both are great for adding hydration to lacklustre locks, but the Ultra-Gentle formula with oat milk works wonders to treat a dry scalp for softer, shinier hair.

A luxe new balm from Guerlain perfect for slugging

Guerlain’s new Abeille Royale Intense Repair Youth Oil-in-Balm is the most luxurious answer possible to your new slugging routine. Its combo of cica and beeswax butter effectively protect your skin’s moisture barrier and lock in water molecules while you sleep or brave the elements (or indoor heating.) It contains 95 per cent naturally-derived ingredients, including sustainably-sourced,  concentrated blackbee honey from Ouessant Island (the scent is incredible), an island off the coast of Brittany, which functions as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and is recognized as a uniquely pollution- and pesticide-free environment.

Oribe’s new haircare line for battered strands

Plagued by weak, broken strands from colouring, heat styling, or just intense daily styling? Enter, Oribe’s new Hair Alchemy collection. Made with a unique combo of plant proteins, bio-fermented bamboo leaf, green tea, hyaluronic acid and chia seeds, the formulas claim to penetrate the hair shaft to help strengthen your hair from the inside out. It also works to protect brittle ends (between trims!) and build elasticity to prevent further breakage. Now, if only there was a support group for flat iron addiction.

Shea Moisture improves its popular shea butter line

Fans of Shea Moisture’s much-loved shea butter lineup can now look forward to their hair lapping up more effective hydration (and it often needs as much as it can get this time of year) thanks to the whole range being re-vamped with a more effective combo of moisturizing ingredients, along with its namesake organic raw shea butter. To extend your sleeker and more conditioned results between washes, the brand is also dropping a new leave-in which smoothes your strands and keeps frizz at bay for longer, so you can keep drying shampoos to a minimum.

The post Hermès Drops a New Lip Trio for Spring + More Beauty News appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

What is it?

Slugging is the act of coating your skin with an occlusive product — fan favourites include Vaseline and Aquaphor — to seal in moisture and help your skin heal overnight. FYI: An occlusive is an agent that forms a protective barrier on the surface of your skin to prevent moisture loss. Aside from helping with hydration, slugging can also help prevent dry flakes and patches, therefore improving your skin’s texture. Here’s a pro-tip from Dr. Alexis Stephens, a dermatologist on TikTok: after you slug, tie your hair back before bed and make sure to use a pillowcase that is clean to ensure a mess-free night and maximum benefit.

 

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A step-by-step guide to slugging

Ideally, slugging should happen at the end of the night during your bedtime skincare routine. Here’s a breakdown of how slugging generally works.

Step 1: Cleanse

Cleanse your skin as you usually would. Whether it’s micellar water or a cleanser, make sure to clean off the impurities of the day before you begin locking in products on your skin.

Step 2: Hydrate

Use a hydrating serum or moisturizer to plump up your skin and hydrate it before applying your sealing agent. This is also where you would apply any other products that you normally would as part of your regular skincare routine. As someone with dry skin, hyaluronic acid and a night cream work wonders for me.

Step 3: Slug

Take a pea-sized amount of your occlusive agent of choice (I personally like Vaseline because of my skin concerns, CeraVe’s Healing Ointment is another influencer favourite) and apply a thin layer evenly on your skin. Less is more here!

For blackheads

If you suffer from blackheads, apply a salicylic acid serum or BHA toner to your problem areas and apply your occlusive agent on top to lock it in and help the products work better. However, as with many beauty hacks, this may not work for everyone, so test it out for a few days before committing to this method.

@ctabone #greenscreen #skincare #nighttimeskincare #sluggingwithvaseline #slugging #skincarehacks #salicylicacid #foryou #fyp #foryoupage ♬ original sound – Product Test By Celeste

For dry hands

Dry hands are one of the most bothersome casualties of winter, but fear not, slugging can help with this dry weather woe, too. Reach for your go-to hand moisturizer and apply a pea-sized amount to your hands. After rubbing it in, use your occlusive agent on top for extra hydration. Pro-tip: if you’re doing this at night, cover your hands with moisture gloves or anything else you may have handy to prevent a mess and maximize the benefits of your new skincare step.

@satyaorganic Winter dry skin? Try #slugging your hands! #handslugging #satyaorganic #sogood #dryskin ♬ April (No Vocals) – The Young Ebenezers

For fine lines

Trying to prevent (or minimize) fine lines around your eyes? You’re not alone. Your eye area is naturally prone to premature fine lines due to how thin the skin is, but slugging can help slow down the process. Take a small amount of your occlusive agent and apply it evenly around your eye area. However, I would recommend doing this during the day to avoid getting any products in your eyes while you’re asleep.

@abbeyyung best kept anti aging secret 🤩 #slugging #sluggingmethod #besteyecream #ceravehealingointment #finelines ♬ Breakin my heart – speedaudiios_

There are myriad problems this beauty hack can help you combat; all you needed to know was how to slug the right way. Now that you do, go forth and enjoy your supple, glowy skin — we sure are!

The post Slugging is the Skincare Hack You Need Right Now appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

In the early 2000s, the brand’s ads would play during American Idol commercial breaks, and despite being a kid with no first-hand knowledge of acne (yet), I was convinced Proactiv was the It Brand for any and all skin woes.

For years, Proactiv’s celebrity-fronted advertisements featured success stories where people shared testimonials about the shame they felt before the company’s products “fixed” their skin. This approach earned the brand criticism, and it was most notably slammed in 2019 when Kendall Jenner signed on as its newest face, with many accusing the campaign of lacking authenticity.

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Across all its ads, though, Proactiv’s messaging was clear: good skin is skin without any blemishes, texture or scarring.

But since the days of those cable TV infomercials, there’s been a drastic change in the way we talk about skin. The rise of the body positivity movement has brought forth a push for acne acceptance. Because of this, Proactiv — once a powerhouse in the world of skincare — is now rebranding.

In November 2021, it was announced that Proactiv would be changing its name to Alchemee. And on January 19, Business of Fashion reported on the company’s plans to launch two new product lines this year that eschew the Proactiv name and acne focus.

Proactiv’s rebrand is a response to a larger change in the beauty industry. Today, skincare products are increasingly about normalizing acne.

Acne acceptance on has been gaining traction for years on social media. And over time, messages of self-acceptance have taken precedence over shame surrounding appearance, thanks in large part to skin-positivity influencers — or skinfluencers — who have been transparent about what real skin looks like.

Creators like Constanza Concha, Jeyźa Kaelani and Em Ford are a few leading the skin positivity movement. Other artists on social media, like photographer Peter DeVito, have undertaken projects to showcase the beauty of different skin types through their work.

 

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Thanks to this content and others like it, the beauty industry is following suit.

Skincare products have evolved from trying to conceal pimples to practically celebrating them. Take Gen Z-favourite skincare brand Starface. Founded in 2019, the inclusive company is known for making bright, flashy face stickers that accessorize blemishes instead of hiding them.

Other brands like Squish Beauty and Bad Habit embrace imperfections and different skin types in their brand ethos. Bad Habit’s manifesto reads, in part: “Rather than chasing some unreal projection of perfection, we want to help you find balance in your realness.” Sorry, but 2006 Proactiv could never.

 

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Social media has opened up the conversation between brands and consumers, and made way for a new era of acne positivity.

From being a top-selling skincare brand to ditching its name and core messaging, Proactiv’s move proves the industry is changing. Brands that were once successful in making us feel bad about ourselves by peddling the idea that we should aspire to have perfect skin can no longer do so because “perfect skin” doesn’t exist. I wish I could tell my younger self that.

The post Are We in the Age of Acne Acceptance? appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

You were the first person of colour to be signed to CoverGirl. How do you think the modelling industry has changed or not changed enough, in recent years?

Certainly in regards to representation, everyone is trying to be more inclusive. It’s not necessarily equal representation, but more inclusive representation. You may have a certain number of white models in a shot along with one Asian or Black woman. Because, you wouldn’t normally have two of those ethnicities in one group, right!? That doesn’t make sense! So, while people are striving for more inclusivity and more diversity, it’s not always equal.

What did you learn about taking care of yourself throughout your modelling career?

I spent so much time with different makeup artists who used so many different products on me. I really started seeing my skin react really adversely to many things. I have eczema and my skin is already quite sensitive and reactive. I had formulas give me hives, make my eyes swell shut, and cause massive rashes. I quickly started paying attention to what was safe for me to use and not use when I was at work. After a while, I also started asking myself why that was and looking into what was consistent with these products. I eventually realized that I really needed to personally avoid synthetic fragrances and colours and ingredients like parabens, silicone, and mineral oil.

Winters in Canada can be pretty harsh on the skin, especially for those that have irritations such as eczema and rosacea. How do you cope with that?

Layering is the thing. You have to start with the least occlusive layer. So, if you have a light serum, you start with that. Then a lotion or cream and an oil. Layering is a really good way for anybody with dry skin to lock in hydration. For daytime, I use my serum first. It’s a water-based serum, so it soaks in quite quickly. Then, I use the Reflect Facial Lotion and then layer that with the Renew Facial Oil, followed by sunscreen. The oil is really lovely and also soaks in quickly, so you’re not sitting around for ages with an oily-looking face before putting on makeup. It also has a wonderful orange colour which naturally comes from the sea buckthorn and rose hip oils. It gives you an instant glow on top of hydrating your skin. At night, I like to apply my eye cream to the lines around my eyes, between my eyebrows and even on my forehead. Like many eye creams, it has a higher concentration of actives, so it’s great for spot treating fine lines. Then I layer on face oil again.

What else was important for you to consider when creating your skincare line, Lana Ogilvie Cosmetics?

I’ve been a skincare addict for so long. It’s something I love and it’s always been a passion of mine. I put a lot of effort and research into the formulas because I think of it as personal treatments for my own skin. There’s so many people with skincare issues and I was really motivated to formulate without the bad stuff so it could be a good solution for more people. I worked with a Canadian lab, which was also very important to me. I wanted to come out with a Canadian line by a Black Canadian woman. Someone who’s been in this industry for many years and who knows this space firsthand.

A lot of skincare these days feels overly complex, but you’ve obviously avoided that approach with Lana Ogilvie Cosmetics.

A lot of things out there are complicated, but this is really streamlined and easy to use. I started out with three products: the serum, the eye cream, and the face oil. The serum is a triple threat with peptides, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid. This year, we also launched the lotion that filters the blue light and the UV rays that you’re exposed to during all your screen time. After talking to customers, we sourced an algae that works to protect the skin because everybody’s at home sitting in front of their phones and computers.

The post Lana Ogilvie’s Modelling Journey Inspired Her Organic Skincare Line appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

After launching their Retinol eye stick a year ago, Peace Out Skincare is following up their success with a genius new face stick to help you really zero in on ditching pesky fine lines. Safe for sensitive skin or new retinol-users, it contains three percent encapsulated retinol along with vitamin c and a fruit enzyme blend. Its balm-like texture makes it easy to slide on, so you can smooth away the first signs of aging, as well as target bumpy skin texture and loss of firmness. Apply at the very end of your evening routine to any areas in question (which could just mean all over your face.)

Nyx’s new hydrating concealer is foolproof for winter

If your concealer tends to look dry and cakey this time of year, Nyx’s new concealer serum could be the medium-coverage answer to your prayers. Buildable and fortified with hydrating and antioxidant green tea, tremella mushroom and cica (a healing herb especially popular in Korea), the creamy concealer has a satin finish and can be used on face and body to effectively cover up redness, hyperpigmentation, acne and under-eye circles. Available in thirteen shades, it’s a makeup bag must-have to camouflage your seasonal skin woes (and beyond.)

The Dezi Skin holiday skincare kit is here

 

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Mexican-American makeup artist and Youtuber extraordinaire Desi Perkins is known for her jaw-dropping complexion and equally flawless lineup of skincare appropriately named Dezi Skin. The range had garnered quite the following thanks to highly concentrated formulas (the Claro Que C Serum contains 15% vitamin c) including fruit extracts from Mexico, which all come at reasonable price points. Its popularity is also undoubtedly due to its undeniably glam and social media-friendly packaging. If you’ve been wanting to give the line a spin or have a Desi-lover on your holiday list, their new holiday kit, which contains the aforementioned vitamin c serum, oxygen mist (for prepping and setting) and new overnight moisture mask, is hard to beat in its uber-chic packaging, which barely requires an added bow.

Cult-favourite Glow Recipe launches a juicy new face cream

Glow Recipe has launched their first refillable product in the form of their new Plum Plump Hyaluronic Cream, a follow-up to their successful serum of the same name. Perfect for those with dry or combination skin, the seemingly weightless, whipped gel-like cream hydrates skin while keeping it in balance with a blended extract of three anti-oxidant-rich plums, peptides and multiple weights of hyaluronic acid. It’s a juicy addition to your Glow Recipe collection that’s ideal for layering up your skincare without feeling weighed down.

Glossier releases their beauty bag in limited edition “Snow” white

 

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If Glossier’s pink and red makeup bag is a beacon for millennial self-care, than their new limited edition holiday bag will surely call out to holiday-obsessives (and perhaps those who prefer a more neutral colour palette.) Crafted from the same material often used to make ski gear, the new bag comes in a crisp shade of “snow” and is complete with embossed G’s and a sharp orange liner for an extra-swaggy touch. The bag is much-loved for it’s roomy design and easy-to-wipe-clean vegan leather exterior. If you’re hitting the road this Christmas, you might just want to make it your ultimate travel companion.

The post A Retinol Stick That’s Like a Magic Wand for Wrinkles + More Beauty News appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

The chic sets, which come in a variety of colours and styles including jumpsuits, leggings, shirts and even matching socks, are made of responsibly sourced FSC-verified EcoVero viscose yarn (the fibers are derived from sustainable wood and pulp) infused with hyaluronic acid molecules meant to last up to 40 washes. For those that haven’t jumped on the HA skincare wagon as of yet, it’s a much-lauded ingredient thanks to the fact that it’s already naturally present in our bodies and has the ability to bind with water, meaning your skin stays hydrated and looking plump.

So how does it get into your skin simply by being infused into these super-cute knits, you ask? According to the lab-tested “hydraKnit technology,” various sizes of hyaluronic acid molecules are released after the fabric comes in contact with your skin. They form a water-infused film, which helps to lock out the elements and keep moisture trapped in your skin, while also infusing it with more HA moisture-binding molecules.

 

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Since we’ve arrived at that tricky point of the year when our skin becomes tight and itchy post-shower, but it’s too cold to spend time applying lotion head to toe, I thought the PH5 hyaluronic acid pajamas might just have arrived at the perfect time. Having said that, I’ll be honest in saying my expectations weren’t particularly high in the body treatment department (the website claims that eight hours of wear is equivalent to 3500 face masks!), but the pjs themselves are undeniably comfortable (and stylish) so truth by told, I wasn’t mad at giving them a spin, regardless.

Well friends, this seen-it-all beauty editor was pleasantly surprised. To really test the skin-saving benefits, I decided to switch my shower routine to the evenings, when I could skip out on my usual all-over body cream application, and whip these on instead. As mentioned, skipping out on applying any lotion at this time of year would usually leave me feeling the depths of discomfort within 15 minutes of getting dressed thanks to dry, itchy feeling skin. However, no dryness descended and each morning (I wore them several nights in a row) I woke up with soft, comfortable-feeling skin, all without the inconvenience of my post-shower body butter routine.

While the price tag is likely more than your usual spend for sleepwear (tops start at around $148 and bottoms around $122), if you’re looking for something special this holiday, or you’re just totally put out by the idea of hydrating on the daily, these could be a little splurge that truly makes sense, especially if you’re already in the market for some cute holiday pjs. If you suffer from irritation due to dryness, these likely won’t save you from moisturizing your skin long-term, but I would suggest that they’ll undoubtedly give you the upper hand in ensuring your products are staying “sealed in” to go the distance. Consider these jammies a one-way-ticket to beauty sleep.

The post I Tried PH5’s Hyaluronic Acid Pajamas for One Week appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Known for donning feather boas, mismatched patterns and statement jewelry, Styles has become something of a fashion risk-taker in recent years, and fans love his over the top style. On November 15, Dazed published an interview with Styles — alongside an experimental photoshoot — where he opened up about his Pleasing and its starting lineup: nail polish and skincare.

The Dazed cover photo served us a nipple-bearing Styles on a motorcycle sporting a custom-made Gucci outfit, complete with leather boots and violet flare pants. The “Watermelon Sugar” singer posted the shot on Twitter with the caption “Find your Pleasing,” his brand’s official tagline.

It seems only fitting for Styles to introduce his new line to the world by putting his non-conforming fashion sense on display. Photos from the shoot — which broke the internet, obviously — show Styles in avant-garde ensembles through which he channels a cloaked magician, a Victorian painting and something that can only be described as “rich aunt” energy.

Pleasing’s ethos is clear: It’s not about adhering to beauty norms, but rather celebrating unique identities. In a press release, the brand wrote it hopes to “dispel the myth of a binary existence.” The line thereby centres the conversation around bodies that have been historically excluded from beauty spaces.

Take, for instance, the Pleasing hand model: Harry Styles himself. In a promotional video, the new polish is displayed on his manicured hands that are tattooed and decorated with an assortment of rings. It’s a distinctly different beauty campaign, and we would expect nothing less from Styles, who’s clearly bringing his androgynous style to the line.

The brand’s first drop, Perfect Pearl, is available for pre-order on Pleasing’s website with shipments going out the week of November 29. Nail polishes in the collection include a pearly white, a clear iridescent matte topcoat and a curated set of four Perfect polishes.

Pleasing is also dipping its toes into skincare with two products: a serum pen that hydrates the under eyes and lips and an illuminating serum that comes in the form of iridescent capsules resembling pearls.

Styles stated sustainability was a big part of the development process. According to Dazed, the Pleasing line was created with “the lightest possible footprint in mind, using post-consumer plastics and compostable paper printed with bio-sourced inks.” Ranging from $27 to $87, prices reflect the often costly process of producing sustainable beauty products. Some fans have expressed disappointment with the price point — especially those of us in Canada, who can expect to pay hefty duty and shipping prices compared to our American counterparts.

 

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There’s no doubt that there’s been an influx of celebrities venturing into the beauty zeitgeist — enter Ariana Grande, Addison Rae, and Billie Eilish, to name a few. But Styles seems to intentionally leave the door open for Pleasing to grow and expand into other areas.

“Do I have any idea where Pleasing will be in five years? No. Obviously I have an idea of what I would like us to be aiming at, but honestly, I don’t know,” the singer told Dazed. “That’s what makes it exciting to me.”

With the vague promise of other ventures in the future, we’re sure to be in for even more products that channel Styles’s unique aesthetic. For now, we’re simply left to wonder what product drops could come next. An exfoliating watermelon sugar scrub? It only seems right.

The post Harry Styles Wants You to Have Nice Nails appeared first on FASHION Magazine.