Trigger Warning: Skincare
Plus some thoughts on my January book list.
As our country slides ever closer to a complete authoritarian takeover, I’m over here focusing on the things I can control. And that is my skin barrier. Come, take a walk with me as I experiment with face serums and lipids.
Retinol
It will burn your face off. It will make you look ten years younger. Guys, which is it? The answer is: Both. But what is the deal with retinol? From what I understand, you have to start slow, once or twice a week, making sure to wait at least five minutes before lathering on a deep moisturizer, so your face doesn’t peel off like Jon Voight’s in Mission Impossible. The retinol will eventually seep deep into your pores and Benjamin-Button your a**. Gradually add more nights to your routine to build tolerance.
Hyaluronic Acid
Not to be confused with Hydroponic Acid or Hydraulic Acid or even Hydro-tonic Acid. LOVE this stuff! Dude, it’s ultra moisturizing and makes your skin look and feel like glass. I put it under my eyes with a metal applicator and its so cooling and smoothing. 10/10… would recommend.
Moringa Seed Oil
Sounds made up. It’s not. According to the google it acts as a “potent moisturizer” and has anti-aging properties. This stuff is in my new face wash. I’m gonna live forever.
Ceramides
Check this out! It’s cellular glue. And it’s supposed to already be on your face. So why add more? Well, my guess is that you probably lose it as you age. So my next guess is this is an ideal product for the over 40 crowd. According to AI, ceramides act as a “mortar between skin cell bricks.” Um, awkward analogy but I’ll take it.
Squalane
Huh? Wtf is this? Well, isn’t it obvious?! It’s a “non-comedogenic, sustainable emollient,” of course! How do you even pronounce this word? It sounds like what would happen if the word squalor and Elaine from Seinfeld had a baby. Long story short it’s another way to protect your skin barrier.
My face is gonna be so silky. Check back for updates.
Just in case you guys think I’ve gone completely off the deep end, I’ll have you know I’ve been reading A LOT this January. So no, I’m not turning into some vapid idiot who only watches skin-fluencers on Tik-stagram.
Actually the main reason I haven’t regularly been writing this newsletter isn’t due to the internet or internet adjacent distractions. I’ve mainly just been reading, reading, reading instead. Lately it’s the best way for me to power down, recharge, and ultimately function.
I’ve already finished seven books this month, and I’m almost done with two more. Some of the standouts were obviously Deep Cuts, which I already wrote about, and then Broken Country, by Claire Leslie Hall… but only read it if you want something to totally wreck you, because who doesn’t want to be utterly destroyed when it’s constantly dark, snowing, and literally -5 degrees outside?
Also, like everyone else on planet Earth, I listened to The Correspondent. The audio version came highly recommended, and I can see why. Lots of different narrators reading the letters. Richly textured and smartly produced.
A book I did not like? Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors. Honestly, I’d say you could skip it. It makes me sad, because I so wanted to like it. I genuinely got into her first book, Cleopatra & Frankenstein. But this one felt a little forced and a tad inauthentic.
Are there any teachers or education-adjacent peeps reading this newsletter? If yes, and you, like me, HADN’T/HAVEN’T YET read Troublemakers by Carla Shalaby, put it on your TBR list! This was assigned graduate school reading, and I’ve been ripping through it. Last night at dinner, after telling my elementary-school-principal-husband he HAD to read it, I proceeded to monologue about one of the chapters for about ten minutes. His response was: “Does anything else happen? Like do I still need to read the book?” Lol. YES!!
That’s it from me. Stay strong. Keep your chin up. Moisturize.
This post is dedicated to my aunt Maddie. She is a living legend and unsung skincare guru. Honestly, she should start charging for her facial consulting services. This woman takes zero days off from her skincare REGIME. What a boss.
When I told her I didn’t wash my face before bed, opting only for morning washes, I felt her physically recoil on the other end of the line. But instead of hanging up on me, she took a deep breath and calmly explained that my face was going to look like a leather foot by the age of 45 if I didn’t come to Jesus.
Well, Jesus has taken the wheel, and I’m ready for my glow up!