it's Hotline Skin 📞 that can only mean one thing
Volume 1, Issue 1: Jolie's Top 8
Oh hey there!
Welcome to the first issue of Hotline Skin. The response so far has been incredible, if not a tad overwhelming! Please keep your questions coming! A quick note: As we get this newsletter off the ground, I won’t be able to respond individually to each question. Trust me, I would if I could. Instead, I’ll pick a few to include in each issue and use them all as inspiration for topics to discuss overall. You also might find answers on the Gee Thanks! Instagram or mine, where I pretty much can’t shut up about skin, so make sure to follow both.
Today, in addition to my Top 8 products of 2020, I’ve included two answers to questions I was emailed. I told Caroline I would keep them short and sweet, but once I started looking into this Good Genes mystery, I couldn’t stop. I promise I’ll work on making future newsletters shorter, but I don’t think you will regret reading until the very end of this issue.
Now! Presenting my top 8 products of 2020. Some of these products are new to the world, others just new to me. All of them somehow changed the way I think about something - from the use of an ingredient to how I want to spend my time to introducing me to a whole new category of product. They’re presented in no particular order, I’m not that decisive and it was hard enough for me to pick 8. Please enjoy and let me know your thoughts, I’d sincerely love to hear them.
Thanks for being here! Please do me a solid and share this with a friend or twelve.
Xx,
Jolie
Tineco Moda One Smart Ionic Hair Dryer, $299
This hair dryer single handedly changed my relationship with my hair after just one use. For the amount of time, energy and money I’ve spent on my skin, it is pretty shocking how little effort I’ve put into finding a hair routine that brings me joy. At best, I maintain my hair - making sure to wash, condition and treat it regularly, but always air drying, often keeping it tied up and only brushing it when I care to remember.
After the first time using the Tineco Moda One, I couldn’t believe how good my hair looked. I was stunned that I was able to achieve anything slightly resembling a professional blowout by myself, let alone one that felt as soft and healthy. However, it wasn’t the results so much as the process that has kept me returning to the product and even looking forward to washing my hair.
The hair dryer uses smart sensor technology to sense the amount of moisture in your hair and automatically adjusts heat and airflow to prevent damage. It comes with 3 magnetic attachments to customize styling and you can even connect to its app for additional personalization (that’s also where you can put the hair dryer on pet mode, because it’s 2020 and what else do you have to do other than give your dog a spa day?) My favorite part is the signals. The hair dryer changes color from red to blue to show where more heat is needed and where the strands are dry. I’ve become obsessed with the ritual of drying my hair until it stays blue, making sure each of my strands get the attention they deserve. The routine is so calming it has become like a meditation for me. Proof I can better myself and my hair with some patience and some air.
PS! I am new to the “caring about my hair is fun!” lifestyle. Caroline remains the expert in this department, should you need additional guidance.
BeautyStat Universal C Skin Refiner, $80
I am a huge fan of vitamin C.
As a survivor of adult-onset acne, I am pretty much always battling some amount of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, so reducing discoloration is a key part of my routine. I’m also extremely picky about my vitamin C. Anyone close to me can tell you I hold extremely strong opinions about the ingredient and talk about them often. I am a delight to be friends with!
I won’t get into them today, but this award-winning product hits all of my criteria for a perfect vitamin C and is unlike any other I’ve tried. BeautyStat is a Black-owned skincare brand founded by cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson. The formula is strong, but safe for all skin types and tones to produce brighter, more even-toned skin and improve elasticity. If you find it irritating at first, you may have to build up to everyday or even every other day usage, but that's not abnormal. Don't give up!
Jordan Samuel Skin The After Show Treatment Cleanser, $22 & Tatcha The Rice Wash, $35
I was hesitant to make 25% of this list cleansers, but my skincare journey began as a way to combat both anxiety and acne. Washing my face makes me feel in control. I can literally wash the day away or start the day with a blank slate. Never have I felt more in need of control than this year. Plus, cleansers are a hot topic in the skincare world and something I love debating: is it worth it to spend money on something you just wash off? These 2 products have changed my answer for good.
I love massaging a cleanser into my skin and spending time with it, so the sensory and textural experience of a cleanser is very important to me. The first time I used Jordan Samuel’s After Show, I had to check the bottle because I thought I accidentally used moisturizer. It leaves my skin so crazy soft, it still sometimes shocks me. The gel-to-oil formula is perfect for massaging into my skin and satisfies my crave for a thorough, lengthy cleanse. Depending on your skin type, pick the original formula or sensitive skin, which is formulated without active ingredients. Though I don’t have particularly sensitive skin, I sometimes prefer the sensitive skin version because I can use it morning or night and not have to worry about overdoing it if I’m using potent serums like vitamin C or retinol.
The Rice Wash provides another extremely satisfying, though very different, washing experience. When you add water to the concentrated formula, it transforms into a creamy-foamy hybrid and transports you into a luxurious Japanese spa. Seriously, I feel very fancy when I use it and that’s not something every cleanser offers. The rice powder creates an ever-so-slight gritty texture that further makes it stand out from your standard cream cleanser and successfully lifts impurities while leaving behind soft and hydrated skin.
Dieux Skin Forever Eye Mask, $25
I have a complicated relationship with single use masks and have mostly stopped using them (I can’t quit you, Leaders) and Dieux takes me one step closer to kicking the habit completely by allowing me to transform any eye cream into a mask.
The medical-grade silicone patches trap and hold product into your skin for maximum absorption and then you just rinse and reuse! The Forever Eye Mask is the first product from Dieux Skin and at the time of writing this, these eye patches, which debuted this fall, have sold out twice. Dieux promises transparent pricing and clinically proven products that actually do what they say they will. If you don’t believe me, go follow co-founder Charlotte Palermino on Instagram, who regularly shares industry information about testing, trials, ingredients and everything behind the scenes that you don’t see going into product development.
Essie Expressie Quick Dry Polish, $9
Professional manicures are one of the things I miss the most. As much as I love having polished nails, I love the experience of going to a nail salon — the wall of colors, the efficiency of cutting and shaping, the eavesdropping.
At this point in the pandemic, I’ve experimented with tons of at-home solutions, but without the ambiance, it’s never the same. That’s part of the reason I fell in love with Essie Expressie Quick-Dry Polish, which literally dries in minutes. It comes in dozens of colors and you can buy it at a drugstore. I get a decent manicure in about the time it takes to boil a pot of water. If I mess up, I don’t feel like I’ve wasted a custom-cut gel and if I get bored, I can easily change it up while binge watching SVU.
No base coat, no top coat, no drying, no frills, it’s just what I need to get polish on my nails and nothing more.
For close to a decade, I’ve heavily relied on lip balm. This article from the Cleveland Clinic (which maintains lip balm addiction is on par with, say, drugs) would lead me to believe I have a dependence, though I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I have trouble enjoying life because of it. I actually enjoy thinking about it very much! Sometime in the past year, however, I started worrying that my constantly dry, flaky, sometimes bleeding lips would never recover.
The FBI agent that is assigned to monitor me must have known this was happening because at the end of 2019 I started getting ads from UZ that said “Bye, Bye Lip Balm” which I tried hard to ignore . But I am very susceptible to advertising. The lip treatment promises to teach your lips to self-moisturize even when you’re not wearing it, using proprietary blends like Multi Flora, their trademarked lactic-acid derived prebiotic. In addition to ingredients you commonly find in lip balm, like lanolin and wax, it includes Enterococcus Faecalis, a bacteria that is normally found in the gut of healthy people and in some fermented foods, like kimchi.
This supposedly acts as a natural lip moisturizer, that locks in moisture to prevent the need to constantly reapply. I am no stranger to weird ingredients, or the enticing prospect of miracle products and I was initially worried I was experiencing a placebo effect, but after nearly a year of use, I am confident that I’m not. No, my lips aren’t now naturally plump and hydrated, but they aren’t dry. I haven’t woken up with bleeding lips once this winter. I still use my beloved Aquaphor Lip Repair, but I no longer feel like I need to wear it around my neck. My lips feel normal, like skin that has absorbed moisture (remarkable!), or maybe like the lips of someone who hasn’t suffered from lip balm addiction.
Dr. Loretta Intense Replenishing Serum, $70
As you can tell by now, I am very into texture. I notice how something feels as I’m applying it and I derive great pleasure from the application process of each item in my routine. This serum feels unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.
It’s hard to describe, but it’s kind of like Dr. Loretta took the concept of hydration and bottled it into a topical serum. Not only does it feel like I am infusing my skin with a glass of water, but I swear my skin actually drinks it up. The serum traps moisture into your skin, while leaving behind a glowy, yet not-greasy shine. Beyond the immediately visible results, the serum also includes Lipchroman, the most powerful antioxidant in skincare to protect against free radical damage, which is the leading cause of fine lines and age spots. Though you can use it all year round, I’ve found it to be a real game changer during these colder months or after I’ve gone a bit too hard experimenting with acid peels (we’ve all done it).
Something I’m Not Loving
If you follow me on Instagram (you should, I’m fun!), you may have seen my story about the new Supergoop! Daily Dose Vitamin C + SPF 40.
When it launched a few weeks ago, my gut told me no for a few reasons. First, vitamin C goes on towards the beginning of your AM routine and sunscreen is always the very last step. If the product is supposed to be used as a sunscreen, you wouldn’t be getting the full benefits and absorption of vitamin C. If it was to be used as a serum, well, that just goes against science and the Laws of Sunscreen. Second, I didn’t see how this would even work in a formula. You can’t take shortcuts with sunscreen. Sunscreens are notoriously hard to develop because they are regulated as a drug and require a lot of testing, research and development. You need to trust that your sunscreen is effective.
Vitamin C, while it works beautifully with sunscreen to help prevent sun damage, is an extremely unstable ingredient and loses efficacy quickly if not formulated properly. I didn’t see how it would be possible to create a hybrid product that worked as both a sunscreen and vitamin C as effectively as they work individually. And why on earth would anyone not want to reap the full benefits of both?
Again, this was just my gut reaction.
But early last week, my suspicions were confirmed when board-certified dermatologist and beloved Instagram personality, @dermangelo posted this calling the product “irresponsible.” He even pointed out that Supergoop! advises users to use it as your serum step (what!!!?!) and THEN apply ANOTHER SPF?!?! What then, I ask, is the point of this product?!!?!?! I really like Supergoop! sunscreens in general, I’ve even included some below, but this just seems like a brand trying to expand its range for the sake of having a vitamin C product.
Use vitamin C and also use sunscreen. No shortcuts.
Some sunscreens I like:
Elta MD UV-Clear Broad Spectrum SPF 46
La Roche Posay Ultra-Light Sunscreen Fluid
Thank You Farmer Sun Project Light Sun Essence
Woohoo! I am thrilled you’ve started a routine. It genuinely warms my heart. Are you regularly using a chemical exfoliant? A product like Paula’s Choice 2% Liquid BHA Liquid Exfoliant might be all you need. However, regardless of your exfoliation habits, I’m going to recommend a dermatologist. If you have been struggling with anything for a year, it is probably time to call in a professional because what you might think are blackheads might be sebaceous filaments and bumpy skin could be any variety of skin conditions, like keratosis pilaris or milia. Shockingly, having a medical degree really makes someone good at this type of thing!
But the good news is: Once you know what you’re dealing with once and for all, you’ll be better able to treat and prevent it.
This is an excellent question and thank you for bringing it to my attention so that I could spend a few hours putting off the rest of my responsibilities to investigate.
The formula for Sunday Riley's Good Genes did change slightly in January 2020 when some of the preservative ingredients were swapped out with “greener” alternatives. Their press release noted: “The triethanolamine (TEA) that’s necessary to adjust the pH (so you don’t get burned by the acid) has been replaced by a blend of greener pH adjusters: sodium phytate and potassium hydroxide.”
Importantly, the active ingredients did not change and the brand claims that the changes should not have impacted the efficacy of the product. I haven’t been able to find any reliable information about whether this is true and I am not a chemist. I do know that formulation matters and anything is possible. Skin is picky.
I used Biologique Recherche P50 for years and recently my skin decided it didn’t like it anymore. When a product isn’t working like you’re used to, it is worth looking at the whole picture and not the single product — maybe the new ingredients are interacting differently with other products you’ve been using. Again, just a guess.
Another thing that I just learned while researching the answer to this question is that Sunday Riley very quietly did something somewhat sneaky over the summer. The star ingredient in Good Genes is lactic acid. Back in 2018 Sunday Riley was forced to come out with a new version in the EU only to comply with EU regulations. This new version swapped lactic acid with glycolic acid, another type of alpha hydroxy acid. The brand claimed this would not change the effectiveness and as far as I know, it hasn’t. But of course, like any ingredient, how it reacts on your skin and when used with other products can vary greatly, not to mention some people greatly prefer one acid or the other. Here's the sneaky part: Over the summer, Sunday Riley released the glycolic acid version in the states! You can now buy both versions on Dermstore or the Sunday Riley website and they look exactly the same except one says “lactic” and the other “glycolic.” I do not know why they didn’t make the difference more obvious. I spend a substantial amount of time reading skincare news and I somehow missed this announcement.
I would take a look at the bottle you’re using and see if you unknowingly started using the glycolic version. Here is an article that gives a good overview of what the difference could be on your skin.
In summary (lol), to answer your question, is it your skin or Good Genes? For an acid to be effective, it doesn’t need to be tingly, so forget about that criteria. Tinglyness or “feeling like an acid” isn’t indicative of an effective acid. But you didn’t just say that it no longer feels tingly. You said that it no longer works for your skin goals. It might just be that you need to try a new type of acid. This new acid may very well not be tingly either. If you are still using the lactic version of Good Genes, maybe you want to try the glycolic. Maybe you would like using something that is a combination of different acids, like Farmacy Honeymoon Glow. I know how it feels to have a good run with a product that ends up betraying you, but don’t try to force something that isn’t meant to be.
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