Hot Takes & An Even Hotter Giveaway

The First Paid Subscriber Post

Happy Friday! Welcome to the first ever paid subscriber only post. I know I keep saying this, but I want you to really understand how much I appreciate you paying to support my work. Thank you, thank you.

Let’s dive in. 

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Supergoop! is officially flying too close to the sun. Which is funny, you know, for a sunscreen company.

The company has been making sunscreen people generally like using since 2005, but when they released Unseen Sunscreen in 2018, it changed the landscape of the United States sunscreen industry and established Supergoop! as a leader in the market. Unseen was a first of its kind truly invisible, weightless, make-up compatible formula that worked for all skin tones. For many people, it was the key to developing a daily sunscreen habit. The success of Unseen encouraged the brand to continue innovating. In April 2019, they released Shimmershade, a collection of glitter eyeshadows with SPF. Supposedly, the success of Shimmershade, and the ways they saw customers using it as a highlighter, inspired the development of Glow Screen, a glowy makeup primer sunscreen (and shortly after, a body version).

I’ve loved Unseen since the first time I used it. On my skin, it performs exactly as described and is incredibly easy to use. When I first tried Shimmershade, I had mixed feelings. Oftentimes people forget or neglect to put sunscreen on their eyes because of irritation, so any product that addresses that pain point is a plus in my book. However, as an eyeshadow, it’s underwhelming. The color pay-off and longevity isn’t great. Though most sunscreens don’t both my eyes to begin with, I much prefer using this stick, which doesn’t migrate and has some grip. Similarly, I was disappointed with Glow Screen. Using the correct amount for adequate protection (¼ teaspoon/approx 2 finger lengths for face), it was comically streaky and left me looking like an orange disco ball. Layered on top of Unseen, it’s fine for added glow, but I prefer a highlighter. Nevertheless, some people love it and I am pro any sunscreen that gets you to wear it.

December 2020 was when my alarm bells really started ringing. That month, the brand released their newest innovation: Daily Dose Vitamin C + SPF Serum. Almost immediately, the backlash started pouring out, with some dermatologists even calling it “irresponsible”. Vitamin C is a tricky ingredient. In its most potent form, it’s unstable, quick to oxidize, often sticky and sometimes irritating. It’s also a powerful antioxidant that brightens and stimulates collagen production. Used in a routine, vitamin C (and all serums) go towards the beginning, whereas sunscreen is the last step. How are you supposed to get the full benefits of both from one product? How much do you use? And when?

The brand immediately “clarified” advising Daily Dose as your serum step followed by another sunscreen on top. What’s the point of that? Theoretically more sunscreen means more sun protection, but adding in additional steps is the opposite of user-friendly and increases the possibility of misuse. For starters, you can’t mix sunscreens. With anything. Sunscreen works by creating an even film on your face, so mixing it with anything else will degrade the ingredients and disrupt the film, reducing efficacy. Additionally, sun protection is determined by quantity – SPF 50 is only SPF 50 if you use the proper amount. Though they don’t advertise mixing them together, how much do you want to bet that’s what people are doing? If using separately, how much do you want to bet people are using less of both, thinking that equals a whole? I don’t blame the brand for trying. Creating new products to encourage daily sunscreen is a noble objective, one that they’ve excelled at. To me, the launch signified a brand trying to expand its product range for the sake of having a vitamin C product, not to make it easier to use sunscreen.

I almost forgot about this whole thing until December 28th, 2021 (exactly one year to the day Daily Dose Vitamin C + SPF launched) when the brand announced their newest product: Daily Dose Hydra-Ceramide Boost + SPF 40 Oil. Just typing the name makes me mad. The initial launch even had the audacity to suggest a 3-step routine using both Daily Doses + another sunscreen. Have a hard time wearing one sunscreen? Why not try using THREE!? Choose your own adventure! The website’s instructions are equally complicated.

Now, let’s make it even more confusing by calling it an “oil” so users have no idea where it goes in a routine! You can use face oil morning or night, but usually they’re reserved for nighttime use as they are occlusive and sit on top of everything else. Using oil under SPF is often a drippy mess & can disrupt the film.*  The advertised hero ingredients are hyaluronic acid, squalane and ceramides – all important ingredients for your skin, but to me that sounds more like a hydrating serum. Supergoop! further infuriated me by refusing to answer the very simple question: is this a serum or an oil?

Oh, ok! Thanks for clarifying! I could write 100 more paragraphs about this, but I’ll cut myself after this one. Look, I really like some of Supergoop’s products. I appreciate the importance of brands trying new ways to get people to wear SPF. But this is a step backwards in achieving that goal. It’s irresponsible to complicate something so important that already has a solid solution. If you want to use all 3, go for it (I don’t doubt the products themselves are nice, the formulators over at Supergoop! are quite talented). But, if you want to use three separate products, why not choose the path of least confusion? Click the button below to see my recs for vitamin C, hydrating serums and Supergoop! products I like.

* to answer the inevitable panic questions I will get, if you are currently using an oil under your SPF and it is working for you, it’s fine. 

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GIVEAWAY TIME

Everyone who opens this email will be entered to win a Dermaflash Luxe! The winner will be emailed next week. If you don’t win, I got you covered. Use code JOLIE for 15% off the entire site.

If the above is all you care about, move on! But who doesn’t love a giveaway with a backstory and usage information? 

A few months ago, Dermaflash was kind enough to send me one of their Dermaflash Luxe devices. Thing is, I already have one! Naturally, I wanted to do a giveaway, but this isn’t the type of product I’d feel comfortable giving to just anyone. It’s completely safe and easy to use if you do it correctly, but not everyone knows when to stop or cares enough to learn. However, since you paid for a newsletter about skin, I think it’s reasonable to assume you care about your skin and I can trust you to do it safely. Nice work! 

Dermaflash is an at-home dermaplaning device. In simple terms, it’s a razor for your face! Unlike traditional razors intended to remove thick, coarse hair, dermaplaning devices have a small, thin razor, designed for peach fuzz. As you are so close to the surface of your skin, in addition to removing peach fuzz, you are also manually exfoliating by shaving off the top layer of dead skin cells, revealing fresh new ones. It is extremely fun and satisfying to use. Your skin will immediately feel softer and look glowier. 

Now for the caveat – being so easy and fun, you can easily be tempted to go over the same places multiple times, each time removing more and more skin. You won’t feel it! These skin cells are dead and have no nerve endings. But you don’t want to be shaving off multiple layers of skin, so you need to limit how many times you are going over the same place. Each razor is single-use. Do not under any circumstances re-use the same razor. These razors are getting intimate with your skin, collecting bacteria and all sorts of stuff you don’t want to reintroduce by using the same razor. If you can trust yourself to have restraint and switch your razors, you’ll be just fine. 

Though it is advertised as a professional-grade dermaplaning tool, that’s misleading (and also not really a thing). It is the highest quality at-home device you can get, but the difference between DIY and professional dermaplaning is equivalent to the difference between doing your own nails and getting a manicure. The results are always going to be better when done by an expert, but you can do a perfectly fine job on your own (depending on the dexterity of your non-dominant hand, of course). You’re paying for experience, skill and precision. Not to mention, with dermaplaning they have much better visibility and can carefully treat every part of your face. I’d save the professional appointments for special occasions. 

A few final notes:

• Watch the instructional videos first.

• You can use up to 1x a week, I usually do once a month.

• Don’t use over any active acne, lesions, cuts or wounds.

• It’s a myth that your hair will grow back thicker and darker. That’s not how hair works! Dermaflash even conducted a clinical study to prove it.

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COMING UP

Want my unfiltered thoughts about a brand or product? Tap the button to submit your requests here and I’ll include a few responses for the next paid subscriber post.

You can also, as always, submit your general questions for future issues.

Thank you again for being here and supporting this new venture. I hope you’ll find that being a paying subscriber is worth both your money and time. Please always let me know if you have any ideas, feedback or suggestions – if you just reply to this email it will go straight to me.

Talk to you soon!

xx,

Jolie