Planets, Pimples, Peels & Other Ponderings
the skin hotline is buzzing
Hi friends! Missed you.
I know the eclipse was so last week but I turned 31 on April 4th and everyone* was telling me and is continuing to tell me how monumental a time this is for me, other Aries and water signs. A reckoning, they’ve called it. Prepare for a shift in mindset, in purpose, in work. Change, good, necessary change, is coming, they told me. And you know what? I’m a believer. The past 3 weeks cannot just be coincidence. But you’re not supposed to reflect on things as they’re happening so we’ll leave it there for now. Let the stars settle or something.
*two astrologers in person, one astrologer over Zoom who gave me some scary accurate dates, multiple astrology accounts on X, one astrologer I actually follow on the Internet and three clients.
In other personal news back on Earth, this week I started teaching an online course on blog/newsletter writing at Gotham Writers Workshop. Being asked to teach this class was the greatest acknowledgement of my writing to date and has already made me reflect on this newsletter in so many ways. Why am I writing this and who is it for? I write this because my favorite thing in the world is talking and teaching and learning about skin. It’s for anyone who wants to hear me, Jolie, do just that. I was annoyed at myself this morning when I sat down to write today’s issue because I had taken a couple of weeks off, my idea was already outdated and I was feeling uninspired. I had to remember the why, the who and a crucial thing about both newsletters and skincare: they don’t have to be perfect, they just have to be consistent. Consistency is the only way to build a habit and longevity, so you need to figure out what’s sustainable for you. Nothing works if you don’t use it. No one reads your newsletter if you don’t write it. Sure, it’s helpful to have a plan, perhaps an outline or a theme, but a newsletter isn’t so fragile that it always needs a complex framework. I’ve been writing some version of this newsletter since 2017 and the gist is people ask questions and I answer them. So I’m just going to do that today.
It’s been suggested that I do a mandelic peel however, I’m wondering if that is strong enough to eliminate hyperpigmentation to the degree that maybe a stronger peel would. What do you suggest?
It’d be impossible for me to accurately answer this question without seeing your skin and asking you tons of questions about it, but here’s what I can tell you: mandelic acid is probably my favorite acid, one of the key reasons being how gentle it is. It’s wondrous for acne and can be great for brightening and evening skin tone. In general, peels are often best done in a series, so doing a series of more “gentle” mandelic acid peels can yield the same, sometimes better, results as doing one stronger peel, plus there’s less downtime and irritation.
There are a lot of factors (skin type, skin tone, skin conditions etc.) that can determine the best peel for you, so I’d ask the person who suggested the peel why they suggested it for you. Mandelic acid peels are generally well tolerated and much safer for those with sensitive skin or darker skin tones, so if you fall into those categories, I would be inclined to trust this rec. But, if they can’t give you a satisfactory answer, then seek out another professional in your area that can. FWIW, I found this Reddit thread of someone showing their before and after photos from a series of mandelic acid peels. It seems like this person used something at home, which would likely be gentler than in office, but the results speak for themselves. For more impressive mandelic-related before and afters, check out Sofie Pavitt’s Instagram. Mandelic acid is a key component of her uber-impressive results, both via peels and her award-winning serum. Yes, I’m a friend and a fangirl, but I’m not a liar. The stuff works. Sofie, if you’re reading this, please feel free to add your mandelic peel insight in the comments. If enough of you ask nicely, maybe we can do a longer feature or interview with her in a future newsletter.
Any recs for body breakouts?
You betcha! For starters be sure to shower as soon as you can after exercising or other sweaty activity (i.e. wearing a backpack in NYC in July). Loose, breathable clothing is your friend.
In the shower, you can use an exfoliating body wash, like this or this, a few times a week. Especially if you’re breaking out on your back, use something like a silicone scrubber so you can really work the cleanser in thoroughly. You want to clear the sweat, lift off dead skin and prevent anything from brewing in your pores. Also turn down the water temperature! Hot showers are divine but they also dehydrate your skin and exacerbate inflammation.
Outside of the shower, you can use a clearing mist and/or body lotion with retinol. My favorite mist of all time was discontinued (RIP Hero Cosmetics Brave Body) and I’m almost done with my reserves, but I have this one for when I run out. I’ve heard good things. The reason I love a clearing mist for body breakouts is because the good ones are designed with misters that can be spritzed in all directions, making it super easy to reach all parts of the body.
If my breakouts are on my chest, I tend to just use my face skincare aka the mandelic serum mentioned above. In general, you can use the same breakout fighting tools that you use on your face on your body, if you want to. Pimple patches don’t just work on your face!
I know you’re getting married soon (congrats!) and I am too, early next year, and I’m not sure when to start my wedding skincare prep or if I even know what that actually means. Help?!
Congratulations to you, too! I’m getting married in September and only just really started getting serious, so you have time. Getting serious for me means things like peels, lasers and microneedling, which I’ve covered a bit, but will cover more comprehensively in the future.*
But before I started clearing my calendar and booking those appointments, I spent months finalizing my at-home skincare routine. This is the most important prep you can do and imo, necessary for all of the other prep. Results only go so far as you maintain them at home and having healthy, supported skin will yield better results and make you a candidate for more treatments. The biggest (only?) rule of wedding skincare is nothing new before the wedding. Did you hear me? I said Nothing! New! Before! The! Wedding! Nothing new means no surprises. No adverse reactions, peeling, purging, itching or redness. I want to know how my skin reacts to everything, how the products play together and under makeup. I also want to give these products time to work, which requires, you guessed it, consistency.
Wedding skincare prep simply means getting your skin to the place you want it to be for your wedding! Mine is almost guaranteed to be different than yours, but that’s because I work in skincare and loooove all of this stuff. It’s where I want to spend my time, money and energy. Figure this out for yourself by identifying the issues you want to address. Then, make an appointment with an esthetician or dermatologist to create a customized plan for both in-office treatments and a homecare routine. They’ll be able to give you realistic expectations about what results you can achieve in your timeframe. If you are curious about Botox or filler, make those consult appointments asap so that you have ample time to tweak and perfect with your injector. You can also book a virtual consultation with me to get started on a game plan.
I’m going to assume you, like me, are getting your makeup done. Remember that texture is more important than tone here–a makeup artist can cover up discoloration and even your skin tone, but they can’t make pimples or deep lines disappear, so those concerns are more important to address early.
*If you have specific questions about wedding skincare prep, would like to share what you are doing/what you did, or have any other wedding/skin advice or anecdotes, please reply to this email or:
Office Hours Reminder
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Every Sunday at 5pm EST, I’ll begin a new thread for the week in Substack Chat, where you can ask me anything. Every Monday from 5-6pm EST, I’ll be in that chat live, answering questions for the hour. That way, if you can’t make it, you can submit any time after 5pm Sunday and still get an answer. If you can make it live, join in! You can ask questions in real time and (hopefully) interact with others in class ;)
Discount Codes
Naturium: JOLDEF15 for 15% off
Nécessaire: JOLIE10 for 10% off
you can find all of my discount codes here
If you don’t follow me on Instagram you may have missed my latest obsessions: this shampoo and conditioner, this body wash that cools on contact and eliminates odor and this eye spf/color corrector/brightener that I thought was discontinued but actually just got a packaging upgrade.
Alright, back to unpacking while blasting old Taylor until I can unpack and blast new Taylor in a few hours.
Have a great week!
xx,
Jolie
I am devastated that Hero discontinued Brave Body. WHY???