At a very early age, I was diagnosed with trichotillomania. It evolved to picking my face and touching it all the time during my teenage years, which led to painful acne and scarring along my jawline. When I moved to New York for college and truly learned what skincare was, it became warp-speed trial and error about how to treat the issues that were making me self-conscious—hyperpigmentation, dryness, and dullness. I wanted...

I had clear skin with a super simple routine (wash in the AM and PM), but my acne appeared a year ago and I started going at it in the wrong way. My skin wasn’t getting better and was actually getting worse from all the heavy actives and exfoliation. With that redevelopment of acne, it didn’t make me feel great. But over the past year, I’ve grown to accept it...

I’ve always been obsessed with my skincare when I first stumbled upon OG YouTubers, like Michelle Phan, back in the early 2000s. Those videos opened my eyes to explore skincare beyond my local CVS skincare aisle. I have oily skin (one reason because of my hair). Although, I will say I am very lucky to have relatively chill skin, never suffering from any major skin condition. My main skin goal...

My mom got me into skincare at a really young age and always stressed how important it was. My skin is very dry and always has been. Over the last few years, it's also gotten quite sensitive - and unfortunately, I haven't been able to get to the bottom of what is causing my sensitivity. Luckily I've never been one to have bad breakouts - I might get one or...

In college, I started to research skincare so I could figure out what to put on my skin. Vitiligo can make your skin more sensitive to actives that aren’t well vetted and I also have psoriasis, so it’s like a double auto-immune whammy. I have super sensitive skin, so I don’t want to put something on my face that could potentially cause a reaction. I can’t use just anything because...

Since I was a teenager I have always prioritized skin care. I used to perform as a dancer when I was younger, which meant tons of makeup on my face during shows. Since the makeup was so heavy, it was so important for me to take care of my skin by cleansing and moisturizing everyday. Growing up I've learned tons of new tips and information on how to address my...

When I was in my 20s and 30s, I got some cystic acne on my chin and I would get so upset about it. There was a lot of obsession about drying everything out and covering up any spots. I still do get the occasional hormonal breakout, but wisdom has taught me to continue to treat my skin with kindness.  I find that I’m moisturizing and exfoliating more than ever....

I've always had extremely oily skin, from my teens ’til now. Breakouts have always been minimal and disappear quickly, but my skin has always had an uneven tone with redness. As a medium skin tone, it took me years to realize that so much of my sensitivity, redness, and the dryness was being exasperated by the sun. I thought only pale people had to deal with that. Introducing SPF 3...

I started getting acne in college, but never had it as a teenager. It was always a source of stress and I was weary to try new products because my skin is pretty sensitive. I tend to lean more into natural-ish products, and I like to introduce things slowly, one at a time, to make sure my skin doesn't react (and I can pinpoint the culprit if it does!).  My...

I only started my skin care journey about 3 years ago, and I’ve learned so much. At first, I kept layering harsh products like clay masks and clarifying toners and they were drying out my skin. My skin started flaking and that’s when I realized that I needed to use hydrating products.  My skin used to be combination, but since I create intricate makeup looks all the time, my skin...