Skincare 201: The Next-Level Products That Changed My Skin For The Better

Plus the exact details for my fancy nails and how I made friends in a new city as an adult.

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Remember last month, when I wrote a newsletter about the four products that fixed my face? And how in the middle of it I dropped a little aside saying that these weren’t the only products I used and more on that later? How annoying to make you wait like that. Or to think anyone was waiting at all! Wherever you fall on that spectrum, today I’m making good on that promise and sharing my other skincare essentials. Just a note: I am always testing new things for work, so this list is ever evolving. Also, WARNING: A lot of these things are expensive. I’m annoyed by it too.

Also, I’m not a big mask person, so let’s get that disappointment out of the way up front. I try to remember to do peel pads, but it’s more of a theory than a practice. I know lots of folks like a handheld skincare tool, but again, I don’t use anything with any serious devotion. I do commit to a couple of things, though. The first is cosmetic dermatology (Botox and lasers and filler, oh my!), and, pandemic aside, the second is regular visits to Shani Darden. I think these two practices help significantly, and then the skincare does the rest of the work. I also exercise every day, drink at least three liters of water daily, and basically stopped drinking in March 2017 and think that last choice really helped my overall skin quality. So long story long, yes, I love these products, but my skin journey involves many other factors.

DAYTIME ROUTINE

I exercise every morning at 7 a.m., which means I also wash my face every morning. Controversial, I know! While I am aware that it’s not “cool” to wash your face twice a day, I sweat a ton in said workout, so please don’t yell at me. I’m not saying you have to; I’m just saying this is what works for me.

Wash

As I mentioned in the previous skincare newsletter, my go-to face wash is IS Clinical Cleansing Complex, which never strips my face or dries it out. I also have been using Summer Fridays Super Amino Gel Cleanser, which is pricey but also quite lovely.

Vitamin C

Dr. Lara Devgan, just take all of my money. Slather me in your Vitamin C+B+E Ferulic Serum. I don’t care that it makes me mildly smell of hot dog water. (As all adventurous vitamin C serums do. I’m not kidding; it’s a thing.) Should you buy it? Well, riddle me this: Do you have melasma? Do you like dewy, youthful skin? Got any fine lines you’re not thrilled about? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you’re gonna want to take this serum for a spin. I’ve been using it daily for about three months, and it’s super. Just super. My skin looks brighter, happier, and, dare I say it, better. And according to the good doctor herself, it works on all skin types.

Calming Serum

On the days I don’t use Dr. Devgan’s stellar serum, I’m pretty keen on the Deliverance Serum from the new brand Dieux. I once read that uneven skin tone is actually the thing that makes us appear to be older than we are, and that statement has loitered rent-free in my brain ever since. This serum is quite calming and also contains niacinamide, which helps even things out. It sells out on the reg, so be sure to get it if you can.

Sun Protection

I will admit that I haven’t been the best at using sunscreen in non-beach situations until relatively recently. But it’s never too late to change, and I have found a few products that don’t clog my pores, make me break out, or leave my skin with a greasy residue. My favorite favorite favorite? Versed’s Guards Up Daily Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 35. The texture is lovely, it makes you look dewy in a cute way, and it rubs in completely. If I’m out of my beloved Versed, I also like EltaMD’s UV Daily Broad-Spectrum SPF 40, which goes on super smoothly and is formulated with hyaluronic acid, which just makes everyone’s skin look lovely and moisturized. I will be honest: I discovered this via Drew Barrymore’s IG a number of years ago, and I have to say she’s right. It’s a damn good product.

Special Mentions

Depending on what my skin is doing or what my schedule calls for, I will add other products. Obviously, the effort I put into my skin when I’m working from home and don’t have any external video calls is a little different than if I’m remotely speaking at a conference or seeing someone in real life..

If I need to up my game, I love Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Hyaluronic Serum. Yes, it’s super expensive, but it’s also heaven on earth. I’ve also been testing Dew You, a hyaluronic acid serum from the new line Facile, which comes from the L.A.-based cosmetic dermatology group with the same name and is much more affordable.

NIGHTTIME ROUTINE

I am insanely reliable when it comes to my evening skincare routine. Even in the before times—and by that, I mean prior to procreating, back when I went out all the time—I never ever ever went to bed without washing and moisturizing my face. I have slept in my makeup probably three times or fewer in my whole life. I’m not saying that as a humblebrag; it’s actually an intense fear of breakouts that keeps me on the straight and narrow.

Wash

Same as morning.

Resurfacing Compound

When my longtime fashion friend Tina Craig (the founder of Bag Snob, for those of you who know) told me she had started a skincare company, I was intrigued. Tina is well-known for both her impeccable skin and her discerning taste, but would that actually translate into products that I’d swear by? Turns out the answer is hell yes. My favorite product is her multitasking Resurfacing Compound, which is what I’ve been using most evenings because it is so dang good.

It’s full of LOTS of good things, including vitamin C, vitamin E, peptides, hyaluronic acid, a gentle retinol, and more. The formula doesn’t irritate my skin, and I started getting compliments about 30 days into using it. Seriously. Like, from my Dad, who barely notices anything.

When I’m not using the compound, I’m devoted to Shani Darden’s Retinol Reform, which I have talked about in great length. It’s the best retinol and super gentle; just build up by using it a couple of times a week.

Eye Cream

Yes, I’m putting eye cream before moisturizer because that’s how I apply it. I have very fussy eyes that get irritated by most things, but Shani Darden’s Intensive Eye Renewal Cream With Firming Peptides is my go-to for life. It really plumps fine lines, and I use it on my upper lids at night too and have never experienced irritation. Plus, it doesn’t pill or slip under makeup, which is wonderful.

Moisturizer

I still love my Control Corrective Oil-Free Healing Lotion that I wrote about originally, but if I need something a little more, I’m currently devoted to U Beauty’s The Super Hydrator. It’s way more moisturizing than anything I’ve ever used and thankfully has never made me break out, which I honestly thought might happen when I used it at first because the formula is so much richer than my regular options.

I also love Vintner’s Daughter’s Active Botanical Serum, which gives insanely good glow and smells like a fancy-lady dream.

QUICK CHAT!

You submit questions via IG; I answer them here.

Exact details on your nails, please?

I have never been a nail person, mostly because my own are absolute crap. Recently, I worked on a project for Cartier, and since it was a jewelry shoot, I DM’d the nail guru himself—Tom Bachik, who literally does the best nails in the world—to ask for help. He told me to get Gel-X extensions and to take in a picture of my dream nails and ask the nail tech to emulate said picture. Obviously, I just went through his Instagram and screenshot pictures of J.Lo’s manicures for my reference pictures. The color we use most is OPI’s GelColor in Bubble Bath, which is a pretty neutral pale pink that doesn’t look too saccharine.

Please tell me about your eyewear. How do you choose?

Many moons ago, I wrote a story about finding my perfect glasses, and basically, it just boils down to this: Try on a zillion styles, including shapes you don’t think will work, and take pictures of yourself in said frames until you find one you like. Once you have found a single pair you like, look up that style’s exact dimensions and use those measurements to shop online. The three pairs I have and wear the most are Cutler and Gross 0772v2 in Black, a pink pair from a Warby Parker x Amanda de Cadenet collab that they bring back in stock from time to time, and Garrett Leight’s Madison Frames, which are technically cat-eye sunglass frames that I made into reading glasses instead. These frames are all between 70 and 73 mm across (if you add up the eye and bridge measurements), which tends to be the sweet spot for my enormous dome.

How do you make friends in a new city when you’re an adult?

I love this question, in no small part because I’ve had to do it a couple of times (when I moved to New York for grad school and work and then when I moved to L.A. in my mid-20s). For me, there were two paths that proved to be most fruitful: friends of friends and work. When I moved to New York, I knew no one in the city except for my high school boyfriend and his best friend, and unsurprisingly, neither wanted anything to do with me. But I had a secret weapon: my best friend from kindergarten on (I love you, Kelly!) had gone to college on the East Coast, and while she was living in L.A., she had a ton of friends who had moved to New York. She kindly introduced me to her friends, who in turn kindly took me in and explained that you don’t pronounce Houston like the city in Texas, among many other key things.

Also, I was lucky enough to meet the most amazing group of women at my first “real” job at Elle magazine, and they are still my friends to this day. (I love you, Leigh, Jane, Susan, Eva, and Danielle!). While they all had very full lives already, they integrated me into their worlds, and nearly 20 years later, we are all still on a text thread.

Some of my best friends in L.A. are folks I met through work originally and now are friends first. Of course, it didn’t always start out that way, but if you give it some time and allow yourself to see who you connect with, the work route can be an excellent source.

I also said yes to just about everything when I was acclimating to my new cities. Yes to that random cocktail party. Yes to work drinks. Yes to my college friend’s friend’s costume party. I wasn’t picky. And I wasn’t too proud to ask friends to “set me up” with their friends, no matter how random or tenuous the connection.

Another thing I would do is plan outings or events, like an outdoor movie or get a bunch of cheap tickets to a show and have folks over for drinks before going. I made my own fun, and that seemed to bring some good friendship energy my way. I went to random exercise classes and book readings and charity events. It was a nice way of getting to know my city, and I figured at some point, I would make real friends, which did happen. Not overnight and not immediately, but if you can have a little patience and be down to try things, you WILL find your people.

As always, thank you for being here, and thank you for sticking around. If you have any questions or concerns, or want me to touch on any topics in particular, I’m all ears. Leave a comment on Hi Everyone’s Bulletin or DM me on Instagram—I’m @hillarykerr—my inbox is always open!

xxHillary