As always Jessica, you’ve hit the proverbial zit on the head (ha). My mother (who would’ve been 101 this year) instructed me as a pubescent to use just plain water to wash my face, as she always had. She had great skin (she also used cold cream at night-gasp!). As I was already well brainwashed by 12 by Teen, McCall’s and similar rags I found that preposterous! But over the next few years I found that the less I ‘did’ to my face the better it was. I was fortunate to have not ever experienced breakouts in my teens, so there was less reason to mess about much (I was kind of fascinated by Noxema for a time, however). Not until I was 17 and had a job, could afford to buy my own products and was lured to do so at every turn, did my face start to revolt a bit-thus initiating a viscous, expensive loop to buy more products to ‘fix’ the blackheads and uneven skin tone (sun damage-no sunscreens back then, remember) that were developing. Then, convinced my brows were ‘wrong’, my eyes too small, that I was missing the fabulous cheekbones all the models had, I went all in. Never left the house without first performing an hour long regimen from forehead to neck. For decades. I can’t even imagine how much money I’ve spent over the last 50 yrs on products that have not improved one thing about my skin overall. I even fell for the whole LeMer legend at $200 a pop, a moisturizer totally useless for my ever oily skin. These products will more often have detrimental effects vs anything useful or healthy for skin as your piece here so well illustrates. It’s all about the marketing. And dammit it works. It’s just another version of ‘you’re a women and you’re fantastic but just not quite enough as you are, let me fix you’. Something we have always heard/felt in every aspect of our lives from every corner of the hierarchy from birth. And it still echoes in hour heads every single day.
Amazing writeup. I think I'll send this to my mum. She seems to go deeper and deeper into this "science of skincare".
On the other hand, you touched on something I sadly discovered late into my 20s. My acne didn't react to any skincare if it did, it got worse not better. What helped was eleminating everything and chosing a shampoo and facewash that are based on sugar peptides instead of soap, it leaves the fat barrier of the skin intact and cleans but doesn't rid the skin of the natural oils it produces.
It was developed in a German clinic for patients with severe detmatitis so they could bathe without breaking out. So it is actually science based because it helps the skin do it's thing. My painful, painful acne is gone and I save so much money now only using those 2 products and sunscreen.
I use the facewash foam (for my back) and the everyday shampoo.
The story of it's origin is actually quite interesting. The inventor worked as a derm in a hospital. He worked with patients with severe eczema and dermatitis. They were suffering because of their condition and on top of not being able to wash themselves without breaking out. So the doctors advised not to use soap while bathing - which resulted in them being isolated because of bad BO.
The doc who invented the soapfree washlotion developed it in his freetime and tested it illegally but with consent of the patients on the patients skin. He patented it in the 50s I think.
I'm intrigued as my son (7) as had really bad eczema since childbirth. It has been treated by severe changes in diet, etc, but he also needs a gentle cleanser. Water doesnt cut it and he gets inflamed when oily or sugary food gets on him. We use Avene oil based wash which seems ok, but I'm curious about this product.
Btw, I love this post and agree. Alas, sometimes water is truly not enough. For me and my partner it is, but not our son.
One of the best pieces of writing I've read on the internet in a looooong time. Mind, blown. I knew something was up when my hormonal/stress acne cleared up after I was hospitalized for several days away from any skincare products. My skin never looked better than it did emerging from not being touched, poked, prodded, slathered, or stripped for a week. I've adopted the "do LESS" motto for my skincare now and AMEN I discovered this piece & your newsletter now as I teeter on the precipice of my 30s, where fine line freezers and fillers have overtaken my circles and feeds.
I really like your writing. Your articles explode my brain (in a good way), offering a perspective I had never EVER considered. I'm both horrified and elated to have this new understanding.
I asked this question on an old article, but I'm not sure you go back to comment on 'old' stuff, so I'll leave it here.
I'm curious about your thoughts around the daily external influence of our environment on skincare and taking care of skin with that in mind. Mostly, I mean air pollution. It leaves fine particulates floating and depositing on all kinds of surfaces, including your skin.
Also, I was thinking. If you live in a very cold area and you heat your home, your skin will get dry and cranky. I'd love it if you wrote an article offering your perspective on practically caring for you skin, versus struggling to present a better aesthetic that is just a churn for 'big beauty'.
In full transparency, I own a small, herbal skincare brand. But after reading your articles, I've really decided to transform my business away from goop to 'beautify' and back to the roots of it, which was using herbs to 'support' your skin as it is.
Thanks! I feel like I write about caring for your skin in terms of function instead of aesthetic quite a bit, actually. I think caring for your skin is wonderful; I think industrialized pre-bottled "skincare" is mostly bullshit. Re: the environment — this is a great point! It's also true that most topical skincare disrupts the skin barrier & skin microbiome which further impedes our skin's ability to protect itself from environmental aggressors. SPF is great, but antioxidants are the best way to address pollution, and when it comes to antioxidants, EATING THEM via the foods you're already eating in order to stay alive is your best bet. Cleansing with plain water at the end of the day is also great. Or rose water. Or Manuka honey. Or jojoba oil. You can also get topical pollution-fighting antioxidants from skin- and microbiome-supportive oils like jojoba. Re: drying environments, it's all about drinking lots of water, getting lots of electrolytes and minerals so that your cells are equipped to hold onto that water, and minimizing exfoliation (since dead skin cells are the only cells that can hold water and seal in moisture). Getting enough Omega-3s is crucial (either a supplement or from salmon/nuts/seeds/etc) to fortify the skin barrier. Sleep is huge! Managing the body's cortisol stress response via meditation and a breathing practice is huge!! There are many solutions that don't require topical products (and if you dig into the archives, I do believe I write about them quite a bit). I would never deny that there *are* environmental issues that affect our skin. What I reject is the idea that topical products are the best way to address them. (Again, barring SPF, which is categorized as a drug and not a cosmetic product)
I think this is one of the best pieces you've written, and that's saying something! I want to get a bullhorn and read this from the rooftops.
I mean, imagine... how inconsequential we are to beat against what's existed and evolved over millions of years, and say that little wisps like us know it all and that this all-encompassing force is mistaken. It doesn't make mistakes. The planet doesn't either.
This is a great post and I'm glad for it. I do want to say something about acne, and the way you speak about it here and have spoken about it before:
> Take acne, for example: The condition is tied to gut issues, stress issues, hormonal issues, or genetics. No matter how “science-backed,” no serum goes that deep. The buzzy beauty ingredients inside said theoretical serum can all be otherwise obtained, anyway, from sources that leave the skin barrier and microbiome blissfully unbothered.
> The skin is a communication device — that’s one of its jobs. Like, the skin doesn’t exist to look perfect and pretty and dewy. The skin exists to regulate your functions and keep you alive. It’s part of your immune system. So if you have acne, it’s a communication that something is imbalanced elsewhere, whether that’s your external environment or your internal environment. And it’s trying to point you toward what is actually happening, so you can find the root issue and address it. And [topical] products will never be that.
A post liked by the creator:
> Acne doesn't technically have to be dealt with, we all know it's one of the most aggressively treated skin conditions just because of how it looks as opposed to it being unhealthy.
Some people get acne because they're not sleeping well or because their hormones are out of wack. But some people have acne because, as you point out with "genetics", we have unfortunate genes that make painful pustules appear on our faces at the slightest and most mysterious provocations. I don't wear makeup. I gave up cow's milk and I don't eat a lot of chocolate (a confirmed trigger for me). I only got into skincare grudgingly because I was tired of being an adult with severe acne and the over options seemed even worse: hormonal birth control (I did not want hormones) or accutane (extremely severe drug that has been known to cause permanent facial dryness).
Severe acne is not just an aesthetic issue - having acne is painful, makes basic things like touching your face painful, and even if you never pop your pimples, they can still pop on you, which is (once again) painful and also puts you at risk for infection. I loathe "skincare", but out of all the things I've done (and I've been to dermatologists and tried everything, except for accutane), washing my face and putting salicylic acid on it is the only thing that keeps this painful condition at bay.
I don't let my acne stop me and I appear bare-faced in public every day. I try to limit skincare to every other day. Unfortunately, getting rid of it entirely makes me revert to my normal severe acne situation. I think it's important to understand that wanting to get rid of acne isn't something we do just because of beauty culture or vanity or insecurity. It's not that our lives are "unbalanced" and we're failing to deal with some deeper problem. In fact, this judgment (and it is a judgment, this idea that acne is somehow a sign that we are failing to treat our bodies well) is one of the things that makes acne-sufferers be willing to do insane things to get rid of our acne. Sometimes our genes suck, and companies prey on that in a lot of ways. Acne is not an aesthetic sin, but it's also not a moral failure and it's not harmless.
EDIT: I don't want to come off as hostile. I don't know if you've also suffered from persistent severe acne. I'm just someone who has been in this situations for decades now, and I want to share that hearing that acne is because we have "failed to address root causes" and "doesn't technically have to be dealt with" is discouraging. It reminds me a lot of the advice I got when I had chronic depression to take "more vitamin D/magnesium/deal with stress." Some people's issues can be cleared by doing that, and I'm very happy for them, but for the rest of us, hearing our conditions described in this language only serves to further the sense that something is *wrong* with us because we still have acne/other problem people think is easy to solve.
I mean, I hear what you’re saying. I’ve dealt with all of this personally too. But I don’t think anything I’ve written on The Unpublishable implies that acne is moral issue, or a sin, or wrong. Quite the opposite! Untangling ethical ideals from beauty is kind of my whole thing!! (As evidenced by the beginning of this piece.) I think everything I’ve written, if read in good faith, recognizes acne as something that simply happens to human bodies sometimes, and that people may want to address in a variety of ways for a variety of different reasons.
I’m happy that your topical routine works for you and helps with the pain! (I believe I’ve written about the physical pain attached to acne before too — like, I’ve personally gone to the ER for painful, pussing pimples lol. I get it.) I also believe the industry has focused too much on topical forms of relief that, over time, can exacerbate the underlying condition. This has come at the expense of research and reliable information on other forms of relief.
My critique is not pointed at you, the user, for using a topical solution. (In fact I often promote topical solutions!! I talk about jojoba oil and Manuka honey all the freaking time.) My critique is pointed at an industry that offers people seeking solutions nothing else.
ALSO! I found the piece I was talking about: where I wrote about painful skin conditions and beauty culture:
I often get the question: “Isn’t it still participating in beauty culture to be preoccupied with how the skin functions? Why is that a ‘better’ goal than beauty?” This is a great question and one I ask myself a lot! My conclusion (for now) is: The reason beauty culture is so powerful is because it co-opts our instincts. The skin, evolutionarily, functions as a communication device, and those communications let us know when something in our internal or external environment is imbalanced or amiss in a potential dangerous way. Sunburn tells you it's time to seek shade. Hives tell you you're allergic to something. Pimples can signal inflammation (which may affect quality of life in so many ways, from physical health to mental health) or hormonal issues (which can indicate fertility issues or health issues like PCOS). Paying attention to these surface-level symptoms — and then tending to the root imbalances they stem from — can be life-saving and health-preserving. It can help us lead easier, richer, more fulfilling lives. The instinct to pay attention is built into our bodies and brains. The problem is that beauty culture has completely co-opted this instinct and made it so that we no longer see these symptoms as morally-neutral environmental cues, but as “ugly cues” or “unworthiness” cues. That is the part we need to divest from. Supporting your skin in being functional and self-sufficient — fostering a diverse microbiome that helps protect you from sun exposure and pollution by using fewer skincare products, for example — is not giving in to beauty culture, just as avoiding bananas because you're allergic to them or because they make you constipated is not giving in to diet culture. It’s also important to consider that so many skin conditions are painful! No one should have to put up with painful conditions just to say that they’re “resisting beauty culture.” Rosacea can burn, eczema can itch. My dermatitis was excruciating. (In college, I once went to the emergency room for a pimple because it was SO HUGE AND PAINFUL AND PUS-FILLED that I thought there was no way it could be a pimple and had to be some sort of flesh-eating disease… It was a pimple.) So, if there's a way to manage some of these painful, uncomfortable conditions by focusing on skin function rather than skin aesthetic —which there is! — I’m all for it. One last thing to mention here is that the microbiome and skin barrier are part of the immune system. The skin is actually the first line of immune defense for the entire body. Making sure these two features of the skin are as functional as possible helps protect against colds, flus, viruses, bacteria, and more.
Just asked for my first refund from a skincare product! Dieux Deliverance serum - the last skincare product I purchased before discovering this blog about ~3 weeks ago. Feeling happy for getting back the money I spent on a goo which does. . .nothing? Except (probably) gave me my two new pimples? It's hard to resist the pull of marketing, man. Dieux really got me with their whole "science and effective results" schtick. In contrast, on their refund page it specifically mentions refunds for people that have a REACTION to the Deliverance serum. Um, what!? How common is this that it has to go on the web page, and what's the 100% glowing reviews??? Ugh. Time to add another bottle to my dragon's hoard of goos that I'm not using anymore. (How do you deal with your Dragon Hoard once you stop using products? What's worse - throwing them all in the trash, giving them to your friends, or repurposing them in some silly way like dumping everything on your legs.)
Lollll. Thank you for sharing this. Doesn't surprise me! Re: the hoard of products. I donated most of mine to a women's shelter near my house. There are also some beauty recycling programs out there — you can send your products in and they take care of recycling for you.
Yes now imagine how much money women can save just by reading this piece and actually doing or shall I say not doing all that “stuff” to their skin! Great hub Jessica!😀
Just wanna pop in here to write that Dr. Elsa Jungman’s products are expensive crap and no one should buy them. They, first of all, totally fucked up my skin when I did that micro biome experiment thing she had a few years ago. I finally had clear skin (and a very minimal routine of wash, witch hazel, jojoba oil and SPF on sunny days) after years of struggling with acne, and that totally broke me out. I’m still dealing with the effects years later and am on a more intense regimen now just to clear the infection her products started. Finally I’m on something (medical grade) that works for me, but hope to get back to something minimal soon once the infection is cleared.
Second, the ingredients are horrible. Never rub that much castor oil and Vit E onto your face unless you’re post menopausal and don’t make oil. Or have been on accutane and don’t make oil.
Finally, I just ordered her micro biome test kit out of curiosity, planning to use those sample oils on my hands, legs and feet. They’re fucking rancid. Poor poor quality. Her oils are a scam. Talk about do not buy list.
Just want to say I have had the opposite experience using the Jungman prods. The cleanser smells like the emulsifier, since I ordered a small amount to try and DIY a similar product, and isn't rancid. I've definitely had avocado oil go off, and the cleanser is not that smell.
I'm sorry you had a terrible experience, but like all skincare, it's YMMV. I haven't found anything that works as well for my rosacean, allergy-prone skin as the Oat Power Serum.
Responding with another comment to say that rosacea is not just something we randomly have that products can treat. It is a result of gut issues, vitamin deficiencies and/or inflammation. Non-hereditary and non-anaphylactic allergies are also a result of microbiome disruption, whether gut, skin or otherwise. (Saying this as someone with peanut anaphylaxis who has also greatly decreased and even rid myself of other food allergies due to working deeply on my gut health --- for clarity I am still anaphylactic with peanuts, as was my grandfather and uncle, that shit is gnarly and doesn’t really go away unfort)
Saying “her product worked for my rosacea and allergies and nothing else does” is literally no different than saying “tretinoin works for my acne and nothing else does”. It is individualistic and ignores the systemic issues at hand.
Skin health is an inside job. A little fat (from plants or animals) for some moisture is ancient AF and right on with that. Buying $100 tiny bottles of oils mixed with vitamin E is literally the system.
Not trying to blame anything you are doing/not doing! It’s just no different than saying “my acne is hereditary and the only thing that works for me is tretinoin/some expensive serum/etc.”
Purchasing and using a (needlessly) expensive oil for one’s face for rosacea is no different than doing something similar for acne or wrinkles.
I’ll stand by my idea that lifestyle and what we eat (no shame or blame about it though) affects even inherited skin conditions. I bet you dollars to donuts that if you started eating and drinking majority highly inflammatory foods and a bunch of alcohol your rosacea would worsen.
I’m not saying that with diet or vitamin intake alone you would be able to heal your rosacea 100%.
Again all I’m saying is: buying expensive (or really any) products to look a certain way, even if it’s hereditary, even if we feel better/more confident/etc. is all the exact same thing. EJ is no different than Moon Juice or Tata Harper or True Botanicals or any other “natural” beauty brand. Their only slight difference is marketing angle.
Yeah, not going in for the blaming my diet or vitamin intake when, in my case, it's definitely hereditary. Father, Grandfather, Grandmother, etc.etc. I'm glad you found ways to work out your issues, but miss me with the rest of it.
The EJ prods work for my skin. Sorry they didn't work for yours.
I’m super happy that her products didn’t give you years of acne like they did for me!
I’m aware that everyone’s skin is different. None of her website copy or customer education shares this, however. The message her company puts out is that this will be great for everyone, and other skincare is bad for you. But HERS is good for you.
I’m now informed enough to understand that she is literally just part of the Skincare Industrial Complex™ and is trying to make money like every other brand and does not care about biochemical individuality (or she would have literature on who her products may not work for and cause years of physical and emotional pain).
Now, after some serious pharmaceutical shit I had to put my skin through, my years of acne caused by her (mine was rancid!!!! I know oils, dude! Glad yours wasn’t obvi) oil, straight jojoba oil works for me. It’s a hell of a lot cheaper, much more easily accessible, and not being pushed by some random brand to make money.
Again, glad your oils weren’t rancid, and I’m glad they work for you. But her marketing is dishonest, it’s fucking insane to recommend putting VIT E OIL ON ACNE PRONE SKIN (truly wtf), and they are wayyyyy over priced.
She is part of the system. Sure, if it does’t cause an infection (like it did for me) it’s less damaging than most conventional products. But point blank is she is no different than Biologique Researche, Glossier or Sun Potion.
Hell, at least Biologique Researche acknowledges our biochemical individuality and has clear guidelines on which products may be indicated for whom, as well as points of contact for client education.
Not saying BR or their products are good. I’m at least saying their company’s website copy is honest and informative. Otherwise they’re just as bad as EJ or literally any other skincare brand.
I basically fist pump in my empty bedroom every time i read one of your pieces; this one would’ve had me turning cartwheels if it weren’t so intricate and wise. If I were a millionaire I’d venmo you a million dollars bc that’s what this piece is worth. Thank youuuuu!
Super late comment but I wanted to say thanks for this and the entire Unpublishable project. On (what I chose to take as) a dare from your newsletter from a previous related post, I stopped doing any skincare. I went from cycling through moisturizers trying to find the "right" product after the one that seemed to be working inevitably caused a huge breakout, fretting about what Ordinary serums I "should" be using every day, sandblasting my skin with chemical exfoliants before parties, etc., to doing nothing but putting on sunscreen as needed and sloppily washing my face with a Cerave cleanser before bed.
And my skin feels wonderful now -- like it did when I was a kid, before, incidentally, I started doing skincare to fight acne. There's no more uncomfortable dryness or tenderness or stinging or cystic zits. It's so clear that my skin is taking care of itself now that I got out of the way. It feels incredibly luxurious and a little subversive & sexy (ridiculous, I know, but...) to roll out of bed, brush my teeth, fluff out my hair and get on with my day.
Giving up skincare has saved me so much time & money and, honestly, has relieved a surprising amount of psychological discomfort. I didn't realize how forcing myself to engage in beauty rituals every day (and always feeling like I wasn't doing enough) was exacerbating both my BDD as well as what I've come to understand as gender dysphoria. Shocking that abandoning a twice daily reminder of how my appearance falls short and how it may fall even shorter in the future made me feel better!
As always Jessica, you’ve hit the proverbial zit on the head (ha). My mother (who would’ve been 101 this year) instructed me as a pubescent to use just plain water to wash my face, as she always had. She had great skin (she also used cold cream at night-gasp!). As I was already well brainwashed by 12 by Teen, McCall’s and similar rags I found that preposterous! But over the next few years I found that the less I ‘did’ to my face the better it was. I was fortunate to have not ever experienced breakouts in my teens, so there was less reason to mess about much (I was kind of fascinated by Noxema for a time, however). Not until I was 17 and had a job, could afford to buy my own products and was lured to do so at every turn, did my face start to revolt a bit-thus initiating a viscous, expensive loop to buy more products to ‘fix’ the blackheads and uneven skin tone (sun damage-no sunscreens back then, remember) that were developing. Then, convinced my brows were ‘wrong’, my eyes too small, that I was missing the fabulous cheekbones all the models had, I went all in. Never left the house without first performing an hour long regimen from forehead to neck. For decades. I can’t even imagine how much money I’ve spent over the last 50 yrs on products that have not improved one thing about my skin overall. I even fell for the whole LeMer legend at $200 a pop, a moisturizer totally useless for my ever oily skin. These products will more often have detrimental effects vs anything useful or healthy for skin as your piece here so well illustrates. It’s all about the marketing. And dammit it works. It’s just another version of ‘you’re a women and you’re fantastic but just not quite enough as you are, let me fix you’. Something we have always heard/felt in every aspect of our lives from every corner of the hierarchy from birth. And it still echoes in hour heads every single day.
Amazing writeup. I think I'll send this to my mum. She seems to go deeper and deeper into this "science of skincare".
On the other hand, you touched on something I sadly discovered late into my 20s. My acne didn't react to any skincare if it did, it got worse not better. What helped was eleminating everything and chosing a shampoo and facewash that are based on sugar peptides instead of soap, it leaves the fat barrier of the skin intact and cleans but doesn't rid the skin of the natural oils it produces.
It was developed in a German clinic for patients with severe detmatitis so they could bathe without breaking out. So it is actually science based because it helps the skin do it's thing. My painful, painful acne is gone and I save so much money now only using those 2 products and sunscreen.
What is it called?
SebaMed.
I use the facewash foam (for my back) and the everyday shampoo.
The story of it's origin is actually quite interesting. The inventor worked as a derm in a hospital. He worked with patients with severe eczema and dermatitis. They were suffering because of their condition and on top of not being able to wash themselves without breaking out. So the doctors advised not to use soap while bathing - which resulted in them being isolated because of bad BO.
The doc who invented the soapfree washlotion developed it in his freetime and tested it illegally but with consent of the patients on the patients skin. He patented it in the 50s I think.
I'm intrigued as my son (7) as had really bad eczema since childbirth. It has been treated by severe changes in diet, etc, but he also needs a gentle cleanser. Water doesnt cut it and he gets inflamed when oily or sugary food gets on him. We use Avene oil based wash which seems ok, but I'm curious about this product.
Btw, I love this post and agree. Alas, sometimes water is truly not enough. For me and my partner it is, but not our son.
It happens. It’s fine. It’s life. - My new motto?! 🖤
Would also make great memoir title
One of the best pieces of writing I've read on the internet in a looooong time. Mind, blown. I knew something was up when my hormonal/stress acne cleared up after I was hospitalized for several days away from any skincare products. My skin never looked better than it did emerging from not being touched, poked, prodded, slathered, or stripped for a week. I've adopted the "do LESS" motto for my skincare now and AMEN I discovered this piece & your newsletter now as I teeter on the precipice of my 30s, where fine line freezers and fillers have overtaken my circles and feeds.
I love that!!
I really like your writing. Your articles explode my brain (in a good way), offering a perspective I had never EVER considered. I'm both horrified and elated to have this new understanding.
I asked this question on an old article, but I'm not sure you go back to comment on 'old' stuff, so I'll leave it here.
I'm curious about your thoughts around the daily external influence of our environment on skincare and taking care of skin with that in mind. Mostly, I mean air pollution. It leaves fine particulates floating and depositing on all kinds of surfaces, including your skin.
Also, I was thinking. If you live in a very cold area and you heat your home, your skin will get dry and cranky. I'd love it if you wrote an article offering your perspective on practically caring for you skin, versus struggling to present a better aesthetic that is just a churn for 'big beauty'.
In full transparency, I own a small, herbal skincare brand. But after reading your articles, I've really decided to transform my business away from goop to 'beautify' and back to the roots of it, which was using herbs to 'support' your skin as it is.
Thank you for writing as you do!
Thanks! I feel like I write about caring for your skin in terms of function instead of aesthetic quite a bit, actually. I think caring for your skin is wonderful; I think industrialized pre-bottled "skincare" is mostly bullshit. Re: the environment — this is a great point! It's also true that most topical skincare disrupts the skin barrier & skin microbiome which further impedes our skin's ability to protect itself from environmental aggressors. SPF is great, but antioxidants are the best way to address pollution, and when it comes to antioxidants, EATING THEM via the foods you're already eating in order to stay alive is your best bet. Cleansing with plain water at the end of the day is also great. Or rose water. Or Manuka honey. Or jojoba oil. You can also get topical pollution-fighting antioxidants from skin- and microbiome-supportive oils like jojoba. Re: drying environments, it's all about drinking lots of water, getting lots of electrolytes and minerals so that your cells are equipped to hold onto that water, and minimizing exfoliation (since dead skin cells are the only cells that can hold water and seal in moisture). Getting enough Omega-3s is crucial (either a supplement or from salmon/nuts/seeds/etc) to fortify the skin barrier. Sleep is huge! Managing the body's cortisol stress response via meditation and a breathing practice is huge!! There are many solutions that don't require topical products (and if you dig into the archives, I do believe I write about them quite a bit). I would never deny that there *are* environmental issues that affect our skin. What I reject is the idea that topical products are the best way to address them. (Again, barring SPF, which is categorized as a drug and not a cosmetic product)
Well said. Thank you for taking the time to respond, much appreciated!
I think this is one of the best pieces you've written, and that's saying something! I want to get a bullhorn and read this from the rooftops.
I mean, imagine... how inconsequential we are to beat against what's existed and evolved over millions of years, and say that little wisps like us know it all and that this all-encompassing force is mistaken. It doesn't make mistakes. The planet doesn't either.
Thanks Allison!
This is a great post and I'm glad for it. I do want to say something about acne, and the way you speak about it here and have spoken about it before:
> Take acne, for example: The condition is tied to gut issues, stress issues, hormonal issues, or genetics. No matter how “science-backed,” no serum goes that deep. The buzzy beauty ingredients inside said theoretical serum can all be otherwise obtained, anyway, from sources that leave the skin barrier and microbiome blissfully unbothered.
> The skin is a communication device — that’s one of its jobs. Like, the skin doesn’t exist to look perfect and pretty and dewy. The skin exists to regulate your functions and keep you alive. It’s part of your immune system. So if you have acne, it’s a communication that something is imbalanced elsewhere, whether that’s your external environment or your internal environment. And it’s trying to point you toward what is actually happening, so you can find the root issue and address it. And [topical] products will never be that.
A post liked by the creator:
> Acne doesn't technically have to be dealt with, we all know it's one of the most aggressively treated skin conditions just because of how it looks as opposed to it being unhealthy.
Some people get acne because they're not sleeping well or because their hormones are out of wack. But some people have acne because, as you point out with "genetics", we have unfortunate genes that make painful pustules appear on our faces at the slightest and most mysterious provocations. I don't wear makeup. I gave up cow's milk and I don't eat a lot of chocolate (a confirmed trigger for me). I only got into skincare grudgingly because I was tired of being an adult with severe acne and the over options seemed even worse: hormonal birth control (I did not want hormones) or accutane (extremely severe drug that has been known to cause permanent facial dryness).
Severe acne is not just an aesthetic issue - having acne is painful, makes basic things like touching your face painful, and even if you never pop your pimples, they can still pop on you, which is (once again) painful and also puts you at risk for infection. I loathe "skincare", but out of all the things I've done (and I've been to dermatologists and tried everything, except for accutane), washing my face and putting salicylic acid on it is the only thing that keeps this painful condition at bay.
I don't let my acne stop me and I appear bare-faced in public every day. I try to limit skincare to every other day. Unfortunately, getting rid of it entirely makes me revert to my normal severe acne situation. I think it's important to understand that wanting to get rid of acne isn't something we do just because of beauty culture or vanity or insecurity. It's not that our lives are "unbalanced" and we're failing to deal with some deeper problem. In fact, this judgment (and it is a judgment, this idea that acne is somehow a sign that we are failing to treat our bodies well) is one of the things that makes acne-sufferers be willing to do insane things to get rid of our acne. Sometimes our genes suck, and companies prey on that in a lot of ways. Acne is not an aesthetic sin, but it's also not a moral failure and it's not harmless.
EDIT: I don't want to come off as hostile. I don't know if you've also suffered from persistent severe acne. I'm just someone who has been in this situations for decades now, and I want to share that hearing that acne is because we have "failed to address root causes" and "doesn't technically have to be dealt with" is discouraging. It reminds me a lot of the advice I got when I had chronic depression to take "more vitamin D/magnesium/deal with stress." Some people's issues can be cleared by doing that, and I'm very happy for them, but for the rest of us, hearing our conditions described in this language only serves to further the sense that something is *wrong* with us because we still have acne/other problem people think is easy to solve.
I mean, I hear what you’re saying. I’ve dealt with all of this personally too. But I don’t think anything I’ve written on The Unpublishable implies that acne is moral issue, or a sin, or wrong. Quite the opposite! Untangling ethical ideals from beauty is kind of my whole thing!! (As evidenced by the beginning of this piece.) I think everything I’ve written, if read in good faith, recognizes acne as something that simply happens to human bodies sometimes, and that people may want to address in a variety of ways for a variety of different reasons.
I’m happy that your topical routine works for you and helps with the pain! (I believe I’ve written about the physical pain attached to acne before too — like, I’ve personally gone to the ER for painful, pussing pimples lol. I get it.) I also believe the industry has focused too much on topical forms of relief that, over time, can exacerbate the underlying condition. This has come at the expense of research and reliable information on other forms of relief.
My critique is not pointed at you, the user, for using a topical solution. (In fact I often promote topical solutions!! I talk about jojoba oil and Manuka honey all the freaking time.) My critique is pointed at an industry that offers people seeking solutions nothing else.
Perhaps this piece can clarify my position more:
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/standard-issues-why-normal-skin-is-a-myth
ALSO! I found the piece I was talking about: where I wrote about painful skin conditions and beauty culture:
I often get the question: “Isn’t it still participating in beauty culture to be preoccupied with how the skin functions? Why is that a ‘better’ goal than beauty?” This is a great question and one I ask myself a lot! My conclusion (for now) is: The reason beauty culture is so powerful is because it co-opts our instincts. The skin, evolutionarily, functions as a communication device, and those communications let us know when something in our internal or external environment is imbalanced or amiss in a potential dangerous way. Sunburn tells you it's time to seek shade. Hives tell you you're allergic to something. Pimples can signal inflammation (which may affect quality of life in so many ways, from physical health to mental health) or hormonal issues (which can indicate fertility issues or health issues like PCOS). Paying attention to these surface-level symptoms — and then tending to the root imbalances they stem from — can be life-saving and health-preserving. It can help us lead easier, richer, more fulfilling lives. The instinct to pay attention is built into our bodies and brains. The problem is that beauty culture has completely co-opted this instinct and made it so that we no longer see these symptoms as morally-neutral environmental cues, but as “ugly cues” or “unworthiness” cues. That is the part we need to divest from. Supporting your skin in being functional and self-sufficient — fostering a diverse microbiome that helps protect you from sun exposure and pollution by using fewer skincare products, for example — is not giving in to beauty culture, just as avoiding bananas because you're allergic to them or because they make you constipated is not giving in to diet culture. It’s also important to consider that so many skin conditions are painful! No one should have to put up with painful conditions just to say that they’re “resisting beauty culture.” Rosacea can burn, eczema can itch. My dermatitis was excruciating. (In college, I once went to the emergency room for a pimple because it was SO HUGE AND PAINFUL AND PUS-FILLED that I thought there was no way it could be a pimple and had to be some sort of flesh-eating disease… It was a pimple.) So, if there's a way to manage some of these painful, uncomfortable conditions by focusing on skin function rather than skin aesthetic —which there is! — I’m all for it. One last thing to mention here is that the microbiome and skin barrier are part of the immune system. The skin is actually the first line of immune defense for the entire body. Making sure these two features of the skin are as functional as possible helps protect against colds, flus, viruses, bacteria, and more.
https://jessicadefino.substack.com/p/consumerism-in-skincare-industry
Eliminating gluten from the diet was the only solution to my cystic acne.
Just asked for my first refund from a skincare product! Dieux Deliverance serum - the last skincare product I purchased before discovering this blog about ~3 weeks ago. Feeling happy for getting back the money I spent on a goo which does. . .nothing? Except (probably) gave me my two new pimples? It's hard to resist the pull of marketing, man. Dieux really got me with their whole "science and effective results" schtick. In contrast, on their refund page it specifically mentions refunds for people that have a REACTION to the Deliverance serum. Um, what!? How common is this that it has to go on the web page, and what's the 100% glowing reviews??? Ugh. Time to add another bottle to my dragon's hoard of goos that I'm not using anymore. (How do you deal with your Dragon Hoard once you stop using products? What's worse - throwing them all in the trash, giving them to your friends, or repurposing them in some silly way like dumping everything on your legs.)
Lollll. Thank you for sharing this. Doesn't surprise me! Re: the hoard of products. I donated most of mine to a women's shelter near my house. There are also some beauty recycling programs out there — you can send your products in and they take care of recycling for you.
Dragon hoards😂😂😂love that just put all that crap on your elbows and heels!😉
Next things you know allure.com is going to write how you can turn your arsenal of old products into a 10-step skincare routine for your elbows 😂
This should be required reading for anyone about to spend money on skin-related products (I can’t even called them skinCARE products anymore).
Yes now imagine how much money women can save just by reading this piece and actually doing or shall I say not doing all that “stuff” to their skin! Great hub Jessica!😀
Job lol
Brilliant post! Convinced me to upgrade to paid <3
Thank you so much!!
So wait...what about the science of red rose 🌹 crystals and infrared lights? You mean that’s not 🧫 🧬 💄!!!!!
Just wanna pop in here to write that Dr. Elsa Jungman’s products are expensive crap and no one should buy them. They, first of all, totally fucked up my skin when I did that micro biome experiment thing she had a few years ago. I finally had clear skin (and a very minimal routine of wash, witch hazel, jojoba oil and SPF on sunny days) after years of struggling with acne, and that totally broke me out. I’m still dealing with the effects years later and am on a more intense regimen now just to clear the infection her products started. Finally I’m on something (medical grade) that works for me, but hope to get back to something minimal soon once the infection is cleared.
Second, the ingredients are horrible. Never rub that much castor oil and Vit E onto your face unless you’re post menopausal and don’t make oil. Or have been on accutane and don’t make oil.
Finally, I just ordered her micro biome test kit out of curiosity, planning to use those sample oils on my hands, legs and feet. They’re fucking rancid. Poor poor quality. Her oils are a scam. Talk about do not buy list.
Just want to say I have had the opposite experience using the Jungman prods. The cleanser smells like the emulsifier, since I ordered a small amount to try and DIY a similar product, and isn't rancid. I've definitely had avocado oil go off, and the cleanser is not that smell.
I'm sorry you had a terrible experience, but like all skincare, it's YMMV. I haven't found anything that works as well for my rosacean, allergy-prone skin as the Oat Power Serum.
Responding with another comment to say that rosacea is not just something we randomly have that products can treat. It is a result of gut issues, vitamin deficiencies and/or inflammation. Non-hereditary and non-anaphylactic allergies are also a result of microbiome disruption, whether gut, skin or otherwise. (Saying this as someone with peanut anaphylaxis who has also greatly decreased and even rid myself of other food allergies due to working deeply on my gut health --- for clarity I am still anaphylactic with peanuts, as was my grandfather and uncle, that shit is gnarly and doesn’t really go away unfort)
Saying “her product worked for my rosacea and allergies and nothing else does” is literally no different than saying “tretinoin works for my acne and nothing else does”. It is individualistic and ignores the systemic issues at hand.
Skin health is an inside job. A little fat (from plants or animals) for some moisture is ancient AF and right on with that. Buying $100 tiny bottles of oils mixed with vitamin E is literally the system.
Not trying to blame anything you are doing/not doing! It’s just no different than saying “my acne is hereditary and the only thing that works for me is tretinoin/some expensive serum/etc.”
Purchasing and using a (needlessly) expensive oil for one’s face for rosacea is no different than doing something similar for acne or wrinkles.
I’ll stand by my idea that lifestyle and what we eat (no shame or blame about it though) affects even inherited skin conditions. I bet you dollars to donuts that if you started eating and drinking majority highly inflammatory foods and a bunch of alcohol your rosacea would worsen.
I’m not saying that with diet or vitamin intake alone you would be able to heal your rosacea 100%.
Again all I’m saying is: buying expensive (or really any) products to look a certain way, even if it’s hereditary, even if we feel better/more confident/etc. is all the exact same thing. EJ is no different than Moon Juice or Tata Harper or True Botanicals or any other “natural” beauty brand. Their only slight difference is marketing angle.
Yeah, not going in for the blaming my diet or vitamin intake when, in my case, it's definitely hereditary. Father, Grandfather, Grandmother, etc.etc. I'm glad you found ways to work out your issues, but miss me with the rest of it.
The EJ prods work for my skin. Sorry they didn't work for yours.
I’m super happy that her products didn’t give you years of acne like they did for me!
I’m aware that everyone’s skin is different. None of her website copy or customer education shares this, however. The message her company puts out is that this will be great for everyone, and other skincare is bad for you. But HERS is good for you.
I’m now informed enough to understand that she is literally just part of the Skincare Industrial Complex™ and is trying to make money like every other brand and does not care about biochemical individuality (or she would have literature on who her products may not work for and cause years of physical and emotional pain).
Now, after some serious pharmaceutical shit I had to put my skin through, my years of acne caused by her (mine was rancid!!!! I know oils, dude! Glad yours wasn’t obvi) oil, straight jojoba oil works for me. It’s a hell of a lot cheaper, much more easily accessible, and not being pushed by some random brand to make money.
Again, glad your oils weren’t rancid, and I’m glad they work for you. But her marketing is dishonest, it’s fucking insane to recommend putting VIT E OIL ON ACNE PRONE SKIN (truly wtf), and they are wayyyyy over priced.
She is part of the system. Sure, if it does’t cause an infection (like it did for me) it’s less damaging than most conventional products. But point blank is she is no different than Biologique Researche, Glossier or Sun Potion.
Hell, at least Biologique Researche acknowledges our biochemical individuality and has clear guidelines on which products may be indicated for whom, as well as points of contact for client education.
Not saying BR or their products are good. I’m at least saying their company’s website copy is honest and informative. Otherwise they’re just as bad as EJ or literally any other skincare brand.
Wow- this was so good! Thank you ☺️
I basically fist pump in my empty bedroom every time i read one of your pieces; this one would’ve had me turning cartwheels if it weren’t so intricate and wise. If I were a millionaire I’d venmo you a million dollars bc that’s what this piece is worth. Thank youuuuu!
Super late comment but I wanted to say thanks for this and the entire Unpublishable project. On (what I chose to take as) a dare from your newsletter from a previous related post, I stopped doing any skincare. I went from cycling through moisturizers trying to find the "right" product after the one that seemed to be working inevitably caused a huge breakout, fretting about what Ordinary serums I "should" be using every day, sandblasting my skin with chemical exfoliants before parties, etc., to doing nothing but putting on sunscreen as needed and sloppily washing my face with a Cerave cleanser before bed.
And my skin feels wonderful now -- like it did when I was a kid, before, incidentally, I started doing skincare to fight acne. There's no more uncomfortable dryness or tenderness or stinging or cystic zits. It's so clear that my skin is taking care of itself now that I got out of the way. It feels incredibly luxurious and a little subversive & sexy (ridiculous, I know, but...) to roll out of bed, brush my teeth, fluff out my hair and get on with my day.
Giving up skincare has saved me so much time & money and, honestly, has relieved a surprising amount of psychological discomfort. I didn't realize how forcing myself to engage in beauty rituals every day (and always feeling like I wasn't doing enough) was exacerbating both my BDD as well as what I've come to understand as gender dysphoria. Shocking that abandoning a twice daily reminder of how my appearance falls short and how it may fall even shorter in the future made me feel better!