As always, if you can't access a paper linked, let me know and I'll upload it locally to my site!

SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME, skincare and cosmetics have been a part of an individual's effort to control how others perceive them. Ancient civilizations all over the world have developed skin care and cosmetics, reportedly being well developed for the first time in 3100BC by the Ancient Egyptians, around the time of the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. Funny how having a large, prosperous civilization will give individuals the time a resources to focus on non-survival oriented tasks. Sounds a little familiar...

For more information, check out this article published in 2017 about facial cosmetics in Ancient Egypt. Of course, the report was put together by the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels at Minia University, Egypt, so it's almost like they stand to gain something from such an article... but if you're especially interested, I'd encourage you to delve into their cited works and look up other academic articles about the topic! Mad that I don't cite better sources? Good! I encourage you to be skeptical of what you read online, no matter how official or confident the sources seems to be.

So what's the big deal about skincare? Why is this market so easy to exploit? As this 2017 paper-- written by two people with PhDs in dermatological sciences-- says:

The concept of skin care is not well defined. It is a kind of umbrella term covering cleansing, perfuming, changing appearance, changing body odor, protecting and keeping the skin in 'good condition'.

Then it later goes on to state:

The information on skin care procedures is plentiful but little scientifically documented and the number of products available for cleansing, soothing, restoring, reinforcing and protecting is of an almost infinite variety.

Basically, skin care is not well defined (yet as we all know, conflated with status, health, and social value), and not scientifically well-documented even though, as the paper continues to detail, it is backed by claims of new scientific technology in dermatology, and uses terms that "seem scientific". This makes it a market with infinite potential for expansion, backed by a facade of scientific rigor that does not often exist.

Three things to keep in mind

Now for the more practical segment of this article: what should you do? I would of course encourage you to read up on subjects and products yourself, but here are a few tips I can provide.

Understand treatments. What do I mean by that? As a rule of thumb, I try to understand four things about a product before I purchase it.

1. What it actually does, how it does it. Many products will say that they "smooth your skin", or "fight acne", etc. But how do these products actually do it? Yes, benozyl peroxide and salicylic acid are used to get rid of acne that has already formed, but how? Yes, glycolic acid is said to remove hyperpigmentation, but what about it actually does that?
2. Delivery mechanism. Does the delivery mechanism make sense? For example, if an active ingredient needs to remain on the skin to take effect, does it make sense for it to be in a cleanser that you wash off? Considering an emollient because they say it moisturizes your skin? Do you even know the difference between a moisturizer and emollient? Does a product need to foam up to work? Use your brain. Get informed by trustworthy sources (not just some guy online like me) if you don't know something.
3. How you handle the treatment. Apply the scientific method here. Don't throw a bunch of things at your skin. Introduce one new product at a time, wait long enough to observe its effects or lack thereof, and then decide whether or not to keep it in your routine. Do you need three products to keep your skin moisturized, or do you just need one product that is better than all three you're currently using? Is your acne not going away because it's caused by bacteria, and you're using a product that claims to fight bacteria by unclogging pores?
4. Cost. Treatments like laser acne treatments or laser scar removal may not always make sense, given their cost and their efficacy. Maybe you're going through puberty and will continue to get acne until your hormones calm down, so those treatments don't even make sense. Many products are way too expensive for what they actually do. Be smart about this, especially if it's not your money that you're spending.

Be realistic about results. Marketing will get you by telling you that a product will fix your problem right away, or claim to hide a problem until it goes away. You need to investigate these claims. Most likely, if you have dehydrated skin, you will notice a difference fairly quickly when using moisturizers, but reducing oil production won't always work quickly. Resist the urge to buy new products when you feel something else isn't working fast enough or working at all.

Understand the problem. For example, you're supposed to have sebaceous filaments. These are necessary for keeping the skin hydrated. Is the problem that you have sebaceous filaments in the first place, or that you're overproducing oil? Is the problem that you need a new product to manage an issue, or do you need to make another lifestyle change, like your diet or how often you clean your tools, sheets, etc? Are you getting acne because of bacteria? Do you know the causes of acne? Knowing this is crucial to treating the skincare problems that you'd like to address.

A Practical Example

Here is an example of what information I like to gather about active ingredients, and how I decide whether or not to use a product.
Product: CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser
This is what CeraVe claims it does:

Our salicylic acid cleanser not only exfoliates the skin, but with three essential ceramides, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide it also helps soften and smooth the skin without disrupting its protective barrier.

Ceramides:
This cleanser contains: Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, and Ceramide EOP, like all other CeraVe products (hence the name of the brand). According to this article from 2005, ceramides are fatty acids found between skin cells (in intercellular spaces). Since fats are hydrophobic, they help to keep in moisture that is already there, and it is well known that ceramides play an essential role in structuring and maintaining the water permeability barrier function of the skin. Skin products like these rely on the ceramides being absorbed into the skin.
According to this chapter of Nanotechnology in Cosmetics from 2017 (section 22.3.1.6):

Due to high molecular weight, percutaneous absorption of ceramides is also a controversial debate. Ceramides are very hard to pass through the layers of the skin; it is suggested that they can traverse through the hair follicles and pores to reach the growing levels of skin.

Additionally, this paper and many more, also detail the questionable claims that ceramides can effectively and evenly permeate the skin, especially if your skin is already healthy. This more recent paper from 2022 (and the previous) suggest that topical ceramides are absorbed, but very locally and shallowly. Perhaps enough to be at least mildly effective.
Hyaluronic Acid:
This 2020 blog article attempts to debunk the mythn that hyaluronic acid allows a huge amount of water molecules to bind to it, as companies claim. I was unable to find academic papers that supported the claim that hyaluronic acid can hold up to 1000x it weight in water, so I'm inclined to agree, though I do believe that water molecules can indeed bind to a hyaluronic acid molecule. According to this 2008 paper, hyaluronic acid is used for The biological functions of HA include "control of tissue hydration and water transport", and according to this article: "the stratum corneum, the outermost and non-viable layer of the skin... is particularly effective at preventing the permeation of hydrophilic molecules... into deeper skin layers". The paper goes on to talk about how HA is used to deliver drugs topically, with success, saying in conclusion that "the inclusion of HA in a topical formulation offers clear and unique potential in the delivery and localization of drugs to the skin". I draw no conclusions about HA allowing the other active ingredients in this cleanser to penetrate the skin, but at least the HA itself is getting somewhere.
Niacinamide:
According to this investigation, niacinamides have been shown to penetrate adequately through the stratum corneum, percutaneously and has show clinical significance. It goes on to say:

Studies have shown that niacinamide has the potential to act as an antioxidant, can improve epidermal barrier function, decrease skin hyperpigmentation, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, decrease redness/blotchiness, decrease skin yellowness (sallowness), and improve skin elasticity.51,52 The mechanisms by which niacinamide provides this array of skin benefits is not completely understood, but the role of niacinamide as a precursor to the NADP family of coenzymes may play a significant role in all of these improvements

It also has been proven that it upregulates the synthesis of ceramides, and that the elevation of ceramides after treatment with niacinamide is associated with an improved barrier function as evidenced by a reduced TEWL (transepidermal water loss, or the water that evaporates through skin due to a water vapor pressure gradient on both sides of the skin barrier. It's used to characterize skin barrier function.) and an increase in the cutaneous resistance to potential harmful topical agents.
Salicylic Acid:
As this article is getting long, here is a paper talking about the efficacy of salicyclic acid as an exfoliator, which in turn allows it to treat acne and surface roughness, and here is a paper talking about delivery systems, which states that "Specifically, SA dissolves the protein that binds dead cells to the surface of the skin, making it easy to slough off the dead skin layer during cleansing. This removal of binding proteins is also the mechanism that unclogs pores and exposes P. acnes to the air, thereby accelerating antibacterial activity", and that "SA should be incorporated in a skin-friendly medium that will deliver it via a water-based acne emulsion in an effective manner to eliminate irritation". According to this page, a few emulsifying ingredients are found in this cleanser.
Takeaway
Basically, I bought this product because of its salicyclic acid and nicinamide. I now live with someone who has really oily skin and acne as a result, and I myself would like my skin to be softer and retain more moisture, so this seemed like a better compromise (before I was using basically the same product without the salicyclic acid). I discussed delivery mechanism above, and how I'm sort of iffy on the other two active ingredients, but you get a lot of product for a good price, for me ~1 year's worth of product for ~16 USD. Since I've used similar products from this brand before, and I've been using it for quite a while now, I can also say that I know that my partner and I handle the cleanser well and that it helps! In the end, though, even if its active ingredients hadn't worked, I would've continued to use it until it ran out, unless it was producing adverse effects. A cleanser just needs to clean your skin, after all.

I hoped this'll help whoever is reading make more informed decisions about the skincare products they purchase! Remember to be informed and think critically... thanks for reading this far!

I've struggled to maintain a planning system basically all my life, while simultaneously being aware that I needed one. I tried several different things, whether it be a physical planner with pre-printed pages, a hand-drawn/artsy journal, a system of sticky notes, a random .txt file on my laptop, those free homework planners you get in middle school, Notion, Google Docs, to-do list apps, or just trying really hard to keep it all in my head.

As I've gotten older and experimented with several different things, I ended up figuring out what worked the best for me. Once I began using a planning system that really worked, I genuinely feel as if my quality of life improved, so I figured I would leave a record of how I did it in case someone reading this has the same issue.

Step 1: Determining your system's purpose

It might seem silly, since a planner's purpose is, after all, to plan. When people mention planners, however, they usually don't refer to planning alone: oftentimes they include planning, journaling, tracking events, scrapbooking, and recording all other sorts of information. A system where you enter information, whether about the past or the present, is inherently a record. So, what do you want to record? When you set out to create a planning system, what exactly did you have in mind? Here are a few questions that may help you figure out your intentions:

• What sort of experience do you want with it? You need to be realistic about this-- I like to draw and doodle and make things look pretty, but when it comes down to getting tasks done, I can't get distracted. I need to be able to open up to the exact list or schedule I need, or to be able to see all relevant information for a task all at once. Maybe you're different, and want a more visually pleasing experience, where you feel rewarded for putting time into creating something nice.
• What do I spend a majority of time thinking about, that I don't want to spend that much time on? This could be anything, from recalling films you've watched, managing your finances, keeping track of groceries you need to pick up, juggling appointment times, etc. If you find yourself constantly thinking about something throughout the day that could be easily written down and put out of your mind, chances are that you can integrate that into your record system.
• What do I need to keep track of? You may be an athlete who has to keep track of training times, intensities, nutritional intake, etc. You may be a student who has to keep track of deadlines, class schedules/requirements, and important dates. Maybe you do freelance work and have to keep track of business finances, inventory, and administrative tasks. You might just have a long task list, have trouble remembering past events, or want to develop a specific habit, or you just got into a new hobby you'd like to learn more about, you might want to watch how your skill in a particular area develops over time, you might just really, really enjoy a TV show and want a way to talk about it or express your interest.

When I personally consider these questions, there are five main functions that I need my system to support:

1. Memory Keeping. I have a very, very hard time remembering what happened the day before and tend to only remember significantly negative events, like feeling ill, getting into arguments, getting stuck on problems at work, etc. In general, that ends up giving me a falsely negative view of the past, and oftentimes discourages me from trying new things. Recording feelings of satisfaction at completing tasks, how nice the weather was when I went out, how a snack I had tasted, or any other non-negative event not only helps me recall the rest of the events for that day, but force me to not focus on only bad things that happened.
2. Accountability. I've started trying to sleep, eat, and exercise at roughly the same time every day, in an effort to learn more about myself and what adjustments I need to make for a physically and mentally healthier lifestyle. Keeping a visual record of whether or not I did these things personally helps me develop these habits. For someone else, maybe using some sort of virtual reminder system or finding someone else to hold them accountable may work better, but I like checking off boxes and I look at my planner every day, so this works for me.
3. Trend Tracking. In a similar vein to the previous point, I'm trying to figure out what adjustments I need to make to feel better in general. For me, this means keeping track of not only whether I did something or not, but how I did something, and how that affected me later. So, I track things like my pace while doing cardio the amount of sleep and deep sleep I got, and how much protein and fiber I ate, as well as my condition the following day, so I can correlate certain things to how they make me feel.
4. Decision Fatigue/Paralysis Minimization. This is the actual "planner" part of my system. I'm really bad at making decisions quickly, and I often have trouble managing my time as a result. This leads to me getting tired quickly, feeling guilty when I can't seem to get things done, or avoiding tasks altogether because I eventually unconsciously decide not to do anything at all. I need to be able to create a schedule and task list that I can use to determine what to do next.
5. Brain Dumping. When I have too many unrelated thoughts in my head, I'm totally unable to focus on the task at hand, and knowing that I forgot something often makes me sort of irritated or stressed. Those little stresses eventually pile up, so I need a way to record thoughts and be able to easily access them later when I have time to devote to them.

There are two more general things that question 1 prompts me to adhere to. 1) I don't want to get distracted by my planner. That means I shouldn't include distracting graphics and that I shouldn't have to flip between pages too much. 2) I also don't ever really need to plan more than a week in advance-- it just happens that plans often change or are made only a couple weeks in advance, and that I'm not really good at thinking over the long term. I just want to be able to look at what's going on this week, and then look at what I should do for the day.

Step 2: Designing your system according to its purpose

Some people can just pick up a planner with a pre-printed template and use it-- those templates are popular for a reason, after all. Some people can also just pick up a bike and ride it, and other people have to raise the seat and shift the gears and adjust the breaks first. When looking at pre-made planning systems, see if they align with what you discovered you needed in Step 1. If they don't, you need to think about adding something else to supplement it, or, if that doesn't work, creating something yourself.

This can obviously be kind of tricky, so I'll briefly describe my process.

• I realized that I didn't like pre-printed planners because I constantly ran out of space, or the layout didn't allow me to see everything I wanted to at once. So, I bought a grid notebook and designed two layouts, a weekly and daily spread, that was easy to draw up myself. Having a blank notebook meant that I could make any page whatever I wanted it to be, so I could use up as many pages for brain dumping for the day as I wanted, without running into the next week or something.
• Being able to design layouts meant that I could control what I saw on what pages. I made a weekly spread over two pages that showed me all my trends and habit trackers and events for the day, and a daily spread that gave me space to block my time in a way that I could quickly understand at a glance, and record specific notes for specific tasks right beside that time block.
• I started usng page numbers/tabs. There are some things, like large, catch-all to-do lists with no deadlines (i.e. things you would only do if you had the time, or if you had the means to get around to them), references pages (I play Yugioh so I write down info about my deck builds, I also experiment with recipes that I go back and reference, I like to look back at things I've watched or games I've played when people ask for recommendations, I even take notes while reading academic papers in my notebook...), and large goals (i.e. New Year's resolutions) or routines, which are nice to look back on regularly, which I can access via tab or page number. I also use a special colored tab for the current week's spread, and the built in bookmark to mark the current day's spread.
• I still needed some sort of longer-term planner, but it had to be more flexible, since plans often change in my own personal life, so I use Google Calendar (which I can share with my husband so we have a good overview of both of our major events).

You might be perfectly fine using a pre-printed planner alone, or using a to-do list app for daily tasks and an online calendar for long term tasks, putting a pen to paper and just freeform journaling about everything, or even using a blank notebook and scrapbooking your heart out! It obviously takes time to get used to using and maintaining a record system.

Step 3: Maintaining your system

If you can't sustain a system, then it's not working for you, even if it manages to fulfill all of your other requirements perfectly. If you're drawing your own layouts and the overhead to create them is too large, maybe consider scaling down, looking for the perfect pre-made planner, trying printables in a binder-type notebook, or creating your own templates that you can print out. If you can't find anything you need in your system, maybe you need to separate it into smaller parts, or consider creating a navigation system, like using tabs or page numbers like I did. If you just forget or don't have time to keep updating a planner, consider more automated methods like using a virtual calendar/to-do list where you can schedule recurring tasks, and use widgets to quickly log information.

I personally draw out my weekly layout on the weekend, referencing Google Calendar/Canvas for events and deadlines, and then each morning I spend about 15-20 minutes scheduling my day while I eat breakfast. I fill out pages throughout the day, usually when I need to write something down because I can't think about it at the moment, because I need to process something that happened, or because I just feel like doodling or talking about something.

I also reference pages constantly, when I'm cooking, playing games, if I feel extra tired or sick and want to figure out why, or if I just want to remember what I did yesterday. I always know what I should be doing at a given point in time (whether or not I'm doing it is another matter), and I feel less stressed out knowing that all my thoughts are logged and all my tasks can get done at the end of the day. I think the fact that I reference my system constantly, that it alleviates stress, and that I can use it efficiently means that it works for me.