You know those memes about how being a grown-up means having a favorite dish towel or a strong opinion on top sheets? For me, the beauty version of adulting is when you stop looking at pastel-packaged products that smell like fruity flowers and instead get excited about the percentage of actives in the boring, science-backed stuff. (It’s when you go from shopping at Ulta to shopping at Dermstore, basically.)<\/p>
I know that my “top shelf” wouldn’t make for a very aesthetically pleasing Into the Gloss feature—it’s a sea of silver and white bottles by brands that have clinical<\/em>, Rx<\/em>, or MD <\/em>in the name—but lately, it has given me very aesthetically pleasing skin, which is nearly impossible for a dry type to achieve in an East Coast winter situation. It’s the first December I can remember when my skin isn’t flaking around my nose, cracking under foundation, and feeling tight after cleansing—and I credit that to Sobel Skin Rx<\/a>, the newly launched line by New York City dermatologist Dr. Howard Sobel<\/a>. <\/p> The eight-product collection includes a glycolic cleanser and peel, day cream with SPF, eye cream, niacinamide serum, vitamin C serum, retinol treatment, and hyaluronic acid moisturizer. I’ve been using all of them for more than a month now, but if forced to pick favorites, the latter three have made the biggest difference in my tone, texture, and moisture levels. <\/p>