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Author · Simone Okafor

Simone Okafor spent six years reporting on consumer health before she started writing about skin. She reads the study before the claim, and says out loud what she could not verify.

What Changes in Skin When the Climate Changes Fast - seasonal skin
Seasonal Skin

What Changes in Skin When the Climate Changes Fast

A flight from a humid city to a dry mountain town compresses a season's worth of adjustment into a couple of days.…

Vitamin C Forms and Why Stability Is the Real Issue - ingredients explained
Ingredients Explained

Vitamin C Forms and Why Stability Is the Real Issue

Vitamin C is sold under several different chemical names, and the differences between them are less about which is strongest and more…

The Signs You Are Over-Cleansing, and Why the Skin Often Reads Backward - cleansing & washing
Cleansing & Washing

The Signs You Are Over-Cleansing, and Why the Skin Often Reads Backward

Over-cleansing frequently produces symptoms that look like the opposite problem: more oil, more breakouts, more sensitivity. Here is how to tell the…

What SPF and PA Numbers Actually Mean - sun & daily protection
Sun & Daily Protection

What SPF and PA Numbers Actually Mean

SPF and PA measure two different kinds of sun exposure, and the labels are easy to misread. Here is what the numbers…

The Minimum Viable Skincare Routine - skin basics
Skin Basics

The Minimum Viable Skincare Routine

Most routines are longer than they need to be. Here is what dermatology considers the actual baseline, and why adding steps beyond…

Common Skin Basics Myths Worth Retiring - skin basics
Skin Basics

Common Skin Basics Myths Worth Retiring

A handful of ideas about how skin works keep circulating despite not holding up. Here are the most common ones, and what…

What a Skin Rest Day Actually Does - bare face days
Bare Face Days

What a Skin Rest Day Actually Does

A day without makeup is often described as a reset. Here is what changes on the skin during that time, and what…

Niacinamide: What It Does and Does Not Do - ingredients explained
Ingredients Explained

Niacinamide: What It Does and Does Not Do

Niacinamide gets described as a fix for almost everything, from oil control to pigment to barrier repair. Some of that reputation holds…

How Much Sunscreen You Actually Need - sun & daily protection
Sun & Daily Protection

How Much Sunscreen You Actually Need

Most people apply a fraction of the sunscreen a bottle's SPF rating assumes. Here is what a full-face amount actually looks like.