Which Retinol Creams of 2017 is Look Younger Fast?

When I was in my 40s, I was struggling with adult acne and a few of those sneaky little fine forehead lines, despite my somewhat oily skin. Naturally, when my peroxide cream didn't do the trick, I headed straight for the dermatologist in search of a good solution. She sent me packing with a prescription for Retin A. Wow – that stuff was harsh on my skin at first, but it did have a dramatic impact, clearing up my little pimple issue in short order. Plus, I got tons of compliments on my skin, which really did look years younger. Always a bonus.

Fast forward a decade, plus a few years. My skin isn't quite as oily, and I do still suffer from the occasional breakout. Worse yet, I can see the evidence from decades of playing outdoors, often without adequate sunscreen. The result? I've got a lot more fine lines, some honest, well-earned wrinkles and a bit of uneven pigmentation. Knowing I need to use moisturizer, I've tried lots of products. But I've really started to research more about those that are effective at defending my skin from more environmental assaults, and also repairing the damage I've got.

I've learned there are three key ingredients to keeping your skin looking young and healthy, and reversing that ticking time clock; retinol, niacinamide and reservatrol. While there are lots of pretenders out there claiming to be the fountain of youth, from stem cells and collagen to exotic botanicals, the big three actually have the science behind the beauty claims. Retinol, a vitamin A derivative, is really the power hitter when it comes to anti-aging benefits. When the collagen in your skin begins to break down, you'll notice more sagging and lack of elasticity. Retinol actually helps to stimulate collagen production, which makes your skin smoother and firmer, while at the same time, diminishing the appearance fine lines. We all want that, right?

A few of the retinol creams reviewed in this post, like those by StriVectin and PCA SKIN, have formulations that also include the second heavy hitter, niacinamide. A form of vitamin B3, this key ingredient is a powerful way to tackle excess pigmentation and brown spots. In fact, it even helps to block the production of melanin so those spots become less likely to happen. None of the creams reviewed list reservatrol, a powerful antioxidant, in their ingredient lists, but for the most part, all of them do include some antioxidants.

I was in for a little shell shock when I first started shopping. Many retinol creams cost a whole lot of money for the tiniest of tubes. When you're talking about a product that's going to be a part of your daily beauty regimen, that seems hard to wrap your head around. Of course, if you're not spending hundreds on botox treatments every few months, or thousands on a face lift, the price seems pretty worth it for great looking skin. And not all retinol creams are budget busters. We've included many highly rated, well-priced options on this list.

Retinol, similar to that prescription I once used, can be drying, especially at first. While most formulations include hydrating hyaluronic acid, shea butter and jojoba oil to combat that effect, lots of people choose to use their retinol cream on alternating days, or just a couple of times per week. For acne prone skin it's an especially effective tool that may initially cause you to break out, but then clear up in rather amazing fashion. Retinol creams are a terrific weapon to add to your skin care arsenal, no matter your age or gender. Along with a commitment to impeccable daily cleansing, moisturizing and sunscreen, they can take years off your face and leave your skin looking gorgeous for the long haul.

Which Cuticle Removers Is Right for You?

Total honesty: my cuticles are constant struggle. They itch, snag, bleed, and overall aren't very photogenic in their natural state. Prior to getting into nail art, they were an absolute mess, but stamping pretty designs on my nails definitely motivated me to show them off more. And I haven't found an Instagram filter yet that masks red, ragged cuticles, but I have found a couple of tricks that keep my hands looking sleek and tidy.

Cuticle removers are actually pretty controversial. While most of us would rather our cuticles got out of the way of our nail polish, they do serve a purpose by protecting your body from infection. So there are a couple of schools of thought. One is that you should leave your cuticles alone to do their job and just accept your manicures won't last as long. Another is that it's okay to push your cuticles up, but never cut them. And then there's the position that cuticles must go by any means necessary. Only you can decide what's best for your health and your hands. My feeling is that if you're bleeding, you need a different approach.

What's a cuticle?

Funny story, what most people think of as their cuticle actually isn't. The transition between your nail and your finger is made up of three parts: your nail matrix, eponychium, and cuticle. The nail matrix is the part you can't see. It sits below the surface of your skin and does the heavy lifting of growing your nails. The eponychium is what many people think of as their cuticles. This is the lip of skin that touches your fingernail. It's the part of your nail that's prone to hangnails and splitting in when particularly dry.

Your eponychium is constantly shedding dead skin cells (like rest of your body) but these dead skin cells are shed down onto your fingernail forming a coating of dead skin that bridges the gap between eponychium and your nail plate. That's your cuticle: the layer of dead skin that forms over the top quarter or so of your fingernail.

What did cuticles ever do to you?

There are so many products and methods to remove, push, nip, cut your cuticles because the key to a long lasting manicure is having nothing between your nail and your nail polish. If you paint over your cuticle, your polish will look lumpy and chip much faster. There isn't strictly a health reason to remove your cuticles if the way they look doesn't bother you, unless they snag and tear on things like mine do.

How do cuticle removers work?

It depends on the brand, but for the most part cuticle removers use a substance with a very high pH to weaken the structure of the dead skin. Anyone who has poked at their cuticles with an orange stick or cuticle pusher tool knows those little buggers are tougher than they look and cuticle removers make them easier to push back.

A pH scale refresher. It's a scale of one to 14 where seven is completely neutral. The lower the number the more acidic a chemical is and the higher the number the more base a chemical is. And the more excited you are about pumpkin spice lattes, the more basic you are. (Just kidding, there's nothing wrong with liking a coffee flavor. You do you, friend.) Some examples: cola has a pH of 3, water has a pH of 7, and bleach has a pH of 13.

Cuticle removers use chemicals (like sodium hydroxide) with a pH between 11 and 13 to dissolve skin cells. So, yes, cuticle removers are there to dissolve and break down skin cells. These aren't standard hand creams and you need to wash them off with soap and water when they've done their job. They won't discriminate between live and dead skin cells so make sure you read the instructions and follow them. Sodium hydroxide is also known as lye. You've seen Fight Club. Follow the instructions.

I'm freaked out now.

Don't be.

Just like chemical peels, it sounds way scarier than it really is. Soapy water has a pH of 12. If you leave your hands in soap for too long, your skin won't be happy either, but you use that every day. The alternative to using cuticle removers is to use a sharp tool to cut or scrape them off. More often than not, this creates an open wound which leaves you vulnerable to infections of bacteria, viruses, and nail fungus. Softening your cuticles and pushing them back is actually safer.

Plus, some cuticle removers are gentler than others and I'll break down which products are high powered and which are mild. Instead of high pH bases, some removers use acids which also break down dead skin cells. As I wrote about in my best body peels article, alpha hydroxy acids (AHA's) and beta hydroxy acids (BHA's) are acids derived from food that break apart the bonds of dead skin gently so they are easier to shed. I read the ingredient lists for you so can decide which method is best for you.

How to get photo-ready nails.

Cuticle removers and quality manicure tools. Cuticle removers are a good start to help give you clean, polish-ready nails. General recommendations are to push the softened cuticles back with an orange stick or cuticle pusher instead of cutting them with nippers, but it's your call. You can find great sets of tools of both kinds by reading my guide to the best manicure sets and kits. Having or giving yourself regular manicures will keep your nails and cuticles in trim shape so they're less likely to break or snag.

Cuticle remover tip: Do one hand at a time, that way you have better control of how long the product is sitting on your fingers.

Cuticle oil. Your nails are thirsty, particularly after using cuticle remover, and you'll want to moisturize your nail plate and eponychium to keep them from drying out. Dry nails are brittle nails and don't have that glossy shine. Cuticle oils are highly concentrated and often contain vitamins and botanicals targeted for nail health. Read my guide to the best cuticle oils and creams for more information.

Hand cream. Cuticle oils are intensely concentrated and not meant to be used more than a couple times a day. If your job is hard on your hands or you need to wash your hands a lot, your nails can dry out fast. Hand creams are thicker and more hydrating than regular lotion and are great to be used anytime as needed. I'm currently using Antica Farmacista's Hand Cream in Lemon, Verbena & Cedar. You can find more great creams in my best luxury hand creams guide.

Strentheners. Lastly, you want to make sure you are nourishing your nails from the inside–that's where they're coming from after all. There are treatments that soak into your fingertips and supplements that help give your body the building blocks to grow stronger, healthier, longer nails. For more details check out my guide to the best products to grow nails fast.

Best Under Eye Concealers

Dark circles and puffy eyes don't only happen after a late night bar crawl. For some of us it's everyday no matter how much beauty rest we get. We all get them as we age, but how early they crop up has everything to do with genetics. It can be difficult to choose the right concealer and you can really tell when you've chosen the wrong one. There's color to think of and which formula is right for your skin type. I'll go over all that so you can see what your skin needs to look smooth and refreshed.

What causes dark circles and puffy eyes?

They're two entirely different problems and so you'll need a different concealer type depending on if your eyes are puffy or dark or both. Puffiness under eyes is generally the result of swelling from things like crying, water retention, alcohol consumption, or aging. If puffiness is a big issue for you try to cut back on your salt intake and skip the cocktails, but I'll never tell anyone, of any gender, to skip crying. That's what concealer's for. As we age, the skin, tissues, and muscles around our eyes weaken and no longer keep their proper shape. That's why as we get older, we develop bags as the normal fat cushion around our eyes settles lower than it used to be. When your under eyes are swollen, you need a concealer that's one to two shades darker than your normal skin tone to visually push the puffiness back into place.

Dark circles have everything to do with how thin the skin around your eyes is. The skin of your eye area is under half as thick as the rest of you body, with your eyelids being the thinnest part of your skin over all. When your eyes look dark, it's because the blood vessels around your eyes are visible through your skin. Those predisposed to very thin skin around their eyes are going to have darker circles. It's not all genetics though. When you're stressed and overtired, increased blood volume and high blood pressure make those blood vessels even more prominent. So concealer is a great fix, but self-care is also great. Dark circles make your eyes look like they are pushed farther back so you need a concealer one to two shades lighter than your skin tone to bring them forward.

How to choose an under eye concealer.

Whatever you're concealing, you want to choose a shade that is the opposite color of your problem area. Reach back to your knowledge of the magic of the color wheel from when you were a kid. Green is the opposite of red. If inflamed blemishes are your issue, choose a concealer with a greenish hue. Also check out my guide to the best acne spot treatments to really make that zit disappear.

Find some natural light and take a good look at your skin–florescent bulbs always throw your skin color off. If your dark circles are blueish, go with an orangey concealer. If your eyes look bruised and purple, a yellow tinted concealer will bring you back to even. If your puffiness has a yellow tinge, go for a purple tint.

The formula you need depends on your skin type. Concealers come in liquids, creams, pencils, and sticks.

Liquid concealers are a safe bet for nearly all skin types. The only folks who should avoid liquid concealers are those with very dry skin as the liquid won't look as natural over dry skin. They're great for covering large areas, concealing fine lines, and offering a range of coverage. You can build liquids up from having sheer coverage at one layer to opaque at two or three. Don't go over that though or it can look unnatural.

Cream concealers are where dry skin wants to be. It's also a good fit for average and combination skin. They're easy to blend and provide good coverage. Creams are prone to creasing so keep that in mind if fine lines are a concern.

Pencils and sticks are super convenient. They're great for applying on the go and you don't have to worry about spilling. Because of their thicker formula, people with oily or combination skin will want to avoid these as the natural oiliness of these products could clog pores.

Techniques and tips.

Always apply eye cream first to give your make up an ideal surface to stick to.

Foundation first, concealer second. Adding foundation on top of your concealer can smudge it around to the wrong parts of your face and defeat the purpose.

If you're lightening, don't just use it in the space under your eye. Apply your under eye concealer in an upside down triangle pattern that reaches about halfway down your nose. This will brighten and lift your whole face.

Let your concealer sit before blending. Concealer tends to change change color as it warms up and reacts to the air. When you immediately blend, you're working with a product that isn't ready. It's like trying on clothes that are wet. This isn't how they're normally going to behave. Some people call this letting your face “cook.” Once the concealer has melted, blending will be easier and less likely to shift on you.

Dot, don't smear. Instead of painting the area to be concealed completely with the product, dab it on lightly and pat with a blending sponge until you have even coverage.

Set your concealer with loose setting powder for all day staying power.

Best Bridal Nail Polish Colors for Fall Weddings

I'm biased, but fall is the best season for weddings. The leaves are a riot of color and the weather is not too hot and not too cold, so you're not freezing or wishing you could acceptably get married in your bathing suit. The mild weather means menu planning is easier since you don't need to sweat over if you'll sweat while eating a hot meal like you do in summer. Plus farm-fresh, local produce is still easy to come by unlike in winter or spring. I'm excited you're getting married during the hands down best season because now I get to talk all about it.

Fall itself has three distinct seasons: September is late summer, October is fall in all its glory, and November is late harvest and early winter.

For September weddings, you can take advantage of warmer temperatures, late summer flowers, and long days. September wedding colors are cheery and warmer. Think wheat fields, chrysanthemums, and grey dawns.

The backdrop to October weddings is the gorgeous changing foliage. October wedding colors are very harvest-themed. Think dried sunflowers, pumpkins, and maple leaves. And of course, there's always the fun color palettes possible for Halloween/Samhain weddings.

November weddings are rich and jewel-toned to contrast leafless trees and cooling temperatures. Think warm family gatherings, cool sunsets, and vintage bronze.

Shopping for your wedding nail polish colors is one of the few truly stress-free shopping opportunities of your wedding planning. Polishes are cheap enough that you can pick up a few without breaking the bank and you can try them on at home however many times you want. Try doing that with wedding gowns and suits.

A good, lasting manicure needs extra protection. See my articles on the best top coats for long lasting nail polish and the best base coats for a strong foundation.

For more wedding nails tips and tricks to get your natural nails ready in time for the big day, read my guide to the best wedding nail polish colors.

If you're going for a summery look or your climate tends to run warmer in the fall, you can also check out my best bridal nail polish for summer wedding colors article.

Now, on to colors for the autumn bride!