Treatments

WOW: ILSO Super Melting Sebum Softener

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I explored SO much in my early days of discovering beauty and skincare, I don’t encounter too many products that blow me away these days. But I had a chance to try a new K-Beauty product that blew me away: ILSO Super Melting Sebum Softener.

Managing Sebaceous Filaments

I’ve talked about sebaceous filaments a lot on this blog. I’ve derided Biore strips and similar products. I find that managing them with a good cleansing routine, a silicone facial cleansing brush or washcloth (yes, a washcloth) keeps them sufficiently in check.

ILSO Super Melting Sebum Softener (long, name, I know – we love them here) is a thin, watery solution in a twist-top dispenser bottle. I got the kit linked above, which comes with some thin woven cotton pads. You saturate those pads with the solution and then lay onto your skin in your target area ensuring good contact with your skin. It is easy and not messy.

Then, do something else for ten minutes. When those ten minutes are up, you remove the saturated strip and go about your extractions. ILSO sells the pusher/scraper tool for this separately (it came in my kit), but they mention that you can alternatively use cotton swabs. I used a metal extraction tool I already had since I wasn’t (yet) sure how to use the tool.

ILSO Super Melting Sebum Softener Blew My Mind

And oh my god, the amount of stuff that just glided off my skin with no pressure! I was and am awestruck. Normally, when I do extractions even with steam, I have to apply some pressure with my tools or use tweezers to remove individual sebaceous filaments. Not so with this.

I saw some other reviews wondering if the stuff that comes away is just the product. No – it isn’t. I know. It is night and day.

Now, I will say that it may not be for everyone. My sebaceous filaments tend to slightly firm up and I can feel them if I touch my nose. I can often tweeze and remove them (and often do as part of how I manage them). That isn’t the case for everyone. If it isn’t for you, then this might not blow your mind.

I’m super curious about whether this could have any impact on keratosis pilaris. That’s next on my list to try, and I’ll report back on that.

Price

This is a pricier product in my lineup these days – but it is outstanding at its stated use case.

The kit I got is currently nearly $40, but that comes with the tool. If you don’t want the tool or are restocking, it is around $25. Their strips are convenient, but if you run out of those before you run out of the solution, you can buy more or just use thin cotton pads like these, which I keep on hand to use for nail polish remover.

The Bottom Line

My nose is eerily smooth even two days later. It’s hard not to want to touch it in disbelief. I don’t yet know how frequently I will use this, but I suspect around 1-2x per month. I’ll report back if that estimate is wrong. Even if it is once a week it is incredible! I also expect this bottle to last me at least 6 months.

My Experience with Nurx

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My Experience with Nurx

I’ve been using retinoids for over a year now. Earlier this year, I switched away from OTC retinol products in favor of Rx products. This means you need to talk to a doctor, ideally a dermatologist. But I wasn’t due for my skin check yet, and I was impatient.

After researching a few telehealth options, I decided to try Nurx. TL;DR – I’m still using them, so clearly it’s a positive experience.

High Level Summary

  • Simple sign-up process
  • Access to responsive dermatologists and Rx retinoids via telehealth
  • Personalized treatment based on skin concerns and medical history
  • Assistance in dealing with insurance for prescription approval
  • Convenient one-stop shop for evaluation, prescription, and dispensing

First Impressions Signing up with Nurx

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How Retinoids Changed my Skin Routine

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Retinoids Changed my Skin Routine

I shared that I stopped using OTC retinol products after learning how they lose potency fast. I switched to a prescription retinoid, Tretinoin, which has extensive research and time in the market behind it. It works, and it remains stable over its shelf life – which is more than can be said by cosmetic OTC retinols.

I expected to see improved results over, say, Paula’s Choice, Inkey List, or InnBeauty. But retinoids changed my skin routine in ways I didn’t expect, too.

Retinoids Changed my Skin Routine – Fewer Steps, Fewer Products

When you’re incorporating a serious retinoid into your routine, best practice is to discontinue all other treatments to give your skin time to adjust. I pared back to the basics: cleanse, moisturize, retinoid, sunscreen. No acids, no toners, no treatments or whatsoever else. I did reincorporate Vitamin C in the morning, which I previously used, once I had adjusted.

A typical skincare day looks like this:

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I Quit OTC Retinol, and So Should You

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I quit OTC retinol and so should you

Last year, I shared that I incorporated retinol into my skincare routine. If you’re a beauty enthusiast, chances are you’ve heard about the benefits of retinoids for your skin. Retinoids are a type of vitamin A derivative that can help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots, and improve skin texture. However, not all retinoid products are created equal.

I have since quit OTC retinol products that you might buy from Sephora or the drugstore (…or, anywhere, really). If you use over-the-counter retinol products, you should quit them too – and I’ll dig into why below.

First, I covered it a bit in this post, but let’s revisit difference between retinol and retinoids:

The Difference Between Retinol and Retinoids

Retinol is a type of retinoid that is available OTC in skincare products. Retinoids, on the other hand, are available in both OTC and prescription-strength products. Prescription-strength retinoids, such as tretinoin and adapalene (which is available OTC now but was previously Rx-only), are more potent and effective than OTC retinol.

The Problem with OTC Retinol Products

One of the biggest problems with OTC retinol products is that they may not maintain their potency over their shelf life.

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I Started Using Retinol

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I haven’t had anything against the vitamin A derivative, but it wasn’t until this year that I started using retinol. I didn’t have any hang-ups about products conventionally seen as, “anti-aging,” but I also didn’t see the point until this year.

But first, a brief but important aside:

No one NEEDS anti-aging products. No one NEEDS products at all, for that matter. I, however, am:

  • vain
  • at ease with that

That said, don’t just accept fake, “needs,” created for you by companies to get you to buy things. Do some critical introspection. Do you think you need to buy it because you’ve been heavily targeted by advertising? Do you think you need to buy it because of bullshit you see on Instagram?

What I Learned about Retinol

I always thought it was over-the-top when 20-year-olds would cite wrinkle concerns and douse themselves in retinol or retinoids. Especially, you know, when they weren’t taking sun safety seriously.

For ages, I thought retinol was primarily an anti-aging product. Though it is often used that way, it is just as much (if not more!) a tool to manage acne and other skin conditions – so young people do have uses for retinol or retinoids beyond anti-aging purposes.

For example, dermatologists commonly prescribe retinoids like Retin-A (tretinoin) which is a topical, Accutane (isotretinoin) which is an oral medication, to manage acne and psoriasis. There’s also Differin (adapalene), which is another form that I understand to formerly have been by-prescription-only. It is now available more accessibly over-the-counter.

Beyond that, there are hundreds of other retinol-based products out there.

Wait, Retinol or Retinoid?

That’s a good question. Both refer to a classification of vitamin A derivatives that are used in the way I’m describing for skincare.

Generally, if a doctor is prescribing it, it’s a retinoid (though Differin is also a retinoid). They are stronger and tend to take effect faster, but the trade-off is that the strength can cause sensitivity and irritation.

Retinol is not as strong, but people tend to tolerate it better without irritation – hence its broad availability over-the-counter. Generally, retinol products are formulated with other ingredients that help either soothe potential irritation or reduce steps (i.e., a moisturizer that has retinol in it to kill two birds with one stone).

Usage

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SO COOL: Dieux Forever Eye Mask

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The sheet mask trend has completely missed me. What value is having a sheet on my face? It seems wasteful; I’d rather just slather the product on. But although the sheet mask trend isn’t for me, the little swoop eye masks are not only relevant to my interests but a fairly important part of not looking quite so … zombified. So learning about the Dieux Forever Eye Mask blew my mind.

Over the years, I’ve been working towards a more mindful approach to my consumption and use of disposables. I no longer use makeup wipes, have drastically reduced my use of disposable cotton, and done several other things to lower my beauty waste. Under-eye masks, however, didn’t have a good swap or alternative, though – until now.

The Dieux Forever Eye Mask

What makes these eye masks so great?

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