For decades, the retail landscape has transformed, having to reckon with its impact on the environment, health, and safety. Often, it has symbolized the political conversation and represented a way to vote with our dollars. This has never been more true than with the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022. Abortion rights became front and center on the ballot, and the beauty industry started to pay attention.

The beauty space as we know it today is rife with misinformation. We often repeatedly hear the same myths – perpetuated by influencers and brands to support their marketing efforts or brand positioning. We're here to set the record straight – read on to learn the truth behind some of the most pervasive misconceptions in beauty.

With record-breaking temps across the country and smoky atmospheres due to wildfires in places like California (where we're based), the Skindie team has noticed increasingly unpredictable changes in our skin – including dryness and more breakouts of conditions like rosacea. A variety of environmental stressors seem to be catching up to us. Is it climate change, or just Autumn?

We don’t know what we love more – the founding story behind Burt’s Bees or their original, tried-and-true lip balm. Did you know the brand was founded in the early 1980s in Maine by Burt Shavitx and Roxanne Quimby? Both were former city dwellers (Manhattan and San Francisco) until Burt established a honey business in The Pine Tree State and they met by chance. In 1984 they started creating beeswax-based products like candles and then lip balm in 1991.

It’s Skin Cancer Awareness Month! With the summer season approaching and the continued spotlight on sunscreen in beauty routines, there are more face sunscreens to choose from than ever — especially sheer and tinted mineral SPFs. While clean beauty diehards have long-preferred these, they have not always provided the best user experience or catered well to skin of color. With recent safety concerns raised about chemical sunscreens, the demand for sheer mineral sunscreens has increased. So while chemical formulas were typically the gold-standard for sheerness that left no white cast on the skin, a new guard of mineral SPFs changes that. So as you get ready for some fun in the sun, here’s an overview of this expanding category as well as a round-up of our current faves.

South Asian beauty or Indian (I-beauty), as some like to call it, is having a well deserved moment right now in the US (we’ll be referring to South Asian-owned brands founded here in the States). Many of these brands are rooted in Ayurveda — an ancient system of medicine and healing — or associated with the vibrancy and diversity of South Asian culture. Given the increasing prevalence of brands that speak to skin of color and inclusion efforts in the beauty industry, this movement is positioned to become a formidable trend in the coming years (especially since it tends to align with the values of the clean beauty movement). In fact, the global Ayurvedic products market is set to more than triple in growth to reach $14.9 billion by 2026.

For every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction. The same goes for skincare. As the category exploded over the last several years with extravagant claims and storytelling, a backlash also ensued, calling for a return to the minimalist skincare of our youth. In our issue on back-to-basics skincare, we mentioned some products that we had in our arsenals back in the day (like Oil of Olay and Clean & Clear). As a follow-up, we wanted to share a round-up of drugstore OGs whose performance and appeal have stood the test of beauty time with over sixty years in the business.

Besides product classifications based on gender, the majority of the skincare industry is predicated on skin typing. Where do you fall on the Fitzpatrick scale? Are you dry, oily, combo, or sensitive? These systems often dictate our entire approach to skin care and were created to help us make better, smarter decisions when it comes to the care and treatment of our skin. But when we’re talking about our skincare products specifically, are the ones based on skin type significantly different?

Hydration vs. moisturization is an ongoing topic of conversation in the skincare world. Social media influencers like Dr. Anjali Mahto, Hyram, and Susan Yara have all shed some light on the subject (showcasing varying degrees of technical prowess), while many beauty/lifestyle media platforms have done the same. Given it’s winter time and this theme is top of mind for many of us, we want to get our word out on the matter, too.

Boo! Spooked by the sight of a fellow skindie unexpectedly donning a sheet mask? Whether it’s on IG or a viral video, masks have a visual appeal that makes them irresistible (like the OG GlamGlow or Boscia peel-off Luminizing Black Mask) and are also a self-care go-to. They’re a noun, they’re a verb (including multi-masking!) — they’re everywhere. This Halloween, whether we’re tagging our masks for #selfcaresunday or for a costume, let’s take a look at what they do and if we really need them.

This is our first-ever edition of product recs. We tested a lot (a lot) of new product but only four made the cut. We asked ourselves three questions: Is it a unique formula? Does it work? And do we like using it?

What’s your number? And by that we mean...how many products are in your current skincare routine?! Whether you’re a beauty junkie or a minimalist, everyone seems confused about how to approach their skincare — even Lilly Singh. There was a time when drugstore brands like Noxzema and Neutrogena reigned supreme, Clinique was almost a luxury, and even though Baz Luhrmann’s wear sunscreen song was a hit, there was no actual sunscreen shaming in sight. As we approach Fall/Winter and make some tweaks to our routines, we’re craving the simplicity of Dr. Dray’s 90s skincare routine and wondering how it all got so complicated.

For some of us, the end-of-summer blues has officially kicked in along with some unwelcome changes in our skin if you’ve spent prolonged periods of time outdoors. The result of frequent sun exposure can manifest as pesky dark spots, among other things. Even for the most dedicated SPF-wearers. Whether sun-induced, ghosts of acne past, or other, hyperpigmentation can be extremely stubborn.

Boy Brow...the stuff of legend that needs no introduction. Two words that are synonymous with the name Glossier and equally recognizable alone; the pièce de résistance of their easy-to-use, no fuss makeup line. Inspired by a classic pomade, Boy Brow gives brows a soft, flexible hold in a few easy swipes, and fills in sparse brows with a touch of color for a natural brow look. All without stiffening or flaking.