Skin care
Ingredients, textures and care routines, with clear limits and safety guidance.
Pick a guide below. Each one explains what to look for and how to use the product safely. It also says when to ask a doctor or other expert first. Sources are listed at the end of every guide.
Guides in this section
Acne Patches: How They Work and How to Choose the Right Ones
How acne patches work: hydrocolloid patches absorb fluid from open pimples and stop picking. Which type to choose, how…
Body Lotion: How to Choose One for Dry or Sensitive Skin
How to choose a body lotion: ingredients dermatologists name for dry skin, lotion vs cream, fragrance-free labels, and…
Body Oil: How to Choose the Right Oil for Your Skin
How to choose a body oil: which plant oils research favors for dry skin, why olive oil may be a poor pick, fragrance…
Collagen Face Mask: What Hydrogel Masks Can and Cannot Do
Collagen face masks and overnight hydrogel masks can hydrate, but Mayo Clinic says collagen cannot be absorbed through…
Disposable Face Towels: Are They Worth It and How to Choose
Disposable face towels give you a clean towel every wash. Who they suit, what to look for (soft, unscented, thick) and…
Exfoliating Toner Pads: How to Choose Gentle, Safe Ones
How to choose exfoliating toner pads: AHA vs BHA, picks for oily or sensitive skin, FDA strength and pH guidance, sun…
Hypochlorous Acid Spray for Face and Skin: How to Choose One
Hypochlorous acid spray for face and skin: what the research shows, how to read the label, pH and storage, and why skin…
More guides
Calamine Lotion: Uses, How to Apply It and When to Skip It
What calamine lotion is, what it is used for (poison ivy, bug bites, chickenpox, heat rash), how to apply it, label…
Eye Cream: How to Choose for Bags, Dark Circles or Wrinkles
How to choose an eye cream by concern: caffeine for puffiness, retinol or bakuchiol for fine lines, vitamin C…
Facial Moisturizer: How to Choose by Skin Type
How to choose a facial moisturizer: gel, lotion or cream by skin type, ceramides and hyaluronic acid, SPF 30 for…
Vitamin C Serum: How to Choose Strength, Form and Packaging
Choose vitamin C serum by form, concentration and packaging. Understand the evidence, patch testing, irritation…
Aloe Vera Gel: Sunburn, Burns, Face and How to Choose One
Compare aloe vera gel and lotion for sunburn comfort, face and body use. Check ingredients, medicated formulas and…
Acne Spot Treatment: Benzoyl Peroxide, Salicylic Acid, Adapalene
Acne spot treatment guide: benzoyl peroxide vs salicylic acid vs adapalene, how often to apply, why one medication at a…
At-Home Microdermabrasion Device: Who Should Skip It, How to Use
At-home microdermabrasion guide: how home kits differ from a dermatologist's treatment, who should skip them, side…
Benzoyl Peroxide Wash: 4%, 5% or 10% and How to Use It
Benzoyl peroxide wash guide: choosing 4%, 5% or 10%, the 2 to 5 minute contact trick for back acne, bleaching, dryness…
Clay Mask: Who It Suits, How Long to Leave It On, What to Buy
Clay mask guide: what kaolin and bentonite do for oily skin, how long to leave a mask on, how often to use it…
Colloidal Oatmeal Lotion: 1% vs 2%, Lotion vs Bath Soak
Colloidal oatmeal lotion explained: what the skin protectant label covers, 1% vs 2% formulas, lotion vs oatmeal bath…
Dark Spot Corrector: Ingredients That Work and How Long It Takes
Dark spot corrector guide: AAD-listed fading ingredients, tinted sunscreen with iron oxide, how long fading takes, and…
Eczema Cream: Moisturizer, Colloidal Oatmeal or Hydrocortisone
Eczema cream guide: what NIAMS says about moisturizing, colloidal oatmeal skin protectants, 1% hydrocortisone limits…
Facial Cleanser: How to Pick One for Your Skin and Wash Right
Facial cleanser guide: what dermatologists say to look for, hydrating vs foaming formulas, sensitive skin picks, and…
Facial Steamer: Who Should Use One, How Long and How Often
Facial steamer guide: what steam does for skin, who should skip it, 10-minute sessions, how often by skin type, hot…
Hydrocortisone Cream 1%: Uses, How Often and When Not to Use It
Hydrocortisone cream 1% explained: what the label covers, how often to apply, the 7-day limit, children under 2, diaper…
Mineral Sunscreen: Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide and How to Use It
Mineral sunscreen explained: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, who dermatologists suggest it for, SPF 30 and water…
Niacinamide Serum: What It Does, How to Use It and What to Buy
Niacinamide serum explained: what vitamin B3 does for skin, 10% vs 5% formulas, zinc, morning and night use, patch…
Night Cream: Do You Need One and How to Choose It
Night cream guide: what a night moisturizer adds, AAD tips on skin type, labels and patch testing, realistic results…
Psoriasis Cream: Salicylic Acid, Coal Tar or Hydrocortisone
Psoriasis cream guide: over-the-counter salicylic acid, coal tar and 1% hydrocortisone, how often to apply, sun…
Retinol Serum: How to Start, Strengths and Who Should Skip It
Retinol serum guide: what retinol does, starting slowly at night, strengths from 0.2% to 1%, sun protection…
Silicone Scar Gel: Does It Work, When to Start and How Long
Silicone scar gel guide: what reviews of trials found, gel vs sheets, when to start after a wound closes, how long to…
Stretch Mark Cream: What Works, What Doesn't, and Pregnancy
Stretch mark cream guide: what a Cochrane review found on prevention, why cocoa butter falls short, retinol and…
Tattoo Aftercare Balm: How to Care for a New Tattoo
Tattoo aftercare guide: washing twice a day, a mild moisturizer or balm, sun and swimming rules, signs of infection or…
Wart Remover: Salicylic Acid, Pads, Duct Tape or Freezing
Wart remover guide: salicylic acid liquids, gels and pads, duct tape, at-home freezing, how long to treat, who should…
Cold Sore Cream: Abreva (Docosanol) vs Lidocaine Pain Relief
Cold sore creams compared from Abreva labels: docosanol 10% to shorten outbreaks vs lidocaine gel for pain, when to…
Hyaluronic Acid Serum: What It Does, Research and How to Use
Hyaluronic acid serum explained: what a 60-day study found on hydration and wrinkles, molecular weights, two serums…
Lip Balm with SPF: SPF 15 vs 30, Reapplying and Sunscreen Labels
Lip balm with SPF explained from ChapStick and Aquaphor labels: sunscreen ingredients, SPF 15 vs 30, reapplying every 2…
Salicylic Acid Cleanser: 2% Acne Washes Compared
Salicylic acid cleansers compared from drug labels: 2% acne washes from Neutrogena, CeraVe and The Inkey List, how…