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Why You're Probably Overwashing Your Face


I was brought up to be a germophobe. The lesson was that bacteria and germs are bad; cleanliness is good. Antibacterial soaps (which the FDA banned in 2016) were a must in our house. When I was a child, my doctors gave me a Z-Pak at the slightest chance of a cold. Even a trip to the dermatologist for breakouts meant coming home with both topical and oral antibiotics. My obsession against germs continued into my twenties. After I moved to New York City, I’d wash my hands until they were raw, trying to cleanse away the sooty grime of the city.

Turns out that the war against germs may be doing more harm to our health—and skin—than good. You’ve probably heard of superbugs, strains of bacteria that can’t be beat by antibiotics. The latest research suggests that long-term antibiotic use may be linked to a higher risk of obesity. And that squeaky-clean skin we’ve been conditioned to love? It’s on fire, says NYC dermatologist and author of The Beauty of Dirty Skin Whitney Bowe, M.D., who’s seen skin issues from rosacea to acne to eczema on the rise in her practice. So what’s up? Experts are increasingly pointing to impacts on the microbiome, the vital ecosystem of microorganisms that live in and on us. Here’s your step-by-step guide for protecting it.

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Step 1: Work from the Inside Out

Research has shown that the gut, the brain, and the skin may all be intimately connected. “If we learn to nourish and protect the bacterial components of our body,” says Dr. Bowe, we can find a connection to our skin issues. Your way to a healthy body:

Cut the junk.
Eating fried, sugary, and processed foods all the time can lead to a condition called leaky gut, whereby toxic compounds and bacteria could get into the bloodstream and cause inflammation throughout your body, including your skin, Dr. Bowe explains. Stick with plant-based, whole foods that have a low glycemic index—think fruits and veggies, leafy greens, legumes, and grains like quinoa and steel-cut oats.

Eat probiotic-rich foods.
Dr. Bowe recommends adding fermented foods such as kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi, and miso to your diet.

Consider supplements.
Look for probiotics that contain various strains of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria, and Bacillus coagulans bacteria, says Dr. Bowe.

Reduce stress.
Anxiety could also add to your skin issues. “Ongoing, chronic, slow-boil-type stress—not getting enough sleep, constant multitasking—takes a toll on our skin,” says Dr. Bowe. Early research shows that stress may impact the type of bacteria that grows in the gut, and that eating probiotic yogurt may improve skin health.

Cut back on antibiotics.
Dr. Bowe notes that while antibiotics seem like a panacea, we should be less reliant on them. Consider asking your doctor for alternatives, such as antibiotic-free topicals like retinol for acne.

Step 2: Balance your skin

In a world where eight-step cleansing routines are the new normal, it seems crazy to think that your skin was designed to take care of itself. But it was, and if you’re having skin issues, remember: More is not better. When your face is raw, irritated, and angry, it means your skin’s protective layer (a.k.a. barrier) that regulates moisture and includes the microbiome could be compromised. This may be due to a skin condition like rosacea or eczema, or it mightbe from overexfoliating or OD-ing on an intense active retinol. Your prescription for rebuilding your barrier:

Dial back on cleansing.
The focus, says San Francisco holistic skin expert Kristina Holey, should be “less sterilizing, less stripping away, and more nurturing.” Overwashing is a big no; swap out harsh cleansers for gentler creams and oils (we like Dove DermaSeries Gentle Cleansing Face Wash); skip scalding water (heat strips natural oils, which support good bacteria); and cleanse twice a day, tops. Also toss brushes that physically disturb your barrier. Your fingers are all you need.

Keep skin hydrated.
“Water is crucial for microbial growth on skin,” Dr. Bowe says, “so use products with hyaluronic acid and glycerin—things that trap moisture in skin—for a healthy microbiome.” For a finishing step, Holey suggests face oils with ceramides or fatty acids (we like Dermalogica Barrier Defense Booster).

Step 3: Boost your skin’s flora

“Generally, a healthy microbiome is one that’s diverse,” says Dr. Bowe. “You have trillions of bacteria on your skin, and ideally they should arise from many different species. When some species start to overgrow and crowd out others, that’s when certain skin issues may potentially emerge.”

Try probiotic products.
While researchers are still figuring out the scope of benefits from prebiotic and probiotic skin care, incorporating things with skin-nurturing ingredients (we like Orveda The Healing Sap, which is packed with fermented black tea) can only help your skin. As Dr. Bowe puts it, when it comes to good bugs, the more, the merrier.

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Cetaphil Extra Gentle Daily Scrub – Best Face Scrub for Daily Use


Truth be told, I’ve never been a face scrub person. I came of age just after microbeads and smashed-up shells had their heyday, plus, every dermatologist I’ve ever spoken to has said that gently exfoliating acids are the way to go. There are a few exceptions to the rule, though, and I just met the one, the only, the I-thought-it-was-impossible: a face scrub okayed by derms for daily use. So I’ve taken Cetaphil’s Extra Gentle Daily Scrub up on the claim.

I was suspicious at first. You hear a lot of claims in the beauty world, so when Dr. Melissa Levin, a board-certified dermatologist, told me she had been using it every day for the past week, I listened. I gazed at her immaculate skin; I looked in her eyes as she pledged that I could use it every day and see only good results. I then thought, “I’ll be the judge of that!” (exclamation point included), and took it home to try.

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A squirt of the clear gel looks like Cetaphil and smells like Cetaphil, plus a mildly-detectable, slightly soapy coconut scent. But as you rub it into damp skin, a fine graininess emerges. It feels a bit like a trick, since the brand is indeed not joking about it having “micro-fine particles”—they’re literally too fine for the naked eye (or at least, my eyes in contacts). But to the touch, it feels like there’s a superfine sand suspended within the gel. I’d compare it to the gentle rice powder scrubs that people rave about, like Tatcha Rice Enzyme Powder or Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant (which cost $65 and $57 respectively).

While I didn’t notice an utterly groundbreaking change in some hormonal acne that’s rudely popped up on my face, after using it regularly, my skin feels noticeably soft, closer to velvet than I’ve ever known. That’s likely also thanks to the coconut oil-derived cleansing agent that’s in the formula; combined with the gentle slough, it’s a buffing, softening, non-stripping cleanser. I can’t say I’ll be switching over from my acid power for good, but the second I see a face scrub in someone’s bathroom, I’m telling them to try this.

Cetaphil Extra Gentle Daily Scrub, $8, jet.com

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We Can Stop Wondering About Carrie Underwood's Face Now


Singer Carrie Underwood performed her new song “Cry Pretty” at the American Country Music Awards last night—which doesn’t sound like breaking news until you consider that it was her first time in the spotlight since she took a serious fall last November.

And it wasn’t just any fall: The pop star broke her wrist, got cuts, and did enough damage to her face that it merited stitches. In a post to members of her fan club, she described the extent of her injuries: “In addition to breaking my wrist, I somehow managed to injure my face as well. I’ll spare you the gruesome details, but when I came out of surgery the night of my fall, the doctor told Mike [her husband] that he had put between 40 and 50 stitches in.” She followed up several weeks later, writing: “When I am ready to get in front of a camera, I want you all to understand why I might look a bit different.”

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It’s pretty clear from both her performance and an accompanying pre-show selfie she posted that her face isn’t all that different. But that’s not the point. Because in spite of this, people are losing it over the state of her face. Headlines call her post-surgery performance a “powerful return,” and one in particular offers a “complete guide” to what they call the enduring mystery of what happened to her face. And, naturally, Twitter is alive with the sound of people sharing their opinions on the matter.

As someone whose history with Underwood spans 717 plays of “Before He Cheats,” I’m in no place to speculate why she’d preemptively share the news of her facial injuries. But it does seem plausible—and understandable—that it may have been to prepare her fans (and curious onlookers) in the event that she did look different. That’s the prevailing theory on Twitter, at least. Imagine the speculation if she just showed up to the ACM Awards with a slightly different face and zero explanation. (Already, one commenter on a post surmised that she had an “upper lip lift.”) There’d be a Twitter thread about it by now.

It’s a uniquely female thing to have to endure the constant scrutiny of your body, clothing choices, and face on a day-to-day basis, and even more so when you’re a successful pop star. (Don’t believe us? There aren’t as many, if any, sensationalist stories tracking the history of Miles Teller’s facial scars, Harrison Ford’s chin scars, or Owen Wilson’s busted nose—nor “guides” about them.) Furthermore, this was the result of what Underwood herself called a “freak accident”—and despite the very real and painful-sounding injuries she sustained, everyone is primarily concerned with her supposed “disfigurement.” Translation: Whether or not she’s feeling okay comes secondary to what her face looks like. (To whit: There wasn’t a single article about how good her wrist looks. I mean, really, it did such a great job holding the microphone.)

So here’s the real mystery: Why do we care so much about Carrie Underwood’s face? We should just be grateful that, if her performance was any indication, the accident didn’t harm her vocal cords.

Related Stories:
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Ashley Graham Is the New Face of Revlon's Live Boldly Campaign


After years of foundations that only cater to a light-skinned demographic, the Fenty effect has proven to brands that acknowledging and providing products for all women is indisputably a good thing for everyone. And with expanded shade ranges finally rolling out to stores across the country, that move is coinciding with a long-awaited uptick in representation in beauty brands’ campaigns. Announced this morning on The Today Show, Revlon is rolling out a new arm of its “Live Boldly” campaign. Fittingly, the brand’s tapped Ashley Graham to front the campaign—one of the best examples we have of a fearless, glass ceiling-shattering woman.

Graham teased that she had makeup in her masterplan back in July, and while rumors were flying that she was developing something on her own, her choice to pair with a major drugstore beauty brand instead means that she’ll be in front of as many eyes as possible. Given the lack of curvy women in beauty advertising, that’s a huge move, and one that will at long last shake up the models we always see in the makeup aisle. That said, she’s actually not Revlon’s first curve model. Back in 1999, the brand tapped plus-size model Emme for a campaign.

While Graham has called out brands for unrealistic advertising before, the announcement coincides with CVS’s pledge to stop Photoshopping its beauty ads, meaning we’ll likely be seeing more of Graham in her authentic glory.

Graham, along with models Achok Majak and Rina Fukushi, is joined by three other new additions to the Revlon family: models Raquel Zimmermann, Imaan Hammam, and Adwoa Aboah were also just announced as spokeswomen for the brand. Along with the announcement, Revlon also released the campaign’s first image (at top). Featuring the six women decked out in metallics and striding towards the camera, it’s a shot that feels wholly 2018.

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Emma Stone Canceled Plans on Jennifer Lawrence and Left Her With Half a Face of Makeup


Make some room in your heart, because Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence’s friendship is going to need the space. Last week brought us the pair’s delightful joint interview with W, where they discussed memories like their pet turtles and a shared stalker (believe it or not, much funnier than it sounds). The only downside is that it took until now for the two to get on screen together, especially when you see the dynamic we’ve been missing out on. But on the upside, they just gave fans an inside look at the their Golden Globes night. As expected, it’s gold.

According to a video Lawrence posted on Facebook, the two were supposed to meet up after the ceremony to go to some after parties together. As celebrities do, Lawrence called in a glam squad to prep her look for the night—so when Stone texted that she’d rather just hang out at home instead, as good friends do, Lawrence rolled with the change of plans.

That meant stopping everything and sending her squad home for the night, and that meant the Internet got an fantastic video of Lawrence wearing exactly one-half of a full-on look.

“What happened tonight?” Stone asks Lawrence, who’s shown in profile. “Well. You had told me you wanted me to be your date to the after parties, so I got us tickets to some after parties, and booked a car, and was halfway through glam when you told me told me that you didn’t want to go,” Lawrence slowly says, turning towards the camera. “That you just wanted to come over to my house, so I sent my hair and makeup team home. And now this is what I look like.” She stares at the camera with one pitch-black smoky eye. The woman knows drama, and that is some impeccable comedic timing.

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10 Best Face Moisturizers for Dry Skin 2017


Not all moisturizers are created equal. Of course, if you have dry skin, you know this firsthand. Certain formulas are made to be as light as possible, while others have added benefits (like extra exfoliation, soothing compounds, or a scent that won’t quit) that’ll make you a fan for life. If your skin type is prone to dry spots, you’ll want a face moisturizer that works overtime with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid or moisture-retaining lipids. Still, that’s a huge list of options to narrow down. So with winter—and all the havoc it brings our skin—around the corner, we rounded up every Glamour staffer with dry skin to put the best moisturizers to the test. From new discoveries to tried-and-true favorites, consider this our hydration Haul of Fame.



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