A note from the beauty director

A few years ago, a professor at the University of Chicago said that all the truly important financial advice (stick with me here) he’d ever received would fit on an index card— and then wrote it down to prove it. I often go back and read that card when some well-meaning person offers me advice that makes me feel utterly confused. My point: We often complicate things that needn’t be complicated. In that vein, I condensed the general principles that guide my approach to skincare into the five points below in the hope that you can refer to them when you’re feeling overwhelmed. 1. Wear sunscreen. 2. Always wash your face before you go to bed, even if you don’t wear makeup. 3. Exfoliate. Be gentle—don’t overdo it. 4. Follow the instructions on a product. Applying too much of any ingredient equals disaster, not improved result timelines. 5. Give your skin a month to adjust to a new skincare item before you make a judgment (unless you have an immediate adverse reaction, like swelling or hives). †