If you walk down the skincare aisle of any beauty store, there are a plethora of products advertising everything from brightening to anti-aging to plumping. With so many options, how do Palo Alto High School students find products that work? 

Students find recommendations online, from professionals, or through trial and error. A dermatologist shares the science of skincare, explaining how active ingredients work. Understanding the science behind skincare can help find products that fit individual needs.

Sophomore Zoey Meixner found her favorite skincare product while halfway across the world.
“I was in Japan and had seen so many good things online about Senka’s cleansers,” Meixner said. “I got the ‘acne care’ version rather than the original since my skin isn’t the most clear.”

The active ingredient in Senka’s acne care cleanser is salicylic acid, which is commonly used in anti-acne products. According to CeraVe’s website, salicylic acid is a beta-hydroxy acid that helps acne-prone skin by exfoliating when applied topically.

“This chemical exfoliant works by loosening the bonds (or ‘glue’) that holds your skin cells together,” CeraVe states. “This, in turn, helps eliminate dead skin cell buildup that can clog your pores and result in acne.”

Senior Emmett Stewart sought professional help from Elisha Marie, a skin and body shop in Palo Alto. The shop offers services such as facials and massages, and features its own line of skincare products. Stewart uses several products from Elisha Marie’s acne-safe line. 

According to Elisha Marie, the line includes salicylic and glycolic acid serums to refine pores, improve skin texture, and exfoliate. 

“I use facewash, toner, moisturizer, and pimple patches when needed,” Stewart says. “They [the products] do work. They keep breakouts to a minimum.” 

According to Elisha Marie, the products containing chamomile essential oil, antioxidants, and peptides are used to soothe and hydrate sensitive skin, while vitamin C helps prevent photoaging caused by sun exposure. 

Junior Zoe Quintana’s favorite products were handpicked by an esthetician. To meet Quintana’s needs, her esthetician – a licensed specialist who prescribes products – recommended the brand Face Reality. According to its website, some of these products aren’t available for purchase online, only through a “certified acne expert” for professional guidance, due to a higher concentration of active ingredients.

“I use a serum, a toner, a moisturizer, an SPF, and a facewash,” Quintana says. “I think it [my acne] has gotten better [since I’ve started using Face Reality products], but it’s not totally gone yet.”

Stanford dermatologist Amy Adams encourages the daily use of SPF to combat medical and physical risks. 

For sunscreen, it is important to use one with broad-spectrum ultraviolet protection–both UVB and UVA, which cause DNA damage that can contribute to skin cancer risk,” Adams says. “Sunscreens work to either reflect/shield (mineral sunscreens such as zinc and titanium oxide) or absorb (chemical sunscreens like avobenzone, octinoxate) UV light.”

Junior Jonathan Mazor-Hoofien has used skincare since middle school to combat his acne, building a regimen from drugstore products. His routine consists of a cleanser, tretinoin to combat acne, and a moisturizer. 

Stanford dermatologist Amy Adams agrees that expensive brands aren’t necessary for an effective routine.

“Many products are available at basic drugstores, such as from Neutrogena, Laroche Posay and Olay,” Adams says. “There are facial moisturizers with sunscreen, products for acne-prone skin, and products for sensitive skin.”

Mazor-Hoofien also says he notices how when companies market their products to shame acne-prone skin, people begin to equate the clearness of their skin with their self-worth.

“It’s [viewed as] an outward manifestation of the quality of who you are and how clean you are,” Mazor-Hoofien said. “We have this crazy obsession with cleanliness.”  

Mazor-Hoofien encourages simplicity when making a skincare routine, as this “obsession” is rarely beneficial.

“Just start with a small routine, and don’t have 20 million steps,” Mazor-Hoofien said. “Don’t think about it so hard. Don’t let it define you so much.”