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How Not to F*ck Up Your Face

A beauty-advice column from former O, The Oprah Magazine beauty director Valerie Monroe. Her goal: to shift our thinking around beauty and aging from self-criticism to self-compassion and to learn how to be loving witnesses to ourselves and one another as we age.

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Are Expensive Vitamin-C Serums Actually Worth It?

 A dermatologist weighs in on the value of the popular skin-care ingredient. By Valerie Monroe

More From 'How Not to F*ck Up Your Face'

  1. Can Skin-Care Products Lose Their Effectiveness Long Term?A dermatologist explains why the answer is “Yes and no.”
    By Valerie Monroe
  2. I Tried a Hemp-Infused Gummy for Better Sleep, and Here’s How It WentAdventures in chasing the elusive snooze.
    By Valerie Monroe
  3. I Feel Like My Botox Stopped Working. Is This a Real Thing?Yes, it’s possible to become immune to Botox. A dermatologist explains.
    By Valerie Monroe
  4. Does the NuFace Device Work on Aging Skin?A dermatologist on the pros and cons of a microcurrent device.
    By Valerie Monroe
  5. Is a Medical Pedicure Worth the Money?Here’s what happened when I treated my feet to a medi-pedi for the first time, along with advice from a board-certified podiatric surgeon.
    By Valerie Monroe
  6. Are Cosmetic Facial Threads Actually a Quick Fix?A dermatologist explains the ins and outs of surgical facial tailoring and the factors to consider before trying this treatment.
    By Valerie Monroe
  7. What Is the Most Effective Alternative to Retinoids?A dermatologist advises what to use instead of the powerful vitamin-A derivative.
    By Valerie Monroe
  8. Do Facial Exercises Actually Do Anything?Can working out the muscles in your face prevent signs of aging? A plastic surgeon weighs in.
    By Valerie Monroe
  9. Are Phenol Peels Safe for My Skin?We asked a dermatologist about one of the strongest chemical peels available on the aesthetic market.
    By Valerie Monroe
  10. Is a Fat Transfer the Best Facial Filler?The pros and cons of harvesting your excess padding to volumize your face, according to experts.
    By Valerie Monroe
  11. What Happens to Your Skin on Booze?What research shows about drinking and your complexion.
    By Valerie Monroe
  12. Are Expensive Skin-Tightening Laser Treatments Actually Worth It?A dermatologist offers the pros and cons of one very popular in-office skin-tightening treatment.
    By Valerie Monroe
  13. Dealing With Thinning Hair? Science-Backed Solutions for Hair LossEverything you need to know about thinning hair and how to grow it back.
    By Valerie Monroe
  14. Are You Really Getting the Sun Protection You Need?Probably not, says a dermatologist, especially if you’re mixing products.
    By Valerie Monroe
  15. Emface, Self-Tanner, Oral Care, and More Explained by a DermatologistDoes washing with face oil remove self tanner? Is rapamycin the new fountain of youth? Will Emface work for you?
    By Valerie Monroe
  16. Is Toner Really Necessary?As HNTFUYF DermDiva Heidi Waldorf said, getting right to the bottom-line, “Using a toner is unnecessary.”
    By Valerie Monroe
  17. How to Heal Melasma, According to a DermatologistAdvice on how to get rid of a particularly intractable spot.
    By Valerie Monroe
  18. Is There a Legitimate Way to Get Rid of Cellulite?A dermatologist cuts through the costly options.
    By Valerie Monroe
  19. Why Do I Get Purple Blotches on My Skin Out of Nowhere?They can actually be explained.
    By Valerie Monroe
  20. Can Your Hair Turn Gray Overnight?A hair expert explains why hair loses pigment and whether stress is the cause.
    By Valerie Monroe
  21. Is Matrixyl the Magic Ingredient for Younger-Looking Skin?Why some things work better when they have less to do.
    By Valerie Monroe
  22. Are Plasma-Pen Treatments Safe for Improving Crepey Skin?A dermatologist advises caution about electrosurgery.
    By Valerie Monroe
  23. All Wrinkles Are Not Alike, and Here’s WhyWhat to do when “drape face” becomes an issue.
    By Valerie Monroe
  24. Do Pricey Silicone Patches Work to Eliminate Wrinkles?A dermatologist weighs in on a different kind of patch test.
    By Valerie Monroe
  25. Is That Estrogen in Your Face Cream Safe?Why you may want to reconsider hormones in your skin care.
    By Valerie Monroe
  26. Is There a Pill for Prettier Skin?A dermatologist weighs in on the legitimacy of retinol supplements.
    By Valerie Monroe
  27. Does Using Nontoxic Beauty Products Actually Matter for My Health?A deeper look into the marketing behind “clean beauty.”
    By Valerie Monroe
  28. Why Popular TikTok Beauty Trends Don’t Speak to MeA woman in her 70s prefers advice from … the ’70s.
    By Valerie Monroe
  29. Are DIY Skin-care Wands Worth the Money?A dermatologist weighs in on at-home devices
    By Valerie Monroe
  30. A Plastic Surgeon Solves a Mysterious Body-Part ProblemHere’s how to deal with one of the ways our aging system shows signs of wear and tear.
    By Valerie Monroe
  31. How to Find the Best Retinol for Your Skin Type, According to a DermatologistDermatologists call retinol “skin-care gold” for a reason, and here’s why.
    By Valerie Monroe
  32. How to Deal With Hormonal Acne, According to DermatologistsAn almost-30-year-old asks for help managing monthly acne flare-ups.
    By Valerie Monroe
  33. Dear Beauty Marketing: Stop Telling Me How to Look YoungerUnderstand what you’re buying. Plus: solving a red-eyelid mystery.
    By Valerie Monroe
  34. In Defense of ‘Good Enough’ AgingWhen good enough is plenty good. Plus, are you dealing with thinning lashes?
    By Valerie Monroe
  35. Why Is the Skin on My Face Constantly Flaking?A reader is plagued by unusual flakiness on her face.
    By Valerie Monroe
  36. I’ve Gained Weight. Do I Need to Change My Makeup?A reader asks whether more fullness around her face means a new makeup routine.
    By Valerie Monroe
  37. How to Make Your Self-Tanner Situation Less of a MessA cosmetic chemist weighs in.
    By Valerie Monroe
  38. It’s Time to Celebrate AgingWe’re all going to get older, so you might as well put on your party hat now.
    By Valerie Monroe
  39. The Very Best Foundations for Aging SkinMakeup artists Pati Dubroff and Laura Geller share their complexion tips and tricks.
    By Valerie Monroe
  40. I’m 72. Here’s Why ‘Grannycore’ Doesn’t Speak to Me.Plus how to deal with crêpey skin.
    By Valerie Monroe