October 24, 2026

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Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers

Back in October, Dominique Pariso and I went by dermatologist Dr. Shereene Idriss’s office for a chat about skin. It’s rare, but I do like to interview people in person. Everything feels a bit smoother and more natural, but the biggest upside is that I inevitably learn something unexpected. I once heard from a doctor that my skin wasn’t so much sensitive as it was dehydrated (that tidbit has saved my skin over the years). This time I learned that pretty much all of us over 30 or so have some sort of sun damage on our faces. But because of the nature of excess pigment from sun damage (it’s diffuse and ever present, among other things), we don’t notice it. We think it’s just how our skin is. (The same thing goes for redness for some folks.) We dubbed the phenomenon pigment blindness, and figured out I have a classic case. Nice thing is, according to Idriss, excess pigment is fixable with at home products and the complexion payoff to evening out your skin tone is big.  Check out Dominique’s and my conversation with the doctor for tips on how to get rid of hyperpigmentation, redness and more.

SOME EXCELLENT BEAUTY DEALS

Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers

MICRO ODE

I use an oil cleanser year-round; in the winter it gives my whole routine an extra boost of hydration. But I’m a little indiscriminate about them: most feel similar, some rinse off better than others. Le Prunier, a plum oil-infused line which makes an excellent sunscreen and my favorite face oil, launched theirs yesterday and it is on a whole other level. I’ve been testing it since November, and I can see how much it has softened my skin. It washes off cleanly, no double-rinsing, plumps my skin immediately, and has the most incredible plum-infused smell I spend several seconds inhaling. —Simone Kitchens, Strategist deputy editor