For most of us, a winter complexion equals a lackluster one, so you’ll want to seek out ingredients with brightening effects as you work towards replenishing your shelves with a new hero product, or perhaps entirely overhauling your routine. Formulations that include vitamin C and exfoliating acids—lactic and glycolic acid are your best bets here—effectively wipe away winter dullness to leave your complexion sparkling.

When we talk about skin appearing bright, we are talking about a number of different mechanisms that happen to skin during the aging process. Keeping an even skin tone is really difficult to do as we age, and we put forth a lot of effort to exfoliate (but not too much), hydrate, and protect. Hyperpigmentation can be a cause of skin tone unevenness and can be a precursor to the aging process. It can come from blemish scars and UV radiation, or both if left unprotected.

We do a lot for our skin. Some days require more or less care than others thanks to environmental or other external factors, and we should always remember to stay hydrated (filling your reusable water bottles, of course), aim for a healthful diet (key healthy fats like omega 3s and reducing dairy and refined sugars will make a great difference in your skin,) and stay active. But when it comes down to it, there are five topical essential steps that support optimal skin health: a pH balanced cleanser, antioxidants, formulas that support skin cell turnover, strengthen your skin’s moisture barrier, and of course, sun protection. Read on.

Have you ever thought about the right way to wash your face? There are so many variables when it comes to cleansing, more than you might've thought—namely technique, water temperature, time, and what was on your face, to begin with. Luckily, Youth To The People’s Director of Education, Laura Cline, came to clear up any confusion with her expert take.

We believe all skin is normal. You’ve probably seen this on our Instagram account, read it in an email from us, or talked about it with us in person. Having “normal” skin is an important topic of conversation in skincare, and there hasn’t really been a standard for what that means in the industry.

Living with a chronic skin condition, I feel the far-from-fun effects of skin-related stress more often than not. But I know I’m not alone: millions and millions of Americans suffer from skin afflictions like eczema, psoriasis, and acne, and the fact is that most of them are inherently stressful lifelong battles, so though there aren’t necessarily cures for these skin ailments, there are ways to control the symptoms—and stress management is a major one. 

For all the time society spends imploring you to drink more water (and, we’re not saying you shouldn’t,) you might think it’s powerful enough to provide inner hydration to the body and outer hydration to the skin. But the fact is your skin needs external sources of hydration too.

Question: What are the best ingredients for calming stressed out skin?

A: When conducting research on the symptoms of stressed-out skin, formulators tend to focus on the appearance of stress. Symptomatically, stress can look like redness, dullness, fatigue, or uneven tone, but stress can also manifest as feelings of sensitivity and irritation. Sensitivity can happen due to myriad reasons, such as environmental stress, or using highly active cosmeceuticals, like retinoids or vitamin C. Regardless of the reasons why your skin is stressed, it’s important to find out what can help skin destress, and there are a lot of amazing ingredients for this.

By Elsa de Berker The time is upon us for setting our intentions for the New Year—but in 2020, instead of writing a list of all the things you thin...

According to Youth To The People’s Product Innovation Manager, Mercedes Taylor, our bodies go through a process of dehydration called transepidermal water loss (or TEWL). It happens year-round, but some environmental factors can make it worse, like vacationing in Palm Springs or cranking up the heat on high mid-winter.  But it doesn’t have to be this way—one key element for preparing your skin to face the harsh winter months is a rich, nourishing moisturizer

By Elsa de Berker More than ever, we’re looking for ways to increase our vitality via sustainable and natural measures. And the turn of a New Year ...

Though scientific information has become more readily available, and general knowledge about skincare has progressed, certain myths continue to pervade. For example, you might’ve heard that you should wash your face with hot water since doing so will ‘open up’ your pores. Or, you might think that dehydrated and dry skin are one and the same. False! It’s time to set the record straight.