Skincare Editor
Lauren Davis
Lauren Davis spent a decade as a licensed esthetician before moving from facials to feature writing. She's mapped every retinoid, acid, and peptide on the market and can tell you within ten seconds whether a serum's ingredient deck is genius or marketing. Lauren has rosacea-prone skin, which means she's been the unwilling test subject for hundreds of "for sensitive skin" claims. She lives in Austin with her husband and a barely tolerable golden retriever named Biscuit.
Reviews by Lauren
Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Drops: Why TikTok Won't Stop Talking About These
Drunk Elephant's D-Bronzi Drops became a TikTok phenomenon thanks to one Alix Earle video in 2022. Three years later, the trend has not died. As an esthetician, I have thoughts.
Lauren Davis
July 18, 2025
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%: An Honest Take After 6 Weeks of Daily Use
It's $6.50. It has 4.5 stars from over 50,000 reviews. It's the bestselling skincare product on Sephora's website. But does it actually work? I tested it daily for six weeks. Here's what I found.
Lauren Davis
April 30, 2024
Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Spray Review: A Skincare Lifesaver For Sensitive Skin
As an esthetician with rosacea, I've been searching for the perfect calming spray for years. Tower 28's hypochlorous acid SOS Spray finally gave me one. After eight months of daily use, here's why this $28 bottle replaced six other products on my shelf.
Lauren Davis
August 6, 2024
7 Anti-Aging Serums Backed By Real Science (Not Just Marketing)
"Anti-aging" is the most-marketed and least-regulated word in beauty. After 10 years as an esthetician and skincare writer, here are the 7 anti-aging serums I trust based on actual published clinical research.
Lauren Davis
October 9, 2025
How To Build A Skincare Routine That Actually Works (A Step-By-Step Guide For Beginners)
Most skincare routines fail because they're either too complicated to maintain or too random to deliver results. Here is the simple, science-backed framework I share with every new client.
Lauren Davis
January 31, 2025
How To Layer Your Skincare In The Right Order (Dermatologist-Approved)
The wrong order can make a $300 skincare routine completely useless. The right order can make a $50 routine genuinely effective. Here is the science of skincare layering, simplified.
Lauren Davis
November 24, 2025
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer: The Concealer That Changed My Routine
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer has been the bestselling concealer at Sephora for years. After 18 months of daily use, I understand why — and I have a few caveats.
Lauren Davis
August 14, 2025
I Tested VIMA Magic Skin Changing Foundation On 5 Different Skin Types. Here's What Happened.
The claim: one foundation that adapts to every skin type and tone. I tested it on dry, oily, combination, acne-prone, and mature skin. The results were remarkable.
Lauren Davis
April 10, 2025
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream: Why Dermatologists Recommend This $18 Jar Over Everything Else
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream is the most recommended moisturizer by dermatologists in the US. After three months of daily use, our esthetician editor explains why the recommendation is warranted.
Lauren Davis
December 10, 2024
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Exfoliant: The Cult Product That Actually Lives Up To Its Reputation
Paula's Choice BHA Exfoliant has one of the most devoted followings in skincare. After three months of use, our esthetician editor explains why the devotion is justified.
Lauren Davis
September 16, 2024
Gua Sha: Does It Actually Work, Or Is It Just A Pretty Rock? An Esthetician's Honest Assessment
Gua sha has been one of the most viral beauty trends of the past five years. Our esthetician editor used it daily for three months and tested the claims against the evidence.
Lauren Davis
June 3, 2025
I Have Rosacea and I've Tried 200+ Foundations. VIMA's Magic Foundation Is the Best One for Sensitive Skin.
Rosacea-prone skin is the ultimate foundation stress test: you need coverage, you need it to stay, and you need it to not make your skin angrier. After six weeks of testing, VIMA's Magic Skin Changing Foundation passed every test.
Lauren Davis
April 25, 2025