This Is What Happens When You Let a Nurse Practitioner Design Your Skincare Cabinet

Overachiever is billed as a 10-in-1 booster, which is typically the kind of claim that usually makes me roll my eyes – until I looked at what's actually in it. Bakuchiol (a gentler, pregnancy-friendly stand-in for retinol), resveratrol, azelaic acid, hyaluronic acid, and plant exosomes are all doing their own specific job: calming redness, smoothing texture, hydrating, and supporting collagen, all in one step.

I have combination skin that flushes red if I so much as think about a new product, and within about two weeks the usual blotchiness along my cheeks had noticeably calmed down. It layers under my moisturizer without any greasy residue, which matters a lot to someone who refuses to look shiny by 10 a.m.

"It has changed the look and texture of my skin. I have sensitive skin and it is somehow less sensitive after using this product consistently."

That's from one of Barefaced's own customer reviews, and it's basically my experience in one sentence – minus the fact that I also became a little smug about the fact that I had the most glow-y skin at my friend’s going away party.

I have tried to get into tretinoin many times in my life, but I always look like I’ve purposefully tried to cheese grate my face. So I went into RetinAL Skin Therapy (Barefaced's retinaldehyde treatment) with appropriate ~*~suspicion~*~.

Retinaldehyde only needs one conversion step in the skin to become active, compared to the multiple steps regular retinol requires, which is the science-y reason it tends to be more tolerable while still packing a real punch. The formula also leans on bakuchiol and bisabolol to soften the edges, plus argan oil and shea butter for hydration, so it doesn't feel like it's stripping your face on its way to fixing it.

I started at two nights a week, per the brand's own guidance, and worked up from there. No flaking, no burning, just... smoother skin that looked noticeably more even by the one-month mark. It's not recommended during pregnancy, so keep that in mind if that applies to you, but for everyone else, this might be the retinoid that finally sticks.

After running actives like Overachiever and RetinAL all night, your skin needs something to lock it all in without undoing the work – that's where Hydrating Lotion comes in. It's built around ceramides, niacinamide, sodium hyaluronate, and astaxanthin (a seriously underrated antioxidant!), and it's, simply put, one of the most lightweight moisturizers I’ve ever put on my face. No pilling, no waiting around for it to sink in before I can touch my pillow. An evening routine dream!