When Retinoids Are a No-Go

exploring alternatives to skincare gold

Welcome readers, old and new.

I’m leaving for a holiday with friends and family soon, so… pack your bag, you’re coming with! Carry-ons only. My suggestion? Take a quarter of what you think you’ll need and be ruthless. True, to make this work, you’ll have to wear pretty much the same colors every day and maybe even the same thing (which I tend to do even when home). But while traveling, never have I overheard even the most style-conscious native say, “Elle porte ca encore?”

Speaking of style, from the Department of “What Did I Tell You?” a moment in The New York Times about my recent trend prediction. You’re welcome.

Please don’t forget to tap the little ❤️ above, so HNTFUYF-ers the world round can receive a weekly dose of goodwill.

Last week I had coffee with a friend who is seven months pregnant. As I admired her incandescent glow, I remembered that when I was pregnant—40 years ago—it suddenly seemed everyone was pregnant. Swollen bellies everywhere! And after I delivered my son, it seemed, logically, new moms everywhere! And now, mature person that I am, there are old people everywhere! What is that? Am I just identifying with my cohorts? Or is it because Baby Boomers are more abundant than other age groups?

Speaking of old people, you might have wondered at some point why Mother Nature decided to keep women around after we’ve passed our reproductive expiration date. Okay, maybe you haven’t wondered—but a few women have and have written interestingly about it. I understand if you’ve suffered through horrendous menopausal symptoms, you may have momentarily wished you were dead. But there are reasons—biological and sociological—to look forward to your non-reproductive years. Read about them here.

Reproductive people and non-reproductive people: Both might benefit from the answer to a question two readers submitted simultaneously about a powerfully effective skincare ingredient—and where to turn when you can’t use it.

A reminder that HNTFUYF is a payola-free zone. I get no cut from sales when I mention a product. I share this so you know my recommendations are offered without obligation. The beauty Q&A in this post sits quivering with excitement behind a paywall, waiting for you to discover it. For full access to all posts, please become a paid subscriber at the currently discounted rate of $40/year. Can’t afford a subscription? Write to me at valeriemonroe.substack.com and I’ll give you a comp (no questions asked). 🙏