I’ve always longed to be the kind of woman who has a steadfast routine. Alas, I am not her. I adopt a few new products, they become my entire personality for two weeks, and then the night will come where the idea of dragging myself out of bed to, I don’t know, electrocute my under-eyes will fill me with such displeasure that my “routine” quickly starts collecting dust under the bathroom sink.
This is all to say that the products I do stick with are truly beloved, and no product has remained in my rotation as long as Drunk Elephant’s T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum. The serum, a chemical exfoliant, is formulated with a blend of AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids), BHAs (beta hydroxy acids) and natural extracts that work together to improve skin’s texture and reduce the appearance of what we all fear most: wrinkles and pores.
I have fairly normal skin that veers towards dry, especially in the harsher months. My chief skin concern has long been texture; I often notice small clusters of bumps on my forehead and congestion on my chin. The morning after I first tried the serum, I immediately noticed that my skin looked smoother and my face was glowier—in a matter of days, all of my texture issues were gone. Since that fateful evening five years ago, the serum has reigned over my vanity.
How does a product with the word “Framboos” in its name deliver so much? “AHAs work by breaking up the cellular glue that holds the dead skin cells to your face, while BHAs are more attracted to oil, which makes them better for cleaning out the pores,” says Dr. Stafford Broumand, a New York City-based American Board-certified plastic surgeon. And the anti-aging benefits? “As we age, the cellular turn-over diminishes and causes an increase in dead skin build-up,” he explains, “and there’s also a diminishing and lack of collagen production. When you exfoliate, you help to stimulate that cellular turn-over, keeping the skin looking young and rejuvenated.”
Exfoliation, I realized, is the answer to everything. I needn’t yearn to be Madame Routine with her long list of tinctures and practices. In fact, the next time I see her, we will lock eyes. She will notice my smooth, poreless skin and before she even asks—I’ll slide her a bottle of the good stuff.
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