Shave gels are one of the most interesting personal care products on the market—particularly the ones marketed to men. They have to simultaneously achieve the purpose of soothing the skin after it’s been freshly shaven with a sharp (or sometimes dull) razor, they have to make men feel pampered (which is usually achieved through some combination of fragrance and a velvety texture), and they have to make sure they don’t damage the integrity of razors by clogging or dulling the blades.…

I recently received a request from a reader, asking me to compare the old CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser against the new formula. The reader wanted to know why the new formula was making her and her husband break out, whereas the old formula had been a favorite of theirs for years. First of all, reader, I feel your pain. I understand the frustration of realizing that a formerly holy grail product no longer makes your skin happy—simply because the company decided to change its formula for some…

A few years ago, I bought a tub of Aztec Clay, because I heard it was great for fighting acne. Every now and then, when I feel like going into detox mode, I pull it off the shelf and mix up a clay mask for myself. If you look at the jar, you’ll see that the marketing copy is reminiscent of Dr. Bronner’s Castille Soap—it’s unapologetically wordy and boastful about itself. The long name for this product is: Aztec Secret: Indian Healing Clay. If you have acne, you’ve…