CVS is my favorite major retail pharmacy chain. The company gained my respect when it made the bold choice to stop selling cigarettes in 2014. Since then, I’ve seen it continue to do some pretty innovative things. Here are my top three reasons why CVS is the best store for skincare enthusiasts.

A few weeks ago, I bought this lovely, friendly-looking face mask at a local Japanese supermarket, pretty much on a whim. At the time, I assumed that it was a Japanese brand, but I found out later that it was actually a Taiwanese brand: My Beauty Diary (我的美麗日記). What can I say? Japanese and Chinese written characters look very similar, particularly if you’re not paying close attention.

I’ve harbored mixed feelings about the importance of using toner as part of one’s skincare routine. I’ve used toners off and on since my teenage years. I suspect that most of the positive effects were psychological—using toner made my face feel cleaner than using face wash alone. Recently, I’ve been using Thayers Cucumber Toner, and I think it might continue to play a regular role in my skincare routine, for a number of reasons that I’ll go into later in this post.