Do you remember PEMDAS? It’s an acronym that we used in math class to remember the proper order of operations: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, and Subtraction? Or, Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally (Poor Aunt Sally, what did she ever do to deserve being excused?).

Acronyms are not my strong suit (or perhaps you could say that they’re not my MO). I know the ones that have permeated the mainstream vernacular, but I’ve given up on trying to figure out what the kids are abbreviating these days. However, anyone who reads r/SkincareAddiction (even me!) knows that TO stands for The Ordinary, a brand that is owned by DECIEM. Rumor has it that the company may have some behind-the-scenes drama but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it makes…

I first heard about Kiehl’s in high school, when one of my classmates (who had the smoothest, most beautiful, blemish-free skin) told me that she was a big fan of Kiehl’s products. I didn’t think much about it at the time, until my sister mentioned it to me a few years ago. She recommended Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, and when I tried it, I liked the nice eucalyptus scent. It makes you feel like you’re doing something healthy, like drinking green juice.