Oh wow this NYC winter thing has kicked into high gear. It was 18 degrees yesterday. (For those of you who think that 18 degrees is a lovely spring day, I mean -7 celsius!)

I’m serious when I say this: Brrrrrrr.

So I dug out my 18-year-old Prada ski jacket and weathered the freezing air to trudge to Trader Joe’s Friday morning. As I’ve said, I never let inclement weather deter me from my plans. If I don’t hit Trader Joe’s on Friday morning, I have to wait until Monday or Tuesday. On weekends, the line is too long — and the wait is outside. No thanks!

And, again, in a show of defiance, I had dinner outside with a friend during the week. We hit up one of the restaurants up the block where they’ve assembled what could best be described as miniature greenhouses. Each of these tiny sheds seats three. They’re completely enclosed, with a door and mini space heater atop the small table that keeps your hands and your food sufficiently warm.

I think it’s genius and shows the resiliency and ingenuity of New Yorkers in the face of adversity. It’s also kinda fun! And, of course, serves the purpose of giving me something to do besides cook or order in. I mean isn’t eating out and experiencing foods from all over the world characteristically NYC?

I think it’s one of the things New York is famous for. At least it is to New Yorkers. We’re all on these islands together, without the tropical weather of island life. I was talking to The Good Ex in Houston the other day about what everyone else thinks of New Yorkers. His response:“You tell it like it is!” I guess that’s probably true.

One of the things I love about New York is that we’re all in this great ball of creative chaos together. People come here from everywhere to live, to grow, to create. Some are renowned, some are quietly cool. Sure, New York isn’t a perfect place. What does that even mean? With all its craziness, I wouldn’t want to be creating (and eating!) anywhere else…

The skincare stuff starts here.

One of the things that’s uniquely New York is that we’re kind of all on top of each other, co-mingling out in the world. We’re just humans going about our day. No matter who you are, however famous or infamous, you put your pants on one leg at a time. When you gotta go out and get a loaf of bread, you walk to the corner market. It is what it is.

During most of my time working at Kiehl’s, our home offices were in the West Village. The neighborhood sandwiched between Greenwich Village and the Hudson River is home to numerous celebs. During many lunch outings with co-workers, we had celebrity sightings with our chicken salads. Edie Falco shopped in the health food store across from the Kiehl’s office. Her Sopranos hubby, James Gandolfini, lived up the block. Unassumingly, Heath Ledger would pop into one of our favorite lunch joints.

Sure it was cool, but I’ve never really been one to much care about celebrity. I like people (or don’t) based on who they really are. When I worked at Barneys in the 90s as a cosmetic department manager, Faye Dunaway was a frequent patron. She was quite nasty. I’ve never forgotten it.

And I’m always skeptical about celebrity skincare lines.

I’ve perhaps said some not-so-kind things about Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Skin. The products aren’t awful; but, as expected, they’re not great either. I reviewed Kylie’s relatively average skin care over a year ago in my blog article titled, My Fall Empties: Hydrating Serums, Anti-Aging Serums, Facial Cleansers & More! which you can catch here.

Madonna’s MDNA, on the other hand, is surprisingly good. The formulas are of superior quality, made in Japan by a Japanese skincare conglomerate. But what credibility does either Madonna or Kylie bring to skin care? Madonna has had quite a bit of work done. She looks great. But, trust me, her plump, contoured and glowing complexion has nothing to do with her namesake skin care — as good as her formulas are.

So when Pharrell Williams announced he was introducing a skincare range, I thought every celebrity and their mother has a skincare brand, why not Pharrell?! I happen to really love everything Pharrell is involved in. His Billionaire Boys Club streetwear is one of my favorite clothing brands. So I was excited and more hopeful than usual.

And I gotta say, I think Pharrell nailed it with Humanrace. It’s a sustainable skincare brand comprising three products, each of which is natural, vegan, pro-skin health — and, most importantly, easy to use and understand.

It seems to me that the intent of Pharrell’s Humanrace is to provide someone who may be a causal skincare user (or doesn’t use skin care at all) with an ideal, simplified routine, something that’s easy to stick to day after day.

Each of the three products — a face cleanser, weekly exfoliator and moisturizer — is really well formulated. But it’s not as basic as it sounds. The face cleanser is a cleansing powder, one of my favorite types of cleansers and perhaps the least common face cleanser. The weekly exfoliator is powered by fruit enzymes and an 8% concentration of Glycolic Acid, not exactly for lightweights. (That’s even a lot for me!) And the daily face cream is infused with humectants, non-fragrant plant oils and antioxidants vitamins. Nary a fragrant component in sight. It’s really an impressive formula.

WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF

HUMANRACE - PHARRELL WILLIAMS' SURPRISINGLY CLEAN, SUSTAINABLE & REFILLABLE SKINCARE

ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE

“Humanrace is a product company founded by Pharrell Williams with a mission to empower all people in their pursuit of wellbeing. Guided by experiences from his own wellness journey, Pharrell created Humanrace in the belief that taking better care of ourselves can teach us to take better care of each other.

Humanrace provides useful products and perspectives to help all individuals deepen their understanding of themselves and enrich their commitment to every day wellness. We believe that wellbeing is our most valuable resource, and are working to create a future where it is accessible to everyone.”

And, interestingly, each of the products is refillable! You can purchase refills as needed or enroll in the Humanrace subscription service. For $100, you can purchase what’s called the “Three-Minute Facial Routine Pack” — full sizes of each of the three products. Then, on a regular basis, you receive a refill insert at a slightly reduced price. As an example, the first time you purchase the Rice Powder Cleanser, it’s $32. Subsequent refills are $30. No extra plastic you don’t need. The original brilliant green containers are quite substantial and should last years.

Let’s take a look at each of the Humanrace products in detail…

Humanrace | Rice Powder Cleanser

I have to say, even though the Humanrace regimen is intended to be simple and easy to understand, the choice of a powder cleanser for the cleansing step is intriguing and, well, smart AF. Enzymatic cleansing powders are one of the most versatile of the cleanser category as they can function as both a gentle cleanser and a gentle face scrub.

Both cleanser and scrub, the Humanrace Rice Powder Cleanser is super functional — and fun to use. Cleansing powders are my favorite type of cleansers. Sometimes I want a super creamy cleanser and add more water. Sometimes I want an ultra mild physical scrub — and a cleansing powder is essentially the only type of physical scrub that I use. Most face scrubs have the capability of scratching the skin surface and damaging the vital skin barrier. And a damaged skin barrier is really not cool, is it?

What is the skin barrier?

I found a really insightful, quick read about the structure, purpose and functions of the skin barrier on the health website Healthline titled, What to Know About Your Skin Barrier and How to Protect It. Here’s an excerpt:

What’s your skin barrier and what purpose does it serve?
Your skin is made up of layers, each of which performs important functions in protecting your body.
The outermost layer, called the stratum corneum is often described as a brick wallTrusted Source. It consists of tough skin cells called corneocytes that are bound together by mortar-like lipids. This is your skin barrier.
Inside the skin cells, or “bricks,” you’ll find keratin and natural moisturizers. The lipid layer contains cholesterol, fatty acids, and ceramides.
This fantastically thin brick wall is literally keeping you alive. Without it, all sorts of harmful environmental toxins and pathogens could penetrate your skin and wreak havoc in your body.
Additionally, without your skin barrier, the water inside your body would escape and evaporate, leaving you completely dehydrated. Your skin barrier is essential for good health and needs to be protected in order to function properly.

Read that last point again: Your skin barrier is essential for good health and needs to be protected in order to function properly. Seriously, why would you want to do anything but protect your skin barrier? If you’re using a physical scrub, stop. The alternative, of course, is a chemical exfoliant or acid toner infused with alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) or beta hydroxy acid (BHA).

But if you just gotta have that physical effect, then a powder cleanser like the Humanrace Rice Powder Cleanser is your best bet.

ACID TONERS – SOME OF THE BEST BHA / AHA TONERS FOR FACE FROM PAULA'S CHOICE, FARMACY AND MORE

Read Article

Humanrace’s Rice Powder Cleanser is a near-perfect formula. (I never refer to any skincare product as perfect because perfection is a subjective concept except for things created by nature!) But it is one of the best cleansing powders — and one of the best face cleansers for oily skin.

As I said, it’s super gentle. It derives it’s mild exfoliating effect from the kaolin clay and rice powder in the formula at ingredients one and two, respectively. Both are common to powder cleansers and cleansing masks, too.

Where the Rice Powder Cleanser gets interesting is with the inclusion of multiple beneficial non-fragrant plant oils and extracts — including a high concentration (maybe 5%) of Olive Fruit Oil and humectant Snow Mushroom Extract.

Snow mushroom, aside from making a delicious soup in Chinese cuisine, also makes a deliciously hydrating humectant in skincare. Did you know that Snow Mushroom is a superb humectant on par with Hyaluronic Acid itself?

In fact, while it’s a common marketing claim that HA can hold up to 1,000x its weight in water, most HA molecules are rather large and don’t penetrate the skin barrier very deeply. Snow Mushroom has a smaller molecular weight and can go a bit deeper. So while it “only” draws 500x its weight in water, it’s a more effective humectant than the more popular Hyaluronic Acid.

The Humanrace Rice Powder Cleanser is a well-formulated, functional cleanser that fits perfectly into any pro-skin health regimen. And, as with all of Humanrace’s products, it’s refillable so you preserve the barrier reef whilst preserving your own skin barrier.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Humanrace Rice Powder Cleanser for $32 here.

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**Humanrace Rice Powder Cleanser**
**Humanrace Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator**
**Humanrace Humidifying Cream**
**Humanrace Routine Pack**

Humanrace | Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator

As I said in my review of the Humanrace Rice Powder Cleanser, I’m no fan of harsh, physical exfoliation. Chemical exfoliation is the way to go — and the most effective way to achieve a smoother, brighter complexion day after day is with alpha hydroxy acids. There’s no better skin exfoliant than a good healthy dose of AHAs! And Glycolic Acid makes the best exfoliant for skin.

The Humanrace Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator is infused with a potent, effective 8% concentration of Glycolic Acid — a level that’s up there with one of the best acid exfoliants, the popular Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Lotion Exfoliant. It’s one of my all-time favorite acid-powered treatments.

The Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator formula’s 8% Glycolic Acid is combined with an additional 2% concentration of fruit-based alpha hydroxy acids for a true AHA-powered exfoliating treatment.

And, notably, with a pH level of 3.6, the formula is right in the AHA sweet spot for truly effective complexion renewal.

The Humanrace Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator treatment is intended to be massaged onto skin then rinsed off after the rich, silky cream has done what you need it to do — amp up your skin’s radiance.

What is Glycolic Acid?

There is an insightful article from the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, Glycolic Acid: What It Is and Why You Should Use It. In it, the experts expound on the many superb benefits of Glycolic Acid for the skin.

Glycolic Acid Benefits
Using an exfoliant with glycolic acid for your face results in a brighter, more even toned complexion. Like all AHAs, glycolic acid works by helping turn over spent cells on skin’s surface.
This type of exfoliation addresses numerous skin concerns, including sun damage, uneven tone, rough, flaky patches of skin, fine lines, and wrinkles. In higher concentrations, glycolic acid can even improve the look of deeper wrinkles.
Studies also show that glycolic acid significantly increases skin’s hydration. It does this by helping skin make substances like mucopolysaccharides, which help skin stay hydrated by increasing its natural content of hyaluronic acid, which in turn enhances skin’s resilience.
One exciting new note about glycolic acid: emerging research shows it might even protect skin against UV damage (in addition to reducing its damaging after-effects), though more studies need to be done and of course it doesn’t replace the need for sunscreen. Still, it’s a promising development!
Glycolic acid occurs naturally in sugar cane, but is most effective when synthesized in a lab, where its potency and concentration are optimized for use in skin care. Using plant sugars, like sugar maple, for their glycolic acid content is an option, but the bulk of the research on glycolic acid’s benefits for skin is about the synthetic form, because this type can be optimized for effectiveness, purity, stability, and pH, all critical to getting effective glycolic acid products.

Originally a wild-harvested Mediterranean plant, blue tansy — which is actually yellow in color — is now cultivated mainly in Morocco. When the flower’s popularity in beauty products surged, it was harvested almost out of existence in the wild. Today, supplies are steadily increasing, but it’s still one of the more expensive essential oils. A 2-ounce bottle may cost more than $100.
The blooms of Tanacetum annuum are yellow. Its slender leaves are covered with a fine white “fur.” The oil has a sweet, herbal fragrance due to its high camphor content.
it’s not my go-to Niacinamide serum. That distinction always has, and always will, belong to the OG Niacinamide serum – the Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster serum.

Its AHA potency isn’t what’s most unique about Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator. There’s nothing all that unique about a powerful rinse-off exfoliating treatment. What I love most about the formula is its abundance of nourishing antioxidant fermented actives and other antioxidant extracts — including Pumpkin Fruit Ferment Filtrate, Pomegranate Fruit Ferment Extract, Apple Fruit Extract and Bilberry Fruit Extract. That's quite unique in skincare — and quite an intelligent addition to the formula. With its fully sealed container, all that antioxidant potency will stay fresh longer. Hey Pharrell, I’m impressed!

I’ve really enjoyed the Humanrace Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator. It’s a superb resurfacing treatment for Selfcare Sunday — or selfcare any day.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Humanrace Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator for just $46 here.

BUY HUMANRACE LOTUS ENZYME EXFOLIATOR

WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF

HUMANRACE - PHARRELL WILLIAMS' SURPRISINGLY CLEAN, SUSTAINABLE & REFILLABLE SKINCARE

ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE

A COMPLETE $100 SKINCARE ROUTINE WITH THE INKEY LIST, THE ORDINARY, BENTON & MORE!

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Humanrace | Humidifying Cream

To wrap up the simplified Humanrace three-product routine, the brand offers its aptly named Humidifying Cream. It’s one of those product names that makes me wish I’d come up with it myself. Seriously, it’s brilliant. But while the name is amazing, the formula does live up to the oomph behind the name.

Humidifying Cream is a thick, velvety daily moisturizer that’s loaded with pro-skin health goodness including multiple hydrating extracts, among them two power humectants Snow Mushroom Extract and Sodium Hyaluronate — the salt form of Hyaluronic Acid that’s more compatible with the skin.

It feels so rich and luxurious on skin, yet somehow isn’t at all oily. Humidifying Cream’s most notable moisturizing actives include Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (derived from coconut oil and glycerin) and olive oil-derived Squalane.

But there are several really intriguing hydrating ingredients that are rarely seen in the INCI’s of even the best face creams for dehydrated skin. Nourishing Rice Bran Water is, of course, most common to J-beauty — and is often found at the heart of many skincare products across Asian Beauty brands.

Humanrace Humidifying Cream is also infused with hydrating Coconut Fruit Juice and Coconut Water. All of these combine with Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract and the aforementioned humectants to create an extraordinarily refreshing hydrating moisturizer. It’s as though Pharrell said to the labs, “This stuff better be the best hydrating face cream possible!” It kinda is.

I love Humidifying Cream. It’s just so refreshing and a real pleasure to use. There are, notably, several potent antioxidants in the formula as well — among them Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Apple Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, and Tocopheryl Acetate, or Vitamin E.

But…because Humidifying Cream is housed in an conventional jar, the sensitive antioxidants begin to lose their potency the first time you remove the lid.

Each and every time after that, presumably twice a day, the formula is further exposed to oxidation and breaking down, losing potency and efficacy like a slow drip.

I like to think of antioxidants in a moisturizer as a new car. The moment you drive it off the lot, it loses significant value. Antioxidants in a jar moisturizer are that car.

On a positive note, Humanrace intends that you use its daily face cream up within a month and replace the empty well with a fresh, new cream. Again, that’s great for the environment and quite unique in skin care.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Humanrace Humidifying Cream for just $48 here.

BUY HUMANRACE HUMIDIFYING CREAM

That’s it, guys! I hope you’ve enjoyed my deep dive into Pharrell’s innovative, supremely pro-skin health Humanrace skincare brand. Seriously, it’s good stuff — good for your skin and good for the environment.

💟 SKINCARMA