MY CABINET

I've spent more on skincare than I'd like to admit. Consider it the expensive research, done.

Most skincare is marketing dressed as science. Pretty packaging, borrowed credibility, ingredients at concentrations too low to matter. So I check. I run ingredient lists through AI analysis, compare formulations, verify that actives appear high enough to actually do something. If it's buried at the bottom of the list, it's decoration—not treatment.

At 48, I'm not interested in hope in a jar. I want evidence. These are the products that delivered—visible, measurable, real. Repurchased, rationed, protected in transit across three continents. If it's here, it's essential.

Some are expensive and worth it. Some are cheap and outperform everything. Some are expensive and a waste of your money—I'll tell you which.

No brand has paid me. No affiliate relationship changes a Skip to a Buy. This is just a man with too much curiosity and not enough counter space telling you what works.

Each product has a rating: Buy, Skip, or Maybe—plus a link if you want it. Happy to chat about how to use them for your specific skin and build a protocol that makes sense. In the coming weeks on Substack, I'll be doing deeper dives into ingredients, routines, and the science behind what actually works.

Medik8

British, clinical, peptide-forward. Their Liquid Peptides is one of the few serums with concentrations high enough to actually do something—30% peptide complex that you can feel working. The brand takes active ingredients seriously and formulates at levels that matter. Not the flashiest, just quietly effective.

Liquid Peptides Advanced MP

Great all-around serum for anti-aging and firming. 30% peptide complex with 10 different peptides (double most competitors) which stimulate collagen production, smooths expression lines, and repairs visible aging. Drone-targeted copper peptide delivery seeks out collagen-producing cells like GPS for maximum results. One of my favorites.

category: serum, peptides

BUY

NIOD
Copper Amino Isolate
Serum (CAIS)

It’s blue and it’s supposed to be. 24.1% of actives in this bottle which tell your body to activate 4,000 genes related to improving skin health. 2% copper peptides (double the amount of competitors) promote skin firming, skin’s self-repair mechanisms, improves elasticity, and repairs the look of aging skin. Have used this for years and won’t ever stop.

category: serum, peptides

BUY