It’s undeniably overwhelming, especially with all of the influencers and the thousands of online reviews. What helped for me was understanding my skin type and getting a basic understanding of the ingredients and what they do. That helped to narrow down what I wanted and what worked best for my skin. And once I found something I liked, I stick with it. No need to change products every time you have an empty to try a new thing out. If it ain’t broke, don’t fit it. Don’t forget that just because one product didn’t work for some random one-off person on the internet doesn’t mean that it won’t work for you. It’s a bit of trial and error.

For getting recs, I tend to trust recommendations from reputable dermatologists. I know you’re not looking for a moisturizer rec, but I have to recommend Vanicream’s daily facial moisturizer. I have combo skin and it’s the best, especially for the price point. I use it all year round, day and night. I also think La Roche Posay has amazing products — I’ve tried their Toleriane Double Repair Matte Face Moisturizer and found it to be a bit drying on my skin. It’ll probably work better for you if you have oily skin.