If you want the 60 second version of this post that just tells you what to do, click here to skip to the summary.

Every now and then I stumble down a YouTube rabbit hole and end up learning way more than I ever intended about a particular topic. A few months ago I noticed that I was starting to get permanent smile lines etched around my mouth and started wondering whether there was something I could do to fix them.

An ex of mine was a skincare addict and had perhaps the nicest skin of anyone I have ever met. I texted her to ask for advice and she recommended I use a retinoid.

Since I didn't know what those were or how they worked, I watched a YouTube video. Thus began my 3 month journey down the rabbit hole of skin care products and reviews and progress [...]