I Used Model Molly Sims' Skincare Line for Two Months and My Skin Has Never Looked Better
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I've always taken good care of my skin. My mother was religious about removing her makeup and washing her face every night (with a bar of Dove soap no less) and I've picked up countless skincare tips and lessons over the years, first as a makeup artist in college and later, as a beauty editor.
I wear SPF. I use retinol and vitamin C. I apply eye cream all the time and get facials every few months. I try the latest lasers, treatments and products and genuinely love talking to estheticians about beauty trends and skincare advice. I even considered my skin to be pretty flawless—that is until I turned 40.
Right after this milestone birthday, I saw a few changes. Even though people would tell me all the time that I looked younger than 40 and my skin looked amazing, I could tell it was different. I started noticing dark spots and sunspots on my forehead, near my hairline. A shadow of hyperpigmentation settling in. As well as flaky areas on top of rosacea-prone patches around my cheeks. What used to be a minimal bout of inflammation seemed omnipresent and my skin felt dry 24/7. Even more crows and their feet took up residence around my eyes and that's when I thought: Should I be doing something different?
So, one day when I was interviewing Molly Sims about her favorite jeans for a Parade story, I asked about her skin. She always looks radiant with a megawatt glow and hardly an imperfection in sight. I was aware that she had launched her own skincare line about a year ago, YSE Beauty, but I needed to know everything she was doing and using to achieve the same results.
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Here's what happened when she shared her YSE skincare routine with me and I tried it for a few months at home.
Related: The Best Skincare Routine for Morning and Night
My Skin Before Using YSE
Courtesy Kelli Acciardo
As you can see, I was dealing with dry flaky skin, hyperpigmentation, sunspots around my forehead and red, sensitive cheeks. Vanity aside, my skin felt even worse—Sahara Desert dry to the point of achy, or at times it would be inflamed, hot to the touch after using a medley of different products on my self-care quest to solve my skincare concerns.
Courtesy Kelli Acciardo
Sims says she can relate, explaining, "In 2019 my husband said it looked like I had a little dirt on my face and I said that is it."
So, she took 15 products that she would play with, including a toner, a lightening serum and a Glytone (which is used in peels), and in about three months, she noticed a huge difference in her skin.
"Listen, consistency is the key with everything but that's how YSE started," she recalls. "Like why is everything that is super super strong for aging, sun spots, hyperpigmentation and melasma so strong and ugly in derm and then all this stuff for millennials is so beautiful and cool but there's no efficacy to it?"
She was determined to change all that with YSE, which is pronounced wise—in case you were wondering—and I was determined to become wiser with my skincare routine.
The YSE Skincare Routine
Although she's introduced a few more products to the line (including Skin Glow, an SPF 30 primer), this was the OG lineup she started with in April of '23 and therefore, the lineup I used when testing the collection.
AM Routine
1. Cleanse. Sims starts her morning routine with Take It All Off Gel-Oil Cleanser, which has meadowfoam seed oil to balance sebum production along with camellia seed oil to calm inflammation and redness. Squalane also hydrates and soothes; all you have to do is apply a few pumps to your hands, emulsify with water, massage in and then rinse off.
2. Exfoliate. Next up, Your Favorite Ex Exfoliating Pads. It's never been easier to exfoliate and tone, thanks to these pre-soaked pads with a built-in finger pocket. Just swipe over clean skin (avoiding the eyes). They recommend sensitive skin types start with two to three times a week, rather than use the pads every day, so that's what I did.
3. Brighten. After that, it's on to her Morning Cocktail Vitamin C Serum with three forms of stabilized vitamin C which, according to Sims, is like a time capsule in a bottle when it is released. And has niacinamide, squalane and hyaluronic acid to further brighten, smooth and even out skin tone. Every time I used it I felt instantly glowier, dewier and photo-op-ready.
4. Moisturize. The last step is to seal in hydration with Xtremely Rich Moisturizer, which has microalgae to rebalance the skin's microbiome, licorice root extract to minimize dark spots and that YSE hero ingredient, squalane, to add moisture.
Related: 5 Date-Night Style Tips Over 50, According to Model Molly Sims
PM Routine
1. Cleanse. The PM routine starts the same as the AM one, with Take It All Off Gel-Oil Cleanser, only you'll skip the exfoliation pads after since retinol comes next.
2. Firm. Sims' Last Call Retinol Serum is a mix of retinol, niacinamide and omega fatty acids, which firm, tighten and even tone—sans irritation. If you're new to retinol or have sensitive skin, start slow, one to two times a week and work your way up to more.
3. Brighten. Apply a small amount of The Problem Solver Brightening Treatment directly to the desired area—for me, this was the hyperpigmentation on my forehead—or, apply all over the face for an overall brightening treatment. Dark spots don't stand a chance against this trifecta of tranexamic acid, niacinamide and licorice root extract that work in unison to assuage discoloration.
4. Moisturize. The last step in the PM routine is the same as the AM, with a layer of Xtremely Rich Moisturizer.
A Few More Things I Did for My Skin
1. I used an LED mask. I swear by them! One of the easiest anti-aging measures you can take is to simply plug in an LED mask, put it on and watch TV or read a book for 10 minutes while the infrared wavelengths penetrate deep into your skin to stimulate collagen and elastin production. I personally love celebrity facialist Angela Caglia's Crystal LED Face Mask, since it has 630 anti-aging RED lights and 465 anti-acne BLUE lights, along with rose quartz crystals to keep wrinkles at bay and calm inflammation, which is great for my known-to-flare-up rosacea patches.
2. I got a facial. I am a firm believer in getting a glow-boosting facial every few months or more if you can swing it. No one can tell you what your skin needs quite like a highly skilled esthetician. Once glance under their pro-level lamp and they'll divulge what's working—and what's not.
While at Winvian Farm's Spa in Litchfield, Connecticut one weekend, I met their incredible facialist Lauren Beecher who told me my skin looked great, but it was looking a little dry. She mentioned I might not want to use vitamin C serum every day because it can be dehydrating. So, when I returned home, I switched to using it only a few times a week instead of daily and immediately noticed an improvement in my skin's moisture levels. Plus, the glow-up from my detoxifying facial with her lasted long after my stay.
3. I used an overnight mask a few times a week. After my facial, Lauren also gave me a sample of Yonka's Deeply Hydrating Overnight Masque, which my thirsty skin drank up upon application. Since YSE doesn't have a mask (yet!), this was the perfect addition to my routine, especially going from warm to cold climates, flying a lot in the last few months (which can take a toll on your skin) and living in New England in the dead of winter. Although my visage was reaping the brightening, and tightening benefits from Molly's line, it still needed more moisture this time of year.
Related: 5 Essential Tips for Wearing Coats if You’re Over 50, According to Model and Style Mogul Molly Sims
Final Thoughts
After speaking with Sims about the inspiration for YSE and struggling with similar skincare issues she faced (I'm looking at you, hyperpigmentation), I was beyond excited to try her collection of award-winning products she developed specifically for these concerns. Here are my honest thoughts on the line...
Morning Cocktail Vitamin C Serum: I now understand the cult following hype around this one. For starters, it doesn't smell like vitamin C serum at ALL. "That's why it's blown up," she tells me, "it's the #1 thing women forget in the morning because they don't like how it smells; they don't want to smell like an orange."
She adds that most vitamin C naysayers also don't like the texture because it's usually sticky and pills under their makeup. "They think, 'Oh, I'm just going to skip that step,' but it's the most important step," she says. Morning Cocktail doesn't feel sticky at all. Rather it's like a silky white serum that glides on without an ounce of stick. And the glow—next level.
Your Favorite Ex Exfoliating Pads: I had a feeling I was going to love these. They're honestly one of my favorites, thanks to the oversized pad that lets you get your face, neck and decollate with a handy little application pocket. The sheer joy they bring me once I see all the dirt, grime and makeup come off on them is real. Plus, they de-slough even the deadest, driest winter flakies, which I appreciate so much.
The Problem Solver Brightening Treatment: I'm a BIG fan. I've had zero sensitivity issues using it and truly feel like my dark spots and hyperpigmentation areas have gotten better since doing so. I also love that it's safe to use with retinol simultaneously and comes in a big tube so you feel like a little goes a long way and it will last you months.
Take It All Off Gel-Oil Cleanser: When I first used it, I wasn't sure if I was using enough since it's not a foaming cleanser and for some reason I feel like I need that foam to get my face clean. But when Molly told me they designed it to be more of a gel-to-oil cleanser—like a double cleanser—so it was less drying, that hit home.
Foam cleansers may emulsify more but Take It All Off literally takes all your makeup off without stripping your barrier. Plus, I love how the sparkly rose gold bottle looks in my bathroom counter and the addictive passion fruit extract scent that fights free radicals at the same time.
Last Call Retinol Serum: Whenever my friends tell me they're scared to use retinol because it can be irritating or they don't want to avoid the sun, I tell them about Last Call. It's not irritating in the slightest—even on my sensitive cheeks—and as long as you wear SPF every day (which you should be doing regardless!), you won't have an issue being in the sun.
Of course, it's smart to test a small spot on your skin to see how it will react before slathering retinol everywhere, but once it looked like I was good to go, I indeed put it everywhere for a firming, brightening result.
It should be noted that I only use retinol a few times a week though to not totally dry out my skin and I wouldn't use it on the same day I used the exfoliating pads. Your barrier needs a break in between that exfoliation session before you apply this resurfacing serum. The addition of beta-glucan also seemed to minimize my crow's feet and keep other pesky fine lines from forming throughout using it, which means I will continue to restock this one.
Xtremely Rich Moisturizer: This is a perfectly lovely, thick moisturizer. It feels whipped, luscious and exactly what it promises to be: rich. However, my skin seems to need even more moisture during the winter, especially after using so much retinol and vitamin C. After using it, I would still feel a little tight or dry a few hours later and go to apply more or reach for a face oil I love from French Farmacie, to double up on the hydration. Had it been summer when I was testing and trying the line, it would have been just fine, but winter was an entirely different beast that called for max moisture.
Even though I may be rotating in a thicker moisturizer until spring, I'll definitely be sticking to my YSE routine and frequent usage of Sims' vitamin C serum, retinol, exfoliating pads and brightening treatment. My forehead spots have been reduced significantly and my skin looks more even overall. Even my redness seems to have subsided a bit.
Sims spent years creating skincare products to give good face—even while you're sleeping—and that's exactly what they do. So thank you, Molly, for cracking the code!
Courtesy Kelli Acciardo
