Hi, I'm Jamie.

In middle school I wrote to Neutrogena and Aveeno claiming I was doing a science fair project so they'd send me free samples. I've been like this about skincare ever since.

I've had skin issues my whole life — mild acne, plus a list that's grown over the years: Type II rosacea, perioral dermatitis, fungal acne, bacterial acne. I was on Accutane at 16. I've lived in humid Northern Virginia, dry Colorado, and now Mexico City, and my skin has had opinions about all of them. My hair is its own project — frizzy, dry, curly, bleached. I've tried a lot of products.

I'm more of a researcher than a follower. I read ingredient lists and studies, dig through Reddit threads and reviews, and look for patterns in what's worked and what hasn't — for me and for other people. I treat my own routine like a series of experiments, most of which don't work. About ten years ago I said something like this should exist on Sephora's website. It still doesn't, so I built it.

My background is in stats, economics, and data science, and I work in product. The principle behind the site is that less is better — most people don't need more products, they need to know which of the ones they already own are actually doing something. That's what I wanted for myself, and I figured I probably wasn't the only one.

I'm not a dermatologist and nothing here is medical advice. If you buy something through an Amazon link, I get a small cut that helps cover hosting. There are no paid placements or brand partnerships — the recommendations are just the recommendations.

Questions, broken things, or a product I should add to the database — theformula.admin@gmail.com.

Thanks for being here.

— Jamie