Topicals: The New Kid on The Skincare Block You Need In Your Routine

I’ve been using Topicals Like Butter and Faded for the past four months and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results. You’ll want to add these two heavyweights to your skincare routine ASAP.

My Topicals is a women of color owned brand founded this past summer. Since then, they’ve amassed a cult like following on social media. Estheticians from @MakeupforWOC to @caveofbeauty have talked about the products on their social media. The two products are especially good for hyperpigmentation, eczema, rosacea and dryness.

So far, the brand offers two products. Faded is a serum that targets discoloration. Like Butter is a mask that aims to meet all your hydration needs. I definitely can’t wait for them to add more products but for now, these two are definite winners. I first talked about these two products back in September and I’m excited to finally be doing this review

First Up: Faded!

Faded helps treat discoloration and the ingredients list definitely does not disappoint. This serum has tranexamic acid, azelaic acid, kojic acid, melatonin, licorice root, niacinamide, and centella asiatica leaf extract. All of these ingredients work together to prevent and treat discoloration. These are all amazing ingredients on their own so the fact that this serum has them ALL IN ONE is 1) convenient and 2) really effective for treating those stubborn dark spots.

First Impressions

The packaging is really well designed and very cute. It looks exactly like it does online. The serum itself is a white, creamy liquid and the most distinct aspect of this product is the smell. Personally, I wasn’t very bothered by it because it doesn’t make your face smell after you use it. I would put this on before my moisturizer and I had no issues with it.

If I had to describe the smell, I’d say it’s very similar to Nair. There is an updated formula though which has less of a noticeable smell.

Review

In terms of usage, I would use this once a day 2 or 3 times a week. I got this in September and I still have a bunch left in the tube. It lasts a long while for sure. For a serum, the price point is pretty high. My other serums which I typically get from The Ordinary or the Inkey List are less than $15. However, you get a lot of product for what you pay for and it really is one of the best serums for hyperpigmentation.

In addition to this serum, I use mandelic acid and ascorbic acid from The Ordinary. The biggest things when it comes to hyperpigmentation are patience, consistency, and SUNSCREEN. I’ve been very pleased using this product. My skin has a lot of texture though, so I didn’t see drastic changes in those older dark marks. But after having INTENSE cystic acne, only time and chemical peels are really the only solutions to getting fast and really drastic results. This serum wove seamlessly into my skincare routine and I saw no purging period or breakouts using it which I was really thankful for.

Overall, I would buy this product but if the price point is a little too high for you, there are definitely alternatives. However, you could also buy this product and eliminate the need to get other serums instead of individually buying different serums since this has so many amazing ingredients in it.

This product has quickly become a cult classic and for very good reason.

Secondly: Like Butter

First Impressions

Like Butter is marketed as a hydrating mask but I use it as a moisturizer. When I first used it, I noticed how slippery it was and very creamy. It had a bit of tackiness for me as a mask and I found it really difficult to wash off. To its credit, it was very hydrating but given its texture, I felt as though it wasn’t very effective as a wash off mask. Like Butter is fragrance free, and unlike Faded, none of its ingredients give off a distinct smell.

Review

Like Butter goes on very smoothly and because it felt so hydrating. I wondered how it would work if I left it on longer instead of washing it off. So, I started using it an overnight hydrating mask/moisturizer underneath my CeraVe Healing Ointment that’s where the magic happened for me. I woke up with baby soft skin. I was shook. Since restructuring my skincare routine, I’ve been wanting for face masks because I’ve limited my use of clay masks and I love Like Butter as a overnight hydrating mask. The mask was created to help treat skin conditions like eczema, rosacea and dry skin. It’s made to be creamy and thick to help with hydrating those areas.

Some people opt to use it as a daily moisturizer even. I personally use it as overnight hydrating mask once or twice a week and I love the results in the morning. My skin feels so smooth and plump. Especially given the relentless Boston winters I’m dealing with right now, hydration is key and Like Butter offers heaps of it. For better results, I’d definitely recommend leaving the mask on as a moisturizer and seeing if you like that better.

Accesibility

Faded and Like Butter are available on their website mytopicals.com and on Nordstrom’s website. It does sell out quite fast though. Faded is $36 and Like Butter is $28. There is a DUO option to get Faded and Like Butter together for $56.

If you’re wondering which you should purchase if you’re interested, that would depend on your skin concerns. If you have incredibly dry, sensitive or eczema-prone skin, Like Butter would be perfect for you to try. On the other hand, if you’re mainly targeting discoloration and hyperpigmentation, Faded would be your gal. If you’re a multifaceted girly with both dry skin and dark marks like moi, DUO could be a great investment. These products launched in August and they’ve quickly become favorites so if they’re in your budget, I would definitely recommend trying them.

The Topicals Instagram account also has a lot of pictures of the products themselves, from people using them to how they look coming out the bottle. That’s another great resource if you’re looking for additional information before purchasing.

Changing the Face of Beauty

Before I end this review, I think it’s important to highlight Topicals brand messaging. As a skincare company owned by two women of color, they are working to change how we view beauty. Their ambassadors reflect a diversity of skin conditions, body types, skin tones and personality. Topicals advocates for healthy skin, not the typical idea of perfect, flawless skin.

As a company, they also donate 1% of their profits to mental health organizations including Black Girl Therapy, Fearless Femmes and Sad Girls Club. They aim to highlight the link between mental health and skin health because, let’s be honest, acne and skin conditions definitely can affect how you feel about yourself.

Topicals is a new company with two effective products and unique brand messaging. They are blazing their own path in the world of skincare and I can’t wait to see what they do next (Sunscreen perhaps? Maybe a cleanser? 👀). Either way, I’m excited and so glad I got the chance to try these products. They were definitely two of my favorite skincare products in 2020.