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Jennifer Garner and I Both Love These Skin Exfoliating Pads. Here’s What Makes Them So Great

Swipe, swipe, glow

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jennifer garner yse beauty exfoliating pads universal
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Jennifer Garner will forever be our favorite it girl, and now on top of A-list actor and "Pretend Cooking Show" host, she can officially add beauty influencer to her long list of accomplishments.

The 51-year-old actress recently took over Vogue’s Beauty Secrets series, where she revealed her “quick as possible” beauty routine—including skincare and makeup—in just six minutes flat. Normally, my similarities with Jen stop at our mutual love of fitness and the color of our hair. But after watching this clip, I now know we're both in on the same skincare secret.

After slathering on the Rationale pre-cleanse balm to remove makeup and following up with a “boop, boop, boop” of Neutrogena hydrating gel cleanser, Garner went in with the YSE Beauty Your Favorite Ex Exfoliating Pads—my daily go-to for a gentle exfoliation that gets the job done without stripping the skin.

“It’s a good one,” Garner explains, but allow me to go into more detail. These pre-soaked pads combine glycolic acid, grape extract, polyhydroxy acids and extoin to help exfoliate, brighten and retexturize the skin. According to the brand, gluconolactone also helps “dissolve dead skin cells while providing anti-inflammatory properties,” making it powerful but suitable for sensitive skin.

yse-beauty-your-favorite-ex-exfoliating-pads-shoppable
YSE Beauty

YSE Beauty

All that to say, these are not the Stridex pads of your teenhood. They’re a grown-up version that are just as effective without the sting. As I trade acne and oil for fine lines and texture—oh the joys of aging—it’s one of the only chemical exfoliants I've tried that actually does what it says without leaving my skin red and inflamed.

The exfoliating pads can be used morning or night, whether you’re looking to prep your face for makeup (à la Jen Gar) or take it all off at the end of the day. Each pad is soft and thick and comes with its very own finger pocket, making it easy to swipe on over every nook and cranny of your face, neck and chest. After desperately searching for something to help smooth out the rough texture on my cheeks and chin, these pads have come through time and time again. 

To conclude the video, Garner shares a bit of wisdom with us: “My advice for moving through the world with confidence? If you want to have self-esteem, do esteem-able things. Focus out more than in. Focus on what you’re doing for other people.” Also, "Nothing looks better in your fifties than sunscreen in your twenties!”

The woman has spoken.



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Executive Managing Editor

  • Oversees editorial operations; covers a mix of lifestyle topics including fitness, wellness, beauty, travel
  • Former D1 athlete, certified nutrition coach, avid runner
  • B.A. in English and biology from Lafayette College

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