- Value: 16/20
- Ease of Application: 20/20
- Efficacy: 19/20
- Scent: 18/20
- Texture: 19/20
Total: 92/100
When I was 23, I visited a friend in Paris who at the time was in her early 70s. One day, as I peered out her window to catch a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower, the conversation turned towards wrinkles. Namely, she was worrying about hers. “Oh, don’t worry,” I assured her. “You’re lovely!” At the time, anything beauty related couldn’t have been farther from my mind, and my skincare routine consisted of a swipe of French micellar water morning and night on a (mostly) clear complexion. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to experience more acne, dryness and—the real jarring moment—a fine line on my forehead that popped up about a year ago and seemed to be careening across my face the way my dad drives on road trips: Speedily, aggressively, flagrantly. I’ve always been weary of the claims of beauty products, especially expensive ones that go viral, and would more readily turn to an academic journal than TikTok for proof of efficacy.
But, seeing Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment pop up on the internet got the better of me—especially while it's 30 percent off for Dermstore's Black Friday sale with code JOY at checkout ($85; $59). Thus, I did what any good journalist would do: I put it to the test. Here are my thoughts after five days.