By Dana Oliver ·Updated February 3, 2026 /> Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…
In an industry where there is an overwhelming amount of product launches daily, Product Of The Week helps you cut through the noise. To help you find your new beauty and wellness favorites, this series highlights the tried-and-true products that our writers can’t live without.
When I was a teenager perusing the drugstore, I’d always stop in front of the display that showcased tubes of the most popular face exfoliant. I wondered if massaging it onto my brown skin would make it just as “perfect” as the young white girls who starred in the brand’s commercials. But little did I know back then the damage that apricot scrub did to the skin barrier.
Now that I’m older and wiser, I try to make smarter choices about the products I put onto my body. So just imagine how excited I was when board-certified dermatologist Dr. Naana Boayke offered to send me a more gentle exfoliant from her namesake skincare line. And it couldn’t have arrived at a more convenient time, as I had been struggling with acne and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation
Author: Akili King
Read the original article on Essence.