The Journal
Notes on skin, considered.
Writing, observations and video from Merve Akkaya, followed by a growing library of practical skincare guidance designed to make better decisions easier.
From Merve
The questions that stay after the appointment.
Some of the most useful skincare conversations begin with a question someone has been carrying for a while.
This is where Merve shares personal observations, professional perspective and longer thoughts on the decisions people repeatedly face around their skin. As her own articles are published, they will live here before becoming part of the wider Journal archive.
Watch
Skincare, in Merve’s own words.
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Longer conversations about skin.
Education, practical skincare thinking and professional perspective from Merve.
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Notes from everyday practice.
Treatments, professional observations and short explanations from Merve’s work.
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Clear answers, without the noise.
Short-form skincare education and practical perspective.
A considered perspective
Better skincare content should help you decide — not simply give you more to read.
Skincare Library
Go deeper,when you need to.
Clear, structured guides to routines, ingredients, skin concerns and professional care. Start with a question, then read what helps.
Latest notes
"Ozempic face": skin changes after weight loss and what skincare can do.
What "Ozempic face" means, why the face can change after rapid weight loss, what skincare can and cannot do for firmness, and what belongs with your doctor.
Read the note
Korean skincare routines: what to borrow and what to skip.
Do you need all 10 steps of a Korean skincare routine? What to borrow (gentle cleansing, hydration, sunscreen), what to skip and how to build your own.
Read the note
Glass skin: a realistic routine for a healthy glow.
What glass skin is, what dermatologists say about it, and a realistic routine for a healthy glow: gentle cleansing, hydration and daily sunscreen.
Read the note
Hard water and your skin: do shower filters help?
Does hard water dry out your skin? What the research shows, what shower filters and water softeners can realistically change, and washing habits that help.
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Medical spa or skincare studio? Understanding the difference.
Medical spa or skincare studio? What each name usually means, where medical procedures end and professional skincare begins, and what to ask before booking.
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Glutathione and skin tone: creams, supplements and drips, considered.
Does glutathione lighten skin? What the evidence shows for creams, supplements and IV drips, what regulators have warned, and what helps an even tone.
Read the noteTranexamic acid for dark spots: where it fits.
Does tranexamic acid work for dark spots and melasma? What the evidence shows, how to add a serum, why sunscreen comes first and when to see a doctor.
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Copper peptides (GHK-Cu): what they are and how to use them.
Copper peptides (GHK-Cu) explained: what the research shows and its limits, using them with vitamin C or retinol, and how to start a serum sensibly.
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LED face masks and red light therapy at home: what to expect.
Do LED face masks work? What red and blue light can and cannot do at home, how masks differ from clinic devices, eye safety and realistic expectations.
Read the noteA useful starting point
These guides offer general skincare information. For concerns that persist or a routine that is difficult to make sense of, talk through your options.
All guides
Every guide, by topic.
Understanding your skin
Routines
- Morning and evening skincare: what actually needs to change?
- Skincare product order: a clear guide to layering.
- Where to spend and where to save in your skincare routine.
- Should your skincare routine change with the seasons?
- A skincare routine does not need to be complicated.
- A routine that fits your life is easier to keep.
- Skincare before an event, without last-minute experiments.
Cleansing
Sun protection
Ingredients and tolerance
Body skin
Professional care
- When professional skincare belongs in the plan.
- Choosing a professional facial: where Frozen Face Pro Max fits.
- Considering Twin Body? Questions to ask before starting.
- Before a facial: what to tell your skincare practitioner.
- After a facial: keeping your home routine clear.
- When a skin concern needs a dermatologist.
- What a useful skin consultation should leave you with.
Trends, considered
- PDRN and “salmon DNA” skincare: what a cream can and cannot do.
- Exosome skincare: what the word means on a label.
- LED face masks and red light therapy at home: what to expect.
- Copper peptides (GHK-Cu): what they are and how to use them.
- Tranexamic acid for dark spots: where it fits.
- Glutathione and skin tone: creams, supplements and drips, considered.
- Medical spa or skincare studio? Understanding the difference.
- Hard water and your skin: do shower filters help?
- Glass skin: a realistic routine for a healthy glow.
- Korean skincare routines: what to borrow and what to skip.
- “Ozempic face”: skin changes after weight loss and what skincare can do.
- Choosing a skin barrier cream: what to look for.
- Beta-glucan in skincare: a gentle ingredient worth knowing.
- Spicules and “liquid microneedling”: questions before you try.
- Under-eye patches: what they can do for puffiness.
- Pimple patches: when hydrocolloid helps.
- Retinol body lotion: who it suits and how to start.
- Urea cream for rough, dry skin.
- Collagen supplements and your skin: what the evidence shows.
- AI skin analysis apps or a skin consultation?
