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
How to tell whether a cleanser is too harsh.
Tightness, a squeaky feel, stinging as the next product goes on, flaking or redness can mean a cleanser is too harsh. How to check and test a gentler one.
Read the note
A routine that fits your life is easier to keep.
How to stick to a skincare routine: a minimum version for busy days, steps built around your schedule, travel and the gym, and how to tell if it is working.
Read the note
Before a facial: what to tell your skincare practitioner.
Preparing for a facial? Tell your practitioner about retinoids, acids, prescriptions, recent procedures, reactions and pregnancy, then ask what to pause.
Read the note
How to understand what your skin may actually need.
Learn how to observe your skin, review your routine and decide whether simpler care, a skincare consultation or a dermatologist is the right next step.
Read the noteConsidering Twin Body? Questions to ask before starting.
Considering Twin Body? Learn how the manufacturer describes it, what it is not designed for and the questions to ask about goals, sessions and suitability.
Read the noteChoosing a professional facial: where Frozen Face Pro Max fits.
Where does Frozen Face Pro Max fit among facials? Learn how the manufacturer describes it, how to read the claims and what to ask before you book.
Read the note
Buttocks skin care: texture, bumps and everyday care.
Bumps on the buttocks are often folliculitis or rough texture, not acne. Learn the everyday habits that help, what to avoid and when to see a dermatologist.
Read the noteBack skin care: daily habits, professional care and when to seek help.
Back skin care starts with daily habits: breathable clothing, showering after sweat and gentle cleansing. Learn what helps, what to avoid and when to get help.
Read the noteShould your skincare routine change with the seasons?
Adjust your skincare with the seasons, not replace it. Learn what to change in cold, dry weather, what to change in heat and humidity, and what stays.
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?
