We love this because you can use it on face and body, for a better glow all around. Take it in the shower and use it morning and night to calm irritated skin and even skin tone.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel
Apply this after your toner and allow a few minutes for it to sink into skin to brighten dark spots and reverse signs of aging. Use it twice a day morning and night for best results. It has an AHA in it, so make sure you use a sunscreen as it may increase your sensitivity to sun exposure.
We love a good peel pad to brighten skin and jumpstart cell turnover. The easy to use pads are chock full of glycolic acid, a gentle exfoliant that smooths, brightens and gives your skin a glow.
The heavyweight of solving issues of hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone, two pumps daily applied to affected areas will brighten dull skin and even complexion. Cocktail it with a sunscreen because it may make your skin sensitive to sun exposure.
Give this hero product 12 weeks and your skin will be visibly more even. Apply it to clean skin after your toner and before your SPF.
$130, at skinmedica.com
06
Dr. Jart+ Every Sun Day UV Illuminating Sunscreen SPF 36
Using an SPF won’t reduce the appearance of dark spots, but it will prevent them from getting darker. We love this formula because it’s lightweight, blendable, super hydrating and has light-reflecting properties to give your skin a glow.
If you’ve ever been to ESSENCE Hollywood House, you know it’s more than just a series of panels—it’s a gathering of visionaries. A space where Black creatives and leaders come together to share stories, strategies, and solutions. This year’s conversation, Let’s Talk About LA: Preserving Our City, presented by AT&T, was no different.
The discussion brought together three voices, each deeply invested in shaping LA’s future: D. Smoke, the Grammy-nominated rapper and educator; Olympia Auset, founder of SÜPRMRKT, a grocery service tackling food apartheid in LA; and DJ HED, a radio personality and advocate for independent artists. Though their paths differed, their mission was the same—creating opportunities, protecting culture, and ensuring Black spaces in LA don’t just survive but thrive.
For Olympia Ausset, the work she’s doing with SÜPRMRKT goes far beyond providing fresh groceries—it’s about laying the foundation for a stronger, healthier community. “The LA we love, the cultural beacon it’s known as today, was built by people who worked hard to create their own spaces,” she shared. “The reason I do what I do is because it’s essential. We can’t achieve any of the changes I want for my community without being in good health and having access to affordable, organic food. Without places where we can gather, heal, and support each other, none of the other goals will be possible. It starts with taking care of ourselves and building those spaces together.”
From Olympia’s focus on wellness and accessibility to DJ HED’s belief in the power of self-worth, the discussion explored what it means to dream beyond individual success and invest in collective progress. “I see a lot of people who aren’t proud of where they come from, what they look like, or where they’re at in life,” he said. “I had to learn to give myself grace, to grow. I grew up in Inglewood, raised by a single mom. We lived in a car, we were on welfare, but I knew I wanted to be bigger than my circumstances. That’s what dreaming in Black is—believing in something greater and nurturing it until it grows.”
DJ Smoke also touched on this, emphasizing the importance of intention and fulfillment. “You don’t want to climb that ladder and realize you went real high in the wrong direction,” he warned. “A lot of people in LA are ambitious, but if you don’t understand your ‘why,’ you can get to the top and still feel empty. The goal isn’t just to make it—it’s to make it mean something.
Sometimes, as Black creatives, we only dream as far as the next gig or the next check, but dreaming in Black means going beyond that. “It means thinking bigger than what’s right in front of you,” said host Donye Taylor.
This conversation was a call to action – a reminder that preserving LA’s Black culture means investing in community, honoring our history, and building a legacy that lasts.
