When I came across cosmetic chemist Javon Ford during a scroll through TikTok, it was a welcome relief. Even as a self-proclaimed skin care obsessive, I’m often overwhelmed by the unending launches of beauty products and constant cycles of newly touted ingredients that promise to help alleviate my latest insecurity. Ford’s refreshing and simplified take was an outlier among the barrage of influencers promoting all the new, must-have goods.
Ford studied science and chemistry at Howard University, has worked in the cosmetics industry and is currently formulating his own makeup products based on the needs of deeper skin tones. In his videos, he speaks unpretentiously and with a passion for product formulation. I got the sense that, through his content, he aims to empower consumers to know more about what ingredients and products work best for them and why, rather than reaching for the latest trendy ingredient.
Ford’s also a fan of product essentialism, which can be a bold take in a beauty culture filled with influencers and their 10-step skin care routines.
“Skin care is oftentimes a less-is-more approach,” said Ford, who’s based in Los Angeles.
“Beyond a cleanser, moisturizer and SPF, all other products are nice-to-haves, they aren’t necessary for healthy glowing skin, and if you’re using too many actives at once, you can negate their effects at best or compromise your skin barrier at worst,” he added.
I was most curious to know which products Ford chooses for his own bathroom shelf space. Turns out he’s a fan of sunscreen, a uniquely textured water cream and all things containing glycerin. See some of his recent favorites as well as some worthy skin care tips.
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"Every so often, a new hydrating ingredient comes along as a fad like hyaluronic acid or polyglutamic acid or snow mushrooms that work but they’re more fickle to work with in your routine than old-fashioned glycerin. It’s why you see it in so many products. Chemists love the stuff," he said.
This lightweight hydrating serum by The Inkey List features glycerin as one of the first named ingredients alongside a duo of collagen-supporting peptides.
This weightless gel-like formula contains a broad spectrum SPF40 that also helps protect against blue light, as well as a meadowfoam seed-derived complex to help increase hydration.
This SPF50-containing primer features both vitamins E and C for added antioxidant protection, as well as hyaluronic acid to support skin hydration.
This satiny serum also contains beet root extract for a continual dose of hydration and claims to impart brightening effects as well as protection from blue light and environmental pollution.
Ford said that there's actually not many of these cleansers on the market because it can be difficult to formulate an oil that can foam. However, we dug around and thought the Skinfix Barrier+ cleanser looks like a solid choice. Using a barrier-repairing lipid complex and a plumping blend of seaweed hyaluronate, this hydrating foaming oil cleanser can eliminate impurities without stripping the skin.
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