Personal Evidence Report · Sample

Fine lines, a crowded shelf, and what actually holds up.

This is a sample for a fictional reader, so you can see exactly what you get. Every grade and study in it is real.
Reader31, combination skin
Top goalFine lines
Reacts to productsSometimes
Budget$25 to $50 a month

The short version

  1. Keep your daily sunscreen.It has the best long-term evidence of anything on your shelf.
  2. Ask a dermatologist about tretinoin.It's the strongest-evidence option for fine lines, and it needs a prescription in the US.
  3. Drop the collagen powder and the biotin gummies.That's about $55 a month on two products with weak evidence for your goal.

Your shelf, graded

B
KeepDaily SPF 30 sunscreen

In a 4.5-year trial of 903 adults, daily users showed 24% less visible skin aging than people who used it when they chose. PMID 23732711

C
Drop for nowCollagen powder, daily

Pooled, 23 trials showed gains. But the trials without industry funding, and the higher-quality trials, showed no significant effect. DOI 10.1016/j.amjmed.2025.04.034

D
Claim unproven"Clinically proven" peptide serum

We couldn't find a public study behind this product's claim. Its main ingredient isn't one we've graded yet, so we can't say it doesn't work. Only that the label's proof isn't public. Don't pay extra for the claim.

Myth
DropBiotin gummies

A 2017 review found benefits only in people with an underlying condition, such as a deficiency. Unless a doctor found one, this is money you can keep. PMID 28879195

Your evidence shortlist

A
Start here, with a doctorTretinoin

A 2022 review of 7 randomized trials found it improved fine wrinkles and uneven pigment from sun damage. A 0.02% cream is FDA-approved to soften fine facial wrinkles. DOI 10.1097/JW9.0000000000000003

B
Already doing itDaily sunscreen

Keep it every morning. It also protects the results of everything else.

Your routine, simplified

Morning
  1. Gentle cleanser, or just water
  2. Moisturizer, if your skin feels tight
  3. Sunscreen, every day
Night
  1. Gentle cleanser
  2. Tretinoin, if prescribed, as your dermatologist directs
  3. Moisturizer

What to expect: tretinoin's label says effects can take 3 to 6 months. Peeling, dryness and stinging are common at first.

Safety flags

  • Tretinoin: if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning to be, ask a doctor before starting.
  • Tretinoin can make skin more irritable at first. Introduce one new product at a time.
  • Biotin: the FDA warns high doses can cause falsely high or low results on some lab tests, including troponin. If you keep taking it, tell your doctor before any blood test.

Questions for your dermatologist

  1. Is tretinoin a good fit for my skin, and which strength should I start with?
  2. How should I start it to keep irritation down?
  3. Which of my current products should I pause while I start it?

Sources

  • Hughes et al. Sunscreen and prevention of skin aging. Ann Intern Med, 2013. PMID 23732711
  • Myung & Park. Meta-analysis of 23 randomized trials of collagen supplements. Am J Med, 2025. DOI 10.1016/j.amjmed.2025.04.034
  • Patel et al. A review of the use of biotin for hair loss. Skin Appendage Disorders, 2017. PMID 28879195
  • Topical tretinoin for treating photoaging: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Int J Womens Dermatol, 2022. DOI 10.1097/JW9.0000000000000003
  • Renova (tretinoin cream 0.02%) prescribing information. FDA biotin safety communication, updated November 2019.
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Sample for a fictional reader. Education, not medical advice.