Cindy Rachlin

Photo: Chris Eckert/Studio D

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Cindy Rachlin

Age: 57
Her Weakness: Skincare products
Her Rescuer: Dermatologist Francesca Fusco, MD

Cindy sees her extensive skincare collection as a costly attempt to rewrite history. "SPF didn't exist when I was growing up," she says. "I was a redhead who would lie in the sun slathered in baby oil. Now I'm trying to reverse all that damage." The possibility of finding the miracle product that will revitalize her skin can keep her in Sephora for hours. "I get energized by the hope that this is going to be the answer," she says. Here's how Fusco culled her collection.

Counting It All Up

Trish's clutter by the numbers:
  • 12 body creams
  • 13 facial moisturizers
  • 8 hand creams
  • 3 exfoliators
  • 7 (dried-out) facial sponges
  • 6 cleansers

Space-Freeing Strategies


Be Patient
It usually takes at least one month for a skincare product to make a difference. (And retinoids, the gold standard of antiaging skincare, can take about four.)

Forget Toners
A cleanser and H2O are all you need to remove dirt and oil from your skin.

Organize Your Samples
Those minis you get at the department store counter can be great for travel—but Cindy had collected 77 tiny packets and tubes and didn't know what she had. A better system: Keep samples in ziplock bags organized by category.