Beauties, 2011 was a tough year for me, dermatologically speaking.

Operating as an army of one (as I tend to in most facets of my lifestyle), I was testing out anything and everything, paranoid beyond belief to miss THE skin care innovation of the millennium–only to suffer horrendous breakouts that cycled on and on until Dr. Colbert put me on prescription meds that finally got me back to normal. Since then I have to be very careful about what I try on my face (very few brands these days), opting instead to test skin care on my arms, decolletage, etc. For a while, my formerly promiscuous regimen became incredibly prudish. I used nothing but 100% Pure Tinted Moisturizer, Pratima Neem Rose Sunscreen, Kirk’s Original Coco Castile Soap and Dermalogica Precleanse. Read on…

And much the way a total hussy feels once she goes from multiple to zero lovers (I’m GUESSING, guys.) I felt like I was missing out with this austere lineup all the time, though it was benefiting my skin. And so, GRADUALLY, I discovered that I can mix the occasional variable into the lab that is my bathroom, provided it’s only ONE (so I can always isolate the culprit that causes any breakouts, as the aforementioned items are my CONTROL). It’s a risk, but there’s one item I’ve added to my control list (the toughest list in Manhattan to get on) and it’s Dr. Dennis Gross Extra Strength Alpha Beta Peel Pads ($80 for 30 pads at Sephora.com). Yes, they cost the earth, but listen guys. I’ve bought box after box. The new towelette format is so much more user-friendly than those fakakta pads that dry out after a few days. And, I actually cut mine in half and store the other half of each wipe in a ziplock to extend the use. Ta da! As I use them nearly daily (about 5 days a week), it’s a great cost-cutting measure. Dr. Gross suggested I use them daily to purge my pores of impurities when I saw him a few months ago, and the effect has been LIFE-CHANGING. I break out far less often and can intro new items into the mix with very little danger. It’s truly the skin care equivalent of the Starman who allows Mario to be Invincible Mario, thanks to its glamazing forcefield in Super Mario Brothers for the Nintendo Entertainment System, which I played for probably about 1,300 hours of my life growing up.

P.S. I found this awesome song someone made up about Invincible Mario. Warning: It’s kind of vulgar, but so hilarious. Observe:

Because of my new skin care starman, I’ve been incorporating his new Dr. Dennis Gross Active Vitamin D Serum-Oil ($65 at Sephora.com) into my mix, applying it before moisturizer for a little more rich hydration this winter. It’s also fabulous to drop a bit into your concealer before applying to nip cakiness in the bud.

Do you have a skin care starman? Tell me what helps your skin be INVINCIBLE. Go.