Technology

How to pick the perfect laptop in 2024

Published

8 months ago

May 12, 2024

Buying a laptop can be a dreadful experience. With so many options and configurations available, figuring out which laptop is the best option for you can feel just about impossible.

There are many different screen sizes, processors and storage options in laptops these days, and that’s why I’ve put together this guide.

This guide will cut through the jargon and explain your best options on a practical level.

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A man on his laptop (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Pick an operating system

Before you start looking at laptops, you’ll want to decide which operating system (OS) you plan on using. Today, there are four major OS options, each with strengths and weaknesses. You’ll want to pick an OS based on what software you use. Let’s break down the three most popular options together.

Windows

The most popular operating system on the market is Microsoft Windows. Some industry insiders believe the glory days of Windows peaked during the XP era, but Windows 11 is more than satisfactory for the vast majority of users. I personally use a Windows 11 desktop, which I use as a media center for playing the occasional game. It will be the best bet for most users, especially if you need to use Microsoft applications such as MS Office, Outlook or Excel.

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MacOS

MacOS features an easy learning curve and is a beginner-friendly operating system, but don’t let that fool you. MacOS is a premium operating system and one of the more powerful OS’s for creative work and programming. As a premium operating system, you have significantly fewer options when buying a laptop with MacOS, limiting you to Apple’s MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops.

ChromeOS

Google’s ChromeOS is an excellent solution for anyone who can do most of their work in a web browser. Laptops running on ChromeOS, often called Chromebooks, are some of the cheapest laptops on the market, so the OS is an excellent option for students and casual users who don’t use any powerful applications such as video editing.

The catch is that since Chromebooks are typically not that powerful, there’s little support for applications like the Adobe Creative Suite or Microsoft Office. You’ll also need a reliable, always-on internet connection to get the most out of a Chromebook.

A man working on his computer (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Choose your ideal size

Size matters, especially if you’ll be lugging your laptop away from home. Would you like a laptop that’s easy to take anywhere you go? Or do you need something more like a mobile workstation with a large, color-accurate display that you don’t plan on moving much?

12 inches and under

For the absolute smallest laptops on the market, Ultrabooks start at 11 inches and 2½ pounds and go up to 12 inches and three pounds. These are the smallest laptops on the market and typically aren’t the most powerful, although mobile processing has come a long way in the past two years.

13 to 15 inches

This is my favorite size when it comes to laptops, and you’ll find that most laptops available on the market are in the 13-inch to 15-inch range. These laptops focus on delivering a sweet spot between portability and processing power.

16 inches and above

These are the largest laptops on the market and often the heaviest but most powerful.

A woman working on her laptop (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Understanding processors

Once you’ve decided which operating system you need and which size you prefer, it’s time to pick a processor. Unless you are buying a MacBook, you will be deciding between either Team Blue (Intel) or Team Red (AMD). Both companies offer great processors, but I’ll break down what you should look for in both Intel and AMD processors. I’ll also include a quick note on Apple’s own M-processors if you are buying a MacBook.

Intel

Intel’s main offerings when it comes to processors are the Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 and Core i9. The Core i3 is going to be the least powerful processor of the bunch, while the Core i9 is the most powerful. Intel loads its processor names with a confusing string of numbers, such as the Core i7-1355U. Let’s quickly break down what this means.

Inside a computer (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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The Core i7 is the second most powerful processor in the series, and the 13 represents the processor’s generation, so this is the Core i7’s 13th generation, while the third and fourth numbers represent this processor’s speed. For example, the Core i7-1355U is not as powerful as the Core i7-1555U, and so on.

The letters you see after will correspond to different standards that Intel uses. Here’s what they mean: Y series chips are optimized for battery life. If the battery is your main concern, this is what you will look for. U series chips are optimized for power efficiency, and H are optimized for performance.

Computer parts (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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AMD

Unfortunately, AMD doesn’t make things much easier when deciphering their naming conventions. Consider the AMD Ryzen 7 5600X. In 5600X, the 5 represents the generation, so this is a 5th-generation processor, and the 600 refers to power.

So, we can decipher that this is a middle-range processor, and the lettering at the end corresponds to optimization. X in this case means the processor is optimized for high performance, so this would be a good processor for gaming, video editing or other resource-intensive applications.

Apple’s processors for MacBook models

In the past, Apple utilized Intel processors in its MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops. However, since 2020, Apple has begun manufacturing its own processors known as Apple Silicon, which are now used in the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops.

Fortunately, there are few Apple M-processors out, so you will only have to decide between the three generations of M-processors on the market. They are the M1, M2 and M3 processors, and within each of these processors, you get to choose between three options.

M — These are the base-level processors included in MacBook laptops, such as the M2 Pro, or M1 Pro.

M Pro — The ‘Pro’ series processors from Apple offer enhanced battery life, more power, and are ideal for creative professionals.

M Max —These are the second-most powerful processors offered by Apple, and they include additional cores dedicated to graphics performance. These are the ideal processors for video pros who deal with complex files.

M Ultra — The Ultra’series processors are the highest of the high and are even a bit overkill for the most professional complex work situations. This is what professionals buy if they don’t want to replace a MacBook anytime soon.

Apple processors (Apple)

Simple guide to processors

If you want to cut through all of the technical jargon, here’s a quick checklist you can think about when selecting processors. Here’s a list of popular AMD Ryzen processor prefixes you should be looking out for. There are three different M-processors available currently, and the number that immediately follows the M refers to the generation.

AMD Ryzen 3 – Very slow, often found in the cheapest laptops and AMD-based Chromebooks.
AMD Ryzen 5 – Best speed for most people overall, not too slow, with a good suite of integrated graphics for light gaming.
AMD Ryzen 7 – Better for high-performance applications and gaming, ideal for video editing, 3D programming and other resource-intensive applications.
AMD Ryzen 9 – Rocket ship level performance processing is the highest of the high that AMD offers for the consumer market.

Here’s a quick list of Intel processors you should be looking out for

Intel Core i3 – Very slow, often found in Intel-based Chromebooks
Intel Core i5 – The sweet spot for most people, these processors are great for day-to-day applications such as Microsoft Office, Excel, some light gaming and browser use.
Intel Core i7 – Better for power-intensive tasks such as gaming, video editing and programming.
Intel Core i9 – Intel’s rocket ship level performance processors, much like AMD, this is the highest of the high when it comes to consumer processor offerings from Intel.

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Graphics

All laptops come with either what’s referred to as ‘integrated’ graphics, graphics chips that are part of the CPU or their own dedicated graphics card. For most people, integrated graphics will be more than enough. Integrated graphics will allow you to watch HD videos from your favorite streaming services, view images clearly and even play some casual games easily.

If you’re a creative professional or gamer, you may want a laptop with dedicated graphics. Because these laptops have to house an actual graphics card on the motherboard, they tend to be larger, in the 15 inch and up range and often cost a premium.

A note on dedicated graphics

If you are someone who will end up needing a dedicated graphics card in your laptop, you’ll be deciding between a graphics card from Nvidia or AMD. The majority of Nvidia graphics cards you will find will be from the company’s Q-line, which are called the GeForce Max-Q. An example of a popular Nvidia graphics card in laptops for gamers is the GeForce 4070 Max-Q.

AMD’s dedicated graphics cards are called Radeon graphics cards and start at the top of the line with the Radeon Vega cards, which are used for enterprise-level video editing, down to the consumer-level Radeon RX graphics cards.

Computer parts (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How much memory is enough?

When it comes to random access memory, or RAM, there’s a wide range of options available in today’s laptops. For most people, 16GB of RAM will be enough to get the job done quickly. RAM is what your laptop uses to store data, while the processor uses that data. In essence, RAM is what stores the data your CPU uses to execute your applications, and if you run out of RAM, you won’t be able to do things such as open more browser tabs, leading to your laptop eventually freezing.

At minimum, you should get a laptop with 8GB of RAM, which will be enough for a casual Windows or Mac user, especially for anyone who is just using a laptop for daily emails and other browser-based tasks. The sweet spot is 16GB, which will make your laptop feel faster and is the minimum amount required for more intensive processes, such as gaming or editing photos.

If you’re a power user who uses a laptop for programming and building software or a creative professional who needs a laptop for editing high-resolution videos, you will want between 16GB and 32GB of RAM. I personally recommend a minimum of 32GB for high-end users, such as pro gamers, creative professionals and software developers.

Storage options

Your hard drive is where you store everything on your laptop, from the operating system itself to your favorite photos and applications. When looking for a laptop, I highly recommend picking one that comes with a solid-state drive (SSD). You may notice that some budget laptops still use hard-disk drives (HDD), but I would caution anyone against buying a laptop with an HDD in 2024.

You’ll need at least 256GB of storage space, but when it comes to storage, the more the merrier. I suggest trying to get a minimum of 512GB of storage space, and if you can afford it, it’s worthwhile to get 1TB, especially if you work with a lot of different files, photos and videos. If you’ve already got an older laptop, check to see how much space you are using to understand your future needs better

Battery life

Battery life in laptops is better than it’s ever been, largely thanks to advancements made in CPU manufacturing over the past decade. However, not all laptops are made equal when it comes to battery life, and you’ll want to do a little bit of extra leg work to ensure you are buying a laptop with a battery life that is good for your needs.

I recommend sticking to laptops that offer at least eight hours of battery on a single charge. It’s important to note, you shouldn’t trust laptop manufacturers’ battery life claims. Not that laptop manufacturers are lying, but their battery tests are under the most ideal situations, based on theoretical use, and are often higher than the average person ends up receiving. Instead, try searching the word “battery” in consumer reviews of different laptops and see what actual users are getting out of each laptop when it comes to battery.

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Computer ports (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

What ports do you need?

Ports are a necessary and often overlooked feature of purchasing a new laptop. You’re going to want at least one of the smaller USB-C ports and if possible one of the larger USB-A ports, along with a microphone/headset jack (also called 3.5mm port) and I always make sure to have a USB-C to USB-A converter cable on hand just in case.

I personally recommend any laptop that charges with USB-C, and any laptop you are looking at will say if it can charge via USB-C in the specs section. This allows you to use any high-voltage USB-C cable to charge your laptop. Oftentimes, you’ll be able to use the same cable that you charge an Android smartphone with to charge your laptop if it features USB-C charging.

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Webcams

Your laptop should have a built-in webcam, although there are still laptops that don’t have them in 2024, so be sure to check the specifications section to make sure. Lower-priced laptops will typically include a 720p webcam, which will be good enough for most users, as long as they aren’t taking video calls all day. Personally, video calls from services like Zoom or Google Meet are a pretty big part of my life as a writer, so I prefer a laptop that comes with a 1080p webcam. Also, it’s important to beware if someone is spying on you through your webcam. Check out seven red flags by clicking here.

As you make your choice, read customer reviews

Once you’ve begun to narrow down a few different laptops that are ideal for you, you’ll want to make sure you read customer reviews. Customer reviews will give you additional insight into the laptop that go beyond the specs page and answer questions such as “how does the trackpad feel” or “how long is the actual battery life”. Customer reviews are one of the best tools in your arsenal when researching laptops, make sure to use them.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Buying a laptop has gotten more complicated recently, with so many new hardware releases from companies like Intel, AMD and Nvidia. We hope this guide has been useful to you in cutting through all of the marketing and technical jargon and helping you make sense of what you’re looking for when shopping for a new laptop. Always remember to read customer reviews before committing to a purchase. A laptop is a major investment, and customer reviews will tell you what you’re truly buying before purchasing.

What are the top factors you consider when choosing a new laptop, and how do you prioritize them? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

What does Mark Zuckerberg want from Donald Trump?

Published

10 hours ago

January 12, 2025

Press Room

What does Mark Zuckerberg want from Donald Trump?

At this point, it’s pretty clear what Donald Trump wants from Mark Zuckerberg. But what does Zuckerberg, who has now gone to Mar-a-Lago twice since the November election, want from the President-elect?

That’s the question I’ve been asking sources in and around Meta over the last several days. They all described Meta’s relationship with the outgoing Biden administration as incredibly hostile. It’s safe to assume that Zuckerberg wants a reset for the MAGA regime, especially since Trump threatened not that long ago to imprison him for life.

In Trump’s America, removing tampons from the mens’ restrooms on Meta’s campuses, — a real thing that just happened — is as much a business decision as a political one. Destroying ‘woke’ ideology is a key pillar of Trump’s stated mandate. Others who know they need to play the game, like Amazon, are also starting to fall in line. Even still, Zuckerberg is transforming Meta for this new political reality at a speed that’s unusual for a company of its size and influence. Founder mode.

In his conversation with Joe Rogan and his video on Instagram, Zuckerberg shares a laundry list of issues that Trump could help him with: fighting other countries that are ratcheting up their policing of his platforms, stopping Apple from dictating how he builds mobile apps and smart glasses (the latter is increasingly important to Meta’s future), and, perhaps most importantly, keeping domestic AI regulation from slowing his efforts to crush OpenAI. Elon Musk has bought Trump’s ear. But the more time Zuckerberg spends in Mar-a-Lago, the more Sam Altman and Tim Cook should be worried.

Then there’s the US government’s case to break up Meta that’s set to go to trial in a few months. After the blur that was the last four years, it’s easy to forget that this lawsuit was filed at the end of Trump’s first term by a Republican FTC chair, not Lina Khan…

Most of the headline reactions from the past week have focused on Zuckerberg’s decision to end Meta’s third-party fact check program. It was a convenient scapegoat for company executives that, frankly, never lived up to the goal of bringing more neutrality to Facebook and Instagram. The Community Notes alternative Meta is cribbing from X was not on the product roadmap before this week, so it will probably be awhile before everyone sees it in the wild.

The announcement that US moderators would be moved from California to Texas is perhaps the most cynical of them all; talk to anyone who knows and they’ll tell you the vast majority of moderators are already based in Austin.

Do you work at Meta? I’d love to chat. You can reach me me securely on Signal and I’ll keep you anonymous.

The hateful speech that is now allowed on Meta’s is eye-popping on its face and will be deserving of more scrutiny in the coming weeks. The decision to start recommending political content again is a 180-degree turn for Zuckerberg. But insiders believe that the most impactful change for users of Meta’s apps will be the softening of its systems that remove content for potential policy violations.

Out of all the announcements Meta made last week, this is the one I believe is the least connected to Trump. Meta execs have been signaling for a while that they know they are mistakenly removing too much content that doesn’t actually break the rules; I’m told it’s one of, if not the, biggest complaint in user surveys. If done correctly, dialing back on moderation mistakes may be the only thing Zuckerberg announced that makes everyone happy.

Elsewhere

CES is for dealmaking now: Each year, the official CES show — the sprawling show floor and flashy keynotes — feels more like an advertising exercise and no longer a place to launch real products. Most of the energy has moved to private meeting rooms and happy hours at the Wynn, Aria, and Cosmopolitan, where tech execs are schmoozing CMOs and getting deals done with partners all week. At this shadow CES, everyone seems to agree that the show is more alive than ever. Booths on the show floor have become marketing tools to show clients before you take them to a steak dinner. The challenge for the organizers of CES will be figuring out how to bridge the growing influence of this part of the show with their current business model of charging people to walk around booths filled with smart toasters and concept cars.
TikTok may just get banned: Imagine an alternate world in which the Chinese government is about to ban Instagram from operating in the country and Mark Zuckerberg is in hiding. That’s the situation with ByteDance and its founder Zhang Yiming, who stepped down from the CEO role after the last US ban attempt but still controls the company. He let TikTok be banned in India and seemingly has no interest in the app surviving this time, so why wouldn’t he let the same thing happen again?
Google and OpenAI flick at what’s next: Google’s DeepMind unit is starting “an ambitious project to build generative models that simulate the physical world,” which it believes “is on the critical path to artificial general intelligence.” Meanwhile, OpenAI is returning to its early roots by starting a “general-purpose robotics” team that will build hardware and push “towards AGI-level intelligence in dynamic, real-world settings.” We may have hit a scaling wall on text data but the big labs clearly see an opportunity in 3D. (See also what Nvidia announced last week.)
Other headlines you may have missed: Tencent (a large investor in Epic Games, Snap, and US tech companies) was put on the Pentagon’s blacklist for being allegedly under the influence of the Chinese military. Tim Cook’s total compensation rose 18 percent last year to $74.6 million. Elon Musk is hosting an inauguration party for Trump in DC with Uber and The Free Press. Sam Altman’s sister filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against him.

Job board

Some recent, noteworthy job changes in the tech world:

A bunch of changes at Meta: UFC CEO Dana White, Exor CEO John Elkann, and Charlie Songhurst joined the board. Joel Kaplan is running policy and comms now. After a stint at Google, I’m told Michael Levinson is coming back as VP of product for the Integrity org. (Good luck!) Head of civil rights, Roy Austin, is leaving. And former DEI chief Maxine Williams is now head of “accessibility and engagement.”
Elon Musk’s X named a couple of new leaders: Romina Khananisho is the new head of government affairs and John Nitti is head of “ad innovation.”
Calista Redmon joined Nvidia as VP of “global AI initiatives,” where she’ll “drive adoption of the NVIDIA platform for national and regional AI initiatives.”
Sophia Dominguez, Snap’s director of AR platform, is leaving.

Technology

PowerSchool data breach exposes millions of student and teacher records

Published

10 hours ago

January 12, 2025

Press Room

PowerSchool data breach exposes millions of student and teacher records

Cybercriminals spare no industry, targeting sectors like health care, insurance, automotive and education. Health care has been a frequent target, with attacks like the Ascension breach last year and the CVR incident in late 2024.

Now, education technology giant PowerSchool has become the latest target, with records of millions of students and teachers stolen.

While the exact number of affected individuals remains unknown, the scale of the breach is alarming.

PowerSchool serves 18,000 customers worldwide, including schools in the U.S. and Canada, managing grading, attendance and personal information for over 60 million K-12 students and teachers.

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Kids working on their laptops (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How did hackers target PowerSchool

PowerSchool revealed a cybersecurity breach to its customers Jan. 7, as reported by BleepingComputer. The company said it discovered the breach Dec. 28, after customer data from its PowerSchool SIS platform was stolen through the PowerSource support portal.

PowerSchool SIS is a student information system used for managing grades, attendance, enrollment and other student records. Hackers accessed the PowerSource portal using stolen credentials and used an “export data manager” tool to steal information.

The company said this wasn’t a ransomware attack or a result of software flaws, but rather a straightforward network break-in. The company has hired a third-party cybersecurity firm to investigate the breach, figure out what happened and determine who was affected.

Illustration of a hacker at work (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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What data got stolen

The PowerSource portal includes a feature that allows PowerSchool engineers to access customer systems for support and troubleshooting. The attacker exploited this feature to export the PowerSchool SIS “students” and “teachers” database tables to a CSV file, which was then stolen.

PowerSchool confirmed the stolen data primarily includes contact details like names and addresses. However, for some districts, the data may also include sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, personally identifiable information, medical records and grades.

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The company said customer support tickets, credentials and forum data were not accessed or stolen during the breach. PowerSchool also emphasized that not all SIS customers were affected and expects only a subset of customers will need to notify those affected.

“We do not anticipate the data being shared or made public, and we believe it has been deleted without any further replication or dissemination,” the developer told customers in a notice.

“We have also deactivated the compromised credential and restricted all access to the affected portal. Lastly, we have conducted a full password reset and further tightened password and access control for all PowerSource customer support portal accounts.”

PowerSchool said affected adults will be offered free credit monitoring, while minors will receive subscriptions to an unspecified identity protection service.

Illustration of a hacker at work (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

MASSIVE DATA BREACH EXPOSES 3 MILLION AMERICANS’ PERSONAL INFORMATION TO CYBERCRIMINALS

5 ways you can stay safe from PowerSchool data breach

The PowerSchool data breach has highlighted the importance of staying vigilant about your personal information. Here are five steps you can take to protect yourself:

1. Monitor your accounts regularly: Keep a close eye on your bank accounts, credit cards and any online services linked to your personal information. Watch for unauthorized transactions or changes to your accounts that could signal misuse of your data.

2. Freeze your credit: If your Social Security number or other sensitive details were compromised, consider placing a credit freeze with major credit bureaus like Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. This prevents potential identity thieves from opening new accounts in your name.

3. Use identity theft protection services: Take advantage of any identity protection services offered by PowerSchool as part of its breach response. These services can alert you to suspicious activity and provide support if your identity is stolen.

One of the best parts of some identity protection services is that they have identity theft insurance of up to $1 million to cover losses and legal fees and a white glove fraud resolution team where a U.S.-based case manager helps you recover any losses. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft.

4. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): Wherever possible, enable 2FA for your online accounts. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification, such as a text code or app-generated token, to access your accounts.

5. Be aware of phishing links and use strong antivirus software: Cybercriminals often use phishing scams to exploit data breaches. Avoid clicking on suspicious links in emails or text messages, especially those claiming to be from PowerSchool or your school district.

The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

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Kurt’s key takeaway

You can blame hackers for this breach, but PowerSchool shares the responsibility for failing to adequately protect sensitive data. The company may also be in violation of data privacy agreements it signed with school districts, as well as federal and state laws designed to safeguard student privacy. What’s more concerning is that PowerSchool took nearly two weeks to notify its customers about the breach. Schools are now left scrambling to assess the full extent of the intrusion. This delay is not just irresponsible; it puts students, parents and teachers at heightened risk of cyberattacks and identity theft.

Do you think companies like PowerSchool should face stricter regulations for handling sensitive data? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

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Technology

L’Oréal’s new skincare gadget told me I should try retinol

Published

21 hours ago

January 12, 2025

Press Room

L’Oréal’s new skincare gadget told me I should try retinol

Las Vegas is punishingly dry. The arid winter air means I woke up on Day 3 of CES 2025 with a nosebleed, chapped lips, and ashy legs. This in spite of the fact I slathered myself with two pumps of a fermented bean essence, eye cream, moisturizer, and a lip mask. Staring at my face in the hotel mirror, I wonder if any of those products were doing what they’re supposed to — and if maybe, I should try something different.

This is why I was so eager to try L’Oréal’s Cell BioPrint.

For anyone who’s struggled with their complexion, the Cell BioPrint feels like a holy grail gadget. The device is a mini-lab setup that analyzes a skin sample to generate a report about your skin’s current condition. It’ll also “grade” your skin with regard to oiliness, wrinkles, skin barrier function, pore size, and uneven skin tone. Based on the proteins in your skin, you’ll also see whether you’re more likely to be susceptible to those issues down the line — even if they aren’t issues now. The test also determines whether you’re responsive to retinol, a popular and well-studied skincare ingredient that nevertheless causes a ton of confusion online.

My results. I’m happy to say my skin’s biological and chronological age were aligned.

Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge

In my demo, using the Cell BioPrint was simple. Mainly because I didn’t have to do a thing. While L’Oréal hopes to one day make Cell BioPrint an at-home device, it’ll first be aimed at retail, dermatology offices, and skincare clinics. As in, the actual test will be done by a professional to ensure accuracy. A L’Oréal staffer collected a sample from both my cheeks using a special kind of sticker. I watched as he then dissolved it in a buffer liquid, placed the resulting solution into a cartridge, and fed that cartridge into a machine. I also had my cheeks and forehead scanned with an imaging wand before answering two questions about my age and demographic data.

After a few minutes, I got to see my results. Apparently, I’m doing something right because the report said that my chronological and biological age were aligned. But it also said that while my skin barrier function is currently good, I’m biologically prone to have issues with that as I get older. My report also said that I don’t have to be concerned with pore size — either now or in the future, and that I am highly responsive to retinol, meaning my skin is likely to tolerate it well.

There were several other insights I won’t bore you with, but after going over my results, I have a better sense of what I need to focus on. For instance, I should continue using moisturizers with ceramides, button up my sun care habits outside of sunscreen, add a vitamin C to help with my skin tone, and add a retinol. I also know what I don’t need or can remove from my routine. For example, I don’t need to buy products targeted toward shrinking pores.

Most of this wasn’t surprising. My results aligned with the concerns I’ve noticed and where I tend to concentrate my skincare routine. For example, the few times I’ve tried retinol, I’ve never had an hint of the sensitivities other people seem to experience.

Of course, this kind of personalized recommendation is only as good as the science behind it. After all, lots of health and beauty tech companies promise the moon, but are intentionally coy when it comes to explaining why you should trust them. Barring regulatory certification (which isn’t generally required for wellness and beauty tech), it’s left up to the individual to try to discern whether an explanation passes the smell test.

With that in mind, I asked L’Oréal to dive deep into the science — which Guive Balooch, global vice president of L’Oréal’s Technology Incubator, happily obliged.

Balooch says the company had 800 biologists working (and publishing clinical studies) to discover whether there are specific proteins expressed in skin cells that could determine your risk factors for certain skin conditions. The challenge, he says, is that there are a lot of proteins produced by the body. Finding the few out of the thousands that can give actionable skincare insights is like finding a handful of needles in a giant haystack. It required L’Oréal’s researchers to sequence all of them and then find the relevant biomarkers.

This particular branch of research, Balooch says, is called proteomics — or the study of how proteins are expressed in the body. “It’s understanding that our cells every day are making proteins. Depending on our lifestyle, our geography, and our genes, they will make more or less of these proteins. It changes over time and habits can change it as well.”

Balooch says L’Oréal tested 4,000 people over 10 years across the US, Europe, South America and Asia, and found five proteins related to skin health, including two that are related to how well a person’s skin will respond to retinol. And while the Cell BioPrint can only currently analyze responsiveness to retinol, other ingredients like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid are also in the works.

“In some ways, it’s meant to tell people what not to buy.”

Cynically speaking, a device like this could also be viewed as a pseudoscientific way to sell more products to a group of people already prone to reach for their wallets. But Balooch argues the Cell BioPrint isn’t meant to encourage people to buy more.

“In some ways, it’s meant to tell people what not to buy,” he says. “Of course, we would love to sell more products, but not by overconsumption. That’s not actually good for your skin. It’s about helping people find the right products based on science.”

To that end, Balooch has a point. The skincare market right now is rife with misinformation and influencers pushing expensive 10-step routines that sometimes do more harm than good. I know better, and yet I’m as guilty as the next skincare nerd. (I’m still haunted by the full bottle of snail mucin influencers claimed would fix all my problems. It broke me out instead.) Even now, I know that I’ll probably get influenced again. The difference is at least I can choose to be influenced towards a retinol cream or vitamin C serum — things that have a higher chance of helping me — rather than throwing my money to the wind.