Taking care of your skin is so important because it’s the only skin you have. You cannot replace your skin unfortunately and it is much harder to reverse damaged skin than it is to prevent damage in the first place. So here are three things, not including a moisturizer, that you should be doing on a regular basis.
- Sunscreen
The sun is bad for your skin. It is a hard concept for those that love the sun, but it is definitely true. It causes skin cancer and premature aging. I see patients all the time and within three seconds of meeting them, I can tell if they have had a lot of sun exposure in their lifetime. Pick a good sunscreen for your face and make it part of your routine. Every day, no matter what. - Chemical exfoliant
Your skin sheds the top layers and replaces it with fresher skin from underneath. A chemical exfoliant speeds that process up so that newer skin surfaces more quickly. This helps with just about everything including pigment, texture, and overall skin quality. Two ingredients that I love are vitamin C and retinols. If I could only choose one, I would favor retinols since they tend to be more potent. Often, I will recommend both a retinol product and a vitamin C product. It is important to know that retinols come with a transition period and most people go through at least a few weeks of skin irritation, peeling, and redness. These products also increase your sun sensitivity, so I generally recommend stopping retinols during the summer.For more information about retinols, check-out my “Beginner’s Guide to Retinol” in Our News. - Mechanical exfoliant
These products mechanically smooth out the top layers of your skin by using some sort of particulate. A common over the counter product is the Apricot Scrub line but there are many others. My patients absolutely love the ZO Exfoliating Polish, but the exact product does not matter. What does matter, is consistently using your product-of-choice a few times a week.