Princeton's Ask the Doctor November-December 2019

The Si mple Skin Care Routine That Actually Works By Sara Luberto

We’ve all heard the term sometimes less is more. Well in-fact for skincare it most definitely is! Simple is Often Better. While 12-step routines are popular, they may not work any better than two or three steps. The fewer products to apply means fewer products you forget to use. So keeping it simple usually helps people stay on track with regular use of their products. In fact when people do too much to their skin they can risk harming it with all the extra steps. One general rule to live by is, don’t over wash your face, don’t over tone your face, and don’t over exfoliate! But is a more involved routine bad? The answer is generally no, it is not bad but there are more mistakes to be made. Applying multiple products increases your risk of skin irritation. Sometimes the active ingredients in all these different products are not compatible with one another, therefore you could be inactivating products because of a certain combination. How much can your skin actually absorb anyway? A lot of people are wasting time, products, and money thinking they need all of these extra steps when usually only the first 2 products are the ones making the biggest difference.

Two of the most common signs of overdoing it are using multiple products that do the same thing and over exfoliating. While exfoliating can work miracles for your skin, it can also make things significantly worse if not done properly and even cause problems in the long run, like broken blood vessels. Signals that you’re using your exfoliator too much include: excessive dryness, irritation, redness, break outs, and sensitivity. Many dermatologists often recommend exfoliating no more than once a week and using an acid exfoliator rather than a physical exfoliator. A great one is Drunk Elephant T.L.C Sukari Babyfacial, $80, a once a week mask that exfoliates surface dead skin cells and revs up surface turnover to smooth and brighten the appearance of skin. Since it is only meant to be used once a week, it is easy to incorporate into your routine, and it’s packed with antioxidants. So what’s the best morning skin care routine? Your morning skin care routine should be designed to protect your skin from environmental factors, such as harsh ultraviolet rays or free radicals and be quick yet effective since most people are usually in a rush to get out the door. Here is a simple three step morning routine! 1. Cleanser Start your morning routine by gently cleansing the face. A low foaming cleanser is ideal because generally the bigger the bubble the more drying it is on the skin. Dove White Beauty Bar, $3 is a great option. This gentle bar cleanser can be used on the face and body, and is gentle enough for all skin types. Cetaphil, $15, also an affordable highly recommended product by many dermatologists. It contains no fragrance, dyes, parabens, sulfates, gluten or formaldehyde and is great for people with allergies. 2. Antioxidant Serum What is an antioxidant serum? An antioxidant serum helps protect your skin against free radical and reactive oxygen damage, which can lead to premature skin aging and skin cancer. It improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and the overall texture of the skin. A favorite affordable serum is L’Oreal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives Sunscreen is the most important step of any morning skincare routine! Wearing sunscreen everyday is a crucial part of your skincare routine, without it you are exposing the sensitive skin on your face to unnecessary damage from sun exposure, and by combining both sunscreen and a moisturizer you can eliminate one less step. A great affordable moisturizer with SPF 30 in it is Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Facial Moisturizer with Total Soy Complex and Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen, $14. No matter your skin type, with age almost everyone start to develop sun spots. The SPF helps protect against UV light exposure and the soy complex helps brighten and even the complexion. Now you have gone through your whole day and it is time for your evening skincare routine, this is when people often get crazy with layering multiple products on when in reality your skin is most likely not absorbing it all. The goal of an evening skincare routine is to aid In turning over new skin cells and stimulate collagen production to help repair any damage that occurred throughout the day. Here’s a simple three step night time routine that can help you do that! 1. Cleanser During the day, your skin becomes prone to environmental elements that build dirt and oil on the skin’s surface so it is very important to start by removing dirt and makeup, or any other irritants that many have gotten onto your skin. You can use the same cleanser for both morning and night. 2. Repairing Serum A face serum at night is probably the most important part of the evening skincare routine. A repairing serum is a product formulated to penetrate deeply into the skin to deliver specific, targeted results like to diminish fine lines & wrinkles, slow down early aging signs, even & brighten skin tone. By applying this at night, it gives the skin enough time to soak it in and start to repair itself without being exposed to outside pollutants. A great product for this is Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum and Retinol Serum, $20. Retinal reduces fine lines and wrinkles by increasing production of collagen while hylaluronic acid helps retain water In the skin and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 3. Moisturizer Finally, seal the hydration with a moisturizer! After applying your serum with all its good benefits, you want to lock that into your skin with a light evening moisturizer. But why spend your hard-earned money on expensive moisturizers when some of the best night creams on the market can be found on the shelves of your nearest drugstore? One I love is Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Crean, $25. This moisturizer intensely hydrates with amino-peptide complex that penetrates your skin 10 layers deep to aid in regenerating surface cells. Another great drugstore find is Cerave PM Face Moisturizer, $14. This product moisturizers your skin throughout the night with three ceramics and also has hyaluronic acid to help maintain your skin’s natural moisture. Sara Luberto • MAKEUP ARTIST Specializing in bridal, airbrush, photoshoots, sweet 16s, Halloween makeup, Bat Mitzvahs & special occasion makeup! Call today to schedule a trial 201-956-3893 or emailSARALUBERTOMAKEUP@GMAIL.COM Pure Vitamin C Serum, $24. 3. Moisturizer with SPF

I A M B E A U T I F U L

ASK THE DOCTOR

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019