Dermatologist best skin-care tips?
Skin-Care: according to Dermatologists
Face masks balance skin quickly: Clays reduce oil, and gels calm redness.
Dry skin? Change your bedtime routine, not the morning one. It’s easier to address dryness at night than to attempt to reverse it the next day.
Cleansing cloths shouldn't be your first line of defense. Don't rely on wipes to detox skin if you live in a city where pollution is high.
Multi-mask: can use more than one product on your entire face. Try glycolic acid on the T-zone to minimize breakouts and thick creams elsewhere.
Layering: let each product absorb for two or three minutes so it's not counteracted or diluted by the next one you put on.
The sun is responsible for fine lines.
Ninety percent of fine lines are caused by sun exposure, so apply sunscreen to maintain younger-looking skin. Use an SPF 30 or higher daily.
Consider a chemical peel.
Weekly chemical peels help healthy bacteria grow. Gritty scrubs have the opposite effect, triggering collagen-destroying enzymes.
Glycolic acid
New to chemical peels? Try glycolic acid for normal skin, salicylic acid for oily or combination skin, and gentle lactic acid for dry or sensitive skin.
Vitamin C
Use brighteners (vitamin C) within six months of seeing a dark spot. Melanin goes deeper into skin over time, so it's harder to reach.
Address oil with a foaming face wash.
If you're breaking out along your hairline, it could be from the oil in your hair products. A foaming face wash cuts through the oil without being harsh.
Sheet mask
Sheet masks push hydrating ingredients into the skin. Put one on over your moisturizer for ten minutes at night, and your skin will be dewy the next day.
Retinol
Using retinol? Be patient. It stimulates collagen but can irritate. Start using it once per week, over a moisturizer.
Acne products, many formulas.
Benzoyl peroxide kills P. acnes bacteria; use it all over to prevent breakouts. A 2.5 or 5.5 percent formula works without flaky side effects.
Blackheads: salicylic acid.
Salicylic acid is only ideal for blackheads and whiteheads. If it dries you out, look for it in a face wash and let it stay on your skin for thirty seconds.
Integrate fatty acids into your diet.
Your skin uses omega fatty acids to produce lipids (moisturizing oils) and studies show that omega-3 supplements improve skin's lipid levels and hydration.
Apply sunscreen — everywhere.
Don't forget sunscreen on your ears, hairline, neck, hands, and chest. Dermatologists can look at your décolleté to see how old you are.
An extra pillow for puffy eyes.
If you wake up to puffy eyes, add an extra pillow under your head while you sleep — gravity drains enough fluid to help with next-day puffiness.
Peel pads
Glycolic acid treats lines and dark spots. It's most effective in individually wrapped peel pads (the pH of glycolic acid can change when it’s exposed to air).
If your skin is ashy, make one easy change: Don't dry it completely before moisturizing. Creams seal in hydration and work best with a little water.
Dryness, redness, and tight skin are signs that you may need to switch to a higher SPF. Try a new sunscreen and see if the issues go away in a few days.
Address hyperpigmentation during the day.
Treat dark spots using antioxidants during the day. At night, apply topical retinoids to enhance cell turnover to shed pigment.
Author’s note: The 21 Best Skin-Care Tips of All Time, According to Dermatologists. I reviewed the list, though three of the tips are applying sunscreen. So, wear sunscreen. Give yourself the best chance at age seventy to look closer to forty - or fifty. Regards, Marky
Something unusual on your skin? There’s an app for that. It will help you determine if you should see a dermatologist. Skin changes as you age. -M