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Antioxidants Are Everything
New York-based dermatologist specializing in acne and skin rejuvenation
A.M. Routine: She uses her fingertips to gently cleanse her face with Cetaphil, pats her skin dry and puts on an antioxidant serum and sunscreen. Rain or shine, she won't leave the house without doing this, because she's into preventing (as opposed to reversing) the signs of damage. Antioxidants are a big part of that -- they neutralize free radicals and, when layered under sunscreen, neutralize UV rays that get past the sunscreen.
She likes La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Sunscreen (it has SPF 60 and antioxidants) or Elizabeth Arden Prevage Triple Defense Shield Sunscreen (which also has built-in antioxidants) for a one-step approach. Or, she'll layer Olay Complete Moisturizing Sunscreen or Cetaphil Daily Moisturizer over SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic antioxidant serum. And twice a week, she scrubs with a Clarisonic.
P.M. Routine: First, her eye makeup has to come off (typically, she uses coconut oil). Then she uses a stronger cleanser, like Dove Beauty Bar or Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash. After gently patting her skin dry, she puts on SkinMedica Lytera Skin Brightening Complex, which has natural brightening ingredients. On nights when her skin feels dry, she'll put on a heavier moisturizer, like SkinMedica Dermal Repair Cream. If her skin isn't parched, she likes to use an eye cream with retinol because it's effective at zapping fine lines, but can be drying. When her skin is feeling dry and sensitive, she likes to apply an eye cream with more soothing ingredients -- think peptides, growth factors or niacinimide.
And she doesn't do masks, but if her skin is acting up she'll do a peel -- NeoStrata Perfecting Peel is a solid at-home choice.
Secret Weapon: It's not always a matter of searching for the magic cream that will keep you looking younger, says Dr. Bowe. Sometimes, you have to take it to the next level. Which is why she says, "I'm very much on top of Botox." She does it every three and a half to four months. And every year, in the winter, she'll do a Fraxel laser treatment. This is a resurfacing laser that creates tiny wounds in the skin and triggers collagen formation that helps to get rid of dark spots and discoloration, and she says it also helps prevent and treat pre-cancer.
She'll shell out for: While Dr. Bowe says you can get a lot of great skin care products from the drugstore, she'll splurge on her antioxidant serum, because the active ingredients in those are unstable by nature. They need to be stabilized and in high enough concentration to see any benefits (and survive the shelf life) -- something you won't get in a less expensive product.
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It's Okay to Experiment
New York-based cosmetic dermatologist specializing in aesthetic, laser and surgical dermatology. Creator of Esteem Skin Care.
A.M. Routine: You might think someone with sensitive skin would be wary of testing out tons of new products, but not Dr. Day. On any given day, she may test out three or four new things -- and if it doesn't upset her sensitive and prone-to-rosacea skin, she says basically anyone can use it. She washes her face with a gentle cleanser, and then applies SkinMedica TNS Essential Serum -- making sure to cover her upper and lower eyelids, neck and the back of her hands. Out of all the higher-end products she's tried, this one seems to be the most cost-effective and worthwhile.
To get her daily UV protection, she turns to Olay Pro X Age Repair Lotion SPF 30 or Elta MD SPF 41 -- that is, when she's busy not testing out other new sun-protection products.
P.M. Routine: At night, she admittedly uses her face as an "experimental pad." But staples include the Clarisonic and Esteem Skin Care Tretinol Serum .5%.
Secret Weapon: "I do everything," she says. Botox, Restylane, Juvederm, laser hair removal, permanent eyeliner ... and yet she doesn't have mirrors in any of her exam rooms, both for her and her patients. Her goal isn't to change the way she looks, but to use technology to help in her routine while still being herself. "I know the risks or benefits," she explains. And the only person who does her injections is herself, or in some cases someone she knows and trusts. Plus, she doesn't care who knows all the things she does to keep her looking young -- except her husband, whom she confessed won't be allowed to read this article.
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Less Can Absolutely Be More
Miami-based dermatologist and creator of Specific Beauty skin care.
A.M. Routine: As someone who's always on the go, Dr. Woolery-Lloyd likes her routine short, simple and effective. To keep her mild adult acne in check, she uses Specific Beauty Acne Clarifying Wash and Aczone gel (a prescription acne-fighter). Because no dermatologist's skin care routine would be complete without SPF, she follows with Specific Beauty Daily Hydrating Lotion SPF 30.
P.M. Routine: She'll use the same acne wash at night (unless she's too tired to wash her face, in which case she's like most of us and turns to the magical invention that are face wipes). Then she'll put on the Aczone gel, if she needs it, and follows up with Specific Beauty Professional Moisture Complex. If her skin feels dry or she's in a cold climate, she'll put plain Vaseline around her eyes, because it's non-irritating and hydrating.
Secret Weapons: Botox (after hearing that all these gorgeous derms do it, I've been turned into a believer). She also freely admits to being obsessed with her eyelashes, and conditions them with Elizabeth Arden Prevage Clinical Lash and Brow Enhancing Serum (which she totes around in her purse). Lots of people don't really think about conditioning their lashes, she says. But why not treat them like you would your hair and use products that strengthen them? Lastly, she does a professional chemical peel each month, either a salicylic one like SkinCeuticals Micropeel Plus or Glytone Enerpeel MA, which she explains is a lightweight mandelic acid peel that's great for skin of color.
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Sometimes You've Got to Get a Little Luxe
New York-based dermatologic surgeon and Director of Dermatologic Surgery at New York Medical College.
A.M. Routine: Another fan of the Clarisonic, Dr. Engelman uses hers to cleanse and exfoliate her face and décolletage in the shower. Then she puts on five drops of SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF topical antioxidant, which she says protects skin against free radical damage from ultraviolet and environmental exposures. She follows with a Teoxane Laboratories RHA Serum, her must-have Revision Skincare D-E-J Eye Cream (this helps with elasticity and creates a more youthful appearance around the eyes, which is so prone to showing signs of aging and wrinkling, she says) and a titanium dioxide based sunscreen.
P.M. Routine: At night, she uses a gentle cleanser, then puts two pumps of SkinCeuticals Resveratrol B E to her face and neck, followed by a pea-sized amount of a retinol to her face, neck and chest (she also puts Revision Skincare Nectifirm on her neck and chest). Lastly, she follows up with her eye cream. If her skin is feeling dry, she'll use the La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Sleep Mask for a little extra hydration.
Secret Weapons: Once every 12 to 18 months, she gets a laser procedure done and also does a chemical peel every six to eight months. Plus, she tries most hyaluronic and botulinum injections (who knew there were others besides Botox?) at least once so she can communicate her personal experience to her patients.
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What Goes in Your Body As as Important as the Products You Use
New Jersey-based dermatologist specializing in lasers for the treatment of scars, wrinkles, broken blood vessels, brown spots and laser hair removal.
A.M. Routine: She uses Vivite Daily Cleanser to wash her face, then puts on one pump of SkinMedica TNS Essential Serum all over her face -- including under her eyes. Dr. Downie wears SkinMedica Daily Physical Defense Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30 every day, rain or shine, and says it rubs right into her face, neck and hands, which is especially important if you get gel manicures on the regular, like she does. She'll put it on before the gel goes on and halfway through the treatment to keep them protected. On days where she knows she's going to be out in the sun, she likes to take the supplement Heliocare, which she tells me is the extract of a Costa Rican fern that helps protect from the sun. This OTC pill is a natural antioxidant, but shouldn't be used instead of sunscreen.
P.M. Routine: For her nightly routine, she likes to take her makeup off with Neutrogena Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover. Then she applies SkinMedica TNS Illuminating Eye Cream to the tops and bottoms of her eyes. She uses one pump of SkinMedica Lytera Skin Brightening Complex, with Dior Capture Totale One Essential, and will use Tazorac if she's breaking out (the One Essential makes it even stronger -- she says it amplifies the results of other products which is why she uses it all the time).
Secret Weapons: Four times a year she does a Fraxel laser treatment to keep her melasma (dark brown patches often triggered by sun) down. But her other not-so-secret weapons include exercising for at least 30 minutes a day, seven days a week -- and she skips coffee, tea and alcohol, in favor of water and brightly colored fruits, veggies and whole foods.
We got a little voyeuristic and took a peek into the skin care routines of some of the best dermatologists (who also happen to have really, really pretty skin). Ranging from one who absolutely, will not, under any circumstances, leave the house without putting antioxidants on her face to another whose routine is as simple as cleanse-and-moisturize, these top dermatologists spill the products, treatments and injections that keep them looking impossibly young.
