Glowing The Tips That Will Have Your SkiN Like A Dermatologist’s

BY BROOKE KLAIMAN

WHEN YOU THINK OF HEALTHY SKIN, YOU THINK OF YOUR dermatologist, a beauty influencer, a friend, or a family member that always manages to have glowing skin. In light of our envy of all who have picture-perfect skin, we decided to run to our Haute Beauty skin experts to find out how they have nurtured their dry, oily, or combination skin so that it’s at its very prime.

Skin type: Oily, acne-prone skin

Trick to glowing skin: My favorite trick for getting skin to glow [is] frequent low-downtime laser procedures. I love to rotate a combination of “baby Fraxel,” Laser Genesis, and Hollywood peel treatments on a monthly basis. Each of these targets the skin in a unique way to improve the quality of your skin with very little downtime.

Products used: I love using CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser, and La Roche-Posay makes a great moisturizer for oily skin.

Products avoided: Thicker ointments tend to give me more breakouts.

Skin type: Dry skin

Trick to glowing skin: The one thing I do for my skin when it needs a pick-me-up is a Laser Genesis treatment. It just makes my skin glow! A 1064nm laser, it’s safe for my skin type and has no downtime. The energy from the laser smooths out texture, plumps my skin to reduce pore size, and stimulates collagen production long term. It’s one of my favorite things to do before an event and as monthly maintenance. It’s cliche, but cliche for a reason. Diet and sleep affect our skin so much! If I eat clean, with lots of vita min C in my diet, get a sweat session three times a week, and sleep well, my skin is clear and glowing. When I am not doing these things, my skin is sallow and lifeless, despite all the creams! A healthy lifestyle is an essential foundation for healthy skin.

Products used: What works for me is adjusting my routine based on weather, stress, and lifestyle. I use gentle cleansers — my favorite is CeraVe Hydrating — and Skin Medicinals compounded tretinoin cream three times a week. My skin stays happy with glycolic acid for exfoliation a few times a week and a monthly Laser Genesis treatment.

Products avoided: I have to be careful with the [number] of acids I incorporate into my routine. Too many AHAs [alpha hydroxy acids], plus ascorbic acid, plus tretinoin, will give me irritation. What makes me break out is peptide creams! I haven’t found a formula that agrees with my skin for some reason.

DR. ANNA CHACON | MIAMI, FL

Skin type: Dry skin

Trick to glowing skin: Skin care is a strong passion of mine, and I find following a routine to be the key to my healthy skin. I try to avoid dairy and coffee throughout the day, as I noticed that it can at times cause an acne breakout. My evening routine consists of removing makeup with micellar water and washing my face with a gentle cleanser such as Cetaphil. I then apply tretinoin to my face every night at bedtime. Tretinoin is an important part of my skin care routine, as it encourages cell turnover and reduces acne scars and fine lines.

Products used: My skin care routine consists of waking up and using my sodium sulfacetamide (prescription sulfur) cleanser. I then use my SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF, which is a triple-antioxidant serum that protects the skin from environmental damage. I have noticed with the phloretin, my skin tone and texture have improved significantly. I then pat dry my face and apply my La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer. This moisturizer works best for me, as it has ceramides. I believe the most important ingredient in a moisturizer is ceramides. Ceramides function to create a sheath of protection or a barrier to prevent permeability. With this action, ceramides are beneficial for your skin care because of their ability to lock moisture into the skin, preventing dryness and irritation. Moreover, ceramides in your skin care products can also help in protecting your skin from environmental damage. Since ceramides are moisture locking, they can boost skin hydration and can even have anti-aging effects. I then apply EltaMD UV Clear sunscreen and touch up every three to four hours.

Products avoided: My least favorite skin care product is benzoyl peroxide because it can be very irritating and burn if the percentage is too high or if it’s left too long on the skin. It can also ruin clothing. I don’t mind it as a cleanser, though.

Skin type: Sensitive, combination skin (oily on the T-zone and dry in surrounding areas), prone to rosacea

Trick to glowing skin: I like to stick with a skin care routine that is tailored for my skin based on the environment and on my actual skin type during that time. For glow, I love to use glycolic acid two times weekly, retinol nightly or as tolerated, and ingredients such as azelaic acid, tranexamic acid, and niacinamide, which give me brightening. These peptides will make my lines less noticeable. Vitamin C is a great antioxidant that I use every morning. My No. 1 friend for long-term glow is sunscreen. I personally prefer tinted mineral sunscreen, but any sunscreen that works well on your skin and with your lifestyle is what matters.

Products used: Most products for hydration work well. Fragrancefree is a must with my skin care products. I look for noncomedogenic products as well since I break out easily.

Products avoided: Chemical sunscreen tends to [break me out]. Certain types are worse than others, and that’s why I stick with mineral sunscreens on a daily basis. I have some chemical sunscreens that work well with my skin; those are the ones I use for my body and my face when I don’t have mineral sunscreen available.

Skin type: Dry skin

Trick to glowing skin: There are a few tricks that I like for any skin: a good night’s sleep, good skin care routine, and sun avoidance. I don’t like soapy cleansers, and I don’t like to exfoliate too much since my skin is dry for the most part and is very sensitive. Too much cleansing and exfoliation disrupt the skin barrier and damage my skin.

Products used: A good moisturizer. I like “high-tech” moisturizers with modern anti-aging ingredients such as growth factors, peptides, green algae, and hyaluronic acid.

Products avoided: I usually don’t use gel-like products for my skin that don’t get absorbed well. I don’t like heavy, thick sunscreens. I can’t use any irritating products containing AHA/BHA [beta-hydroxy acid] in higher concentrations. If I need something like that, I would use it in a very low concentration to avoid any irritation. My preference is phytic acid since it’s much less irritating with less downtime.