Get your skin ready for summer – exfoliate! It’s important to exfoliate your skin, especially after the dry winter months. Exfoliating helps remove some of the top dead-layer of skin and opens the pores. Exfoliating helps acne prone skin, particularly heat or sweat-induced acne breakouts. Exfoliating also decreases the look of fine lines so we look younger and more fresh – glowing skin is in! There are different ways to exfoliate, from office-based procedures such as gentle chemical peels and micro-dermabrasion, scrubs you can use at home (once a week at most to avoid irritation), the Clarisonic, and washes (great for sensitive skin) or leave-on serums/lotions that include alpha hydroxyl acids (glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, citric acid and malic acid) and beta-hydroxy acids (such as salicylic acid).
UV Protection For Skin Of Color
We all need to use sunblock or sunscreen to protect us from damaging UV rays, which not only increase our risk of skin cancer but also cause premature damage and aging. But, when I use sunblock I don’t want to feel it and I certainly don’t want everyone to be able to see it – no chalky film, please! Here are a couple of my go-to’s for the face.
Retinols For You
I recently posted on the benefits of retinols and retinoids – yes, they’re wonderful and their benefits are backed by research. Several readers have since asked, “which retinol should I buy?” For prescription retinoids (the stronger version of vitamin A), the choice will involve a conversation between you and your dermatologist – when choosing a retinoid for my patient I keep in mind their skin type and any other skin conditions they may have. Retinols are available over the counter. They range quite a bit in price, but higher price does not necessarily mean a better product, and this is particularly true for retinols. Here are a few that I have tested, like and use: ROC Retinol Correxion for sensitive skin. This product is a milder retinol. It is a good starting product for anyone with sensitive or dry skin, as well as for someone who has not used a retinol previously.