Dr Alexis Stephens.

"This is what drew me to La Roche-Posay's Mela B3 double dose. It's formulated with Melasyl, which works upstream, grabbing excess pigment before it's fully formed rather than exfoliating pigment that's already visible, and it's also formulated with Pro-Xylane, which supports the extracellular matrix around the collagen that fibroblasts depend on to keep the skin firm and resilient. So one ingredient is calming the signal to the melanocyte and the other is supporting the structural framework. I love an aging treatment and a pigment treatment in the same bottle, because the great majority of us are dealing with both things."

"I love the Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C Plus Glutathione Clinical Serum. [...] You guys know how I feel about tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate -- it's such a good vitamin C, it's a stable vitamin, and there were a lot more clinical studies this year that showed that. Why do I love this product? It can help you to brighten your skin, it can help with collagen, it can help with fine lines, it can help with uneven skin tone -- it's a fantastic product for many different things. And that glutathione antioxidant is going to help to fight off the environmental stressors that promote all of the things that we don't want, so we need something in our daily routine that can help to combat that. Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate is basically like L-ascorbic acid -- the vitamin C that has the most clinical data backing it up, but also very irritating to many people's skin, including mine. THD is when the L-ascorbic acid molecule is found in the center of the compound and then surrounded by four hexyl lipids, [...] making it very lipid-soluble, which our skin loves. It means it's going to penetrate the skin better, so once you put this on the skin it can actually get deep down into the skin, and then only once it's in the cell it gets cleaved and the L-ascorbic acid is released. That is why it's very stable and very effective."

"A good product would be the First Aid Beauty 10% Vitamin C Brightening Serum. This uses 3-0 ethyl ascorbic acid, a newer derivative that doesn't have quite as much research behind it, though the clinical data that is out there is pretty promising. While this derivative is weaker than L-ascorbic acid, it does show that it has antioxidant properties, can help to boost your collagen, and help with evening out your skin tone. This [...] would be a great choice if you're dealing with hyperpigmentation."

"The vitamin C derivatives definitely do not have that same amount of robust data behind them as l-ascorbic acid but they do have some pretty promising clinical data. [...] THD is stable at a pH of 5 and it is lipid soluble, meaning that it easily penetrates the skin barrier. It also has a lot of the same proven benefits as ascorbic acid, especially when it comes to hyperpigmentation, and because it's a higher pH and its lipid soluble it's much less likely to be irritating on the skin. [...] THD is going to be a fantastic vitamin C derivative honestly for pretty much every skin type. It's especially good if you have sensitive skin or if you're dealing with hyperpigmentation."

"Lactic acid sits right in the middle. You can find this over the counter anywhere between like five and up to ten percent. They're a really great inexpensive option for lactic acid like the INKEY List. Try your best not to get too hung up on percentages because 10 percent lactic acid from two different brands can yield completely different results. Remember it's not just about the percentage, the bioavailability and the pH and overall formula really makes a big difference."

"The Rhode Peptide Glazing Fluid has acetyl hexapeptide-8, which is one of the ingredients that are considered the botox in a bottle and it's marketed as Argireline. [...] I really like this one, it's just a really lightweight gel-like serum. [...] There are several different benefits of peptides and one of them is hydrating and moisturizing the skin. The Rhode skin care line is really geared towards hydrating and moisturizing, nourishing the skin barrier."

"I love the triple threat approach at really targeting dark marks and uneven skin tone right at the source. Medik8 did clinical testing on the product from the fairest to the deepest skin tones and showed that it was effective at brightening the skin and fading hyperpigmentation in all skin types. The respiratory trials benefits definitely do extend beyond tackling dark spots and hyperpigmentation. It has the anti-inflammatory benefits of soothing and calming the skin, it has the antioxidant ability to fight against environmental stressors, and it does have anti-aging abilities. It helps with reducing fine lines and wrinkles from its interaction with a protein called aulin. It's one of those underrated antioxidants that you just may want to include into your routine. The key is truly consistency and using it with other combined ingredients that are going to enhance its results. Like other antioxidant serums, you definitely want to apply it first right after cleansing."

"I apply La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 to the corners of the eyes, the nose, and the mouth, the extra sensitive areas of the face where I definitely don't want any retinoid irritation. It has shea butter in addition to the centella asiatica extract and the panthenol, and it's just a little bit more occlusive. You do not need to use this particular balm; [...] the point is to just add a little extra protection to the areas of the skin that are the thinnest, that are the most prone to irritation. This is where retinol tends to gather at nighttime while we're sleeping, and that's why a lot of people end up stopping their retinoid too early, because they didn't take these extra measures to protect the most sensitive parts of the skin."

"If you have very dry skin and despite using a moisturizing antioxidant or a moisturizing sunscreen you still feel dry throughout the day, you're going to want to moisturize in between using your antioxidant and your sunscreen. So you might want to use something like the La Roche-Posay Double Repair. This is a great moisturizer with nice soothing ingredients that can help to repair your skin barrier so hopefully with time you can actually just use a moisturizing sunscreen as the last step of the morning."

"It's completely clean, literally leaves absolutely no white cast, and in my opinion it feels very similar to the Supergoop and Trader Joe sunscreen, just a slightly more rich texture. And again, a fantastic price point. I believe it's $14, easily accessible quality product, no white cast sunscreen. It's a winner. It is a chemical sunscreen, and I know that you guys always ask me for those recommendations, so I'm happy to be able to add another one to the list."

"So this comes in both tinted and non-tinted options and again it's a hybrid sunscreen which really helps with the blendability. This was the clear one and then the tinted of course has the iron oxides in there which can really help if your acne healed with hyperpigmentation. One of the sunscreens that I recommend literally all day to my patients and it's a huge patient favorite is the EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46. For oily acne prone skin you really want to consider reaching for a sunscreen that has zinc oxide in the formula. It doesn't have to be the only filter, this is actually a hybrid, it has both inorganic and organic filters, but zinc can really help to absorb some of the excess oil that's clearly associated with oily acne prone skin, and also zinc has a lot of great properties for acne."

"I'm giving the Fenty Skin Hydra Vizor that is fragrance free a 5 out of 5. Yes it is a little bit pricier but it is worth it in my opinion because it truly is a two-in-one moisturizer and a sunscreen so you're replacing two products there. You've got a lot of really good additives and synergistic ingredients in there. It's doing more than just protecting your skin, it's also working to even out your skin tone, providing antioxidants, and it looks really good."

"For those days when I need something a little bit extra I'll use the Slather by Topicals, this is an exfoliating body serum that features retinol, lactic acid, urea, and squalene. I love how they have this kind of dichotomy of ingredients right, you've got this good nourishing and loving ingredients but you've got the heavy hitters that can help with exfoliating the skin and you can also bring in the hydration properties of the skin. If you want buttery, soft, smooth skin you definitely should be exfoliating maybe two times a week or so on the body and this is a great product to do it."

"An amazing moisturizer that has the colloidal oatmeal and the ceramides is this Necessaire Body Cream. Not only is this rich with colloidal oatmeal and ceramides but it also has five percent niacinamide, linoleic acid and glycerin so really helpful for hydrating the skin, sealing in the moisture in the skin barrier, but also helping with hyperpigmentation with that five percent niacinamide. Niacinamide and linoleic acid are ingredients you guys hear me talk about all the time so I'm so happy that they paired it in a fantastic moisturizer that's really good for eczema prone skin. My recommendation would be the moment that you have that itch sensation, if you reach for a moisturizer like the Body Cream and you put it directly on the area that has the sensation, you will immediately start to soothe the skin and get some relief and disrupt that itch scratch cycle. You're reinforcing the skin barrier and almost creating like an external layer of skin which helps to trap in the moisture and allowing your skin barrier to become more effective and no longer having that dry itchy sensation."

"My favorite cleanser launch of the year is the Krave Beauty Makeup Rewind Transforming Jelly Oil Cleanser. This is used as the first step of your double cleanse [...] to break up makeup or sunscreen first, and then you go in with a second cleanse afterwards. I love this because it features grape seed oil, sunflower seed oil, and vitamin E, so all those omega fatty acids that are great and nourishing for your skin. It allows you to really get off any stubborn makeup, especially around the eyes where you really shouldn't be tugging or rubbing too hard to get rid of any type of waterproof mascara. It's fantastic. It feels so good on the skin and it really gets the job done in an easy and efficient manner."

"The Cetaphil Gentle Clear Complexion Clearing BPO Acne Cleanser has been a staple I've been using this product all the time and that's very unusual for me with someone with very sensitive skin to be able to tolerate a benzoyl peroxide without getting extremely dry. This one features micronized benzoyl peroxide with zinc and licorice root so it's very soothing to the skin it can really help with regulating oil and I love to let this just kind of sit on my skin for a minute or two while I'm in the shower before I rinse it off especially following a workout. I recommend using it in the shower because you don't have to worry about the benzoyl peroxide potentially staining things. [...] If you're like me an adult still dealing with acne but have sensitive skin or have found that benzoyl peroxide in the past irritated you or dried you out I highly recommend checking this formula out because it's really made with sensitive skin in mind and I have never experienced dry skin using this particular product."

"This is the Altreno and it is tretinoin .05 and a really hydrating nice base. It's got glycerin in here, they also have hyaluronic acid as well as a soluble collagen. It just really kicks everything up a notch. I'm using just one pea-sized amount and that pea-sized amount is going to be distributed evenly all over my face. I [...] have now graduated to a prescription strength, but trust me it took me years to get to this point. [...] You absolutely have to wear sun protection in the morning anytime you're using retinol at night time. We know that retinoids or any type of topical vitamin A can be irritating to the skin, so pairing it with the right moisturizer is so important."

"Dermatica specializes in personalized, science-backed skin care in which your personalized formula will meet your skin goals whether it's acne, acne scars, aging, hyperpigmentation, rosacea, melasma, or just improving your skin glow. After you answer some questions and identify your primary concerns, you'll meet with a dermatology consultant who will go over your case and give you a personalized formula. They make the process so incredibly seamless and easy for you to access your dermatologist, get appropriate care, and get strength as medication that wouldn't necessarily be readily available over the counter. Sometimes your hyperpigmentation or your acne or whatever other condition you are trying to treat really needs more than what over-the-counter products can offer. It can be extremely difficult to get into a dermatologist, the wait can either be really long or you may not have someone accessible to you, so it's amazing that there are services like Dermatica that can offer you these types of prescription medications that you could normally only get by visiting a dermatologist."

"Vertical lines, which are a result of our sleep position, cannot be treated with Botox and fillers -- in fact they can linger and become more stubborn with age, so prevention is going to be absolutely key. Think about it: every night the typical pillow is compressing against our face, especially if you are a side or stomach sleeper, leading to those dreaded lines and creases. [...] This is the Sleep and Glow Omnia Pillow, and it is my best kept beauty secret. I've been using this pillow for years -- it's been a game changer for not only me but also for the patients that I've recommended it to, and everyone in my family loves it too. [...] The Omnia Pillow has this really innovative 3D structure where [...] your face is cradled, kind of floating all night, by these two side cradles that make sure your face is floating as opposed to being smooshed by the pillow. Untouched and uncreased is basically the goal we're going for all night, and it helps you wake up without sleep creases, looking refreshed and not puffy in the morning. It's actually super comfortable -- it has a memory foam to it -- and because it was designed by an orthopedist, it's going to help promote proper neck and back alignment, which gets so much more important as we have more birthdays. [...] This year Sleep and Glow also launched their copper pillowcase, which is great for anyone battling acne and anti-aging at the same time, [...] and I love that this pillowcase is going to help cut down on that."

"These are just little eye masks that you put underneath your eye. I specifically keep them in the refrigerator, in the mornings I pop them on. It helps with any puffiness that you have, but it also has skin loving ingredients in there that can really help with under eye hyperpigmentation. It's got licorice root extract, there's caffeine in there which really helps with the puffing, there's niacinamide as well, aloe which really helps with soothing, plus lots of different peptides and other hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid which really help to kind of plump up any fine lines that you may have underneath the eyes. So it helps with brightening, de-puffing, and plumping up fine lines. While it's not a must-have in a skincare routine, if you're someone like me who doesn't sleep as much as they should or deals with under eye puffiness or hyperpigmentation, it's a really nice little additive to put into your skincare routine."

"I am very critical about at home microneedling but there is one exception to this and this is at home micro infusion microneedling treatment systems. The Qure Micro Infusion Treatment System is such a game changer. It's microinfusion, also known as collagen induction therapy, where tiny small dermal needles thinner than your eyelash are inserted into your skin to create micro channels. The needles can be various depths, anything from 0.2 all the way up to 8 mm, because different parts of the body have different thicknesses, so around the eyes you might be looking for a 0.2 mm and somewhere on the body with thicker skin, maybe really stubborn stretch marks, you might be looking at an 8 mm microneedling device."