Dr. Daniel Sugai is a Harvard-trained board-certified dermatologist who focuses on moisturizers, barrier repair, and affordable, science-backed skincare from CeraVe to SkinCeuticals. His audience loves getting clinical-grade guidance in plain language, with clear picks for drugstore budgets.
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Harvard-trained, board-certified dermatologist who translates clinical-grade guidance on barrier repair into plain language, with picks for every budget.
226Products
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Dr. Daniel Sugai's top picks.
The products Dr. Daniel Sugai has crowned best in their category, and brings up again and again.
You can use it around the eyes, around the mouth, these very sensitive, delicate areas. You can even layer it with your retinoids -- especially if you're starting off with a retinoid, just use a small amount. There are videos going viral where they show how people even slug with La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5, putting a good amount on their face before going to bed, and they wake up with glowing skin. You're really supporting your skin barrier in a great way. The madecassoside in it is soothing but also has wound healing properties, so it will help soothe and support your skin barrier. If you're in trouble with an inflamed skin barrier, you can definitely start with La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5. But always consult with your dermatologist if you're having persistent redness and cracking of the skin, because you might need some topical prescription medications.
My favorite that I've talked about on the channel is Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream. This is a luxe feel. It's a higher price point, but I love the nourishing thicker texture of it. More occlusive. It has squalene, which will be hydrating and moisturizing, and glacial glycoprotein. Just so comfortable overnight. Feels like a hug award to Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream. And you can even use it in the summer time because when I put it on, it feels like it's been left in the fridge. It's just so cooling and it makes my face feel so smooth afterwards. So, big thumbs up to that. That's the one moisturizer I really will splurge on.
They've done such a great job improving on the SPF 30 hybrid AM version. That one was hybrid, but it still had a white cast. Still was a little thick and chalky, surprising for a hybrid sunscreen. But their AM SPF 50 has done wonders. It's very lightweight, much more of an elegant finish than their SPF 30 AM. That's a great one with niacinamide. Just know that that SPF 50 product, that AM product, is not water-resistant, and you want to go for a water-resistant sunscreen if you're going to go do water play or work out outside and get sweaty.
If you want a pure hyaluronic acid serum to apply in the morning before going out and you want that glowy look, Vichy Mineral 89 is great. If you want something just with 11 ingredients, a minimalist ingredient list, go for Vichy Mineral 89.
Their hydrating mineral sunscreens have traditionally been so disappointing, especially for those who are skin of color or even fair skin individuals had problems with the white cast.
It's different from a leave-on product like say The Ordinary's glycolic toner, that's different. You don't want to put that on and then follow up with your retinoid. You're going to run into trouble.
Do not use Neosporin, guys. Also, avoid basitracin, triple antibiotic, polysporin. All of those have to be removed from the shelf. Like we said, keep it simple. Don't put any of these in your first aid kits. And if you were to ask me what's the worst ingredient in these, it would have to be neomycin over bacitracin. But if I were to rank the worst, neomycin is the worst, most allergenic over bacitracin. But I do see a lot of bacitracin allergies. And these contact dermatitis rashes can be quite serious and very blistering.
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All 226 products Dr. Daniel Sugai has reviewed, grouped by product type. Click a product to see the full guru consensus.
"CeraVe Moisturizing Cream is still one of my all-time favorite moisturizers, whether that's the moisturizing cream in the jar or the moisturizing lotion in the pump. But there are definitely patients who come in and say CeraVe burns my face. When you have a compromised skin barrier, you're going to feel different sensations: irritation, redness, tightness, even burning and stinging, especially with gentle moisturizers like CeraVe. There could be other factors happening, like eczema or atopic dermatitis, or seborrheic dermatitis where a yeast overgrowth called Malassezia causes flakiness around your eyebrows, nose, chin, and facial hair area. People start thinking they have sensitive skin or are allergic to everything when CeraVe burns their skin, but really the skin is just inflamed and we need to repair the skin barrier. CeraVe Moisturizing Cream does have ceramides to help repair the skin barrier, but sometimes it will still burn even my face."
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"Ceramides are part of the glue that holds our skin cells together. When you have a deficiency of ceramides, your skin cells are not intact, there's a compromised skin barrier, and bad things like allergens, irritants, and microbes can penetrate into the skin while good things like hydration can leave. Classically, you'll find ceramides in CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, which has MVE technology. It helps repair the skin barrier with three essential ceramides, and with the MVE technology you're also hydrating the skin. You can find that as their moisturizing cream and moisturizing lotion."
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"CeraVe Moisturizing Cream is still one of my all-time favorite moisturizers, whether that's the moisturizing cream in the jar or the moisturizing lotion in the pump. But there are definitely patients who come in and say CeraVe burns my face. When you have a compromised skin barrier, you're going to feel different sensations: irritation, redness, tightness, even burning and stinging, especially with gentle moisturizers like CeraVe. There could be other factors happening, like eczema or atopic dermatitis, or seborrheic dermatitis where a yeast overgrowth called Malassezia causes flakiness around your eyebrows, nose, chin, and facial hair area. People start thinking they have sensitive skin or are allergic to everything when CeraVe burns their skin, but really the skin is just inflamed and we need to repair the skin barrier. CeraVe Moisturizing Cream does have ceramides to help repair the skin barrier, but sometimes it will still burn even my face."
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"Carave moisturizing cream is one of the best moisturizers out there for face and body."
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"I've always had really dry skin and I'm definitely big on the moisturizer. This is still the moisturizer I use on face and body multiple times a day. This is my baby. I love this thing. It's very affordable and it works really well. I cannot praise this more. The hyaluronic acid, the affordability, accessibility, you can run to Target, you can get it on Amazon, and a little goes a long way. It lasts you a long time. This will last me a few months and it's less than $15."
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"Go with gentle skincare instead. Caravee, Cedaphil, Aino, Neutrogena, all the tried and true"
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"CeraVe has always checked off those boxes for me with hydration and moisturizing occlusive features. I'm very familiar with this texture. I have patients who are covered with eczema, atopic dermatitis, and I'll prescribe a steroid liquid and have them mix it into this 16 oz jar, mix it all up, and apply it as a moisturizing prescription medication. It's very thick and occlusive. It takes a little bit more rubbing and elbow grease to get this in, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's actually that occlusive component that I really appreciate, especially for my patients who need to have a good reenactment of the skin barrier. You want to replicate an extra skin barrier to seal in hydration, but also maybe prescription medications. I don't always prescribe topical steroids for atopic dermatitis or eczema. There are other creams. There's topical calcineurin inhibitors. There's JAK inhibitors we can prescribe. And you want a good cream to seal that in and mimic another layer of skin. I don't actually mind the thicker texture of this."
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"If you struggle with eczema and your skin barrier really needs to have a nice seal over it, I say CeraVe still has its place. Invest in this."
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"CeraVe is a very popular brand they make very gentle products for my patients with sensitive skin or patients who are on very strong topical medications that are causing some irritation or dryness. CeraVe is a very affordable brand so you can get them for 15 to 30 dollars for these products. The moisturizing cream comes in a jar and you can get it at Costco in a two-for-one, and there's also the moisturizing lotion which is in the pump which is very popular for people who don't want to deal with a jar. The lotion is a little bit more lightweight great for the summer when you're sweaty and then the jar is good for winter."
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"Cleanser like Cedaphil gentle skin cleanser or vanic cream uh daily cleanser moisturizer cedaphil caravee vanic cream"
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"CeraVe has ceramides that help fill in those holes in your skin barrier so it helps restore that skin barrier so that you can hold on the moisture better. It has hyaluronic acid as well so you got the skin barrier component that's being repaired plus you have the hydration from the hyaluronic acid. It's pretty thick but very nice for patients including children and infant patients who need a good moisturizer."
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"CeraVe Moisturizing Cream has three essential ceramides that are skin identical. They fit into the holes in our skin to help seal and glue together our keratinocytes and keep our cells nice and happy and keep the hydration in the skin as much as possible."
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"My favorite moisturizers to slap on would be CeraVe's moisturizing cream. Consider thicker textured moisturizers in the winter time or in the colder weather. Go from lotions that are in a pump like CeraVe. They have lotions that are great in a pump, but you might want to switch over to the cream in the tub in the winter time because that will be better at being occlusive and having a nice film over the top to lock in that hydration."
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"Apply a nice layer of moisturizing cream from CeraVe. This is a body moisturizer but you can also use it for the face if it's the summer time and you want something a little bit more lightweight or if you have oily skin you definitely want to go with a lighter weight option. It's very nice for those with dry skin, eczema, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis. The consistency is great and I love that it comes in a jar and lasts forever, a little goes a long way."
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"I use a moisturizing cream where there's CeraVe, also nice."
"You can use it around the eyes, around the mouth, these very sensitive, delicate areas. You can even layer it with your retinoids -- especially if you're starting off with a retinoid, just use a small amount. There are videos going viral where they show how people even slug with La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5, putting a good amount on their face before going to bed, and they wake up with glowing skin. You're really supporting your skin barrier in a great way. The madecassoside in it is soothing but also has wound healing properties, so it will help soothe and support your skin barrier. If you're in trouble with an inflamed skin barrier, you can definitely start with La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5. But always consult with your dermatologist if you're having persistent redness and cracking of the skin, because you might need some topical prescription medications."
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"Number one would have to be La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5. Love that one. It has shea butter, madecassoside, and panthenol, pro-vitamin B5, so it's very moisturizing and hydrating, and you get the soothing benefits of madecassoside, which is Centella asiatica derived. It's soothing, great for wound healing, great for new scars, old scars, new wounds. Just so versatile. If you have irritated, dry skin on the face, or if you want a nice moisturizer to use with your retinol, you can apply Cicaplast to your face, and people do wake up with a nice glowy finish the next day. If you have a kid with diaper rash or irritation from drooling, you can use it as a barrier to protect the skin around the mouth. I remember those days of having kids with irritant contact dermatitis from saliva collecting around the mouth, and you just get this bright red rash. Cicaplast to the rescue for those situations. Such an essential, versatile skincare product in my household."
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"You could also put La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 -- a very thin layer -- for tolerating your retinoid."
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"You can use it around the eyes, around the mouth, these very sensitive, delicate areas. You can even layer it with your retinoids -- especially if you're starting off with a retinoid, just use a small amount. There are videos going viral where they show how people even slug with La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5, putting a good amount on their face before going to bed, and they wake up with glowing skin. You're really supporting your skin barrier in a great way. The madecassoside in it is soothing but also has wound healing properties, so it will help soothe and support your skin barrier. If you're in trouble with an inflamed skin barrier, you can definitely start with La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5. But always consult with your dermatologist if you're having persistent redness and cracking of the skin, because you might need some topical prescription medications."
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"One of my favorite moisturizers to help soothe the skin and repair the skin barrier is La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5. It's not your traditional moisturizer; it's kind of a jack-of-all-trades rescue moisturizer. You don't want to put too much on because you can clog your pores with a heavy layer. You just need a small amount after your retinoid to seal it in and help nourish the skin. It has panthenol, which is moisturizing and hydrating; madecassoside, which can help soothe and repair the skin barrier and even has wound-healing properties; shea butter; and La Roche-Posay thermal spring water, which is one of my favorite skincare essentials in my household. This isn't glamorous, it's recovery mode. You can also use it in the sandwich method, but again, just a small amount or thin film because you don't want to clog your pores."
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"The La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 is the number one skincare product in my household. It's so versatile, such an essential rescue cream. It has madecassoside, shea butter, and panthenol. When you have irritated skin, inflamed skin, you don't know what to put on your skin because everything burns, Cicaplast Baume will come through. Madecassoside has some papers supporting that it works on wound healing, so I like to put that on freshly made wounds, scars, it might help with stretch marks. When my kids have scrapes or post-inflammatory blemishes after the wound has healed, I put it on one to two times a day. If you have chafed skin in the folds, go ahead and use it. Panthenol is a great ingredient that's hydrating and moisturizing to help support the skin barrier, and you're going to have shea butter as well. Great stuff. If you get the European version, the Baume B5+, that works very much on our skin's microbiome. It's really focusing on increasing regulation of good peptides that fight bad bacteria, pathogenic bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus, and upregulate good bacteria in the skin. That's going to really help keep our equilibrium in a happy, harmonious environment."
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"To buffer and repair at bedtime, it's really important to protect and support that skin barrier, and I like the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5. I have multiple tubes all over my house. I love that it has madecassoside, which is soothing and will help with wound healing, and it has shea butter and panthenol to help support the skin barrier as well. You can go ahead and apply a thin film over your retinoid to help soothe and buffer the potential irritation you can get from your retinoid."
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"La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 is a rescue product. Just use a small amount on the face; if you overdo it, you could clog some pores and cause milia or whiteheads and blackheads. It has madecassoside, which we know has evidence behind it to aid in wound healing and scars, and it has panthenol and shea butter, so it's very hydrating and moisturizing for the skin barrier. It will help plump up your keratinocytes, your skin cells, and also help repair by having madecassic acid in it. I like to put this on scars, but also if you're having just really irritated skin. For me, around the cheekbones when I sleep, sometimes I'll have a little bit of moisture there from tears that might be draining while you sleep, and you can have some irritation there. Go ahead and apply some La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 there. This is nice for rosacea-prone skin. If you're having redness, it can soothe some redness. You can apply it over your retinoid, but just a thin film because you don't want to clog up your pores. It comes out as a thicker balm but it does rub in well. You can use it to help glow up by actually plumping up your skin. It's not full-on slugging, but it's almost like a nice basting of the skin where you're going to help seal in the moisture and glow up that way."
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"The essential that I have all over my house, La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5. Just great for diaper rashes, chafed skin, dry, irritated skin of the face. It comes out as a thick balm. Rubs in well if you're applying on your face, but if you have acne-prone skin, do not put too much of this on. Just a thin layer goes a long way to soothe the skin. It's very soothing because not only does it have shea butter and panthenol, it also has madecassoside, which has evidence to help soothe the skin and help with wound healing. For patients with acne that's healing, yes, you can put it on your acne scars, your post-acne blemishes, but don't smother your active acne with this balm. Just a small amount goes a long way. If my skin's irritated from my retinol in the wintertime around my eyes and the cheekbone area or around the mouth, I'm going to go ahead and apply La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5. This one has made my list every year for many years."
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"If you have more dry skin, Cicaplast Balm by La Roche-Posay is a thicker one, but don't use too much because this will clog up your pores. So just a very small amount to seal that all in."
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"If you have very dry skin and you're worried about having a contact dermatitis and dryness from your retinoid, you can go as thick as La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5. This has shea butter, panthenol, and madecassoside. Don't use too much though, just a pea-sized amount of the Cicaplast Baume because people who have used too much of it have clogged up their pores and caused acne or milia. So just be careful with it. I love that product. Very versatile. Great for chafed skin in the groin, armpit area, dry skin. It's a nice occlusive moisturizer for the face and body. And also if you have a baby with a diaper rash, this helps soothe it as well."
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"I love the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5, which has panthenol and niacinamide but it uses shea butter and it feels like an occlusive ointment like Vaseline but a little thinner, so it's almost a balance between an ointment, a thick Vaseline type of ointment, and a balm. That's just really nice. You can use that for your hands but you can also use that for your feet, and if you cover this up with a sock, you're going to get nice smooth soft heels."
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"This is just the most versatile skin care product out there. It has a dimethicone base, but there's also shea butter and madecasside, which gives it those Cica Plus benefits. Madecasside is very soothing, anti-inflammatory, really good for irritation on the face. If I'm having dry, irritated skin from traveling, if I am overdoing my retinoids, I just put a small amount on and it's just soothing. I've never had this burn or sting my skin even if it was raw. So even if you have chafed raw skin in the folds, or a baby who has GI issues and is having lots of loose stools and the baby's bottom is getting inflamed, chafed, raw, you could actually use this."
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"Really good for irritation on the face. If I'm having dry, irritated skin from traveling, if I am overdoing my retinoids, like I've tried tazerotene recently, which is a very strong powerful prescription medication, and it started to irritate my skin on the cheekbones, I just put a small amount on the cheekbones and it's just soothing. I've never had this burn or sting my skin even if it was raw. So even if you have chafed raw skin in the folds, you could actually use this on those areas. This is a great start if it's just getting very irritated and raw from whatever is going on. I travel with this and it works well in my little TSA Ziploc bag. I'll put this in those areas to help hydrate, repair the skin barrier while I sleep in the hotel room, and when I get back, wake up, skin's much better. If you have a scar, this is a nice scar cream. If you have some little wounds or cuts on the back of your hands, your fingers, you can go ahead and apply this to those areas."
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"Cicaplast Balm B5 by La Roche-Posay is very nice. Madecassoside helps with healing and soothing, and it has panthenol and shea butter, so it's a very good rescue balm. It's not like a greasy ointment but more of a soothing balm with a creamy texture that's fine for the face. This is very versatile, it's one of the most versatile skincare products out there."
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"La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 has madecassoside which is soothing and it also helps with healing and has shea butter and panthenol. So that's a great one to consider."
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"La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5, which is panthenol, pro vitamin B5, is great at having both moisturizing and hydrating properties. But what I love about this is that it has shea butter and madecassoside, which has wound healing properties. So while your skin is pretty much raw and irritated and it's losing water, it's like a wound essentially. What we want to do is support that skin barrier while our body is trying to adjust to retinoids and trying to metabolize them in the skin and try to boost lipid synthesis to help seal off that brick wall that's become dilapidated temporarily."
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"The Cicaplast Balm B5 is really interesting because it is a balm that's thick but you could also apply it to your face to help heal acne lesion scarring. It doesn't treat acne but it's good for really irritated skin and it's not comedogenic, so you could apply it to the face. It's just very soothing, has shea butter and madecassoside which is anti-inflammatory and might have some anti-aging properties. It's nice to put over if you have a burn and you want to soothe it, if you have chafing, if you're a runner or cyclist with chafing between folds, or diaper rashes. I give it to families with small children or elderly patients who have sores from pressure ulcers."
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"Winter when you're very dry, especially on your cheekbones, my cheekbones get really dry and irritated, I will use a cream or I'll even use Aquaphor at the cheekbones before going to sleep or Cicaplast Baume B5 by La Roche-Posay."
"Consider CeraVe SA Cream with salicylic acid. That's a beta hydroxy acid that will also help exfoliate the skin gently. I really love those products. Those are great to start off with, especially applying after a shower. It will help with those dry, ashy knees and elbows."
"This restorative protective cream, use it for kids and adults. It has Avène's famous thermal spring water. And it's just so gentle. I've never had it burn my skin even in the most desperate times when I've really messed up my skin barrier by going too hard with a chemical peel or trying it for the first time on my face and causing dryness there. They are thicker, more protective, but just a thin film goes a long way. Just a thin film. Small amount goes a long way. When your skin's feeling raw, irritated, they're not the most elegant or fancy or sexy looking moisturizers. Simple is better many times. And these really are essentials in my household for a reason."
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"Avène has just done a great job with their Cicalfate. That's one of my favorite essentials in my skin care. I will use that to sandwich in my retinol, or I will have in the wintertime more sensitive skin. I'll have more peeling around the eyes, around the mouth. I'm going to use Avène Cicalfate before my tretinoin or my retinol. So, after washing my face, I do a layer of Cicalfate, then my pea-sized amount of my retinoid, and then another layer of Avène Cicalfate. It is an extra step. I know you want to go to bed, you're tired, but that extra step is so important in the winter time."
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"I'm using Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream right now. I'm putting a layer of moisturizer first, and then I apply my retinoid, and then I follow up with another layer of Avène. That's what I'm doing just to tolerate tretinoin this time of year."
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"This restorative protective cream, use it for kids and adults. It has Avène's famous thermal spring water. And it's just so gentle. I've never had it burn my skin even in the most desperate times when I've really messed up my skin barrier by going too hard with a chemical peel or trying it for the first time on my face and causing dryness there. They are thicker, more protective, but just a thin film goes a long way. Just a thin film. Small amount goes a long way. When your skin's feeling raw, irritated, they're not the most elegant or fancy or sexy looking moisturizers. Simple is better many times. And these really are essentials in my household for a reason."
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"Another nice barrier supporting cream you can put on at bedtime would be Avène Cicalfate+. That's just so soothing when my skin is a wreck, it's cold and dry out and I've gone outside and played some football and then I've used too many actives at once. I've had irritation on the cheekbones, and Avène has come through like secoplast, and you can go ahead and apply a thin film over your retinoid to help soothe and buffer that potential irritation you can get from your retinoid."
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"This is such a gentle product. It's meant for kids and adults. It has zinc and copper which does work on the skin's microbiome. It's antimicrobial. It brings down the bad bacteria and it upregulates good bacteria. It's calming. Minimal ingredients and even with the name, it doesn't have secika in it or madacaside or tigerass. It just has nourishing minerals in it and also their famous French thermal spring water. Avène is known to be a gentle skincare company. Best post peel, post laser, especially resurfacing lasers, it's okay to put Cicalfate+ over those spots. If you're having retinoid irritation, especially the first 3 weeks, you can put some Cicalfate+ over it and overexfoliated skin is raw. You can use Cicalfate+ to help repair in those cases. Just use a small amount if you're applying to the face. Don't overdo it. If you overdo it, you could actually clog some pores and cause some milia or white heads and blackheads."
"One of my favorite body moisturizers because it comes in a nice jar, a little goes a long way. Urea is a nice humectant that draws in water, but also is a keratolytic that will peel away dead skin and exfoliate gently dead skin. So, if you have dry, thickened elbows or knees, feet, hands, you can go ahead and use this Advanced Repair Cream on those areas, and the urea will really come to the rescue and make your skin nice and soft. And if you apply it within 2 minutes after getting out of the shower, when your skin's slightly damp, it's going to work so well and just trap in all of that moisture."
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"One of my favorite body moisturizers because it comes in a nice jar, a little goes a long way. Urea is a nice humectant that draws in water, but also is a keratolytic that will peel away dead skin and exfoliate gently dead skin. So, if you have dry, thickened elbows or knees, feet, hands, you can go ahead and use this Advanced Repair Cream on those areas, and the urea will really come to the rescue and make your skin nice and soft. And if you apply it within 2 minutes after getting out of the shower, when your skin's slightly damp, it's going to work so well and just trap in all of that moisture."
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"Eucerin's Advanced Repair formula is really good to have lots of urea which is a natural moisturizing factor found in your skin that helps hydrate by bringing in water and it's a humectant so like hyaluronic acid draws in water but it's also catalytic it breaks up and peels away dead skin gently so I like Eucerin a lot for that purpose."
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"Eucerin Advanced Repair Cream is one of my favorite body moisturizers out there. That's an awesome one with urea, higher concentrations of urea, which is a humectant that draws in water, but also exfoliates dead skin as well. So great for just overall body, but focusing on elbows and knees where you have thicker skin. And you can bring it down to your feet and also to your hands."
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"Eucerin Advanced Repair Cream is one of my favorite body moisturizers. It has a little bit of urea and ceramide. I just love the texture, it's not a lotion, it's thicker, it's a cream, so it locks in moisture that you got from the shower. Apply it to damp skin at bedtime."
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"The Eucerin Advanced Repair Cream is a nice one with urea. Urea is a humectant that draws in water and it also is exfoliating. So it helps turn over dead skin."
"We recommend Vaseline or Aquaphor instead of Neosporin. Hate Neosporin. I just saw a Neosporin allergy the other day post-surgically on someone that was putting it on their knee surgery scar and got a big nasty rash from the Neosporin. So, use Vaseline instead."
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"We recommend Vaseline or Aquaphor instead of Neosporin. Hate Neosporin. I just saw a Neosporin allergy the other day post-surgically on someone that was putting it on their knee surgery scar and got a big nasty rash from the Neosporin. So, use Vaseline instead."
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"Neosporin has neomycin, which is a very common allergen. I see it all the time. Whenever I see a geometric rash that looks like something from the outside gone in contact with your skin that's irritating it, leaving it with a blistered red rash, I'm going to ask first thing, are you applying Neosporin? And usually the patients will say yes. So do not use that. I would never pay money for that. Dermatologists do not like Neosporin. Just apply Vaseline, Aquaphor, Cetaphil healing ointment, some kind of petroleum ointment over your wound or burn, a small burn that's not infected. If it's infected, definitely go see your dermatologist or your doctor to get antibiotics, whether it's a topical antibiotic or oral antibiotic."
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"Do not use Neosporin, guys. Also, avoid basitracin, triple antibiotic, polysporin. All of those have to be removed from the shelf. If I were to ask me what's the worst ingredient in these, it would have to be neomycin over bacitracin. But if I were to rank the worst, neomycin is the worst, most allergenic over bacitracin. But I do see a lot of bacitracin allergies. And these contact dermatitis rashes can be quite serious and very blistering."
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"Neosporin is probably the biggest villain in the dermatology world because if someone comes in with a geometric rectangular rash or a circular rash, I'm going to suspect something got on your skin to make that rash. It's too well made, too well formed, so I'm going to ask did you apply Neosporin, and a lot of times people will say yes I've been using Neosporin. Neosporin has neomycin in it, and a few years ago it's been named as the allergen of the year. You can't get over the counter in other countries like the UK, you can't go into a grocery store and pick up Neosporin. It's prescription for their topical antibiotics, and my UK colleagues say they don't even use Neosporin anyway, so they don't see that as an allergen or an issue in their countries, but in the U.S., we're spending so much money, so much time diagnosing allergic contact dermatitis from things like Neosporin. Neosporin is probably a more common culprit for causing contact dermatitis. When you have that rash, people get misdiagnosed with an infection because it presents as red, hot, swollen, itchy, and sometimes can be painful if it starts making blisters because the reaction can get really bad where it blisters the skin."
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"I'd rather have you apply that than Neosporin Bacitracin triple antibiotic which causes a lot of irritant or allergic contact dermatitis. It can mimic an infection. It can get blistered in the area. So big thing is avoid Neosporin and those topical antibiotic ointments that are over the counter."
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"Don't ever use Neosporin over your cuts, burns, wounds. Neosporin has neomycin which is a common allergen. When you put this on, it mimics a skin infection or cellulitis. And many times people go on antibiotics unnecessarily. So instead, use Aquaphor or Vaseline over your scrapes."
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"If you have a cut or scrape, I don't care for Neosporin. I like petrolatum whether it's Aquafor or Vaseline or the Cerave healing ointment. For wound care, use petrolatum for a non-infected wound to help protect it and then cover it with a Band-Aid."
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"Using antibiotic ointment that's over the counter, Vasitracin, Neosporin, Neosporin has neomycin and bacitracin and both of those are common allergens that have commonly caused contact dermatitis in my patients, allergic contact dermatitis specifically. When I have a patient coming in with a rash that looks like an outside job, meaning looks like something got on their skin causing a geometric rash or a linear rash like poison ivy, I'm going to ask them certain things like have you been using Neosporin or bacitracin? Triple antibiotic a lot of times patients will say yes. In Europe they don't have over-the-counter antibiotic ointments. In the US we do and we overuse it. Not only are we getting resistance with our antifungal creams, we're seeing more fungi getting resistance to those over-the-counter treatments because we're overusing them, but we're also getting allergic rashes to these antibiotic ointments. I've seen patients come in with really bad severe redness, blistering, and it actually can turn from itchy to painful where it mimics a skin infection."
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"There's still a good amount of people coming out with rashes from Neosporin. Over time the neo in Neosporin is a common allergen that can cause a blistering reaction, a bad skin reaction that mimics a bacterial infection. I even saw a patient who was on long-term antibiotics and had a PICC line inserted into her arm just to get IV antibiotics long term for her leg cellulitis. They thought it was a bacterial infection that wouldn't go away so they kept adding on more and more IV antibiotics that she'd have to get infused at home, but really it was just them putting Neosporin on the cellulitis on the leg over and over and it just kept festering and worsening rash. Once we stopped the Neosporin, I put some topical steroids on that I prescribed the leg, and just cleared up very well and we were able to remove the PICC line. I saw the Neosporin for kids at Target. They're really trying to target the young kids by adding a little promoxine in it to help with pain relief as well. I don't like any of that stuff."
"Vanicream's new enhanced moisturizer is one I've always recommended because Vanicream is one of the go-tos when it comes to sensitive skin. They really do minimize their ingredient list and don't mess with any fragrances or dyes. This new moisturizer, you can use it for your face and body. It's in a nice convenient pump, and the texture is awesome. It rubs in really well and feels nice. This was a home run for them. It's very good with their five ceramides and hyaluronic acid. Ceramides help rebuild and repair the skin barrier because it's part of the glue that holds our skin cells together."
"CeraVe PM lotion also a nice option. A thin layer of moisturizer over your retinoid will make you feel better in terms of preventing you from getting an irritant contact dermatitis."
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"CeraVe PM lotion also a nice option. A thin layer of moisturizer over your retinoid will make you feel better in terms of preventing you from getting an irritant contact dermatitis."
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"CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion has niacinamide, the three essential ceramides, very lightweight and so it rubs in very well, layers well over your prescription medications, especially your retinoid. And by having niacinamide, it helps regulate sebum production and may help brighten the skin. You might be on tretinoin or adapalene that's very drying, especially tretinoin, you definitely always have to apply a moisturizer after it. You might need to do the sandwich method if you're quite dry and irritated from the start of using tretinoin because it's very potent. It's already retinoic acid ready to go into the cell and do its magic. So you might need to do the sandwich method where you apply a layer of CeraVe PM Lotion, a pea-sized amount of your tretinoin, and then another layer of moisturizer over it. But if you're an advanced user and you're doing well, just apply your pea-sized amount of your retinoid like tretinoin over your entire face when your skin is dry and then apply a moisturizer like CeraVe over it."
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"CeraVe PM lotion which has niacinamide helps repair the skin barrier helps regulate sebum and so great for my patients with acne prone skin. They want something lightweight and that won't clog up their pores and it works well with their prescription acne medications. It's a nice lightweight option to apply over your vitamin C. Moisturizers with niacinamide and ceramides really will help repair the skin barrier. And the skin barrier is very important because it will help keep all the good things in like moisture in the skin and also prevent bad things from getting in. We want to reduce transepidermal water loss. We don't want to have water leaving the skin and we really want to trap it in. So having this nice moisturizer to seal in your vitamin C serum as well as moisture is really important."
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"If you have oily skin, CeraVe PM Lotion is nice and lightweight."
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"Studies have shown that niacinamide containing products with a moisturizer help with dark underarms. CeraVe PM Lotion is one option. Niacinamide is good for lightening dark underarms when it's at low concentration. You only need 2 to 4% of niacinamide to help with brightening the skin and reducing dark spots."
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"If you want a nice lightweight lotion to apply after your retinoid, consider CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion. And yes, you can use that in the morning as well."
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"You can do the CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion that has niacinamide, very nice lightweight to layer over your adapalene if you want something meant for oily to combination skin."
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"Having niacinamide in your moisturizers is always nice for acne-prone skin or for those who clog up their pores. I like CeraVe PM lotion, CeraVe AM lotion with SPF 50. Those are nice with niacinamide."
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"CeraVe PM lotion, one of the goats here. We have niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, your three essential ceramides from CeraVe, and it's so affordable. This one's about $16. A little goes a long way. It's a really lightweight lotion texture. You've got niacinamide in there, so my patients who are on acne medications, they have acne and they do have oilier skin types, but they're also on drying acne medications, they like to gravitate to something like this where you have a lightweight lotion to help seal in some of their products, help repair the skin barrier with the ceramides, and you have niacinamide. But you also don't want anything too thick because you're also having some oily skin, and you also don't want to put too much stuff over your prescription medication. I just feel like it's a nice balance."
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"You want something with peptides. You can go with CeraVe PM or their oil control gel cream."
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"Their PM lotion also a great bet from CeraVe has niacinamide as well. So those are great options to layer over your retinoid."
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"CeraVe PM lotion, you can use that in the morning to layer over your vitamin C. This one has niacinamide, so it's nice and lightweight. You can use it in the AM as a moisturizer, or if you have rosacea or acne prone skin, the niacinamide in this is very nice."
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"One of my favorites here now, this is very lightweight and it has the three essential ceramides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid. It has no sunscreen, which you don't need at nighttime, but it's so lightweight and it works well with other actives if you want to do vitamin C at bedtime, if you want to do your retinoid, if you want to do prescription topicals for acne. CeraVe has MVE technology, multi-vicicular emulsion, which has these concentric spheres filled with hydrating and moisturizing ingredients so it will slowly release into your skin, hydrating and moisturizing the skin for 24 hours. You got the ceramides and the MVE technology."
"I like CeraVe's PM lotion. That facial lotion has niacinamide as well as ceramid and hyaluronic acid. That one is a really nice lotion that my patients will use that does not interact with the acne medications that I will prescribe them."
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"You can use the PM in the morning with niacinamide. Even though I don't like niacinamide serums, I like niacinamide in my products."
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"If you're worried about clogging up your pores because that is a thicker texture, go with a lighter weight moisturizer, the CeraVe PM facial lotion. This is a nice option."
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"You can apply your favorite moisturizer whether it's CeraVe PM lotion or any of those lightweight moisturizers or a thicker cream, and then go to bed."
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"If you are just a young in your 20s, go for anything CeraVe. CeraVe makes a nice PM lotion."
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"whether it's CeraVe PM lotion, those are great ones or if you have very sensitive skin go with Vanicream daily facial moisturizer, that works really well with your retinoids as well as El MD's PM therapy with niacinamide, all great options."
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"Niacinamide containing moisturizers we've talked about would be the CeraVe PM. If you have oilier skin, you can get oil control moisturizing gel cream by CeraVe. This is their newer one, and I haven't talked about this one on the channel, but it has niacinamide and it has hyaluronic acid. And I'll just show you the texture of it real quick, very lightweight."
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"You can consider CeraVe's PM lotion which has niacinamide and hyaluronic acid but no sunscreen. You can totally use this in the morning as your daily moisturizer and then put your sunscreen over that, or just use it at night after your retinol. This works really well with a lot of actives: vitamin C, your exfoliant, your retinols."
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"The other nice one that's lightweight, it would be CeraVe PM lotion."
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"CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion is a nice one. It's in a pump, and my patients love it, especially my teen patients. It's a nice convenient airtight pump that you don't have to unscrew a top off and lose the cap or worry about putting the cap back on. A lot of my male patients who are teens just want something simple, just pump it out, get it on their face after their retinoid or their other prescription acne medications. It has niacinamide, ceramide, hyaluronic acid, very affordable, great tried-and-true brand for those with sensitive skin, no fragrance. I'd say that's great for adults and my teens and even children, even pediatric patients who want a good facial moisturizer. It's lightweight, so if you have more oily skin or combination skin that's a good one to consider because people with combination skin or oily skin still need moisturizer, especially in the winter time. Something lightweight like a lotion would be good for those with oilier skin types."
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"CeraVe PM Lotion with niacinamide is something affordable. It's good, works well with actives, works well with retinol at bedtime, but during the day if you want to use that in the morning after your serums go right ahead, it feels great."
"Very thick occlusive barrier ointment that you can apply to help slug and help seal in your moisturizer at the end of the night. Just a thin film goes a long way. And if you want to protect any cracks on your hands and feet, go ahead and use it."
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"Very thick occlusive barrier ointment that you can apply to help slug and help seal in your moisturizer at the end of the night. Just a thin film goes a long way. And if you want to protect any cracks on your hands and feet, go ahead and use it."
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"Once the wound is clean, cover it with prolotum ointment, either Vaseline, Aquafor, or CeraVe Healing Ointment."
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"CeraVe Healing Ointment is a good option if you have a known lanolin sensitivity. It's a safe petrolatum-based product to use, even on the face. It's way better to put on cuts than an over-the-counter antibiotic cream like Neosporin or Bacitracin."
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"When you get a cut I like Plano Aquafor Vaseline or CeraVe Healing Ointment. I like this more for like dry heels a large area of dry skin. The ointment is pretty soothing and goes on, doesn't hurt, doesn't sting. I like moisture with wounds. Keeping a nice moist layer of CeraVe Healing Ointment over it to help bring in new cells. This has been proven over time. We want to keep a nice layer of moisture because it brings in keratinocytes and it promotes re-epithelialization much better."
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"Apply some petrolatum ointment like Vaseline, Aquaphor, CeraVe Healing Ointment, or Cetaphil Healing Ointment. The only thing with Cetaphil Healing Ointment though is it has beeswax, which I worry about on the lips. I'm seeing a lot more beeswax sensitivity. Those are good to put on your lips, and you can apply a little bit on your cheekbones after you apply your serums just for extra glow."
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"You can follow up with a thicker petrolatum ointment to seal it in and that could be with the CeraVe Healing Ointment. You can use just a pea-size amount to seal in the moisture and get that dewy glow. A lot of people like to apply it not just to the lips but just a small amount to like the cheekbones. I like to throw a little bit on the forehead there just to plump up the skin and hide those fine lines and wrinkles. Right after your hyaluronic acid goes on, you can put a cream on and a little bit of this to occlude and retain that moisture so it doesn't evaporate."
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"CeraVe Healing Ointment has the ceramides of course, no lanolin, it has panthenol and hyaluronic acid which is documented that will help hydrate the skin. I recommend to my patients to apply CeraVe Healing Ointment because it's great for cuts, burns, wounds, and after a biopsy. It's an occlusive ointment that works as a barrier to protect your wound so you won't get infection. You can apply this to your heels at night before going to bed and when you put a sock over it, the next morning when you take your sock off it's like magic."
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"CeraVe Healing Ointment has the ceramides of course, no lanolin, it has panthenol and hyaluronic acid which is documented that will help hydrate the skin. I recommend to my patients to apply Vaseline or CeraVe Healing Ointment because those are great. You don't have to put Neosporin. Neosporin causes a lot of allergic contact dermatitis. Bacitracin same. So I just say keep it simple and just put an occlusive ointment as a barrier to protect your wound so you won't get that infection."
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"CeraVe Healing Ointment works well too."
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"This one has ceramides and hyaluronic acid, no lanoline. This is a great one. You only need a small amount, less than a pea size amount, really. There's a pea on cheekbones, forehead. If you get a little flaky here you can put some in your eyebrows to help shape them. If you have a little flaking there, little seborrheic dermatitis, you can get those flakes down. I like to put it in the corners, especially before you go to bed, and then a little extra on your lips, corners of your lips and the lips itself."
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"It is a nice safe product that we do for babies, kids, and adults. I've been recommending it for years, even before I was a Harvard dermatologist. It's just a great thing for wound care and so it has a lot of different uses. If you have a cut or scrape, I like petrolatum whether it's the CeraVe Healing Ointment. For wound care, totally use petrolatum for a non-infected wound to help protect it and then cover it with a Band-Aid. If you want to slug and get a little dewy finish, apply a petrolatum ointment over say your moisturizer or your hydrating serum, especially on the cheekbones, just a pea-size amount, and you can really glow up and get a nice dewy finish. If you have really oily skin or if you're dealing with acne, you might want to avoid slugging because you don't want to occlude the pores. If you have dry, cracked heels, when your skin is damp, you get out of the shower and you layer a nice generous layer of CeraVe Healing Ointment and you put a sock over it, go to bed, the next day your heels will be much better."
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"I like prolotam so Vaseline, Aquaphor, Cetaphil healing ointment or CeraVe healing ointment, all great options for healing a wound."
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"You're going to get your Vaseline or Aquaphor or CeraVe Healing Ointment, just put a small amount on your eyelid skin and a little bit down on the cheekbone because my cheekbones tend to collect tears there they get irritated, and then you also put a little bit on your lips to slug your lips because this is an area where I see my patients get really chapped lips and irritation. While we sleep the heaters are on and it's pulling out all the moisture from our face, so it's really important to put Vaseline or some kind of petrolatum over the lips and over the eyelids, so when you put your retinol on you won't have as much dryness and irritation. I like to just spot treat this on the eyelid skin and on the lips before bedtime."
"The rival to Caravee moisturizing cream would have to be Cetaphil's moisturizing cream that actually repairs the skin barrier in a different way. They use glycerin, a humectant. It uses niacinamide, or vitamin B3, which is soothing and will help repair the skin barrier. Plus, it uses panthenol, vitamin B5, and that one's a special ingredient that will help moisturize and hydrate and support the skin barrier. Cetaphil has done studies that shows that those combination of those three ingredients will help repair the skin barrier, decrease evaporation of moisture from our skin and trapping in moisture and increasing the hydration in our corneum."
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"The rival to Caravee moisturizing cream would have to be Cetaphil's moisturizing cream that actually repairs the skin barrier in a different way. They use glycerin, a humectant. It uses niacinamide, or vitamin B3, which is soothing and will help repair the skin barrier. Plus, it uses panthenol, vitamin B5, and that one's a special ingredient that will help moisturize and hydrate and support the skin barrier. Cetaphil has done studies that shows that those combination of those three ingredients will help repair the skin barrier, decrease evaporation of moisture from our skin and trapping in moisture and increasing the hydration in our corneum."
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"The Cetaphil moisturizing cream is a classic one. I really come to like this one. And I love looking at the studies from Galerma looking at corneometry studies transepidermal water loss. It will minimize transepidermal water loss with their three key ingredients. You have niacinamide, glycerin and panthenol all working well together. Niacinamide helps regulate sebum, it helps repair the skin barrier in low concentrations. Having the Cetaphil moisturizing cream being so nourishing, it has the panthenol to help repair the skin barrier but also be moisturizing and hydrating. And then you also have glycerin to hydrate the skin. So just awesome for those with eczema-prone skin. Winter dryness, come out of the shower within a couple minutes. Get your Cetaphil over damp skin. It's going to help seal in all that moisture from the shower. Also patients who are on isotretinoin or post isotretinoin you're still having dry skin on the back of your hands and your body go ahead and consider Cetaphil's moisturizing cream and it works for the face and body."
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"Did you know you can use Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream on your face and your body? This is a nice affordable option for those with sensitive skin. It has panthenol, niacinamide, and glycerin."
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"I love Cetaphil's Moisturizing Cream. It has panthenol, niacinamide, and glycerin to help trap in moisture, but also hydrate the skin and help repair the skin barrier, especially during the winter time when it's really cold out. And when the heaters are on indoors, drying your skin out, you need a good moisturizer to trap in that moisture. And yes, you can use this on your face and body. Best time is to apply it after your showers."
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"Cetaphil has ceramides that help fill in those holes in your skin barrier so it helps restore that skin barrier so that you can hold on to the moisture better. It has hyaluronic acid as well so you've got the skin barrier component that's being repaired plus you have the hydration from the hyaluronic acid. Cetaphil does an excellent job with their vitamin B3 which is soothing, it can be anti-inflammatory, and it has panthenol which can be moisturizing and hydrating. It also has glycerin in it as well which is humectant, it has almond oil and sunflower seed oil as well. So all great moisturizing ingredients in Cetaphil."
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"My favorite moisturizers to slap on would be Carave's moisturizing cream or Cetaphil's moisturizing cream. Consider thicker textured moisturizers in the winter time or in the colder weather. Go from lotions that are in a pump like Cetaphil Caravee. They have lotions that are great in a pump, but you might want to switch over to the cream in the tub in the winter time because that will be better at being occlusive and having a nice film over the top to lock in that hydration."
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"Cetaphil's moisturizing cream is very nice, it definitely is nice for those with dry skin, eczema, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis. The consistency is a little different from CeraVe. I'd say they're both very good options. I love that they come in jars and they last forever. A little goes a long way."
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"I recommend Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream that has niacinamide in it. Versus CeraVe, they really like to lean on their three essential ceramides to help repair the skin barrier, but Cetaphil has found that their three main ingredients, glycerin, panthenol which is pro-vitamin B5, and their vitamin B3 aka niacinamide, work together in repairing the skin barrier. They've shown with tul meters that the transepidermal water loss has been decreased with the use of this moisturizing cream. Also looking at a corneometer and looking at hydration levels in your epidermis, you can increase the hydration levels with your moisturizer primarily because you are locking in the moisture that's already on your skin and keeping it there, retaining that moisture so it doesn't evaporate. The Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream, yes you can use this on your face, not just on your body. I think that's a really nice affordable way to go at dry skin on your face and body and just one jar, so that's nice."
"My favorite that I've talked about on the channel is Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream. This is a luxe feel. It's a higher price point, but I love the nourishing thicker texture of it. More occlusive. It has squalene, which will be hydrating and moisturizing, and glacial glycoprotein. Just so comfortable overnight. Feels like a hug award to Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream. And you can even use it in the summer time because when I put it on, it feels like it's been left in the fridge. It's just so cooling and it makes my face feel so smooth afterwards. So, big thumbs up to that. That's the one moisturizer I really will splurge on."
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"My favorite that I've talked about on the channel is Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream. This is a luxe feel. It's a higher price point, but I love the nourishing thicker texture of it. More occlusive. It has squalene, which will be hydrating and moisturizing, and glacial glycoprotein. Just so comfortable overnight. Feels like a hug award to Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream. And you can even use it in the summer time because when I put it on, it feels like it's been left in the fridge. It's just so cooling and it makes my face feel so smooth afterwards. So, big thumbs up to that. That's the one moisturizer I really will splurge on."
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"This is Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream. It's the highest price point out of the products mentioned. It just holds up in 2025 for good reason. It's a thicker, richer, nourishing cream. Great for those with drier skin types. It has squalane and glacial glycoprotein. All great things to moisturize and hydrate the skin this winter time. And it pairs so nicely with my retinoids. And as soon as it hits my skin, it's soothing. It feels like it was left in the refrigerator every time it hits my skin. It's just great for the winter time."
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"You can moisturize with really nice fancy moisturizers. My favorite of all time, especially at bedtime after my retinol, is Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream."
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"One of my favorite moisturizers out there would be Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream. This is very lightweight and it has the three essential ceramides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid. It's so lightweight and it works well with other actives if you want to do vitamin C again at bedtime, if you want to do your retinoid, if you want to do the prescription topicals for acne."
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"Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream, which yes higher price point but I feel is so nourishing and hydrating with it squalene and glacial glycol proteins."
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"Whether it's a moisturizer like Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream, which I'm busting out as the weather is getting colder, I splurge on this one for sure, you need an emollient to seal it all in after hyaluronic acid so that the moisture doesn't evaporate."
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"It's a great hydrator. I love how it plumps up my skin. You can use Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream to seal in that hydration."
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"My favorite moisturizer of all time has been the Ultra Facial Cream by Kiehl's. This is a little bit pricier but this is where I will splurge. It has squalane, glycerin, and protein, very nice and nourishing. That would trap in the hydration but also be a nice moisturizer, not too much occlusion, just enough."
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"a thicker cream like Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream"
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"You could splurge a little bit more and like say Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream, my favorite moisturizer after a retinol."
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"Moisturize afterwards with your favorite moisturizer whether it's Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream, CeraVe PM lotion, those are great ones."
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"My favorite moisturizer of all time has been the Ultra Facial Cream by Kiehl's. This is a little bit pricier but this is where I will splurge. It has squalane, glycerin, and protein, very nice and nourishing. That would trap in the hydration but also be a nice moisturizer, not too much occlusion, just enough."
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"I use a moisturizing cream like Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream, which is great for applying after your retinoid."
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"In the winter time when it's a little colder and you have the heaters on, do a thicker cream like Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream. That's my favorite one to sandwich with a retinol or prescription retinoid. That one is really nice, it's cooling, it's a thicker texture than a lotion, so I go for that in the winter time."
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"My favorite moisturizer of all time has to be Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream. Great, packed with squalane, so hydrating and moisturizing. It's just a nice cool texture. You put it on your skin and it feels like the cream was left in the fridge. I like that one a lot."
"One of my favorite moisturizers to layer over your retinoid would be Neutrogena's Hydro Boost Gel Cream. Neutrogena has done a great job with it because it's packed with hyaluronic acid and it's one of my wife's favorite moisturizers. We have these that signature blue jar all over our house and it just layers really well. No heavy residue, very lightweight, and just having a hydrating moisturizer is one of the best ways to hide fine lines and wrinkles. And having a dewy finish will give you that glow up to help reflect light evenly off the face."
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"One of my favorite moisturizers to layer over your retinoid would be Neutrogena's Hydro Boost Gel Cream. Neutrogena has done a great job with it because it's packed with hyaluronic acid and it's one of my wife's favorite moisturizers. We have these that signature blue jar all over our house and it just layers really well. No heavy residue, very lightweight, and just having a hydrating moisturizer is one of the best ways to hide fine lines and wrinkles. And having a dewy finish will give you that glow up to help reflect light evenly off the face."
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"It's a nice lightweight moisturizer if you have oily skin. See how that disappears? It feels weightless, absorbs very quickly. So I like this one a lot. If you don't like fragrance, you can go for the Hydro Boost gel cream. It looks exactly the same but you'll notice there's no blue color and also no fragrance. This one has a nice familiar smell. I think it's about 20 to 25 bucks for this, and this lasts a long time because a small amount goes a long way. I did a comparison video before, the water gel versus the gel cream. I think the gel cream doesn't absorb as well as the water gel. You can use this morning and night."
"If you want something stronger, you got Avène's RetrinAL line that's been great. Avène has really impressed me. Reliable in the sensitive skincare world just like Vanicream has been and La Roche Posay. So I say consider their retinol there if you want something stronger like a retinaldehyde which is one conversion step away from being retinoic acid and active and that beats retinol which needs two conversion steps."
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"If you want something stronger, you got Avène's RetrinAL line that's been great. Avène has really impressed me. Reliable in the sensitive skincare world just like Vanicream has been and La Roche Posay. So I say consider their retinol there if you want something stronger like a retinaldehyde which is one conversion step away from being retinoic acid and active and that beats retinol which needs two conversion steps."
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"Avène, their RetrinAL 0.1% intensive cream. Very nice product. I've been using this quite a bit recently. They've come out with a gentle retinaldehyde compound, the RetrinAL. This is really great for anti-aging. It has a thermal spring water to help soothe and not irritate the skin barrier too much while you start off on it. Retinaldehyde is quite difficult to compound into a nice product and it's quite unstable. This product is good to see coming out with a stabilized formulation with retinaldehyde so we can use it that's more potent than retinol. It's good for my advanced users that have been following me and want to step up their skincare game. This is a nice go-to product to try out. Avène is a nice French brand."
"Aveeno Skin Relief Healing Ointment just came out and is petrolatum free. It has shea butter, glycerin, and soothing oat. The oat technology in Aveeno is special because we've seen evidence in papers of oat being anti-inflammatory. It's soothing, great for those with atopic dermatitis and eczema. It's very soothing to those with cracked skin who have exposed nerves and they're very itchy or with pain. Oat will help soothe it. I've used this on my lips, I've used it on my hands and it does rub in well without that tacky feeling."
"La Roche-Posay came out with their Lipikar Urea 10%. And I love the texture of this. It's the roughness smoothing lotion here. Up to 48 hours of hydration. The texture is silky. For me, I'm weightlifting twice a week and I have these calluses on my hands, but I keep them down by using a higher percentage of urea, especially at bedtime before going to sleep. This also works well if you have really bumpy backs of the arms and thighs called keratosis pilaris. You see this more with people with eczema or atopic dermatitis. You can get these keratin plugs stuck up in the follicles and if you want to break those up with urea, this is a great start here. La Roche-Posay did a great job with their Lipikar because it has great keratolytic action. It's going to break up that dead skin with the urea."
"skinbetter science AlphaRet Overnight Cream has become the industry's best-kept secret. I've mentioned it on my channel for many years, and it has quietly earned a permanent place in my practice. It's hands down the best retinoid I can recommend that does not require a prescription, one of the gold standard retinoids with over 10 years of transformative results. I've rated it 10 out of 10. It hasn't made a name for itself through viral trends, but is relied upon by professionals who care about real outcomes, long-term skin health, and consistency. Traditional retinoids rely on multiple conversion steps to become active retinoic acid in the skin, and during that conversion process you can lose potency and also get increased irritation. That irritation leads to dryness, redness, and peeling, and eventually patients stop using it. A retinoid you can't use consistently is not an effective retinoid. This is where AlphaRet is fundamentally different. Formulated with skinbetter science's number-one, 33-time award-winning AlphaRet technology, it uniquely combines a retinoid with an alpha hydroxy acid for visible improvement in fine lines and wrinkles. That pairing allows AlphaRet to bypass the traditional conversion process, delivering efficacy with little to no irritation."
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"My favorite retinoid that does not require a prescription, hands down, is SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream. Just one pump gives you a pea-sized amount for your entire face. You have an alpha hydroxy acid paired with a retinoid, so you get exfoliation from the AHA, and the retinoid has been shown in studies to be comparable to tretinoin 0.025% for fine lines and wrinkles, but without the tolerability issues. With tretinoin, patients will often get irritation, especially if they're not moisturizing well or it's cold out. With AlphaRet, you won't see that problem. If I was on an island worried about fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots, I'm going to use AlphaRet at bedtime. It is a higher price point."
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"skinbetter science AlphaRet Overnight Cream has become the industry's best-kept secret. I've mentioned it on my channel for many years, and it has quietly earned a permanent place in my practice. It's hands down the best retinoid I can recommend that does not require a prescription, one of the gold standard retinoids with over 10 years of transformative results. I've rated it 10 out of 10. It hasn't made a name for itself through viral trends, but is relied upon by professionals who care about real outcomes, long-term skin health, and consistency. Traditional retinoids rely on multiple conversion steps to become active retinoic acid in the skin, and during that conversion process you can lose potency and also get increased irritation. That irritation leads to dryness, redness, and peeling, and eventually patients stop using it. A retinoid you can't use consistently is not an effective retinoid. This is where AlphaRet is fundamentally different. Formulated with skinbetter science's number-one, 33-time award-winning AlphaRet technology, it uniquely combines a retinoid with an alpha hydroxy acid for visible improvement in fine lines and wrinkles. That pairing allows AlphaRet to bypass the traditional conversion process, delivering efficacy with little to no irritation."
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"Just a pea-sized amount to the entire face to help with collagen boosting. It helps with fine lines and wrinkles, increases cell turnover, and thus helps with hyperpigmentation. It also helps keep your pores clear with the exfoliative action of the alpha hydroxy acids, plus you have retinoids that prevent the shedding of dead skin into the pore and thus keep them clear and help with the appearance of your pores. Just an overall winner. I know it's a little higher price point, but for me it's been worth it."
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"This is SkinBetter Science AlphaRet. It has lactic acid conjugated to a retinoid, and you also have glycolic acid mixed in. So you have AHAs helping to gently exfoliate the skin plus you have a retinoid that will help boost collagen production and help with hyperpigmentation. Just one pump is all you need for your entire face. You don't want to overdo it. If you want to treat your neck, go ahead, but just put maybe a half pea-size amount for your neck to start off and see how you tolerate it before doing a full pea-size amount to your neck."
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"If you don't have access to your dermatologist, the next option for retinoids would be SkinBetter Science. It is at a higher price point. But instead of hitting your skin with Leon exfoliants at home, you could have an exfoliant already attached to your retinoid. Their alpha has alpha hydroxy acids paired with their retinoid. So you're getting exfoliation from the alpha hydroxy acid plus the retinoid. Consider that one in your 40s and up. You can definitely start it like I did in my early 30s and up."
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"This is one of my favorite retinoids, my Holy Grail retinoid. This is a 10 out of 10. It's not tretinoin, but if you look at the studies, this is not inferior to tretinoin. In a split-face 12-week study, they compared alpharet, which is a double conjugated retinoid, to generic tretinoin 0.025. They applied one side of the face alpharet and the other side tretinoin for 4, 8, and 12 weeks and looked at fine lines and wrinkles, erythema, dyschromia, skin tone, and pore size. They found that alpharet was not inferior to tretinoin, so it performed just as well as tretinoin. The conclusion showed early reductions in photodamage and improvements in hydration."
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"They applied one side of the face with AlphaRet and the other side tretinoin for 4, 8, and 12 weeks and looked at fine lines and wrinkles, erythema, dyschromia, skin tone, and pore size. They found that AlphaRet was not inferior to tretinoin, so it performed just as well as generic tretinoin. The conclusion showed early reductions in photo damage and improvements in hydration. At 12 weeks, that's when you really want to assess fine lines or wrinkles because that doesn't usually happen in the first eight weeks of use. AlphaRet has lactic acid, which is an AHA, and two molecules conjugated with retinoid. The retinoid is not truly tretinoin but very similar to tretinoin. This isn't technically prescription, but when it first came out you could only get this at a doctor's office. It is now available online and you can get it without seeing a dermatologist. Do not use this if you're pregnant or if you have very sensitive skin or rosacea. If you do obtain it and have sensitive skin, start very slowly. This also has glycolic acid, which works like lactic acid in exfoliating the skin."
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"If you want to go for something with more of a punch that has alpha hydroxy acids mixed in, a double conjugated retinoid with two molecules of lactic acid plus glycolic acid, consider SkinBetter Science AlphaRet. There's an intensive or non-intensive version. This is the non-intensive I'm using more in the winter time, and the intensive has 18% glycolic acid versus this one here is the 10% glycolic acid. You just want to do a pea-size amount to your entire face, that's usually just one pump, then moisturize over it."
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"SkinBetter Science AlphaRet, which has niacinamide with it, it's their own special double conjugated retinoid with lactic acid and glycolic acid. It's one of my favorite retinoids that you can get."
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"My favorite alphaRet by SkinBetter Science has niacinamide with their retinoid their Alpha R compound."
"The Aquaphor Healing Ointment is a classic in the tube or jar, but now they have it as a spray, which a lot of people don't know about. It's a great hack if you have kids with dry skin and you want to spray a larger surface area instead of dipping your hand in a big jar of Aquaphor and trying to spread it over kids that are just moving all over the place. A nice spray just to cover a large surface area. If you have dry cracked heels, spraying your feet with this spray has been a game changer. This has been a big essential in my household."
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"The Aquaphor Healing Ointment is a classic in the tube or jar, but now they have it as a spray, which a lot of people don't know about. It's a great hack if you have kids with dry skin and you want to spray a larger surface area instead of dipping your hand in a big jar of Aquaphor and trying to spread it over kids that are just moving all over the place. A nice spray just to cover a large surface area. If you have dry cracked heels, spraying your feet with this spray has been a game changer. This has been a big essential in my household."
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"Did you know that Aquaphor makes ointment body spray? This is insane. We love this product. We have multiple sprays all around the house. Great for covering a large surface area."
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"I still love Aquaphor a lot and I want to show you a product that they came up with a few years ago, Aquaphor Healing Ointment Body Spray. This body spray is great so you can just go ahead and spray the bottom of your foot with the Aquaphor Healing Ointment Body Spray. It's just so convenient. You do have to work it in a little or spray it, so you do have to use your hands. It's not totally hands-free but totally something that you could throw into your routine. She leaves this by her nightstand so that she can apply it to some of the dry wrists. Those are great strategies to apply on the heels, very much a dermatology secret that we all talk about and a lot of people don't know about."
"Neutrogena Hydroboost has done a great job with their hydrating cream. They're different ones. Their gel cream, one of my wife's favorites, the water cream, also one of her favorites. My daughter loves those, too, cuz they're so lightweight and hydrating. It's good for those with oily to combination skin. If you want something that's very lightweight, layers well with makeup, layers well with your retinoid or your vitamin C serum. It's packed with hyaluronic acid. So if you want a nice hydrating cream just to seal all that in, go with the Hydro Boost by Neutrogena."
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"Neutrogena Hydroboost has done a great job with their hydrating cream. They're different ones. Their gel cream, one of my wife's favorites, the water cream, also one of her favorites. My daughter loves those, too, cuz they're so lightweight and hydrating. It's good for those with oily to combination skin. If you want something that's very lightweight, layers well with makeup, layers well with your retinoid or your vitamin C serum. It's packed with hyaluronic acid. So if you want a nice hydrating cream just to seal all that in, go with the Hydro Boost by Neutrogena."
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"One of my favorite lightweight moisturizers is Neutrogena's Hydroboost line, it's my wife's favorite. She loves this moisturizer to layer with her vitamin C serums and her retinol. You also get that nice boost of hydration from the hyaluronic acid content in these moisturizers."
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"This is a nice lightweight moisturizer if you have oily skin. It feels weightless and absorbs very quickly. The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel has a fragrance version with blue dye in it, so it looks really pretty. It has a nice familiar smell. I think it's about 20 to 25 bucks for this. This lasts a long time because a small amount goes a long way. I love the texture of the water gel. The water gel definitely absorbs better than the gel cream version. You can use this morning and night."
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"If you have very oily skin, the Neutrogena Hydro Boost is a great option."
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"My wife's favorite is the Hydro Boost line by Neutrogena. This is her water cream. No fragrance, very lightweight, plumping, full of hyaluronic acid, and definitely helps hide fine lines and wrinkles. A great compliment to your retinol."
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"Neutrogena's Hydro Boost is another nice option, a great gel moisturizer if you have oily skin to combination skin. It's a nice lightweight gel moisturizer consistency that works well with your retinoid."
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"The Neutrogena Hydro Boost water gel is just full of hyaluronic acid, very nice. It has a different texture, more lightweight, great if you're acne prone, oily skin, you want something really lightweight but still want that hydration boost. They made this water gel without fragrance too, so if you don't like fragrance there are options of the Hydro Boost line for you."
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"The Neutrogena Hydro Boost water gel is just full of hyaluronic acid, very nice. It has a different texture, more lightweight, great if you're acne prone, oily skin, you want something really lightweight but still want that hydration boost. They made this water gel without fragrance too, so if you don't like fragrance there are options of the Hydro Boost line for you."
"RoC Advanced Hydration Plus, their water cream. You can only get at Costco right now. It's going for like 35 to 40 bucks for a pack of two. Great deal. It's very similar but very good. Has hyaluronic acid. It has pro collagen amino acids to support firmness and absorbs really well. Great for those who have oilier skin types, combination skin types. So if you want something lightweight, absorbs very quickly, doesn't have a greasy, heavy feel. This one's going to help plump up your skin with that hyaluronic acid and temporarily hide those fine lines and wrinkles."
"This is Cetaphil's hydrating and firming cream that is new. They're pairing madic acside with mandelic acid in this firming cream. And they found that they synergistically work together to clear out senescent cells and increase collagen and increase dermal thickness and epidermal thickness in the skin. So this helps with crepey skin of the neck, your elbows, your knees. A nice moisturizer that you can even use on your face too at an affordable price."
"Neostra's Triple Firming Neck Cream has peptides, which are still very exciting to me, especially for those who can't tolerate a retinoid. I've loved this cream. It's so nice. I've even brought it to my face as a facial moisturizer to layer over my retinoid. You can have your retinoid game on your face and then follow up with a peptide moisturizer like NeoStrata, not just for your neck, but also on your face to get that collagen boosting. It is lightweight yet rich. It has glucosamine in addition to peptides. Just an overall great moisturizer. I love the texture and how it just melts into my skin when I apply it at bedtime. It is a higher price point though, but to me, it's worth it."
"In the summertime, do consider a lightweight lotion to keep your moisturizing game up. You don't want a thick occlusive suffocating moisturizing cream. And so the moisturizing lotion by Cetaphil is great."
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"In the summertime, do consider a lightweight lotion to keep your moisturizing game up. You don't want a thick occlusive suffocating moisturizing cream. And so the moisturizing lotion by Cetaphil is great."
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"One of my favorite moisturizers to apply to the face and body is the 16 FL oz bottle of Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion. Cetaphil has done a great job with their moisturizing cream and their lotion. I chose their lotion in this video because this is very versatile and it's very lightweight for the face, so not comedogenic. The cream yes you can use on your face especially in the winter time, but this is just a nice versatile product that you can consider for your face all year round. It's very convenient coming out of a pump. Cetaphil has three main ingredients in their products: glycerin, which is a hydrator and a humectant that draws in water and hydrates the skin; vitamin B3 or niacinamide that helps regulate sebum production, it's soothing and might even brighten the skin; and lastly Pro vitamin B5 or panthenol, which is a moisturizing and hydrating ingredient very nice in moisturizers. So I think this is a great option and this is only $14 for 16 fluid ounces. Apply it to damp skin within a few minutes of getting out of the shower when your skin's damp."
"Vanicream also makes a nice cream in a pump. I use that for my kids every night before they go to bed after their showers. I'm putting that over them and then they're going to go to bed."
"Vanicream is just a great line for those with sensitive skin. I've used this from my kids when they were babies and I had to bathe them in the bathtub and the little bath insert I would use Vanicream's facial cleanser as the body wash. This is just such a great brand if you have sensitivities to different ingredients say fragrance, lanolin. I don't like to demonize those ingredients but avoid it if you have a true sensitivity or an allergy to those ingredients."
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"If you have very sensitive skin and you really want to stay with just a really minimalist line, Vanicream is great. They make a great cream. It's pretty thick but very nice for my patients, including my children and infant patients who need a good moisturizer."
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"Vanicream also makes a nice cream in a pump. I use that for my kids every night before they go to bed after their showers. I'm putting that over them and then they're going to go to bed."
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"One of my favorite moisturizers out there, one of the brands that have minimal ingredients it's safe, is Vanicream. I trust that brand with my kids' skin and my own skin and my patient skin."
"If you have eczema, turn to Aveeno lotions because they're enriched with oat technology. Has colloidal oat, which is known to be soothing, especially for inflamed skin of eczema."
"I like niacinamide in my products like the La Roche-Posay Toleriane matte moisturizer. It's great for skin brightening to some degree, but it's not your main player. It's not going to replace vitamin C. It's not going to replace a prescription retinoid for decreasing dark spots. It can be effective in repairing your skin barrier and reducing sebum production in small amounts when it's mixed into your product."
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"La Roche-Posay makes a Toleriane Double Repair Matte Moisturizer that comes out like a gel. It disappears quite quickly."
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"I like niacinamide in my products like the La Roche-Posay Toleriane matte moisturizer. It's great for skin brightening to some degree, but it's not your main player. It's not going to replace vitamin C. It's not going to replace a prescription retinoid for decreasing dark spots. It can be effective in repairing your skin barrier and reducing sebum production in small amounts when it's mixed into your product."
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"The other one that you can consider with niacinamide that's good for oily skin would be La Roche-Posay's Toleriane Matte Moisturizer. That one's a gel, very similar in texture to Cetaphil Oil Control Gel Cream."
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"La Roche-Posay's Toleriane Matte Moisturizer is a gel moisturizer that's very lightweight and affordable. It has ceramide and niacinamide that help regulate sebum production. It's not comedogenic and very gentle for patients using acne medications. It melts into your skin very quickly with just a few swipes. I've been using it for the last 5 years, especially in the summertime. With my combination skin, my skin tends to get more oily in the summer, so I'll switch from a moisturizing cream to a gel cream or lotion, and I've been using the matte moisturizer as my primary moisturizer in the summertime."
"La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+M is a great moisturizer that looks at the microbiome. It's very hydrating, it's very moisturizing, and it actually has been shown in studies to help supplement your biologics or systemic oral medications for your axial atopic dermatitis."
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"If you're dealing with eczema or atopic dermatitis, there is this nice moisturizer by La Roche-Posay. They have great thermal spring water. The water is rich in these great minerals, especially selenium, selenium being soothing and anti-inflammatory. The Lipikar AP+M really helps with restoring the microbiome of your skin, so all the billions of bacteria that's on your skin, it will help rebalance it. The AP+M Lipikar moisturizing cream has evidence behind it. It has shown to help with quality of life measures, itch scales can be improved if you're using this in conjunction with systemic medications that someone like myself, a dermatologist, would prescribe, say a JAK inhibitor or dupilumab, which is a biologic to help with eczema on face or body. Studies have shown that this can help improve scores by adding that in to a regimen, so having a moisturizer with these systemic medications."
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"La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+M is a great moisturizer that looks at the microbiome. It's very hydrating, it's very moisturizing, and it actually has been shown in studies to help supplement your biologics or systemic oral medications for your axial atopic dermatitis."
"Tretinoin, the retinoid I prescribe, has been shown to be deactivated by sunlight and artificial light, so we always say apply that at bedtime."
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"Tretinoin is a prescription retinoid that I prescribe, a dermatologist would prescribe, usually at 0.025 to 0.5%, they can go up to 0.1%. But tretinoin is the goat of retinoids, it's the king of retinoids, it's the most studied retinoid out of the retinols, retinals, retinaldehyde that you see over the counter. Tretinoin is retinoic acid and it's active right off the bat, so it's quite potent. It's also unstable with light, whether it's fluorescent light or UV light. When my patients come in and they're saying that they're not getting enough benefits from the retinoid in terms of acne or hyperpigmentation, I'm always going to ask when are you using it. You want to use your retinoid at bedtime because even fluorescent light can break down your tretinoin, and they've shown that in studies that it is unstable with light. I always say just a pea-size amount to your entire face at bedtime, follow up with a moisturizer."
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"Tretinoin, we have tons of data that supports tretinoin's use for fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation. If you wanted a more of a collagen boosting punch, adapalene might have some benefits with collagen but we only have limited studies on that. With tretinoin we have tons of data that supports its use for fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation."
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"Tretinoin, the retinoid I prescribe, has been shown to be deactivated by sunlight and artificial light, so we always say apply that at bedtime."
"AmLactin uses lactic acid to help exfoliate. I like that brand a lot. Apply that at bedtime when your skin's slightly damp and it's going to help soften either the thick skin on the elbows and knees or the keratin plugs of keratosis pilaris."
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"AmLactin is a great moisturizer to put on damp skin if you have keratosis pilaris. It has lactic acids, so it's good to consider for those bumps on the back of the arms, especially in wintertime when they become more obvious. Though sometimes people can find it's a little too much with the lactic acid."
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"AmLactin uses lactic acid to help exfoliate. I like that brand a lot. Apply that at bedtime when your skin's slightly damp and it's going to help soften either the thick skin on the elbows and knees or the keratin plugs of keratosis pilaris."
"There's First Aid Beauty, they make a nice firming cream with niacinamide and peptides. I like that peptides are a really nice addition to your nighttime skincare routine after your retinol because you're just going to both work on increasing collagen and helping with those fine lines and wrinkles, improve elasticity in your face, especially if you're noticing sagging or creppiness."
"If you want a little bit of plumping action and get that nice finish, you just need a small amount of petrolatum, whether it's Aquaphor Healing Ointment or Vaseline. You can do it on the face with just a small amount on the cheekbones and forehead. This area right around your eyes is a nice area just to glow up. You can of course bring it down lower if you want. You can also slug your lips, slug your cuticles for a nice shiny glow around your proximal nail fold and cuticles."
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"Aquaphor, I love a lot. It's a really great product. It does have nice things like the Shea butter, it has panthenol. But it does have lanolin wool alcohol, which this past year was named top allergen of the year. I don't see it often, lanolin allergies, but I guess it is on the rise, especially in my patients with atopic dermatitis. So if you're using Aquaphor and your rash is worsening and you're having stubborn eczema that you're dealing with, maybe switch over to Vaseline or CeraVe healing ointment. I still love Aquaphor a lot."
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"If you want a little bit of plumping action and get that nice finish, you just need a small amount of petrolatum, whether it's Aquaphor Healing Ointment or Vaseline. You can do it on the face with just a small amount on the cheekbones and forehead. This area right around your eyes is a nice area just to glow up. You can of course bring it down lower if you want. You can also slug your lips, slug your cuticles for a nice shiny glow around your proximal nail fold and cuticles."
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"If you want a little bit of plumping action and get that nice finish, you just need a small amount of petrolatum, whether it's Aquaphor Healing Ointment or Vaseline. You can do it on the face with just a small amount on the cheekbones and forehead. This area right around your eyes is a nice area just to glow up. You can of course bring it down lower if you want. You can also slug your lips, slug your cuticles for a nice shiny glow around your proximal nail fold and cuticles."
"Cetaphil has joined the game and has made a healing ointment with vitamin E and shea butter, lanolin free as well. Only thing is this has beeswax, so that's my critique, I'm seeing more beeswax and propolis sensitivities."
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"Cetaphil healing ointment, the only thing with Cetaphil healing ointment though is it has beeswax which I worry about on the lips. I'm seeing a lot more beeswax sensitivity."
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"You can follow up with a thicker petrolatum ointment to seal it in and that could be with Cetaphil Healing Ointment. You can use just a pea-size amount to seal in the moisture and get that dewy glow. A lot of people like to apply it not just to the lips but just a small amount to like the cheekbones. Right after your hyaluronic acid goes on you can put a cream on and a little bit of this to occlude and retain that moisture so it doesn't evaporate."
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"Cetaphil has joined the game and has made a healing ointment with vitamin E and shea butter, lanolin free as well. Only thing is this has beeswax, so that's my critique, I'm seeing more beeswax and propolis sensitivities."
"The Neutrogena Daily Facial Moisturizer has panthenol and niacinamide and vitamin E antioxidant. It comes out more of a cream to lotion texture and is very lightweight. I've been enjoying that one a lot and it disappears quite quickly, so you can put dots on your face and moisturize or get a good dollop out in your hands and distribute it evenly on your face."
"Another good moisturizer too is the Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer by La Roche-Posay, the non-UV one. This one is a nice lightweight one that works well with retinoids, so those are great moisturizers to consider if you have active irritation on your face."
"CeraVe is nice. It's great for moisturizing after retinoids. You want a moisturizing cream where there's options like CeraVe, and it works well in the retinol sandwich method where you apply your moisturizer, then your retinoid, then follow up with another layer of moisturizer."
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"CeraVe makes a nice lotion, those are all great and convenient in a pump. A lot of my male patients like it because they are so resistant to wearing moisturizers they will just do a pump because they don't want to open up a jar stick their hand in and a pump is great just one-handed boom get it on onto damp skin great. CeraVe has ceramides that help fill in those holes in your skin barrier so it helps restore that skin barrier so that you can hold on the moisture better, has hyaluronic acid as well so you got the skin barrier component that's being repaired plus you have the hydration from the hyaluronic acid."
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"CeraVe makes a nice one that's four percent benzoyl peroxide cleanser. I like benzoyl peroxide because it mildly exfoliates and its antimicrobial kills the bacteria that causes acne."
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"Before going to bed apply a nice layer of moisturizing cream from CeraVe. This is a body moisturizer but you can also use it for the face if it's the summer time and you want something a little bit more lightweight or if you have oily skin you definitely want to go with a lighter weight option and the lotion is quite nice by CeraVe."
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"CeraVe is nice. It's great for moisturizing after retinoids. You want a moisturizing cream where there's options like CeraVe, and it works well in the retinol sandwich method where you apply your moisturizer, then your retinoid, then follow up with another layer of moisturizer."
"It's much thicker, feels more nourishing. I'd rather use this one in the winter time when I want a thicker moisturizer. It rubs in really well, doesn't pill, layers well with serums and subsequent sunscreens. Skin feels nice and silky smooth. I have to give this one an 8 out of 10. Bubble did a good job with this one. No niacinamide in this one, but that avocado oil I think is working really nice in this moisturizer."
"If you have very sensitive skin go with Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer that works really well with your retinoids."
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"One of my favorites here is Vanicream's facial moisturizer. It's very lightweight and it has the three essential ceramides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid. It's so lightweight and it works well with other actives if you want to do vitamin C at bedtime, if you want to do your retinoid, if you want to do prescription topicals for acne. It's so gentle."
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"If you have very sensitive skin go with Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer that works really well with your retinoids."
"I like snail mucin quite a bit because snail mucin is full of hyaluronic acid. I like the cream version of this too but it was in a tub but now I hear it's in a tube. The jar was pretty messy where the jar lid would come up and all the slime would come up with it and it get real messy but now if it comes in a tube I'm glad COSRX changed that because I really do like the texture of the cream. This is great to put over damp skin if you put your hyaluronic acid serum on damp skin it's really going to draw in that water because that's what hyaluronic acid does, draws in water like a magnet and then you apply a moisturizer or if you slug over it that's a great hack."
"Eucerin has urea which is a humectant that draws in water and it's a carotenolytic so it's very nice for those with dry thick elbows knees dry cracked heels and KP."
"Eucerin makes the Intensive Repair Lotion, and it has a lot of urea in it to help really soften plaques in the bottom of the feet. Urea is a great humectant that draws in water but it's also a keratolytic that will break up dead skin and help it peel away more readily. It's one of my favorite body moisturizers."
"The one that has never irritated my skin or my patients is Aveeno's Therapeutic Shave Gel. This one is so good, so I give this to all my family members and friends as gifts. I throw this in the bag because this is so essential. This is such a great shaving gel and it's just soothing, never hurts the skin, never stings the skin, never irritates my skin. No added fragrance, and women can also use this too for shaving."
"May Love Glow Maker, which is also with 15% ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and ferulic acid like the others. This is the most affordable at 30 something bucks. Very nice option."
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"Say, May Love Glow Maker or Dermatologist's CE + Ferulic, SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic. That is going to be great at brightening your skin."
"Petrolatum is a nice barrier-supporting ingredient -- a very thick occlusive barrier ointment that you can apply to help slug and seal in your moisturizer at the end of the night. Just a thin film goes a long way. And if you want to protect any cracks on your hands and feet, go ahead and use petrolatum -- you can find that as Vaseline Original Healing Jelly."
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"Petrolatum is a nice barrier-supporting ingredient -- a very thick occlusive barrier ointment that you can apply to help slug and seal in your moisturizer at the end of the night. Just a thin film goes a long way. And if you want to protect any cracks on your hands and feet, go ahead and use petrolatum -- you can find that as Vaseline Original Healing Jelly."
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"Once the wound is clean, cover it with prolotum ointment, either Vaseline, Aquafor, or Caravee healing ointment."
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"Vaseline is just a safe petrolatum based product to use. It's been filtered distilled over and over where it's very safe to apply even to the face. And that's why we have slugging. Slugging is a trendy term that came out but dermatologists have been recommending that for years and that's just applying a moisturizer and then a thicker ointment like Vaseline over the face. A pea size amount is all you need for slugging to work. It just gives you a nice glowy dewy look after applying the Vaseline, especially accentuates the shine on your cheekbones."
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"When you get a cut I like Vaseline or other healing ointments. The ointment is pretty soothing and goes on, doesn't hurt, doesn't sting. I like moisture with wounds. Keeping a nice moist layer of Vaseline over it helps bring in new cells. This has been proven over time. Drying out a wound will slow down healing if a big scab develops. It's going to become more of a noticeable scar later on. We want to keep a nice layer of moisture because it brings in keratinocytes and promotes re-epithelialization much better."
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"If you need to moisturize your lips or if you want to actually help with chap lips when you wake up in the morning, apply some petroleum jelly ointment like Vaseline. You can apply a little bit on your cheekbones after you apply your serums just for extra glow."
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"Use Vaseline over your scrapes. It's simple and effective for wound care without the risks of products like Neosporin."
"I love applying a little bit of Vaseline if you have dry chapped lips or if you have irritation around your eyes. I don't like chapstick because a lot of times my patients are getting allergic to the ingredients in chapstick like beeswax, propolis. I like just plain old Vaseline for the lips. If you want a little bit of slugging, you want to apply that as well before going to sleep or before a big event to get a little highlight on your cheekbones. If you have very dry cracked heels, Vaseline is there to the rescue. You can totally apply it on your heels and put a sock over it before going to sleep, and when you wake up, take off the sock and you have nice and smooth heels."
"If you have dry chapped lips or if you have irritation around your eyes, I love applying a little bit of Vaseline. I don't like chapstick because a lot of times my patients are getting allergic to the ingredients in chapstick, say beeswax, propolis. I like just plain old Vaseline for the lips. And if you want a little bit of slugging, you want to apply that as well before going to sleep or before a big event. If you have very dry, cracked heels, Vaseline is here to the rescue. You can totally apply it on your heels and put a sock over it before going to sleep, and when you wake up, take off the sock and you have nice and smooth heels."
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"Vaseline's petrolatum ointment serves as a great barrier, say for kids who have diaper rashes or if they're going through a bout of a GI illness and they're just going through a lot of diapers and you want to protect the bottom, Vaseline's great. If you are struggling with a lot of saliva for kids collecting around the mouth and lower chin area, you can use Vaseline on the face to help prevent saliva from sitting on the skin causing an irritant contact dermatitis. For us adults though, chapped lips, I love Vaseline for chapped lips, and also slugging around the cuticle. If you have raggedy cuticles that are drying up, put a nice petrolatum ointment like Vaseline over your cuticles and they will promote nice nail growth."
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"Just use a small amount of Vaseline if you're raw, especially like around the nose. I like to use it around the eyes. When I have tears that run down, this is a little landing area for my tears. I wake up with redness and irritation there if I do not fall asleep with a small amount of Vaseline or Aquafor there."
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"You can use petrolatum, whether it's a healing ointment or Vaseline. I have my big Vaseline and my baby Vaseline. You can slug your lips, I like the baby Vaseline for my lips. The bigger one you can do on the face, but you just need a small amount on cheekbones, forehead. I like to put it around your eyes, this is a nice area just to glow up. You can slug the back of your hands, slug your cuticles for a nice shiny glow around your proximal nail fold and cuticles. That's how you hydrate your skin before a big event, before a big day."
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"Vaseline is just filtered safe, you can use this for your babies. I'm seeing in clinic people talking about slugging or on social media people just putting gobs of Vaseline or petroleum on their face, and I'm like, you're using too much, you're going to occlude your pores. If you put that much over your active ingredients, you might push them in further and really cause irritation. So really all you need is a small amount, less than a pea-size amount. A little bit on your cheekbones, forehead, if you get a little flaky here you can put some in your eyebrows to help shape them, little ceber dermatitis you can get those flakes down. I like to put in the corners, especially before you go to bed. You can put some in the corners while little tears drip that way, and then a little extra on your lips, corners of your lips and the lips itself. I prefer applying Vaseline over the lips with your fingertips instead of using a roller, much gentler. That cute little sample yields so much of a glow and soothing benefit to the skin. Super easy, slug the right way, just a small pea-size amount. You don't need more than that."
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"If you want to use something like Aquaphor or Vaseline Original Healing Jelly for really dry skin, I'm okay with that as well. And then have them put their PJs over that to kind of lock in all of that moisture and you're slugging that moisture in with the thicker ointment."
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"I have this little baby sample of Vaseline so cute right at my bedside stand. I keep it separate, just because I don't want to get it mixed up with my foot one. This one I definitely will use during the winter time when the heaters are on drawing out all the moisture while we sleep. So I really find that petrolatum is a nice thing to put on your lips, especially if you're on say acne medications like isotretinoin, which will really dry out your mucosa in your nose and your lips. So you can apply some, just a small amount of Vaseline in the nose and on your lips before you go to bed and stay hydrated while you're on that medication."
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"Vaseline has a really long history of being a tried and true product. It's filtered many times, it's distilled, it's a clean product of just pure petrolatum, and it's not like you're putting gasoline on your face. It is a nice safe product that we do for babies, kids, and adults. I've been recommending it for years, even before I was a Harvard dermatologist, and all the Harvard attendings would talk about Aquaphor and Vaseline all the time. It's just a great thing for wound care. If you have a cut or scrape, I use petrolatum for a non-infected wound to help protect it and then cover it with a Band-Aid. And if you want to slug and get a little dewy finish, apply a petrolatum ointment over your moisturizer or your hydrating serum, especially on the cheekbones, just a pea-size amount, and you can really glow up and get a nice dewy finish."
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"You can use petrolatum, whether it's a healing ointment or Vaseline. I have my big Vaseline and my baby Vaseline. You can slug your lips, I like the baby Vaseline for my lips. The bigger one you can do on the face, but you just need a small amount on cheekbones, forehead. I like to put it around your eyes, this is a nice area just to glow up. You can slug the back of your hands, slug your cuticles for a nice shiny glow around your proximal nail fold and cuticles. That's how you hydrate your skin before a big event, before a big day."
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"I like petrolatum so Vaseline or Cetaphil healing ointment or CeraVe healing ointment all great options for healing a wound. When you have that moist environment you're going to have much faster healing and much faster healing is less scarring. Put a nice cream cheese layer of Vaseline or some kind of petrolatum and then put your bandage and tape it down with some paper tape or use a band-aid."
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"I like to look at this cute little sample Vaseline. You're going to get your Vaseline or aquaphor or CeraVe healing ointment, just put a small amount on your eyelid skin. I bring it a little bit down on the cheekbone because my cheekbones tend to collect tears there and they get irritated. And then you also put a little bit on your lips to slug your lips because this is an area where I see my patients get really chapped lips and irritation. We call it cheilitis, we get inflammation, cracking of the lips leading to just being really painful when you open your mouth. It can really be painful at the corners. You can even see bleeding. So while we sleep the heaters are on and it's pulling out all the moisture from our face, so it's really important to put Vaseline or some kind of petrolatum over the lips, over the eyelids. So when you put your retinol on you won't have as much dryness and irritation. I don't recommend slugging right over your retinol, putting a whole layer of Vaseline over the layer of retinol on your face because that can really occlude it, trap it in too much and push it into the skin further and cause more irritation. But I like to just spot treat this on the eyelid skin and on the lips before bedtime."
"SkinCeuticals Silymarin CF has been a standout. It's nice for those with acne prone skin, oilier skin types. It has the milk thistle extract, silymarin antioxidant that works well with your vitamin C and vitamin E in that serum to work on regulating sebum. You don't want to have more sebum to add to the acne causing bacteria. It will help regulate that while brightening your skin."
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"SkinCeuticals Silymarin CF has been a standout. It's nice for those with acne prone skin, oilier skin types. It has the milk thistle extract, silymarin antioxidant that works well with your vitamin C and vitamin E in that serum to work on regulating sebum. You don't want to have more sebum to add to the acne causing bacteria. It will help regulate that while brightening your skin."
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"If you have oilier skin, I really like SkinCeuticals CF, which is a powerful antioxidant that comes from milk thistle and you have the vitamin C and ferulic acid with that. Better for regulating the sebum. It's very good for those with acne prone skin."
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"If you have oilier skin types, I like this Silymarin CF antioxidant. Helps brighten the skin, reduce the dark spots on my face. I recently have been dealing with a new sun freckle that showed up on my nose and I've been using the Silymarin and alternating every other day with other vitamin C serums. It is quite powerful in lightening those dark spots. I prefer vitamin C serums every day before your sunscreen."
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"If you want to have oilier skin types, I would have to say their Silymarin CF is the way to go. You still have the 15% L-ascorbic acid, you have ferulic acid, but you also have silymarin which is from milk thistle. And this is a powerful antioxidant which is specifically great for those who are acne prone or with oilier skin types because it reduces lipid peroxidation. When you have the oxidation of your skin oils, your sebum, it actually will be detrimental to your skin when it comes to inflammation, acne causing bacteria feeding off of the sebum and causing more inflammation. And when you have inflammation, it's going to lead to more dark spots and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, especially in my patients who are skin of color. I'm not going to say that this treats acne, but it's good for those who are acne prone because I've had patients come in saying that they're using vitamin C to help battle their acne. If you are dealing with acne or you tend to break out with inflammatory acne, you can consider certain products like SkinCeuticals Silymarin CF, but it is a higher price point. I do like that SkinCeuticals has great studies backing up their products. They put in a lot of money to have these trials and get concrete evidence to back it up."
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"Skinceuticals Silymarin CF is great for those with acne prone skin. You're paying for the reputation, the studies backing it up, the science behind Skinceuticals products. It's been out for a long time and a lot of dermatologists stand by it."
"If you have eczema, atopic dermatitis, or just dry skin, be careful with fragrance soaps like this. Yes, it smells great, but heavily scented soaps can worsen dry skin. That heavy fragrance will strip your skin of its natural oils and dry you out even more. So, don't use Irish Spring or heavily scented soaps."
"We talk about CeraVe a lot because they have the three essential ceramides in them and you see ceramides in other products as well, other brands that use it because it is very important."
"If you want to spray your face down with the La Roche-Posay thermal spring water or Avène thermal spring water, go ahead."
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"If you want to spray your face down with the La Roche-Posay thermal spring water or Avène thermal spring water, go ahead."
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"If you're hot at the beach and you want a nice hydrating spray while you're hanging out, this is a nice spray to cool down. If you want to do this at night before you go to bed and you want to get a nice hydrating moisturizer or serum to help lock in and absorb all that moisture you got from this, go right ahead. But if you have a burn, this is also really nice to just soothe. This is a very calming soothing spray that you could consider."
"You don't need to get beef tallow on your face and you're going to smell like a brisket. You're going to clog up your pores. This does not have any preservatives. This will go bad. Beef tallow belongs in your cast iron skillet and not on your face. Be very careful with what can come with it. I see other products with essential oils or beeswax in it and both can cause an allergic contact dermatitis very commonly, especially on the face. Go with gentle skincare instead."
"Tretinoin is the big guns here, it's prescription only. It works on fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, keeps our pores clear, and thus helps prevent acne breakouts. But it can also treat acne. You can find prescription tretinoin traditionally at 0.025, 0.05, and 0.1%. For me, I can't go any stronger than the 0.05. I stick with this and I do just fine. Tretinoin is prescription only because it requires no conversion steps to become retinoic acid, whereas retinaldehyde is only one conversion step away. All you need is a pea-sized amount. If you apply more than that, you're going to run into trouble. There's no way that applying more retinoid is going to make it work faster or make it work better at cleaning out your pores or for fine lines and wrinkles. It's just going to increase your risk for irritant contact."
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"I started out with a simpler routine based solely on acne. I did have some pretty strong cystic acne a few years ago and so I was working with just topicals at the time and the main one that I was using was tretinoin. It is first and foremost an acne medication so I've been using this since I was probably 14. I'm still going strong with it. I'm at the 0.05% which is the middle strength. Before I was applying it to my entire face but I was definitely not doing it every night there were times where I was going about once a month. Now I try to do it every single night."
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"I started on Tretinoin 0.05% at age 25 and I'm just happy I did start at that time because when you stay with a retinoid you can get a lot of its benefits. It doesn't happen just overnight. It takes about 2 to 3 months of using consistently a retinoid to help with your acne, and if you want to work on hyperpigmentation and collagen, 4 to 6 months at least of consistent use every night or every other night to get benefits. You want to try to go for every night if possible, but I know a lot of people who cannot tolerate every night because the big thing with retinoids is that it dries out your skin and can cause peeling, especially around the mouth, especially in the first 3 weeks."
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"Tretinoin is the big guns here, it's prescription only. It works on fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, keeps our pores clear, and thus helps prevent acne breakouts. But it can also treat acne. You can find prescription tretinoin traditionally at 0.025, 0.05, and 0.1%. For me, I can't go any stronger than the 0.05. I stick with this and I do just fine. Tretinoin is prescription only because it requires no conversion steps to become retinoic acid, whereas retinaldehyde is only one conversion step away. All you need is a pea-sized amount. If you apply more than that, you're going to run into trouble. There's no way that applying more retinoid is going to make it work faster or make it work better at cleaning out your pores or for fine lines and wrinkles. It's just going to increase your risk for irritant contact."
Dermatologist Explains: Three Common Skincare Mistakes!
"I prescribe tretinoin 0.025%, 0.05%, or 0.1%. Retinoids can help with fine lines and wrinkles by increasing collagen, can increase cell turnover, and help with dark spots and hyperpigmentation. It can take months, several months to get the results that we are trying to strive for. People don't realize that, and they're seeing a lot of irritation from the retinoid and that's turning them off and making them quit sooner."
"Do not use Neosporin, guys. Also, avoid basitracin, triple antibiotic, polysporin. All of those have to be removed from the shelf. Like we said, keep it simple. Don't put any of these in your first aid kits. And if you were to ask me what's the worst ingredient in these, it would have to be neomycin over bacitracin. But if I were to rank the worst, neomycin is the worst, most allergenic over bacitracin. But I do see a lot of bacitracin allergies. And these contact dermatitis rashes can be quite serious and very blistering."
"I actually like Betadine quite a bit for cleaning wounds. It's less traumatic and harsh on skin cells. Dermatologists like Betadine so much that some skin surgeons will actually tell their patients postoperatively to clean the site with Betadine and they still turn out with great looking scars."
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All 2 takes on Betadine
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"I actually like Betadine quite a bit for cleaning wounds. It's less traumatic and harsh on skin cells. Dermatologists like Betadine so much that some skin surgeons will actually tell their patients postoperatively to clean the site with Betadine and they still turn out with great looking scars."
Dermatologist Explains: The Most Common Wound Care Mistakes to Avoid When Dealing with Cuts
"Iodine theoretically can cause some skin cell damage. I don't see it as readily in my practice, and a lot of my colleagues or surgeons will recommend patients post-operatively to cleanse the wounds with Betadine or iodine and patients do well, they still heal up just fine."
"If you have female pattern alopecia androgenetic alopecia, if you're a man, check out Minoxidil 5%. And don't worry if the label says not for use by women. Women can use topical minoxidil 5%. Try to go for the foam as much as possible since the solution can be more drying and irritating to the scalp due to having propylene glycol."
"I never recommend rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to clean your freshly made cuts. I've seen patients just douse their cuts and damage good skin cells with these harsh products. Keep it simple, guys. Just clean your cuts with soap and water or sterile saline and irrigate it really well."
"I never recommend rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to clean your freshly made cuts. I've seen patients just douse their cuts and damage good skin cells with these harsh products. Hydrogen peroxide has that satisfying sizzle and bubbling of your skin, but it's really your skin crying for help. It's damaging your good skin cells and it's going to delay wound healing."
"Hiboc Cleanse is a great medicated cleanser. It has chlorhexidine gluconate which is a powerful antiseptic. If you use it on your underarms, it kills the bacteria that causes body odor. However, I do worry about bacterial resistance and how we're going to develop new bacteria that are going to be resistant to such a great antiseptic. They're showing in community and hospital settings that we are making bacteria by overusing chlorhexidine. I'd rather have patients alternate it with benzole peroxide cleansers to help with the bacterial component and not use Hiboc Cleanse all the time. Plus, Hiboc Cleanse can be dangerous around the eyes and ears, it can be oculotoxic and ototoxic."
"I like to use it around the eyes. When I have tears that run down, this is a little landing area for my tears. I wake up with redness and irritation there. If I do not fall asleep with a small amount of Vaseline or Aquafor there."
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All 2 takes on Aquafor
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"I like to use it around the eyes. When I have tears that run down, this is a little landing area for my tears. I wake up with redness and irritation there. If I do not fall asleep with a small amount of Vaseline or Aquafor there."
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"Aquafor is a great thing for wound care and has a lot of different uses. If you have a cut or scrape, I like petrolatum whether it's Aquafor. They make a body spray and you just hold it a few inches away from your skin and spray it. For wound care, totally use petrolatum for a non-infected wound to help protect it and then cover it with a Band-Aid. If you want to slug and get a little dewy finish, apply a petrolatum ointment over say your moisturizer or your hydrating serum, especially on the cheekbones, just a pea size amount and you can really glow up and get a nice dewy finish. If you have really oily skin or if you're dealing with acne you might want to avoid slugging because you don't want to clog the pores. If you're using acne medications like say retinoids or prescription retinoids, you don't want to occlude with a generous layer of ointment like petrolatum because that will really seal it in, it might do too much and penetrate too far and cause irritation. If you have dry cracked heels, when your skin is damp so you get out of the shower, layer a nice generous layer of Aquafor or spray over your heels and put a sock over it, go to bed, the next day your heels would be nice and fresh and smooth."
"I like the Alpharet by Skin Better Science. That's a nice retinoid to consider."
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All 4 takes on AlphaRet
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"One of my favorite retinoids is Skin Better Science AlphaRet. This here has niacinamide in it and that just helps brighten the skin but also help regulate sebum production. So when I recommend something for my patients with acne I want niacinamide a lot of times so that doesn't clog up the pores and it keeps the oil down. So this has niacinamide. This is a moisturizer with SPF, so we have SPF 30. If you are going to go out though for a ball game or you're going to go out for golf though you might want to cover up with an additional layer of sunscreen just in case, or if you're using a moisturizing lotion and you don't want to put too much on you might want to still put another layer of sunscreen potentially. But if you're just going to go out to the office or be indoors for most of the day this is fine itself. Just keep in mind that this is not water resistant."
"If you want to have an exfoliant mixed into your product like the Alpharet by SkinBetter Science, that's probably more preferable than scrubbing the dead skin cells away."
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"I like the Alpharet by Skin Better Science. That's a nice retinoid to consider."
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"Skin Better Science AlphaRet is a double conjugated retinoid with lactic acid molecules attached to it and it has exfoliative properties from the lactic acid and also glycolic acid. In a split face trial they found that tretinoin 0.025 and AlphaRet were comparable and couldn't say that one was inferior to the other. I've been recommending AlphaRet for a while and I've used it for myself for over five years now and I think it's a great retinoid. It's been so good, it's helped change my skin. Start off with the non-intensive if you're starting off, always start off with your retinoid about twice a week and then increase to nightly as tolerated. Some people can only do it every other night otherwise they'll get super dry, that's totally fine. This one has niacinamide and a whole bunch of other goodies in it as well: a peptide blend which we like because of the cell signaling capabilities, squalane, niacinamide, ceramides, fatty acids, MetaboL which is soothing, and you have vitamin C and E. Lots of goodies in there so you got your antioxidants in it."
"The Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch, covering the acne is not so much to control your acne, you're going to still have to see your dermatologist, but to keep your fingers from picking at it say during the day while you're studying, reading, going about your day. You don't want to be picking at your acne. You're going to have that as a nice protective film and then you're going to work with your dermatologist on treating your acne."
"SkinCeuticals has come out with a neuropeptide peptide serum called the P.T.O. serum, and I have patients on it, I use it, my wife uses it. It's a great way to not only increase collagen production, but it makes my fine lines and wrinkles on my forehead and around the eyes seem less apparent. Their whole technology is to mimic Botox, so when you have dynamic wrinkles from movement and expressions, you want to soften those, and this does help to some degree in decreasing the contraction. Do you need to be on Botox for this to work? No, you can just go ahead and use it without Botox and you can see benefits with it. I haven't used Botox in a long time, actually, and just the P.T.O., and I feel like it's really made me feel like I don't need Botox as readily. It can help complement or even extend the efficacy of your Botox, but if you're not on it, it will mimic it too. It's 158, 160 bucks for a dropper bottle, but it lasts a while because I only do it every other day."
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All 2 takes on H.A. Intensifier
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"Rock has made some nice hyaluronic acid capsules here that I like to travel with"
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"SkinCeuticals has come out with a neuropeptide peptide serum called the P.T.O. serum, and I have patients on it, I use it, my wife uses it. It's a great way to not only increase collagen production, but it makes my fine lines and wrinkles on my forehead and around the eyes seem less apparent. Their whole technology is to mimic Botox, so when you have dynamic wrinkles from movement and expressions, you want to soften those, and this does help to some degree in decreasing the contraction. Do you need to be on Botox for this to work? No, you can just go ahead and use it without Botox and you can see benefits with it. I haven't used Botox in a long time, actually, and just the P.T.O., and I feel like it's really made me feel like I don't need Botox as readily. It can help complement or even extend the efficacy of your Botox, but if you're not on it, it will mimic it too. It's 158, 160 bucks for a dropper bottle, but it lasts a while because I only do it every other day."
"The new Daxi, I have not used yet, but that is actually a longer duration in terms of effects. Usually Botox we say about 2 to 4 months, so usually 3 months is usually where you sit out when you have Botox and people come in every 3 months typically."
"We can inject Kybella or you can get radio frequency, microneedling, or other devices to help with that area, the submental or under the chin excess of skin or fat."
"Oral minoxidil is actually a really good treatment orally, you just have to find the right patients who can tolerate a blood pressure medicine orally because minoxidil is a blood pressure medicine and we give it in very small doses for hair loss. A lot of my patients do tolerate it, but I just don't give it to patients who are already on other blood pressure medicines because I don't want to add another agent to their medications and potentially cause low blood pressure and fainting and dizziness. The biggest side effect when you're taking oral minoxidil is hypertrichosis from minoxidil causing hair growth everywhere. A lot of my male patients don't mind or even notice, but with female patients I actually use a very small dose to help prevent that from happening. When you see increased hair growth even on the neck for females and on the face, you really start believing like wow, this is actually doing something."
"Finasteride is a nice oral prescription medication. It works to prevent hair loss in male patients with thinning at the crown and receding hairline. Topical formulations are also available and we do talk about that for male patients and also female patients. That might be a nice option to have like minoxidil compounded with finasteride. I have a few patients over age 60, say 65, or doing very well on that."
"I used to use the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo and I found that it packed such a powerful punch that it really destroyed acne but then left me with a kind of a red ring around that sometimes is so bad that I'd have to use a topical corticosteroid to get it to go away which you're not really supposed to use on your face."
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All 4 takes on Effaclar Duo
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"I used to use the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo and I found that it packed such a powerful punch that it really destroyed acne but then left me with a kind of a red ring around that sometimes is so bad that I'd have to use a topical corticosteroid to get it to go away which you're not really supposed to use on your face."
Dermatologist Explains: How to Mix Skincare Ingredients
"if you had a benzo peroxide spot treatment say the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo with LHA plus benzoyl peroxide I would not combine that with the retinoid. I just keep that separate."
Dermatologist Reviews: The Viral La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo- is it worth the hype?
"I give this a thumbs up, it's not too irritating. My wife uses it, I use it for spot treatment. This is pure treatment in my eyes as a dermatologist. You can still incorporate this into your routine but just be careful not to mix it with another leave-on exfoliant like salicylic acid. This probably won't react with your vitamin C serums. If you want to do niacinamide serums with this, totally fine, they don't interact together. I just worry about the things that can cause a high chance of causing irritation as a leave-on product, whether it's a retinoid or a leave-on exfoliant. It's a solid product, only 30-something bucks, you can get it at your local store like Target or Amazon. This is a really nice product to consider adding to your regimen. The only downside would be if your acne is out of its league, you've got to go see a dermatologist. It's not a magic bullet."
Dermatologist Reviews: The Viral La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo- is it worth the hype?
"This is a solid product, only 30 something bucks you can get at your local store like say at Target or Amazon. It's a really nice product to consider to add to your regimen. The only downside would really be if your acne is out of its league, you've got to go see a dermatologist. It's not a magic bullet. If you have deep cystic bumps, that's something you'd need to see a dermatologist for. This is good for superficial acne, but it's a great product. I can see why it went viral because it's good to have a spot treatment in your back pocket, something that makes you feel mentally better. There's a psychological component of having acne, you want things to be sped along and not feel like there's nothing you can do about it. So if you can psychologically feel better by using this and not trying to go at it with your fingers or tools, we win. We're using these really good ingredients to help break up the dead skin cells, kill the bacteria, and hopefully get clearance."
"It's called Aklief, it's triferotin, it's another retinoid so it acts similar to tretinoin and retinol but this one is a little bit lighter. It's more of a lotion than a cream and I find that it goes on really well for chest and back if you ever get any body acne or can also help with anti-aging in that sense too. I definitely don't see it being as drying as the tretinoin at all. I still do put moisturizer over it but I don't feel as though I need to."
"It's super simple, it's spearmint tea. It tastes really good. I've heard it kind of tastes like you're drinking toothpaste but I'm not mad about that, it's okay. I really like it, it's refreshing. You're supposed to do it twice a day, two cups, and I just get this at my local grocery store, super cheap and easy. It is good for hormonal acne. There are studies showing that spearmint tea, drinking two cups a day, can help with the androgens involved with jawline acne. I bring a cup of spearmint tea to work every day."
"I was using this, it's another prescription, it's a spot treatment, it's antibacterial. It kind of stings when you put it on but that's how you know it's working. I do like to pair this with benzoyl peroxide because it helps prevent bacterial infection against that antibiotic solution."
"I use Lily Silk pillowcases and they're nice. But whenever you do a pillowcase in silk you pay more, but if you're a side sleeper like myself, totally worth it because when I wake up with a regular pillowcase those sleep wrinkles are real. We've seen it published in plastic surgery journals that these sleep wrinkles over time when you have frictional rubbing and pressure on your face you can get static wrinkles or reds that don't go away, permanent wrinkles from laying on your side for so long and so consistently. They lead to wrinkles that just stay there, not just right after you wake up but throughout the day. A silk pillowcase can help relieve the tension and pressure on your face so you wake up refreshed and without those sleep wrinkles."
"I like L'Oréal Posay and I like their Anthelios tinted. L'Oréal Posay's Anthelios 60 is awesome, this is one of my favorite sunscreens. It rubs in so well. It is a chemical based sunscreen."
"Mighty Patch, you know that one I think is my wife's favorite. Pimple patches do come in different sizes and shapes they have like stars they have just circles that's the most popular one with bigger circle and very small dot sizes. I have no problems with it the technology is fine hydrocolloid patches they really do draw out the impurities maybe some purulence. It doesn't control your acne it will just help treat the particular area or protect it. I say it's more for protection because some people, a lot of my patients like to pick at their acne and that's called acne excoriation. When you are a picker and you like to pick at any irregularities in the face especially if you're having a raised acne form lesion on your cheek people will pick it to the point where it will get scarred and scarring is permanent acne scarring we want to avoid at all costs and so I like the pimple patches to protect your face protect the acne on your face from you picking at it."
"There's trifarotene, which is a newer retinoid. Retinoids can help with fine lines and wrinkles by increasing collagen, can increase cell turnover and help with dark spots and hyperpigmentation, especially for patients who are skin of color who deal with hyperpigmentation, melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Retinoids can help as long as we're not irritating the skin. If you irritate the skin and cause redness, that can leave a brown spot."
"I prescribe Tretinoin 0.025%, 0.05%, or 0.1%. Retinoids can help with fine lines and wrinkles by increasing collagen, can increase cell turnover, and help with dark spots and hyperpigmentation. It can take months, several months to get the results that we are trying to strive for."
"That was probably the most traumatizing thing I applied to my face where it actually peeled the epidermis off of my nose. So, be very careful of those adherent pore strips that can be traumatizing to the skin. It left some hyperpigmentation for a bit. I had to treat it with some secoplast balm B5 from Loros Pose and wear lots of sunscreen, even tinted sunscreen to prevent that hyperpigmentation from worsening and it eventually cleared. But I was pretty upset that that pore strip that was sent to me from Bioré actually was way too traumatizing."
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All 2 takes on Pore Strips
The Truth About Pore Size: Can You Really Shrink Them?
"I remember from when I was like in med school or even maybe undergrad. You apply it to clean skin that strip and you let sit for a few minutes and you peel it off and it's so gratifying seeing all those little columns of trapped keratin, dead skin cells and sebum in each pore being pulled out by this adhesive tape. But it is temporary relief. It's not going to give you relief longstanding where you're going to have clear pores. It's just taking out what you have at the moment. And of course, if you don't change your habits, your cleansing habits and practices, you will have clogging of those pores."
The Truth About Pore Size: Can You Really Shrink Them?
"That was probably the most traumatizing thing I applied to my face where it actually peeled the epidermis off of my nose. So, be very careful of those adherent pore strips that can be traumatizing to the skin. It left some hyperpigmentation for a bit. I had to treat it with some secoplast balm B5 from Loros Pose and wear lots of sunscreen, even tinted sunscreen to prevent that hyperpigmentation from worsening and it eventually cleared. But I was pretty upset that that pore strip that was sent to me from Bioré actually was way too traumatizing."
"When I first started looking into this brand Nutrifol, I wanted to see what is the quality of the evidence and the gold standard is are there clinical trials on the final formulations and not just the ingredient. A lot of studies we might go through are just looking at one ingredient, when we have Nutrifol studies they're looking at the final formulation and the efficacy behind it. There's bias when it comes to any kind of experiment or clinical trial, and so what kind of evidence is backing Nutrifol? Here we're talking about double blinded randomized placebo controlled studies where we're having these trials conducted by researchers that are blinded to whether using the Nutrifol supplement or a placebo, and that's to minimize bias and thus ensure that the results of these studies are reliable. That's one of the reasons why I will recommend Nutrifol."
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All 6 takes on Nutrifol
Dermatologist Explains: Hair Thinning Dos and Don’ts!
"When I first started looking into this brand Nutrifol, I wanted to see what is the quality of the evidence and the gold standard is are there clinical trials on the final formulations and not just the ingredient. A lot of studies we might go through are just looking at one ingredient, when we have Nutrifol studies they're looking at the final formulation and the efficacy behind it. There's bias when it comes to any kind of experiment or clinical trial, and so what kind of evidence is backing Nutrifol? Here we're talking about double blinded randomized placebo controlled studies where we're having these trials conducted by researchers that are blinded to whether using the Nutrifol supplement or a placebo, and that's to minimize bias and thus ensure that the results of these studies are reliable. That's one of the reasons why I will recommend Nutrifol."
Dermatologist Explains: Hair Thinning Dos and Don’ts!
"One of the reasons why I will recommend Nutrifol over other supplements is because of that reliable clinical trials that will go through looking at the formulations through a double blinded randomized placebo controlled trial, so there's that evidence-based approach."
Dermatologist Explains: Hair Thinning Dos and Don’ts!
"If you're not into prescription medications, your dermatologist may recommend there's always other drug-free options like Nutrifol where you're going to be targeting root causes of hair thinning including hormones, stress, and lifestyle."
Dermatologist Explains: Hair Thinning Dos and Don’ts!
"I like Nutrifol because we're addressing multiple potential causes of your hair thinning with these supplements. They customize it to either men or women, and they've customized their women supplements to either mature users or premenopausal females. I love that they've customized it and they're trying to address multiple root causes. This is the brand that I've been recommending to my patients the most and for the longest. I talk about Nutrifol nearly every day with my patients who come in with these hair thinning issues. I really do recommend Nutrifol, especially when it's backed by science and data."
Dermatologist Explains: Hair Thinning Dos and Don’ts!
"This is the brand that I've been recommending to my patients the most and for the longest. I talk about Nutrifol nearly every day with my patients who come in with these hair thinning issues. I really do recommend Nutrifol, especially when it's backed by science and data. They've customized it and they're trying to address multiple root causes."
Dermatologist Explains: Hair Thinning Dos and Don’ts!
"This is the brand that I've been recommending to my patients the most and for the longest. I talk about Nutrifol nearly every day with my patients who come in with hair thinning issues. After I evaluate their scalp and hair and also other things that could be playing a part with their hair issues, I really do recommend Nutrifol, and it's easy for me to talk about especially when it's backed by science and data."
"SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic. Get about five to six drops of your serum onto your face and to your neck, and that's probably enough, and then just put your sunscreen over it to seal it all in. That is going to be great at brightening your skin."
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All 18 takes on C E Ferulic
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"With SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic, you're paying for the clinical science, the studies behind it that really prove this formulation works well, and they're very conscious of that low pH formulation. So you're paying for reliability and clinical testing."
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"If you want pure L-ascorbic acid 15%, we've talked about SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic, but it is quite expensive."
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"We've always talked about the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic, which is great for dry, sensitive skin."
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"SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic is still one of my favorites. It's good for those with dry, sensitive skin types."
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"I like the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic. Vitamin C is more like a marathon approach. You got to really stay with it to see some improvement in your dark spots."
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"The goat of vitamin C serum is Skinceuticals C E Ferulic. It's backed by a lot of science and so it's at a higher price point, but it has vitamin C, vitamin E, and ferulic acid. All of them work synergistically together to stabilize each other, but also to help reduce dark spots. Just a few drops on the face, maybe five drops. You can also bring it down to your neck. Do not neglect the neck and chest area because this really shows your age. If you actually want to start off by putting a few drops on the back of the hand and then applying it to your face, go right ahead. That's a really nice strategy to treat the back of your hands, which shows a lot of photoaging over time."
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"Skin Ceuticals C E Ferulic is a gold standard for vitamin C serums with lots of clinical studies backing it. That one you can actually splurge on."
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"The other high price splurge item that you could consider would be Skinceuticals C E Ferulic, very similar price point to Skin Better Sciences Alto, and I say they're both very good. This has vitamin C, vitamin E, and ferulic acid. You can go ahead and put a moisturizer on or a sunscreen just slap your sunscreen right over it."
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"If you have the money, go for 15% ascorbic acid in Skinceuticals C E Ferulic. You're paying for it the reputation, the studies backing it up, the science behind Skinceuticals products. It's been out for a long time and a lot of dermatologists stand by it. I usually apply that in the morning after cleansing. You apply your vitamin C serum, then your moisturizer and sunscreen or your moisturizer with SPF over the vitamin C serum."
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"For ascorbic acid whether it's Skinceuticals C E Ferulic, these are ascorbic acid ingredients which is great. You got to be careful on how you store it, don't keep it by your window sill where sunlight's coming and it's going to hit the bottle and cause it to oxidize. So once it oxidizes the potency goes down quite a bit. Keep it in a cool place. Use this in the morning and this does not replace sunscreen, so apply your sunscreen after this. If you were to layer it with hyaluronic acid, you would apply this first and then your hyaluronic acid serum after. Because this is such an unstable compound and such a great ingredient for long-term benefits, I would apply this first versus your hyaluronic acid, which is more of like temporary plumping of your skin. This adds to long-term benefits, so I would apply that after you get this great ingredient on your skin first."
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"If you see SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic, or M love their glass is very dark so it's going to try and filter out the light coming in. I keep it in a cool area of my bathroom or if you have a skincare fridge which I've been gifted before you can keep your vitamin C serums in there because heat and sunlight will make your ascorbic acid break apart and become not effective."
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"SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic. Get about five to six drops of your serum onto your face and to your neck, and that's probably enough, and then just put your sunscreen over it to seal it all in. That is going to be great at brightening your skin."
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"if you like vitamin C serums you've tried the C E Ferulic by SkinCeuticals you want to try something else check out Alto also a very good product to do in the morning"
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"If you want to go for ultra high price point with studies behind it you go for Skinceuticals C E Ferulic. I always need it in my bathroom to re-up but it is pricey, it's over $165, $169. We want to keep it in a nice cool area, we want it to not oxidize quickly so you want to keep the potency there as long as possible."
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"Skinceuticals C E Ferulic is top tier with that 15% ascorbic acid, and I like the C E Ferulic because it's also backed up by vitamin E and ferulic acid antioxidants that help boost the efficacy of the serum to help with stability but also brighten your skin even more. Use your vitamin C serum in the morning before your sunscreen to help fight free radical damage from all of the oxidative stress that we can get from sunlight and pollution when we step outside."
Dermatologist Explains: How to Upgrade your MORNING Skincare Routine!
"SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic is paired with vitamin E and ferulic acid that help stabilize but also help potentiate the effects of vitamin C. Try to use your vitamin C serums in about three to six months tops because it can oxidize and you notice a color change, and so the potency may be affected by that color change and go down with time, and so you don't want it sitting in your drawer or your counter for too long. Just a few drops in the morning and then go ahead and put your moisturizer on and your sunscreen or a moisturizer with SPF."
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"You'll see in dermatology C+E+F, the Vichy Lift Active line, SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic, or Mulo, those all have ascorbic acid and they are stabilized by vitamin E and ferulic acid to work with it synergistically to brighten your skin."
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"There's Dermatology Vitamin C E Plus F, so this is a nice one. It has vitamin C, vitamin E, and ferulic acid, and it's a little bit higher price point but not as much as the C Ferulic by SkinBetter Science. I want to show you that if you don't use these quickly within the first couple months it will change color and turn into this dark syrupy look. You want to use your vitamin C serums probably in the first two to three months otherwise they'll start to oxidize and break down and become less potent. SkinCeuticals, I believe, did that Apple trick and showed that even if the color of the product changes it's still efficacious. But I always say try to keep your vitamin C serum in a cool area. You can even put it in the fridge if you wanted, but a cool area and not in the sunlight by the window sill."
"You can find it in a more affordable option like Timeless. That has ascorbic acid. But if you have sensitive skin, go for something with a vitamin C derivative."
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All 14 takes on 20% Vitamin C + E + Ferulic Acid Serum
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"Timeless has a 20% L-ascorbic acid plus ferulic acid and vitamin E. Great stuff. Patients and my viewers like that product quite a bit."
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"I've had success with those light freckles being lightened by vitamin C serums. And I always say use it in the morning. You can use it at night, but it does boost the sun protection abilities of sunscreen. So I always say apply it in the morning and then apply your sunscreen after that to protect your skin from oxidative stress you might get from sunlight and pollution."
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"Timeless has been really nice and affordable and a lot of my patients and my viewers, my friends out there have commented have had good experiences with that."
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"Timeless makes a nice vitamin C serum that is 20% ascorbic acid. This is a great dupe to Skinceuticals C E Ferulic. I love that this is much cheaper than Skinceuticals CF but works very well."
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"It's 20% ascorbic acid, ferulic acid and vitamin E and I don't know how they keep the price down in such an affordable range. I really appreciate that. But you got three powerful antioxidants, those three we mentioned that work synergistically to stabilize each other but also brighten the skin. You also have sodium hyaluronate or hyaluronic acid to help plump the skin. It's been very effective for my patients and for many of you. So, this made the 2025 list because it is really impressive. If you want a budget vitamin C serum that absorbs well, it's lightweight and also this accommodates all skin types from dry skin, normal to combination and oilier skin types."
"Don't keep in your beach bag and do not keep in your car cuz it'll get this dark syrupy color. You want it to stay a nice light orange to yellow. If it does get dark, you can still use it. Still should be okay, but the efficacy might be going down. So, try to keep it preserved cuz this is very expensive. This is more of the big guns, the black belt advanced users."
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"This is a new product that I discovered last year, it's Timeless 20% Vitamin C + E + Ferulic Acid Serum. We've all seen this very familiar combination where you have vitamin E and ferulic acid combined with your ascorbic acid to help stabilize and boost the brightening effect. So if you have dark spots on the face you want to reduce those dark spots, I like ascorbic acid a lot but it can be very expensive and or could be quite irritating, so some people are very sensitive to ascorbic acid. But what I like about this serum is that it has that familiar vitamin C, vitamin E, ferulic acid smell reminiscent of the more expensive serums but does not come with that $170 cost. I've always liked how I've tolerated it well. It feels nice and lightweight. I'm able to layer other skincare products, especially sunscreen, over this very well. I have not had a patient or a viewer saying that this has irritated their skin, which to me is great. You want patients to be able to use this on a consistent basis. I would say use it in the daytime before your sunscreen."
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"I like ascorbic acid a lot but it can be very expensive and or could be quite irritating so some people are very sensitive to ascorbic acid but what I like about this serum is that it has that familiar vitamin C vitamin E ferulic acid smell reminiscent of the more expensive serums like Skin Ceuticals C E Ferulic but does not come with that $170 cost. I've always liked how I've tolerated it well, it feels nice and lightweight, I'm able to layer other skincare products especially sunscreen over this very well. I have not had a patient or a viewer out there saying that this has irritated their skin, which to me is great. You know, I want patients to be able to use this on a consistent basis. I would say use it in the daytime before your sunscreen to protect yourself from all of that free radical damage. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant to battle against that because it can really age our skin, and studies have shown ascorbic acid can actually reverse photo aging. It's only like $24, $25 at your local store."
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"Timeless is a very affordable option with the C, E, and F."
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"Timeless has a nice ascorbic acid and vitamin E and ferulic acid formulation that you can get very affordably for like $25. I actually like Timeless their product better than SaraVe's."
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"You can find it in a more affordable option like Timeless. That has ascorbic acid. But if you have sensitive skin, go for something with a vitamin C derivative."
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"It's a nice serum that brightens the skin. We love vitamin C because it helps reduce dark spots and thus brighten the skin by having less dark spots on the face, light will reflect more efficiently and effectively off the skin and evenly off the skin, mimicking a glow. I like to use that in the morning to help protect our skin from free radical damage from the sun and pollution. The Timeless vitamin C serum has 20% ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and ferulic acid that help synergistically work with vitamin C to reduce those dark spots and help stabilize it as well. They work as a really dynamic team. It's a trio that I love seeing in my serums, and Timeless has done a great job. The smell of it is just very familiar and reminds me of ascorbic acid-containing serums from other brands I love. It's in a nice convenient airtight pump and it has impressed me."
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"You can do vitamin C serums. We talked about vitamin C serums a ton on the channel. Timeless is a great over-the-counter vitamin C serum with ascorbic acid. Doing that in the morning and then sunscreen can help brighten the skin."
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"Timeless is a very affordable option for a vitamin C serum."
"May Love has done a great job with their products. Their vitamin C serum, the Glow Maker, iconic."
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"May Love has done a great job with their products. Their vitamin C serum, the Glow Maker, iconic."
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"Vitamin C serums you know we've talked about Maelove Glow Maker, Timeless Niacinamide Vitamin C Complex Serum, and Rock Revive and Glow, those are all great options. And I love that vitamin C serums can lighten light freckles. I always say use it in the morning and then apply your sunscreen after that to protect your skin from oxidative stress you might get from sunlight and pollution, because it does boost the sun protection abilities of sunscreen."
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"This is a 15% ascorbic acid containing serum that is by Maelove. This is a nice brand, the Glow Maker, very popular. This one's only $33, guys, so very affordable. It has vitamin E and ferulic acid to work with it synergistically and brighten the skin."
"Naturium, which is very good for those with dry, dehydrated skin. Very hydrating. I love that airtight pump product, and it's probably my favorite product in the Naturium line."
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"Naturium, which is very good for those with dry, dehydrated skin. Very hydrating. I love that airtight pump product, and it's probably my favorite product in the Naturium line."
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"I've had success with those light freckles being lightened by vitamin C serums. And I always say use it in the morning. You can use it at night, but it does boost the sun protection abilities of sunscreen. So I always say apply it in the morning and then apply your sunscreen after that to protect your skin from oxidative stress you might get from sunlight and pollution."
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"You can do something very affordable like Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum that comes in a nice airtight pump, has a stable vitamin C with some gold and glutathione. I love the texture of this and you can find it at Target, Amazon, online."
"If you want a pure hyaluronic acid serum to apply in the morning before going out and you want that glowy look, Vichy Mineral 89 is great. If you want something just with 11 ingredients, a minimalist ingredient list, go for Vichy Mineral 89."
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"If you want a pure hyaluronic acid serum to apply in the morning before going out and you want that glowy look, Vichy Mineral 89 is great. If you want something just with 11 ingredients, a minimalist ingredient list, go for Vichy Mineral 89."
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"If you have sensitive skin, Vichy Mineral 89. I've talked about this one on the channel multiple times. It's great for those with sensitive skin because it has a very minimalistic ingredient list and it is quite plumping but not the most plumping but a great start for those who are trying to start off with a hydrating serum, a hyaluronic acid serum. You got your volcanic spring water from Vichy which is a great reliable French brand. Plus you have your hyaluronic acid. It's like a moisture magnet that will draw on water and retain it. Apply it right onto your skin when it's a little damp and it will help draw on that water. It just blends in so well. Very lightweight. Layers well with your sunscreen and your makeup. It won't make all those products peel."
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"Their hyaluronic acid serum has always remained one of the top hyaluronic acid serums on my bathroom counter. It's very hydrating and plumps my skin."
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"You can apply Vichy Mineral 89 onto any area and then follow up with a moisturizer with peptide, which will be a cell signal to tell your skin to make more collagen. You can use that over your hyaluronic acid and that will help temporarily plump the skin because hyaluronic acid does not provide long-term benefits, it just hydrates the skin at the moment."
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"Vichy Mineral 89, very good stuff. That's a great hyaluronic acid with, you know, not a lot of ingredients, 11 ingredients. They're Prebiotic concentrate also, very nice with niacinamide. Been using that more often, and that's a nice way to boost and plump your skin by using hyaluronic acid to draw on moisture and keep it there."
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"Vichy makes a great Mineral 89 hyaluronic acid. I'm using their Prebiotic Concentrate, which has special ferment from the volcanic water, but there's also niacinamide in it, which is a vitamin B3 analog that we all love. I don't really care for niacinamide serums that are 10% or more, those are too high. We only need small percentages of niacinamide for it to work, help brighten the skin, help regulate sebum production, and soothe the skin, and it's anti-inflammatory. This one's a nice one."
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"Vichy Mineral 89, I think it only has 11 ingredients so very good for those with sensitive skin or those with rosacea prone skin this is a great option. Apply that to your skin getting that temporary plumping and then follow up with a moisturizer over it, because if you just have your hyaluronic acid on your skin yes the sugar is soaking up all the moisture in your skin but it's not going to retain it you need an emollient to seal it all in."
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"There's also other hydrators out there other serums like Vichy Mineral 89, you can get the Ordinary's hyaluronic acid, you can do the Inkey List hyaluronic acid serum, those are all great."
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"I like Vichy Mineral 89. My favorite all-time hyaluronic acid serum. It's a great hydrator, it's a great plumper. If you don't like fragrance then go with Vichy for sure."
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"I really do like the texture of the cream. This is great to put over damp skin if you put your hyaluronic acid serum like Vichy Mineral 89 or if you have La Roche-Posay B5 or this on damp skin, it's really going to draw in that water because that's what hyaluronic acid does, draws in water like a magnet, and then you apply a moisturizer or if you slug over it, that's a great hack."
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"I like Vichy Mineral 89. My favorite all-time hyaluronic acid serum. It's a great hydrator, it's a great plumper. If you don't like fragrance then go with Vichy for sure."
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"You can consider Vichy Mineral 89, there are many different hyaluronic acid serums out there."
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"Hyaluronic acid serums I like Vichy Mineral 89. I like L how B5 so those are all great, great options to do with your retinol."
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"Vichy Mineral 89 is a great gentle serum with only about 11 or 13 ingredients. It contains their volcanic water and it's a nice safe option that's so reliable. It goes on so well to damp skin. Hyaluronic acid is found naturally in our skin, but we have decreased production of it with time, especially after age 25. This carbohydrate draws in water and holds onto it, soaks it up, and helps hydrate our skin and temporarily plump it. It doesn't increase collagen production like peptides or retinol do, but it does a great job when you have damp skin. Just apply it and it really will soak up that moisture and try to get your skin nice and dewy and plump."
"I've recently liked Vichy LiftActiv Vitamin C Serum -- great stuff."
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"I've recently liked Vichy LiftActiv Vitamin C Serum -- great stuff."
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"I love Vichy's new 16% ascorbic acid. You get a nice pure vitamin C option that works well in the morning."
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"This is their newest one, 16% ascorbic acid, vitamin E, ferulic acid, and the dropper looks good. I'm looking forward to trying this out, but this could be a nice potential gift idea here, the new Vichy LiftActiv Vitamin C Serum. If you're in your 30s or 40s and you want something stronger because studies have shown it can reverse photoaging, which we definitely start seeing in our 30s, consider Vichy with their 15 to 16% vitamin C."
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"Vitamin C is such a labile ingredient, especially ascorbic acid. They're different forms of vitamin C serums either have the active ascorbic acid or the ascorbic acid derivative. Vichy LiftActiv Vitamin C Serum has the active ascorbic acid, but it's very labile and you want that to touch your skin first to help reduce dark spots and fight free radical damage. So I would say after cleansing, apply Vitamin C first before going on to hyaluronic acid."
"I've used La Roche-Posay Mela B3 serum quite a bit in the last couple years since it came out and I have to say that's also unfortunately pretty mid. I do love the brand. They make great skin care, but I haven't been impressed. My patients haven't been impressed by their melisel ingredient that was supposed to even compete with hydroquinone, prescription hydroquinone. And I'd say I've been a little disappointed by it."
"Eucerin came out with the radiant tone line last year and they have thymol in it. I have a few patients who have tried it and they actually do see success with it, especially on their breaks from hydroquinone. We avoid the rebound from hydroquinone by being on the radiant tone line. The downside to it is one, you have to use it frequently. The studies show you get max benefit by using it four times a day, which is a lot. You got to use it in the serums twice a day, sunscreen, and also in the night cream. There's ways to apply it four times a day but it is a lot. And also it's heavily fragrance and I worry about my patients who are sensitive to fragrance. It is quite strong. The nice thing about thymol is that it's blocking tyrosine powerfully without causing any halo effect around your dark spots."
"Cocokind's ceramide barrier serum has a cult following, and I can totally see why. It's one of the most gentle, modern barrier support options out there. It's lightweight. It has ceramides just like in the name. And ceramides are part of the glue that hold those bricks together, it's part of the mortar. So you want to replenish your lipid matrix with the ceramides and strengthen your skin barrier. It has squalane which is barrier friendly and it helps hydrate the skin and also help with some moisturization, and then glycerin is a classic humectant that draws in water like a magnet and will plump up your keratinocytes and help give you a little bit of a glow. Following up with a moisturizer over this could help plump up the skin enough to hide fine lines and wrinkles. It's so lightweight you can use it before your sunscreen in the morning. You can consider this for oily or acne prone skin, whereas other heavier balms you've got to be careful if you're acne prone. This one I'm more confident with patients with oilier skin types because it's so lightweight and it's better for people who don't want thick creams that just feel heavy on the skin."
"It's their Hyalu B5. I remember first using this in 2020 when I was introduced to a lot more skin care than I usually am exposed to as a medical dermatologist. And so when I first used this, I loved how plumping it was. It really draws in water, causes that instant plumping effect. It does have a little bit of a scent and fragrance, and I like it. It actually is very nostalgic to me. It reminds me when I first started this YouTube channel, and it also has panthenol, which has moisturizing and hydrating effects. Great for supporting the skin barrier. It's one of my essentials on my bathroom counter."
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"It's their Hyalu B5. I remember first using this in 2020 when I was introduced to a lot more skin care than I usually am exposed to as a medical dermatologist. And so when I first used this, I loved how plumping it was. It really draws in water, causes that instant plumping effect. It does have a little bit of a scent and fragrance, and I like it. It actually is very nostalgic to me. It reminds me when I first started this YouTube channel, and it also has panthenol, which has moisturizing and hydrating effects. Great for supporting the skin barrier. It's one of my essentials on my bathroom counter."
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"La Roche-Posay has a Hyalu B5, one of my favorites. Hyaluronic acid is a water magnet. Put that on damp skin after you cleanse to trap in all that moisture, and then go ahead and put a moisturizing cream over it."
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"If you wanted to check out La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 serum, my patient today came in and said oh my gosh I saw your video I picked up that Hyalu B5 and it's awesome. She loves it. She's tried many different hyaluronic acid serums and that one for her big winner picks up all that moisture. Then layer over it with a moisturizer or a moisturizer with SPF. It's a nice boost of hydration and glowy texture before a big event, say going on the news or going to a holiday party, going to a reunion. You want to get that hydration boost, go ahead and do a hyaluronic acid serum."
"I've been impressed by this. A couple years ago, I started using Obagi vitamin C products. And man, so impressed by how hydrating, how elegant it feels when you apply the drops. The formulation is great. Formulation does matter when it comes to these products. The 15% formulation is the one I've used the most. Recently I've gone into the 20%. Love that as hyaluronic acid is very plumping, hydrating to the skin and overall just really great way to start off the morning to battle those dark spots on the face."
"Talking about traditional peptide moisturizers, do they work? Not really in the way people think. They are cell signalers typically. So you get the palmitoyl pentapeptide 4, tripeptides 1 and 7. Those peptides will pretty much give the text instructions to your fibroblast and skin cells to make more collagen in your dermis or second layer and does help with fine lines and wrinkles. If I were to rate peptide moisturizers in general about a 7.5 to 8 out of 10 in terms of anti-aging, I don't think it's going to be nearly as good as a retinoid, especially tretinoin or tazarotene that's prescription, but it will be a nice supplement to the anti-aging routine."
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"SkinFix is a brand I don't talk about too much on the channel, you can find it at Sephora, it's a little higher price point. It's a really nice airtight pump and the SkinFix Barrier+ Triple Lipid + Peptide Cream is really nice. I love the texture, it's very nourishing, great for those with dry skin, and I've talked about it for the last couple years."
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"Talking about traditional peptide moisturizers, do they work? Not really in the way people think. They are cell signalers typically. So you get the palmitoyl pentapeptide 4, tripeptides 1 and 7. Those peptides will pretty much give the text instructions to your fibroblast and skin cells to make more collagen in your dermis or second layer and does help with fine lines and wrinkles. If I were to rate peptide moisturizers in general about a 7.5 to 8 out of 10 in terms of anti-aging, I don't think it's going to be nearly as good as a retinoid, especially tretinoin or tazarotene that's prescription, but it will be a nice supplement to the anti-aging routine."
"I don't like the ordinary niacinamide serum because it caused a lot of contact dermatitis in my patients."
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"If you have it as a dedicated serum like say The Ordinary's, I've seen it irritate the skin and cause a bad rash which could lead to hyperpigmentation."
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"A dedicated niacinamide serum alone I do not recommend that typically to my patients. I feel like it's too much of a good thing. When everyone was using that in 2020 I saw all my patients coming in with beat red faces swollen and irritated and inflamed and my first question was always are you on the niacinamide serum by The Ordinary and a lot of my teenager patients would say yes. Niacinamide can brighten your skin but I say it's not Batman, it's Robin. It's the backup dancer. It's not your main character. It's going to be more of a backup supporting actor. I think it's great in combination with cleansers, sunscreens, retinols but by itself I wouldn't do it."
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"I don't like the ordinary niacinamide serum because it caused a lot of contact dermatitis in my patients."
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"When you look at niacinamide at 10% you think about like is that really necessary and is niacinamide a really good ingredient at reducing dark spots, is it powerful enough, and my answer is no. It's not necessary at those high levels. I've never seen it cure melasma or reduce hyperpigmentation in a significant way by itself. I have found so many patients, especially my young patients with very sensitive skin and very fragile skin barriers, apply this strong niacinamide serum onto their face and they came in with a bad irritant contact dermatitis. The niacinamide was just breaking their skin barrier, causing a lot of inflammation."
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"Niacinamide is a vitamin B3, it's anti-inflammatory, can be soothing, it can regulate sebum production. I'm not a big fan of it by itself in a serum. I feel like I've seen people get a lot of irritation, specifically the ordinary niacinamide serum. I think it's a great ingredient but too much of a good thing can be harmful."
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"I do not care for having a dedicated niacinamide serum. I've seen so many people run into trouble with that particular serum, especially by The Ordinary. Their products just don't work well for my face. They're affordable, but they just sting my skin and cause irritation. These 10% niacinamide serums are just unnecessary, it's too high, too much of a good thing. Niacinamide will give you the benefits of regulating sebum, repairing the skin barrier, decreasing inflammation, and brightening the skin at low doses of less than 5%, so these higher concentrations are overkill."
"One Skin has great peptides that they were able to show me data, the evidence behind it that they work really well in the skin. Peptide moisturizers are great to add on to your routine, especially after a retinoid to help decrease irritation, but also boost your collagen, especially in your 30s as we start to lose collagen pretty fast. These cell signalers will tell your skin make more collagen."
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"I like products with peptides. One Skin has a proprietary OS1 peptide that helps clear out the old cells that don't regenerate and it helps reverse biological age. It's a little bit more pricey, but I like that there's evidence behind this. One Skin was founded by PhDs and they do have papers that support their peptide that pretty much tell your skin cells to make more collagen, which is great, and it clears out the bad, the old cells."
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"One Skin being a nice one with the OS1 peptide that has been shown to clear out the old non-regenerating cells out and helps stimulate collagen production. Those peptides will be a cell signal to tell your skin to make more collagen which is excellent. You can use that as a body moisturizer and you can use that over say your hyaluronic acid and that will help temporarily occlude the skin whereas your peptide moisturizers will hopefully give you long-term benefits right like retinol or vitamin C."
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"I love that the PhDs that founded the company have sent me studies. I was able to look through the studies and I I like the products and so I I use their sunscreen and their moisturizers quite a bit."
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"One Skin has great peptides that they were able to show me data, the evidence behind it that they work really well in the skin. Peptide moisturizers are great to add on to your routine, especially after a retinoid to help decrease irritation, but also boost your collagen, especially in your 30s as we start to lose collagen pretty fast. These cell signalers will tell your skin make more collagen."
"The newer ones, like Cetaphil, Neutrogena, they've done a pretty good job with theirs, too."
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"I'm glad they're getting into the vitamin C game and the anti-aging game because they're one of the GOATs of sensitive skin. Cetaphil has been around for a long time and they put a lot of money into studies to show that their products are tolerated well on various skin tones and skin types. This one has stabilized vitamin C, niacinamide which is a vitamin B3 analog that works great on many different aspects of our skin, the skin barrier, anti-inflammatory, regulates sebum production, reduces dark spots, and also has sunflower seed oil which is great. It's a skin conditioner, it's a moisturizer, it's very moisturizing and nourishing. So great to see those ingredients in their vitamin C serum, and so awesome and gentle. It doesn't have ascorbic acid, it's ethylated vitamin C. I like to have a leave-on serum whether in a dropper or a pump."
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"The newer ones, like Cetaphil, Neutrogena, they've done a pretty good job with theirs, too."
"I love The Ordinary, all very popular hyaluronic acid serums."
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"I love The Ordinary, all very popular hyaluronic acid serums."
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"Whether it's Vichy Mineral 89 or if you have The Ordinary or the Inkey List hyaluronic acid or even CeraVe, you want to apply that to damp skin. The reason behind that is that hyaluronic acid is a carbohydrate, it's a sugar that's naturally found in our skin and after age 25 we start losing the production, we start having less production of hyaluronic acid and less stores of hyaluronic acid, and so our skin becomes more dull, a little bit more crepey, dehydrated look to it, more wrinkles. So we want to add more hyaluronic acid to the skin. We want to apply it to damp skin, meaning after a cleanse or if you have one of those thermal sprays. You get that temporary plumping and then follow up with a moisturizer over it. A lot of patients aren't following up with the moisturizer as well, so if you just have your hyaluronic acid on your skin, yes the sugar is soaking up all the moisture in your skin but it's not going to retain it. You need an emollient to seal it all in and that's where a moisturizer comes in."
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"The Ordinary, you got the Inky List, those are more affordable options that you can get like say Sephora. Those hyaluronic acid serums are just fine. Hyaluronic acid we talked about is a water magnet. Put that on to damp skin after you cleanse, trap in all that moisture, and then go ahead and put a moisturizing cream over it."
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"You want to put a hydrator like hyaluronic acid. You can get The Ordinary's hyaluronic acid. This is just great to put on damp skin and then what you do is you put a moisturizer over it to seal it in with your favorite moisturizer. The hyaluronic acid just soaked up all that moisture, so that is a nice way to reduce the fine lines."
"The Ordinary is a very affordable brand. You could always do a hyaluronic acid serum with a moisturizer if it's very subtle and not too deep in the crease, and then layer with the moisturizer over it."
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"If you want a nice hyaluronic acid serum, I also like The Ordinary's hyaluronic acid serum."
"Hyaluronic acid is a carbohydrate that draws in water like a sponge. It's a water magnet. It tries to plump up the skin. The Inky List is a very popular hyaluronic acid serum."
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"Hyaluronic acid is a carbohydrate that draws in water like a sponge. It's a water magnet. It tries to plump up the skin. The Inky List is a very popular hyaluronic acid serum."
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"The Inky List is one of the more affordable options that you can get like at Sephora. Those hyaluronic acid serums are just fine. Hyaluronic acid is a water magnet, so you put that on damp skin after you cleanse to trap in all that moisture, and then go ahead and put a moisturizing cream over it."
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"If you want a nice hyaluronic acid serum, I also like The Ordinary's hyaluronic acid serum. The Inky List is so so. I kind of don't like the packaging of that hyaluronic acid serum."
"CeraVe Oil Control Moisturizing Gel Cream is great for oily skin."
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"CeraVe Oil Control Moisturizing Gel Cream is great for oily skin."
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"If you have oilier skin, you can get the CeraVe Oil Control Moisturizing Gel Cream. This is their newer one, and it has niacinamide and it has hyaluronic acid. It's very lightweight."
"I also love their vitamin C serum that's affordable, has 10% ascorbic acid."
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"CeraVe has 10% eloscorbic acid, three essential ceramides, and hyaluronic acid to help hydrate the skin. It's pretty affordable in the $25 to $30 range, and I'd have to say that it is a very good option to start off with. My critique would be that it does oxidize pretty quickly. So you need to use this within the first three months. Otherwise it turns into a dark syrupy color and it's not very pleasant to apply to your face. Sometimes that dark syrupy color doesn't blend in well into the skin anymore and it kind of pills with your sunscreen."
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"I also love their vitamin C serum that's affordable, has 10% ascorbic acid."
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"CeraVe vitamin C serums are about 20 bucks that's a great start with 10 ascorbic acid."
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"The CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum does glow up my skin, it does help reduce dark spots and brighten the skin by reducing the dark spots and when light hits your face it will reflect back at the viewer, so just having that luminosity, that increased luminosity really does help brighten the skin. It's like twenty to twenty-five bucks and it's one fluid ounce which is pretty standard but very affordable. But the only critique I have to say with this one is that you have to use it within two to four months otherwise it will oxidize pretty quickly. It becomes like this dark syrupy orange, which you don't want to put on your face. It's not dangerous to use but I'm sure the potency goes down quite a bit. Vitamin C is a great antioxidant that will help neutralize free radical damage from the sun, so I always say use this in the morning because you want to have all those antioxidants in your skin to help prevent free radical damage throughout the day. But it does not replace sunscreen."
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"CeraVe makes a vitamin C serum that's like 20 something bucks that one's very affordable. If you have sensitive skin, if you have rosacea, you want to try to take it easy and maybe start with something very affordable like that one. It's 10% ascorbic acid."
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"If you are unsure if you can tolerate ascorbic acid, this is 10% pure vitamin C or ascorbic acid. You got panthenol which is a vitamin B5 and that has moisturizing and hydrating benefits as well as hyaluronic acid and the three essential ceramides. This is a nice start, but I feel like you got to use it in like three to four months because it oxidizes and changes color quite readily. That's my critique for vitamin C is that you're spending all this money on it, you got to use it right. So use it every morning, and once it starts changing color, the efficacy might be dipping. Keep it in a cool area, you can even put it in a skincare fridge if you want, but just keep it in a cool area away from the sunlight. It's still affordable in the grand scheme of vitamin C serums."
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"It's 10% pure vitamin C or ascorbic acid with panthenol, which is a vitamin B5 and has moisturizing and hydrating benefits, as well as hyaluronic acid and the three essential ceramides. This is a nice start, but I feel like you got to use it in three to four months because it oxidizes and changes color quite readily. That's my critique: you're spending all this money on it, but you got to use it right. Use it every morning, and once it starts changing color, the efficacy might be dipping. Keep it in a cool area, you can even put it in a skincare fridge if you want, but just keep it in a cool area away from the sunlight."
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"CeraVe's vitamin C serum is 10% ascorbic acid. If you have sensitive skin or rosacea, you can consider just a basic intro to the vitamin C world. Start with CeraVe's $23 intro vitamin C serum and see if you can tolerate the ascorbic acid itself. You definitely have to keep it in a cool area. Some people keep it in their skincare fridge which is fine but not necessary."
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"If you want to go for an intro vitamin C serum that's quite affordable and about 25 bucks, CeraVe's vitamin C serum has 10% ascorbic acid. When you look at ascorbic acid, I'd say about 10 to 20% is usually where people want to shoot for. 15% I think is a great compromise. I think 20% can be a little irritating for my patients, and so 15% is nice. Just use a few drops in the morning and then go ahead and put your moisturizer on and your sunscreen."
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"This is 10% ascorbic acid, which is the active form of vitamin C. It's a nice introductory vitamin C serum with hyaluronic acid and your three essential ceramides. It's about $22 to $25 depending where you get it. The critique I have though is if you don't use this within 2 to 4 months, this can oxidize quite quickly and it turns from a nice yellow color to a darker orange to even a brown syrupy color. If you don't use this up quickly, you can keep it in a cool place, maybe even in your skincare fridge, but a cool place will suffice. Use it as a thin film once a day before your sunscreen. I'd say this is a great choice if you're not sure if you can tolerate ascorbic acid and you want to get into the vitamin C game."
"But if you're not able to tolerate even the foam, then maybe you can consider rosemary oil. But I'm still not convinced that it does a good job at regrowing hair, especially for those with androgenetic alopecia."
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"But if you're not able to tolerate even the foam, then maybe you can consider rosemary oil. But I'm still not convinced that it does a good job at regrowing hair, especially for those with androgenetic alopecia."
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"The vitamin C is an ethylated vitamin C, so more stable than ascorbic acid, but less data on how well it works in the epidermis in reducing dark spots. As soon as it comes out of the bottle, this fragrance is overpowering. It's saccharine at first and then it becomes this floral ginger scent, which I think is overpowering. Right off the bat, I think that Olay needs to change that. They need to take out the fragrance or tone it down big time because I can imagine a lot of my patients with sensitive skin or rosacea getting irritation from this. The texture is great and it rubs in really well with no sticky residue, and when I apply my sunscreen or moisturizer over this, there's no peeling. It is nice and hydrating. It has peptides, which are cell signalers and can help increase collagen production."
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All 2 takes on Super Serum
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"This is their retinoid complex that has retinol and retinyl propionate as their complex that we know works well on collagen production. I would use this more reliably. If they took out the fragrance, this would be a very big contender. If you're new to these actives and want to try them out in small doses, go ahead and try this out. Be very careful, though, if you have sensitive skin and rosacea. If you're focusing on anti-aging and you really want science-backed ingredients like this vitamin A derivative, go with the retinol. If you're in your late 20s and up, go with this. Always follow up with a moisturizer after your retinol."
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"The vitamin C is an ethylated vitamin C, so more stable than ascorbic acid, but less data on how well it works in the epidermis in reducing dark spots. As soon as it comes out of the bottle, this fragrance is overpowering. It's saccharine at first and then it becomes this floral ginger scent, which I think is overpowering. Right off the bat, I think that Olay needs to change that. They need to take out the fragrance or tone it down big time because I can imagine a lot of my patients with sensitive skin or rosacea getting irritation from this. The texture is great and it rubs in really well with no sticky residue, and when I apply my sunscreen or moisturizer over this, there's no peeling. It is nice and hydrating. It has peptides, which are cell signalers and can help increase collagen production."
"I don't like niacinamide serums. I love niacinamide in my products like the CeraVe sheer hydrating sunscreen for your face and body, their AM SPF 50. I like niacinamide in my products. You find your cleansers and your moisturizers with niacinamide. That's great for skin brightening to some degree, but it's not your main player. It's not going to replace vitamin C. It's not going to replace a prescription retinoid for decreasing dark spots. It can be effective in repairing your skin barrier and reducing sebum production in small amounts when it's mixed into your product. So don't get a niacinamide serum. I'm not into that trend at all."
"Vitamin C serums are special because you can use them in the morning you can use them at night too but I always say use your vitamin C in the morning after you cleanse. Vitamin C and they have other antioxidants many times will neutralize free radical damage from pollution and sunlight. Four to five drops could really help protect the face help with dark spots. Sometimes ascorbic acid, the active form of vitamin C, can cause irritation in the skin especially if you have rosacea but Vanicream has used a vitamin C derivative to help make it gentler on the skin, more stable, doesn't oxidize as readily. I love it, it's actually really nice, my patients like it, not irritating the skin."
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"They also came out with a vitamin C serum that's pretty good, not the most elegant, and it is a derivative, but you can say the derivative of vitamin C are gentler for those with rosacea."
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"I'm glad Vanicream came out with a vitamin C serum. It's a great brand that's underestimated, so good for those with sensitive skin. The vitamin C serum is a derivative of vitamin C, it's not ascorbic acid, and so it's quite gentle, quite good for those with sensitivities. It's pretty stable and it has ceramides in this one. I've been enjoying this one a lot since it came out. Vanicream products are free of dyes, fragrance, masking fragrance, lanoline, parabens, formaldehyde releasers. This one does not have any lanolin or wool alcohol, so this is a very reliable brand."
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"Vitamin C serums are special because you can use them in the morning you can use them at night too but I always say use your vitamin C in the morning after you cleanse. Vitamin C and they have other antioxidants many times will neutralize free radical damage from pollution and sunlight. Four to five drops could really help protect the face help with dark spots. Sometimes ascorbic acid, the active form of vitamin C, can cause irritation in the skin especially if you have rosacea but Vanicream has used a vitamin C derivative to help make it gentler on the skin, more stable, doesn't oxidize as readily. I love it, it's actually really nice, my patients like it, not irritating the skin."
"This one is an ethylated vitamin C derivative not ascorbic acid so one can argue that this is more stable and penetrates deeper into the skin than ascorbic acid. I like that it has niacinamide and sunflower seed oil. They use sunflower seed oil in their moisturizing cream which I love, great for conditioning the skin and is very moisturizing. This is a nice $20 vitamin C serum. Just three to four drops for your face, couple more drops for your neck or décolletage area, you can even put on the back of your hands if you are worried about photoaging. Studies have shown that vitamin C serums can reverse photoaging. If it does go deeper into the skin and stays stable it may influence collagen production and help with fine lines and wrinkles as well."
"For example, Nutrium has come out, The Ordinary, The Inkey List have come out with azelaic acid serums, and I've talked about Ca de Ja, that's a K Beauty brand with azelaic acid up to 10%, 15% and up. I prescribe in clinic, but 10% the max you find over the counter. You can layer that with retinol, yes you can. You can apply say a serum or an emulsion of azelaic acid first and then your retinol over it. That's totally fine. If you do have sensitive skin, be very careful with that because the more actives you put on your skin, you can get an irritant contact dermatitis."
"I've talked a lot about RoC Vitamin C, the Reviv and Glow most recently. I've been bringing back Vichy Lift Active into my routine. Dermatology Vitamin C Plus F is nice. There's also higher price points like SkinBetter Science Alto. This one has 19 antioxidants so great, my patients love it actually, I carry this in my office just because it's so awesome. Just a few drops on the face, maybe five drops, you can also bring it down to your neck. Do not neglect the neck, chest area because this really shows your age. If you actually want to start off by putting a few drops on the back of the hand and then applying it to your face, go right ahead, that's a really nice strategy to treat the back of your hands which shows a lot of dermatological photoaging over time."
"I'd say olive oil do not do olive oil can actually worsen scalp itch scalp dandruff because the main player behind scalp dandruff and actually flares in your scalp psoriasis is this yeast called malassezia. The special yeast, when you add olive oil to the media, it grows in the lab and cultures malassezia. So I would say do not put olive oil onto your scalp for hair loss because that will just be fertilizer or food for the malassezia and it'll proliferate come down to your face even come down to your body."
"This is my favorite product of the brand and this is also a nice stable derivative of vitamin C. It has glutathione and gold to help stabilize it and it also has hyaluronic acid and vitamin E. Vitamin E is another antioxidant that helps stabilize vitamin C and they work together in brightening your skin. Big thumbs up to this one."
"I'd say their hyaluronic acid serum by CeraVe, not a winner. I've never been impressed by the texture on this. I mean, it just comes out looking a little sad there and look how it kind of peels up. Look, I can almost roll it into a ball. I mean, what's going on here? This is, I've never seen hyaluronic acid serum do that. It's usually like in a dropper bottle, but it's almost like dried up glue, Elmer's glue. Not feeling that texture at all."
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"I'd say their hyaluronic acid serum by CeraVe, not a winner. I've never been impressed by the texture on this. I mean, it just comes out looking a little sad there and look how it kind of peels up. Look, I can almost roll it into a ball. I mean, what's going on here? This is, I've never seen hyaluronic acid serum do that. It's usually like in a dropper bottle, but it's almost like dried up glue, Elmer's glue. Not feeling that texture at all."
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"Hyaluronic acid serums, whether it's Vichy Minéral 89 or if you have The Ordinary or the Inkey List hyaluronic acid or even CeraVe, you want to apply that to damp skin. The reason behind that is that hyaluronic acid is a carbohydrate, it's a sugar that's naturally found in our skin, and after age 25 we start losing the production, we start having less production of hyaluronic acid and less stores of hyaluronic acid, and so our skin becomes more dull, a little bit more crepey, dehydrated look to it, more wrinkles. So we want to add more hyaluronic acid to the skin. This one only has 11 ingredients, so it's very good for those with sensitive skin or those with rosacea or crepey skin. This is a great option. You're getting that temporary plumping, and then you need to follow up with a moisturizer over it to seal it all in. If you just have your hyaluronic acid on your skin, yes, the sugar is soaking up all the moisture in your skin, but it's not going to retain it without an emollient."
"I've been actually liking Vanac Cream's vitamin C serum. I was actually surprised it came out with one, but this one is a vitamin C derivative, and I don't find this oxidizing very readily so I like it. It's 30 something bucks, very nice, very affordable."
"The Ordinary makes one, The Inky List makes azelaic acid. I'm fine with those. I haven't seen my patients get irritation with those azelaic acid formulations."
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"You can apply say a serum or an emulsion of azelaic acid first and then your retinol over it, that's totally fine. If you do have sensitive skin be very careful with that because the more actives you put on your skin you can get an irritant contact dermatitis."
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"The Ordinary makes one, The Inky List makes azelaic acid. I'm fine with those. I haven't seen my patients get irritation with those azelaic acid formulations."
"Glow Recipe's guava vitamin C dark spot serum, it's really nice, really nice texture to it, very silky smooth. You can put that on after cleansing and then follow up with your hyaluronic acid serum. You can do it in that order, it's a very popular way to use both hyaluronic acid and vitamin C. You can totally do that, they won't interact in a negative way."
"This serum doesn't have ascorbic acid, which is a very active form of vitamin C, it just has a derivative. I'd give it about a 7.5 out of 10. I think it's introducing people to great ingredients like trans-azelaic acid and vitamin C, niacinamide has a lot of good things in it, and it's for a very affordable price. If you can tolerate it and you're seeing results, go right ahead. I don't see any dangers in this. I like the price, one fluid ounce for $17, you can't beat that. For me personally, I'd rather go for the vitamin C, E, and ferulic acid combo because I like the studies behind having that synergistic effect."
"Alto Defense Serum has 19 antioxidants, it does have vitamin C but other things like coffee in it and this is my favorite antioxidant serum. It is a higher price point like Skinceuticals C E Ferulic, but it's backed by a lot of science. Skin Better Science is backed by a lot of science, they work with dermatologists who run clinical trials on behalf of them and so I really believe in this brand. A little goes a long way, this is just money in terms of protecting your skin."
"Incorporate a tinted sunscreen like EltaMD UV Clear, which I love for being inclusive in terms of having available shades for various skin tones."
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"wearing a sunscreen every day, SPF 30 and above, whether it's EltaMD UV Clear or Vanicream's Moisturizing SPF 30, those are all great options to do while on a retinoid"
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"EltaMD UV Clear are really nice options that my patients love and those are nice things to consider all year round."
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"If you are skin of color and you have hyperpigmentation, go for a tinted sunscreen with iron oxides. It could be EltaMD UV Clear or UV Daily. They're tinted options there."
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"Incorporate a tinted sunscreen like EltaMD UV Clear, which I love for being inclusive in terms of having available shades for various skin tones."
"Beauty of Joseon have different shades, which I love. They're being very all-inclusive in terms of having available shades for various skin tones."
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"Beauty of Joseon is a tinted sunscreen that has iron oxides in it to make it tinted and block visible light, which is really important if you have melasma. That's a non-negotiable everyday apply your tinted sunscreen."
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"Beauty of Joseon have different shades, which I love. They're being very all-inclusive in terms of having available shades for various skin tones."
"Incorporate a tinted sunscreen like Neutrogena and Beauty of Joseon have different shades, which I love. They're being very all-inclusive in terms of having available shades for various skin tones."
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"I love that they have multiple tints available for my patients with different skin tones so I give them a big thumbs up this past year for that. I love the direction of that because we can't just come up with one version of your tinted sunscreen and assume that all of my patients can enjoy using it and so I like that they have different tones now."
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"Neutrogena has done a good job, I feel like they're ahead of the game by having multiple shades of tint now. The medium works very well for my skin tone which is like Fitzpatrick skin type 3. I love that Neutrogena has various shades, they have a light shade, they have a medium, and then they have two other shades darker than this and those are for skin tones darker than mine. Why do I rave about tinted sunscreens is that it has iron oxide. If you look at the ingredient list you see iron oxides in the inactive ingredient list, that's what you're looking for because we found that iron oxides are important in blocking visible light from the sun. Just 10 minutes in the sun and you're wearing regular sunscreen blocking UVA and UVB without the tint you can actually worsen your hyperpigmentation, so it's very important."
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"It's really nice for my skin tone, SPF 40, water resistant, and it's a nice primer if you want to put makeup over it. It blends in so nicely and if you have any blemishes on your face this hides it well like a BB cream. I have to commend Neutrogena for making a tinted sunscreen line and for having multiple shades here. I'm a little bit on the darker side and I like the medium. The medium works well for my skin type, and for skin types 4, 5, 6 you might want to consider the medium deep to the deep. I love that Neutrogena has different options because tinted sunscreen is a very trial and error game and a lot of my patients with deeper skin tones have a hard time finding a good tint. They have iron oxides in it to block visible light outdoors, and if you have hyperpigmentation you want to block that as much as possible. They also have vitamin E in it which is an antioxidant. I really like the medium tint for my skin tone, and it's so affordable."
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"Incorporate a tinted sunscreen like Neutrogena and Beauty of Joseon have different shades, which I love. They're being very all-inclusive in terms of having available shades for various skin tones."
"For reapplication, I like sunscreen sticks. Neutrogena, Cetaphil, CeraVe are really good for reapplication when you're going to the pool or the beach."
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"For reapplication, we use a sunscreen stick like Cetaphil."
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"The Cetaphil stick is probably the most affordable option I have at about ten dollars. I like this stick a lot. It's 80 minutes water resistant, so small and portable that I almost feel like I lose this one a little too much. I've gone through a few of these. It feels a little thicker and probably leaves a little bit more of a white cast than some other options, but it's a good affordable choice."
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"For reapplication, I like sunscreen sticks. Neutrogena, Cetaphil, CeraVe are really good for reapplication when you're going to the pool or the beach."
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"I love sunscreen sticks like Neutrogena, Caravee, Cetaphil, and Ulta MD. They make great sunscreen sticks for reapplication."
"For reapplication, I like sunscreen sticks. Neutrogena, Cetaphil, CeraVe are really good for reapplication when you're going to the pool or the beach."
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"The other small one by CeraVe that looks the exact same size also mineral based water resistant 40 minutes versus 80 minutes. This one goes on quite sheer for an all mineral sunscreen."
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"For reapplication, I like sunscreen sticks. Neutrogena, Cetaphil, CeraVe are really good for reapplication when you're going to the pool or the beach."
"I'm impressed because traditionally CeraVe all mineral sunscreens that weren't tinted didn't do well. They were just too much of a thick white cast. When they came out with one that they said was invisible, I thought that was pretty bold. My review is thumbs up. Nice to have an all mineral sunscreen, meaning it has titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, no chemical UV filters. If you have sensitive skin and you're worried about chemical UV filters irritating your skin, if you do have sensitive skin and have rosacea and want to stick to all mineral, go ahead and try this one out. It's very affordable and has niacinamide and ceramide. But it's not water resistant, so just keep that in mind. If you're going to do water play, go with a different sunscreen."
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"I'm impressed because traditionally CeraVe all mineral sunscreens that weren't tinted didn't do well. They were just too much of a thick white cast. When they came out with one that they said was invisible, I thought that was pretty bold. My review is thumbs up. Nice to have an all mineral sunscreen, meaning it has titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, no chemical UV filters. If you have sensitive skin and you're worried about chemical UV filters irritating your skin, if you do have sensitive skin and have rosacea and want to stick to all mineral, go ahead and try this one out. It's very affordable and has niacinamide and ceramide. But it's not water resistant, so just keep that in mind. If you're going to do water play, go with a different sunscreen."
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"Their AM SPF 50 has done wonders. They've done a great job with that. It's a great one with niacinamide. Very lightweight, much more of an elegant finish than their SPF 30 AM. Just know that that SPF 50 product, that AM product, is not water-resistant, and you want to go for a water-resistant sunscreen if you're going to go do water play or work out outside and get sweaty."
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"I got to give it a thumbs up. I got to give it a probably a nine out of 10. It's just affordable, accessible. It has the ingredients that I want. Not only is it just mineral based, but it has your ceramides to help repair the skin barrier as well as niacinamide to soothe, repair, and also maybe brighten the skin a bit and regulate sebum for my patients with acne-prone skin. It's almost like a unicorn or it's too good to be true to be all mineral but have no white cast. That's amazing."
"They've done such a great job improving on the SPF 30 hybrid AM version. That one was hybrid, but it still had a white cast. Still was a little thick and chalky, surprising for a hybrid sunscreen. But their AM SPF 50 has done wonders. It's very lightweight, much more of an elegant finish than their SPF 30 AM. That's a great one with niacinamide. Just know that that SPF 50 product, that AM product, is not water-resistant, and you want to go for a water-resistant sunscreen if you're going to go do water play or work out outside and get sweaty."
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"They've done such a great job improving on the SPF 30 hybrid AM version. That one was hybrid, but it still had a white cast. Still was a little thick and chalky, surprising for a hybrid sunscreen. But their AM SPF 50 has done wonders. It's very lightweight, much more of an elegant finish than their SPF 30 AM. That's a great one with niacinamide. Just know that that SPF 50 product, that AM product, is not water-resistant, and you want to go for a water-resistant sunscreen if you're going to go do water play or work out outside and get sweaty."
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"If you want something ultra lightweight and your priority is sensitive skin, barrier repair, lower irritation risk while protecting yourself from UVA and UVB, this is a good choice. The AM SPF 50 has a little bit more of a white cast in my opinion. It's affordable and accessible, and it has the ingredients that I want. It's mineral based, but it also has ceramides to help repair the skin barrier as well as niacinamide to soothe, repair, and brighten the skin a bit and regulate sebum for patients with acne-prone skin. The best sunscreen is the one you can tolerate every day, and I'd give this a nine out of 10."
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"My foundation is cleanse in the morning, apply your vitamin C serum if you're in your late 20s and up, and then your sunscreen over that. Could be a moisturizer with SPF like CeraVe AM SPF 50."
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"CeraVe has MBE technology, which helps repair the skin barrier with three essential ceramides, and with that MBE technology you're also hydrating the skin. You find that in their moisturizing cream and moisturizing lotion. I like their CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 50. So great line."
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"You can do a moisturizer with SPF if you'd like just to kind of combine those two. I like CeraVe AM SPF 50."
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"CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 50. Their AM very nice with niacinamide. Very lightweight. It's very hydrating. It kind of has that dewy finish that will just really amplify what you have done with your skincare. There's no peeling, there's no crumbling of your skin care."
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"A regular daily moisturizer with SPF 30 is fine, like CeraVe's AM facial moisturizing lotion SPF 50. Those are all great options."
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"Their OG SPF 30 AM facial moisturizing lotion is pretty thick for a hybrid sunscreen. So get their AM SPF 50 if it's available."
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"I like CeraVe AM Lotion with SPF 50. Having niacinamide in your moisturizers is always nice for acne-prone skin or for those who clog up their pores."
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"The new CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 50 really caught my attention and I was impressed by it. Their AM SPF 30 lotion had a lot of critique from my patients. A lot of them didn't like the thick texture of it even though it was a hybrid with zinc oxide and chemical UV filters. They've really refined that formulation in this SPF 50, so you have a higher SPF and also a lighter weight texture. This is going to be a really popular product going forward because they really made it better. The original wasn't bad, it worked really well for my patients on topical acne medications to help protect their skin, but just the texture is a little too thick and chalky."
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"I do a moisturizer with SPF in the winter time when it's not as sunny. I mentioned CeraVe's AM SPF 50."
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"if it's during the day you want to plump up your skin you can use a moisturizer with SPF and I've done videos on that but you could do like the CeraVe AM SPF 50"
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"CeraVe came out with their new AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion and it's a winner. Their SPF 50 is so much better than their original AM SPF 30. That was a hybrid formulation with zinc oxide and chemical UV filters but it was way too thick and chalky for a hybrid sunscreen. We have zinc oxide plus chemical UV filters but a much lighter texture, so just a few swipes and you can already tell that even my male patients would be open to wearing this kind of facial moisturizer with SPF. My male patients don't want to wear sunscreen or lotion or moisturizers a lot of times, but if it is lightweight they're open to it. I think CeraVe has done a great job with this. This one being only $16 is a winner. It's going to be a great way to lock in the moisture from your cleanse and a great way to start your day."
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"CeraVe has done a good job by improving the formulation of their new AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion with SPF 50. It is much more lightweight and blends in so much nicer with ease, just a few swipes and it disappears. You have a higher SPF, you have niacinamide, your hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin, plus the three essential ceramides to help repair the skin barrier. That will be really nice for this time of year where you don't need a water resistance sunscreen because we're not outside running in the winter time, but I will wear a sunscreen just driving in the office if we have some sun coming through the side window. If you're going to go for a nice walk and not get too sweaty in the cold weather, an SPF 50 facial moisturizing lotion is perfect."
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"CeraVe SPF 50, their new AM facial moisturizing lotion, is great, much better than their original form. The AM SPF 30 was very thick, but the SPF 50 is much better."
"Their hydrating mineral sunscreens have traditionally been so disappointing, especially for those who are skin of color or even fair skin individuals had problems with the white cast."
"Their hydrating sheer sunscreen that's hybrid, great for face and body and it's water resistant. CeraVe just launched this new sunscreen SPF 50 with the three essential ceramides. That's what makes CeraVe very special. And ceramides are great at repairing and restoring the skin barrier because ceramides are part of the glue that hold our skin cells together. And then also has niacinamide, which we all love that vitamin B3 analog that will help brighten the skin, repair the skin barrier, and regulate sebum production."
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"Their hydrating sheer sunscreen that's hybrid, great for face and body and it's water resistant. CeraVe just launched this new sunscreen SPF 50 with the three essential ceramides. That's what makes CeraVe very special. And ceramides are great at repairing and restoring the skin barrier because ceramides are part of the glue that hold our skin cells together. And then also has niacinamide, which we all love that vitamin B3 analog that will help brighten the skin, repair the skin barrier, and regulate sebum production."
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"CeraVe Hydrating Sheer Sunscreen is SPF 30 water resistant 80 minutes and has ceramide and niacinamide, which are great ingredients to help brighten the skin, regulate sebum production, help soothe the skin, and even help repair the skin barrier. It's a water resistant sunscreen you want to use if you are going for a run, working out outside, or going to the beach. The 80 minutes water resistance means that if you're in the water for 80 minutes you actually have to reapply your sunscreen. It's a hybrid sunscreen with zinc oxide plus chemical UV filters. It's very affordable and great to use for the face and body."
"If you have hyperpigmentation, go for a tinted sunscreen with iron oxides, which are important to block visible light. You can see that in EltaMD's UV Elements."
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"If you have hyperpigmentation, go for a tinted sunscreen with iron oxides, which are important to block visible light. You can see that in EltaMD's UV Elements."
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"EltaMD's UV Clear tinted and UV Elements are just great tinted options."
"I'm also introducing peptide moisturizers into my routine as someone in their late 30s. So either Neutrogena Collagen Bank, Ntorium's multi-peptide moisturizer, one skin has done a good job with their science-backed OS1 peptide. So those are great ones to consider if you are in your late 30s and up."
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"I'm also introducing peptide moisturizers into my routine as someone in their late 30s. So either Neutrogena Collagen Bank, Ntorium's multi-peptide moisturizer, one skin has done a good job with their science-backed OS1 peptide. So those are great ones to consider if you are in your late 30s and up."
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"I've recently have liked Neutrogena's collagen bank with eloscorbic acid. Great stuff."
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"Neutrogena's Collagen Bank moisturizer. I tried it out for the first time last year and I've been really happy with it. This plays well with my retinoids. You can layer it over vitamin C serums in the morning and then your sunscreen. Or you can just go with their moisturizer with SPF with the collagen bank technology instead. And that's like your sunscreen and your moisturizer in one. I like to use this one at bedtime after my retinoid for that extra collagen boost. You have micropeptide technology in this Neutrogena product that will help signal your skin to make more skin and increase collagen. So, if you're in your mid30s and up, then definitely consider your retinoid paired with your collagen bank or some kind of peptide moisturizer. And this is an affordable option. So, for those with mature skin, really want an anti-aging moisturizer on a budget, I would say go for this collagen bank. It has a rich texture when it first comes out, but it blends in very well and does not feel heavy and it will layer well with makeup."
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"Neutrogena's collagen bank SPF 30 is a nice product because you have micropeptide technology that will help boost collagen production. So you have two steps in one. You have the moisturizer and your SPF all in one step. Say you apply in the morning after a cleanser your vitamin C serum that will brighten your skin and plump your skin. Then follow up with a moisturizer with SPF to seal it all in and protect your skin for the day. So you have antioxidant protection and you have SPF protection protecting you from the UVA and UVB radiation outdoors. So you're going to be well covered after that. And you're going to get some collagen boosting from the peptides in Neutrogena's collagen bank SPF 30. Very affordable. Just simplifies your anti-aging routine in the morning."
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"If you have a history of pre-skin cancers and skin cancers, especially if you have mature skin and you want to help with fine lines and wrinkles, go with Neutrogena's Collagen Bank SPF 30. I'd rather have a peptide containing moisturizer with SPF than a retinol plus SPF. I don't know why Cavaree, Olay, maybe Neutrogena has done those things where they have the retinol mixed with sunscreen because one, you should not be reapplying that product and we should be reapplying sunscreen when you're outdoors. Retinol is actually best to use at bedtime because retinol can be quite unstable in sunlight. I'd rather have peptides in my sunscreen to help with fine lines and wrinkles. Check this one out, I've been liking this one a lot."
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"Neutrogena Collagen Bank is quite affordable and they have a sunscreen version which is quite nice. I love that they're using micropeptide technology. Even though the word collagen is in it, people are like oh there's collagen in it that's not going to do anything, but it actually has the micropeptides in it to help with your pre-existing collagen and strengthen them and then also help build new collagen so it's a dual threat there. It's a nice convenient pump, comes out a little thicker almost like frosting, very good for those with very dry skin. Also check out their SPF 30 this one is nice, it has micropeptides as well to help with your collagen pre-existing and new collagen."
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"If you want something with peptides as well, Neutrogena Collagen Bank, I have their SPF here, but you would get their one without SPF as another option. That's a little thicker cream and that has peptides to help increase collagen production as well. So, if you're like in your 30s or 40s or older, go with the collagen bank."
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"You can use something like Neutrogena's Collagen Bank moisturizer with peptides. Especially if you're 30 and up, go right ahead and start incorporating peptides into your routine because peptides have been shown to be cell signalers and tell your fibroblast to make more collagen and thicken up that dermis, thus reducing fine lines and wrinkles. I like peptides in my routine morning and night in your 30s and up."
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"Neutrogena Collagen Bank, they make a nice SPF 30."
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"You can use the Collagen Bank by Neutrogena that has peptides in it. If you are mid-30s and up, go ahead and use a peptide containing moisturizer with SPF."
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"Neutrogena's collagen bank has peptides which are all cell signalers to increase collagen production and then also the OS1 peptide that you find in one skin products. There's a good facial sunscreen, facial moisturizer, and also a body moisturizer that you can use for crepey skin on the legs, the knees, and also on the neck."
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"Even if you have say Neutrogena Collagen Bank, it's actually filled with their peptide which is a cell signaler. Even though it has the word collagen in it, it's actually a peptide cream. Peptide moisturizers are great to add on to your routine, especially after a retinoid to help decrease irritation, but also boost your collagen, especially in your 30s as we start to lose collagen pretty fast. These cell signalers will tell your skin make more collagen."
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"Neutrogena has joined the party with their collagen Bank moisturizer and moisturizer with SPF, and so that's the other thing is moisturizer with SPF very nice and popular now and I'm actually using that more often instead of a dedicated sunscreen in the winter time when I'm not going out and getting sweaty like the summertime. A nice moisturizer with SPF is so nice. So you have the moisturizer with SPF 30."
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"Neutrogena's collagen bank moisturizer, they also have a nice lightweight sunscreen version of that. Peptide moisturizers like this work as cell signalers that give instructions to your fibroblasts and skin cells to make more collagen in your dermis, and it does help with fine lines and wrinkles. I would probably rate peptide moisturizers in general about a 7.5 to 8 out of 10 in terms of anti-aging. I don't think it's going to be nearly as good as a retinoid, especially prescription ones, but it will be a nice supplement to the anti-aging routine."
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"Neutrogena's collagen bank moisturizer, and they also have a nice lightweight sunscreen version of that."
"Chemical you can find in K beauty products. Say Beauty of Joseon. Those are very lightweight. They have very little chance of causing a white cast. That's good for those who are acne prone who don't want a thick sunscreen that could clog up their pores."
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"Chemical you can find in K beauty products. Say Beauty of Joseon. Those are very lightweight. They have very little chance of causing a white cast. That's good for those who are acne prone who don't want a thick sunscreen that could clog up their pores."
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"Beauty of Joseon has done a great job with their sunscreens as well. Go ahead and apply their Relief Rice Probiotic sunscreen during the day."
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"What I like about Beauty of Joseon, that K beauty brand, is that they have come out with different shades and gone above and beyond. They've come out with 12 diverse shades, so kudos to them for putting in the time to make various shades for various skin tones. I started off with just their lighter shade, which is zinc oxide only with iron oxide, and right now it blends in quite nicely into my skin and compliments my skin tone quite well."
"If you have sensitive skin and you've been burned before by chemical UV filters, because some can break apart in the sun and the byproducts can cause a contact dermatitis, go with a pure zinc oxide sunscreen, and you can find it in EltaMD. It's great for those with rosacea; they have a green tinted sunscreen."
"Things we've talked about on the channel tinted sunscreen would be dermatology universal tinted moisturizer, Ulta MD tinted daily, their UV daily, and their UV clear come in tinted formulations. Those are all great to consider if you have melasma."
"This is a zinc oxide-based sunscreen. What I love is that it has green tint in it. So if you have rosacea, seborrhea, dermatitis and you deal with redness and you have a hard time masking that redness, you can actually hide the redness with a green tinted product because green compliments red on the color wheel. This is my new go-to for my patients with rosacea who have very sensitive skin and don't want the chemical UV filters that could potentially irritate their rosacea. I love the lightweight texture of it and you will not look like Elphaba. This blends in perfectly. Even if you don't have redness, I've applied it to my face and this blends in so well."
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"This is a zinc oxide-based sunscreen. What I love is that it has green tint in it. So if you have rosacea, seborrhea, dermatitis and you deal with redness and you have a hard time masking that redness, you can actually hide the redness with a green tinted product because green compliments red on the color wheel. This is my new go-to for my patients with rosacea who have very sensitive skin and don't want the chemical UV filters that could potentially irritate their rosacea. I love the lightweight texture of it and you will not look like Elphaba. This blends in perfectly. Even if you don't have redness, I've applied it to my face and this blends in so well."
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"Their UV recovery green tinted sunscreen, SPF 50. Such a great product. I love it for my patients who have redness, who deal with redness from rosacea, eczema, and seborrheic dermatitis, and they need to hide that redness with their sunscreen. This is a nice method for them, a nice option. Red complements green on the color wheel, so we like to use green tinted products to hide and mask redness. The UV recovery is a very nice lightweight product to neutralize that redness and just a nice elegant finish. When you have rosacea, you have ultra sensitive skin and so it can be very difficult to find a good sunscreen for you. So this has been a nice match for my patients with rosacea and ultra sensitive skin."
"This is for you sporty people who need a water resistant sunscreen. Having an 80 minute water resistant sunscreen means you have to reapply every 80 minutes if you're in the water swimming at the pool. Definitely one of my go-tos. I've been so impressed by this. I had multiple tubes and I gave them to my friends to try out and they've all loved it, given it a thumbs up. It is very lightweight and so I have to say that it does achieve that with its chemical UV filter nature. Applying it to a large body surface area, very easy to do. Just spreads so well and blends in quickly, and you can go about playing pickle ball and not worry about having a thick layer of sunscreen sticking to your skin and distracting you from your game. So, I love this one. Definitely one of my big essentials of the summer of 2025."
"I have Eucerin Sensitive Mineral Face. My patients have been liking this sample quite a bit. I'll use it after chemical peels. Iron oxides will help block visible light as well as the UVA and UVB. Invisible light we have found is a big contributor to flaring hyperpigmentation and melasma. So if you have hyperpigmentation, try to go with a tinted sunscreen."
"Super Goop's Unseen Sunscreen is water resistant for 40 minutes, SPF 40. It is a higher price point, but she loves how invisible it really is. The texture is just off with other options, but this one is truly invisible, it just disappears quickly. She finds it layers really nicely with her makeup as well, putting makeup right over this. It serves as a great primer."
"Neutrogena came out with a new SPF 70 ultra sheer face liquid sunscreen with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, and they claim that it has minimal white cast for SPF 70, which is quite impressive. It looks pretty good, it has a little bit of a white cast. It has vitamin E, and Neutrogena is very affordable. I put this right by my kids' shoes in the mudroom where they put on their shoes before heading out the door to school, and I just have them apply this to their face before heading out. They actually like this because it doesn't have that white cast for their very fair skin tones."
"Blue Lizard Sensitive SPF 50 is a great one for kiddos and for myself when we go to the pool. That one is purely mineral. If you want a mineral-based only sunscreen, use Blue Lizard Sensitive SPF 50. Costco now carries that sunscreen so I'm so happy to see it. They did change their look and their labeling. It's very affordable and great to use for the face and body. They're very famous for their packaging because the label will change color when UV light hits it to remind you, just like those bracelets, that the UV index is high enough you should be wearing sunscreen right now."
"Everyone on TikTok was talking about their new sunscreen, the Relief Sun Aqua Fresh SPF 50. Of course it's going to have chemical UV filters in it, but it's so lightweight, great for those with oilier skin types. It goes onto the skin so nicely and just in a few swipes disappears, so no white cast. It's a much thinner lightweight texture than its predecessor, and I've been really enjoying it. It also has panthenol and colloidal oatmeal in this product, so it's really hydrating and also soothing for those with irritated skin in the wintertime when your skin feels quite impaired. This is a nice soothing sunscreen. Panthenol is a very special ingredient in products where it's hydrating and moisturizing at the same time. I've been really impressed by Beauty of Joseon."
"The Dermatology Universal Tinted Moisturizer SPF 46, I love that one. It's considered to be a moisturizer. I love the finish of that one. My wife and I use that one the most. It has a light tint so it doesn't get on all your clothes. I like the lightweight texture to it."
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"I like Dermatology Universal Tinted Moisturizer SPF 46 because it has iron oxide in it, which is a nice way to filter out visible light. If you have hyperpigmentation and skin of color, you can still see worsening of hyperpigmentation with a non-tinted sunscreen even if you're diligent about wearing and reapplying it. This product is a dupe to Ala MD's UV Clear Tinted SPF 46, which is a higher price point, but this one is in the 20 to 30 dollar range. You can use it as a moisturizer with SPF and tint every day. Just note that it's not water resistant, so it's great to apply when you're going to go for a walk or go to the office."
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"Dermatology Universal tinted moisturizer SPF 46, which is the dupe for the UV clear of EltaMD the tinted version, very good sunscreen."
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"The Dermatology Universal Tinted Moisturizer SPF 46, I love that one. It's considered to be a moisturizer. I love the finish of that one. My wife and I use that one the most. It has a light tint so it doesn't get on all your clothes. I like the lightweight texture to it."
"I really like their UV Daily Tinted and I feel like I haven't used that much before but I got a hold of the UV Daily Tinted and I really like the tint. It's really quite hydrating with the hyaluronic acid in it."
"This sunscreen is very lightweight and has centella asiatica, which is a great soothing ingredient and may even have healing capabilities. It has niacinamide, which is a vitamin B3 analog that's soothing, anti-inflammatory, regulates sebum production, and helps repair the skin barrier. It also has licorice root extract, which is great for hyperpigmentation. The texture glides out on the skin with no sting at all, even on the eyelids. Because of the niacinamide and centella, this is probably really good for patients with rosacea, peeling skin, and acne-prone skin. For skin of color, this will blend in very nicely because it's so lightweight and does not have a white cast."
"This one has niacinamide and it's also very hydrating, has hyaluronic acids, SPF 50+ and PA4+. I wanted to highlight this because this is for people who only want zinc oxide containing products. There are some patients who are sensitive to chemical UV filters and even chemical UV filters that break down in the sunlight you can become sensitized or have an allergy to those byproducts. So there's some patients who want to get into K Beauty but they're not able to tolerate the UV filters. This is how you can get into the game. It is thicker because it has zinc oxide but they do a great job, it's still very lightweight for a mineral sunscreen. You've got niacinamide and your hyaluronic acid. What I also like is that if you have sensitive skin this has a much shorter ingredient list than the others with a lot of botanical ingredients that you might see in K Beauty. This one they keep it pretty simple and short. It has adenine as well, vitamin E, really nice ingredients but not a lot of extras, which I'm okay with for those who have sensitive skin."
"If I were to go to Paris or Europe in general I would want to get the La Roche-Posay UV Mune 400. This blocks long UVA."
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"This UV Immune 400 filter is special because it blocks long wave UVA. UVA can be blocked by zinc oxide but titanium dioxide is not a very good UVA blocker, especially the longer wavelengths. Zinc oxide will block UVA 1 and 2 well. What we have here is a UV Immune filter that we can only get in Europe. It will block longer wave UV, which will be very good because we want to block those longer wavelengths that go deeper into our skin and can really cause photo aging and even contribute to hyperpigmentation. The European filters, just like in Asia, are superior. We have a limited supply of UV filters in the US, so it's unfortunate that we're lagging with the chemical UV filters. This one is a nice one to consider if you're not going to jump in the pool, but if you want to jump into the water, go with something water resistant. It absorbs very fast."
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"Something I wish we had in the US would be the La Roche-Posay UV Mune 400. This is one of their newer sunscreens. L'Oréal has their own filter that will block long wavelength UVA, which UVA is quite stubborn, right. Thankfully zinc oxide covers UVA better than titanium dioxide by itself, but the long wavelength may not be covered fully a lot of times in your sunscreen. That's a sneaky one, right, that long UVA, because it can really cause hyperpigmentation, especially in skin of color, and really go down into your collagen and disrupt the collagen leading to wrinkly, saggy, crepey skin, which we don't want. Finding a sunscreen that will block long UVA, I really hope the US starts getting better UV filters and a bigger range and selection of UV filters to use."
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"If I were to go to Paris or Europe in general I would want to get the La Roche-Posay UV Mune 400. This blocks long UVA."
"CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion has a thicker texture and SPF 30. It's not water resistant, but it has zinc oxide and chemical UV filters. It has niacinamide, and a lot of my young patients, my young adults or even teen patients do very well with this, especially if they're on prescription acne medications."
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"Their OG SPF 30 AM facial moisturizing lotion is pretty thick for a hybrid sunscreen. So get their AM SPF 50 if it's available."
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"CeraVe AM is a little thick. Our patients might say it's a little sticky. The niacinamide in the AM is nice for those who are acne prone. What I do like about this one is it kind of puts me at that in between level, not too dewy and not totally matte."
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"CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion has a thicker texture and SPF 30. It's not water resistant, but it has zinc oxide and chemical UV filters. It has niacinamide, and a lot of my young patients, my young adults or even teen patients do very well with this, especially if they're on prescription acne medications."
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"I recommend to my patients on a near daily basis"
"The AM facial moisturizing lotion I'd say a little too thick of a consistency for me to recommend it all the time. I think you can find more elegant textures. I think CeraVe could do better on it. The AM has zinc oxide so it's more of a hybrid."
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"You can do the CeraVe AM facial moisturizer with sunscreen in it to seal in that hydration, or a moisturizer with SPF right over to seal in that hydration that the hyaluronic acid did. It just soaked up all that moisture so that is a nice way to reduce the fine lines."
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"CeraVe AM facial moisturizing lotion is a nice OG one. A lot of my patients are on it, especially my acne patients who are using drying acne medications. They do well with the CeraVe AM. This one has niacinamide, the ceramide blend, and hyaluronic acid, so very great and lightweight to layer over your other skincare products. You've got the moisturizer with SPF, this one is SPF 30, and it has zinc oxide with chemical UV filters, so it's a hybrid sunscreen."
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"The CeraVe AM has glycerin, niacinamide and panthenol. It's thicker with zinc oxide and four chemical UV filters. It requires a little bit more muscle or elbow grease to get that blended in, and even after rubbing it in you can still see there's a little bit more of a white cast. As a hybrid sunscreen or moisturizer with SPF you expect a little bit better sophisticated texture."
"This sunscreen goes on really well, it's chemical based and really lightweight. I love this one a lot. It has UV Mune 400, which goes after long UVA wavelengths, so it's covering a broad spectrum UVA UVB but especially the wavelengths that we worry about causing worsening hyperpigmentation. This is a really nice one."
"The Ultra Light is silky, much lighter, just a couple swipes and it disappears, and it has that matte finish too. It's quite different from the AM, much more lightweight texture. I like this one a lot. I actually do prefer this over the AM for myself in the summertime when I will have oilier skin and that shiny forehead look. I will gravitate to this big time. I don't want anything thick. Definitely this is my go-to walking into clinic. When you're indoors and you're not by a window, you can just apply once and that's good for 8 hours of coverage so you don't have to reapply while you're indoors. This is good, just one application before going out the door to go to clinic is what you need to protect yourself and your commute. This one I'd say still has a place in my practice for those kids with acne prone skin or young adults with acne prone skin. Both have their place and they're both similar in price, less than $20. If I were to rate this, I'd say this is an 8.5 out of 10. This has potential to be great and better but still a very good product."
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"CeraVe's ultra light moisturizing lotion SPF 30 is a chemical UV filter combination but you can tell it's very much lightweight. This one rubs in really well, it's way less thick than the AM, and it rubs in very nicely just a couple strokes and it disappears. This one does not have the niacinamide like the AM, though for your everyday sunscreen that you want to apply before going in the office this is great. You want to use enough though, quarter of a teaspoon amount for your face, so just keep that in mind if you want the full SPF 30 coverage. Put an adequate amount of your moisturizer with sunscreen."
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"The Ultra Light is silky, much lighter, just a couple swipes and it disappears, and it has that matte finish too. It's quite different from the AM, much more lightweight texture. I like this one a lot. I actually do prefer this over the AM for myself in the summertime when I will have oilier skin and that shiny forehead look. I will gravitate to this big time. I don't want anything thick. Definitely this is my go-to walking into clinic. When you're indoors and you're not by a window, you can just apply once and that's good for 8 hours of coverage so you don't have to reapply while you're indoors. This is good, just one application before going out the door to go to clinic is what you need to protect yourself and your commute. This one I'd say still has a place in my practice for those kids with acne prone skin or young adults with acne prone skin. Both have their place and they're both similar in price, less than $20. If I were to rate this, I'd say this is an 8.5 out of 10. This has potential to be great and better but still a very good product."
"For beginners, Olay Retinol 24 is a good option to start with when using a retinoid."
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All 24 takes on Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer
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"My favorite so far has been Olay Regenerist Retinol 24. Olay Regenerist has done a great job. It's that iconic purple jar that they actually reformulated and not just changed the jar appearance. It's actually a new formulation with a new triple collagen peptide blend in it that will help boost cellular energy, help with collagen production, and help with cell-to-cell adhesion, and thus make your skin firmer over time. It is quite gentle, has no fragrance, no dyes. It is stable even though it's in a jar. They've actually done studies on stabilization of their retinoid, which is a retinol paired with a retinol propionate, and it actually does penetrate the skin very well over time even though you've opened the jar multiple times for the course of a year or two, the retinol is still good."
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"I have to say this is a big thumbs up here. I got to give this a 9.5 out of 10. Great job, Olay, on updating your formulation, and the jar does look quite luxurious. We still got tolerability, hydration, cost, and you got a boost in anti-aging."
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"Some people are like, 'Oh, the Olay retinol is already so moisturizing itself.' Yes, you might get away with just that alone, but I think a thin layer of moisturizer over it will make me feel better, in terms of preventing you from getting an irritant contact dermatitis."
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"If you're more mature skin I like Olay's retinol because it has peptide that will also help boost collagen as well as niacinamide which will help soothe and repair the skin barrier. It might brighten the skin. So I like Olay a lot."
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"Olay Retinol 24 is nice because it has niacinamide and has peptides. Peptides are great because it's cell signaling and can tell your skin to make more collagen."
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"Another nice option is Olay's retinol. This is quite gentle for beginners. It has niacinamide which brightens the skin, regulates sebum and you have peptides to help boost collagen along with retinol. This one also is fragrance-free and again very gentle for those who are beginners."
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"If that's too harsh this winter you might want to consider something over the counter wise like retinol. You could alter your tretinoin with say Olay Retinol 24. That one is very gentle."
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"I like Olay Retinol 24. Retinol has been shown in studies and definitely evidence backed where you can see it improve collagen production in the dermis. An over-the-counter retinol can still be irritating but less so because less potent."
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"For beginners, Olay Retinol 24 is a good option to start with when using a retinoid."
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"Olay will put it in their retinol 24. It's all great to have niacinamide in low concentrations because in the studies they show that for it to work in regulating sebum, repairing the skin barrier, maybe brightening the skin, it's only four to five percent concentrations."
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"We talk a lot about these really fun products like Olay retinol. There are times when we have trouble with the skin irritation that comes with it."
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"Retinol is strong for helping with fine lines and wrinkles. It's very gentle. You can find it over the counter, so it's very accessible. Olay can range from 0.25% to 1% retinol, which is quite potent in the grand scheme of things. Retinol is your beginner choice for anti-aging. So, you know, late 20s and up, maybe mid-20s."
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"Olay Retinol 24 has niacinamide, peptide complex and your retinol so this is very gentle. Just a pea-size amount is all you need to treat your whole face. It seems like not enough but I promise it's enough. Olay Retinol 24 has made a nice serum. If you have never tried a retinol at all go for something gentler like Olay Retinol 24."
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"Olay has a peptide complex and their peptide actually does help with cell signaling and increasing collagen production. This has the niacinamide and the peptide in it to help. If you're in your mid-30s, 40s and up and you want peptides and retinol, they both work on boosting collagen and you've got your niacinamide to help brighten your skin. So this is a nice one here. Just a small amount goes a long way. If you keep opening up the jar you could oxidize the product and it's less potent over time."
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"I bought the Olay Retinol 24, all great options. Be sure to moisturize after using your retinol. I usually recommend applying that at bedtime because a lot of retinoids are sensitive to sunlight and can become unstable and deactivate in sunlight."
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"Olay Retinol 24 is an over-the-counter option you can get at your local drugstore. It feels so much nicer compared to some other retinols that felt too oily and greasy on my skin."
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"Olay Retinol 24 is another one that we've talked about on the channel quite a bit. These are gentle. I've been using these for quite some time. I like to talk about products with a good track record, works well for those with sensitive skin and you're not going to break the bank when it comes to retinoids."
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"Olay retinol 24 has made a nice retinol. They have the 0.3% or the 1% retinol."
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"I like Olay Regenerist Retinol 24. It has niacinamide to help brighten the skin, helps regulate sebum production, has peptides in it. Peptides we all love because it helps with increasing collagen production, works on fine lines and wrinkles. You got a gentle retinol that's in a nice moisturizing cream. People don't like the jar at times because when you open it you're allowing oxygen to come in contact with the product, which could decrease the potency. And also fingers, so having your dirty fingers go in. Always make sure you wash your hands and you have clean hands before you get that pea-size amount with your fingers."
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"Neutrogena Olay and a ton of other retinols of various strengths that you can consider"
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"There are people like other dermatologists I know who can't ever tolerate a retinoid and they have to do an over-the-counter retinol like Olay Retinol. They have to stick with that, something more gentle, less potent, to tolerate it once a night or every other night."
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"Over the counter retinol, like Olay, is one of my favorites for sure."
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"Olay Retinol 24 has niacinamide in it. You're not missing out on anything if you have some nice niacinamide mixed in. You don't need that dedicated niacinamide serum."
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"The Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 has niacinamide in it and then peptides as well. I love retinols with vitamin B3 in it, niacinamide."
"You can do CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum if you have hyperpigmentation because it has licorice root extract and niacinamide."
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"CeraVe's Resurfacing Retinol Serum. I like this more than the purple air-tight pump. This blue one, much better, especially if you have hyperpigmentation. I had steered patients towards this direction if you have dark spots, melasma, and you want to gently work on those dark spots with a retinol. This one actually is targeting dark spots more effectively with niacinamide, but also licorice root extract. I like the texture of it. This blue one is still one of my favorites. And of course, you get the three essential ceramides in all CeraVe products, which is an essential component of your skin barrier, helps repair the skin barrier. So, for those with sensitive skin, CeraVe's great."
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"CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum has licorice root extract, so if you have hyperpigmentation on your neck that's something you can consider. The retinol is preserved in these biodegradable capsules."
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"Retinol is great, it's a vitamin A derivative. It helps with fine lines and wrinkles, and there's evidence backing this up. I've been using retinol for over 10 years, and it's the best decision I've made for my skin. CeraVe makes two different retinols that are very popular, and I have to say that I like the Resurfacing Retinol Serum more than the Skin Renewing Retinol Serum. The Skin Renewing Retinol Serum is good, it has hyaluronic acid and encapsulated retinol, but I like the licorice root extract in the Resurfacing, and it also has niacinamide, so just having those brightening ingredients is a nice touch. I feel like the texture is better on my skin with this one, so I use this one more often. Use this at bedtime, and only use a pea-size amount for your entire face. Just a pea-size amount, whether you're doing prescription or over the counter. Get that on your fingertip, break it up into dots on your face, connect the dots, and that will be all you need. If you put more than that, you will get a dry, peeling face or even red and swollen."
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"I also like CeraVe's Resurfacing Retinol Serum. I like that more than the renewal, the skin renewing purple one. The blue resurfacing retinol has licorice root extract which is nice in helping with hyperpigmentation and that one's quite affordable. You can find it at Target, your local drugstore, online."
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"If that's too harsh this winter you might want to consider something over the counter like retinol. You could consider CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol if you want to stick with a retinol option."
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"You can do CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum if you have hyperpigmentation because it has licorice root extract and niacinamide."
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"We talk a lot about these really fun products like Olay retinol, rock retinol, CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum. There are times when we have trouble with the skin irritation that comes with it. And we see a lot of TikToks of people having their skin pretty wrecked, irritated, inflamed, peeling, cracked when starting off on a retinol."
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"I like this more than their skin renewing purple serum. I like the texture more in this. If you have hyperpigmentation, go for this because it has licorice root extract and niacinamide, both of those ingredients are great at brightening your skin and reducing dark spots. I feel like this is a great start to the world of retinol. I like this one over the purple."
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"CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum is a gentle over-the-counter option to start off with if you're a beginner, if you have sensitive skin, if you have rosacea. You want to use a small amount, a pea-size amount to your entire face and then moisturize afterwards with your favorite moisturizer."
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"CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum is one I like a lot. It feels nice and elegant, rubs in really well, and doesn't irritate my face. I was starting off on tretinoin, which I know is a little rough because I'd get dry and irritated in the winter time in Boston where it gets really cold, and it was nice to have CeraVe's retinol all during the winter and I could alternate, like one day tretinoin, other day CeraVe."
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"I like the resurfacing Retinol Serum a lot. It has licorice root extract as well as niacinamide, and niacinamide is a jack of all trades that works on sebum but also helps brighten the skin. The licorice root extract in this is good if you have hyperpigmentation because that also works on decreasing melanin production and it helps with brightening your skin. This is a nice lightweight serum, you only need a little bit, a pea-size amount. It's about 20 to 25 bucks for one fluid ounce, which seems pretty standard. It is encapsulated so technically maybe it is photostable, but I always say just in case use your retinoids at bedtime on dry skin. You don't want it to be on damp skin because it will absorb too much and cause irritation."
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"I like it mixed in with my retinol, say CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum. That Retinol Serum is great and it has licorice root extract as well as niacinamide to help brighten the skin."
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"You can see it in Olay's products, CeraVe Resurfacing. Those retinols all have niacinamide which is great to pair with your retinol because niacinamide is brightening. It can regulate sebum production. This vitamin B3 analog can also work on barrier repair."
"For beginners, you can do the Max Hydration if you want something fragrance-free."
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"RoC is the first retinol brand I've ever used when I was a dermatology resident. The left side is a Max Hydration Cream that has no fragrance. This is the first retinol I've ever tried. But now when I try it again, the fragrance is pretty strong."
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"For beginners, you can do the Max Hydration if you want something fragrance-free."
"La Roche-Posay's Retinol B3 with niacinamide's another great serum to consider. It has its famous thermal spring water, which is full of great anti-inflammatory minerals, very soothing for the skin, and also hydrating. So, great for those with rosacea because it has the niacinamide in it, and it has barrier support from the thermal spring water."
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"La Roche-Posay's Retinol B3 with niacinamide's another great serum to consider. It has its famous thermal spring water, which is full of great anti-inflammatory minerals, very soothing for the skin, and also hydrating. So, great for those with rosacea because it has the niacinamide in it, and it has barrier support from the thermal spring water."
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"Over the counter retinol, like La Roche-Posay, is one of my favorites for sure."
"Naturium's done a great job with their retinaldehyde. It has a nice cool yellowish color, and that's actually the color of the retinal. And it's actually hard to formulate retinaldehyde because it's quite unstable. And Naturium's done a great job."
"Maelove Moonlight Super Serum is another retinaldehyde that I like, and that's probably the first retinaldehyde product I've been exposed to, and I love that one. It has a nice cool color, as well, and it's so gentle and hydrating. Maelove has done a great job with their products."
"I've been doing [No7 retinol] or RoC Max Hydration retinol. Those are great to alternate with your prescription, but don't do them in the same day and always moisturize after."
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"I've been doing [No7 retinol] or RoC Max Hydration retinol. Those are great to alternate with your prescription, but don't do them in the same day and always moisturize after."
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"I like number seven. Number seven's at Target. That's a great nice brand that has a 0.3% retinol."
"Over the counter retinol, like CeraVe, is one of my favorites for sure."
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"They've done a great job with the retinol. For myself personally, especially in the winter time when things start to get dry and sensitive on the face, I'm going to use a retinol. If you have some hyperpigmentation and you want to help with those dark spots and fine lines and wrinkles in your mid-20s and up, CeraVe is a nice gentle option with licorice root extract. You've got niacinamide in this, and it's very affordable."
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"Over the counter retinol, like CeraVe, is one of my favorites for sure."
"I've been using Aveeno Retinol recently, which is a retinaldehyde. Retinaldehyde is more potent because it only requires one conversion step to become retinoic acid and then binds to the nuclear receptors."
"If you're not pregnant, my favorite step is a retinoid. You can use over-the-counter Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1%. If you have acne, I don't think that's the best for fine lines and wrinkles."
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"If you want to go with an over-the-counter option, Differin Adapalene 0.1% gel is where it's at. It comes in 15 G or 45 G tubes, go with the 45 G tube because for it to do its full effect it takes about 2 to 3 months when it comes to acne, when it comes to hyperpigmentation and wrinkles takes four to 6 months, so you want to stay with it. So get the bigger size and it's much more economical that way."
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"If you're not pregnant, my favorite step is a retinoid. You can use over-the-counter Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1%. If you have acne, I don't think that's the best for fine lines and wrinkles."
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"Adapalene is probably the best over-the-counter retinoid you can use to clear out your pores. I'm still not convinced it works well on wrinkles. It might, but we need more studies around that. Get the 0.1% gel and stay with it at bedtime."
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"If you have acne I would say go for adapalene. Don't go wasting your time with retinol or retinaldehyde over the counter. I believe adapalene is the best at treating acne. If you have mild acne you can start off with the over-the-counter option of Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1%. Get the 45 g tube and not the 15 g tube because it takes 2 to 3 months of consistent use before you see improvement. Apply a pea-sized amount to your entire face. You're not spot treating it to every single pimple on your face; you're treating the entire face because one it's preventing acne from forming and two it's treating the active lesions there. It'll help with whiteheads, blackheads, and inflamed papules and pustules, but prevent as well. If you have acne go for that instead of trying to rely on your retinol. It's probably not nearly as good for acne as adapalene."
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"If you are in the United States and have mild acne, congested pores, whiteheads, blackheads, adapalene 0.1% by Differin is a good start for that."
"I've talked about this a lot on the channel and what I like about it is that it's affordable. Costco have a great deal, a two for one deal at times. It has niacinamide in addition to its retinol complex, which is retinyl and retinol, and you have those two nice retinols put together. It's very tolerable, very gentle if you have sensitive skin. Retinol is a vitamin A derivative that will help increase collagen production, but this also has peptides in it to help boost collagen production as well. So you have a peptide complex and niacinamide, which is a vitamin B3 analog that will brighten the skin, help regulate sebum production, and it also helps with repairing the skin barrier. Instead of having a niacinamide serum that's 10% that's way too high, I like to have niacinamide mixed into my skincare products. This is something you'd use at bedtime just a pea-sized amount. If you have dry skin, definitely moisturize over the retinol."
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"I've talked about this a lot on the channel and what I like about it is that it's affordable. Costco have a great deal, a two for one deal at times. It has niacinamide in addition to its retinol complex, which is retinyl and retinol, and you have those two nice retinols put together. It's very tolerable, very gentle if you have sensitive skin. Retinol is a vitamin A derivative that will help increase collagen production, but this also has peptides in it to help boost collagen production as well. So you have a peptide complex and niacinamide, which is a vitamin B3 analog that will brighten the skin, help regulate sebum production, and it also helps with repairing the skin barrier. Instead of having a niacinamide serum that's 10% that's way too high, I like to have niacinamide mixed into my skincare products. This is something you'd use at bedtime just a pea-sized amount. If you have dry skin, definitely moisturize over the retinol."
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"What I like about it is that it's affordable, Costco have a great deal, a two for one deal at times. It has niacinamide in addition to its retinol complex which is retinyl and retinol, and you have those two nice retinols put together. It's very tolerable, very gentle if you have sensitive skin. Why we love retinol is it's a vitamin A derivative that will help increase collagen production, but this also has peptides in it to help boost collagen production as well, so you have a peptide complex. Niacinamide is a vitamin B3 analog that will brighten the skin, help regulate sebum production, and it also helps with repairing the skin barrier. Use just a pea-sized amount at bedtime, and if you have dry skin, definitely moisturize over the retinol."
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"Olay Retinol 24 Plus Peptide is a gentle over-the-counter option to start off with if you're a beginner, have sensitive skin, or have rosacea."
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"Things with niacinamide in it would be Olay Retinol 24 Plus Peptide, which has a peptide complex. It's a great option for you if you're looking for a nice serum, and it's in a dropper bottle."
"For those with sensitive skin and you really want good evidence-based ingredients to help with fine lines and wrinkles, say you're in your late 20s and up, I would probably still go with the Olay Retinol 24. This one still wins in my book. No fragrance, no sting, rubs in well. My skin feels nice and smooth because I think Olay has nailed their serum game in terms of texture and finish. It has niacinamide, which is great for regulating sebum production and help brightening the skin. The retinoid complex has retinol and retinyl propionate, which we know works well on collagen production. So I'd say this one I would use more reliably. Always follow up with a moisturizer after your Retinol 24."
"Neutrogena is starting to disclose their retinol. There's also number seven we talked about on the channel that goes up to 1% pure retinol and skin suiticles has a 1% retinol. So those things you can look into for increasing the retinol game."
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"retinol as you guys know is vitamin A derivative cream it's great I love different retinols I've talked about on the channel where there's the Neutrogena Retinol Pro Plus Resurfacing Retinol Serum, Alpharet by SkinBetter Science, you name it right so I am all about the retinol. Just a pea size amount to your entire face and then moisturize."
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"Neutrogena is starting to disclose their retinol. There's also number seven we talked about on the channel that goes up to 1% pure retinol and skin suiticles has a 1% retinol. So those things you can look into for increasing the retinol game."
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"Neutrogena's made a nice retinol Pro Plus that discloses the percentage of retinol. I usually say go for .25% and up retinol, but they don't talk about what percentage they're giving you. I like that Neutrogena has made a nice new retinol that will disclose at 0.3%. That's a good big thumbs up. If you're in your 30s and up, go for Neutrogena either their regular OG Rapid Wrinkle Repair or if you want to go for their newer retinol Pro Plus, especially if you have tried their original Rapid Wrinkle Repair and tolerated it, go for the higher one and see if you like it. I've actually enjoyed using that product. I just want to give a shout out to Neutrogena for disclosing their percentage of retinol."
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"Neutrogena came out with serums oils and creams. Their retinol oil has disclosed 0.3% strength and their serums have 0.5% in strength. They also disclose the strength of their retinol if you buy the Pro Plus. I would not layer those. I would not layer an oil, the serum with the cream. I would just stick to one."
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"Neutrogena Olay and a ton of other retinols of various strengths that you can consider"
"Another great option that I've really enjoyed is Neutrogena's Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol. It comes in fragrance or non-fragrance and it's very affordable. And they've even come with the Retinol Plus line that discloses the retinol, whether it's a serum or the cream. So good job to Neutrogena for getting into the disclosure game and telling us what percent retinol you have in your products."
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All 4 takes on Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Moisturizer
"Neutrogena's Rapid Wrinkle Repair, this is the OG that I'm most used to and you can either get it fragrance free or fragrance, this one's a fragrance free version very affordable, 30 something bucks. For a retinol this anti-aging you're going to pay a little bit more for it. We love retinols because it will increase collagen production especially if you use it for over 4 to 6 months consistently every night. I like to use it and then apply a moisturizer if you're very dry, but these are so gentle and moisturizing a lot of times you don't have to put another moisturizer over it unless you're very dry and you get irritation."
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"If you're in your 30s and up consider Neutrogena's Rapid Wrinkle Repair. They've actually made a nice retinol Pro Plus that discloses the percentage of retinol. I usually say go for 0.25% and up, and Neutrogena has made a nice new retinol that discloses at 0.3%. I'm actually going to say that's a good big thumbs up. If you're in your 30s and up go for Neutrogena either their regular OG Rapid Wrinkle Repair or if you want to go for their newer retinol Pro Plus, especially if you have tried and tolerated their original Rapid Wrinkle Repair, go for the higher one and see if you like it. I've actually enjoyed using that product. Just a shout out to Neutrogena for disclosing their percentage of retinol."
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"Neutrogena makes a nice one, the Rapid Wrinkle Repair."
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"Another great option that I've really enjoyed is Neutrogena's Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol. It comes in fragrance or non-fragrance and it's very affordable. And they've even come with the Retinol Plus line that discloses the retinol, whether it's a serum or the cream. So good job to Neutrogena for getting into the disclosure game and telling us what percent retinol you have in your products."
"Rock was the first retinol that I ever tried and it's very affordable with no fragrance. They've done a great job with the retinol. I've enjoyed alternating retinol with my prescription tretinoin, and for myself personally, especially in the winter time when things start to get dry and sensitive on the face, I'm going to use a retinol. Rock has always been one of my favorite OGs in my routine."
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All 6 takes on Retinol Capsules
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"Their capsules are these biodegradable caps that are dosed for your face and neck. I like to travel with it, that jar is quite durable and I just throw it into my luggage or carry-on, quite small. Twist off the top for the serum and then apply it to your face and then it's ready to go. RoC's a great option for beginners, it's not very irritating, a lot of my patients can tolerate it well."
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"RoC's a great option for beginners because it's not very irritating and a lot of my patients can tolerate it well. The capsules are biodegradable and dosed for your face and neck, which is nice for travel. The jar is quite durable and small, and you just twist off the top for the serum and apply it to your face. RoC is around $35 to $40 and that can last you a while because you're just using a very small amount of the product for it to work."
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"Each capsule is biodegradable. You just tear the top off and squirt that retinol serum into your palm and that's good to go. You can bring it down to your neck even, so you would apply it to your face and neck. It's dosed appropriately for those areas and put your moisturizer on and you're good to go to sleep after that. This has been really nice for travel, so giving you some options that you can get at your local drugstore if you're traveling. You forgot your retinol, go ahead and grab that at the Target or wherever you are at the moment. A little goes a long way, so you're not going to the store and buying it frequently."
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"Rock makes a really nice one where it's very portable. I like their retinol capsules too."
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"RoC, not as expensive as Kiehl's, but I've been using RoC the longest. This is the first retinol I've ever tried as a dermatology resident at Harvard. A nice convenient pump as well. The one in the tube is pretty heavily fragrant, the one in the jar has no fragrance, this one has a little bit of a scent to it, very nice. RoC is just reliable. A lot of my patients use it, and I like the capsules for traveling. If you're a guy and you're willing to open up a capsule and squirt on your hand, get on your face and your neck, it's all dose appropriately for your face and neck. Very convenient retinol capsule, and then you throw away the capsules, they're biodegradable, so it's pretty simple."
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"Rock was the first retinol that I ever tried and it's very affordable with no fragrance. They've done a great job with the retinol. I've enjoyed alternating retinol with my prescription tretinoin, and for myself personally, especially in the winter time when things start to get dry and sensitive on the face, I'm going to use a retinol. Rock has always been one of my favorite OGs in my routine."
"Works better on acne than retinol even though they're both vitamin A derivatives. This newer synthetic adapalene actually works better on the receptors that control acne inflammation and the sebum or the pore lining. It keeps the pores clean more effectively than retinol. I would not layer adapalene with retinol. You can have adapalene and retinol but I would alternate them by the day. Use one night adapalene, a pea-size amount to the entire face, and then the next day you can do your retinol. Don't double up and do it either twice a day of the same product or layer the two. You're just going to run into trouble and cause a bad contact dermatitis."
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All 2 takes on Adapalene Gel
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"I'm going to use the Adapalene from La Roche-Posay. You get a pea-size amount of your retinoid, dab it on the back of your hand, and then start making your dots. I always start at the forehead, the cheeks, the nose for sure, you do not want to forget, and then you can lighten up around the mouth where yes you could have acne here but this is very sensitive skin. Then you can also bring it down to your neck. You can spread the love down to the neck, the chest, and then rub the excess to the back of your hands, bring it down to your forearms, and then connect the dots on your face. You don't have to break these up and do it different times of the day, just do it all when you're about to go to bed."
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"Works better on acne than retinol even though they're both vitamin A derivatives. This newer synthetic adapalene actually works better on the receptors that control acne inflammation and the sebum or the pore lining. It keeps the pores clean more effectively than retinol. I would not layer adapalene with retinol. You can have adapalene and retinol but I would alternate them by the day. Use one night adapalene, a pea-size amount to the entire face, and then the next day you can do your retinol. Don't double up and do it either twice a day of the same product or layer the two. You're just going to run into trouble and cause a bad contact dermatitis."
"The CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum is good, it has the hyaluronic acid and encapsulated retinol, but I like the resurfacing Retinol Serum more than the skin renewing one. I feel like the texture is better on my skin with the resurfacing one, so I use that one more often than this one. You only need a pea-size amount for your entire face, so just a pump on your fingertip, break it up into dots on your face, connect the dots, and that will be all you need. If you put more than that you will get a dry peeling face or even red and swollen, so really be careful. After applying, apply your moisturizing lotion."
"If you're a teenager you don't need Drunk Elephant's retinol unless you see a dermatologist and you have acne and there are better acne medications than Drunk Elephant's retinol."
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All 2 takes on A-Passioni Retinol Cream
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"If you're a teenager you don't need Drunk Elephant's retinol unless you see a dermatologist and you have acne and there are better acne medications than Drunk Elephant's retinol."
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"Retinol is great for anti-aging. It helps with fine lines and wrinkles by increasing collagen production, helps keep your pores clear, and it helps with hyperpigmentation by increasing cell turnover."
"I'll do that at night, say CeraVe's benzoyl peroxide cleanser, I'll do that at night, rinse off, pat dry, wait a few minutes or even an hour, and then apply your retinoid. That's okay."
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All 2 takes on Benzoyl Peroxide Cleanser
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"I'll do that at night, say CeraVe's benzoyl peroxide cleanser, I'll do that at night, rinse off, pat dry, wait a few minutes or even an hour, and then apply your retinoid. That's okay."
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"CeraVe makes a nice one that's four percent and they recently made a 10 percent benzoyl peroxide cleanser. I like benzoyl peroxide because it mildly exfoliates and its antimicrobial kills the bacteria that causes acne. If you're on topical prescription antibiotics this will prevent or decrease the chances of you getting bacterial resistance. Be sure to wash off benzoyl peroxide well because it will bleach your clothes and towels."
"I recommend keeping your pores clear with a nice exfoliating cleanser without beads, something with salicylic acid, whether it's Cetaphil's gentle exfoliating SA cleanser or CeraVe's acne control cleanser. And then you can consider benzoyl peroxide, but don't use both ingredients salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide in the same day. Those are great cleansers to alternate by the day to help exfoliate and keep your pores clear without destroying your skin's moisture barrier."
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All 4 takes on Acne Control Cleanser
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"I recommend keeping your pores clear with a nice exfoliating cleanser without beads, something with salicylic acid, whether it's Cetaphil's gentle exfoliating SA cleanser or CeraVe's acne control cleanser. And then you can consider benzoyl peroxide, but don't use both ingredients salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide in the same day. Those are great cleansers to alternate by the day to help exfoliate and keep your pores clear without destroying your skin's moisture barrier."
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"CeraVe's Acne Control Cleanser, which is two percent salicylic acid, is nice. Beta hydroxy acids are oil soluble, so they go down into the pore and clean out pores very well."
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"The newer one that came out for very oily skin is their acne control cleanser with hectorite clay and niacinamide. The hectorite clay will help absorb the excess sebum and oil on your face and wash it all away. This is a two percent salicylic acid cleanser."
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"Use an exfoliating cleanser with salicylic acid, say CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser or the Luros Effaclar would be a nice option, and then apply your retinoid whether it's prescription tretinoin, over-the-counter retinol or adapalene, and then apply your moisturizer. Always apply a moisturizer after your retinoid."
"You can use an exfoliating cleanser with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, whether it's CeraVe's salicylic acid cleanser or Cetaphil's gentle exfoliating cleanser. Those are great."
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"You can use an exfoliating cleanser with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, whether it's CeraVe's salicylic acid cleanser or Cetaphil's gentle exfoliating cleanser. Those are great."
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"I'm a big fan of their salicylic acid cleanser. Great at the end of the day to help clean out your pores."
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"Salicylic acid is oil soluble, goes down into the pore and it cleans it out. I love salicylic acid at the end of the day or after working out because it really is a nice cleanser for your face and your body. If you struggle with body acne, salicylic acid is great. The CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser is a great option. I've been using this one more recently, very nice to have in the shower."
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"The CeraVe SA cleanser is great, salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid that is oil soluble, goes into your pores and cleans it out, so you can do that for any blackheads on the nose."
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"CeraVe makes an SA cleanser. They also have another acne cleanser that came out more recently that's really nice."
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"CeraVe SA Cleanser with vitamin D has salicylic acid and also has ceramides, so this is a nice cleanser. This is a two percent salicylic acid cleanser."
"Your core four framework should include one cleanser, just one gentle cleanser. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is great for those with dry, sensitive skin. Use that morning and night. Your nighttime cleanse is your most important, to wash off makeup, sunscreen, debris, all of the pollutants on your skin at the end of the day. In the morning, if you feel like you need to wash your face after having your face smooshed up against a pillow, if you're feeling oily or your pores are clogged, go ahead and wash your face in the morning."
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"I love Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. It has niacinamide, panthenol, and glycerin -- great ingredients to help support the skin barrier but also hydrate the skin with glycerin. Cetaphil is owned by Galderma, and Galderma has done multiple studies using Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser and they've found that it helps with removing debris and pollutants off of the skin very effectively, either with water or even without water. So you don't have to use water to activate this. If you're out camping and you don't have a clean source of water, you can just pump out some of this product, lather it up onto your face, and then use a clean towel to wipe it off. That's enough to remove particles and debris off of the skin without water. It won't strip your skin barrier, and I love this for my patients with sensitive skin."
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"Your core four framework should include one cleanser, just one gentle cleanser. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is great for those with dry, sensitive skin. Use that morning and night. Your nighttime cleanse is your most important, to wash off makeup, sunscreen, debris, all of the pollutants on your skin at the end of the day. In the morning, if you feel like you need to wash your face after having your face smooshed up against a pillow, if you're feeling oily or your pores are clogged, go ahead and wash your face in the morning."
"If you have dry skin, go for the gentle skin cleanser by Cetaphil. This foams up really nicely. So when you shave, it's kind of like a two in one there. It's like a shaving foam shaving gel. Plus it cleanses your face in the morning, especially in the summer time when I wake up and my face is feeling a little bit more oily. And you want to get a good cleanse in the morning. Go ahead and use this."
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"I would get the gentle skin cleanser by Cetaphil. Great for all skin types, especially if you have dry, sensitive skin. This is also a great cleanser for camping because you actually don't need water for it to work. You can just lather it up onto your face and then get a clean towel and wipe it off."
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"This is a nice one where it becomes a gel to foam texture when you cleanse. It has glycerin, vitamin B5 or panthenol, and niacinamide. Big thumbs up for Cetaphil. If you're feeling kind of dry in the morning because you are starting an acne regimen, you can consider Cetaphil's Gentle Skin Cleanser if you're getting dry from your acne treatments."
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"Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is one of my essential cleansers at home, and also for my patients with dry, sensitive skin."
"Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is still out there and still amazing, still works really well for my patients who are acne prone or they're acne prone oily but they're also dry because of the acne medications I'm giving them. They do very well with that gentle skin cleanser with the panthenol, niacinamide, and glycerin. That one is probably one of my favorite Cetaphil products."
"Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is still out there and still amazing, still works really well for my patients who are acne prone or they're acne prone oily but they're also dry because of the acne medications I'm giving them. They do very well with that gentle skin cleanser with the panthenol, niacinamide, and glycerin. That one is probably one of my favorite Cetaphil products."
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"One of my favorite cleansers out there that's so gentle you actually have it as an effective facial cleanser without even using water. So it's a really nice one to have and Costco carries the gentle skin cleanser by Cetaphil."
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"My favorite cleanser for dry skin would be the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. This one uses micelle technology to really trap in the oil, the dirt, the makeup and wash it away with the hydrophilic heads on the outside of the micelle, and the water will just wash away all of that debris. The Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is the one you want. It has no fragrance, it has the glycerin, the niacinamide, and the panthenol, all the great ingredients."
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"If you are in doubt, use a gentle facial cleanser as a body wash. You can use Cetaphil's gentle skin cleanser. All great options for the body and the folds. If you don't want to irritate your skin."
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"I have been recommending the most to my patients. It's great for those with sensitive skin and works really well for those who are getting dry skin with acne medications I prescribed or if you're using an over-the-counter retinol and you're getting dry skin. This is perfect for those with dry sensitive skin. I would say the gentle skin cleanser is great for winter time when it's cold. This one uses micelle technology to remove the debris. We always want to be gentle with our cleansing, we want to remove the bad, like debris, trap sebum."
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"Whether it's Cetaphil cavey I like the luros pl coplas bomb B5"
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"If you have dry sensitive skin check out the gentle skin cleanser. This is one of the most popular cleansers in my practice because it works well for my patients on prescription topical medicines if they have acne. These cleansers are just 12 to 13 dollars each. They have niacinamide, glycerin, and panthenol."
"Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash is so affordable, a little goes a long way, and also great for kiddos. This one is fragrance-free and Aveeno is known for their oat technology which is soothing for those with eczema skin that's inflamed."
"You can use CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser as a body wash. It's a great option for the body and the folds if you don't want to irritate your skin."
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All 15 takes on Hydrating Facial Cleanser
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"CeraVe's hydrating facial cleanser is a good option if you're feeling dry in the morning because you are starting an acne regimen. These are better for you if you're getting dry from your acne treatments."
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"If you have dry sensitive skin, I also like CeraVe's Hydrating Facial Cleanser. This one has niacinamide and ceramide. Ceramide is helpful in maintaining and repairing your skin barrier, and niacinamide in small concentrations is known to help with the skin barrier, help with inflammation, help regulate sebum production. So I love it in my cleansers. Your CeraVe won't have the little extras there, but if you want to boost, you can go for this one."
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"Something for sensitive skin I recommend is Cutapil's gentle skin cleanser. Awesome uh to have nioinamide, glycerin, panthanol all in your cleanser."
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"If you have a dry sensitive skin type then the CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser is preferred. This is so gentle that I use this for my kids as well as a body wash because they have dry skin, so you can keep that in the shower as well to wash the face and your body if you struggle with say eczema or atopic dermatitis."
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"You could use CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser if you're very dry."
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"If you have dry skin you can use CeraVe's Hydrating Cleanser."
"If you have dry sensitive skin, you want to go for a gentle cleanser like CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser. The green one is quite nice, it's gentle, it's very good if you have dry skin. You can even use that cleanser as a body wash. Get the value size and that one's a really nice one."
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"You can use a gentle cleanser like CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser. It's so gentle you actually have it as an effective facial cleanser without even using water. So it's a really nice one to have."
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"It could be CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser. It could even be their cream to foam cleanser, which is great at removing makeup as well. So, you could consider that as a second step to the double cleanse."
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"I prefer the CeraVe hydrating cleanser over the foaming especially in the winter because that's more for dry sensitive skin. Foaming is more for picking up excess oils."
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"The CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser is really nice, that green bottle that you see at the store. That one's good for dry sensitive skin. It can come in a big bottle where you can even use it as a body wash in the winter time if your soap is too harsh. You don't want to bust out harsh bar soap in the winter time if you have dry skin because that densely fragrant bar soap will really dry your skin out."
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"In the morning you can do something gentle like a gentle cleanser like CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser. If you have oily skin do their foaming cleanser."
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"You can use CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser as a body wash. It's a great option for the body and the folds if you don't want to irritate your skin."
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"CeraVe's gentle facial cleanser is so gentle that when my kids were babies I actually used this as their body wash. This is great to use morning and night. CeraVe is free of dyes, fragrance, lanoline, and parabens. It's free of formaldehyde releasers. This is a very effective cleanser that will cleanse your face well if you have dry skin, oily skin, or combination skin, and it won't strip your skin of its natural oils. It's not meant for makeup removal, but it is quite good as just a standard basic cleanser."
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"If you have dry sensitive skin get the hydrating facial cleanser. This is one of the most popular cleansers in my practice because it works well for my patients on prescription topical medicines if they have acne. These cleansers have niacinamide glycerin and panthenol and they're just 12 to 13 each."
"If you are in doubt, use a gentle facial cleanser as a body wash. You can use Vanicream's facial cleanser. All great options for the body and the folds. If you don't want to irritate your skin, that's a great option."
"The foam is really nice in picking up excess oil. If you have kids and you want them to use a cleanser to wash their face after sports, I like Vanicream. Vanicream is just a great line for those with sensitive skin. I've used this from my kids when they were babies and I had to bathe them in the bathtub and the little bath insert, I would use Vanicream's facial cleanser as the body wash. This is just such a great brand if you have sensitivities to different ingredients, say fragrance or lanolin. I don't like to demonize those ingredients, but avoid it if you have a true sensitivity or an allergy to those ingredients."
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"I like Vanicream's cleanser, very gentle."
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"Basic things like Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser once a day just to wash your face."
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"If you are in doubt, use a gentle facial cleanser as a body wash. You can use Vanicream's facial cleanser. All great options for the body and the folds. If you don't want to irritate your skin, that's a great option."
"La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser has niacinamide in it, which is great because niacinamide is brightening, can regulate sebum production, and can work on barrier repair."
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"A little goes a long way. Use warm water in the morning and get it to foam up really nicely, and then you can use it as a shaving prep and you can shave with all that foam on the face, and then it cleanses your face. Use cool water to rinse off, and you can also use it in the afternoon or in the evening as your evening cleanse. This has niacinamide, the thermal spring water, it has ceramide 3 in it, so helps repair the skin barrier. I've been using this for over four years, one of my favorite cleansers of all time."
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"The L Roche-Posay Toleriane purifying foaming cleanser is a niacinamide containing cleanser that's very nice for those with oily skin to combination skin in the morning."
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"If you have oily skin, go for La Roche-Posay's Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser. I like La Roche-Posay's Purifying Foaming Cleanser and I lather it up and then I use a razor to shave."
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"La Roche-Posay's foaming cleanser has niacinamide in it, which helps brighten the skin but also helps regulate sebum production. So when I recommend something for my patients with acne, I want niacinamide a lot of times so that doesn't clog up the pores and it keeps the oil down. This is good for combination skin if you have an oily T-Zone like myself, oily here on the forehead, the nose, the chin, drying the cheekbones."
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"The La Roche-Posay Purifying Foaming Cleanser is great for people with oily to combination skin."
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"You find your cleansers like La Roche-Posay's Toleriane purifying foaming cleanser and your moisturizers like La Roche-Posay their matte moisturizer. Very nice that has niacinamide."
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"The purifying foaming cleanser by La Roche-Posay is great for combination to oily skin. A little goes a long way. It has niacinamide and ceramide. It's very gentle for sensitive skin."
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"La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser, which I love. It's one of my favorite cleansers of all time and I've used that the longest. It foams up really nicely and works well when I have to shave. I get it all lathered up and I use it as like a shaving gel. So it's a nice gentle cleanser that just a little goes a long way and that bottle will last you a long time."
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"I like it in my cleansers like the La Roche-Posay Purifying Foaming Cleanser has niacinamide."
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"La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser has niacinamide in it, which is great because niacinamide is brightening, can regulate sebum production, and can work on barrier repair."
"A good example of a foaming cleanser that would work well with niacinamide would be CeraVe Foaming Cleanser. It's a nice gentle cleanser that just a little goes a long way and that bottle will last you a long time."
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"CeraVe Foaming Cleanser is a nice one. Foam picks up excess oil very well. I like this one a lot because it has niacinamide."
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"I like to use a foaming cleanser in the morning. The CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser is like 15 bucks at the store, lasts forever, and you can use it as a body wash too."
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"This is so gentle that I use this for my kids as a body wash because they have dry skin. Foam is really effective at picking up excess oil, so if you have an oily skin type, consider that one in the morning or at night. You have amino acids to help with the cleansing, and for people who wear makeup, you can also use this to remove makeup as well. If you have an oily skin type, I would give my patients with oily skin this foaming facial cleanser."
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"If you have oily to combination skin use their foaming cleanser. CeraVe makes a good foaming facial cleanser and it's great for people with oily to combination skin."
"If you have oily skin, another cleanser to consider would be CeraVe's foaming cleanser. Foam is really nice in picking up excess oil."
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"A good example of a foaming cleanser that would work well with niacinamide would be CeraVe Foaming Cleanser. It's a nice gentle cleanser that just a little goes a long way and that bottle will last you a long time."
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"CeraVe foaming cleanser is a great one for oily skin. It has amino acid technology plus hyaluronic acid and ceramides, and it has niacinamide, which is vitamin B3 because it helps regulate sebum production. So great way to start off the morning if you have really oily skin in the summertime."
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"CeraVe's foaming facial cleanser is great if you have combination to oily skin. If you're able to get the value size do it because it lasts forever, a little goes a long way. If you are shaving you can use this before your shave, the foam is like a nice shaving gel. It has niacinamide, glycerin, and panthenol, and it's a tried and true product."
"It could be their cream to foam cleanser, which is great at removing makeup as well."
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"Get a cleanser that's versatile. I like CeraVe's Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser, great for removing makeup and also washing your face. If you have combination skin, dry skin, just a great in-between cleanser for those who have combination skin, meaning oily T-Zone and dry cheeks. I've really liked the CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser. The larger size is 12 fluid ounces and will last you a long time. Use this morning and night."
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"I like to use the hydrating cream to foam cleanser because I have combination skin and it feels like a nice balance there. You have amino acids to help with the cleansing. It's a nice go-to cleanser and for people who wear makeup can also use this to remove makeup as well."
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"If you have makeup, sunscreen, and you don't really want those actives because you're sensitive or you're allergic to them, CeraVe's Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser is a nice option at the end of the day."
"If you have combination skin, CeraVe makes a nice cream to foam cleanser that removes makeup well. If you have that oily plus dry skin combination where you're oily in the T-Zone and dry in the cheeks, definitely consider their hydrating cream to foam cleanser."
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"It could be their cream to foam cleanser, which is great at removing makeup as well."
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"Their hydrating cream to foam cleanser is really nice for combination skin like myself where you have an oily T-Zone and dry cheeks."
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"The CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser is known to remove oil and makeup very well. It's your water-based cleanser after your oil-based cleanser or micellar water."
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"CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser is a good one for oily skin or combination skin. It has amino acid technology plus hyaluronic acid and ceramides. It also has niacinamide, which is vitamin B3 because it helps regulate sebum production, so I like niacinamide in my skincare products. It's a great way to start off the morning if you have really oily skin in the summertime."
"Cetaphil has been one of my favorite newer finds with salicylic acid."
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"Cetaphil's new salicylic acid cleanser is really nice. I've used this recently. This one has salicylic acid and mandelic acid and gluconolactone, which is a PHA, so there's a nice acid blend here that you can consider as well."
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"Cetaphil has been one of my favorite newer finds with salicylic acid."
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"This is a Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating Salicylic Acid Cleanser, brand new, started to use it, very nice. So you have a nice blend of gentle exfoliants you have mandelic acid, you have the polyhydroxy acid and the salicylic acid all working together to help retexture and smooth out the skin and clean out your pores. So this is really nice. And Cetaphil is just great, you know, for sensitive skin. They've been around for a long time, tried and true brand that works really well, and they do extra testing making sure that it is good for sensitive skin."
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"Cetaphil has done a great job with their salicylic acid cleansers."
"La Roche-Posay's hydrating cleanser has niacinamide in it. The hydrating cleanser is more for dry skin types and has nice niacinamide in it, so I appreciate products with it mixed in."
"This is the newest Cetaphil Hydrating Foaming Cream Cleanser, and it's great for those with dry sensitive skin. This one I say is probably better at removing makeup, and they use amino acid technology different from what we saw in the gentle skin cleanser. This is a newer one where you get this foamy creamy texture that's very hydrating. Usually we think of foaming cleansers as better for oily skin, but the foam here is actually okay for those with dry skin because they're using amino acid technology. So if you have makeup or water resistant sunscreen, you can consider this one. It still has glycerin, vitamin B3, and vitamin B5, but it also has prebiotic aloe which is very soothing. I really like that they came out with this nice cleanser, and a lot of my patients enjoy it."
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"This is the newest Cetaphil Hydrating Foaming Cream Cleanser, and it's great for those with dry sensitive skin. This one I say is probably better at removing makeup, and they use amino acid technology different from what we saw in the gentle skin cleanser. This is a newer one where you get this foamy creamy texture that's very hydrating. Usually we think of foaming cleansers as better for oily skin, but the foam here is actually okay for those with dry skin because they're using amino acid technology. So if you have makeup or water resistant sunscreen, you can consider this one. It still has glycerin, vitamin B3, and vitamin B5, but it also has prebiotic aloe which is very soothing. I really like that they came out with this nice cleanser, and a lot of my patients enjoy it."
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"This one has the glycerin, vitamin B3, and vitamin B5, but it also has the prebiotic aloe which is very soothing. I really like that they came out with this nice cleanser. A lot of my patients enjoy it and other dermatologists I talk to like this new one."
"This is a gel cleanser that turns into a low lather when activated by water. It has the three essential ingredients glycerin, vitamin B5, and niacinamide, and it's just great for those with oily skin. I like to use this in the summertime. I just used this the other day to cleanse my face in the morning before shaving, and you can end your day with this as well. They noted fragrance free. The original Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser had masking fragrance in the ingredients, so it wasn't truly fragrance-free but you could say maybe it was unscented. Some people like that smell, and if they want to stay with the original regular Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser, from my understanding Galderma is not pulling that off the shelves. They're going to keep it going with the original fragrance or scented version of this, but they'll also have the fragrance-free version for those who have a known sensitivity to fragrance or don't want the smell."
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"The daily facial cleanser by Cetaphil is a nice one where it becomes a gel to foam texture when you cleanse. It has glycerin, vitamin B5 or panthenol, and it also has niacinamide, so big thumbs up for the Cetaphil if you're feeling kind of oily skin in the morning. It's good for oily sensitive skin."
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"This is a gel cleanser that turns into a low lather when activated by water. It has the three essential ingredients glycerin, vitamin B5, and niacinamide, and it's just great for those with oily skin. I like to use this in the summertime. I just used this the other day to cleanse my face in the morning before shaving, and you can end your day with this as well. They noted fragrance free. The original Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser had masking fragrance in the ingredients, so it wasn't truly fragrance-free but you could say maybe it was unscented. Some people like that smell, and if they want to stay with the original regular Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser, from my understanding Galderma is not pulling that off the shelves. They're going to keep it going with the original fragrance or scented version of this, but they'll also have the fragrance-free version for those who have a known sensitivity to fragrance or don't want the smell."
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"Cetaphil is a great brand. The daily facial cleanser is more for combination to oily skin and this is a gel to foaming cleanser. They have niacinamide, glycerin, and panthenol. These are tried and true products, just 12 to 13 dollars each."
"This one unfortunately made my face feel squeaky clean for the last few times I've used it. I bought this over a month ago and I did not like it. It was just way too drying. It felt too tight on my face afterwards. I have combination skin, and it was just not good for my skin. It does have soothing ingredients like aloe, it has glycerin which is hydrating, it has lavender and spearmint leaf. I take caution in brands that really push botanical ingredients. All natural does not mean all safe."
"Benzoyl peroxide here, Panoxyl has a 10 percent benzoyl peroxide. I like benzoyl peroxide because it mildly exfoliates and it's antimicrobial, kills the bacteria that causes acne. If you're on topical prescription antibiotics, this will prevent or decrease the chances of you getting bacterial resistance. Be sure to wash off benzoyl peroxide well because it will bleach your clothes and towels."
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"Check out their four percent benzoyl peroxide cleanser that's also a really good one. I'll alternate between using this one and the benzoyl peroxide cleanser. Just keep in mind though, wash it off completely because if you have any residue on your skin and you apply a shirt or you wipe away with a towel you will bleach your towels, your linens, your clothes."
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"Benzoyl peroxide here, Panoxyl has a 10 percent benzoyl peroxide. I like benzoyl peroxide because it mildly exfoliates and it's antimicrobial, kills the bacteria that causes acne. If you're on topical prescription antibiotics, this will prevent or decrease the chances of you getting bacterial resistance. Be sure to wash off benzoyl peroxide well because it will bleach your clothes and towels."
"La Roche-Posay makes the Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser with two percent salicylic acid. Beta hydroxy acid, which is salicylic acid, is a type of beta hydroxy acid, so beta hydroxy acids are oil soluble and go down into the pore and clean out pores very well. This is another salicylic acid cleanser to consider."
"I'm impressed by this one. It's only 0.5 percent salicylic acid and very very gentle, so you can use these for your body too in the shower. I like to have some on the sink some in the shower and I can wash my face, my body, especially if you worked out you want to wash your body to prevent body acne. This one has niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and four percent benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl peroxide is antimicrobial so it kills the bacteria that causes acne and it works really well with your acne medications, especially if they have antibiotics, so it helps prevent your body from getting resistant to those antibiotics. It also has exfoliative benefits as well. You can wash your face and body with it, but make sure you cleanse off all of the benzoyl peroxide because if you have a little bit on your skin when you go and get your towel over it or you put your clothes on you can bleach everything it comes into contact with, your pillowcase, your linens. So please wash it off well."
"My tried-and-true has always been Neutrogena's Norwegian Hand Cream. Rich in glycerin, which just is a water magnet. Just draws in water and moisture and keeps it into your hands. And of course, outperforms a lot of the luxury creams out there. So, don't break the bank when it comes to your hand moisturizer."
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"My tried-and-true has always been Neutrogena's Norwegian Hand Cream. Rich in glycerin, which just is a water magnet. Just draws in water and moisture and keeps it into your hands. And of course, outperforms a lot of the luxury creams out there. So, don't break the bank when it comes to your hand moisturizer."
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"For severely dry cracked winter hands, Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream is one of my favorites. It's glycerin rich with glycerin that really draws in moisture very well like a sponge and retains moisture and it survives multiple hand washes. It comes out feeling pretty thick, like Vaseline or Aquaphor, but when you rub it in, it really does have a nice finish, like an extra layer of skin. You don't have that sticky, tacky feeling like Aquaphor or Vaseline, and it just really rubs in well, so you can start off your day with it and as you go about your day in clinic or at the hospital, this can survive multiple hand washes. It's just an old school formula that works. Great for winter dryness, healthcare workers, and parents with young kids who are always washing their hands."
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"I love Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula hand cream. One of the best dimethylone based, so silky and rubs in well, no sticky film afterwards."
"I love that Costco has stepped up and has featured O'Keeffe's Working Hands at Costco and it's on sale right now at my local Costco. I love that it's not a very long ingredient list, so great for those with sensitive skin who don't want all the other extras, essential oils and such that could irritate your hands. Every ingredient in this is serving a purpose. You have the mineral oil, you have urea, you have humectants, all those things that help draw water but help heal with those cracks and splits in your fingertips that are just so painful. So great for those with landscaping, construction, and mechanics work. O'Keeffe's Working Hands will help soothe. And if you fall asleep with the hand moisturizer with cotton line gloves, next day you're going to feel like your hands are much smoother and they might help heal those fissures much faster."
"Eucerin is just known for making great urea based products. User has done a great job with making it very delicate for our hands. And so their advanced repair hand cream is just a plus. There you have urea to help bring in moisture and help peel away dead skin. So those who have that rough sandpapery texture of their palms go for this one. So it helps soften thickened skin. You have ceramides which are part of the glue that hold our skin cells together. You have it here in the Eucerin product as well. So great for that rough texture, especially in the wintertime."
"Coco Kind's made a really nice retinol body cream. I've been loving this texture. The retinol, the vitamin A, helps with collagen production and thicken up your skin."
"Consider a retinol body lotion to use at bedtime. Verso makes a nice one. If you want to prevent crepiness, you want to prevent hyperpigmentation or treat hyperpigmentation, Verso makes a nice one."
"Consider a retinol body lotion to use at bedtime. Nutum makes a nice retinol body lotion. These are some nice strategies to help with the texture and the actual integrity of the skin."
"One of my favorite shampoos that were released last year, Vichy Dercos. That shampoo has selenium sulfide and salicylic acid. I will use it on my scalp, but I also will wash my face with that as well."
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"If you really want to step it up, you can always go with Vichy's Dercos shampoo. I love that one because it has selenium sulfide plus salicylic acid. So if you're having itch plus scale, the salicylic acid will help exfoliate the scalp."
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"One of my favorite shampoos that were released last year, Vichy Dercos. That shampoo has selenium sulfide and salicylic acid. I will use it on my scalp, but I also will wash my face with that as well."
"If you want another anti-dandruff option, there's Nizoral with 1% ketoconazole that goes directly after that yeast like zinc pyrithione."
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"If you want another anti-dandruff option, there's Nizoral with 1% ketoconazole that goes directly after that yeast like zinc pyrithione."
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"There's ketoconazole 1% shampoo by Nizoral. I prescribe 2% ketoconazole shampoo to my patients but they have it available over the counter as 1%. So that's another option you can consider for scalp itch and the flaking. You can do it every other day to every day to stay on top of the yeast. If you decrease the frequency of showering and washing your scalp, you're actually going to have more yeast buildup and the problem will worsen. You actually have to increase the frequency of cleansing your scalp to clear that yeast many times."
"Head and Shoulders tried-and-true. Their bare shampoo though, I like that the bottle you can actually roll it up so you can get every last drop out of the bottle, and then you can also recycle the bottle and the cap. So, very nice job with that shampoo."
"You classically have seen zinc pyrithione in Head and Shoulders. Great products."
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"If you have scalp dandruff, dry itchy scalp, check out zinc pyrithione shampoos like Head and Shoulders."
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"You classically have seen zinc pyrithione in Head and Shoulders. Great products."
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"Zinc pythione is traditionally in Head and Shoulders and you can see here in the active ingredient list here it says pythionone zinc pythone or zinc pythone really goes after that yeast. You have to use a shampoo every day for it to work and if you are having dry scalp a lot of people make the mistake by decreasing the frequency of washing your hair when actually you should be increasing the frequency to wash out that yeast. If you don't wash your hair your scalp that yeast is really going to build up and it's going to have these thick scaly plaques in the scalp that are holding on to your hair shafts and can even lead to hair loss."
"Caravee has entered the shampoo game and they have made some great products with zinc pyrithione anti-dandruff shampoo or their two-in-one shampoo and conditioner. Great products."
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"Caravee has entered the shampoo game and they have made some great products with zinc pyrithione anti-dandruff shampoo or their two-in-one shampoo and conditioner. Great products."
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"CeraVe has made a nice anti-dandruff hydrating shampoo. I've been using that every other day alternating with my prescription ketoconazol shampoo for dandruff and it's really nice. I like that it has hyaluronic acid in addition to their ceramides to help hydrate the scalp but also repair the skin barrier, plus adding in niacinamide which is one of my favorite skincare ingredients but so great to put in your hair care products to help with the skin barrier of your scalp and regulate sebum production. I think that sets it apart perhaps from Selsun Blue or Head and Shoulders by having just simple ingredients plus the niacinamide, and of course it has zinc pyrithione to help work on the Malassezia yeast that causes dandruff, scalp itch, and scalp flaking."
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"What I like about CeraVe is that it's free of fragrance if you are sensitive to fragrance and also they have their three essential ceramides hyaluronic acid to hydrate the scalp but also niacinamide which is soothing helps repair the skin barrier and also helps regulate sebum production and that's why we like it in our skincare but I love seeing it in our shampoos as well. They both have 1% zinc pyrithione."
"If you have flaky scalp, go for T/Gel. If you have itchy scalp, I usually recommend the colar extract form of T/Gel by Neutrogena. It's been a good anti-inflammatory soothing shampoo. It smells terribly and sometimes can stain your clothes, you have to wash it out well, but it's a great option to supplement your topical prescription medications from your dermatologist."
"RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream is their bestselling product and I can see why. I've been recommending this a lot to my patients over the years. It's a gentle retinol product that patients have used around the eyes. I'm okay with retinol, over-the-counter retinol products around the eyes, especially those that are formulated for the eyelid skin. Just use a small amount for around the eyes and use your ring finger to gently tap in the product."
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"RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream is their bestselling product and I can see why. I've been recommending this a lot to my patients over the years. It's a gentle retinol product that patients have used around the eyes. I'm okay with retinol, over-the-counter retinol products around the eyes, especially those that are formulated for the eyelid skin. Just use a small amount for around the eyes and use your ring finger to gently tap in the product."
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"This very popular $20 retinal eye cream yes it looks very small but it's formulated really well for the eye. I think it might be RoC's number one selling product. They have studies, which is very rare in the skin care world, working on dark circles and puffiness and also the fine lines around the eyes. I'd say out of everything the fine lines like the crow's feet you'll get the best results for that. And if you don't want to do Botox then go ahead and start using a retinol, a gentle retinol eye cream around the eyes."
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"The most popular retinol eye cream is RoC, that my patients like to use and I like to use as well."
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"It's so easy to put on and my wife put it on and she said she loves the way it adheres. It's just skin forming, adherent, just adapts to the different contours of your face so well. And I have to say that that's the biggest challenge is to get a nice product that will give you that glow without the irritation because a lot of times people associate irritation with a retinoid. And so if we can go at it in a gentle way and have something a little bit more potent than retinol, to work on the crepiness and the fine lines and wrinkles and the crows feet around the eyes, this is your go-to."
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"In terms of eye creams, the only retinol eye cream that I have used personally the longest without irritation and my patients is RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream. You can apply it within the orbital bone but be very careful. I would moisturize with it, be careful of irritation, do not get it within your conjunctival lid, not too close to the eye. Keep that in mind. That's probably the only retinol that I've used consistently without any issue to help with any crepiness underneath the eye and then also just the eyelid itself can get wrinkly over time."
"I do like eye products that have caffeine or a higher concentration of peptide. For example, one skin eye cream has a higher concentration of peptides in their eye products because this is very thin delicate skin, it's the thinnest skin of our body, the eyelid skin. So we got to take care of that and you do need specialized products for that area."
"SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Advanced Eye Cream is really nice. It has caffeine in it as well as other optical ingredients to help with the appearance of dark circles under the eye. SkinCeuticals is a very reliable brand that's been around for a while and it's backed by science and clinical trials, so you're paying more for that science behind it."
"Adapalene can come as different gels which we used to prescribe but now it's over the counter in the US at 0.1%, and Neutrogena has also made adapalene as well. Adapalene is known to be very gentle, especially in the 0.1% range. If you're a teenager or young adult dealing with whiteheads, blackheads, inflammatory acne, adapalene is your friend there. It's better for mild acne. When it comes to fine lines and wrinkles, it's not the best, there's maybe a couple of studies that show it works on fine lines and wrinkles, but if you were to compare between a retinol and adapalene and your skincare goals are working on fine lines and wrinkles, I'd go with retinol over adapalene."
"The Costco Kirkland brand is great, my patients like it and it's actually very affordable. I think you get your best deal with Costco's Kirkland minoxidil."
"if you're not pregnant do tretinoin, which is something I prescribe, that's the king of all anti-aging skincare. It helps with fine lines and wrinkles, helps clean out your pores, helps with hyperpigmentation by lightening it, it's increasing cell turnover. If that's too harsh this winter you might want to consider something over the counter like retinol."
"I also like Eucerin's Roughness Relief Spot Treatment for really dry thick elbows and knees. This has an extra boost of urea, so check this one out if you have keratosis pilaris."
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"The Eucerin Roughness Relief Spot Treatment is one of my favorite products. I want that little tube because it's so affordable and just spot treating those really deep cracks and fissures is very nice because it's packed with more urea than other moisturizers. For those thick areas like the hands, the feet, the elbows that are really thick and can take a lot of urea, you want to use that Spot Treatment. Urea is not meant for your face because you don't need that kind of strong keratolytic action there, so for those thick areas you want to use that Spot Treatment."
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"I also like Eucerin's Roughness Relief Spot Treatment for really dry thick elbows and knees. This has an extra boost of urea, so check this one out if you have keratosis pilaris."
"Neutrogena makes some pimple patches, those are all fine to use. Those hydrocolloid patches prevent you from picking at them, because I can tell when a patient has been picking. I see this angulated triangular shaped scab on the forehead, on the cheeks. I can tell when you're picking and those are really tough. Those atrophic indented scars that you develop, those are so tough to treat. So even lasers we have a hard time filling in those indented ice pick scars. So if you're using the occasional pimple patch to protect yourself, your finger from picking at that acne lesion, I'm all for it."
"Botox, we say about 2 to four months so usually 3 months is usually where you sit out when you have a Botox and people come in every 3 months typically. Neuromodulators are quite safe especially if you have an injector who knows what they're doing. It's quite versatile we use it on those areas for dynamic wrinkles but also for areas where we don't want as much movement, say the neck. If you smile and activate the platysma muscles people worry about vertical cords and we can inject Botox into those vertical cords to help soften the platysmal bands and help when you make certain expressions or smile. A lot of my patients who see those vertical bands in photographs and are really bothered by them come in for Botox and we can inject those bands. But if you have someone who doesn't know what they're doing they can inject in the wrong area and cause either a facial droop or even, you know, there are reports of people having loss of voice, difficulty swallowing. That's very severe so always go to an experienced injector."
"I have not used yet but that Dysport, that is actually a longer duration in terms of effects. Usually Botox we say about two to four months, so usually three months is usually where you sit out when you have a Botox and people come in every three months typically. Now neuromodulators are quite safe, especially if you have an injector who knows what they're doing. It's quite versatile."
"Vanicream came out with the Z-Bar which you can use to wash your face if you have seborrheic dermatitis of your face and that's a gentle fragrance-free cleanser. That was a big move on their part to make a fragrance-free shampoo but it will definitely benefit those who have very sensitive skin, especially facial seborrheic dermatitis."
"RoC is the first retinol brand I ever tried and I've been using it for many years, love their products. They have great results from their retinol. Retinol is a vitamin A derivative that will go into the cell into the nucleus and bind to receptors to increase collagen production, help with those fine lines and wrinkles, help reduce hyperpigmentation, keep your pores clean. Retinoids will help reverse sun damage, increase cell turnover and really will help reduce those dark spots that you'll get from the sun."
"Paula's Choice is a great brand but that BHA, the salicylic acid, people see that like 'oh my goodness this is going to treat and cure my acne,' but like you said it could be out of the scope of what we're dealing with and just going for something that's trending doesn't mean it's going to be the right fit for you. I feel like that's more of a supplemental thing to add on later after you have a good foundation."
~Mixed
77%of gurus approve
All 2 takes on Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
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"Paula's Choice is a great brand but that BHA, the salicylic acid, people see that like 'oh my goodness this is going to treat and cure my acne,' but like you said it could be out of the scope of what we're dealing with and just going for something that's trending doesn't mean it's going to be the right fit for you. I feel like that's more of a supplemental thing to add on later after you have a good foundation."
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"Paula's Choice BHA exfoliant is a great one, but if you use it together with a retinoid, be very careful and don't do it every day because you're going to really run into that irritation zone."
"If you want a hydrating, soothing serum, I like Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule. Just pure centella extract. So nice."
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"If you want a hydrating, soothing serum, I like Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule. Just pure centella extract. So nice."
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"SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule is so hydrating, very gentle. Centella I love because it's an ingredient that has multiple properties, especially wound healing and soothing properties. Plus there's some evidence behind it that helps with stretch marks and even wound healing. I like to put it over scars. So if you have post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, you have irritation after a rash, after acne, you can go ahead and use Centella containing products over the skin. And it's very lightweight, almost a watery texture, but goes on with plumping action. So, I love this one."
"Snail Mucin actually has a lot of hyaluronic acid. It has humectant properties that draw in water and support the skin barrier. It'll give your skin that nice bouncy hydrated look. It definitely will reverse that dull look and you'll have this nice glassy look where light would just reflect so nicely off of the skin."
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"Snail Mucin actually has a lot of hyaluronic acid. It has humectant properties that draw in water and support the skin barrier. It'll give your skin that nice bouncy hydrated look. It definitely will reverse that dull look and you'll have this nice glassy look where light would just reflect so nicely off of the skin."
Dermatologist Explains: Three Skincare Hacks You Need to Do Now!
"I like snail mucin quite a bit because snail mucin is full of hyaluronic acid. Look at that gooey sticky finish. I like the cream version of this too, but it was in a tub, but now I hear it's in a tube. The jar was pretty messy where the jar lid would come up and all the slime would come up with it and it get real messy, but now if it comes in a tube I'm glad COSRX changed that because I really do like the texture of the cream. This is great to put over damp skin if you put your hyaluronic acid serum on damp skin it's really going to draw in that water because that's what hyaluronic acid does, draws in water like a magnet, and then you apply a moisturizer or if you slug over it that's a great hack."
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"A really cool hack that I like is using the snail mucin by COSRX. That snail mucin Essence is just so good, it's packed with hyaluronic acid and yes I said it, it's snail mucin and it actually is so hydrating. It's just a nice little hack that I would use around the time of a wedding or if I want to do a photo shoot. I'm going to use that Essence so that I can really plump up my skin."
"I love Neutrogena's Collagen Bank. So you get some peptides with your vitamin C. Consider those in the morning."
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All 3 takes on Collagen Bank Vitamin C Serum
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"I love Neutrogena's Collagen Bank. So you get some peptides with your vitamin C. Consider those in the morning."
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"The Neutrogena Collagen Bank has depeptide technology for collagen boosting. You have vitamin C which is 15% ascorbic acid and you got 2% gluconolactone or PHA which is a gentle exfoliant. So you're getting some exfoliative properties as well as brightening properties and some collagen boosting. I love this vitamin C serum so far and it's very affordable. It's great for beginners or for people who want to try out a higher percentage from the 10% ascorbic acid."
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"Neutrogena, they've done a pretty good job with theirs, too. Neutrogena specifically has also combined their peptides with their vitamin C."
"OneSkin's face supplement has the OS-01 peptide. This company has been founded by PhDs. It has studies backing up their peptide that will clear senescent cells that are no longer dividing, not adding much to your anti-aging game. It's actually causing more inflammation and damaging our collagen. So, if we clear those cells out, we can have collagen production at a more efficient rate. And so, I like this one a lot for my mature users. It does come out as a thicker texture. It's nice to seal in your vitamin C serum or your retinoid and it will help boost your collagen. So, it is a higher price point, but very nice, very nourishing. I like the texture."
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"OneSkin's face supplement has the OS-01 peptide. This company has been founded by PhDs. It has studies backing up their peptide that will clear senescent cells that are no longer dividing, not adding much to your anti-aging game. It's actually causing more inflammation and damaging our collagen. So, if we clear those cells out, we can have collagen production at a more efficient rate. And so, I like this one a lot for my mature users. It does come out as a thicker texture. It's nice to seal in your vitamin C serum or your retinoid and it will help boost your collagen. So, it is a higher price point, but very nice, very nourishing. I like the texture."
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"One skin. So their face supplement, they have a sunscreen, but they also have just a face moisturizer and a body moisturizer. So that's something you can consider to actually reverse the biological age of your skin"
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"The brand that I discovered in 2024 that has impressed me is ones skin so their face supplement very nice and it has their proprietary os1 peptide has studies backing it that will help with your biological age"
"The Dermatology Universal tinted moisturizer, which is excellent, great for when I go into the office."
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All 3 takes on Tinted Moisturizer
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"My wife her favorite is the Universal tinted moisturizer by Dermatology. This one's not water resistant, it's more of a moisturizer with SPF, but the iron oxides in this, it's so nice. It's a lightweight tint, very good."
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"Dermatology Universal tinted moisturizer is another favorite."
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"The Dermatology Universal tinted moisturizer, which is excellent, great for when I go into the office."
"It's different from a leave-on product like say The Ordinary's glycolic toner, that's different. You don't want to put that on and then follow up with your retinoid. You're going to run into trouble."
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All 8 takes on Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
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"It's different from a leave-on product like say The Ordinary's glycolic toner, that's different. You don't want to put that on and then follow up with your retinoid. You're going to run into trouble."
Dermatologist Reacts to TikTok Skincare Trends!
"The Ordinary Glycolic Acid has been all over the Internet and this trend makes me uncomfortable because I see a lot of patients trying to put different things in their armpit that is actually meant for the face. We shouldn't be putting glycolic acid in the delicate skin of the armpits, or what we call the axilla. The axillary skin is very different from the face. When I see videos where beauty influencers even dermatologists recommend glycolic acid for the armpits, I'm always cringing. I actually don't want my patients to do that because you're playing with fire here. What can potentially happen is that you get a contact dermatitis, whether allergic or irritant, most likely an irritant contact dermatitis, and you cause more inflammation leading to worsening of the hyperpigmentation, and your armpits could get worse. I like seeing a lot of other creators sharing their stories behind this, showing that their armpits did get worse with using glycolic acid, especially in skin of color."
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"With your glycolic acids, if you're using an exfoliant every day, that's a problem. You're not supposed to be exfoliating every day. I always say one to three times a week max for exfoliating. A lot of you are exfoliating very frequently, and we're not meant to be exfoliating with these chemical exfoliants so often. If you have an irritated face, use your cicaplast balm B5 and then just stick to one to three times a week of a chemical leave-on exfoliant."
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"I've had patients who came in because they were trying to mix like The Ordinary's glycolic acid with their retinoid and they were getting just terrible irritation."
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"I always say it's too strong, can make you photosensitive, but they made a very gentle formulation meant for the face with vitamin C. Very lightweight and makes your skin so smooth afterwards. No fragrance, fast absorbing, and not irritating so far. I treat it like a leave-on exfoliant. This polishes the skin and give you that extra glassy glowy look."
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"I use the ordinary glycolic acid about two to three times a week to get rid of dark spots as well and then also to get rid of odor. I know this is a real concern, but I am very very concerned by putting an exfoliant, a leave-on exfoliant on such a delicate area. The axillary skin is very different from our facial skin. And so when the ordinary has come out with the glycolic acid toner that's meant for the face the armpit we have this fold here in dermatology we call that under occlusion. When you have say saran wrap over our topical steroids or topical medications that's under occlusion and it makes the topical medication more potent and more effective even now when it comes to the very delicate skin of the armpits and you have a fold that will occlude the medication and really push it in further into the skin you're running into trouble. And so I've been seeing patients with hyperpigmentation, contact dermatitis, really irritating rashes there that can leave a permanent hyperpigmented patch or scar essentially in the area. So be very very careful."
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"The glycolic acid toner by The Ordinary, I actually use that every once in a while because it's gone viral and I actually like that product. If you wanted to use that to help further work on your pores, that's fine to do, but I wouldn't say to do that every day and I would not do the leave-on exfoliant the same day as a retinoid."
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"The glycolic acid toner is actually pretty good. It's very nice and gentle exfoliating toner that some creators are recommending for the scalp for exfoliation or armpits. I have concerns with the armpit area. The armpit area or the axilla, that skin is very delicate and more fragile than the facial skin. And so if you apply your glycolic acid toner there to work on hyperpigmentation, which is very normal, guys, and skin of color especially, you can have darkened skin there. But what we don't want is to cause inflammation, irritate the skin there, which will lead to more hyperpigmentation. And I've seen patients do that. They've applied glycolic acid toner and because it's in an area of occlusion where you have a fold and two skin surfaces coming together you actually can push the medicine in further. Don't do that in the armpits. Now for the face, can glycolic acid boost collagen? I'd say maybe theoretically yes. We can have increased cell turnover through exfoliation and you can have some micro trauma to the skin in higher concentrations."
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