If you’re looking for ways to improve or enhance your daily skin care, here are a few ways to make sure you’re maximizing your routine, along with a few of our favorites from the Skin Wise Clinical Skin Care line!
Sunscreen
The most underrated skin care product BY FAR is sunscreen. Sun protection provides huge medical and cosmetic benefits. By daily protecting your skin from ultraviolet (UV) light damage, you reduce the risk of skin cancer and accelerated skin aging. The best sunscreens are broad spectrum, meaning that they protect against both UVA rays (the ones that cause skin aging like fine lines and wrinkles) and UVB rays (the ones that cause skin cancer). Sunscreens either provide chemical protection, physical protection, or both. We recommend at least some degree of physical protection in a sunscreen, as mineral active ingredients will actually deflect UV rays from impacting the skin, whereas a chemical sunscreen absorbs sun rays. We always recommend SPF 30 or higher sunscreen with zinc 5% or higher listed as an active ingredient. Sunscreens are important all throughout the year, not just during the sunny months, since our skin is constantly being exposed to UV light, no matter the cloud cover! One of our favorite facial sunscreens is the SKIN WISE CLINICAL COMPLETE BB FOUNDATION CREAM SPF 50. It feels silky smooth with application, and provides a beautiful, lightly tinted matte finish.
Vitamin C Serum
If you want to brighten your skin complexion and even out skin tone, vitamin C serum is the best product to incorporate into your daily facial skin care routine. Our SKIN WISE CLINICAL ENHANCED VITAMIN C SERUM is a superior medical-grade antioxidant that delivers brightening benefits of 15% L-ascorbic acid. It also improves tone and texture, protecting against free radicals and environmental stressors to prevent future signs of skin aging. Vitamin C serum is best applied in the morning after cleansing and toning the skin. Store your vitamin C serum in a dark environment, since high quality, pure vitamin C serums become oxidized at a quicker rate and become less effective when frequently exposed to light. Vitamin C serum can be irritating for very sensitive skin, so reduce application to every other morning if you experience any stinging sensation with this product.
Eye Cream
The skin around the eyes is delicate and can be one of the first places to notice fine lines, wrinkles, and laxity. An eye cream can improve the appearance of these signs of skin aging, along with reducing the appearance of dark circles and puffiness. The SKIN WISE CLINICAL BRIGHTENING PEPTIDE EYE CREAM provides these benefits through a combination of peptides with brightening and firming ingredients and also contains rich moisturizers and soothing extracts- it’s definitely a winner! This eye cream can be applied 1-2 times a day after cleansing and toning the skin.
Moisturizer
Especially in the winter, it’s important to protect our skin from the harsh environmental factors (wind, extreme cold) that can cause skin dryness and irritation. Moisturizers come in a variety of different vehicles (lotions, creams, ointments, oils) and provide a protective barrier while concurrently preventing water loss. If you have acne or rosacea-prone skin, ensure that you are using a moisturizer that is non-comedogenic, meaning that it is not going to clog up your pores. For very sensitive skin or dry-prone skin, our favorite is the SKIN WISE CLINICAL RESTORING SKIN OIL, which deeply hydrates and provides a lovely glow without oily residue. Moisturizers are best applied 1-2 times daily after cleansing and toning the skin.
Anti-Aging Products
There are a variety of products out there that provide anti-aging benefits, and it’s important to seek out an active ingredient that will target your specific skin concerns. As an example, the SKIN WISE CLINICAL GLYCOLIC REPAIR CREAM is a light and elegant moisturizer with 15% glycolic acid, green tea, and Co-Q10 which help minimize free-radical damage in the skin and helps reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and pore size. It also is very helpful with reducing post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation for all skin tones. This moisturizer can be applied 1-2 times daily after cleansing and toning, but application should be reduced to either once every day or every other day if bothersome stinging or irritation develops.
If you want help tailoring your skin care routine, we would love to help you do that! Book an appointment with one of our dermatology providers to learn more.