Get a handle on hydration and protection
To the chagrin of marketers and social media influencers, when it comes to skin care, we only need three things, according to dermatologists: SPF, moisturizer, and a cleanser. Yes, just a single cleanser—not an oil-based cleanser in tandem with a water-based one. (Lower your shoulders, dear reader. I’ll explain in a bit.)
For SPF, the apple of every dermatologist’s eye, the rule of thumb is to use two fingers’ length applied directly to the face, according to David Kim, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, reapplying every two hours if you’re outdoors.
Finding the best moisturizer is a choose-your-own-adventure scenario that’s based on your skin’s particular needs. For oily skin, Dr. Kim recommends a simple, hydrating serum in the morning and a light moisturizer at night, suggesting glycerin and colloidal oats as standout, non-irritating ingredients for most skin types. For drier skin types, a richer moisturizer with ceramides is his go-to advice.
Proper cleansing is mandatory
Back to cleansers: If you’re not wearing a surplus of water-insoluble products, like waterproof makeup or heavy occlusives, a standard (that is to say: unmedicated and without actives), non-stripping cleanser will suffice. It’s really a matter of how you use your cleanser.
“Massage and circular motions, usually three to five times per area,” says Morayo Adisa, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Chicago. “That way, you are working the cleanser in, and it’s having enough time to dissolve the dirt, makeup, and grime.” That is to say, give your cleanser the time it needs to work, and don’t forget each area of your face—forehead, eyelids (including your eyelashes!), eyebrows, cheeks, and the creases around your nose.
When and how often should I wash, you ask? According to Amy Wechsler, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, those early-morning face washes are optional. “If you’ve gone to bed with clean skin, take the dirt of the day off—makeup, sweat, the invisible pollution—everything, and your pillowcase is clean, then you wake up with clean skin,” she says.
Look for powerhouse formulations
We’re working smarter, not harder here. That means using ingredients efficiently and intentionally—instead of throwing an entire medicine cabinet of lotions and potions at your skin.
Dr. Dendy Engelman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, recommends looking for multitasking products that include a blend of standout ingredients, like ceramides, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants. “That’s a good way to break up and have a lot of your active [ingredients] in one step,” she says. “It doesn’t have to be that you apply your vitamin C, then your hyaluronic acid, then your ceramide, and then your emollient.”
Make your sunscreen work
This might be more polarizing than the double-cleanse erasure, but, depending on skin care concerns and needs, a single SPF product can tackle seemingly disparate skin care steps. For example, those with oily-to-combo skin may find their sunscreen is hydrating enough in warmer months, pushing a standalone moisturizer to the back of the proverbial shelf.
“I think that mineral sunscreens are more moisturizing than the chemical ones, at least the US versions,” says Dr. Wechsler. “If someone wants to use their sunscreen as a moisturizer, it should be mostly a zinc oxide- or zinc oxide plus titanium dioxide-based sunscreen, because those molecules [can be] inherently moisturizing.” Of course, Dr. Wechsler says this could be a bit of trial and error based on specific formulations, but notes she has seen this “hack” utilized by her patients.
Danny Guo, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Calgary, Alberta, calls this seeking “the best bang-for-your-buck products that you can combine multiple actives into the same product.” He highlights the celimax Pore+ Dark Spot Brightening Care Sunscreen as a stand-out example, saying “[It] has ingredients for pigmentation, like tranexamic acid and niacinamide, so you can skip your pigmentation product in the morning if you just use this sunscreen.”
