By: Sarah Kester
Day in and day out, dermatologists head to work like the skin superheroes they are to help their patients achieve beautiful, glowing complexions. So, it should come as no surprise that they treat their skin to some TLC, too! This means a pretty extensive skincare routine, done both morning and night.
To learn more, we turned to NYC-based dermatologist, Dr. Hadley King, to share her daily regimen as well as her own tips and tricks.
A Dermatologist's Skincare Routine
In the Morning
Dr. King’s morning skincare routine starts off bright and early the moment she steps into the shower. Besides washing her body with Dove Gentle Exfoliating Body Wash with scrub gloves, she’ll take the time to wash her face gently with a physical exfoliator. Right now, she currently loves Finishing Touch by Revision Skincare.
Then, she gently pats dry and applies Eucerin Roughness Relief Lotion to her body.
If her skin is feeling particularly dry or irritated, she’ll double up on the moisturizer by using Vichy Aqualia Thermal Rich Cream, which provides up to 48 hours of skin moisture.
Now onto the face! After applying the facial serum, Isdinceutics Flavo-C Ultraglican, she makes sure to give the product a couple minutes to absorb before applying Alastin Restorative Skin Complex to her face and neck.
“I then apply Revision Skincare Intellishade TruPhysical SPF 45 to my whole face, including areas like eyelids.” It’s an award-winning tinted moisturizer with 100 percent mineral sunscreen.
Dr. King is all about sun protection, so she makes sure to use Brush on Block powder sunscreen on her face, neck and the backs of her hands. This is also great to use for touch-ups throughout the day.
She’ll add it to other exposed areas too, although there aren’t many for the dermatologist since she likes to wear protective clothing. (Use that tip for extra sun protection!)
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At Night
To Dr. King, her nighttime skincare routine is just as important as her morning ritual. Dr. King’s PM regimen starts with repeating a lot of the same steps from the morning, with a few additions trickled in.
It also involves using a mix of drugstore buys, along with higher-end brands. For example, she uses the Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Foaming Facial Cleanser to wash the day’s dirt and oils off her face.
This next step is a must for Dr. Hadley. At night, she always applies a prescription retinoid. “Recently, that’s Altreno, but I also alternate between Tazorac, Differin and Retin-A, depending on how dry my skin is,” she says.
She completes her routine by taking care of the skin on her neck and chest with the Skinbetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream.
Like many of us, Dr. King knows what it’s like to sometimes jump into bed without washing her face.
When that happens, her philosophy is this: Never skip the retinoid. She adds: “I am a firm believer in the anti-acne and anti-aging properties of retinoids and those are benefits that I do not want to lose!”
How She Handles Blemishes
Blemishes happen — even to dermatologists. When it does, Dr. Hadley has some tricks up her sleeve.
“If I can tell that I am getting a hormonal break out, I will inject myself with intralesional triamcinolone. It’s extremely helpful!” If it’s just a regular breakout or her skin feels too oily, she’ll use AcneFree Blackhead Removing Scrub with Salicylic Acid.
If there’s ever a blemish emergency, spot treatment is a godsend for her, so she’ll use AcneFree Terminator 10 with Benzoyl Peroxide.
On top of everything though, a nightly retinoid is still one of her top skincare favorites since she says it helps treat blemishes.
Her Favorite Skincare Splurge
When she’s in the mood to really treat her skin, she’ll turn to a chemical peel, like the SkinMedica Vitalize Peel and the Clear + Brilliant laser treatment.
Both treatments help support the skin. Plus, they’re an awesome way to squeeze in some self-care, which is much-needed for a busy dermatologist like Dr. King!