Tips to Acheive Your Best-Looking Skin Ever: A Dermatologist's Guide to Skin Care

Perhaps one of the most frequently-asked questions a dermatologist answers for patients is: How can I get clear, flawless looking skin that glows? It makes sense. When’s the last time you met someone who sought cruddy skin that added 20 years to their face? Probably never. Factor in the fact that achieving complexion perfection relies on proper skin care from a young age, most derms are eager to share their arsenal of tips with patients as early as possible. (As the years pile on, sun and pollution exposure from decades past can start to transform your skin’s appearance and texture in a negative way…trust us.) Just what are those prized tips we speak of? To get the scoop, we recruited board-certified dermatologist, cosmetic surgeon, and Skincare.com consultant, Dr. Michael Kaminer. Keep reading to discover his top three skin care tips to follow for gorgeous skin!

Tip #1: Avoid prolonged and unprotected sun exposure. 

Ah, prolonged sun exposure. It tops just about every skin care list of things to avoid because the harm of UV rays is very, very real and certainly nothing to joke about. Unprotected exposure to UV rays can lead to premature skin aging, dark spots, and even some skin cancers over time. “This can also be my number two and three tip as well,” Kaminer says. “I can't tell you how many times I see patients with great skin as an adult, and the first thing they tell me is their parents kept them out of the sun as a child. It is repeated over and over every day. I wish somehow I could get this message across more productively, but for some reason people just seem to ignore the importance of protecting and limiting their sun exposure.” Don’t be that person! If you can’t avoid sun altogether, limit your exposure during peak sun hours—10 am to 4 pm—and seek shade when possible. To take your protection one step further, invest in a wide-brimmed hat and cover up with protective clothing. And last but certainly not least, apply broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher—like SkinCeuticals Physical UV Defense SPF 30—to exposed areas of skin daily…even when it’s cloudy. Don’t forget to reapply at least every two hours.

Tip #2: Combine products formulated with vitamin C and ones formulated with glycolic acid every morning. 

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can help neutralize free radicals and reduce environmentally-induced damage to cells. It’s an extra line of defense—in addition to SPF of course—against skin assailants and can be found in a host of product formulas including creams and serums. According to Kaminer, just as important as vitamin C in your morning routine is glycolic acid, which helps to smooth out the top layer of skin and remove dead surface skin cell buildup. Combined, vitamin C and glycolic acid can help transform a dull, lackluster appearance. But what about a night routine? “A nice medium-weight moisturizer formulated with either retinol or peptides should be used at night,” Kaminer adds. Try SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.5. 

Tip #3: Use an at-home laser. 

“At-home lasers are a great investment to keep your skin looking smooth and bright,” Kaminer says. He recommends the Tria laser—which he has referred to as a ‘home-run as part of a skin care regimen’—available in SkinCeuticals Age-Defying Laser + Antioxidant System.