Answered by: Renee Stroffe PA-C
Morning is the perfect time to prepare your skin for success by protecting it and adding ingredients that will minimize the effects of environmental pollutants and stressors.
- Start by using a gentle cleanser on the face to remove any nighttime active skincare products. Often, ingredients found in anti-aging nighttime products can increase sun sensitivity, so removal is key.
- Apply a high-quality vitamin C, which acts as a topical antioxidant that helps to minimize the effect of stressors that our skin experiences. Blue and purple light in the visible light spectrum emitted from the sun, screens (phone/computer), and light bulbs harm the skin and make brown pigment more prominent. Vitamin C can help minimize these effects. Since vitamin C oxidizes quickly and becomes ineffective, it is important to use a high-quality Vitamin C. Our office carries ISDIN, SkinCeuticals, and Revision lines of vitamin C that are all high quality and effective.
- Moisturize the skin with an effective cream with an active ingredient to help restore your basement membrane. The basement membrane is a layer within the skin that acts like a relay point between the top layer of the skin (epidermis) and the connective tissue below (dermis). By providing support to the basement membrane, the skin can better protect itself and minimize the risk of environmental pollutants. The Sente Dermal Repair Cream line has a special ingredient called heparin sulfate that aids in this process.
- Apply sunscreen daily, even if you are not going to be outdoors for an extended period of time. Protecting your skin from UV rays is important to minimize aging effects and decrease skin cancer risks. We carry sunscreens from ISDIN, SkinCeuticals, and Revision that will fit the needs of all patients. For those who spend a lot of time outdoors, we recommend taking Heliocare, an antioxidant vitamin supplement that acts like an “internal SPF.” It amplifies the effect of topical sunscreens and adds further protection.
Additional treatments that can help improve the skin to make your morning routine better:
Skinvive: Injectable skin booster/hydrator that helps bring a glow to the skin. Benefits last 6 months and can help reduce flares from skin stressors. Skincare products and cosmetics apply more easily.
1 & Me: A low-downtime light Fraxel laser freshens the texture and pigment of the skin. It also gives the skin a nice glow and reduces the risk of skin cancer. Skincare products and cosmetics apply more easily. The 1 & Me is a great addition to your anti-aging and anti-cancer routine.