This Derm Uses A French Pharmacy Retinol So Good She Can Skip Moisturizer
Dermatologists prescribe products to their patients all day long, but have you ever wondered which ones they personally use? Welcome to Derm Diaries, a new series where dermatologists share their skin woes—and solutions—so you can steal secrets from their skincare routines.
When asked to describe her number one skincare issue, Shereene Idriss, MD, a dermatologist at Union Square Laser Dermatology quickly replied, "Pigmentation, pigmentation, pigmentation." She blames herself saying, "Truthfully, as a kid I used to get a sunburn in order to get some sort of color as both my sisters are shades of caramels and golden tones, whereas I was often compared to a pale chicken." While light freckles started showing up in her mid twenties, she says it wasn't under her early thirties and during her pregnancies that her "spots became more evident."
In a similar boat? Luckily, Dr. Idriss has found the ideal skincare regimen—paired with the occasional in-office laser procedure, of course—to help keep the pigmentation under control. Here's what she does.
She uses an antioxidant serum for prevention.
"It's packed with a combination of antioxidants that help not only protect my skin against environmental triggers, but it also helps further prevent pigment production."
She amps up the moisture with a hydrating serum.
"This serum really quenches the thirst of my skin and prolongs the life of my moisturizer if I choose to use moisturize that day. As the temperatures increase and the weather gets warmer, I go lighter on moisturizers."
She opts for a lightweight moisturizer.
"This is my moisturizer of choice for summer given its lightweight texture. Bonus, it also acts as a great primer if I'm wearing makeup that day."
She chooses tinted sunscreen.
"These days, I am hardly wearing any makeup, and aside from protecting my skin with SPF 40, this gives an effortless glow, just enough to tackle my day."
She first uses micellar water to remove makeup.
"This is gentle enough for sensitive skin while packing a surprising punch effective enough to remove even the heaviest duty makeup."
She opts for this gentle, staple cleanser.
"For truly the same reasons, I use the Bioderma."
She applies a glycolic acid a few times a week.
"I use this two to three times a week as glycolic acid is not only a gentle exfoliant, but it has also been proven to help brighten pigmentation."
She swears by this French drugstore retinol.
"I was recently in Paris, and got my hands on this cult-favorite retinol. I like to use this one especially over the summer, because it doesn't leave me dry and allows me to skip on moisturizing at night when I use it because it comes in an occlusive base. I use this around five nights a week."
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