This article is based on an expert interview with Margareth Pierre-Louis, MD, conducted by wikiHow Staff Editors. Dr. Margareth Pierre-Louis is a board certified Dermatologist and Dermatopathologist, Physician Entrepreneur, and the Founder of Twin Cities Dermatology Center and Equation Skin Care in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Twin Cities Dermatology Center is a comprehensive dermatology clinic treating patients of all ages through clinical dermatology, cosmetic dermatology, and telemedicine. Equation Skin Care was created to provide the best in evidence-based, natural skin care products. Dr. Pierre-Louis earned a BS in Biology and an MBA from Duke University, an MD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, completed a residency in dermatology at the University of Minnesota, and completed a dermatopathology fellowship at Washington University in St Louis. Dr. Pierre-Louis is board certified in dermatology, cutaneous surgery, and dermatopathology by the American Boards of Dermatology and Pathology.
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With so many different skincare products on the market, it’s hard to know what’s really necessary, and it's easy to spend lots of money on things you don't really need for great looking skin. In this video, dermatologist Margareth Pierre-Louis sets the record straight, walking you through how to put together an affordable and effective skincare regimen, whatever your skin type. She covers the best cleansers, moisturizers, serums, sunscreens, and other skincare musts that won’t break the bank.
The five ingredients I consider everyone to need that you can find at a drugstore: number one you need a good gentle cleanser of some sort. Brands like Cetaphil, Cerave, Aquaphor, Eucerin; they all make gentle cleansers and it's really about preference but the goal of this simple cleanser is that it washes the skin but doesn't cause any irritation. Number two you need a moisturizer. The moisturizers should go on daily after you wash without any stinging, burning, or irritation of the skin. Moisturizing creams are best for drier skin. Lotions are best for more oily skin so that you don't put as much of a heavier, thick cream on the skin. Number three is retinoids. Retinoids as retinols are available over the counter, and you can actually find a retinoic acid that used to be only prescription over the counter if you do have acne-prone skin. But buying Differin, which is also called Adapalene, 0.1 gel is over the counter. It can be found to use most nights to help with oily, acne-prone skin and you can apply it starting just several times a week to the face before you kind of make it in to see a dermatologist. Number four is vitamin C serums. I love vitamin C for hydrating the skin. Also, it’s a great antioxidant to help your sunscreen work better. So going to the drugstore looking for a vitamin C serum that is in a protective bottle would be ideal, and one that you can apply twice a day. But it should be in serum form. Vitamin C is actually naturally diluted in water. So if it's in a cream form, it's probably not going to be the best agent. And then number five is sunscreen. There are a million sunscreens out there so it’s really finding one that works for you. There's the mineral sunscreens which are really best for any skin type. I find they're very effective in my fair skin type patients because they go on without giving them a shine. But then there's chemical sunscreens. A lot of them are going to be best for your patient. There's a little more color to them so they don't get that white cast or that white shine. But find one that works for you that doesn't cause any rashes and gives you the coverage you need. The minimum sunscreen you should be buying anywhere is an SPF 30, and I actually like SPF 50 or higher for someone who is prone to redness and has any sun damage or any personal or family history of skin cancer.
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