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Samantha Lee/Business Insider
These are some of my go-to skin-care products.
- I asked a celebrity dermatologist, Dr. Dendy Engelman, to go over my skin-care routine with a fine-tooth comb to show me what I'm doing right, and what I'm doing wrong.
- Below, Dr. Engelman uses my routine as a template to offer product recommendations and helpful advice on how to make sure your products actually work together.
In the past few years, I've been lucky to work in a field that requires me to spend an extensive amount of time researching skin-care products and then testing them out on myself to see what's worthwhile. Quickly, you get good at spotting the winners from just the ingredient lists, and you become more adept at addressing your skin's needs as they arise.
But back in the day, I was a high schooler dealing with my first round of acne that couldn't be solved by what my mother recommended: freshly washed sheets, a simple face wash, and drinking more water. At the end of the day, I just wanted someone to put my skin-care routine under a microscope, and explain to me in plain English why things weren't working. But the expense of dermatology appointments meant the resource was more of a luxury. A new salicylic topical treatment from CVS was cheaper and more accessible than to pay for ongoing prescriptions.
Now, things are different. My skin is mostly clear, and I have the privilege of visiting a dermatologist continually.
I also have the encouragement and resources to regularly discover solid products, rather than buying whichever has the best marketing campaign. But, I'm still human, and I regularly and knowingly cut corners with my own routine. I don't always follow best practices. Plus, even if what makes a good product actually good is no longer a mystery to me, what makes a harmonious skin-care routine still is.
To help myself, and anyone else reading, figure out how to construct a good skin-care routine, I asked a dermatologist to deconstruct my own.
Dr. Dendy Engelman is a nationally acclaimed dermatologic surgeon and renown dermatologist. Previously, she's offered expertise and been interviewed as a celebrity dermatologist in publications such as Glamour, Vogue, and W Magazine. Currently, Dr. Engelman sees patients at MDCS: Manhattan Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery and is a clinical assistant professor and director of dermatologic surgery at Metropolitan Hospital Center.
Below, you'll find Dr. Engelman's input on what I'm doing right, wrong, and which products she personally recommends.
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