What Does a Dermatologist's Evening Skincare Routine Look Like?

Hello, I'm Alex Snodgrass, board certified dermatologist, and tonight I'm going to take you through my evening skincare routine. You're probably going to be surprised how simple and easy this is. And you may notice that I'm still in my scrubs. It's not nighttime, because I like to do my skincare routine pretty much as soon as I walk in the door, because I feel like, as the night goes by, fixing dinner and doing the bedtime routine, I just come up with a bunch of excuses not to, and I feel as though this is one thing that really helps me be compliant. Do it as soon as I can. And I tell the same thing to my acne patients, rosacea patients, hyperpigmentation and anti-aging patients who are looking to amp up their skincare. Do it as soon as you walk in the door. Do it first thing in the morning. Couple it with your already existing routines.

So I'm going to first wash my face. This is my ZO Exfoliating Cleanser, one of my favorites. It really helps get off the sunscreen and makeup, if you wear it. I don't always. And I'm not going to pretend this is a Neutrogena commercial and splash water all over the place, so I'm just going to pause right here and be right back.

So I'm going to try to pack this full of tips, but we can break it down into smaller series if this gets a lot of likes. But you'll notice I do not use a washcloth to wash my face. I do not use one of those disposable cleansing towels that are really viral and popular right now, because that just kind of really soaks up your expensive products, so that you have to use more. And as far as the amount of cleanser, I use between a dime and a quarter-size amount for my entire face, rub it into a lather, rinse it off. That's it. So sunscreen and makeup is off.

And the next step: I don't really think that you need to use a toner or anything. If you want to, that's great. But tonight I am using my retinoid. So I like to do skin cycling, because I'm postpartum, and I'm amping back up to being able to tolerate a retinoid. So I first put on a layer of moisturizer. My favorite moisturizer is this one. It's EpiOnce Renewal Facial Lotion. And again, I use about a dime-size amount. Dot it on the major areas. Every part of my skincare routine, I just use my fingertips, because that's what typically works best.

Okay. And then it's my retinoid night. So I'm probably still amping up, because I went right to the punch and used the strong stuff, and I'm opening a new bottle. But I like Arazlo. This is just prescription grade. And then this is how you put on a retinoid. Retin-A is great, tretinoin, whatever you want to call it. It is the closest thing we have to a miracle cream. It is collagen stimulating, it is great for hyperpigmentation, sunspots. It basically is like a low-grade chemical peel. It does all the things we want for fine lines and wrinkles and retexturization. So I use a pea-sized amount. It's not a pretty pea, I'm sorry. And I dot it once on my nose, cheek, cheek, chin and forehead, and I'm going to spread that into a thin layer. I put on my moisturizer first to mitigate any dryness or irritation that retinoids are known and hated for.

And I do go up under my eyes. Studies have shown that it does help with under-eye issues like crepiness, some degree of hollowness, puffiness. If that collagen layer is thicker, it's more likely to conceal all those issues we have with our under eyes. So I just rub that in everywhere.

Now, the next step is, you have two options. You can use a growth factor serum. Let me see what I have laying out. I really like Alastin. It's a good one. So, Skin Nectar or the regular one. And then I put on a pea-sized amount. Or you can go back to your moisturizer, and that's called making a tretinoin sandwich. I like this one a lot. It helps heal a lot and prevents any Retin-A dryness. And normally I would wait 15 minutes, but since I have an audience tonight, I'm just going to speed things right along.

So that's it, four steps. I'm a board certified dermatologist. Don't make things too complicated. This keeps my skin where I want it to be, plus, you know, in-office procedures like microneedling and lasers. But leave some messages in the comments and let's talk more, and I can share my morning routine soon too. Mornings are a little more hectic, so it might be a while. Good night.