We asked our expert dermatologists: what are the questions you hear over and over from patients? And we got answers. From the right order to apply skincare products, to how much face scrubbing is too much, it turns out a lot of us have the same questions, even when we don’t always want to hear the answers.
For instance: do I really need to wear sunscreen? “I feel like we’ve given you all the reasons why, and debunked all the different myths and all the reasons from TikTok why you shouldn’t wear it, but as soon as you clear one [post or video], another one pops up,” says Dr Corey L Hartman, a dermatologist in Birmingham, Alabama.
But if you’re ready for some hard truths (no, you should not pop that pimple) our panel of six expert dermatologists gave us all the science-backed answers that you won’t always get from your favorite influencer.
Meet the experts:
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Dr Doris Day, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City and clinical associate professor of dermatology at New York University Langone medical center.
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Dr Corey L Hartman, a board-certified dermatologist based in Birmingham, Alabama, and adjunct associate professor of dermatology at UAB Heersink School of Medicine.
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Dr Divya Shokeen, a board-certified dermatologist and hair transplant surgeon based in southern California.
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Dr Mamina Turegano, a board-certified dermatologist, internist and dermatopathologist based in New Orleans, Louisiana.
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Dr Claire Wolinsky, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City and clinical instructor of dermatology at Weill-Cornell medical center.
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Dr Josh Zeichner, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City and associate professor of dermatology and director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai hospital in New York City.
Washing your face
Do I really need to wash my face at night and in the morning?
Turegano: It’s important to wash your face in the evening because your face has been exposed to the elements and to smoke, pollution, the buildup of sweat, dirt and grime. Opinions are mixed regarding washing in the morning. It can be helpful in the am because people do sweat, and oil builds up at night. You may use skin care at night. You want to wash all that off before you apply products in the morning. So at least rinse with water.
Hartman: Washing your face daily used to be the standard. We told everyone they had to wash their face when they wake up and before they go to bed at night. Washing your face at night is essential; you need to remove dirt, oil and impurities before going to sleep. But some people, especially if they have dry skin, may find that if they go to bed with a clean face, they may not need to do a full face wash in the morning. Most people still wash their face in the morning, and that’s perfectly OK to do, especially if you are washing off face masks or other overnight products on the skin, or if your skin feels oily in the morning.
(You can read the Guardian’s guide to the best facial cleansers in the US here.)
Should I be wary of scrubbing and cleaning my face too much?
Shokeen: Cleansing is probably the most important step in your skincare routine because you want to remove things that are on your skin that could be harming it, but we tend to over-wash in search of getting that squeaky-clean sensation. Avoid anything that leaves your skin squeaky-clean – that’s a sign it’s stripping too much.
Do I need to wash my upper chest and neck along with my face?
Day: Yes, you might apply makeup, sunscreen, or lotion to those areas and they should be cleansed even if you are not showering at night.
Come on, is it really that bad to skip washing now and then?
Turegano: Cleansing skin is an underrated skin care step. A lot of my young patients like to go to sleep with makeup on – they think they’re invincible – but the effects add up over time and can accelerate ageing.
Sunscreen
Do I have to wear sunscreen every day?
Hartman: Yes. You should wear sunscreen every day. All the skincare products you use daily mean nothing if you are not protecting your skin from sun exposure each day.
Zeichner: Yes. You need sunscreen every day – not just when you are at the beach. Incidental UV light adds up over a lifetime. So whether you are on your commute to work or sitting outside for lunch, you are at risk for UV damage.
Shokeen: Yes! As Ben Franklin said: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
I have SPF in my makeup. Do I still need sunscreen?
Zeichner: Yes. You are likely not applying as much makeup as you would need to get the level of SPF labeled on the bottle. You need about a quarter-sized dollop of sunscreen for your full face. Putting that much makeup on will leave you looking like you have caked-on makeup. The small amount of makeup you are using means that SPF in the makeup gets diluted. The solution is to layer your makeup over a moisturizer with sunscreen.
Can I use a retinoid in the summer?
Wolinsky: You don’t need to switch your cleanser and moisturizer seasonably, but you can if you’d like to. In summer, I like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid for acne-prone skin in addition to a retinoid – as long as you’re not dry and irritated. Retinoids are fine to use in the summer with a sunscreen and good sun protection. Retinoids can make the skin more prone to a sunburn so sun protection is key, but you don’t need to stop the retinoid.
Products
Do I need a 20-step skincare routine?
Zeichner: No. Simple is better and easier for you to stick to. The morning is time for prevention of damage and protection against environmental exposures. Stick to a vitamin C serum plus sunscreen. The evening is time for hydration and repair. Apply a moisturizer and a collagen stimulating ingredient like retinol, peptides, hydroxy acids, or bakuchiol.
How can I determine my skin type?
Hartman: One of the best ways to determine your skin type is to observe your skin without any products on it for about an hour after cleansing. Wash your face and leave it alone for an hour. If your skin feels tight, your skin is likely dry. If it looks or feel oily, your skin is oily. If you are only oily on parts of your face like your T-zone, your skin is likely combination. If it feels comfortable, you likely have normal skin.
Day: I think that everybody is combination, so we aren’t really a type. And that can change depending on the time of year, or time of month. It changes. You get drier with age for sure. So I think of people as prone to things rather than having a type. So you’re prone to redness, you’re prone to breakouts, or you’re prone to discoloration.
In what order should I put on products?
Hartman: Skincare products should be applied from the thinnest to the thickest products. The typical AM order would be: cleanser, toner/essence, serum, spot treatment, moisturizer, sunscreen. Follow the same rationale in the evening: cleanser, toner/essence, serum, moisturizer or night cream.
Is moisturizing anti-ageing?
Wolinsky: Moisturizing is not in and of itself anti-ageing unless the product contains a retinoid. A moisturizer can make the skin look better day to day and make fine lines appear softer, but hydrating the skin isn’t anti-ageing. A moisturizer can only be anti-ageing if it has anti-aging ingredients like retinoids, which help build collagen and increase skin cell turnover.
Should I be using retinol?
Hartman: Everyone should be using a retinol; it is one of the most researched and most effective ingredients proven to transform the look of the skin. Retinol helps regulate cellular turnover, effectively exfoliates, evens discoloration in the skin, helps control oil production, smooths fine lines and wrinkles and more. There are some terrific OTC retinols that you can use daily, or even better, a prescription retinoid that you can get from your board-certified dermatologist.
Pimples and other problems
What should I do if I have a pimple emergency and an event tomorrow?
Turegano: The fastest way to get rid of it is to see your dermatologist for a cortisone injection. You can also use over the counter options like pimple patches, spot treatments with sulfur or benzoyl peroxide, and even ice to calm the inflammation.
Can I pop this?
Shokeen: Spoiler: please don’t. Short and sweet – no.
Is this breakout hormonal?
Shokeen: If it’s deep and painful, around your jawline and a week or so before your [menstrual] cycle, yes, chances are good.
How do I get rid of these dark spots?
Shokeen: Retinol, SPF, and your dermatologist.
Is this mole normal?
Shokeen: Definitely your dermatologist needs to confirm [by examining it].
Why is this happening to me now?
Day: If somebody gets rosacea, which you typically don’t get until your thirties, and they go, ‘Well, I never had this before. Why am I getting it now?’ I say, ‘Well, some things you don’t get as a kid. Some things happen to you as an adult.’ But they’re always shocked that they have a new condition in their skin that they didn’t have before. And I don’t get why people are shocked.
Responses have been edited and condensed for clarity