Q&A: SKINCARE ETC.
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SKINCARE
How do you get such great skin? You are too kind. Full disclosure, my skin is incredibly difficult—at baseline it’s sensitive, combination (more like bipolar) and acne-prone with mild rosacea. That’s how I got into skincare to begin with—I don’t think most people dive into the black hole of skincare because they’re psyched about how their skin looks. I like to share which products work for me because it’s such a process to keep my skin happy. And honestly, who wants to take advice from someone who can slap any old thing on their face and maintain a perfect complexion?
Most days I’m not 100% happy with my skin, but it has improved so much since starting spironolactone along with an effective skincare routine. Spironolactone was originally used for hypertension but can also be taken for its hormone balancing effects, making it a miracle worker for women with hormonal acne. I know it doesn’t sound as cute to take a pill for nice skin, but I like to be honest about what works for me. It doesn’t get me 100% there, but gets my skin to the point where I’m able to complement with skincare. Not sure if your acne is hormonal? If you’re a woman between 20-50 with acne mainly in the lower third of your face, hormones are the likely culprit. Unfortunately, topical treatments aren’t great for treating this type of acne. I have tried acupuncture, herbal medicines and dietary changes (along with lots and lots of skincare), and spironolactone is the only thing that really works for me. While I can’t advise you to take it via internet, schedule a visit to your dermatology provider if it sounds like it might work for you.
So—prescriptions for clearing, skincare for glow. Other things that help from the inside out: drinking a ton of water, consuming a lot of omega-3s, and avoiding dairy and high glycemic foods. When all of this doesn’t work and I do break out, I go to my derm office for a steroid injection followed by an ice roller.
What is your current skincare routine? It’s winter in NYC, so my current routine focuses on serious hydration that doesn’t clog my pores. I love moisturizers for the rest of the year but find they don’t give me enough hydration given the cold, dry weather, so I swap them out for oils and balms. This is my every day routine at this very moment:
Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm
Cane + Austin Acne Retexture Pads or P50
Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelerator
Jordan Samuel Hydrate Serum or Kypris Clearing Serum
AM: Elemis Superfood Facial Oil, PM: May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon
Every AM Elta MD UV Clear
Every other day PM Retin-A Micro 0.025%
(Side note—I just realized while linking that this routine has a lot of pricey products. I also like the Badger Damascus Rose Beauty Balm which is super cheap and might be nice in place of the Blue Cocoon, and the Elemis Superfood Oil can be used both day and night)
How often do you get laser treatments? Is it something you highly recommend or are facials sufficient? I will do an IPL or YAG laser treatment sporadically before a special event or when I feel like I really need to get my skin on track. I recommend them for specific issues such as dark spots, redness or hyperpigmentation, but I don’t think they’re necessary if you’re looking for a general glow—glycolic peels or enzyme masks are a cheaper, effective option for that and are an easy add on to facials.
PERSONAL
How did you decide on dermatology as an NP? I want to go the dermatology route for several reasons. For one, both J and I have a family history of melanoma as well as close friends that have been diagnosed with skin cancer, which explains my passion for SPF and sun safety. Detection is such an essential component to surviving this deadly disease, and it’s an incredible honor to be able to play a role in its detection and treatment as well as educating patients on prevention. Secondly, much of my experience as an RN was in surgery which I absolutely love, and dermatology would allow me to perform a variety of clinical and cosmetic procedures (#pimplepoppergoals). Lastly (which if you’re here, you already know), I wholeheartedly believe in the ability of skincare and wellness to help improve a variety of skin conditions. I’m excited to help patients combine these elements so they can feel happier in their own skin.
How do you deal with haters? As a blogger or as a human? I guess the answer is more or less the same. Thank you for submitting this as bullying is the real deal and thanks in part to the social media age, it’s not going away anytime soon.
The reality is that the more you put yourself out there and the more successes you have, the more people are going to look for reasons to talk shit about/to you. Take it as a sign that you’re killing it—people must have a solid reason to envy you. I’ve had to remind myself that not everyone is going to like me, and that’s totally fine. It definitely still bothers me but I genuinely feel badly for those who don’t have much else to talk about besides other people. If someone’s life hasn’t expanded past that, they're clearly not very happy or fulfilled themselves (and they’re boring AF).
The best advice I could give would be the following: (1) Surround yourself with people whose lives revolve around REAL THINGS: careers, helping others, travel, learning, culture, art, ideas, self-actualization. Dynamic, confident people who don’t need to put others down to feel good about themselves. (2) Trust is so important. If you have people in your life that don’t make you feel good yourself or speak negatively behind your back, move on. (3) Explore your own interests and follow your dreams so that your happiness doesn’t depend as much upon the approval of other people.
Finally—and I mean this genuinely—whenever a hater gets to you, consciously send them positive vibes and wish them all the best. They have some shit to work on.