Photo Credit: Shutterstock There are some things in life that we need a bit of guidance on and skincare routines are one of them. They are tricky, unique to your skin, and extremely hard to master. Are fewer products more? Are these products going to aid in the prevention of fine lines and wrinkles? That is where Haute Beauty experts come into play. Here is what they had to say:

Dr. Nianda Reid | Skin | Pennsylvania

The perfect skincare regimen for anti-aging varies because when it comes to skincare one size does not fit all. However, to get the most out of your skincare regimen it should have a few main components. In my opinion, a great anti-aging skincare regimen starts with sunscreen and ends with a retinoid/retinol. What comes between in terms of active ingredients is variable and dependent on skin type and skin conditions. For my oily acne-prone skin, I start my day with an acne salicylic acid face wash. Next, I apply an antioxidant Vitamin C serum with ferulic acid. Ferulic acid stabilizes vitamin C while potentiating its antioxidant effects. Of course, no anti-aging regimen is complete without sunscreen. I apply an SPF 30+ mineral sunscreen every morning. At night I recommend a gentle cleanser followed by the use of a retinoid. Retinoids are famed for wrinkle reduction as they speed the turnover of superficial skin cells and increase the production of collagen. Retinoids also stimulate the production of new blood vessels in the skin, which improves skin tone.

For more information, visit Dr. Reid’s website or Instagram!

Dr. Purshiva Patel | Skin | Memphis

In the morning use an antioxidant serum such as Visha Skincare Advanced Correcting Serum with Vitamin C, Vitamin E, ferulic acid, retinol, niacinamide, Illuminotex, and hyaluronic acid on clean dry skin. Apply an SPF 30+ with iron oxides (tinted) to the face every morning. A nighttime routine includes cleaning your face with an exfoliating wash. You can use a serum such as Visha Skincare Advanced Correcting Serum to clean your dry face. In addition, you can use a jade roller, gua sha, or a microcurrent machine with the serum. After you should apply retinol (this is in the serum), eye cream,  and a well-formulated moisturizer which will lock in all the goodness before bed. Remember your skin needs 6 glasses of water, 8 hours of sleep, a multivitamin, a probiotic, and the SPF 30+ daily to be coined as healthy.

For more information, visit Dr. Patel’s website, Instagram, or Facebook!

Dr. Bertha Baum | Skin | Miami/Ft. Lauderdale

The perfect skincare for anti-aging would include:

Morning routine:

1. Glycolic wash (if the skin can tolerate it)
2. Vitamin C and other antioxidants
3. Broad-spectrum sunscreen (my favorite: mineral type)

Nighttime routine: 

A little trick I have been recommending to patients for years is drinking Juven, a nutritional powder every day to promote collagen and maintain results after in-office treatments. A newer product that does require a prescription is Upneeq which is an FDA-approved ophthalmic drop to lift your upper eyelids. Also pairing good medical-grade skincare with in-office procedures, such as HydraFacials with Aquagold microinfusions, as well as lasers and microneedling, radiofrequency, and tightening lasers are going to promote collagen production and fight the aging process. Injectables are great as well and one of my favorite ones is Sculptra which is a collagen booster.

For more information, visit Dr. Baum’s website, Instagram, or Facebook!

Dr. Karyn Grossman | Skin | Los Angeles

Skincare routines aren’t always “one size fits all.” In my practice, I provide all my patients with a customized morning and nighttime skin routine that best fits their needs and goals. However, inflammation is an underlying problem that leads to many different concerns – acne, pigmentation, redness, and aging. So I do like to have patients use products that have a strong anti-inflammatory component in their formulations. Everyone should start their morning with a gentle cleanser, an antioxidant, and SPF as a bare minimum.  Yes, you should wash your face in the morning – just don’t use a stripping cleanser.  All should also use an antioxidant in the morning to help protect their skin. I like vitamin C with phloretin for patients with pigmentation issues, and antioxidants combined with potent anti-aging peptides for those who have aging concerns. Some people do well with several layers of products – a cleanser, serum, gel, SPF then moisturizer – while others prefer an all-in-one antioxidant-SPF-moisturizer. Make sure to apply your SPF prior to your moisturizer – then add moisturizer to areas that are feeling dry.

I often recommend adding an HA serum – to help hydration for patients who tend to be dry.  Some, can even boost your own skin’s HA production or add other anti-inflammatory benefits. SPF is absolutely crucial for anti-aging, even if it is cloudy or you aren’t in direct sunlight. I recommend using at least an SPF of 50+, preferably with physical blocking ingredients such as zinc and titanium. At night, use a gentle cleanser followed by some kind of over-the-counter retinol or prescription retinoid. Retinol/Retinoids have long been the gold standard as far as anti-aging ingredients go. Follow this with your HA-containing serum then a nighttime moisturizer. I like to add a few drops of antiaging oil to my moisturizer, but this isn’t necessarily for everyone. Finally, apply your eye cream. I prefer to use a single eye cream that addresses puffiness, bags, dark circles, fine lines all in one instead of needing to layer on different products.

For more information, visit Dr. Grossman’s website, Instagram, or Facebook!

Dr. Tatiana Batista & Master Esthetician Alison Falada, Chicago Breast & Body Aesthetics | Anti-Aging | Chicago

If there are 5 things we would recommend to everyone, no matter the skin type, it would be: 

1. Never skip washing your face. Regular skin cleansing is critical to maintaining healthy-looking skin. 

2. Exfoliate often. Exfoliating eliminates toxins and impurities and clears out the dirt that builds up in your pores day after day. We love Complexion Renewal Pads by ZO Skin Health which contains Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid which exfoliates the skin and primes it for better absorption of your skin products. 

3. Use an antioxidant + SPF every day. An antioxidant serum like Skinceuticals CE Ferulic can be worn during the day to help protect your skin from everyday environmental stressors including free radicals, pollution, harmful UV rays, and even the light from your computer. Using an antioxidant combined with your SPF will give you added protection.

4. Apply Retinol before bedtime. Retinol is a must-have for every anti-aging skincare regimen. Retinol promotes cell turnover resulting in smoother skin and collagen production. We recommend Skinceuticals Retinol cream. It comes in three different concentrations, so you can work your way up if you’re a retinol newbie.

5. Lastly, make sure to see your esthetician once a month! While it’s important to have a good skincare routine at home, professional laser and medical-grade skincare treatments administered by a skin care professional cannot be compared to at-home treatments. Advancements in the laser technologies available today can truly transform your skin. Certain in-office treatments can help reverse the effects of aging and correct many skin imperfections including fine lines and wrinkles, skin laxity, sun damage, acne scars, hyperpigmentation, stretch marks, rosacea, and much more!

For more information, visit Chicago Breast & Body Aesthetics website, Instagram, or Facebook!

Dr. Michele S. Green | Anti-Aging | New York

The perfect skincare recipe to prevent aging (for anti-aging):

AM/PM skincare routine: stay out of the sun, facials

Winter skincare routine: The perfect skincare routine would always involve staying out of the sun since there is nothing worse for the aging of your skin than sun damage. UV rays cause pigmentation, fine lines, deep wrinkles, and ruin the texture of your skin. The perfect skincare recipe starts with washing my skin with a gentle cleanser, followed by my high potency Vitamin C serum each morning is the best way to start your day. I combine my MGSKINLABS AM serum to my daily use of Vitamin C. These serums help with fine lines, pigmentation, and redness in the skin. At night-time, start with a gentle cleanser, followed by Vita-C-Serum and MGSKINLABS PM serum for increased anti-aging benefit. Follow up with MGSKINLABS Antioxidant Infusion which is replete with retinol and anti-oxidants. In wintertime, seal the skin with the Recovery Cream. Once a year, I have Thermage FLX to increase the “collagen bank” in my skin and tighten up the skin on my face and neck. After the summer, the Fraxel laser is the “magic eraser” and clears up any sun damage, sun spots, and fine lines. Twice a year, I do the VBeam laser to remove any broken blood vessels or redness that have resulted from the sun.

For more information, visit Dr. Green’s website, Instagram, or Facebook!

Dr. Deepa Verma | Integrative Anti-Aging | Tampa/St.Petersburg

I love working from the inside out as an Integrative MD. You can do whatever you wish on the exterior, but if you have a faulty and inflammatory interior, your anti-aging efforts will be impeded. I always address gut health as the main bullet point with my patients in their anti-aging quest. Great skin is a reflection of good gut health. Conditions such as rosacea and eczema and psoriasis are often linked to poor diet and leaky gut. I also address autoimmune conditions and micronutrient deficiencies and hormonal imbalances to promote optimal aging. My ideal skincare recipe would be following a clean diet, exercise, restorative sleep, and stress reduction, which are essentially my 4 pillars of a healthy and sound lifestyle. I always incorporate physician-regulated, pharmaceutical-grade supplements that bolster anti-aging qualities such as healthy hair, skin, and nails. IV therapy is another bonus as it repletes substances we lose as we age and battle time. Glutathione and NAD are my secret weapons. Last but not least, a great combination of medical-grade skincare including retinol, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, vitamins C & E, and SPF paired with RF microneedling and laser skin resurfacing will keep you looking years younger than your stated age. Vanity is sanity!

For more information, visit Dr. Verma’s website, Instagram, or Facebook!

Dr. Mara Weinstein Velez | Skin | Rochester, NY

I love this question because it’s something I do every day as a Board-Certified Cosmetic Dermatologist! The first and most important step is to optimize your skin care.  A skincare regimen doesn’t have to be complicated and should contain some essential ingredients to prevent those early signs of aging. The keyword here is to prevent!  The earlier you start, the less catch up each decade moving forward. A morning skin care routine should include a gentle cleanser, Vitamin C antioxidant serum or cream, and SPF 30 or higher. If you want to throw in an AHA or BHA into the mix, you can use it as part of your cleanser a few times a week for that added gentle exfoliation and brightening, as well as hydration, especially with AHAs. If you run – dry, a lightweight moisturizer can be used before the sunscreen in the morning. For the evening routine, I like gentle bland cleansing, even a double cleanse if you need to remove makeup but few active ingredients here because the only thing you need is your retinoid! If you can’t tolerate a retinoid (which is an Rx) you can start with retinol or even bakuchiol (retinol alternative for sensitive skin).  A lightweight moisturizer can be used after your nighttime retinoid if it seems too drying. Retinoids promote cell turnover, help to diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in addition to evening skin tone. It is really the liquid gold of skincare.

In terms of injectables, to maintain a wrinkle-free complexion, regular treatments with wrinkle relaxers like Botox/Dysport/Xeomin should be added to the maintenance plan.  Typically these treatments last about 3-4 months.  Injections with fillers to replace lost volume are usually assessed in the mid-’30s or ’40s and are very dependent on your individual face and aging-related changes so this isn’t a must right away, however, fillers last about 12-18 months depending on the specific type, they can last longer!

I also recommend a gentle resurfacing laser-like the clear and brilliant to be performed quarterly for maintenance.  This will help to stimulate new collagen production and improve the texture and tone of skin, in addition to helping with any hyperpigmentation and scarring.

Lastly, a skin tightening procedure like Sofwave, should be performed yearly starting around age 30-40 or even every 2 years depending on your individual needs, genetics, and facial changes. Remember, the goal is to keep your skin taught in order to avoid surgery later on (still love my Plastic surgery colleagues though) and we will have that conversation if the need for tightening is beyond what a noninvasive device can do. Again, starting early is key!​

For more information, visit Dr. Weinstein Velez’s website, Instagram, or Facebook!