Dermatology-Approved Skincare: What Experts Recommend for Dry Skin Skincare and Other Concerns

Youthful, fresh-looking skin starts with good skin and facial products. While treatments like nonsurgical facelifts, Botox, and dermal fillers can help you restore a youthful look, maintaining that look will be challenging without a skincare routine designed to address your skin’s specific concerns.

What goes into creating a great skincare routine? Start with dermatologist-recommended skincare ingredients. Below, we’ll discuss many of these ingredients and provide expert skin care tips so that you can build a routine for dry skin skincare, anti-aging, or other concerns.

Suncare

Broad-spectrum sunscreen should be the foundation of any skincare routine. UV rays damage skin, leading to premature aging, wrinkles, and, in some cases, skin cancer.

Even minimal exposure to the sun—like driving in your car or sitting near a sunny window for prolonged periods—can have harmful effects.

Use sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more, and make sure that it’s broad-spectrum, which means it will protect you against UVA and UVB rays. While chemical filters like avobenzone, oxybenzone, and octinoxate work well, they must be reapplied throughout the day for best results. Try sunscreens containing physical filters like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which will last all day. 

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are powerful skincare ingredients that reduce and repair the damage caused by UV rays and environmental pollutants. For maximum protection, pair sunscreen with an antioxidant-rich moisturizer or serum in the mornings, then reapply sunscreen throughout the day as needed. While you won’t need added protection against sun damage overnight, an antioxidant-rich night cream can offer restorative benefits.

Popular antioxidants to look for include vitamin C, vitamin E, niacinamide, and green tea extract.

Vitamin C

We’ve already discussed vitamin C as an antioxidant, but it’s important to single this skincare ingredient out not only because it’s a powerful antioxidant but also because it offers several other benefits. 

Vitamin C is crucial for collagen synthesis, which means that it helps your skin to produce new collagen, which in turn helps boost your skin’s elasticity and firmness, reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles. 

It also brightens the skin by inhibiting melanin production. This makes vitamin C very useful for lightening hyperpigmentation and creating a brighter, more even complexion. 

Retinoids

Retinoids are potent skincare ingredients that have many benefits. Here are some of the things that they can do for your skin:

• Anti-aging: Retinoids stimulate collagen production, which leads to firmer, more elastic skin. Similarly, retinoids also promote cell turnover, which leads to refreshed, smoother, and firmer skin. Both effects help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

• Acne: Retinoids can help regulate oil production, reduce inflammation, exfoliate dead skin cells, and unclog pores, all of which help prevent acne breakouts.

• Skin tone: Much like vitamin C, retinoids inhibit melanin production, which helps brighten skin, reduce hyperpigmentation, and create a more even skin tone.

Retinol is one of the most popular retinoids available, but you can also purchase adapalene, which is a somewhat milder retinoid with fewer side effects. Tretinoin is a prescription-strength retinoid that can have powerful results. 

Because retinoids can cause skin irritation and dryness, it’s best to start with less potent products or lower concentrations and gradually increase usage. While they can be applied in the morning, they’re best used at night—and make sure to wear sunscreen throughout the day. This is because retinoids can increase the skin’s sensitivity to sunlight, which can lead to burns and UV damage.

Growth Factor

Like retinoids, growth factors are powerful skincare ingredients with many benefits. You can add them to your skincare routine via serums and creams to enjoy their restorative benefits, or for a more powerful treatment, growth factors are available as injectables from approved providers.

Growth factors work by stimulating collagen production and promoting cell turnover. This results in firmer, smoother, more elastic skin, which reduces the look of fine lines and wrinkles. 

Just as importantly, growth factors strengthen the natural skin barrier. The skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin. Comprised of lipids, proteins, and dead skin cells, it protects your skin against environmental damage caused by UV rays and pollution and prevents moisture loss, making it a great addition to a dry skin skincare routine.

Hydroquinone

While hydroquinone isn’t recommended for everyone—it can cause skin irritation and dryness and may not be indicated for people with medium to dark skin tones—it is a powerful topical depigmenting agent that can help you even your skin tone. Hydroquinone works by suppressing melanin production, effectively reducing the look of age spots, sun spots, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and more. 

Keep in mind that the effects of hydroquinone are temporary. If you discontinue using this ingredient, treated areas should return to their original color. You’ll need to keep using hydroquinone to maintain its effects.

Hyaluronic Acid

If you’re looking for the best skincare for dry skin, hyaluronic acid should be your go-to ingredient. Add serums or creams containing hyaluronic acid to your regimen to create a hydrating skincare routine.

As a humectant, hyaluronic acid attracts and retains moisture. This offers several benefits: Hyaluronic acid can plump and firm your skin, which helps to fill in fine lines and wrinkles. On top of that, if you’re wondering how to treat dry skin, hyaluronic acid reduces dryness and flakiness.

For best results, use products containing hyaluronic acid in the morning and evening to help your skin stay hydrated throughout the day.

Get Dermatologist-Recommended Skincare from Vargas Face & Skin

Navigating all the different skincare products on the market today can be challenging. Here at Vargas Face & Skin, we can guide you through creating a skincare routine and a regimen designed around your specific needs. We can even offer you advanced skincare products to take your skincare to the next level. 

To learn more or to get your personalized recommendations, be sure to schedule a consultation.