What would two cosmetic doctors use on their own skin..?

From dry, sensitive skin to oily, acne-prone skin: Two cosmetic doctors discuss their own skincare routines and give their three top tips for these two opposing skin types!

Part 1: Skincare Routines

One of the questions I probably get asked the most is what do I use on my own skin? Of course, the problem with answering this question, is that people will sometimes take this information on as advice for themselves. But of course, as a medical practitioner, what you will advise other people is different from what you would advise yourself, because everybody is an individual with different skin, different genetics and the influence of different external factors.

I recently went live on Instagram with my friend and fellow cosmetic doctor, Dr Sandra Gamper from Miriderma clinic in Bournemouth (www.miriderma.co.uk). We have very different skin types, so we were interested in discussing our daily skincare routines and whether there were any similarities between them. My skin is white, dry and prone to redness and sensitivity. On the contrary, Dr Gamper has black, oily and acne prone skin.

In part 1 of this blog, I will discuss what my routine is, and what my advice for skin similar to mine would be (i.e skin prone to dryness and rosacea). In Part 2 I will reveal Dr Gamper’s routine, and her advice for oily, acne-prone skin...

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KD: “So all my skincare is from the pHformula range which I work with in clinic. First I use their EXFO cleanse which is great for all skin types as it contains lactobionic acid which, as a PHA, is a really gentle exfoliator, and papain for anti-inflammatory effects and again gentle exfoliation, amongst others ingredients. I take time cleansing my face. I'll often leave the cleanser on as a mask. Maybe while the kids are having a bath or something like that. So I don't always double cleanse, but that's because I'm so thorough with my first cleanse. If I'm wearing a lot of makeup, I will double cleanse and I tend to use an oil or gel to oil formula to get rid of my makeup and then use the EXFO cleanse. I the use my Vitamin A. It's a 1.5% retinol, so it's quite a hefty one, but I've actually managed to build that up. So I now use that four or five times a week.”

SG: And have you noticed an improvement with that?

Yes, I have. It definitely is helping. I probably only upped it to that about six months ago. So it's still early days...because as we know, it takes skin takes a long time to show any changes.

On the Nights that I don’t use my Vita A cream, I’ll use a Hyaluronic Acid Serum (Hydra Serum) to try to boost my hydration and then I then use a Niacinamide Moisturizer (Vita B cream) which I absolutely love. It's perfect for my sensitive skin. For anybody that's got sensitive or dry skin, I'd really recommend adding Niacinamide to their routine.

At the moment, because it's winter and my skin's even dryer than normal, I might finish with a few drops of SOS Rescue Oil...I love this product. This is a dry oil, which has got a combination of different oils, vitamins E and C, Alpina Galangal to stimulate Hyaluronic Acid production and peptides. And that’s probably it!

SG: Ok, do you want to talk about your morning routine?

Sure, so after cleansing, I use a Vitamin C serum (Vita C Corrective Serum, pHFormula). I might use my Vita B Cream again for a bit of hydration and protection and then I use a sunscreen. I tend to either use the Heliocare 360 range of the pHformula Sunscreen, which is lovely and moisturizing, so I prefer this for when my skin is particularly dry. I will sometimes add in a serum containing a mix of AHAs and BHAs, but I back off these a bit during the winter as my skin is more sensitive and dry at this time, and these can make it worse.

My top tips for dry, sensitive skin:

1. Cleanse - cleansing with a quality product ensures dead skin cells are gently lifted away and any irritants are removed from pores. It also ensure any active products used can penetrate effectively

2. Sunscreen - Sun is a major trigger for rosacea. There may be other environmental factors which exacerbate your symptoms, such as heat or alcohol - it is obviously important to avoid these as much as possible, too

3. Niacinamide (Vitamin B6) helps repair the skin’s barrier, which is essential for good hydration and healthy skin

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Next time I will tell you Dr Gamper's routine for her oily, acne prone skin. Make sure you look out for this blog in order to hear her top tips!