scorecard
  1. Home
  2. Science
  3. Health
  4. news
  5. I'm a 35-year-old who has red and dry skin. An expert said I should cut toner completely out of my skin care routine.

I'm a 35-year-old who has red and dry skin. An expert said I should cut toner completely out of my skin care routine.

Canela López   

I'm a 35-year-old who has red and dry skin. An expert said I should cut toner completely out of my skin care routine.
  • Sarah Burton, 35, is a senior business intelligence analyst at Insider.
  • She volunteered to have her skin care routine reviewed by NYC-based dermatologist Dr. Jeriel Weitz.
  • Weitz told Insider the order of Sarah's routine is great, but she should cut out drying ingredients and add a retinoid.

Sarah Burton, a senior business intelligence analyst at Insider, volunteered to have her skin care routine reviewed by a dermatologist for Insider's skin clinic.

Sarah, 35, said her biggest skin care concerns are aging, redness, and dryness.

Dr. Jeriel Weitz, a dermatologist for Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City, took a look at the five products in Sarah's routine and told us what she should add and what she should get rid of for hydrated skin.

The order of Sarah's routine is spot on, but she could toss products that have overlapping benefits

Sarah starts her morning by cleansing her skin with Thayers witch hazel toner, using Artnaturals vitamin C serum, and moisturizing with Garnier's SPF 30 moisturizer.

She ends her night by cleansing her face using Dermalogica's dermal clay cleanser, applying her vitamin C serum, and moisturizing with Neutrogena's triple age repair night cream.

Weitz said the order of the routine is great, as you should always cleanse, apply serums, moisturize, and top with SPF before leaving the house. However, some products have the same benefits and actually double up on ingredients, like her vitamin C serum and moisturizers that contains vitamin C, an ingredient for anti-aging.

"This is redundant, and I would prefer to see Sarah incorporate different ingredients that would address her concerns into her routine," Weitz said.

Weitz also recommends switching to a vitamin C serum that does not contain alcohol, which can be drying.

Sarah should cut toners out of her routine to prevent dryness

Instead of cleansing with toner in the morning, Weitz said Sarah should start by washing her face with a gentle cleanser and patting her face dry with a towel. Toners often contain alcohol.

"While Sarah's toner claims to be alcohol free, it contains an ingredient called phenoxyethanol which is an ether alcohol that is used in skin care products as a preservative," Weitz said.

"In those with sensitive skin, this ingredient can be drying and irritating."

Adding a retinoid would work for any aging concerns

Because one of Sarah's biggest concerns is aging, Weitz highly recommends adding a retinoid to her nighttime routine.

"Retinoids have several benefits such as reducing fine lines and wrinkles, promoting collagen production and improving overall skin tone and texture," Weitz said.

"Since retinoids can be drying to the skin, I recommend to start slow, be sure to only use a pea sized amount for your entire face and follow the retinoid with a good moisturizer."

For an extra boost in anti-aging products, Sarah can also add in eye cream or neck cream. Weitz said she should look for products that contain anti-inflammatory ingredients like azelaic acid, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid.

Overall, the order of Sarah's routine is correct but she should swap out drying ingredients for hydrating ones and prioritize anti-aging products.

READ MORE ARTICLES ON



Popular Right Now



Advertisement