3 Skincare Staples

There are 3 skincare products that absolutely everyone, no matter your skin type, should be using on a daily basis and no, it's not a cleanser (although, yes, you need that too.) These 3 products can be formulated for specific skin types so that you get what you need. I will break it down into each category, my favorites and suggestions for each skin type. These 3 things are for preventative as well as anti-aging in general. These are the best 3 things you can do for your skin as far as home care.
These 3 critical products are Vitamin C, SPF, and a Vitamin A. Vitamin C and SPFs should be used in the morning and Vitamin A at night (usually every other night). Vitamin C is a very powerful antioxidant that helps protect against environmental damage such as sun and sun spots, pollution, and the many other environmental factors. SPF speaks for itself. You CANNOT use vitamin C and vitamin A WITHOUT an SPF or you will cause even more damage to the skin. It must be protected from UVA/UVB rays. This is SO important. Many people think sunscreens are too greasy and it deters acne prone skin from using them and some people are too lazy and/or forget. There are so many good sunscreens out there that are non-greasy and sink into the skin so easily and this should be a step that is NEVER skipped. And lastly, a Vitamin A. These are so SO beneficial to the skin. Vitamin A helps to exfoliate the skin by turning over skin cells, helps reproduce collagen and reduce fine lines and wrinkles, clears pores, and helps to brighten the skin/fade sun spots over time. Vitamin A is amazing for anti-aging as well as clearing acne. This can come in different forms such as a prescription Retin-A which usually causes a good bit of irritation to the top layer of the skin. There are retinols, which are a derivative of Retin-A. These are usually formulated with other ingredients that can help moisturize the skin and calm irritation while still delivering the anti-aging benefits. If you've never used a Vitamin A you will most likely see slight irritation when starting to use it, but there are ways that it can be used to not be so irritating. You can either mix your retinol in with your moisturizer and apply them together, or you can apply your retinol, wait a few minutes for that to sink in, and then follow with your moisturizer. Like anything you add into your routine, you must be consistent. These 3 powerhouse products will 100% change the way your skin looks (for the better), but be consistent!

Favorites by brand and skin type:


Vitamin C:
1. Skinceuticals Phloretin CF (combo to oily skin)

2. Skinceuticals CE Ferulic (dryer skin types)

3. PCA C&E Advanced with Hexylresorcinol and Silymarin (all skin types-this one has ingredients in it to calm down slight irritation that can be caused by higher percentages of Vitamin C)

SPF:
1. EltaMD (UV Daily-dryer skin types, UV Clear-oily/acne prone skin/rosacea, UV Physical-anyone post procedure or with sensitivity to chemical filter ingredients.)

2. PCA Weightless Protection (great for all skin types)

Honestly those are my favorites, there's no #3 because I always will recommend one of these. There are other good sunscreens out there, but for the formula and the price you can't beat these!

Vitamin A/Retinol:
1. ZO Skin Health Wrinkle & Texture Repair (acne prone and deeper set wrinkles-this one is made for "leathery skin" or anyone with higher grade acne)

2. PCA (Intensive Age Refining- main concern is aging and Intensive Clarity- main concern is acne) I love the PCA ones because not only are they a great formula, but they are made for specific skin concerns. They also offer one for sensitive skin.

3. Glo Renew Serum- fantastic for acne-this formula includes salicylic acid and glycolic acid in addition to retinol. I love this one for acne prone skin, it is a very thin formula and not going to be one that moisturizes.

I personally have worked with all of these products and have seen major changes in my patients skin because of these. I use Elta MD myself, and I own all 3 of the retinols I mentioned. I stand by these products and if you have any questions about them, let me know!
These are pricey, but they last a long time and as I mentioned, are the best thing you can do for your skin at home.

At Elements, we offer these in a bundle (buy the retinol and vitamin C, get an SPF free) and I know a lot of places that do bundles like that, so you can find great deals!