Val Monroe's Skincare Regimen
Photo: Robert Trachtenberg
A number of you have e-mailed to ask about my skincare routine. Here's what I use, and why.
Every other night, I apply a pea-sized amount of a prescription retinoid, and after about ten minutes, I smooth on a similar amount of moisturizer. The retinoid helps my skin generate collagen and elastin, diminishing fine lines and wrinkles. Using moisturizer after the retinoid prevents flaking (and may cause only a slight reduction in the retinoid's effects, says Neil Sadick, MD, clinical professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College). On alternate nights, instead of the retinoid, I apply an 18 percent glyolic acid lotion, which exfoliates dead skin cells. Alternating a retinoid and glycolic acid gives good glow.
For day, I use an SPF 15 lotion with glyolic acid and the antioxidant vitamins C and E, which protect against environmental damage. Every four months or so I also submit to three tiny shots of botox on the lines between my eyebrows; because I don't like not being able to move my forehead, I get the minimum amount. And about twice a year I have an intense-pulsed-light treatment to even out skin texture and fade brown spots.
Except for the prescription retinoid, the products I use are available online or over the counter in drugstores.
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