7 Secrets Skincare Consultants Don’t Want You to Know

Now that summer is here, we are thinking about our skin a lot.

Preventing sunburn and showing more skin with less clothes and our bathing suits means we have to watch more closely how our skin appears.

According to Houston, TX Dermatologist Dr. Paul Friedman, “the skin care market is full of products that can help improve challenged skin, but many of my patients experience frustration with an oversaturated beauty market.”

Here are his seven skincare secrets you may not know of but they will be very helpful when you are making your skincare choices.

Watch Your Fingers

Friedman says if you have acne-prone skin, don’t buy your skincare products in a pot or jar. When you put your fingers into the pot day after day, you risk introducing bacteria back to your skin and causing an acne outbreak.

Ask a Friend

Just like you ask your friend where she had her hair done if you admire it, you can also ask her what product she uses if you think she has beautiful skin. Friedman cautions to remember that everyone’s skin is different so you never know how your skin will react to your friend’s favorite so be aware of that risk.

Treat Natural Skincare Products Like Food

Friedman says that the trend of avoiding including paraben in natural products means that they have a shorter shelf life. Paraben is a preservative for longer life of the product. Keep this in mind and use your product by the stated expiration date, as you would with a food product.

Three is the Magic Number

Most skincare lines have all kinds of products included, stating the more you use of their product, the more effective they all will be. Friedman says you only need three products: a gentle cleanser, a daily moisturizer with SPF 15 or higher and a moisture-rich night cream. You can stop there.

Check the Labels

Read the ingredients, especially if you have any kind of food allergy. Essential oils derived from plants you are sensitive to can cause you problems. Likewise, alcohol products can dry out your skin, no matter what the front label claims to be able to do.

Beware the Package

Just because the package looks nice does not mean it can do anything for you.  The designers want to sell their product. Friedman says to also be wary of the claims “dermatologist-tested” and “allergy tested” because these phrases rarely mean much.

Store the Product Properly

Friedman says gels are often sensitive to conditions more than other types of products to be aware of that. Also, direct sunlight and extreme heat or cold can be  harmful the effectiveness of your product so store in a cool, dry place if possible.

For more information, please visit www.friedmanmd.net.