I’m launching a new blog series today titled “Skinspiration” because I want to post more often about dermatology and share aspects of my life with you on a more regular basis! Every Monday I’m going to post a skinspiration for that week including a pearl from the world of dermatology, a skincare or beauty product review, a fashion find, and a quick update on what’s going on in my life. I will still post my regular free-form entries, but I’m hoping that this weekly series will keep me honest on a more consistent posting schedule. This is a work in progress and I hope you guys will enjoy this weekly post and find something useful as well!

Dermatology Pearl

Last week something highly anticipated FINALLY happened in our world! The FDA formally approved Dupixent (Dupilumab), a new treatment for moderate to severe eczema and THE FIRST targeted biologic therapy developed specifically for eczema. Dupixent is a human monoclonal antibody that binds to and inhibits IL-4 and IL-13, two proteins that are thought to cause inflammation, rev up the immune system, and cause flares in atopic dermatitis (eczema). This medication will be administered as an injection that patients can do themselves at home. The NYTimes wrote an article about Dupixent, sharing that it is priced at $37,000 a year, which is actually still cheaper than many other biologics used in other skin conditions (for example, Humira and Enbrel, which treat psoriasis, are priced at $50,000 annually).

I can’t tell you how many patients I have who have been waiting for this to come out. Bad cases of eczema can get really bad. Imagine having dry itchy skin all over your body, and that skin cracks and gets infected even without you scratching yourself raw. That is what severe eczema patients have to deal with. They can’t go to work because their eczema is so debilitating, and they may even end up hospitalized from severe skin infections due to breaks in the barrier of their skin. In clinic we end up trying off-label medications for other skin conditions such as psoriasis for these severe eczema patients, or we end up using big gun immunosuppressants to try to quiet down their immune system, but some patients still have severe eczema. I personally am very interested in seeing how Dupixent may be a game changer in treating one of the most common diseases we see in dermatology.

Beauty Review

Last week I was in Seoul (more on that below!) and I couldn’t stop myself from picking up a bunch of new skincare goodies. I will do a more thorough review on each of the items but I wanted to highlight a really awesome sheet mask that I found in a LOHB store (Love Health and Beauty), the Cremorlab Herb Tea Blemish calming mask. This organic cotton sheet mask contains chamomile, black tea, and Rosa centafolia to help calm and hydrate skin. The mask was dripping with essence when I first removed it,  and it adhered well to the contours of my face for 20 minutes. This mask also had the best fit I’ve ever encountered, and there were extra slits in the medial eye areas that helped accommodate my narrowly set eyes. The next day I woke up to really glowing hydrated skin. This has to be one of my favorite masks ever! It unfortunately is on the pricier side for us to get it in the US, but it is available on Amazon for $9.99.

Fashion Find

Madewell is having a big sale right now, with 20% off $100 and 30% off $200 with code NOTKIDDING. I have been eying their durable leather bags for a while and took advantage of this sale to get the transport crossbody in english saddle. They also have similar designs in larger sizes.

Over in the sale section there are some incredible steals with an additional 20% to 30% off of already slashed sale prices. I picked up some basics like a striped tee (on sale for $10) and a mockneck tee, as well as some scalloped shorts for when the weather warms up. Here are my picks from the sale:

Don’t forget to sign up with your email to become a Madewell Insider. You receive free shipping, free returns, and free personalization (pretty much why I decided to get JHP embossed on my crossbody bag!).

Life Update

I went to Seoul last week with Matt and his family and I’m excited to share my travel guides with you soon! We spent a whole week exploring different neighborhoods in Seoul, and I found that Seoul reminds me of Manhattan in some ways, with each neighborhood having a distinct personality and feel. I can’t wait to go back next year to visit after my board exams.

Since I’ve been back I’ve been busy apartment hunting, as Matt and I are moving in May. Some of you may have seen my abundant snaps and instagram stories showing all the places I’ve been looking at. NYC prices are really insane! A typical 1-bedroom in West Village sets you back around $3600-$3800 a month, and oftentimes there is no elevator, no doorman, no laundry, and no dishwasher. Imagine that! I think we may have finally decided on a place though, and I am in love with it. I am excited to show you guys the new place once we’ve settled in.

Wow, that was a lot for my first skinspiration post! I am going to try to make these shorter in the future to make it sustainable for me to continue posting these weekly 🙂 Hope you enjoyed it! Remember to subscribe to get email updates; I promise I don’t spam.