We are in for a treat! Dr. Bowe, acne expert and author of “Dirty Looks: The Secret to Beautiful Skin” shares with us her AM and PM regimen. Thank you for educating us about skincare!
Name: Whitney Bowe, MD
Practice setting and job title: Medical Director of Integrative Dermatology,
Aesthetics & Wellness at Advanced Dermatology, PC
Fitzpatrick skin type: 2
Oily vs. Dry vs. Combination skin: Dry skin, but prone to breakouts
AM Regimen:
Cleanser: I love La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser which is a
soothing creamy cleanser made with La Roche-Posay’s Prebiotic Thermal Water. It’s
soap free, sulfate free, oil free, fragrance free, non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores)
and paraben free. It leaves my skin feeling gently cleansed while keeping my skin’s
natural invisible barrier healthy. Biome friendly products are very important to me!
Extras (antioxidants, medicines, etc.): As I share in my book, Dirty Looks, I believe
your skin is a window into your overall health. So, I believe that nourishing and
healing your skin from the inside – through diet and lifestyle choices – is just as
important as nourishing and healing your skin from the outside using topical
products and procedures. As an extra layer of protection against premature signs of
aging, including brown spots, and skin cancer, I take one Heliocare supplement
each morning. I love the science behind this product.
Sunscreen: I take a 360 degree approach to sun protection. In addition to boosting
the efficacy of my sunscreens by incorporating antioxidant rich foods into my diet
and taking my Heliocare supplement, I am a big believer in UPF swimwear. I have
found that it’s a game changer for my family – we all live in our rash guards all
summer long! This summer, I partnered with Cabana Life on an absolutely beautiful
collection called our Summer Escape collection and I will be rocking pieces from our
collection all summer long! When it comes to sunscreens, I tend to use chemical
blockers on my face and neck, and physical or mineral blockers on my legs (I’m
usually wearing a rashguard so I don’t apply sunscreen to my arms, chest or back).
I compiled all my favorite sunscreens into an e-book that you can get for free on
my website, but some of my favorite brands are La Roche Posay, and Badger.
Foundation / Concealer: My favorite foundation is Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk
foundation. It’s incredibly hydrating but sometimes takes a while to absorb. If I’m
in a rush and don’t have time for it to set before using my bronzer and blush, I’ll
use a powder so my blush doesn’t look streaky.
PM Regimen:
Makeup remover: In the evening, if I’ve been wearing heavy makeup or exposed to
pollution in the city, or if I wore sunscreen and want to get it all off, I’ll do a
deeper, double cleanse using an oil based cleanser like Naturapathica’s Manuka honey balm followed by a water-based gentle, hydrating pH balanced cleanser like
Purpose cleanser. Otherwise, I’ll just rely on a gentle cleanser like Naturopathica’s
Aloe Cleansing Gel which is sulfate-free and 50 percent aloe vera. It’s so soothing,
especially in summer.
When it comes to removing my makeup, double cleansing with an oil based balm
followed by a water based pH balanaced, gentle cleanser does the trick for me. I
try to steer clear of wipes as I find them drying and irritating. They’re a last resort
if I don’t have access to running water.
Cleanser: see above. For me, cleansing and makeup removal are part of the same
process.
Serum: I like to alternate between a retinol, an AHA and a vitamin C serum. Some
nights I opt for a serum with retinol, like the one by Dermalogica, and sometimes
I’ll opt for an AHA serum like Sunday Riley’s Good Genes. I love my SkinCeuticals
C E Ferulic. I know the smell is odd. I tell my patients that it smells like it is
working!
Extras (antioxidants, medicines, etc.): If I’ve been outside in our backyard and I
have any itchy bug bites, I have been using a CBD oil product called Chill Out by
Plant Juice Oils because the CBD dials down the histamine reaction that causes the
itch! I keep it in my fridge for an extra cooling, soothing effect.
Moisturizer or Night Cream: One night cream that I have been loving is
Naturopathica’s Argan and Retinol Wrinkle Repair Night Cream. It is gentle and
does not irritate my sensitive skin, but also effective. Other ones I’m loving right
now are the La Roche Posay Double Repair cream and Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic
Cream.
Eye cream: Peter Thomas Roth makes eye patches that are so hydrating, and when
you remove them, you just rub in the remaining serum.
#1 Favorite Can’t-Live-Without Skincare Product: My Bobbi Brown color corrector
in porcelain peach. I have very thin skin under my eyes, and you can see a
purplish hue because of the way the blood vessels appear through the skin. There’s
no eye cream that can take away that purple hue, so I just dab a bit of this under
my eyes. It’s my secret weapon!
Kristen says
So many Derms seem to love la roche posay! And I’ve never tried them! I need to really look into them sooner rather than later
Joyce says
Yes! Their anthelios mineral tinted sunscreen is my daily go to sunscreen.
Sarah says
Hi! I would like to know which do you think is better, Avene or La Roche Posay? Since they are 2 very popular brands and seem very similar. Which will be better for sensitive, eczema prone skin? Thank you very much! Love your blog ever since I chanced upon it while tyring to find info on sk-ii.
Joyce says
Hi Sarah, I actually don’t have much experience with Avene, but I am quite familiar with La Roche Posay ingredients. For sensitive eczema prone skin I generally advise to simplify your regimen. You want to choose moisture-rich products to help repair the skin barrier. Find ingredients like hyaluronic acid, choose cleansers that also moisturize, etc. If it ever becomes too much to handle despite over the counter products, dermatologists can prescribe you a short course of steroids or non steroidal creams to help get it under control! Hope this helps
Viva Glow says
Her skincare routine looks pretty straightforward. I love the fact that she incorporated the use of rashguards for sun protection as “sunscreen” and then say that she didn’t need to apply any more products. So I guess I’m not really doing things wrong. Haha! I don’t sunscreen when I wear a rash guard, too.
Double cleansing should definitely be part of the ritual as sometimes just cleansing isn’t enough and could leave some makeup traces especially when you wear them heavily.
Love your derma features! Thanks for the great read!
Joyce says
She wears sunscreen on her face in addition to the rash guards which covers the trunk and arms thanks for reading and commenting!!
Nikhil says
This blog is very great and useful, Thank you for Sharing.