Face oils are typically used to moisturize and nourish the skin, explains Dr. Peterson Pierre, M.D., a Los Angeles-based board-certified dermatologist. “A serum is a very versatile product packed with a high concentration of active ingredients,” he says. These actives help target more specific skin concerns (think acne and hyperpigmentation). Read on to learn more about their differences and how to incorporate each product into your skin care regimen.

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Board-certified dermatologist Peterson Pierre, who is based in Thousand Oaks, California, loves using coconut oil as a body moisturizer. “It’s light, does a good job locking in moisture, and has good anti-inflammatory properties,” he tells Allure. Herbivore Botanicals’ Coconut Body Oil features the nourishing ingredient, along with vitamin-rich jojoba seed oil. Its delicious, tropical scent is just the cherry on top.

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While double cleansing can be achieved anywhere on the body, today we will focus on the brightest feature of all: your face. There are two very basic steps to achieve a double cleanse. You’ll always want to start your double cleanse routine using an oil-based product, such as liquid cleansing oil or a cleansing balm. Cleansing balms are solidified oil-based cleansers that serve the same purpose as liquid oil. Some people prefer balms to traditional oils because they are less messy and more travel-friendly.

Okay, but why start with oil to cleanse? What if you already have oily skin? Even if you’re oily and acne-prone, there’s good reason to incorporate oils into your skincare routine. “Oil-based product is the ideal first step to remove makeup and sebum from the skin while leaving behind the natural hydrating oils,” says Dermatologist Peterson Pierre, MD of Pierre Skin Care Institute. “This step is gentle and doesn’t strip your skin of its natural moisture.” So rather than making your skin more oily, it actually makes it less oily by extracting excess sebum (AKA pore-clogging oil) from the skin. The result? Your skin will feel cleansed, hydrated, and ready for the next step.

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Men are much more likely than women to die from melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association. Non-Hispanic white boys and men aged 15 to 39 are more than twice as likely to die from skin cancer compared to women of the same age and race. By age 65, men are twice as likely to develop melanoma, and by the time they’re 80, they have triple the risk.

The reason is both biological and cultural, says Peterson Pierre, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Los Angeles, California. Cisgender men have more collagen and elastin, which makes their skin thicker with less fat underneath compared to cis women. This difference in biological makeup makes most men more vulnerable to the sun. “Research has shown that men’s skin reacts more unfavorably to ultraviolet radiation than women’s, which means that the skin becomes more damaged,” Pierre says.

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When it comes to finding the best lip plumpers, the process can quickly become overwhelming with complicated ingredient lists and seemingly countless options. Board-certified dermatologist Peterson Pierre of the Pierre Skin Care Institute in Thousand Oaks, California, recommends looking for lip plumpers enriched with hyaluronic acid. According to Pierre, the moisture-attracting ingredient offers a plumping effect since it can hold 1,000 times its weight in water. He also recommends looking for lip plumpers infused with moisturizing and conditioning ingredients such as shea butter and ceramides to leave your lips feeling smooth and moist.

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Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo is one of the best non-prescription options–in fact, without a prescription, you’d be hard-pressed to find another treatment with the anti-fungal treatment, Ketoconazole 1%. “Preventing dandruff consists of moisturizing and conditioning your scalp regularly, avoiding hair care products you’re sensitive to, and using shampoos that have either ketoconazole, selenium sulfide, salicylic acid, zinc or tar,” offers board-certified dermatologist Dr. Peterson Pierre.

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Lockdown skin is real and cosmetic dermatologist at the Pierre Skin Care Institute, Dr. Peterson Pierre explains why: “Having to wear masks has definitely increased acne, and the stress and anxiety [of that] has led to more eczema.” That, he shares, is because stress triggers a release of the primary stress hormone, cortisol, which increases inflammation all over the body, including the skin.

Why is Inflammation bad? Well if you have eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea, inflammation can aggravate them, and Pierre adds, “continuous high levels of cortisol lead to the breakdown of some of your body’s tissues including collagen and elastin which then leads to increased fine lines and wrinkles as well as decreased healing.”

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A good facial mist can be an impactful addition to a skincare routine particularly during the summer months when skin is often in need of a cooling (and portable) boost of moisture. These liquid refreshers are often a neglected component of many skincare regimes, but today’s formulations can do myriad things like protect from environmental stressors, brighten and plump skin and set makeup. Many feature a slew of key ingredients that are essential for skin health.  Notes dermatologist Dr. Peterson Pierre of the Pierre Skincare Institute,

“Popular ingredients include hyaluronic acid and glycerin for their hydrating properties, rose water and aloe vera for their soothing benefits, essential oils for their healing properties, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E.”

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So many women take care of their bodies but forget about their brains. “As we age, our brains shrink in volume, particularly the frontal cortex and hippocampus, areas involved in higher cognitive function and encoding new memories. Myelin (a conduit sheath around nerves) is also thought to shrink with age resulting in slow processing and reduced cognitive function,” Peterson Pierre, MD, board-certified dermatologist, and founder of the Pierre Skin Care Institute, explains.

The Rx: Dr. Pierre points out studies show that regular physical exercise can reverse the signs of aging in the brain with dancing having the most profound effect. “It’s also important to keep the mind stimulated,” he explains. “No matter your age or skill level, just a few minutes a day can help your mind stay sharp and can even help you improve in certain areas. You exercise your body regularly; don’t neglect your brain!”

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Although snail mucin is now frequently associated with Korean beauty, it was reportedly used by the ancient Greeks and has a long history in skin care.

“Snail mucin comes from the brown garden snail and has been used since ancient times for skin-healing benefits,” explains Peterson Pierre, MD, a dermatologist in Westlake Village, California.

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Botox, which is often confused with fillers, will not give you full lips or cheeks. Rather, it’ll smooth out lines on your face by temporarily paralyzing the muscles that cause wrinkles to form.

Strangely enough, it’s produced from the same toxin that causes botulism. So how exactly does this work as a beauty treatment that banishes wrinkles? Cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Peterson Pierre, who specializes in Botox procedures, explained: “The signal from the nerve to the muscle telling it to flex is blocked by Botox, thereby relaxing the muscle and improving lines and wrinkles.” (more…)

This ISDIN sunscreen not only offers high broad spectrum protection using zinc oxide, it also addresses previous sun damage on the skin and can support collagen production to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Dermatologist Peterson Pierre, MD, of Pierre Skincare Institute, describes the sunscreen as “cosmetically elegant, rubs right in without leaving a sticky, greasy, or white residue, and provides superior sun protection.”

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In fact, while bakuchiol is frequently mentioned in the same breath as retinol, it’s effective enough to deserve the spotlight on its own. “Bakuchiol promotes cellular turnover and skin repair,” says Peterson Pierre, MD, a cosmetic and medical dermatologist in Thousand Oaks, California. “It stimulates collagen production, thereby improving tone, texture, fine lines, and wrinkles. It fights free radical damage, decreases inflammation, and has antimicrobial properties.” Here’s everything you need to know about bakuchiol, how it compares to retinol, and some product recommendations to try.

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The most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease (CAD), which can lead to a heart attack. Coronary artery disease occurs when plaques composed of lipids, cholesterol, calcium and other materials develop in the walls of the blood vessels that feed the heart. If allowed to progress, the narrowed arteries can’t deliver sufficient blood to the heart resulting in painful cramps known as angina or chest pains. “If the arteries get clogged, you will suffer a heart attack,” explains Peterson Pierre, MD, founder of the Pierre Skin Care Institute.

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While this spring is feeling particularly cathartic, the change of season can cause all sorts of skin problems to bloom especially for those with reactive skin.

Notes dermatologist Dr. Peterson Pierre, MD of the Pierre Skin Care Institute:

“As we move from winter to spring, we tend to spend more time outdoors and there’s a greater chance of exposure to chemicals such as poison ivy or poison oak as well as insect bites which can trigger allergic reactions. Spring also brings a rapid rise in pollen count which can trigger allergies and be particularly problematic for those with sensitive skin. The warmer weather can lead to more sweating and potentially more acne breakouts. In addition, changes in the weather can trigger eczema flare-ups for reasons that are currently unknown.”

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Plenty of us have done it: You find a skincare product you love and immediately want to buy it in bulk to save money–and so you won’t run out. But just because you can do that doesn’t mean you should. Sure, you could cash in on multiple two-for-one deals at once, but some skincare products have shorter expiration dates–which means buying in bulk could actually end up costing you more if you end up tossing half of what you bought in a couple months.

“Two or three at a time should be fine for most skincare products,” says Peterson Pierre, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Los Angeles. “If it’s a dozen, I would caution against it because ingredients do expire and you want to ensure maximum freshness and potency.”

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“Vitamin C is important for collagen production and, along with vitamin E, is an important antioxidant that can protect against free radical damage,” says Dr. Peterson Pierre, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with the Pierre Skin Care Institute in West Lake, California. “It is also great for discoloration and can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles.”

Instead of grabbing an orange to get your dose, much on some vitamin C-rich yellow bell peppers. In a British Journal of Nutrition study of more than 700 Japanese women, researchers found that the more yellow and green vegetables the subjects ate, the less apt they were to have wrinkles and crows feet–even once they controlled for smoking and sun exposure. And a study out of the U.K. concurs. The British study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that volunteers who consumed four milligrams of C (what you’d get in a single bite of yellow pepper) daily for three years decreased the appearance of wrinkles by 11%.

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