Skincare we actually recommend.

If you do one thing on this list, it’s daily broad-spectrum sunscreen. Photoaging is the single largest contributor to the appearance most patients book treatments to address. SPF 30 is the daily floor; the best sunscreen is the one you’ll actually wear.

Daily wear, tinted mineral

• EltaMD UV Clear Tinted SPF 46 — niacinamide-buffered, minimal cast, layers under makeup. ~$41.
• La Roche-Posay Anthelios Mineral SPF 50 Tinted — comparable, slightly thicker. ~$36.

Darker skin tones (no cast)

• Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30 — chemical, no white residue. ~$16.
• Supergoop Unseen SPF 40 — invisible, primer finish. ~$38.

Body / budget

• Vanicream SPF 50 — fragrance-free, sensitive skin. ~$11.
• CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30 — moisturizer + SPF in one. ~$17.

A cleanser removes sunscreen, makeup, and excess oil without stripping the barrier. You don’t need treatment claims in something that’s on your skin for thirty seconds.

• CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser (normal/dry) or Foaming (oily). ~$16.
• La Roche-Posay Toleriane hydrating or purifying. ~$17.
• Vanicream Gentle or Cetaphil Gentle — sensitive / post-procedure. ~$12–14.
• CeraVe Salicylic Acid Cleanser — acne / oil control. ~$17.

Avoid sulfate-heavy “deep cleansing” foams and grit scrubs — that squeaky feeling is a stripped barrier.

• CeraVe PM Lotion / La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair — daily, normal to combination. ~$17–22.
• CeraVe Moisturizing Cream / Vanicream Cream — dry or sensitive. ~$15–19.
• Aquaphor / Vaseline — occlusive, post-procedure. ~$4–10.

“Anti-aging moisturizer” is mostly marketing — your retinoid, vitamin C, and sunscreen do that work. A moisturizer’s job is hydration and barrier support.

L-ascorbic acid is a well-evidenced daytime antioxidant. To work it needs 10–20% concentration, low pH, and a stable formula. Apply in the morning, under sunscreen.

• Maelove Glow Maker — 15% + vitamin E + ferulic, the same architecture as the well-known $182 serum. ~$30.
• Timeless 20% C+E+Ferulic — slightly higher concentration. ~$30.
• Mad Hippie Vitamin C — gentler stable derivative, fragrance-free. ~$28.

A note on SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic specifically. It’s the best-known product in this category and it earned its reputation — the formula works. The patent that protected it has since expired, and Maelove and Timeless now make the same architecture at the same concentrations for roughly $30 instead of $182. If you use SkinCeuticals and want to keep it, that’s fine — we’ll write your routine around it. But the next bottle can be the $30 one without sacrificing anything clinical. The full argument is on our dedicated page: Why We Don’t Sell Retail Skincare.

Vitamin C oxidizes once opened — when it turns brown it can irritate. Store cool and dark; replace every three months after opening.

Retinoids are the most evidence-supported topical for aging, texture, and acne. Tretinoin (prescription) is the gold standard; OTC retinol works too but takes longer.

• Differin 0.1% (adapalene) — a true retinoid available OTC; generic adapalene is the same molecule for ~$8.
• The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane — start here, move up as tolerated. ~$8.
• CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol — encapsulated, buffered with niacinamide. ~$23.
• Prescription tretinoin — the prescription-strength retinoid and the gold standard for aging, texture, and acne. We write it when it’s the right call; strength and schedule are individualized at your visit.

Retinoids are used at night and paired with daily sunscreen. Expect a possible adjustment period when starting. Not for use during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Your specific product, strength, and frequency are set at your visit.

Vitamin B3 derivative with solid evidence for pore appearance, sebum, barrier support, and mild help with pigmentation. Gentle, plays well with most actives.

• The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc — the standard. ~$8.
• Naturium Niacinamide 12% — slightly higher. ~$20.

5–10% is the well-evidenced range; higher isn’t better and can flush. Compatible with vitamin C and retinoids despite old internet myths.

Underrated: anti-inflammatory, evens pigmentation, helps rosacea and acne, and generally considered low-risk in pregnancy — confirm with your prescriber.

• The Ordinary Azelaic Acid 10% — budget standard. ~$10.
• Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Booster — most elegant OTC. ~$40.
• Finacea / Azelex (prescription) — when OTC isn’t enough.

Most eye creams are moisturizer in a smaller jar at a higher price. If you want one, CeraVe Eye Repair (~$19) is fine. For pigment-driven dark circles, the evidenced stack is vitamin C in the morning, tretinoin at night, and strict sunscreen over 3–6 months. For thin skin, vascular shadow, and surface texture — the more common cause — one in-office option is PRP under the eyes. The evidence here is limited, so we’ll be straight with you about whether it’s likely to help in your case. True structural hollowing is a smaller subset and a separate conversation.

Anti-aging maintenance

Sunscreen, tretinoin (or OTC retinol), morning vitamin C, a hydrating moisturizer, optional niacinamide. That’s the routine — everything else is adjustment.

Hyperpigmentation

Strict sunscreen, nightly tretinoin, morning vitamin C, azelaic acid. Three to six months for meaningful change — faster with in-office IPL or pigment laser on top.

Melasma

Tinted mineral sunscreen (required — visible light worsens it), prescription tretinoin, prescription-strength azelaic acid, and prescription hydroquinone used in short, supervised courses when appropriate. We don’t write the compounded triple-combination in-house — that’s referred to dermatology. Melasma is a management problem, not a curable one, and aggressive laser can worsen it; we’re conservative.

Acne (adult, maintenance)

Gentle cleanser, salicylic-acid cleanser at night, adapalene, light non-comedogenic moisturizer, sunscreen. Topical prescriptions when appropriate. We refer spironolactone, oral antibiotics, and isotretinoin to dermatology.

Rosacea / reactive skin

Mostly about removing irritants: bland cleanser and moisturizer, mineral sunscreen, azelaic acid; avoid AHAs, alcohol toners, fragrance, scrubs, hot water. For visible vessels, in-office IPL or vascular laser beats topicals.

Scars

For raised scars, silicone (gel sheets or gel — ScarAway, Kelo-cote, generic) is the evidenced first-line; the cheap one and the expensive one do the same thing. Skip onion-extract gels and topical vitamin E. Atrophic (pitted) scars are structural — see our scar revision protocols.

Thinning hair

Minoxidil 5% (generic equals Rogaine, ~$15–30) is the at-home treatment that works; give it 3–6 months. Skip biotin and “hair growth” supplements. We also offer in-office PRP for hair restoration: controlled trials show it can increase hair density, though the evidence base is still limited and protocols aren’t standardized — we’ll tell you honestly whether it’s worth it for you.

Excessive sweating

Work up a ladder: clinical-strength aluminium chloride (Certain Dri) at night, then Rx glycopyrronium (Qbrexza), then neuromodulator injection. Many never climb past step one or two.

Around your injectables

To reduce bruising, if it’s safe for you, hold NSAIDs, fish oil, high-dose vitamin E, ginkgo, and garlic for about a week, and alcohol for 24–48 hours. Never stop a prescribed blood thinner without asking the prescriber. Arnica’s evidence is weak; bromelain is modest. Afterward: cold compress, sleep elevated, skip the gym and sauna for a day.

Before your procedure

Strict sunscreen for 2–4 weeks before laser, resurfacing, or microneedling (we reschedule tanned skin), pause actives for ~5–7 days before, and tell us your full medication list and any cold-sore history. Deeper skin tones or a melasma/PIH history may pre-treat to lower pigment risk — that’s photoprotective prep we write, not a product we sell.

These genuinely benefit from prescription strength, and we write them when the situation calls for it — charging a visit fee, not a markup, with the medication dispensed by a pharmacy:

• Tretinoin · hydroquinone (used in cycles) · prescription-strength azelaic acid · topical antibiotic and prescription benzoyl peroxide combinations · select compounded topicals.
• Referred to dermatology: compounded triple-combination for melasma, spironolactone, oral antibiotics for acne, isotretinoin.

• Most “peptide” serums — under-concentrated; your retinoid does that work.
• “Stem cell” products and at-home exosomes — mostly no living cells; FDA safety warnings on exosomes. We use autologous PRP instead.
• Collagen drinks and supplements — unconfirmed at the doses sold.
• Eye creams over $40 · serum-infusion home devices · cheap LED masks — cost-benefit is poor.
• At-home dermaplaning and microneedling — risk of nicks, infection, and scarring outweighs the benefit.