I recently connected with Brooke and Lauren through Instagram, and I am so thankful that they were willing to come on my podcast to share their stories of becoming physician assistants. It’s such a small world because we all work in dermatology! We had a great time discussing some of our favorite skincare products, so when they asked me to do a guest post, I wanted to elaborate on 10 of the go-tos that I use personally and recommend every single day. I tend to have sensitive skin, and my rule of thumb is to choose gentle products and avoid anything too fancy that could lead to more irritation.

Favorite Face Wash: I switch up my face wash pretty regularly because I’m a bit of a product junkie and I love trying new things. My most recent face wash is La Roche Posay’s Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser. The bottle is huge, which is nice, but it’s a very gentle, refreshing cleanser with a good suds to it so it’s great to use with my Clarisonic Mia.

Favorite Daily Moisturizer with SPF: Ever since I started working in derm, I was introduced to Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30 (now promoted by Jennifer Anniston commercials). When you’re choosing a daily sunscreen, make sure it’s at least 30+ SPF! They make an SPF 15 too, so don’t get tricked. I love this product because it has soy in it, which helps to absorb any excess oil and keep my skin looking fresh throughout the day. It feels really nice going on the skin.

Favorite Night Cream: Neutrogena Hydroboost Gel-Cream has quickly become my must have night cream. It feels awesome and light when you rub it in, and it has hyaluronic acid to help your skin retain it’s moisture. This is a great product to pair with retinols to help counteract the dryness they can cause.

Favorite Retinol: I try to use Revision’s Retinol Complete on the daily. I’m very sensitive, so prescription strength retinoids make me peel terribly. I can tolerate the Retinol Complete just fine, and because it’s only dispensed from physician offices, it’s actually comparable to prescription strength, but more tolerable.

Favorite Skin Moisturizer: It can be hard to find a balance between getting enough moisture and not feeling too greasy, but CeraVe Moisturizing Cream is the perfect in between. I even like to use this on my face after a chemical peel or on a particularly dry day and it’s not too heavy.

Favorite Sunscreen: Anything with SPF 30 or higher! But if I had to choose, I would go with Coola Classic Sport in Fresh Mango. It smells so delicious that I sometimes just keep some in my office to put on throughout the day even though I’m indoors. Coola boasts a “farm-to-face” motto, which means they try to make their products as natural as possible and use minimal chemicals.

Favorite “All-in-One” Product: If you’re like me, you need some “lazy girl” makeup some days. Or everyday. I use Revision Intellishade Tinted Moisturizer every single day. It has SPF, moisturizer, and a tint that is enough to even my complexion without being too heavy. It comes in Original for drier skin, or Matte for more oily skin (which is what I use). The nice thing about Intellishade is that it has Vitamin C in it too, so over time your complexion actually improves.

Favorite Sunless Tanner: I don’t use sunless tanner often, but if I have an event or I’m going on vacation, I like to take away the pure white from my skin that basically never sees the sun. I recently tried Coola Sunless Tan Dry Oil Mist, and I’ve been very impressed by the even, buildable color, and also the lack of a heavy scent.

Favorite Lip Moisturizer: I struggle with chronically dry, peely lips, but I’ve found CeraVe Healing Ointment to be a lifesaver. I keep it at my desk, in my purse, in my makeup drawer, and beside my bed so whenever my lips feel dry, it’s within arm’s reach. The ceramides help the ointment to be much more moisturizing than just plain Vaseline.

Favorite Product to Take on Vacation: Revision Teamine! This is the one thing I won’t leave at home. I tend to be very low maintenance (aka – lazy) on vacations, but I need my Teamine. It’s a green tea based under eye cream that takes away any morning puffiness almost instantly. I can tell such a huge difference when I don’t use it.

I could likely go on with this list for a very long time so we may have to do a second post in the future! I love sharing my tips and advice for skincare because I’ve learned so much in the few years I’ve been working in dermatology. If you want to learn about becoming a physician assistant, come visit me at The PA Platform!