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The Mel Robbins PodcastThe Mel Robbins Podcast

#1 Dermatologist: The Ultimate Skincare Routine for Amazing Skin

For the first time ever on The Mel Robbins Podcast, Mel is sitting down with a world-renowned dermatologist. Whether you’re dealing with acne, aging skin, redness, fine lines, or you’re just overwhelmed and don't know what to do with the products that are clogging your bathroom drawers, this episode is for you. If you’re at a moment in your life where your skin is out of control, you don’t look like yourself, and you don’t feel like there's anything you can do, Dr. Shereene Idriss is going to assure you that there is absolutely always something you can do. And today, you’re going to learn exactly what that is. Today, Dr. Shereene Idriss, MD, one of the most trusted dermatologists in the world, is here with the science, the 3 specific steps, and the no-BS truth on what works… and what doesn’t. What helps your skin and what hurts it. What’s worth your money and what isn’t. In today’s episode, you’re going to learn the science-backed way to take care of your skin, boost confidence, and feel better from the inside out. All of the questions Dr. Idriss' answers in this episode come directly from the listeners of this show. If you have ever wondered: Why am I getting acne as an adult, and what can I do about it? How do I get rid of my sagging jowls? How should I wash my face? What are the skincare ingredients that actually work? How do I take care of aging skin? She’ll cover everything from collagen and sagging jowls to actives, acne, injectables, and how much money you should really be spending on skincare. And she doesn’t just list problems - she gives you clear, practical solutions you’ve probably never heard before. In this episode, you’ll learn: -The shocking thing that happens to your skin at 44 -The difference between Botox and filler -The 3 lifestyle habits that affect your skin health -Deal with adult acne: why it happens, common triggers, and the first step to calm your skin down fast -Simplify skincare down to the 3 core categories every routine needs -How to wash your face (most people get this wrong) -Figure out whether you have “sensitive skin” or reactive skin If you put what she teaches you into practice, you’ll stop guessing, stop wasting money, and start feeling confident in your skin again. For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page: https://www.melrobbins.com/episode/episode-373/ Follow The Mel Robbins Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themelrobbinspodcast I’m just your friend. I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Got it? Good. I’ll see you in the next episode. In this episode: 00:00 Meet the Guest 01:57 What Your Skin Reveals About Your Health 5:11 Why is Skin Health Important for Overall Health? 11:29 The 3 Skincare Products You Need for Amazing Skin 13:49 What Does Your Skin Need to Be Healthy 15:46 What Skincare is Actually Necessary? 17:07 How to Wash Your Face Correctly 22:36 What SPF Should You Use Every Day? 26:43 What Is The Most Damaging Thing For Your Skin 32:22 The Skincare Steps You Should Never Skip 37:10 Do Serums and Actives Really Work? 39:11 What Most People Get Wrong About Sensitive Skin 43:29 What Can Trigger Acne The Most 50:37 At What Age Does Skin Age the Most? 54:53 Simple Steps to Accepting Your Aging Looks 59:42 Are Plastic Surgery or Injectables Necessary? 01:05:27 How to Boost Your Collagen 01:07:28 At What Age Should You Get Botox? 01:10:07 Change Your Relationship With Your Skin — Follow Mel: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melrobbins/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@melrobbins Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melrobbins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melrobbins Website: http://melrobbins.com​ — Sign up for Mel’s newsletter: https://melrob.co/sign-up-newsletter A note from Mel to you, twice a week, sharing simple, practical ways to build the life you want. — Subscribe to Mel’s channel here: https://www.youtube.com/melrobbins​?sub_confirmation=1 — Listen to The Mel Robbins Podcast 🎧 New episodes drop every Monday & Thursday! https://melrob.co/spotify https://melrob.co/applepodcasts https://melrob.co/amazonmusic — Looking for Mel’s books on Amazon? Find them here: The Let Them Theory: https://amzn.to/3IQ21Oe The Let Them Theory Audiobook: https://amzn.to/413SObp The High 5 Habit: https://amzn.to/3fMvfPQ The 5 Second Rule: https://amzn.to/4l54fah #skincare #skincareroutine #skincaretips

Mel RobbinshostDr. Shereene Idrissguest
Feb 26, 20261h 16mWatch on YouTube ↗

EVERY SPOKEN WORD

  1. 0:00 – 1:57

    Meet the Guest

    1. MR

      We have received thousands and thousands and thousands of questions on the topic of skincare. Today, Dr. Shereene Idriss, one of the most trusted board-certified dermatologist in the world, is here with the science, three specific steps, and the no BS truth on what works and what doesn't.

    2. SI

      Skin is not just vanity. It's not just cosmetic. It's not just superficial. Once you start to shift that perspective, you realize, "Holy cow, this is my biggest organ, and yet I put it through the wringer!"

    3. MR

      What do we do about these sagging jowls?

    4. SI

      It's not a skincare failure. Your structural bone changes.

    5. MR

      Now, let's talk about the things that you should skip because they are a waste of money.

    6. SI

      There are moments when it can be useful, but this is not something I recommend every day.

    7. MR

      [gasps] Uh-oh, uh-oh.

    8. SI

      Makeup remover wipes. [laughs]

    9. MR

      She's coming after the makeup wipes, everybody.

    10. SI

      I... But I, I prefaced it.

    11. MR

      Not every day.

    12. SI

      Not most days.

    13. MR

      Let's talk about injectables. Who are they for?

    14. SI

      The goal of Botox is not to freeze you in perpetuity. [chuckles] And side note, that's why I think I personally have an issue with, like, the preventative Botox aspects of life, because what are we preventing? Your confidence is not gonna come from changing your skin first. It's gonna come by changing your relationship to your skin first. Your skin is not a problem to solve. It is a relationship to build.

    15. MR

      Hey, it's Mel, and before we get into this episode, my team was showing me 57% of you who watch The Mel Robbins Podcast here on YouTube are not subscribed yet. Could you do me a quick favor? Just hit subscribe so that you don't miss any of the episodes that we post here on YouTube. It lets me know you're enjoying the guests and the content that we're bringing you, because I wanna make sure you don't miss a thing, and I'm so glad you're here for this episode 'cause this is a really good one. All right, let's dive

  2. 1:57 – 5:11

    What Your Skin Reveals About Your Health

    1. MR

      in. [whoosh] Dr. Shereene Idriss, welcome to The Mel Robbins Podcast.

    2. SI

      I cannot believe I'm here, but thank you so much for having me.

    3. MR

      Well, I'm really glad you're here, and there's two things I wanna say before we jump in. Number one, you know, as you're listening or watching on YouTube, I just wanna tell you, you have picked a winner, and I can already tell because you have about 40 pages of notes-

    4. SI

      [laughs]

    5. MR

      ... in front of you. I know that we are in for something that is gonna be world-class, so thank you for really showing up in a way for me and for the person who's spending time with us today, uh, to make an impact. Second thing is when I posted on social all about the fact that you were coming, just asked people for their questions, I don't know that we've ever gotten more questions on a topic, and so we are gonna go deep. I'm so excited. Where I wanna start, Dr. Idriss, is what is going to change about my life if I take everything to heart that you are about to teach us, and I apply it?

    6. SI

      The biggest thing that's going to change when you take to heart everything we're gonna talk about here today is not just the knowledge in your skin or h- gaining a little bit more confidence in taking care of your skin, but the emotional impact it's gonna have on your overall confidence moving forward.

    7. MR

      Hmm.

    8. SI

      Because aging, 20% of it is genetics. If it was all purely genetics, habits wouldn't matter, and so 80% of how we age and show up in the world has to do with habits. And so if we can create the system so we can show up for ourselves every single day, but also have the confidence in our knowledge, too, we can transform from a inside-out perspective and really blossom into the butterflies that we are.

    9. MR

      You said that only 20% is determined by genetics. I've never heard anybody say that.

    10. SI

      Yeah, so 80% has to do with cumulative sun exposure. Are we living a rockstar lifestyle? [chuckles] Are we consuming alcohol to no end? Are we not focusing on the overall aspects of our lifestyle and diet? Are we actually washing our faces? Are we using the things... And that, I think, is a reflection of everything else. When all of it comes together, your skincare is that reflection of how you view yourself and how you take care of yourself overall. So to be able to put a little bit of emphasis, a little change every single day, will amount to bigger changes in the long run, and I think the most dramatic one is truly how you feel about yourself, and that's why I went into dermatology. I, I never liked convincing people that they had a problem.

    11. MR

      Hmm.

    12. SI

      And so because they could see their problem, they're already more motivated to help themselves. But to be able to see somebody's confidence be restored after we've helped them go through whatever it is they're going through, it's such... There's no feeling that compares.

    13. MR

      Well, it's true. Most of us don't go to the dermatologist unless we hate something about the way we look or if there's something on our skin that's scaring us. And this is gonna sound really dumb to admit, but when I listen to what you're already saying, I realize that I've been so focused on the outside and what I'm putting on my skin, that I haven't really considered all of the things that you're also gonna talk about that are part of your lifestyle that go from the inside out.

    14. SI

      A thousand percent.

    15. MR

      Wow!

  3. 5:11 – 11:29

    Why is Skin Health Important for Overall Health?

    1. MR

      Um, why is skin health so important for overall health, and what does the state of your skin reveal about what's going on inside your body?

    2. SI

      Your skin is your largest organ, and it is one of the few places, right, where internal health shows up visibly on the outer surface of your skin. So that is one thing that isn't often taken into consideration, but your skin is a visible feedback system that is showing you what is going on on the inside, but also not just internally from a physiologic standpoint, but also on the inside, up here, mentally, emotionally, from a stress perspective.

    3. MR

      Hmm.

    4. SI

      And that is the first visual trigger that you have when you look at yourself. So I think one thing that is often so overlooked when it comes to skin health is that mental and emotional impact that comes with it.... And that is something that shouldn't be overlooked. And skin is not just vanity, it's not just cosmetic, it's not just superficial. It's really a whole person issue. And I think once you start to shift that perspective, you realize, "Holy cow, this is my biggest organ, and yet I put it through the wringer, and I don't even care for it!" So it's really something that I find fascinating 'cause it's so visible, and yet it's an afterthought for so many.

    5. MR

      Let's say the person listening or watching here on YouTube is in a phase of their life where they're going through all kinds of hormonal changes, and you hear that your skin is a reflection of what's going on in the inside. How do you want the person listening, who feels now all of a sudden like, "Oh, my God,"-

    6. SI

      Out of control

    7. MR

      ... "The fact that my skin is in welts, and it's acne all over the place, and I hate how I look," or, "My skin is sagging," or, "I've- I sat out for decades in the sun, and now I'm screwed." How do you want the person listening who's now starting to collapse a little to, to listen to what you have to say about what's possible if you feel like your skin is reflecting, like, not good health on the inside? You know what I mean?

    8. SI

      Yeah. It's so... I would want you to know if you feel like your skin is taking control of your life and it is out of control, you are still in control, and it's a matter of first taking a step back and calming your skin down, and really trying to first focus on calming everything down before focusing on treating the issue. And once we have that step in place, and we will talk about it more today, you will gain control over your skin, and you will see that the possibilities are really endless. And it's never too late to start, whether you are 20, 30, 40. I mean, I have patients... I have- my oldest patient is 88, and she still cares, and that's what I love about her. That shows her will to keep going.

    9. MR

      Mm.

    10. SI

      And people, I think our society, they describe very negatively cosmetic work or vanity-

    11. MR

      Mm

    12. SI

      ... and it's usually talked about in a, under a negative light. But the truth is, being vain, to a healthy and certain extent, is just a reflection that you still care. If we didn't care, I'd almost be more worried, [chuckles] like, you know, are we really at the bottom of, of our struggles here? And so you have to understand that it's not just vanity. It's a reflection of you caring, that you still want to show up. It doesn't matter when you're starting, you can always start to take control and help yourself.

    13. MR

      As a world-renowned dermatologist, what is healthy vanity, and what is unhealthy vanity when it comes to how you look?

    14. SI

      That's a- that is a great question, and I don't think it has ever been truly defined, so I'm gonna give you my subjective perspective. Unhealthy vanity, let's start with the negative, is when it is constantly consuming your mental thoughts-

    15. MR

      Mm

    16. SI

      ... almost like an addiction, where no matter what you do, or no matter what you try for yourself, you're constantly speaking about it in a negative way, and it's not good enough, and so you are chasing a never-ending nothingness-

    17. MR

      Mm

    18. SI

      ... because it's just not something that's achievable, right? Whereas a healthy dose of vanity is, like, caring enough to show up and wear an ironed shirt instead of a wrinkled shirt. You know, caring enough to brush your hair, caring enough to show up in a way where it's still a positive reflection of who you are, but it's not consuming who you are. Your confidence is not dependent on how you look, but it's the cherry on top, and it allows you to feel more confident. And so that, I think, is the difference between unhealthy vanity and healthy vanity.

    19. MR

      What I kept thinking about as I was listening to the way that you were talking about self-criticism and never being enough, is that there's also that relationship between unhealthy being the constant pursuit of hoping other people think you look a certain way, versus the ability to look in the mirror and care about how you feel about yourself.

    20. SI

      I mean, newsflash, you've always looked like you. So if you're always pursuing other people's-

    21. MR

      Mm

    22. SI

      ... approval of how you look, you're pursuing something that doesn't exist.

    23. MR

      Mm.

    24. SI

      And I've been in practice for over 10 years. I see nearly 100 patients a week, and more often than not, it's a much deeper-rooted issue that you're trying to get to, and that's where it's such a vulnerable state, where you have to find someone that you know you trust, who's not going to feed off these insecurities or vulnerabilities or take advantage of. And I've seen it through every angle, and cosmetics is not just skin deep, it's deeper.

    25. MR

      I've never heard anybody explain it like that. And I can give you an example because I feel like I'm in the exam room with you right now, and I have come in because I hate, at the age of 57, I've got these, like, jowls. And when you just said that it's never really about the thing you're complaining about, you're right. For me, it's that I feel old when I see my skin sagging, and it scares me to think that I'm 57 and that that much of my life has just flown by, and that somehow, [chuckles] if I get rid of these things that are hanging down like meat purses on my face, that I will feel different about myself. But, you know, maybe there's something to do that we can, and we'll talk about all that, but I love that we're also saying that it's really about how you feel and the deeper things that are going on.

    26. SI

      Yeah, a thousand percent.

  4. 11:29 – 13:49

    The 3 Skincare Products You Need for Amazing Skin

    1. MR

      Wow! Let's talk about how your lifestyle and habits impact your skin. What are the specific lifestyle habits that positively affect your skin?

    2. SI

      The most important habits that I think are underspoken of, right? Number one, and I used to roll my eyes in my 20s and even in my 30s at this one, but it's true: sleep. You cannot underestimate the value of sleep, and the reason beauty sleep exists is for a reason, but I think it's misunderstood. It's not because you slept eight hours last night that you look good today. Sleep is like compound interest. It's a long-term investment, and it's that bank that you're feeding over time that gives you your best results.... over time-

    3. MR

      Mm

    4. SI

      -in the long run. So it's not just about having one good night's rest, it's about consistently showing up to let your skin and your body heal, and regenerate, and start over again. Number two is movement, and I'm not saying you have to go become triathletes and, like, [chuckles] you know, bodybuilders, but simple movement, like just getting up, going for a walk, moving around, because that causes your lymphatic fluid to move. It keeps things going. It pumps the blood to your skin. It allows you to be better and show up better for yourself. It's very simple, but not many people move as much as they should. Number three, and this one is a little bit sensitive-

    5. MR

      Mm.

    6. SI

      But diet.

    7. MR

      Okay.

    8. SI

      A healthy diet is gonna be supportive, and it's gonna help to create the right environment for your skin. We are all in agreement, but when people are eating their retinol, AKA eating carrots to no end, to try to get the benefits of a retinol that you're applying topically, it's not gonna give you that same impact as a topical medication, prescription, moisturizer, cream. Food is meant to really be supportive, to make sure that you are creating the best environment for yourself to push forward. Skincare with the crappiest diet is not great. You're just putting a Band-Aid, right?

    9. MR

      Right.

    10. SI

      It's both working hand-in-hand.

    11. MR

      Mm.

    12. SI

      So I think you have to think of lifestyle as a piece of the puzzle, a very important piece of the puzzle, but it's not the whole puzzle. Because when you make it the whole puzzle, you think that you can be in fully in control, but there are gonna be some things that happen, that you're gonna have to learn how do we roll with the punches? How do we ask for help? How do we have, you know, external things coming in to help us?

    13. MR

      Well, Dr. Idriss, the good news is that you're here to educate us about what the actual options are.

  5. 13:49 – 15:46

    What Does Your Skin Need to Be Healthy

    1. MR

      So one thing that I'd love to hear you help us with is that we are so marketed to, and every time I go online, I see some 12-step skincare routine, red light masks, treatments, miracle products. How do you tune out the noise to figure out what your skin truly needs?

    2. SI

      This is a great question, [chuckles] and I think this is the million-dollar question. First of all, nobody needs a 12-step skincare routine. Nobody. Nobody needs to be spending thousands and countless of hours on products. It's not productive, it's not realistic, and as a mom of two, who has not one, but two, some would argue three businesses, and a partner in my life, especially between the ages of zero and four when my kids were really small, it was impossible to find time for myself.

    3. MR

      Mm.

    4. SI

      And so failing yourself by not showing up through a consistent skincare routine is the first point of failure. So if it's not something that you can be consistent with, it's not good enough, and a routine needs to be simple enough that you can be consistent with it, so you can stick it through and actually see results, right?

    5. MR

      Yeah.

    6. SI

      So that I think is really important that people understand, because the internet, social media, it's optimized for selling things, and more [chuckles] doesn't mean better, especially not when it comes to your skin. And you really have to try to take a giant step back, and so this is what I tell patients, like I'm gonna tell you, like I tell my own family. Literally take a giant step back from your mirror, and not your magnifying mirror, and look at the forest and not the tree. Understand what is the biggest issue that you see in your skin? Is it brown spots? Is it redness? Is it dehydration? Is it wrinkles? Is it, I don't know, whatever, crepiness? Whatever it is that it is that you see, what is the one biggest issue that bothers you? And let's start

  6. 15:46 – 17:07

    What Skincare is Actually Necessary?

    1. SI

      just there.

    2. MR

      If you're overwhelmed, what are the three skincare products that you would say to somebody in your practice that they should add to their routine?

    3. SI

      If you're overwhelmed by all the products, forget the specific products themselves. There are three categories that you kind of want to incorporate into your routine to make sure, number one, that you're protecting your skin, you're supporting your skin barrier, number two, and number three, you are helping drive long-term change. So before I start, I just wanna preface this by saying I am not sponsored by any of these companies. [chuckles] None of this is paid for. This is not an advertisement, and I tried to pick products that are within everyone's budget-

    4. MR

      Great

    5. SI

      ... but also products you can find at your local drugstore, and I'm gonna give you two examples for each, because it's the way that, you know, make up your own mind what it is that you wanna use. We're starting with a very gentle cleanser, one that is meant to clean and cleanse your skin without over-stripping your skin, and this is one that you can find at any drugstore. It's called Vanicream. It's a very simple one. It's nothing fancy. It can help clean your face. If you're somebody who has very dry skin, you can get another kind of cleanser that is a little bit more hydrating. But the job of a cleanser is really to just set the foundation, clean the gunk off of your face, and it is the smallest act of kindness that you can do for yourself. After you've put your face out into the world, come home, get the day off your face, [chuckles] and just start afresh. It's your foundational step.

    6. MR

      Okay.

    7. SI

      Right? That's number one.

  7. 17:07 – 22:36

    How to Wash Your Face Correctly

    1. MR

      How are you supposed to wash your face?

    2. SI

      So I recommend using a cleanser at night, for the most part, right? This is a general rule. And ideally, just using water in the morning. Once you've gotten the day off at the end of the day, and you've put on your moisturizer, and you go to sleep, in the morning, do you really need to use a cleanser to get all of the extra gunk off? Probably not, and just having water run on your face-

    3. MR

      Mm

    4. SI

      ... is gonna be enough.

    5. MR

      Wow! Like, even if your, like, spouse or dog is, like, breathing on you all night?

    6. SI

      I mean, again-

    7. MR

      Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, it's-

    8. SI

      ... I said it's a general rule of thumb. I don't know [chuckles] -

    9. MR

      Man, I... Well, you know what? Yeah, I'm older than you, so when I'm sweating like crazy-

    10. SI

      Yes

    11. MR

      ... because of menopause, I feel like I've woken up and run a marathon.

    12. SI

      Mm-hmm.

    13. MR

      So I'm like, "I gotta clean all this stuff off."

    14. SI

      But here's the thing-

    15. MR

      I can do it with water.

    16. SI

      But even going through menopause, right?

    17. MR

      Yeah.

    18. SI

      Your skin is in a more dehydrated state.

    19. MR

      It is?

    20. SI

      Yes, and so you're losing that ability to hold on to hydration, and that's why you feel a little crepier. If you're compounding on top of that, over-stripping your skin and getting rid of the oil that is on your skin-

    21. MR

      Oh

    22. SI

      ... your skin is gonna feel more out of sync, and it's going to be harder to make sure that you feel more-... intact. Now, there's a lot of- there's a huge subset who cannot not use a cleanser in the morning 'cause they have a lot of acne-

    23. MR

      Yeah.

    24. SI

      -they're oily prone, et cetera. So this is not necessarily for everyone, but for the vast majority, it is enough, and so I think that's the first thing. The second thing to take into consideration before you go into the action of washing your face is the water temperature, which leads me back to the dehydration.

    25. MR

      Oh, okay.

    26. SI

      No one talks about water temperature, and we usually probably use hot water 'cause it's the morning, and you want something warm on your face.

    27. MR

      Well, yeah.

    28. SI

      Yes, but think of your face like a greasy pan.

    29. MR

      Oh!

    30. SI

      Hot water gets rid of the grease.

  8. 22:36 – 26:43

    What SPF Should You Use Every Day?

    1. SI

      one.

    2. MR

      What SPF should you wear every day?

    3. SI

      SPF is more than just a number. So SPF stands for sun protection factor, but it measures basically, um, how well your skin is protected.

    4. MR

      Okay.

    5. SI

      So when we're looking for an SPF, we need to make sure that our SPF has broad spectrum on it.

    6. MR

      Broad spectrum, okay.

    7. SI

      So that it's protecting against both UVA and UVB because both contribute to skin cancer. One causes more burn, like UVB; one contributes more to the breakdown of your collagen, like UVA. But if you're just getting a simple sunscreen, SPF, not broad spectrum, you're not protecting against UVA.

    8. MR

      Oh.

    9. SI

      So broad spectrum is not a nice-to-have, it's a need-to-have.

    10. MR

      Okay.

    11. SI

      Okay? That's number one. The second thing, SPF 30, do you k- people don't really know it's just a number.

    12. MR

      Should I guess-

    13. SI

      Yeah

    14. MR

      ... what I think it is?

    15. SI

      Yeah.

    16. MR

      I kind of believed that, like, the 15 is only going so deep in terms of the barrier. The 30 is maybe [laughs] going a little deep in terms of the... It's like, you know, kind of the thickness-

    17. SI

      Of the cream-

    18. MR

      Of the-

    19. SI

      ... or the invisible shield.

    20. MR

      Of the v- invisible shield, and, um, is it actually about the number of minutes that it's helping?

    21. SI

      Yes.

    22. MR

      It is?

    23. SI

      It's minutes. So it's not 15 minutes or 30 minutes, but it roughly means how much longer you can stay out of the sun without burning compared to no sunscreen. So let's say-

    24. MR

      I'm like, "This is a lot of math." 30-

    25. SI

      Say it takes 10 minutes for you to burn.

    26. MR

      Okay.

    27. SI

      With an SPF of 30, it should technically take you 300 minutes. So that's what SPF stands for, and so it's something that most people don't even know.

    28. MR

      Dr. Idriss, what's the biggest myth about getting a safe tan?

    29. SI

      There is no safe tan.... a tan and any form of pigment that gets produced because of the sun, even a freckle, is a sign of DNA damage. And so anybody who says, "Oh, but I get a base tan," is just telling me that their skin is already reacting to the UV rays that it got, and it has internally damaged the DNA of their cells.

    30. MR

      Whoa!

  9. 26:43 – 32:22

    What Is The Most Damaging Thing For Your Skin

    1. MR

      Now let's talk about the things that you should skip because they are a waste of money.

    2. SI

      And to just think of this conceptually-

    3. MR

      Mm-hmm

    4. SI

      ... anything that is promising instant results, it's probably not gonna be for the best of your long-term benefit. Anything that is breaking your skin barrier, it's not gonna be for the best of your long-term benefit. And anything that is irritating or inflaming your skin, similar to breaking your skin barrier, it's not gonna be for the best of your long-term benefit. So number one, [chuckles] all right?

    5. MR

      Uh-oh.

    6. SI

      It's not sheet masks as a whole category, but when the format doesn't match what the product is trying to give you, it's a red flag.

    7. MR

      So you're holding these masks that I see at every checkout now, that have all the... Like, my daughters wear these like crazy. I typically will put one on on a plane, but I don't know what I'm buying.

    8. SI

      This is where you have to understand what an active is.

    9. MR

      Okay.

    10. SI

      So the point of a sheet mask is to calm your skin down, to hold onto that hydration, to keep that gunk in, right?

    11. MR

      Okay.

    12. SI

      When you find a sheet mask with an active, like a retinol, this is a red flag, because the format of the product doesn't match the ingredient. The last thing I would wanna do is put a retinol under occlusion in a sensitive area. It's like a recipe for chaos and disaster. So understanding what you're purchasing is very important for you. That's why I think it's important to have a basic understanding of what are ingredients, what are we trying to achieve with them, and then what are the different formats that exist that I can layer into my skincare once I have my foundation in place?

    13. MR

      You know, if you were to buy a mask, what are you looking for? Just, like, cooling, moisturizing?

    14. SI

      Honestly, really just hydrating, moisturizing, 'cause I'm looking for that instant kind of plumping glow, and then I'm done.

    15. MR

      Got it.

    16. SI

      I'm not looking for long-term gains out of it.

    17. MR

      Okay, what is the next product-

    18. SI

      Okay, number two-

    19. MR

      ... we should not waste money on?

    20. SI

      All right, here goes. Ready?

    21. MR

      Uh-oh.

    22. SI

      It's a little controversial, but, like, a loofah. Okay?

    23. MR

      Why should I not have a loofah?

    24. SI

      Number one, what worries me a bit about loofahs is people use this on their face, and I've seen this time and time again. If it's not a loofah that looks like this, like a synthetic one, the traditional natural loofahs-

    25. MR

      Yeah, those sponges

    26. SI

      ... people have used them on their faces [chuckles] and I've seen this in my practice. It is a physical exfoliant that's getting rid of dead skin cells physically, right? But the skin of your face is much thinner, and it can be extremely irritating and aggressive.

    27. MR

      Mm.

    28. SI

      Not to mention the fact that many people don't clean this, and bacteria can build up, water can be stuck in there, it can get moldy, gross, and just not necessarily the best thing. Number three, now this is not the complete devil. There are moments when it can be useful, but this is not something I recommend every day.

    29. MR

      [gasps] Uh-oh.

    30. SI

      Makeup remover wipes. [chuckles]

  10. 32:22 – 37:10

    The Skincare Steps You Should Never Skip

    1. MR

      up a- this sounds terrible.

    2. SI

      And this is where, like, a salicylic acid cleanser can be helpful to help to minimize that buildup instead of something that's giving you an instant gratification-

    3. MR

      Great

    4. SI

      ... like a cheap-

    5. MR

      Great

    6. SI

      ... dopamine hit.

    7. MR

      You used the word actives.

    8. SI

      Mm-hmm.

    9. MR

      So let's talk more about them, things like vitamin C, retinol, niacinamide, if you even say it that way, haldro- hyaluronic acid.

    10. SI

      [laughs]

    11. MR

      You know, w- who should use this stuff, and who should not?

    12. SI

      Okay, so actives are very important to help to support your skin overall, depending on what your goals are, right?

    13. MR

      Right.

    14. SI

      But I just want to preface one thing [laughs] again. It doesn't mean that they are miracle ingredients. So understanding what each one does is very important for you to know if you want it in your routine. But let's start with vitamin C. I think vitamin C has a lot of marketing around it. The food industry often trickles into the beauty industry.

    15. MR

      I'm on it. Okay.

    16. SI

      Yeah.

    17. MR

      But I don't know what it does.

    18. SI

      No, exactly, and I think vitamin C-

    19. MR

      I actually put it on my face-

    20. SI

      [laughs]

    21. MR

      ... and I don't know what it does.

    22. SI

      [laughs] Okay. Vitamin C, most people- a lot of people can benefit from it.

    23. MR

      Okay, what does it do?

    24. SI

      It's gonna help with your overall tone of your skin.

    25. MR

      Meaning it'll make it firmer.

    26. SI

      Skin color.

    27. MR

      Oh.

    28. SI

      It's a great, great question, and it's funny, 'cause I used to even be confused by what tone meant.

    29. MR

      Yes.

    30. SI

      It means your skin color.

  11. 37:10 – 39:11

    Do Serums and Actives Really Work?

    1. MR

      Talk to me about hydrol- hyalor- I can never say this word, hyaluronic acid.

    2. SI

      Hyaluronic acid. So this was all the rage even, like, four or five years ago-

    3. MR

      Uh-huh

    4. SI

      ... where you saw it on every beauty brand market-

    5. MR

      Yes

    6. SI

      -mass marketing campaign. And it's funny, 'cause when it comes to the beauty industry, the biggest barrier is marketing and education, so that consumers hear ingredients, and they think, "Oh, I need that."

    7. MR

      Yes.

    8. SI

      It is a humectant that attracts water. A humectant means an ingredient that likes water-

    9. MR

      Okay

    10. SI

      ... and attracts it. So what's gonna happen? It's gonna give you more of a hydrating effect, a plumping effect. You're gonna look a little bit bouncier. It's gonna help with the fine lines.

    11. MR

      Is that a good thing, to look bouncier?

    12. SI

      Why not? [laughing]

    13. MR

      Okay, why not? [laughing]

    14. SI

      I don't know. I don't wanna look deflated either. [laughing]

    15. MR

      That's true, I don't either.

    16. SI

      I'd rather-

    17. MR

      Okay

    18. SI

      ... I'd rather be bouncy. [laughing]

    19. MR

      Okay.

    20. SI

      But it's not the end-all, be-all, and best humectant on the market, number one. Number two, it is quite literally in eight out of 10 products that you're probably using.

    21. MR

      Oh, okay.

    22. SI

      So do you need to have it as a dedicated product in your roundup to complicate your life, and to add more stress [chuckles] and to add more time to your routine? Probably not.

    23. MR

      I love how you're simplifying all this, Dr. Idriss, 'cause it just comes back to that three-step routine and asking yourself: What am I not happy about? What is it that I'd like to see an improvement in? What is it that I want to address? And then educating yourself about the right thing to add. And I'm also hearing, go low and slow.

    24. SI

      Low and slow.

    25. MR

      Low and slow on this. Like, you don't wanna step on the pedal and burn your skin like Mel Robbins did.

    26. SI

      But it's kind of like dieting, right?

    27. MR

      I know.

    28. SI

      Do we go into a diet and say, "I'm gonna lose 80 pounds?"

    29. MR

      Yes.

    30. SI

      No! You'll... but you-

  12. 39:11 – 43:29

    What Most People Get Wrong About Sensitive Skin

    1. MR

      Dr. Idriss, let's talk about sensitive skin. Seventy percent of adults worldwide say they have sensitive skin: redness, irritation, stinging, often from skincare products. And they assume, "Okay, well, that's all that it is." What does sensitive skin really mean? And as a dermatologist, Dr. Idriss, what could be driving the sensitivity in the skin?

    2. SI

      So seven out of 10 people say they have sensitive skin, but the reality is, people who have true sensitivities is much lower, at one out of 10.

    3. MR

      Real- wait, one out of 10 people-

    4. SI

      Yes

    5. MR

      ... have sensitivities?

    6. SI

      Have real sensitivities.

    7. MR

      Okay.

    8. SI

      So the perception of what sensitive skin is, as a skin type, is often misplaced. Because what they're describing is not a skin condition, but a skin state.

    9. MR

      Hmm.

    10. SI

      Their skin is very reactive. They have reactive skin. But sensitive, true sensitivities, is "I cannot tolerate," I'm making it up, "a preservative, and when I have this preservative on my skin, I get a crazy rash that's itchy, and I flare up, and it lasts for days, and I have to go on medication to calm it down."

    11. MR

      So it's more like an allergy.

    12. SI

      It becomes kind of like an allergy, exactly.

    13. MR

      Well, I love that, but you could have reactive skin for a number of reasons.

    14. SI

      You can have reactive skin for... You can just be a reactive human. Most white people are reactive. You're gonna see redness come up on your skin, [chuckles] all right? Most white people have that reactivity in their skin. If I wash my face, I get redder, and then it calms down after a few minutes. That doesn't mean I'm sensitive.

    15. MR

      Why does it get redder?

    16. SI

      Because of the rubbing, your blood flow, you see it more, your melanin's low, it's more obvious. But that being said, most people don't actually have real sensitivities, and it's that skin state. And so when you start seeing stinging, redness, and burning, especially from products that never bothered you before-

    17. MR

      Hmm

    18. SI

      ... it's the result of long-term, probably chronic inflammation-

    19. MR

      Oh

    20. SI

      ... that hasn't been fully addressed, where then you develop a real sensitivity over time. So when you have this reactive kind of skin, and you know your skin is very easy to flare up, the first goal that you should always have is to calm your skin down. Again, going back to the basics, focus on some- a basic routine that you know your skin can tolerate, that keeps your skin calm. And that, I think, is probably the hardest thing to do, 'cause when people get reactive, even if for two, three days, they start compounding things and products, trying to fix it, without letting their skin do its thing to calm down and heal. So step one, if your skin is very sensitive or reactive, is to stop everything. And this freaks people out. I'm like: You're not gonna melt, [laughing] okay? You're going to survive this. For, like, a week or two, everything, from skincare to makeup. You're gonna wash your face with water, and if you really need something, if you really need an occlusive of some sort, you can use Vaseline, but you have to calm the skin before you can correct it. And then step two is very boring and very slow, but you rebuild your barrier slowly. So you first incorporate then a moisturizer-

    21. MR

      Hmm

    22. SI

      ... and you let that work for you for a few days, and you make sure that you're not reacting to that for a few days. Once you have that green check mark and green light, then you incorporate a cleanser. You see how your skin does with the cleanser and the moisturizer over a few days, and then it can allow you to sort of pivot-... and see in which direction you're going. But that puts the control back in your hands, that you're not just living this crazy life of reactivity, and trying to calm it with this, and use that, and then it stings more, and it gets more inflamed, and it's this never-ending cycle.

    23. MR

      Yeah.

    24. SI

      It just cuts it. It resets it, and allows you to restart in a very systematic and academic way, so you can pinpoint: where are the shortcomings, and how can I pivot?

    25. MR

      So if you're dealing with reactive skin-

    26. SI

      Yeah

    27. MR

      ... take a step back, calm down, stop everything. Start with a moisturizer that's not got active stuff in it, because we've gotta rebuild the barrier, and then we can slowly start to add in a cleanser, and do some of the basics to give our skin a break.

    28. SI

      You're a very good listener. [laughing] Yes.

    29. MR

      Well, 'cause I wanna learn.

    30. SI

      Yes.

  13. 43:29 – 50:37

    What Can Trigger Acne The Most

    1. MR

      let's talk about acne. It affects up to 50 million people a year in the US alone, and I understand that there are different types of acne.

    2. SI

      Mm-hmm.

    3. MR

      And so can you explain the different types of acne, and how someone can tell what they're dealing with?

    4. SI

      Yes, for sure. So acne is not just a teenage problem. [chuckles] I want to start off by saying that I have so many women who are 28, 35, 44, who get acne, who are like, "I don't understand. I'm not a teenager anymore. Wasn't I past this stage of my life?" But there's four subtypes. One, and we're gonna just start with hormonal acne, 'cause I mentioned these women, but hormonal acne is driven by hormonal fluctuations that come and go. And because your skin is your biggest visible organ that has a feedback system, it's going to show up on your skin, especially due to androgen sensitivity, so testosterone-like hormones. And patterns are key here. With hormonal acne, you tend to notice it mostly along the jawline, where you get these deep, cystic pimples along your jawline-

    5. MR

      Hmm

    6. SI

      ... in a cyclical fashion around your period. And so that clinical history and the physical distribution usually points towards hormonal acne. Then you have inflammatory acne, number two. Inflammatory acne you can kind of think of as that classic red pimple, pustule on your face, coming and going, a little haphazard on your cheeks, your nose, your forehead, chin, et cetera. And it is often triggered by over-exfoliation, hard products, barrier damage, people who've over-stripped their skin, harsh winters. People... Even if you had done nothing, it can cause it. That inflammatory acne, if not under control or taken care of, can lead to deeper cystic acne, which is number three, the deep, painful pimples and nodules that can leave really bad scarring. And this is one where it's... It is a spectrum. There is a continuation, but you can also just go straight to cystic acne on your own, just as a predisposition. And what breaks my heart is when I... I'm all for body positivity.

    7. MR

      Mm.

    8. SI

      But when you see people with really bad cystic acne just trying to use a pimple patch, when you could try to treat it to minimize the scarring left behind, it's huge, and it can change your overall confidence. It can change how you show up in social settings. It can change how you present for yourself, and it really has a very strong mental connection. And then you have number four: comedonal acne. Comedones are blackheads, whiteheads. Um, so you can have a little bit of everything, of course, but it's nice when you try to pinpoint what is the biggest root cause, and start treating it there, so you can start to see the improvements.

    9. MR

      Dr. Idriss, why does adult acne happen, and what is different about it when you suddenly have acne in your 30s, 40s, or 50s versus being a teenager?

    10. SI

      Because your hormones are not stabilized. They're fluctuating, so you are a hormonal up and down. Compound that with the fact with as we age, our cells turn over every 28 days or so, but with each decade, you can add 10 days. So in your 30s, it might be 38 days; in your 40s, it might be 48 days. So your cells are not differentiating as fast. So now we have inflammation. Now we have slower cell turnover. Now we have hormonal fluctuation, and so we tend to be more sensitive to it as you're going through those cycles of life.

    11. MR

      Um, what are some of the sneaky triggers that can cause a flare-up of acne that people don't even realize are the cause of acne?

    12. SI

      So other than, like, the basic ones, right? Hair products-

    13. MR

      Hair products can cause acne?

    14. SI

      ... can sometimes be very, very oily and can clog pores, so you have to be careful in what you're using. Touching your face, not just with your hands, but, like, let's say-

    15. MR

      I just, I just took my hand and touched my face.

    16. SI

      I, I do have a problem. I touch my face a lot, but even through your phone. Have- when's the last time you really cleaned your phone?

    17. MR

      Oh, God.

    18. SI

      And making sure your glasses that are sitting on the bridge of your nose.

    19. MR

      I always get stuff underneath my glasses, yep.

    20. SI

      Especially if you're wearing makeup.

    21. MR

      Yep.

    22. SI

      So things that are coming into contact with your face that are not just your hands, and this goes even into the makeup world. Have we washed our brushes? Are we washing them regularly? Most people are not. They're using an old Beauty Blender that's been around, and so it doesn't mean that you're dirty, but it just means these are things that we have to take into consideration when we're thinking about our face. Um, heat and sweating definitely can also impact, and then diet. I think diet, like I said, is part of the picture. It's not the whole picture, but you can support better skin with a better diet.

    23. MR

      Dr. Idriss, you say that one of the most common things that people come into your clinical practice seeking help for is melasma.

    24. SI

      Yeah.

    25. MR

      What is that?

    26. SI

      I studied it in theory, I studied it in medical school, I learned about it in residency, and then I experienced it when I went through IVF. But melasma is hormonal pigmentation that is driven by your hormones.

    27. MR

      Hmm.

    28. SI

      And it usually appears on your face in patches. Sometimes they're discrete, and sometimes they're bigger, usually on the, your cheeks or your forehead, and they can get really emphasized with your pregnancy-... going through IVF, with your period, going through menopause, [chuckles] life stress, you cannot predict it.

    29. MR

      Mm.

    30. SI

      And so with melasma, it's so tricky because the gold standard is treating it with a prescription medication, like hydroquinone, but you can't be on hydroquinone forever in perpetuity. You have to take breaks when you use hydroquinone. And-

  14. 50:37 – 54:53

    At What Age Does Skin Age the Most?

    1. MR

      for the moment I've been waiting for, personally-

    2. SI

      Oh

    3. MR

      ... I wanna talk about aging skin.

    4. SI

      Okay.

    5. MR

      You said there are two key ages-

    6. SI

      Mm

    7. MR

      ... when your skin really changes. What is going on biologically beneath the skin that causes these spikes-

    8. SI

      Okay

    9. MR

      ... with your skin change?

    10. SI

      The first thing is understanding that aging, it's not a linear process. There are moments in your life when you age faster. There are moments in your life when you age slower, and h- understanding that timing and having your finger on the beat of that pulse helps because it allows you to know what to expect.

    11. MR

      Okay.

    12. SI

      So everything I'm gonna tell you is not to breed insecurity or scare you, but it's so that you go into it feeling more prepared, less intimidated, et cetera. So the first peak is really in your late twenties, early thirties, where over the course of six months, you notice something shifts, and you can't quite put your finger on it. And I think today's generation is much more attuned to it because of social-

    13. MR

      Right

    14. SI

      ... because of Zoom, because of all the screen time that they have-

    15. MR

      Yes

    16. SI

      ... and selfies that they take, they see it faster.

    17. MR

      And what are they seeing in your late twenties and thirties? What do your patients come in and kind of report to you?

    18. SI

      You're going from a growth phase, where you're producing collagen in your teens and early twenties, to the beginning of a maintenance phase. And starting in your mid-twenties, you start to lose around one percent of collagen a year.

    19. MR

      Okay.

    20. SI

      So what they describe is very subtle and not re- ill de- and mo- really ill-defined, but they notice, like, a flattening on the sides of their face.

    21. MR

      Mm.

    22. SI

      Like, something looks a little flatter. They don't really know what they're pointing out to, but they look, "I don't know what it is, but I just look different." The second peak is a little bit more dramatic. It happens, and I've noticed this myself... I'm gonna be forty-two in a week, but this happened at thirty-eight, where over the course of a month, suddenly I thought I developed jowls, and I saw them. [chuckles] And it's because the bony and structural foundation of your face, your bone structure, what's holding your face, starts to get thinner. And for me, it also coincided after breastfeeding and having babies, and something shifted in my structure. [chuckles] Um, and I remember walking by that elevator, being like, "Oof, what is that?" Um, but it was good and very humbling to feel it because it allowed me to understand what my patients are going through. But your facial bone remodeling that is actively happening, it's like a scaffold, right?

    23. MR

      Mm.

    24. SI

      Think of a scaffold holding up a structure. As it starts to get smaller, what's happening around it, your volume, your fat pads, your skin starts to shift and fall.

    25. MR

      Yeah, it's hanging there.

    26. SI

      It starts hanging.

    27. MR

      Yes.

    28. SI

      Then, [chuckles] the-

    29. MR

      I've hit that one.

    30. SI

      I, I've hit it, too [chuckles] but this is where bone health matters, by the way. This whole concept of really, you know, weightlifting and taking care of your bones is huge for women, and the first place you really start to see it is your face.

  15. 54:53 – 59:42

    Simple Steps to Accepting Your Aging Looks

    1. MR

      ... You know, as a dermatologist, I wanna know, 'cause I've had this conversation with so many friends, you know, one day you look in the mirror and you think, "Oh, my God, who is that?" How do you best deal with the emotional sign of aging; sagging, texture changes, and this recognition that it just feels like it's out of your control?

    2. SI

      This is probably, for me, I think one of the most important questions that you ask. Because hopefully we all have long lives, and our skin is so tied to our visible identity, that we don't often think of the opposite, of how our skin affects our mental health.

    3. MR

      Mm.

    4. SI

      And as we get older, things shift relatively fast. Give yourself some grace. It's not because you didn't do, it's not because you didn't use, it's not because you did binge... Life was going to happen, but what can we do now to support ourselves? Having that sort of understanding really does lower that sort of energy around the aging process. And then just being open to learning about what is at your disposal, from over-the-counter skincare, to maybe prescription, to maybe something minimally invasive, to maybe something more extreme. And what is it that you wanna do to help support yourself?

    5. MR

      Mm.

    6. SI

      Because when you help yourself, it's not like you need this to be confident. The goal is, hopefully you're confident with yourself, and this is a cherry on top. But when you support yourself, it makes you feel better in how you show up for the world. And taking away that judgment, even though you had that judgment prior, but once you live through something, you see it through a different lens, and you realize that, you know, there are ways that you can help yourself without changing who you are and still be who you are.

    7. MR

      I love that. What do we do about these sagging jowls? Why do we develop them, and what the heck can we do about them?

    8. SI

      The dreaded jowls.

    9. MR

      I hate these things.

    10. SI

      Even the word sucks [chuckles] jowls.

    11. MR

      I hate them. It's like skin purses hanging off- it's like, where did these pockets come from? I'm not a squirrel that needs to store nuts in the winter, so I don't need this extra skin. I want to get rid of it. What do, what do I do?

    12. SI

      What do you do? Okay, so first, it's important... It's not a skincare failure. It's not because you didn't have a good skincare routine. It's not because you didn't wear sunscreen correctly. It's not a- it's a structural problem.

    13. MR

      Yeah, it feels like a, a, a, a face failure-

    14. SI

      It's a-

    15. MR

      -if I'm being honest

    16. SI

      ... it's a structural issue.

    17. MR

      Okay.

    18. SI

      And so the four things that lead to jowls, right?

    19. MR

      Yep.

    20. SI

      Your bone, your structural bone changes.

    21. MR

      Mm-hmm.

    22. SI

      That scaffold that's holding your face up is slowly disintegrating-

    23. MR

      Okay

    24. SI

      ... right? And so what's happening from there, our fat pads in our face, and you have many of them-

    25. MR

      Yep

    26. SI

      ... they start to redistribute and drop, in addition to the fact that they shrink. And then on top of it, the surface, your skin, almost like the fabric of a couch, doesn't have anywhere to go, plus it's losing that collagen and elasticity. So it tends to just drape around it. So all of those three reasons, compounded with potentially a fourth, which is repetitive muscle movement. There are some people who talk a lot like this-

    27. MR

      Oh, I do

    28. SI

      ... or pull their, or pull their teeth, and you can see their lower teeth when they speak. That emphasizes it. And so that is something that I think is really important that you understand, so that you don't go buy, for example, a firming cream-

    29. MR

      Okay

    30. SI

      ... or a balm.

  16. 59:42 – 1:05:27

    Are Plastic Surgery or Injectables Necessary?

    1. SI

      bothering you.

    2. MR

      Yes.

    3. SI

      When you know it's bothering you, you know, "Okay, what are my options?" Extreme is surgery, but there's a whole slew of things you could try to do for yourself if you do not want surgery, or if it's not for you.

    4. MR

      Let's try- let's talk about the things that are not surgery.

    5. SI

      We can absolutely talk about those things.

    6. MR

      So what are the options? What am I doing? [chuckles]

    7. SI

      Okay. Starting with what you've already done-

    8. MR

      Yes

    9. SI

      ... your facial massaging. What you're doing when you're massaging your face is moving lymphatic fluid around. So on the margin, it's gonna minimize that puff that's accumulating in gravity-dependent areas.

    10. MR

      Okay.

    11. SI

      Is it gonna make you look like a fetus? [chuckles] Probably not. So again, understand what you're doing and why, so you, you know how to continue.

    12. MR

      So it's not changing... When I take my knuckles and I, or that L-shaped thing, and I do one of these things, and then I do this, and then people are like this, and do all this, and they're like, "And then you look like this!" It's like a before-

    13. SI

      It's a, it's a temporary improvement-

    14. MR

      And so I might be-

    15. SI

      ... that's short-lived

    16. MR

      ... emptying the bags of some of the things in there, but they're not, the extra skin isn't going anywhere-

    17. SI

      No

    18. MR

      ... 'cause it's a structural issue.

    19. SI

      It's a structural issue.

    20. MR

      Got it.

    21. SI

      Exactly.

    22. MR

      Okay.

    23. SI

      So this is not me saying that it's useless. If you look better before a red carpet event, of course, do it.

    24. MR

      Okay.

    25. SI

      But if you're doing it thinking you're getting your skin to get tighter, no.

    26. MR

      I am.

    27. SI

      You're not.

    28. MR

      [chuckles]

    29. SI

      You're not, you're not, you're just not. So that's not gonna help.

    30. MR

      Oh, my God.

  17. 1:05:27 – 1:07:28

    How to Boost Your Collagen

    1. MR

      helpful. So where does collagen fit into all of this? And-

    2. SI

      It's a great question. [chuckles]

    3. MR

      Can you boost it, and what are the two best ways if you can?

    4. SI

      So people think fine lines, wrinkles, they think collagen.

    5. MR

      Yes.

    6. SI

      And collagen is the main structural protein in your skin. But we know, starting in our late twenties, it starts to decline at a rate of around one percent a year, right? And this is due to internal changes, sun, hormones, maybe even inflammation. But I think when you're trying to simplify it, three ways that you can think of boosting your collagen, starting with number one and the most trend-worthy, collagen supplements and diet. There's confusion in marketing. Diet is very important, like I said.

    7. MR

      Yep.

    8. SI

      It's gonna support your collagen production. It is going to help your collagen production, and if you have a very well-balanced diet, you do not need the supplement, okay? But just taking a collagen supplement and expecting it to go straight to your skin for good skin, you're misleading yourself, and it's not a necessity.

    9. MR

      Okay.

    10. SI

      It's very expensive. It can be a whole budget on its own. So really, I would focus on the well-balanced diet, where you're getting that protein intake, you're getting all of that to create that foundation for your skin. And if you want to add the collagen supplements, great, they're not gonna hurt you, but they're not gonna be the only answer to help yourself.

    11. MR

      Got it. Okay.

    12. SI

      Number two, topical skincare. This works with consistency and maintenance. It does not work as a one-off. So being consistent with a retinol can stimulate collagen production over time.

    13. MR

      Got it.

    14. SI

      Um, protecting your skin with sunscreen is not gonna make collagen today, but over time, when you look back, you will look better.

    15. MR

      Mm.

    16. SI

      And so having those maintenance points in your skincare can help.... um, and number three, in-office procedures. If skincare is maintenance, in-office procedures are like little accelerators, right? Microneedling can boost a little bit your collagen production and your cell turnover. Certain laser treatments can help you help yourself. Um, so there are little ways that you can help yourself through outside interventions to keep that collagen boosted over time.

  18. 1:07:28 – 1:10:07

    At What Age Should You Get Botox?

    1. MR

      Let's talk about injectables.

    2. SI

      Yeah.

    3. MR

      Who are they for?

    4. SI

      That's a very good question. I think it depends on the problem that we described.

    5. MR

      Mm.

    6. SI

      Do we have lines that are built in? Do we have volume issues? What are we trying to achieve through them? I think the reason why they've all got a bad rep, and injectables being Botox and fillers all together, is not one single reason. I think it's multifactorial. I'm a provider myself, and I think as someone in this field, providers do play a role. I think patients also come in expecting this instant gratification culture, where-

    7. MR

      Right

    8. SI

      ... more is more, and they want to see the results right away.

    9. MR

      Right, right.

    10. SI

      Botox is going to help you by minimizing how much you're moving your muscles. The goal of Botox is not to freeze you in perpetuity. [chuckles] I'm not trying to embalm you in Botox, right? And so when you understand that, you start to see Botox through the lens of, "Oh, it's giving my face moments of pause throughout the year."

    11. MR

      Mm.

    12. SI

      So again, instead of aging more like this, I'm aging more like that.

    13. MR

      Yeah.

    14. SI

      Okay? Where instead of pulling down constantly, maybe it will help me change how I just move, so I don't keep pulling-

    15. MR

      Mm

    16. SI

      ... 'cause I know my jowls bother me.

    17. MR

      Yeah.

    18. SI

      So that's where Botox comes in. And side note, that's why I think I personally have an issue with, like, the preventative Botox aspects of life, because what are we preventing? [chuckles] What are you preventing? The lines are going to form, and so when people have no lines on their face, and they want to start Botox, they're coming to me from a fear-based-

    19. MR

      Mm

    20. SI

      ... you know, motivation.

    21. MR

      Yep.

    22. SI

      And that, for me, is a sign that they shouldn't be doing it. Because when you do anything out of fear, you're not doing it for the right reasons, and starting too young is gonna push you into this world where you think you need to be frozen. So I don't believe in it, and I usually tell younger-

    23. MR

      What's too young, you think? 'Cause I, I, I see this too with the 20-somethings that I know, you know, w- wrenching up their forehead, "I think I need to..." I'm like, "What?"

    24. SI

      I mean, I think it's a great question that comes up, and it's rightfully asked.

    25. MR

      Yeah.

    26. SI

      But it's hard to pinpoint a number. I've seen 20-year-olds who look really old, and I've seen 60-year-olds who look really young [chuckles] .

    27. MR

      Yeah.

    28. SI

      So I'm a little skewed. I think when the lines are there, and they don't-

    29. MR

      Well, you see 100 patients a week, and you've been doing this for more than a decade, so-

    30. SI

      When they don't go away, and they're really bugging you, that's when you can start.

  19. 1:10:07 – 1:16:21

    Change Your Relationship With Your Skin

    1. MR

      Um, if the person listening is in a moment in their life where their confidence is in the gutter because of the state of their skin, or one of their kids is in the gutter confidence-wise because of the state of their skin, I would love to have you speak to them and tell them what a few simple things are that they can do this week to just feel better, even if their skin-

    2. SI

      Is not there yet

    3. MR

      ... is not gonna change overnight. It's gonna change over time.

    4. SI

      Okay, so if you're listening, and you're feeling out of sorts because of how your skin looks, your confidence is not gonna come from changing your skin first. It's gonna come by changing your relationship to your skin first. So do not start by trying to fix everything all at once because you're gonna open the floodgates, and it's never gonna amount to anything. So three simple things that you can do today is, one, simplify your skincare routine. Simplify, simplify, so you can be consistent, and even if that's just, "I'm going to wash my face," start with that. Small changes give you a sense of control, and you start to feel better. Two, throw your magnifying mirror out. [chuckles] I cannot say this enough. Nobody is looking at you under a 10X zoom. Throw it out, it is causing more harm than good, and just start looking at yourself at a distance where people look at you, and how you are seen and how you see yourself under the light that you normally see yourself, but a magnifying mirror is probably your biggest enemy. And number three, do something for yourself, even if it's not skincare related. Maybe it's wear mascara.

    5. MR

      Mm.

    6. SI

      Put on a red lip. Wear the sexy jeans that make you feel good. Do something for yourself that helps you feel put together, like you're wearing an ironed shirt. I think those three little things can cause automatic boosts of confidence and really s- allow you to start feeling like you're in control, so you can make a change and a shift for yourself.

    7. MR

      I love that. Thank you. If you had to distill everything that you have taught us today into a very simple takeaway, what's the number one thing, Dr. Idriss, that the person listening or watching on YouTube should remember and do after listening to this?

    8. SI

      I think if you're gonna take away one thing from listening to this today, it's that your skin is not a problem to solve. It is a relationship to build, and you have to get to know your skin, understand the feedback, understand the signals, and hopefully gain a better understanding of what's at your disposal, so that when you're treating yourself, your expectations are met, and you're not feeling like you're in a never-ending cycle of nothingness. Um, because ultimately, it's consistency that matters most. You wanna show up without shame, and I think telling people that you care about how your skin looks can sometimes be shameful. Um, and you wanna care for yourself without that shame, and I think understanding-... the basics will always serve you better than the trends.

    9. MR

      I am so thrilled that you came. I learned so much. Dr. Idriss, what are your parting words?

    10. SI

      Be kind to yourself in the process. I think life is gonna happen. Don't beat yourself up, but also be willing to change your own perspectives, and have an open mind when it comes to yourself and the aging process.

    11. MR

      Yeah.

    12. SI

      Because what I've seen in my life, and in my practice, and also in my own personal experience, is more often than not, we are the ones who stand in our own way. So I think this is something that may sound superficial and vain, but really, just be really kind to yourself from the inside out and the outside in.

    13. MR

      Your skin is not a problem to solve, it's a relationship to build. And I am grateful that you have taught us, using the research and the facts, about the simple things that we can do, whether it's sleep, or the taking a step back, or really looking holistically, or just the three simple things that you need, identifying the issue-

    14. SI

      Prioritize it

    15. MR

      ... or the thing you wanna improve as you build a better relationship with yourself and your skin. I feel more comfortable in my own skin. I feel empowered. I'm so excited by what you have taught us today. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, thank you on behalf of myself and every single person around the world who is gonna listen to this and share this as a free resource with the people that they love.

    16. SI

      Well, I'm very grateful, and thank you for allowing me the time and the space to dive in.

    17. MR

      Well, you destroyed it, woman.

    18. SI

      [chuckles]

    19. MR

      And I also wanna tell you, before you leave, as your friend, I am so excited that you took the time to listen to something and to educate yourself. I learned so much. I know you did, too. I have so many friends I am sending this to. I feel like we got a consultation with a world-renowned dermatologist who has helped both you and me understand what we need to do to take care of the largest organ in our body and be comfortable in our skin. And how cool is that? And as your friend, I wanna be sure to tell you, in case nobody else does, that I love you, and I believe in you, and I believe in your ability to create a better life. And what you learned today, and the relationship that you can build with yourself, will absolutely make your life better, so I hope you take the words to heart and you do it. All righty, I will be waiting for you in the very next episode. I'm gonna welcome you in the moment you hit play. I'll see you there. And thank you for watching all the way to the end. I learned so much. I feel so empowered, and more importantly, it feels like a gift to share with other people. So thank you, thank you, thank you for being here all the way to the end on YouTube. Thank you for hitting Subscribe. If this is lit up, please do your friend Mel Robbins a favor: support us. Hit Subscribe. It's free. It's the best way for you to say, "I really appreciate all of this free resources and expert advice, Mel and team. Thank you, thank you, thank you for showing up for me." Thank you for hitting Subscribe. All right, I know you're interested in the next video. Here's the one you wanna watch, and I'll be there to welcome you in the moment you hit play.

Episode duration: 1:16:21

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