Ever wonder what the founder of SLMD Skincare, Dr. Sandra Lee, does to take care of her own skin? Some might expect her to have an extensive routine, but she keeps it pretty minimal and emphasizes the importance of knowing her own skin type -- dry, sensitive, skin. She keeps her routine simple, without too many products that could aggravate her skin! Here’s a glimpse at the skincare routine she does before catching her shut eye every night.

• If she’s dolled up and had been wearing eyelashes that day, she gently peels those off first.
• Then she uses an oil makeup remover she’s been loyal to since she was a teenager — Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover by Lancôme, with her favorite gentle cotton pads that are “like kleenex with a pad in it” to remove her mascara and eyeliner. 

Dr. Lee notes that she doesn’t rub, just dabs her skin, because her skin is on the sensitive side and is more prone to getting rashes and irritation — which can eventually lead to wrinkles. She’s also cautious when it comes to using wash cloths as they can be too harsh on skin and create micro-tears.

• When it comes to cleansing her face, she alternates between an exfoliating acid cleanser, SLMD’s Salicylic Acid Cleanser, and a very hydrating one, CeraVe’s Hydrating Facial Cleanser. Dr. Lee says one of her skin hacks is leaving the Salicylic Acid Cleanser on for a couple of minutes, which increases the penetrance of it, and helps get rid of any extra gunk.

Salicylic Acid is one of her favorite ingredients because “it's an exfoliant; it's going to get rid of those dry, dead skin cells on the surface of your skin...It's also going to help your skin look more radiant and prevent blackheads from forming.”

Does Dr. Lee use cold or hot water? “You're getting rid of moisture, so you don't want to go really hot and you don't want to go really cold. You don't want to shock your skin. Lukewarm water is the best!”

• After cleansing, she pats her face dry with a towel. Emphasis on pats!
• Next, she uses SLMD’s Hyaluronic Acid Serum. 

“When your skin is still moist, that is the prime time to moisturize your skin because if your skin is wet out in the air, the moisture evaporates and the air pulls that moisture out of your skin and you get dryer… When you put [hyaluronic acid] on your skin, it's really going to seal in that moisture and minimize what we call transepidermal water loss.”

• While that moisture sneaks in, she applies Secret Deodorant. 

Dr. Lee’s Hot Tip: “Deodorant is best applied at night and is most effective at night because you're putting it on when your sweat glands are the most dormant.”

• After moisturizing, she applies a retinoid (SLMD’s Retinol Serum), which is key to fighting signs of aging and minimizing fine lines and wrinkles. 
• For extra hydration, she applies CeraVe’s Healing Ointment around her lips and her eyes. 

Warning: For some, using thick product around eyes can promote milia (those tiny white bumps). 

• If she encounters a pimple (yes, Dr. Pimple Popper gets them too!), she’ll use SLMD’s BP Spot Treatment to treat the problem spot. 

“Most of us women get hormonal acne. Usually for that sort of thing, I'm going to put a benzoyl peroxide treatment on the area… It works in two ways. It's going to help destroy bacteria that's thriving in that area and also it really keeps your hands off the area.”

What you can do? “If you have a dermatologist that you see, you can potentially [ask them to] give you a shot of low potency cortisol in the area and it gets rid of the zit within 24 hours for a prom or wedding.”

The Breakdown:

1. She gently removes her eyelashes.
2. She uses Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover by Lancôme, with her favorite cotton pads to remove her mascara and eyeliner. 
3. She alternates between SLMD’s Salicylic Acid Cleanser, and CeraVe’s Hydrating Facial Cleanser.
4. After cleansing, she pats her face dry with a towel.
5. Next, she uses SLMD’s Hyaluronic Acid Serum. 
6. While that moisture sneaks in, she applies Secret Deodorant. 
7. After moisturizing, she applies SLMD’s Retinol Serum.
8. Then, she applies CeraVe’s Healing Ointment around her lips and her eyes. 
9. She’ll use SLMD’s BP Spot Treatment to treat any pimples. 
10. If she encounters a pimple that’s deeper, under the skin, she will inject her own pimple with a cortisol shot! 

Those are Dr. Sandra Lee’s skincare staples!