Dr. Pimple Popper's Skincare Routine Revealed
America's favorite dermatologist takes us inside her (surprisingly simple!) nightly regimen.Published:
3 minute read
Ever wonder what Dr. Pimple Popper actually does for her own skin at the end of the day?
As a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of SLMD Skincare, Dr. Sandra Lee has access to just about every skincare product and treatment imaginable. But when it comes to her personal routine, she keeps things surprisingly simple.
Below is a look at Dr. Lee’s real nighttime skincare routine. These are the exact steps she follows, in the order she does them, and the products she personally uses.
Step 1: Remove makeup
If she’s been filming, or glammed up for an event and wearing eyelashes, Dr. Lee gently peels those off first.
She then uses an oil-based eye makeup remover she’s been loyal to since she was a teenager: Lancôme Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover.
When removing eye makeup, Dr. Lee avoids rubbing. Instead, she lightly dabs with a soft cotton pad, since rubbing can lead to rashes and irritation, especially for sensitive skin. Over time, repeated rubbing can also contribute to wrinkles.
Dr. Lee is also cautious when it comes to using washcloths, as they can be too harsh on skin and create micro-tears.
Step 2: Cleanse
When it comes to washing her face, Dr. Lee alternates between an exfoliating product, her SLMD Salicylic Acid Cleanser, and a very hydrating one, CeraVe’s Hydrating Facial Cleanser.
One of her top skincare hacks is leaving her Salicylic Acid Cleanser on for a couple of minutes while she's brushing her teeth. This allows the beta hydroxy acid more time to penetrate and unclog pores.
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.”
When rinsing, Dr. Lee uses lukewarm water. “People don’t realize that washing your face causes moisture loss, so you don’t want to shock your skin with really hot or cold water.”
After cleansing, she pats her face dry with a towel, gently.
Dr. Pimple Popper's Personal Skincare Picks
Step 3: Moisturize
Once her skin is gently patted dry, Dr. Lee applies SLMD Hyaluronic Acid Serum.
“When your skin is still moist, that is the prime time to moisturize, 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 drier,” Dr. Lee explains. “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.”
Step 4: Retinol
After moisturizing, Dr. Lee applies a retinoid. Her SLMD Retinol Resurfacing Serum is a gentle option and is key to fighting signs of aging and minimizing fine lines and wrinkles.
Typically, retinoids are applied before moisturizer. But because Dr. Lee’s skin is dry and sensitive, she first applies moisturizer before retinol to help reduce potential irritation.
Step 5: Ointment
For extra moisture, Dr. Lee applies CeraVe’s Healing Ointment to the very dry areas around her lips and eyes. This helps prevent moisture loss overnight.
Dr. Lee notes that this step doesn’t work for everyone. “Using thick products around the eyes can promote milia, those tiny white bumps that can be tough to get rid of.”
Step 6: Spot treat
If she encounters a pimple (yes, Dr. Pimple Popper gets them too), Dr. Lee uses SLMD BP Acne Spot Treatment to help it heal faster.
“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.”
Because Dr. Lee is a board-certified dermatologist, if she encounters a pimple that’s deeper under the skin, she will inject it with a cortisol shot.
“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.”
Dr. Lee’s product breakdown
Dr. Lee's Last Word
Skincare isn’t one-size-fits-all, and it doesn’t have to be complicated. Pay attention to how your own skin feels, and build a routine that makes sense for you.”
