Our skin's basic needs are good cleansing, moisturising and sun protection. First of all, every evening we should cleanse our skin with products that have a suitable pH and don't contain irritating soaps. For acne-prone and oily skin, non-irritating products with various acids added can be chosen.
Moisturisers and sunscreens should also be chosen to suit the skin's structure and characteristics. Lighter products can be preferred for oily, thicker skin, while products enriched with various oils and hyaluronic acid can be preferred for dry skin.
This basic routine is really something we should all be doing. In addition, for pigmented skin, acne-prone and pore-visible skin, the presence of acne scarring, and issues such as fine lines and dullness, we can recommend serums or combination creams that target these specific problems. I generally like using serum combinations, because they're more concentrated and I can adjust them more easily according to the season and the patient's needs.
Retinoids
Vitamin A derivative medications, available on prescription as capsules or creams for treating various skin conditions, take up a large part of us dermatologists' daily practice. Looking at the retinoid family outside the prescription category, we can talk about serums and creams in different forms and concentrations, such as retinol, retinaldehyde and newer-generation retinyl esters.
Alongside their strong anti-ageing effect, these ingredients are also effective in treating acne and acne scarring, controlling sebum production in the skin, evening out skin tone and reducing the appearance of pores. Regular use for around 2–3 months is needed to see these effects. However, they can cause side effects such as sensitivity and redness in the skin. For this reason, we recommend the retinol form and concentration suited to each patient's skin type. We can increase the concentration over time; sometimes we start with intermittent use and change the frequency over time.
Finally, let's not forget: when using retinoid products, we need to moisturise our skin very well and pay close attention to sun protection.