What the Doctor Ordered — I'll Be Ready in Five Minutes

This is not like one of my regular skincare finds... It doesn't fall under any of the "natural", "vegan", or "green beauty" hashtags... But it WORKS. And unlike many of the mainstream/department store/medical grade skincare brands, I actually trust this one...

I listened to an in-depth interview with Dr. Dennis Gross where he shared a lot of the motivation and technology that goes into his products. I was struck by the fact that before delving into skincare, he was an actual SKIN SCIENTIST who specialized in skin cancer research. This was HUGE news to me, because I tend to make the blanket assumption that many high end skincare lines have toxic properties.

So over the past few months, I've been testing out his favorite product... The peel pads. ((We chatted a bit about my obsession with peels over here)). It's a two-step at home daily treatment that using a gentle chemical exfoliation to target all your skin probs - fine lines, dullness, breakouts, uneven tone. After a month of regular use with the peel pads, you can graduate to his Extra Strength Peel Pads, which are a little stronger. They're also more expensive, surprise surprise...

SO HERE'S MY HACK...

The Doctor's Kit. It comes with 14 of the Extra Strength Peel Pads and 2 serums - one for day, one for night ((they're not full size, but bigger than a sample size)). Both aim to brighten and even out skin tone... And we all know I feel about bright skin....!!

ROUTINE

I only use them at night. Here's how I fit them into my routine...

Cleanse ((cream or oil based)) >> Cleanse again ((water based)) with this cloth >> PEEL PAD >> Essence ((deets here)) >> Night Serum from DDG Doctor Kit >> Eye Cream >> Moisturizer

And sunscreen ALWAYS ((obvs)), but especially when using this peel/serum combo because of the retinol.

MY TIPS

Because they're extra strength, I don't feel the need to use every night like I did with the regular peel pads... I'll do every other night, or sometimes every third night, so they last me a while
On my "off nights", I use an exfoliating toner in place of a peel pad ((currently LOVING Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid, PIXI Glow Tonic is also a great option))

RESULTS

It didn't take long to start getting comments on my skin. I had some discoloration on my cheeks that has been rapidly disappearing, there's not a breakout in sight ((knock on wood)), and everything is generally evening out and brightening UP. Not to mention when I run my ((clean)) hands over my skin, the texture rivals a baby's cute little butt.

The left photo is from this post when I raved about my new fave sheet mask. I had just started using the Extra Strength peel pads. The right photo I just took, after using the Extra Strength Peel Pads + DDG serums for a month. No makeup in either, just my fave tinted mineral sunscreen ((this one)).