Dr. Dennis Gross Stopped By

new year, new answers to your skincare questions

Hello & Happy New Year! 

This month marks the one-year anniversary of Hotline Skin and I can’t thank you enough for being part of this journey. 2022 was my first year being self-employed and through a lot of trial and error (and more error), I’m finally starting to get the hang of it. It’s hard to be your own boss! What time do I wake up? Who holds me accountable for not sending an email? Lunch????

I want to make sure I’m continuing to make content you want to consume, so please submit your questions for future issues by clicking the button below. Now, let’s kickoff 2023 with everyone’s favorite Dr. Dennis Gross!

One of my most popular issues of all time was my interview with Dr. Dennis Gross (read here!) so I wanted to do it again, this time giving paying subscribers the opportunity to submit their own questions. I also secured an exclusive discount code for everyone (valid starting tomorrow), as well as a preeeettty sweet giveaway. Details below and read on for the interview to find out Dr. Gross’ predictions for 2023, tips for retinoids, thoughts on professional treatments and much more – thanks to everyone who submitted questions!

xx,

Jolie

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DISCOUNT:

Code: JOLDEF15

Details: 15% off sitewide on drdennisgross.com (excluding devices, kits & gift cards)

Dates: Monday, January 9th-Monday January 16th (11:59PM EST)

My favorite products: Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Triple Correction Eye Serum, Alpha Beta Daily Cleansing Gel, Alpha Beta Ultra Gentle Peel Pads, Alpha Beta Body Peel Pads, Alpha Beta Daily Moisturizer (and the SpectraLite LED Mask, of course)

GIVEAWAY:

Everyone who opens this email will be entered to win the following prize. Winner will be notified via email on 1/12.

• Alpha Beta Daily Peels (choice of strength)

• Moisturizer of choosing

• Vitamin C Lactic 15% Vitamin C Firm & Bright Serum

• All-Physical Lightweight Wrinkle Defense SPF30

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An Interview with Dr. Dennis Gross

What initially piqued your interest in skin?

I have always been interested in science – while my friends were reading comics, I was reading scientific journals. One day I came across an article that inspired me to reach out to the author to answer a few questions. That author turned out to be the president of Memorial Sloan Kettering – a top cancer hospital in New York City. I wasn't aware of his title then, so I continued to reach out because I was determined to get answers. Long story short, he gave me a job in skin cancer research. Studying the skin's extracellular matrix ignited my passion for skin health. From there, I jumped into my career as a dermatologist.

If someone has never used any of your products before, where do you suggest starting?

You should start with the Alpha Beta Daily Peel. It is a multifaceted product – it lifts excess oil, impurities and dead skin, evens tone, texture and prevents breakouts.There is a strength for every skin type. It is a two-step treatment – all professional peels must have two steps. Step one is the low concentration of multiple acids and step two is the neutralizer plus anti-aging and soothing ingredients. Having two steps is crucial when it comes to peels; the second neutralizing step shuts off the acids in step one to avoid any irritation. 

After the peel, I recommend adding in the other essentials: our cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. It is more important to have a routine that you can stick to every day and night versus trying a bunch of different products every so often. I recommend starting with the following:

1. Alpha Beta AHA/BHA Daily Cleansing Gel: This cleansing gel removes impurities, washes away bacteria, and decongests pores without compromising the skin’s moisture barrier.

2. Alpha Beta Daily Moisturizer: This is a universal moisturizer that replenishes and renews the moisture barrier, leaving the skin with a dewy, hydrated complexion.

3. All-Physical Lightweight Wrinkle Defense Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 30: The last step in an essential skincare routine is to protect. SPF protection is the most effective way to safeguard against skin cancer and sun damage that results in a dull-looking complexion. I created this lightweight physical SPF to blend seamlessly into all skin tones.

What is your favorite part of the product development process? Least favorite?

My favorite part of the product development process is discovering new advancements or technology that will help enhance our existing products or inspire new innovation. I pride myself on the fact that all of our products feature state-of-the-art delivery systems and clinically proven active ingredients. I have a key role in formulating all of the products and hand select every ingredient, fusing it with new technology to create optimal formulas.

My least favorite part of the product development process is coming up with a product name. I am a science person – coming up with a product name is just not my specialty. I leave the that part to my wife Carrie and our amazing brand team at Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare.

This year you debuted your newest Vitamin C Lactic collection. What’s so special about those 2 ingredients together?

Clinical studies show that combining vitamin C and lactic acid boosts antioxidant performance and penetration. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps to stimulate new collagen production, visibly firm skin, and disrupt hyperpigmentation production. Lactic acid is an alpha-hydroxy acid with antioxidant-like properties that gently removes surface-layer dead skin cells to improve the absorption of vitamin C. Lactic acid also replenishes the moisture barrier with ceramides and GAGs, sealing in moisture and driving vitamin C into the deepest layers of the skin to address hyperpigmentation. Together, they work to correct all signs of sun damage and prevent them from surfacing in the first place. The new Vitamin C + Lactic technology is suitable for all skin types, especially sensitive skin that is more vulnerable to damage from free radicals.

What is your favorite procedure to perform as a dermatologist?

I love lip enhancement treatments. Lip filler can get a bad rap because it is sometimes overdone or not injected correctly. My philosophy is to add symmetry and enhance the unique features of the patient I am seeing. If you can tell you have lip filler, I didn’t do my job. It really is an artform with different techniques, types of filler and needle placement. I feel like this treatment allows me to show off my talent and many years of practice as an injector.

What is the best way for someone to introduce a retinoid into their routine?

If you are new to retinoids, you can start slowly. Use them two times per week and work your way up to every day. If you are seeing redness or irritation, that is a red flag. You shouldn’t use a daily product less often – you won’t see the benefits of the product. Instead swap it out for a different product with a concentration of actives that your skin can tolerate. This is why I formulate my retinol products with a mix of soothing and moisture barrier rebuilding ingredients – that way, you get all the benefits of strong actives without any irritation.

What are the best ingredients for lifting pigmentation? What about in-office treatments?

For at-home, vitamin C is the #1 ingredient for addressing pigmentation. It is a potent antioxidant that works by reducing melanin production (inhibiting tyrosinase), slowing melanin transfer and calming inflammation. It also provides photoprotective properties against UVA and UVB damage by neutralizing free radical formation. I also like lactic acid – it removes dead pigmented cells from skin’s surface. For professional treatments, IPL is a great laser. As the light penetrates your skin, it's converted into heat, which then destroys any hyperactive skin cells in the process and causes the pigmentation to disperse. Finally, don’t forget SPF! This will protect skin from harmful rays and future hyperpigmentation. 

What do you typically recommend for acne management to pregnant patients who can’t use Tretinoin/topical retinoids?

You should always talk to your doctor about your skin routine – but I generally recommend red and blue LED light as a great solution for acne. Red LED builds collagen and reduces inflammation while blue light targets and kills acne-causing bacteria. You can also use our Alpha Beta Ultra Gentle Daily Peels (it doesn’t have salicylic acid). This peel gently exfoliates, keeping pores clear to prevent clogging and hence acne.

Does adult inflammatory acne (over age 30) ever really clear up and go away, or is it something to be managed for the rest of your life? 

This type of acne is hormonal so will change as you age and your hormones change. In the meantime, there are solutions to manage acne. Topically, you can look for a product with salicylic acid to decongest pores, azelaic acid to regulate oil chemistry, farnesol which kills acne-causing bacteria (and is a great, non-irritating alternative to benzol peroxide) and soothing ingredients like green tea and aloe to soothe inflammation and redness. I also really love monk pepper. Monk pepper is a revolutionary ingredient because it prevents hormones from triggering our hormonal glands to make a thicker oil which gets more easily clogged in pores. Essentially, it works beauty monk pepper stimulates the pre-cursor to testosterone – a lookalike compound with a weaker biological effect on sebum. It also blocks testosterone from binding with the androgen receptor in the first place to prevent sebum production. If you are looking for a professional treatment, AviClear is a brand new laser that uniquely targets unhealthy oil glands to treat mild, moderate and severe acne – plus it has none of the side effects associated with other acne medications. You just need three 30-minute treatments, and the results are fantastic.

In response to the skin cycling trend, you coined a new term, “skin boosting” – can you tell us what that means and how we can apply it to our skincare routine? 

Skin boosting is using a consistent daily regimen custom for your skin type and then pulsing in stronger products that are designed to be used once or twice per week. Don’t cycle with daily products. Instead, cycle with stronger boosted products while staying on your daily regimen. Skin boosting spikes collagen production, increases cell turnover and boosts radiance. You can incorporate this into your regimen by sticking to your daily routine and adding in a heavy-duty retinol peel, stronger acid peels or clarifying clay mask once or twice per week.

What are your skincare trend predictions for 2023? Anything you think is on its way out?

I think that skincare and wellness are going to become even more synonymous in 2023. Healthy skin is always in. I also see a lot more multitasking products so people can simplify their routines without sacrificing amazing benefits. I think treatments that require downtime are on the way out. Technology has improved leaps and bounds over the past few years and you can achieve amazing results with lasers that do not cause downtime.