Skinfluencer Dr. Muneeb Shah On Creating A Skincare Routine - Exclusive
Dermatologist and "skinfluencer" Dr. Muneeb Shah is on a mission to provide people with easy, research-based tips to bring their skincare game to the next level. His videos on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube cut through all the marketing, misinformation, and muck on social media to give his audience the real talk about skincare. Shah shares his hard-earned expertise on everything from acne to Botox, to chronic skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis, to ensure that his followers have the most accurate information.
The biggest message Dr. Shah wants to send to his followers and the skincare community is that good skincare isn't as complicated or expensive as one may think. In fact, you can create an excellent skincare routine with just three steps and affordable drugstore products. In an exclusive interview with Health Digest, Dr. Shah revealed his tips for creating an easy, effective skincare routine that will keep your skin healthy and looking great.
Start with the basics
Dr. Shah told Health Digest that most start a skincare routine because they hope to treat an issue like acne, dry skin, or uneven skin tone. So, they usually go straight for a product to treat that issue. However, this isn't the path that Dr. Shah recommends.
"I think skincare routines are built on a foundation," he explained. "I think if you're new to skincare, first you have to build the house before you can put the paintings up."
Dr. Shah suggests starting with the absolute basics: a gentle cleanser, a good moisturizer, and some sunscreen. Get into the habit of using those products each day to cleanse and protect your skin, and then build from there.
"I think that you need the foundation first and then you need to add in the treatments," said Shah. "And those treatments need to be specific to you. So if you're somebody who's trying to go after wrinkles or you want to go after pigmentation, or you're going after acne, you're going to choose that treatment for that particular issue that you have."
From there, craft your skincare routine around Shah's mantra: "Cleanse, treat, protect." Regardless of the products in your skincare routine, you always want to start with a gentle cleanser, then use your treatment product, and finish it off with some sunscreen for protection.
A great skincare routine doesn't need to be complicated
Dr. Shah stressed that you don't need many super expensive products to build a great skincare regimen. He revealed that he only uses three or four products in his nightly skincare routine, and he doesn't recommend using much more than that.
"You can get by on a three step, skincare routine pretty well, and if you want to get fancy, you can get up to five," he explained. "Anything more than that, you're going to end up in trouble."
So, how can you find the products that are right for you? Shah suggests keeping it simple. Check out the ingredients to make sure there's nothing you're allergic to and that the product has the right active ingredients to treat the issues you want to address. Look for products that are dermatologist recommended, and if possible, look for brands that have done clinical studies on their products.
Dr. Shah also suggested checking out product reviews by your favorite, trusted "skinfluencers." Several of his videos include product reviews, so his social platforms are a great place to find product recommendations.
Dr. Muneeb Shah is a Dermatology Chief Resident at Campbell University in North Carolina. You can follow him on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for all things skincare.