A Dermatologist's Skincare Routine
By Heather D. Rogers, MD, FAAD, Double Board-Certified Dermatologist
"What is your daily skin care routine?” I’ve been asked this more times than I can count - from my patients and family, to the friendly faces on social media. As an aging dermatologist who has access to everything and has seen what really works…it may be surprising how simple I keep things. But I know first hand that in the long term, fewer products and better ingredients lead to the best results.
Morning Routine
1. Drink Water
The first thing I do when I wake up is drink a glass of water to rehydrate. Then I brush my teeth, splash my face with cool water, and pat dry with a clean towel.
2. Apply Vitamin C & Antioxidant Serum
I apply two pumps of Doctor Rogers Day Preventive Treatment to my bare skin. One to my face and one to my neck and chest. My Day Preventive Treatment is a next-generation Vitamin C and antioxidant serum formulated with 10% Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD) - an effective and well tolerated form of vitamin C - along with Bis (Cyano Butylacetate), Anthracenediylidene, Acetyl Zingeron, Niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. The powerful antioxidant serum protects your skin before, during and after exposure to UV radiation, pollution, blue light and other sources of free radicals to slow the signs of aging. And it works extremely well. Check out these before and afters. Every ingredient is nontoxic, vegan and biodegradable. I use this every day rain or shine unless my skin is irritated…then I skip it and go straight to my Face Cream. One bottle lasts me three months.
3. Apply Face Cream
I follow that with a healthy application of Doctor Rogers Face Cream to my face, around my eyes, neck and chest. I don’t use eye creams - my face cream is all your eye area needs. I cannot go a day without my face cream and I go through a jar every month. I travel with two jars just in case I run out or lose one. I am obsessed. For dry, sensitive skin my face cream ensures skin stays hydrated throughout the day, preventing dryness, irritation and maintaining plumpness. It is packed with squalane, glycerin, shea butter and niacinamide. Instantly, your skin feels plumped and with regular use, it builds a healthier, brighter complexion with visibly fewer lines and wrinkles.
If I am particularly puffy or my eyes are hooded I do a bit of lymphatic massage with the Joanna Czech Facial Massager. It is expensive but works better than any other I have used. And by using it after I apply my serum and face cream it helps pump the skin with all that goodness.
4. Apply Sunscreen
Next, I apply a zinc based, mineral sunscreen. Again, rain or shine, winter or summer, I always wear sunscreen. Consistency is key as 90% of aging is caused by the sun and you never know when the sun may come out. I use zinc-based, hypoallergenic options so I can use around my eyes without irritation, along with my face, neck, and chest. I have several I like:
Available in sheer and multiple tinted shades (I use Nude most days), this is a very cosmetically elegant mineral sunscreen. However, the second ingredient is silicone, which is not biodegradable and can pill when layered with other products. Luckily this is typically my last step!
A sophisticated and expensive formula with added antioxidants and DNA repair enzymes designed to help repair UV-induced DNA damage. Clinical evidence showing meaningful benefit over standard sunscreen is still limited but the formula provides excellent broad spectrum protection and is what I use on sunny trips. It relies on silicones for its finish, which are not biodegradable but the packaging is refillable.
A lightweight, hydrating mineral sunscreen that layers well under makeup. Like many cosmetically elegant formulas, it uses silicones to achieve a smooth finish.
-Vanicream Facial Moisturizer SPF 30
A simple, effective mineral sunscreen with 19% zinc oxide that is well tolerated by sensitive skin. Not the most cosmetically elegant, but reliable, affordable, and I often recommend it for the neck and chest.
Lastly, I apply makeup if I am wearing any, and then I’m off!
Nighttime Routine
It doesn’t matter how tired I am…I ALWAYS brush my teeth and wash my face before bed. I do my night routine in my bra to make sure my neck and chest get the same love and care.
1. Wash my Face
I splash my face to dampen it and then use a dime-size of my Doctor Rogers Face Wash, start around my eyes and then my full face, neck and upper chest. It can get messy and my husband calls me a seal.
It is remarkable to me how many face washes can’t do their job and don’t remove makeup or sunscreen so we have been taught to double cleanse. Just get a face wash that works…don’t buy into this crap! My face wash is made with only gentle, biodegradable ingredients and does exactly what it is supposed to do - remove the day’s buildup in one wash without stripping the skin.
2. Apply a Cell Turnover Treatment
I pat my skin dry with a clean towel and move on to the cell turnover step. This is a repair step necessary to correct damage that has already been done to our skin by promoting our skin to turnover and build new collagen. The most well-known repair treatment is retinol. It works great but can be irritating, particular to dry, mature or sensitive skin. I cannot tolerate it so I made my Doctor Rogers Night Repair Treatment with a powerful, yet well-tolerated combination of bakuchiol, glycolic acid (alpha hydroxy acid), gluconolactone (polyhydroxy acid) and antioxidants. This formula reverses signs of aging, builds collagen, evens skin tone, and improves skin texture and elasticity without the irritation commonly associated with retinol or tretinoin. And all ingredients are nontoxic, vegan and biodegradable. I use two pumps, one for my face and one for my neck and chest. I even put a rice grain amount around my eyes. I go through a bottle every three months.
If my skin is overly dry, sensitive or irritated I skip the treatment step and go straight to my Face Cream.
3. Apply Face Cream
I apply a generous application of my Doctor Rogers Face Cream to the usual suspects…face, eyes, neck and chest. This is followed by my Doctor Rogers Healing Balm for my lips and eyes as a hydrating sleeping mask. If I am really dry or irritated, I pat it on everywhere.
The last step is an eyelash conditioner most nights. I typically use one of the following:
-Sweed Eyelash Growth Serum: is prostaglandin free with a study showing excellent results.
-Revitalash: has a lower concentration of prostaglandin concentration than latisse and was developed for women to use during and after breast cancer. It has studies showing efficiency and well tolerated.
Body Routine
Either after my shower or before bed, I alternate between applying my Body Cream and my Body Repair Treatment to keep my body skin soft, smooth and supple. The body cream is like my face cream but for your body. Formulated with thick, rich with face-quality ingredients the body cream sinks into your skin, leaving skin instantly softer and plump.
The Body Repair Treatment is a game changer for achieving smooth body skin while also improving crepey skin and sun damage. It is a proprietary blend of bakuchiol, glycolic acid, and antioxidants, all in a deeply hydrating cream of squalane and glycerin to build collagen, smooth crepey skin, and even skin tone. All ingredients are nontoxic, vegan, and biodegradable.
Also, on my bedside table is my Healing Balm so I can coat my nails and cuticles with the ointment for further hydration.
Oral Supplements
-5g of Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides are mixed into my morning coffee. In studies, oral collagen has been shown to improve skin elasticity, boost collagen production, and enhance overall hydration of the skin. Oral hyaluronic acid improves skins hydration, elasticity and wrinkle depth in as little as 4 weeks.
Another option for oral hyaluronic acid is Hyacera from Ritual.
-Creatine 5g to maintain muscle mass. There are studies showing it also helps with brain function.
-Polypodium Leucotomas 240mg is fern extract and has shown promise in protecting the skin from sun damage with powerful antioxidant properties.While it should not replace sunscreen, it can be a valuable addition to your skincare routine, especially in sunny climates. You want to take 1 hour before peak sun exposure and repeat in 4 to 6 hours if you are in continuous sun. There are options:
-Heliocare Advance includes polypodium leucotomas and 500mg of Vit B3 Nicotinamide(B3) is beneficial in slowing the development of new skin cancers in patients with a history of skin cancer.
-Vitamin D 2000 iu. As I do not spend much time in the sun, so I maintain a healthy level of Vitamin D through oral supplementation.
At Home Procedures
LED Light Therapy using Celluma or Omnilux on my face, neck and chest. Well-designed red light improves the way our cells work. Our cell’s mitochondria absorb the photons (energy) from the light. This activation makes them more efficient in their use of oxygen and better able to make ATP (cell fuel). With more fuel, the cell becomes more active and better at doing their jobs, including DNA repair, collagen synthesis, or calming inflammation. The best results are for skin rejuvenation and wound healing using red light (640 +/- 25nm) and infrared light (880 +/-50nm). Having a bunch of wavelengths is less important than having a quality device that is comfortable and easy for you to use for your primary goal. The data is simply not as strong for blue, green and yellow light. More on redlight here.
I have many but do not use other at home devices besides red light. Learn more about why here.
References
de Miranda, Roseane B., et al. "Effects of Hydrolyzed Collagen Supplementation on Skin Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." International Journal of Dermatology, vol. 60, no. 12, Dec. 2021, pp. 1449–1461, doi:10.1111/ijd.15518. PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33742704/
Amin, Pouya, et al. "Oral Hyaluronic Acid Supplement: Efficacy in Skin Hydration, Elasticity, and Wrinkle Depth Reduction." Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, vol. 24, no. 9, 1 Sept. 2025, pp. 910–919, doi:10.36849/jdd.8542. PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40911749/
Rae, Caroline, et al. "Oral Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation Improves Brain Performance: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Cross-Over Trial." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, vol. 270, no. 1529, 22 Oct. 2003, pp. 2147–2150, doi:10.1098/rspb.2003.2492. PMC, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1691485/
Segars, Kelly, et al. "Dermatologic Applications of Polypodium leucotomos: A Literature Review." Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, vol. 14, no. 2, Feb. 2021, pp. 50–60. PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34221229/
Breglio, Kimberly F., et al. "Nicotinamide for Skin Cancer Chemoprevention." JAMA Dermatology, vol. 161, no. 11, Nov. 2025, pp. 1140–1147, doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2025.3238. PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40960808/
About the Author: Dr. Heather D. Rogers, MD
Dr. Heather D. Rogers, MD is a double board-certified procedural dermatologist and Mohs surgeon and the co-founder of Modern Dermatology in Seattle, where she sees patients full-time. She is nationally recognized for her expertise in skin health, aging, and skin cancer prevention, and for her clear, evidence-based skincare guidance. Dr. Rogers serves on the American Academy of Dermatology Media Team, the Credo Beauty Council, the Sorette for Motherhood Scientific Advisory Board, and the NewBeauty Brain Trust.
She is the founder of Doctor Rogers Skincare, a dermatologist-developed line reflecting her less-is-more, science-backed approach to healthy skin. Dr. Rogers is a graduate of Stanford University, the University of Washington School of Medicine, and completed her dermatology training at Columbia University Medical Center.
Instagram: @drheatherrogers
Practice: mdinseattle.com
Skincare: doctorrogers.com
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