Courtesy of Dr. Will Kirby/Instagram; Vogue/YouTube
Skin Check-In With Dr. Will: An Expert Breakdown of Sofia Richie’s Sensitive Skincare Routine
Welcome to your skin check-in with Life & Style’s resident health and beauty expert, Dr. Will Kirby, a celebrity dermatologist and Chief Medical Officer of LaserAway. Every week, he’ll be spilling his candid thoughts and professional advice on all things skin, beauty and wellness as it relates to you — and your favorite stars.
The gorgeous Sofia Richie dropped the usual pretense we tend to see with celebrities — and any skin imperfections they may have — by showing us an unbelievably revealing guide to sensitive skincare in a new video for Vogue. Was it all that it appeared? Well, this dermatologist/reporter jumped right in, analyzed it and is thrilled to supply you with my thoughts below.
Right off the bat, not unexpectedly, she starts off with a facial wash — which is directly from her Beverly Hills-based “family dermatologist” that she’s been seeing for years. It’s my strong contention that there is little value in washes and the truth is you can save money in that category.
In fact, any gentle wash is completely acceptable for sensitive skin! The reason is simple: Washes are in contact with your skin for very short periods of time so any expensive ingredient won’t have time to absorb into your skin and provide a beauty benefit. Truth be told, over-the-counter gentle washes like Neutrogena’s Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser are great for sensitive skin and if you prefer facial cloths, Cetaphil’s Gentle Makeup Removing Wipes are a great makeup removing option!
Just a couple minutes in and Sofia is applying expensive moisturizer under eye masks. Most dermatologists agree that this is an extra, unnecessary step in the beauty process. Skip the masks! Pick a more moderately priced cream specifically formulated for delicate under eye skin like Lumière Riche from NeoCutis.
Next, Sofia busts out the golden facial massager! What a fun way to wake up your skin. These inexpensive devices are readily available on Amazon, so you shouldn’t have to break the bank if you want to try one out. In fact, this might be the least expensive item in the entire tutorial. Will it make a huge difference in the overall quality of your skin? Honestly, no. However, they feel great and are an invigorating means by which to start your daily skincare routine! Expert tip: Keep it in the fridge overnight so it’s cold in the a.m.!
Side note: The legendary Lionel Richie bursts in and he’s the real star here. He’s 70 and looks amazing. Um, hello! I could truly watch him all night long.
Back to Sofia, I love that she incorporates SPF into her regimen. She says she wears it every single day and I loudly applaud that! But, I don’t love using SPF “sticks” for the face — they can be sticky, tacky and pore-clogging. Sofia, this dermatologist recommends relegating the SPF sticks to kids at the beach and I humbly suggest you could improve your routine in this category by going with an SPF in a cream, lotion or fluid form.
So, what can we take away from all of this? Well, I’m of the personal opinion that one of the reasons Sofia suffers from sensitive skin is because she simply uses too many products! I think she could eliminate a good one-third of her initial skincare items with no negative outcome. She could also switch her washes and creams from ultra expensive items to moderately priced products or even more mass brands without compromising quality at all.
I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t comment on a few blemishes that were apparent at the beginning of the video. Those could be addressed with a gentle, soap-free acne cleanser like Modern Dermatology’s 5% Benzoyl Peroxide Wash, the application of a prescription grade retinol cream available from a dermatologist like Retinol Complex 1.0 by SkinMedica and a professional grade, dark spot corrector. When you have less blemishes, you, of course, have less to hide with makeup.
Sofia is adorable, wise beyond her years and clearly skilled in the art of beauty. She left this fan wanting more and I hope Lionel makes another appearance in her next tutorial!
