I’m a dermatologist – here are the most important skincare habits I wish I knew in my 20s

A 40-year-old dermatologist has revealed three things that she wishes she knew when she was in her 20s – and she wants Gen Z to listen up.

The tips were shared in a new TikTok video by New York City based, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Shereene Idriss, who is the founder of namesake skincare brand Dr. Idriss. 

The doctor is a cosmetic expert in ‘face, fillers and lasers,’ and often takes to social media to share her skincare expertise with her 961,000 followers.

This time, Idriss opened up about the skincare habits she wished she had implemented sooner – like using sun protection. 

‘Number one, sun damage is real,’ the expert admitted in the beginning of the clip.

‘You may not see it today, you may not see it tomorrow, but the reason I went into dermatology is because eventually you will see it and I will not need to convince you,’ she continued.

She said that sun damage comes in all different forms, like wrinkles, fine lines, sunspots, and even cancer.

Luckily, however, there’s an easy prevention for sun damage – and that’s using sunscreen, of course.

‘Save yourself a lot of headache and money down the road on cosmetic procedures if you just wear the damn sunscreen,’ Idriss urged.

She recommended putting on your sunscreen daily right after you brush your teeth, and making it a permanent habit.

‘Number two, I don’t care how wasted you are and it’s Friday night, wash your damn face before you go to sleep,’ Idriss continued, as she shared her second tip with viewers.

‘Use a cleanser, get your makeup off, because allowing your skin to sleep with makeup and the build up of the day overnight, is only going to lead to a dull complexion over time,’ the dermatologist explained.

She said that taking off your makeup every night can prove to be the key difference between aging like a ‘plum’ instead of a ‘raisin.’

Idriss opened up about what skincare habits she wished she had implemented sooner – like using sun protection and face washing daily

She said that taking off your makeup every night can prove to be the key difference between aging like a ‘plum’ instead of a ‘raisin’ 

Lastly, the final thing that the doctor wished she had known when she was in her 20s was that overdoing it on your skincare can be just as bad as ignoring your skin.

‘If you are going to freak the eff out, and stress yourself out with your skincare routine by trying to get every single product under the sun, and by over exfoliating your face and by over using actives, you are going to trigger an inflammatory response at a younger age,’ she said.

This can lead to a ‘premature breakdown’ of your skin’s collagen – a protein that supports the skin’s elasticity and strength, the dermatologist explained.

‘Overdoing your skincare when you do no need it is gonna most likely age you faster,’ Idriss said.

‘At the end of the day, life is all about balance, and if you can’t do anything in moderation, don’t do it at all,’ she concluded.

In the comments section of her video, many praised her for the simple yet important tips she had offered. 

‘That is the best advice advice ever for these younger girls/women. Things I wish I had known,’ one person wrote.

Another agreed, ‘All soo truuue. I tell my friends to wear that damn sunscreen!!’

‘Where were you when is was in my twenties,’ someone else lamented.