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.
Superstar Katy Perry recently acknowledged her five habits for glowing, blemish-free skin and as a result, I’m going to take a deep dive in and see if her recommendations are worth your time. Let’s get started!
First, Katie recommended using Proactiv. She swears that it helped her clear up her teenage acne. I actually like Proactiv as an over-the-counter treatment for teenagers with mild acne! The ingredients in their core products — benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid — absolutely help with some forms of teenage acne.
But what Proactiv really did right was putting teenagers on a routine. Teenagers are notoriously unreliable and sending it to their house keeps them on a treatment schedule. It’s the commitment to treatment and the consistency that really makes the difference. Will Proactiv treat all times of acne? Sadly, no. But, again, it is a great option for some teenagers.
Next, Katy suggested using a cleansing oil to remove makeup at night. I’m in full and complete support of this habit. However, I’m not sure that this is some sort of revelation … so don’t expect fireworks with this one.
I mean, my 7-year-old knows that she has to wash her face at night. Moreover, while cleansing oils are great, dermatologists really don’t care how you remove your makeup. Wipes and washes are totally fine, too. Katy says to clean your face — and this dermatologist agrees!
Katy’s third habit is getting some cosmetic treatments. This is a refreshing acknowledgment from a celebrity. I can tell you firsthand that celebrities get non-invasive aesthetic dermatology treatments like Botox all the time and then pretend their beauty is completely natural.
She specifically notes that she has received laser treatments and filler injections. I loudly applaud Katy for her transparency! Everyone does it — she’s just one of the few that is honest about it.
Additionally, Katy loves a facial. I always remind patients that a facial falls into the category of a “spa treatment.” Like a massage, a facial will absolutely make you feel great, and there will be some temporary cosmetic benefits, but these will fade relatively fast.
Always ask yourself this question before getting a facial: Why am I doing this? If it’s to feel good, to relax and maybe temporarily look a little better, then great! However, if it’s to correct an underlying issue — like skin discoloration, scarring, acne, etc. — then it’s simply not going to offer you a demonstrable, long-term result.
Katy’s last habit is prioritizing her skin fitness via diet. I love, love, love this! Much like Ms. Perry, I also have eliminated fast food and excess sugar. Eating a balanced diet consisting of more vegetables along with better hydration will definitely make your skin roar! Your body is a temple and I let nothing unholy in my temple.
In closing, Katy is no dark house. She speaks the truth and I like all of her tips and love a few! She’s clearly doing something right because her skin looks magnificent and her songs are the soundtrack to my life.