With more than 2 million followers on TikTok and Instagram and another 1.6 million on YouTube, Dr. Shereene Idriss is both a successful dermatologist and a social-media star. The #PillowTalkDerm, who is followed by Hollywood stars like Jennifer Aniston, Mindy Kaling, and more, has made a name for herself and her products through colorful and animated social-media videos that break down the science of skin care while addressing common patient concerns (from dark circles and jowls to rosacea and psoriasis) and sharing informative (but never dull) tips and tricks about skin and beauty upkeep. However, the board-certified dermatologist and self-deemed “Chief Nerd” didn’t always have big dreams of being a dermatologist.
“I found my way to dermatology in undergrad when I discovered my sister had bad eczema. I followed her to a dermatologist’s office, and later, I applied to the seven-year program at George Washington University, thinking I was going to go into plastics,” Idriss says. “But it was through my sister that I realized, I really think I love derm.”
The GW graduate, who also completed a research fellowship at Harvard University, later founded her namesake practice, Idriss Dermatology, in New York City, eager at the opportunity to simply help people. “Dermatologists help you become the best version of yourself and help you gain confidence without changing necessarily who you are,” says the mother of two, explaining that she looks at the job as more of a life/skin coach.
It’s clear that Idriss is a people person and wants the best skin for both her patients and millions of “nerd” followers. As a cosmetic dermatologist, Idriss is met with a lot of anti-aging concerns and people wondering what procedures and fixes can combat problem areas and, most of all, wrinkles. But Idriss says the key to ageless-looking skin is to focus less on lines and more on having an overall even skin tone.
“The biggest skin-care concern that leads to cosmetics is your skin tone. It’s not your lines, it’s not your wrinkles, it’s not your volume, it’s your tone and the quality of your skin,” she explains. “And before I jump into lasers with patients, I want to make sure they have a militant skin-care routine that’ll give them a chance to turn their skin around on their own.”
Below, Idriss details her daily skin-care routine, thoughts on rest and movement, and a diaper-inspired beauty hack that might surprise all the moms out there.
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A.M. Routine
I wake up at 5:30 a.m. and the first thing I do is use my Depuffer before I even get out of bed. It’s like Spanx for my eyes. Then I get up and meditate for about 20 minutes. Depending on the day, I’ll try to work out in the morning, four to five times a week, whether it’s pilates, treadmill, or Peloton.
Then I jump in the shower and I always do the first part of my skin care while in my towel after. The goal of my routine in winter is to keep my skin hydrated but to always tackle pigmentation because that’s my long-term game plan. First, I’ll put on the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence, followed by my Major Fade Hyper Serum and the Augustinus Bader The Rich Eye Cream. I’ll often buy products that patients rave about just to play with, like the Bioeffect EGF Serum. But I’ll use the Hyper Serum as my under-eye cream, then I’ll layer with moisturizer. I love Kiehl’s Ultra Facial cream for the day.
After applying moisturizer, I’ll go in with a sunscreen. I love Laura Mercier’s Tinted Long-Wear illuminating moisturizer with SPF. It has been a staple for years in my routine, and I’ve bought it hundreds of times. I’m obsessed with anything that gives you a glow and makes your skin more radiant. I want to look like a disco ball. I also love it because it’s tinted and when I don’t necessarily want full foundation … I want something that gives me a bit of color since I have a pale skin tone.
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P.M. Routine
I try to do my routine when I get home because I don’t want to do it, then put my face on my pillow and just have my pillow absorb all the products. First, I use my Soft Wash Complete Daily Cleanser. I used to be legally blind so I wanted to create a cleanser that allowed me to open my eyes while I wash my face. It contains the same ingredient as contact-lens solution, and I work it around my face and eyes and use a little face towel to get the makeup off in one go. Then I’ll do my Major Fade Flash Mask, but once a week I’ll probably go stronger than my mask, which is a 15 percent glycolic-acid solution, and do the Peter Thomas Roth Instant Reveal Facial Peel, which is 30 percent. I don’t recommend people do it very often, but they could do it once a week.
Then we go into serums. I like a basic hydrating serum like Aveeno’s Calm + Restore. It’s simple, soothing, and calming. At night, I’m trying to make sure that I’m sandwiching in moisture. After that, I’ll go in with a retinol — likeIndeed Labs’s Retinol Reface Skin Resurfacer cream, which is nice. Then back to moisturizing. I’ve fallen in love with Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask. It cools your skin and even after you wash it off, it’s almost like you have this soft layer of cushion on top of your face.
Last, I face baste using a diaper-rash cream, which has zinc oxide. It’s great for inflammation … and it just locks everything in. You wake up with smoother, softer, less-inflamed skin.
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On the beauty item from which she’s noticed a difference
My Hyper Serum is the most efficient serum because it’s a hydrating glow booster and a pigment calmer all in one. It gives me long-term results by maintaining my skin, keeping it even, and my melasma has not flared up to the extent of what it used to. I double it up as an under-eye cream, and if I have a breakout, it minimizes any sort of post-inflammatory pigment, so it disappears faster.
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On getting into bed at 9:30 p.m.
I genuinely try to put my phone away around 9:30 p.m., and I try to read. I usually fall asleep while reading, which is bad, but I’ll try to read or I’ll just be present. I’ll try to do things that are unrelated to looking at a screen or reading the news, which stresses me out. But I’m really trying to make it an effort to try to really focus on sleep, because as you get older, it’s not just how you’re eating and how you’re working out. Your sleep has such an impact on how you feel the next day and how you perform.
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On walking after dinner
My husband has been going for a ten- to 15-minute walk after dinner and I’ve done it with him, even if it’s going down to the communal gym in the building and getting on the treadmill if it’s too cold to go outside. And because it’s not a high-intensity workout at all, you’re not spiked with energy and it does help to get that movement in, and you sleep so much better.
During the day, If it’s not cold, I try to walk home from work. Yes, it’s 40-something blocks, but I’ll try to walk home as much as I can. I get claustrophobic on the subway, so walking is an excuse to get my steps in — a luxury if you’re living and working in New York. I also feel like when you walk, and you’re just breathing or you have music in your ears, it’s your time to decompress after work.
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