7 Tips to Achieve Photo-Ready Skin for your 4th of July Celebration!

1. Don’t Over-wash Your Face

Yes, washing your face is crucial in the journey to gorgeous skin, but there is such a thing as over-washing your face. “This can potentially irritate the skin, and make the skin compensate by overproducing oil and lead to more breakouts,” says Dr. Lin. “Washing twice a day, morning and night is the perfect number of times you need to cleanse to maintain a balanced complexion.”

2. Be Gentle When You Cleanse

You might think that exfoliating scrubs and face washes with tiny beads are working twice as hard as the normal cleanser, but in reality, harsh products can hurt you more than they can help. “Abrasive scrubs, harsh cleansers or alcohol-based toners do not decrease oil production. In fact, stripping the skin of natural oils can actually cause sebaceous glands to go into overdrive,” says Dr. Lin. “A better choice is a gentle, effective cleanser with salicylic acid to help open pores,” like the Dr. Lin Skincare Daily Cleanser.

3. Fight Those Dark Circles

If you didn’t think those dark under-eye circles were visible, you will after you see yourself in a photo. Dark circles are even more prominent in pictures. To camouflage your dark circles, consider using a soft concealer. “People who are predispositioned with darker under eye pigment can cover it up with make-up and under eye concealer,” suggests Dr. Lin. For a more natural remedy, head to the kitchen. “Applying tea bags, cucumbers or ice can reduce the swelling,” says Dr. Lin.

4. Minimize the Appearance of Your Pores

When the camera gets too close (i.e., during selfies), it can reveal problems that you never realized you had before. Large or clogged pores are one of them. Here’s how you can shrink them before your next close-up: “Reduce the appearance of visible pores by washing with a cleanser that contains 2% salicylic acid,” says Dr. Lin who formulated his Daily Cleanser with this powerhouse ingredient. This beta hydroxy acid is a gentle, chemical exfoliant that helps purify pores of impurities that can make them look enlarged.

5. Calm Your Skin

If you’re stressed out, your skin will inevitably be stressed out, too. This can lead to redness, swelling and unexpected breakouts. To control your complexion’s chaotic state, Dr. Lin suggests applying honey to a breakout to calm redness. “Honey is a naturally soothing ingredient with anti-inflammatory properties that helps heal the skin. Leave it on for 5-10 minutes then wipe away with a damp cloth,” he says.

6. Hydrate Your Skin with a Water-based Moisturizer

If you’re sensitive to creamy moisturizers or have particularly dry/combination skin, Dr. Lin suggests using a water-based formula to hydrate your skin, especially those extremely dry patches. “Use a water based moisturizer for dry areas: Unlike creamy moisturizers, water-based, gel moisturizer provide excellent hydration without clogging pores. For my patients with combination skin, I developed a very light, non-comedogenic hyaluronic acid moisturizer that absorbs quickly and improves skin texture (Dr. Lin Skincare Daily Hydrating Gel).” This will result in a dewy, glowing look that will look pristine in photos.

7. Camouflage Stubborn Pimples

If you wake up on an especially important photo day and find a noticeable zit on your face, don’t freak out: Dr. Lin has a couple of secrets on how to hide the unwelcome guest. “I recommend applying egg whites directly onto a pimple to shrink a breakout. The protein in the egg will help dry out the pimple.” If you’re looking for a stronger fix, Dr. Lin suggests applying a benzoyl peroxide treatment to a pimple, like his acne spot corrector, to reduce redness and its size before applying a cover-up.