I had the luxury of sitting down with Dr. Goldfaden to ask him about why he chose to go into Dermatology, what inspires and motivates him and what he recommends for the vital steps in order to obtain the ultimate goal – healthy, younger-looking skin.

Dr. Goldfaden: “When I was a first year student in medical school I developed this horrible rash. The itching got so bad that during my final exams I was asked to leave the room by the professor because my squirming and scratching was disrupting the class. Forced to seek medical attention right away, I found a dermatologist in town who ended up not only becoming my doctor, but my good friend and mentor as well. He was my inspiration for originally devoting myself to the healing and nurturing of the skin.

I found the skin to be an ideal choice for a medical specialty. It’s the largest organ of the human body and definitely one of the most interesting. The skin is constantly changing, renewing itself every 28 days. In fact, you can often tell the health of a person just by looking at their skin. But this outward visibility also makes skin problems a major cause of embarrassment and mental anguish for many who suffer from them. It was my desire to get to know people and to help them recover that originally drew me to this field. To me, one of the most satisfying aspects of dermatology was the interpersonal relationships I would get to develop with men and women, from newborn to the elderly. I realized that most doctors spend very little time talking to their patients. My aim was to make communicating with the people under my care a real priority. Choosing the practice of dermatology enabled me to accomplish my goals as both a physician and a person.”

Q: What are your top tips for keeping skin young?

Dr. Goldfaden: “The process of exfoliation is a lot like peeling away the dry, outer skin of an onion to reveal the living layers beneath. Whether the exfoliation is done using mechanical abrasion or a controlled chemical reaction, removing dead and damaged skin cells on the surface allows the fresh new skin underneath to become visible. This newly exposed layer of skin feels much softer and smoother. Its surface reflects light better, making fine lines and other small imperfections harder to see. Age spots and other areas of unwanted pigmentation are less noticeable because the dead skin cells containing the pigment have been removed. Exfoliation unplugs clogged pores and allows for the release of natural skin oils. Regular exfoliation also helps to maintain open pores, decreases pore size, and minimizes many types of superficial scarring. In addition, removing the top layer of dead and damaged cells allows other health-promoting agents such as moisturizers, antioxidants, and collagen-boosting ingredients to better penetrate the skin and work more effectively.” Dermatologist, Dr. Gary Goldfaden MD

Check out Goldfaden MD’s best selling products and a celebrity favorite, Doctor’s Scrub “Ruby Crystal Infused Microdermabrasion”.

Q:When should we begin focusing on an anti-aging skincare routine?

Dr. Goldfaden: “Protecting your skin from UVA and UVB damage through the daily use of a sunscreen and starting a proper and preventative skincare regimen – exfoliation, cleanse, anti-oxidant rich serum, moisturize and eye cream – in your mid-20′s is a vital step towards keeping fine lines, pigmentation and sagging at bay. The skin is at it’s healthiest state during your 20′s and it is also when most of your habits begin and stick when it comes to proper caring of the skin. It makes all the difference in the world for obtaining proper skin health and appearance. By the time 30 rolls around, you will be thankful that you started proper skin early.” Dermatologist Dr. Gary Goldfaden MD

For forget to protect your skin from harmful UVA/UVB rays, try Sun Visor “Ultra Light SPF 30 Mist”; it’s oil-free and fragrance-free and can even be applied over your makeup!

Q: What are some effective ingredients to look for?

Dr. Goldfaden: “Some of the ingredients that I often lean on to incorporate into our formulas, due to their potent benefits on the skin, include skin plumping hyaluronic acid, anti-inflammatory vitamin K and Arnica, skin brightening alpha arbutin and gooseberry berry extract, skin exfoliating ruby crystals, collagen boosting retinoids, antioxidant rich tea extracts. Dermatologist Dr. Gary Goldfaden MD”

Q: What about supplements and our diet in general?

Dr. Goldfaden: “Clear and glowing skin starts from the inside. Eating foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, the most beneficial is Salmon, can greatly reduce inflammation, reduce dryness and increase circulation – a key attribute to healthy, youthful-looking skin. Daily consumption of vitamins specifically my favorite vitamin – Vitamin D and an overall multi-vitamin greatly impacts your overall health.” Dermatologist Dr. Gary Goldfaden MD

Q: Can you share some of your favorite anti-aging products?

“Loaded with vital nutrients, vitamins and a higher concentration of topical skin treatment ingredients, serums – either oil or water based – penetrate deep into the dermis levels of the skin for the ultimate topical nourishing skin treatments. Serums offer a potent jolt to the skin that typically target specific problems to offer the highest levels of treatment in a topical product.” Dermatologist Dr. Gary Goldfaden MD

Goldfaden MD makes two serums, Radical Difference “Advanced Antioxidant Serum” and Needle-less “Fine Line Smoothing Concentrate”