Since Veracity’s launch, Dr. Angela Lamb, a board-certified dermatologist and frequent guest on the Today show, has been sharing her expertise and commitment to skincare integrity as a member of our Medical Board of Advisors. Whether we’re trying to decide when to wear sunscreen (answer: always!) or what type of skincare products are right for us, Dr. Lamb is our go-to for advice on how to look and feel our best.

Here, she shares her skincare do’s and don’ts for women of all ages, why prevention is her number one prescription, and her must-have Veracity products.

 Veracity: What are the most common problems that bring patients into your office?

Angela Lamb: The most common problems are acne, skin cancer screenings, rashes of some sort, and cosmetic concerns.

V: Is there something you wish all women knew more about when it comes to their skin?

AL: I wish they knew more about prevention. While aging is a natural process, you want to be refreshed and look the best version of yourself. I love doing cosmetic procedures, but it can be really challenging with somebody who's abused their skin. Patients come in and are like, “fix me.” And I'm like, “Ah, I wish you had used sunscreen earlier or not smoked or taken better care of yourself,” because at that point it can be challenging. People want to be fixed, which is great, but I also wish they were better about prevention and healthcare in general. Unfortunately, we as doctors often don't do enough as far as educating people on prevention strategies to keep themselves healthy, to keep themselves out of my office.

V:  You have been an advisor to Veracity since its launch. What do you like about Veracity skincare and do you have any favorite products?

AL: I really like the BioEvolve Serum and the BioEvolve moisturizer. The products feel good going on, they don’t contain any fragrance, and they don't have a strong scent. What I like about Veracity is the focus on creating products that don’t contain any endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Veracity has integrity around the ingredients they use, and I think that's important. Patients are really asking for that right now.

V: In addition to not smoking and eating healthier, what are some lifestyle changes that all women regardless of their age should start today to take better care of their skin?

AL: Wear sunscreen and wear hats when you're going to be on vacation or out in direct sunlight – hiking, kayaking, things like that. That's really the most important thing.

V: Do you have any specific tips on how people should be eating to benefit their skin?

AL: There’s a lot of good research on antioxidant-rich diets, as well as whole food, plant-based diets and non-inflammatory foods. Preventative foods – meaning natural herbs and spices like turmeric, cumin, ginger, all of those things – have also been shown to really help with health and aging in general.

V: We would love to get your skincare advice for women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. Starting with the 30s, what would you advise all women to be doing as far as both the lifestyle choices they're making for their skin and the actual skincare and skin procedures that they're choosing to do?

AL: In your 30s, you really should be starting to use some kind of retinol-based product or a retinol alternative like a product with Benthi Plant Peptides. You should also consider products with some kind of antioxidant actives like ascorbyl glucoside (a powerful form of vitamin C) or bakuchiol. You should also wear a daily sunscreen. Procedure wise, this is when I start doing some light lasers on people, some chemical peels, and maybe some of the injectable toxins.

V: How about women in their 40s?

AL: In the 40s, we go a little bit more intensive. You might want to add something with vitamin C that works for dark spots, like Veracity’s Brightening Support. This is when you start to see more volume loss, so step it up with your retinol or antioxidant-based products to really be high on prevention. This is also when we do some of the more intensive lasers as well as some fillers.

V: And in the 50s?

AL: It’s the same kinds of things for women in their 50s, but you might want to add a product for the eyes specifically. And this is where I do other things like threading as well as a little bit more with some of those more volumizing agents just to get you back some of that volume.

V: You mentioned that you love doing cosmetic procedures. What do you wish more patients knew about what they should do pre- and post-procedure?

AL: I wish more patients knew what products to stop before procedures, mostly anything that’s retinol based.

They also need to have realistic expectations around downtime. Everybody wants that cosmetic procedure that's going to give them the “wow” look but with no recovery time. I'll be very frank: unless you're doing a filler, the procedures that are going to be the most natural and that are going to keep you looking the most like yourself – which would be the good lasers – they really have more downtime. The things I've been the most impressed with are the things that take longer to recover from. For example, with lasers you’re looking at usually seven days of full downtime, and then the redness can last for up to two to three weeks beyond that, but at that point you can cover it up. That’s why I think starting prevention early is so important – so you don't have to do some of those more intense things until later.

V: Do you have a favorite procedure right now?

AL: I’m really in love with threads. I think thread lifts are awesome because what they do is stimulate collagen in a way similar to something like a Sculptra. I've been really impressed with the results of that combined with some lasers.