As featured in goop · Beauty / Skin
What a Top Derm Actually Uses When It's Hot and Humid and Her Face Is Melting
Dr. Macrene Alexiades shares the summer skin rules she lives by — from antioxidant protection to smarter sun timing.
Dr. Macrene Alexiades, MD, PhD
Harvard- and Yale-trained dermatologist · Founder & formulator, MACRENE actives
Dr. Macrene Alexiades splits her summers between Skyros, a small Greek island, and the Hamptons — making the most of sun, sea and sport without compromising her skin. In goop's feature, she breaks down the rules she follows to enjoy the season while protecting against harsh exposure.
Lead with vitamin C
She treats vitamin C as one of her most important daytime protectants — a potent antioxidant and free-radical scavenger that works alongside (not instead of) sunscreen to defend skin from summer exposure.
Time your sun exposure
Raised to stay out of the midday sun, she uses mornings to get things done, has a big lunch, takes an afternoon siesta, and saves the beach and a swim for just before sunset — sidestepping peak UV hours entirely.
Hands are the new neck
Hands, she notes, are now one of the most overlooked areas to protect — and a major focus of her work in body sculpting and skin tightening.
Choose skincare-grade makeup
For warm, humid days she reaches for products that double as skincare: a plant-based lip oil with ceramides and peptides, and a tinted moisturizer formulated with resveratrol and peptides.
Read the full feature on goop →
Dr. Macrene Alexiades, MD, PhD, is a Harvard- and Yale-trained dermatologist, scientist, and the founder and formulator of MACRENE actives.
Shop the Summer Edit
The MACRENE actives products I rely on through the warm months. Pared back, layeredintentionally, and chilled.
High Performance Cleanser From $45
A barrier-respecting cleanse for lukewarm-water washes morning and night.
High Performance Face Serum From $115
55+ actives including pH-balanced vitamin C, vitamin E, peptides, resveratrol, pomegranate, and green tea. My one-and-done in humid climates.
High Performance Face Cream From $225
50+ actives for hydration that holds up to A/C and dry travel days.
High Performance Tinted Moisturizer From $85
45+ actives, mineral filters (zinc, titanium, iron oxides), and a flawless natural finish. Worn over your SPF every day.
Skyros High Performance Body Cream $145Gi
Grecian medicinal botanicals from my island of Skyros, formulated to hydrate, firm, and replenish from neck to toe.
High Performance Body Lotion $95
The lighter daily option for full-body application after the beach or the shower.