Dr. Michelle Rodrigues

Clean.” “Natural.” “Dermatologist approved.” Expensive.

None of these, on their own, tell you whether a moisturiser is actually right for your skin.

What matters? The formulation—and what your skin needs.

🧱 Ceramides → support the skin barrier
💧 Humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid → attract and retain water
🛡️ Occlusives like petrolatum and mineral oil → reduce water loss and help seal in moisture
✨ Keratolytic ingredients like urea and lactic acid → can help soften rough, thickened or scaly skin

And remember: more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean more effective. Some excellent moisturisers are affordable and available at local pharmacies !

The best moisturiser is the one with the right formulation for your skin and your skin concerns.

Lotions are best for hair bearing and oily skin
Creams are great for dry skin
Ointments are perfect for very dry or cracked skin

Save this before for your next moisturizer shop
and share it with to help your besties spend their money on something more than marketing

SkincareTips

Ear piercing feels like such a small decision. But if your child is prone to keloid scarring, that tiny piercing can sometimes leave a scar far bigger than the piercing itself.

And this matters particularly for families with darker skin, because keloids are more common in skin of colour.

Before piercing your child’s ears, think about:

✨ HISTORY — Does your child or close family have a history of keloids or thick, raised scars?

✨ LOCATION — For a first piercing, the soft earlobe is preferable to cartilage.

✨ METHOD — Choose an experienced professional using sterile, single-use equipment and a technique designed to minimise unnecessary tissue trauma.

✨ METAL — High-quality implant-grade titanium is a good starter option, particularly when nickel sensitivity is a concern.

✨ MONITOR — Don’t ignore a scar that starts becoming raised, firm, itchy or progressively larger. Early assessment matters.

And what about age?

There isn’t a magic age that guarantees a child won’t develop a keloid. I prefer waiting until a child is old enough to understand what’s happening, cooperate with the piercing and avoid constantly touching or playing with it while it heals.

The most important message: if your child has previously developed a keloid — or there is a strong family tendency — get medical advice before an elective piercing.

Ear piercing is common. Keloids are not inevitable. But knowing your child’s risk before the needle touches the skin is much easier than treating a keloid afterwards.

🔖 SAVE this for the day your child asks to have their ears pierced.

📤 And SEND it to another parent with a child who’s starting to ask for earrings — especially a family with darker skin. This is one of those things worth knowing before, not after.

For people living with conditions such as eczema, rosacea, psoriasis and chronic dry skin, good barrier care can be an important part of an overall treatment plan.

My winter barrier basics:

🛁 Keep showers short and lukewarm—not long and hot
🫧 Choose a gentle, soap-free cleanser
🧴 Moisturise consistently
💧 Lotions can suit mild dryness and hair-bearing areas
🤍 Creams provide more moisturisation for everyday dry skin
🛡️ Ointments are more occlusive and can be useful for very dry, cracked areas
💊 And importantly: treat the underlying inflammatory skin condition appropriately

There is no single “best” moisturiser for everyone.

The right formulation depends on your skin condition, how dry your skin is, where you’re applying it—and, importantly, what you’ll actually use consistently.

SAVE this as your winter skin-barrier checklist.

And SHARE it with the person who keeps telling you that everything they put on their skin seems to sting.

Your skin keeps a diary — but you still get to write the next chapter. ☀️📖

Our skin carries a biological record of years of environmental exposure.

UV radiation is cumulative and is a major driver of photoageing. Visible light can also contribute to pigmentation — particularly in darker skin phototypes and people prone to melasma and hyperpigmentation.

And one of the biggest misconceptions?

☁️ Cold or cloudy doesn’t mean your skin isn’t being exposed.

UVA can pe*****te cloud cover and contributes to photoageing, while visible light exposure continues throughout the day.

So what can you do now?

→ Protect the barrier: gentle cleanser + regular moisturiser
→ Protect from UV: broad-spectrum SPF 50+
→ Pigmentation-prone? Consider a tinted sunscreen that provides meaningful visible-light protection
→ Add antioxidant support: topical antioxidants can complement photoprotection; selected oral photoprotective antioxidants may also have a role

None of this means you need to feel guilty about the years when you didn’t know better.

Because perhaps the most important message in skin longevity is this:

You can’t rewrite the earlier chapters.
But you can change the trajectory of the story.

It is never too late to start protecting your skin.

SAVE this for your future skin — and SHARE it with someone who thinks the damage has already been done.

Follow for evidence-based dermatology, pigmentation and skin longevity.

🚨 Big news for the vitiligo community.

Positive Phase 3 trial results have just been announced for oral ritlecitinib, bringing another potential treatment one step closer to approval for non-segmental vitiligo.

While these results are encouraging, they’re also a reminder that vitiligo treatment is becoming increasingly personalised. The right treatment depends on factors such as disease activity, how extensive the vitiligo is, and individual patient goals.

As a dermatologist specialising in pigmentary disorders and vitiligo, I’ll continue breaking down the latest research into practical, evidence-based information.

💬 What questions do you have about the future of vitiligo treatment?

📌 Save this post to stay updated, and follow for trusted, evidence-based skin science.

Exosome injections are everywhere. But here’s a question worth asking…

Can you identify an exosome product on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) that is approved for intradermal or subcutaneous injection for cosmetic skin rejuvenation or hair loss?

As of 31 July 2026, I have been unable to identify one.

That doesn’t automatically mean every exosome treatment being performed is unlawful, and it doesn’t mean exosomes have no future in dermatology.

But it does highlight an important distinction:

A treatment being offered in a clinic is not the same as a product being approved for injection for that indication.

This conversation has become even more relevant after recent regulatory action overseas, with Saudi Arabia taking enforcement action over injectable exosome promotion and Qatar restricting injectable exosome therapies.

If you’re considering an exosome treatment, ask your practitioner:

✔️ What is the exact product?
✔️ Does it have an ARTG entry?
✔️ Is injection an approved route of administration?

Patients deserve transparency, evidence and informed consent—not assumptions.

👇 I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Have you been offered exosome injections?

Save this post so you know which questions to ask before treatment, and share it with someone considering exosome therapy.

Dark skin DOES need sunscreen. But perhaps not for the reason you’ve been told. ☀️

Social media has turned sunscreen in darker skin into a debate between:

“Everyone needs sunscreen to prevent skin cancer.”
and “Dark skin doesn’t need sunscreen.”

Neither gives you the full story.

In very dark skin, melanin provides substantial natural protection from UV radiation, and UV-driven skin cancers are much less common than in fair skin.

But that doesn’t make sunscreen irrelevant.

For many people with deeply pigmented skin, some of the most important reasons for photoprotection are:

→ preventing and managing hyperpigmentation
→ melasma
→ post-inflammatory pigmentation
→ dark marks after acne
→ uneven skin tone
→ premature skin ageing

And there’s another layer of nuance: if pigmentation is your concern, visible light matters too — meaning the type of sunscreen you choose can be just as important as wearing one.

So perhaps we need to stop asking:

“Does dark skin need sunscreen?” And start asking:
“What are we trying to protect dark skin from?”

Because good dermatology shouldn’t give every skin tone exactly the same message.

Different skin. Different risks. Different reasons.

↗️ Share this with someone who has been confused by the sunscreen debate.

🔖 Save it for the next time you hear that sunscreen has exactly the same purpose for every skin tone.

And follow for evidence-based dermatology that actually includes darker skin.