The Beauty Products Plastic Surgeon Dr. Catherine Chang Uses to the Last Drop

You’ve probably seen those plastic surgery before-and-afters online where the transformation is so dramatic that commenters swear the photos are of two different people. Dr. Catherine Chang takes a subtler approach, which draws people to her practice, Privé Beverly Hills. (When Dr. Chang was in medical school, she had big plans to pursue a career in cardiac surgery. But when a surgeon noticed her exceptional finger dexterity — honed during her years as a concert pianist — he pushed her elsewhere.) “I believe in enhancing somebody’s natural features, which is why my patients don’t look like each other. Sometimes, you can tell that a person went to this doctor because they all have the same nose, or they all have that same type of jawline, or the pull is always in that direction for a facelift. But there’s a lot of customization in what I do.” If you didn’t know her patients before, you might be fooled into thinking they hadn’t gotten anything done at all. (I spent an embarrassing amount of time scrolling through her Instagram page.) “When I’m walking around on the street, I’ll look at someone, and I’ll know they’ve had work done,” she says. “I can tell the break of the nose isn’t natural, or the lift of the cheek doesn’t look natural, or the borders of the lips haven’t been respected. But my patients don’t have that.”

As a result, her patients report feeling more comfortable with their bare faces, hence the name of her skin-care line, NakedBeauty MD. It launched with just one product: The Damask Rose Revitalizing Gold-Infused Hydrogel Eye Mask, which she had initially designed for patients to use post-procedure. Those in the know implored her to release them, and the brand was born. Since then, celebrity makeup artist Hung Vanngo has used the eye patches on the likes of Cara Delevingne and Dr. Chang has expanded her line to include a full-face hydrogel mask as well as a growth-factor-infused eye treatment.

Here, Dr. Chang reveals the other products that keep her skin looking flawless, the one injectable she always recommends, and why she doesn’t believe in moisturizer.

A.M. Routine

I typically start my day around 5:30 in the morning. I do my stretches, I walk my dog, and before I eat breakfast, I’ll do Flatiron Pilates’s stretching routine, which is amazing. Then I’ll take Sakara Daily Elixir, which is a great liquid vitamin that I’ve been loving.

I have been washing my face with the Kora Organics Turmeric Glow Foaming Cleanser. Then I’ll use my NakedBeautyMD BioPeptide Growth Factor Eye Therapy, which is a blend of peptides, growth factors, and other ingredients that work to reduce fine lines, improve elasticity, and promote skin rejuvenation. The eye area is an area that’s extremely important to me, and the eye area is a major concern for about 85 percent of patients who first come in. I will always use an antioxidant. I’ve been using the SkinMedica Lumivive System, and that is a daytime and nighttime antioxidant, which is really helpful to fight free radicals. SPF is also a really big anti-aging product — a lot of people forget that. I specifically like a mineral-based one, and I’ve been using the EltaMD UV Sheer Broad Spectrum SPF 50+. It can potentially have a slight white cast, so if people don’t like that, they should use a chemical-based one. The other one I’ve been liking is the Ultra Violette Supreme Screen Hydrating Facial Skinscreen SPF 50+, and that one won’t leave a white cast. If I’m surfing, which I sometimes will do before surgery, I will use Surfmud, and it’s a very thick mineral sunscreen. One last thing to always remember is to protect your lips, especially for me in California, with SPF. I routinely use the Blistex Lip Balm Medicated, which I love and has SPF 15. Down the road, I’ll be coming out with something. If I’m feeling tired on the way to work or after work, I actually apply my NakedBeautyMD Damask Rose Revitalizing Gold-Infused Hydrogel Eye Masks and I’ll leave them on for my drive, which is about 25 minutes.

I don’t typically wear makeup on an operating day because I’m always in a mask. But if I do and I’m wearing mascara, I like the Westman Atelier Eye Want You Mascara. I think a little blush is always nice, and I like the Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Soft Pinch Matte Bouncy Blush. For highlighter, I’ll use the Chanel Baume Essentiel Multi-Use Glow Stick in Transparent. If I apply a perfume at night, I’ve been using D.S. & Durga Brown Flowers.

P.M. Routine

While I’m relaxing and cleaning up my place, I’ll apply my NakedBeautyMD BioPeptide Firming Hydrogel Face Mask. I love them because they don’t slide off, so I can be doing dishes, feeding my cat and dog, and taking care of general household things. Then, I shower, and I’ve been using the Uni Skin Shield Body Wash right now and the Rōz Foundation shampoo and conditioner. It leaves my hair feeling really hydrated and moisturized. Afterward, depending on how my hair feels, I’ll use the Virtue Healing Oil. I also use that any time before I surf, because it protects hair from the harsh sun. I’ve also been doing hot Pilates, and I always apply the oil before I go because it prevents my hair from getting dried out.

If I ever have a breakout or feel like I’m about to break out, I use the Differin Daily Deep Cleanser. I leave it on my face for about five minutes and rinse it off. If there’s any kind of discoloration, there’s a really affordable serum from Eucerin Radiant Tone Dual Serum Dark Spot Corrector. Sometimes, I will use a combination of tretinoin and 4 percent hydroquinone and topically apply it to the discoloration area. And I use the NakedBeautyMD BioPeptide Growth Factor Eye Therapy again.

On swearing off moisturizer

I don’t know the last time I used a moisturizer — maybe ten years ago. I think moisturizers are more of a band-aid. They’re topically covering to prevent evaporation, but they’re not actually treating the main issue with the skin. So I hydrate the skin from within by using growth factors, peptides, and hyaluronic acid, which increase collagen and elastin production internally. I’m sensitive and combination, but a little oily at the T-zone. During the winter, if I’m feeling really dry, I’ll just use basic Vaseline, because it does seal in moisture.

On tretinoin

We know from data that that is the one ingredient you can topically apply to truly improve the elasticity and collagen production of your skin. We’re seeing teenagers putting it on now — I don’t think you need to do it then, but after the age of 25, I think it would be good to start applying it.

On at-home beauty tools

In general, none of those work. If you think Gua Sha is going to lift your face, it just doesn’t. There are people who are well known for doing Gua Sha, and I’ve done their facelifts. Does it feel good? Sure. If you’re really tense, will it make you look a little softer? Sure. Do I think kneeling and mouth taping are going to change your jawline and make it sharper? Absolutely not.

I’ve tried all of the light-therapy devices. I really wish they would work. The science shows that with enough time and enough light, it might help. But I think the problem is that no one is going to use them consistently enough for you to see an effect. I don’t think it hurts, but I don’t know if it’ll make the biggest difference, unfortunately. I also don’t love at-home microneedling because I don’t think people properly clean their tools, and I don’t think you would know how to properly clean your tools if you’re not a medical professional. We’ve seen a lot of infections on the face, and then if people go too deep, we see trauma to the skin. And at-home lasers are just not strong enough.

On the one injectable she always recommends

I think everyone could benefit from Botox. It truly makes a nice difference when done right. You do have to be careful, because with repetitive use of Botox, and with high units of Botox, you don’t want to thin the muscle. And because the forehead area is a thin area, I’m very judicious with how much I use. I personally only use about four to six units in my forehead. You don’t have to put a ton of units to make a difference and have a nice result that doesn’t look frozen. It’s not as strong, so you’re still expressive.