(Skin)

Dr. Shereene Idriss Has Entered The Skin Care Game With A Melasma-Focused Collection

Meet Major Fade.

Courtesy of Dr. Shereene Idriss
Dr. Shereene Idriss major fade

If you’ve come anywhere near the realm of skin care and beauty on social media, you’d probably recognize Dr. Shereene Idriss. In 2018, the New York City-based dermatologist noticed a lot of patients were coming to her with misguided fears about skin care that they had learned on the internet. In order to help squash some of the misinformation, she decided to post content of her own that debunked popular myths. Her platform as the ‘#PillowtalkDerm” grew quickly and she’s since amassed a social media following of more than 800K “skin nerds.” Now, Dr. Shereene Idriss’ Major Fade skin care line is here to address one of the most common issues among her followers and patients alike: melasma.

“One of the biggest trends I’ve noticed in my practice is that someone will come in complaining about a little line,” Dr. Idriss told TZR. “When you take a step back and look at the person in the mirror, you can’t even see that line. And so what they've come to realize, and what I've noticed in the process is that when you even out your skin tone, first and foremost, that can give you the biggest bang for your buck.”

Dr. Idriss also began to see an overwhelming amount of complaints about uneven skin tone from her social media followers. “The ones who are the most frustrated on social are the ones with melasma,” she said. “Because everything they've tried, they've been told that, for example, vitamin C is the ingredient you need to have, and it fell short. So that was my first sort of tipping point [to launching my own collection].”

Things ultimately came to a head when Dr. Idriss filmed a skin care routine for Harper’s Bazaar. “While I was filming it, I was like, ‘This is so stupid.’ I had a 12-step skincare routine. And I was like ‘There has to be a better way.’

After checking in with her loyal social media following to see if a skin care brand is something they would want from her (the answer was a resounding ‘yes’), Dr. Idriss set out to launch one product that could target her patients’ most pressing skin issues — but that proved to be virtually impossible. Eventually, after clinical studies and community-driven testing, the end result was the Major Fade 3-Step Solution System, a potent trio of formulas designed to exfoliate, treat, and prevent hyperpigmentation.

‘There's no hero ingredient to anything,” Dr. Idriss says of the curated collection. “There's no miracle ingredient. It's about how things are put together, how they're formulated.”

The three products within Major Fade each serve a purpose in your skin care routine, each thoughtfully formulated with ingredients to tackle hyperpigmentation. First up is the Major Fade Flash Mask, a resurfacing mask meant to be used two to three times a week in the evenings. It contains glycolic acid, lactic acid, tranexamic acid, and glycerin, working to dissolve dead skin cells so skin appears brighter and smoother.

The Major Fade Hyper Serum treats and fades existing hyperpigmentation with a milky, hydrating formula powered by alpha arbutin, kojic acid, diglucosyl gallic acid, niacinamide, and glycerin. The final step is the Major Fade Active Seal, a hydrating gel-cream moisturizer with a powerful cocktail of brightening actives, including Vitamin C ester, 4-butylresorcinol, hexapeptide-2, hydrolyzed brassica napus seedcake extract, and glycerin.

While this collection is targeted toward melasma, it’s suitable for all skin types; even sensitive skin, as it doesn’t contain fragrance or other irritants. Simply put, it’s Dr. Idriss’ approach to effective, no-frills skin care. “I think skin is very complex, and I think skincare doesn't have to be. It can be very effective while you still maintain the joy of using it. I hope this skincare line really allows people to take control and feel empowered over their skin while enjoying the process.”

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