The Skin-Care Lesson He Learned as a Teenager
Perez has had a disciplined skin-care routine since he was 14 years old, which is longer than even most beauty editors can claim, but that's not to say he didn't experience his fair share of mistakes like the rest of us. After struggling with mild acne and dry skin that was only aggravated by his daily routine as a competitive swimmer in a chlorine-filled pool, he insisted on going on a medical grade, acne-fighting system that shall not be named after seeing some very convincing TV commercials for it. His mom advised against it, saying the ingredients would be too harsh for his combination skin. Still, he was resolute and asked his dad instead.
After securing his dad's credit card and placing an order, he attempted to use the acne system for all of two months, all the while severely irritating his skin, before he gave in and decided to follow his mom's advice. "I have been devoted to taking care of my skin ever since," he said.
His mom crafted a sensitive skin-focussed routine for him and, although he was the guy on the swim team with his own regimen at first, it didn't take long for the moms of the swimmers to seek out Perez's mom for advice. His basic routine stated with the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser ($14) and always ended with SPF. "My mom believes even if you aren't going outside — even if it's cloudy and it's snowy — she says, 'You still need to wear SPF,' which I still hate, but I do it."