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This season, the most compelling Parisian debuts aren’t on the runways, but at the prestigious EADV dermatology conference. GRAZIA travelled to the front lines of skin science, where the future of skincare is being written. Our guide? The internet’s most trusted dermatologist, Dr. Muneeb Shah Known to millions as DermDoctor, Dr. Shah has amassed a global community of nearly 18 million followers by demystifying complex skincare with clarity and authority. We joined him for an exclusive interview, alongside Kenvue – the consumer health powerhouse behind beloved, science-led brands like Neutrogena and Aveeno – to discover what’s next in dermatology.
True to form, Dr. Shah delivered incisive, accessible insights. He debunked viral trends, identified overrated luxury products, and revealed how advanced delivery systems are revolutionising even the most accessible drugstore staples – proving clinical-grade results need not come with a luxury price tag…
So, we’re here in Paris for the EADV conference, which is showcasing some really exciting advancements in the world of skincare and dermatology. What are you most excited about?
So many things! On the topical skincare side, the advancements in delivery systems are really interesting. The main reason why a lot of ingredients that should work don’t work is because they can’t penetrate the skin barrier. There are different ways to enhance penetration. For example, Neutrogena has introduced a patented micro-peptide, which is a really small molecule that’s charged in a way that allows it to penetrate. Then there’s what some call ‘microneedling in a bottle,’ which uses little spicules that go into the skin. So the big question is: we have these ingredients – how do we increase their penetration, or how do we develop novel ingredients that have other benefits? That’s the key direction right now.
When it comes to in-office procedures, we’ve entered this ‘undetectable’ era. In the past, you could always tell when someone had something done. You’d know straight away that they’d had lip filler or cheek filler or buccal fat removal. Celebrities lead the way by example. Take Lindsay Lohan, for instance. She looks great, but you can’t really tell what she’s had done. It’s all about healthy skin – people looking better but not in an obvious way. That’s very much driven by lasers, biostimulatoryfillers, skin boosters, and things like that. The skin health segment is huge.
Do you think brands like Neutrogena can now compete with clinical grade skincare thanks to these enhanced delivery systems?
Definitely. Those clinical brands are quite expensive, and they’ve done a good job marketing themselves. A lot of the time they’re sold directly through dermatology offices, aestheticians, and plastic surgeons, so there’s a kind of gatekeeping that occurs. They sell it to the doctor, and the doctor sells it to you. So you get so much education as a consumer that makes you think these products are somehow better, more efficacious, or have undergone more testing. But if you actually think about the amount of R&D that brands like Neutrogena do before they release a product to the mass market, most of the time that’s actually going to be a lot more than many of these so-called “medical grade” skincare brands. It’s also worth pointing out that anyone can call themselves that, as there’s no regulating body to stop a brand from using the term…
Huge conglomerates like Kenvue do extensive testing. Plus, every brand deals with the same ingredient suppliers. Nobody has access to novel ingredients that others don’t, unless it’s proprietary to the company. A couple of brands have done that, and Neutrogena is one of them. It really comes down to how they’re formulated to enhance their efficacy. But to answer your question, there’s no difference between in-office products and over-the-counter products. It’s changing a lot.
If you could only use one skincare ingredient for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Retinol for sure. It does everything! Treats ageing, texture, dark spots…
What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve seen someone do to their skin on social media?
There was some pretty crazy stuff back in 2020 and 2021 when having freckles was a huge beauty trend. I saw people using plasma pens and literally burning freckles into their skin, which is obviously terrible for your skin and is one of the worst things I’ve seen. Also, some people are buying their filler and Botox online and injecting themselves at home, which is really horrifying.
Debunk the biggest skincare myth…
That more expensive skincare products are somehow better. I think that’s so prevalent – this feeling that because you’ve paid more for something, it just has to work better than something less expensive. I know that they’re often formulated in the same facilities, using the same ingredients, the same formulas… but there’s a psychological aspect to it. I wish people knew that you don’t have to pay more to have a great skincare routine.
What are three non-negotiable products that everyone should use?
Cleanser, moisturiser, and sunscreen.
What expensive product or treatment do you think is totally overrated and a waste of money?
Hmm, there’s a few things… I think at-home microcurrent devices, like NuFace and Ziip, have very limited data – if any at all. I think they’re super overrated and the mechanism doesn’t make sense for anti-ageing. For in-office procedures, I’d say RF Microneedling is quite overrated. It’s a useful procedure for the right patient, like someone with acne scars, for example, but I don’t think the results are as good as people want them to be.
I think you get more profound results with laser treatments than you do with RF microneedling. So, the expectations people have for RF microneedling make it pretty over-hyped for what it actually delivers.
What was the moment when you realised that you needed to take your knowledge online to speak to people about real, honest skincare?
It’s so interesting because today, in 2025, it feels commonplace for doctors to be on social media. But when I first started making content, there were no doctors making videos, at least not short form, where they were talking directly to the camera and giving people advice. Now it’s pretty prevalent. In 2020, during the pandemic, we were all locked down, and I saw how on TikTok and on social media, there was just so much nonsense around skincare. So, I started making videos for fun. It was just me, holding up a phone, before ring lights were even a thing. I would literally prop my phone up against a book with a lamp in front of me, or I’d wait for the sun to be out so that I could get good lighting [laughs]. I would post pretty unedited videos, just giving advice and debunking misinformation in real time, and I had a ton of fun doing it.
I got to about a million followers on TikTok in three months, so there was clearly a need and my videos were resonating. That was when I realised that people are really missing this information, and that’s when I thought, “I should really turn this into something I’m very serious about.” I committed to a consistent cadence and being very accurate with the content I put out there. People all around the world need and want to understand their skin.
What’s the most surprising or heartwarming message you’ve ever received from a follower?
My followers are what guide everything – they’re why I make content and what keeps me going. I get a lot of DMs and emails, and I actually screenshot a lot of them and put them in a Google Drive folder because they inspire me to keep making content. I got an email from a 30-something-year-old guy who sent a really long message about how he isn’t my core demographic or a typical beauty consumer, but he started watching my videos as he didn’t know anything about skincare and he really connected with them. Thanks to that, he went and got an abnormal mole check, and it ended up being skin cancer. But, it was found really early, so they were able to remove the whole thing without any issues.
He said that he would never have done that if he hadn’t watched my content, and he reminded me that my content makes a difference for people. It was so nice to hear, and it meant a lot to me. It came on one of those days where I felt tired of making content, and I was like, wow, that was the right message at the right time.
