A dermatologist on why Pedro Pascal's 4-step Oscar's skincare prep was so good — and how to do it yourself

• "The Last of Us" star Pedro Pascal made his first presenting appearance at the Oscars on Sunday.
• To get him ready, his stylist used three different La Mer products and a device called the Solawave.
• We asked dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner how to achieve a similar look on a smaller budget.

Until the mega-success of "The Last of Us," Pedro Pascal's biggest TV appearances involved getting his skull crushed in "Game of Thrones" and remaining (mostly) masked in "The Mandalorian."

But now, at 47, his face is everywhere. The internet has dubbed him "daddy," thirsting over everything from his sense of style to how radiant he looked on the Oscars red carpet.

To prime his skin for the Oscars, his stylist Courtney (Coco) Ullrich-Mooney opted for a minimal regimen of a few high-quality products — namely, La Mer items, which are among the most coveted in the skincare world. 

Combined, the products used would amount to over $1,000, so we asked Dr. Joshua Zeichner, an associate professor of dermatology at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, how to replicate Pascal's routine on a much slimmer budget.

He started with serums to even his complexion 

Ullrich-Mooney told Harper's Bazaar that she started the process by applying a pea-sized amount of La Mer's The Concentrate and, separately, its eye version of the same product to Pascal's face. Both work to even out Pascal's complexion and protect his skin barrier.

"La Mer has a cult following for its hydrating effects," Zeichner told Insider. La Mer products feature the brand's famed "Miracle Broth," a "fermented blend of sea kelp, minerals, and vitamins that offers antioxidant, brightening, and soothing benefits in the skin," said Zeichner. It's what makes La Mer items unique...and expensive.

• Swap for: Vitamin C For those on a budget, Zeichner recommended the Bliss Bright Idea Serum with Vitamin C ($28) "to brighten the complexion" and the RoC Multi Correxion Hydrate + Plump Eye Cream ($30), which contains hyaluronic acid to "soothe the sensitive skin under the eyes."

Then, he used moisturizer containing "moisture spheres" to smooth fine lines

The last — and most expensive — La Mer product used was a $570 moisturizing cream, which was applied to Pascal's entire face. Beyond the Miracle Broth, the formula also contains tiny "moisture spheres" that the brand says help moisturize the skin and diminish fine lines.

• Swap for: Spring water moisturizer According to Zeichner, a great drugstore moisturizer is La Roche Posay's Toleriane Dermallergo Moisturizing Cream ($31), which he said "offers deep hydration in an ultra-gentle formula that can be used even in the most sensitive skin." An added benefit is "it delivers soothing thermal spring water to balance the skin's microbiome," he said.

Lastly, he used a red light therapy wand favored by many celebs

The celebrity stylist also featured the Solawave on her Instagram as one of the tools she used to get Pascal ready. It's a wand that uses red light and sonic vibrations to smooth wrinkles, fade blemishes, and de-puff the face and has been a favorite of celebrities like Jennifer Coolidge, Nicole Kidman, Lil Nas X, Megan Fox, and Reese Witherspoon.

But unlike face creams or moisturizers, "any benefits to the skin tone and texture are modest and would require continued use over weeks to months to see," Zeichner said, noting that "perhaps it can plump or enhance circulation to the skin with a single use."

It's unclear how often Pascal's stylist uses it on him.

The device's instructions advise using it three times a week after you apply moisturizer. You should glide the wand across your face (focusing on key areas like your forehead and under-eyes) for about five minutes.

• Tricky to swap Of all the products used on Pascal's face, this one is the most affordable, coming in at $149. If you're going to splurge on one thing on this list, this is the hardest one to replicate.