Friday, January 8, 2010

get your skin glowing again

Do you want to get your skin glowing again?  You can with a few tips from Dr. Oz's blog and a few product and treatment suggestions from me!


You don't need a spa vacation to give your looks a midwinter pick-me-up (but if someone gives you one, don't turn it down; or if you can't go, call us!). You don't even need an arsenal of products. Just get these basics right:


  • Watch what you're washing. You have an acid mantle (like cellophane) that forms a protective layer on your skin to inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi. If your skin loses this acidity, it becomes more prone to damage and infection. How do you lose the acidity? By washing your face with the wrong soap. Use pH-balanced soaps and cleansers. We like solid soaps because they tend to be made with a minimum of ingredients
  • I like CosMedic Skin Care's Gentle Foaming Cleanser (great for fragile/sensitive/normal skin), AFA Cream Cleanser (great for dry/aging/normal skin), iS Clinical Cleansing Complex (great for oily/acneic skin).  



  • Add some A, but only at night. The vitamin A family, commonly called retinoids, can increase the actual water content of your skin without clogging the dead layer of cells (and making skin look dull). Retin-A contains retinoic acid and requires a prescription. Retinyl propionate, retinyl palmitate, and retinol (retinaldehyde) don't require a prescription. Ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun converts this to something that ages your skin, so go for vitamin A only after dark.
  • I like Retriderm Vitamin A Serums, which comes in three different strengths and can even be used on sensitive skin.


  • Exfoliate. Encourage new cells to grow by cleaning your skin daily or weekly with a light physical (feels gritty) or chemical exfoliant.
  • As we age, our dead skin sloughs off at a slower rate, so we need to use an at-home product as well as get professional exfoliation treatments.  For an at-home exfoliant, I like Prescribed Solutions Exfoliating Polish or Nia 24 Physical Cleansing Scrub.  For a fabulous professional exfoliation, I get regular DermaSweep micro-resurfacing treatments, which not only exfoliates the dead skin, but also creates circulation and rejuvenation.  Go to www.DermaSweep.com to find a trained skin care professional near you.




  • Seal moisture in. Apply moisturizer while you're still damp from the shower, and reapply as needed.
Moisturizing the skin is very important, and you shouldn't forget to moisturize the body along with the face.  For the face, I like iS Clinical Youth Complex followed by CosMedic Skin Secure Tinted SPF.  I like Prescribed Solutions Correction Fluid Anti-Aging Night Cream and for the body iS Clinical Body Complex.

It's never too late to get glowing, gorgeous, healthy radiant skin!!