The Procedure Myth

How many of you believe that you will have to undergo some sort of procedure to look your best?  It seems to be a growing trend, with reality shows like The Real Housewives of _______ and Big Rich Texas glamorizing a less than natural look.  I will concede that procedures such as chemical peels, face lifts and injections can improve your looks when used in the right ways, but I also believe that you can have great skin by following a good skin care routine.  By treating your skin properly you can ensure that your skin will look healthy and young for years to come.

So what does a healthy skin care routine include? The most important component of any skin care program should be protection from the elements.  Our skin is bombarded with damaging influences from the sun, the environment and our own bodies on a daily basis.  You should make sure that your skin care regimen includes sunscreen to protect you from the sun and antioxidants to protect you from environmental and internal stressors.  

Outside of skin protection, there are three key components of a good skin care routine: cleansing, moisturizing and exfoliating.  When choosing a cleanser you should look for something that is gentle and non-irritating.  Don’t worry about having a cleanser that has a lot of anti-aging ingredients because you are just going to rinse it away.  Basically, you want your cleanser to cleanse and that’s about it.  

Moisturizing is one of the most beneficial steps for skin.  This is where you add the bulk of your anti-aging ingredients (antioxidants, retinol, glycolic acid) and increase your skin’s water content.  It is important that you choose the right moisturizer for your skin type.  If your skin tends to be oily you’ll need a lightweight moisturizer and if it is dry you will want something that is more emollient.  

Finally, there’s exfoliation.  Exfoliation is the process of removing the top layer of dead skin cells from the surface of the skin.  The benefit of exfoliating is that you will reveal the younger skin cells underneath and you will eliminate problems such as clogged pores and blackheads (although blackheads can be very stubborn and take time to remove).  The type of exfoliation that you choose is important.  I believe that a chemical exfoliation with glycolic acid, lactic acid or salicylic acid is the best choice.  Physical exfoliation with scrubs and loofahs can be too harsh for your skin, especially your face, and they can cause more damage than they are worth.  

If you use these methods of skin care on a regular basis your skin will thank you by looking its best.  Only after you have used a good routine for a period of time would I recommend that you consider more invasive procedures.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against the procedures, I just think that they can be avoided or delayed by using the right products at home.

The Heritage Myth

Over the coming weeks our blog will focus on common skin care misconceptions.  Some of these come from marketing teams in the skin care industry that are out to fool consumers into buying products they don’t need and some are just “old wives tales” that we have come to accept as truth even though they have no factual basis.

The first myth we will address is The Heritage Myth.  Some of us believe (or have been told) that we should use the same thing that our mothers or grandmothers used if they have good skin.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard some version of the following statement: “My mother taught me to use _______ on my face every night and her skin has always been so beautiful so I’m sure she’s right.”

Well ladies (and gentlemen), I’m here to tell you that you are selling yourself short of some really great products if you follow this advice.  There are some great new breakthroughs in skin care that have only been discovered in the last 10 years!  One of the biggest breakthroughs has been in the use of peptides in anti-aging products.  There are many different types of peptides and we are learning more about them and their uses every day.  If you are using a formulation that has been around for more than 10 years, you are probably not taking advantage of this wonderful class of ingredients! 

While it may be true that your mother or grandmother had good genes combined with the best skin care products that her generation offered, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take advantage of the best skin care products that your generation has to offer. I mean, who doesn’t want to look better than mom, right?