Why get old if you don't have to Part Deux

Now that you've figured out your options, and discussed them with your esthetician, let's talk about what to do on a daily basis to improve your skin. If you do just treatments, you'll see great results, and if you use just the following products you'll see great results. But if you want to see better than great, if you really want to dream BIG then do both. They really, truly go hand in hand. I think a series of microdermabrasion or chemical peels with LED light therapy, with regular follow ups, and the use of super powerful products will give you Results with a capital R. That is how I do it, personally and professionally.

So here goes nothing, let the big dreaming commence. Let's start with cleansers. A cleanser doesn't have to be just a way to cleanse the skin, it can also infuse nutrition and antioxidants, and exfoliate the skin. It's not a miracle in and of itself. It's just that whatever touches your skin should be affecting positive change. Why bother using it if it isn't?

Cleansers:

iS Clinical Cleansing Complex is a resurfacing, exfoliating, deep cleanser. If you have the double trouble of acne and wrinkles, get this cleanser and never look back. If you have normal/combo/oily skin, this is the one for you.

Osea Ocean Cleanser is remineralizing and filled with firming proteins. It smells so awesome that everyone will want to use it, but works best for combo/dehydrated/slightly dry skin.

Hylunia Facial Cleansing Lotion awesome for sensitive, dry, aging skin. It cleanses without drying, and infuses skin with a ton of Hyaluronic Acid to plump wrinkles and rehydrate.

And now a little hint on toners, they can be almost as amazing as serum, full of active ingredients and very hydrating. Always avoid toners containing grain or SD alcohol, they will the skin and remove the protective mantle, which contributes to premature aging.

Toners:

Osea Sea Vitamin Boost is a pomegranate and red wine antioxidant treatment with ultra firming undaria algae. Spray it on throughout the day to hydrate or swipe it on with a cotton round after cleansing for a more deep cleansing rinse approach.

Bioelements Power Peptide is a collagen stimulating treatment in spray form. It's not technically a toner, but not technically anything else, so I say why not use it as one? The more collagen stimulating, the better!

Revision Skincare Exfoliating Facial Rinse is one way to go, if you want to double task your exfoliating & toning. This is mild enough for everyday use, with Glycolic and Salicylic acids to refine and stimulate cell turnover. Just swipe it on after cleansing.

Natura Bisse The Cure Hydro-Gel Toner is just plain ooey gooey yumminess. Super hydrating gel-textured deep cleansing toner. Yum yum yum for the dry skinned folks. For a cheaper thrill, try Hylunia Revitalizing Toner.

Exfoliants:

iS Clinical Active Serum is AWESOME! Yes, it's worth yelling about. It's so good I want to rent a loudspeaker and run around town telling everyone how great it is. It works like a charm, it's light as a feather, it's easy, it's fun, everyone's doing it and so should you. If you're sensitive or recovering from Chemotherapy or suffering from Rosacea or dermatitis, get the PolyVitamin Serum instead.

Cellex C Speed Peel is something I've talked about in previous installments of Skincyclopedia. I can't get enough of this stuff. I love it. It's the coolest exfoliating gommage treatment ever invented. It's all stimulating and cool and minty and then it's all whoa, my skin is so smoooooooth. It is incredible and amazing and every other really good adjective. It's a weekly wunderkind.

I know it seems like I should post more options, but the iS Clinical just blows everything else out of the water so just get some and you will like it I promise. Next up, the good stuff! Serums are the most concentrated products that you'll use at home. The active ingredient percentage is higher, and the aim is more focused on providing results than a nice scent or texture.

Serums:

iS Clinical Pro Heal Serum Advance +. Oh yeah? I know I mention iS Clinical a lot. Take it up with them, not me. If they would stop making such fabulous products then I'd stop talking about how great they are. But they rock. Hard. So I will continue to tell you to buy it and if you do, you will thank me. Pro Heal is my favey fave BFF serum. It's more about healing, rebuilding, stimulating growth. It's great for sensitive & acne prone skin. They also make Super Serum Advance +, which is more about the firming, sun damage, wrinkle smoothing action. They both rule, the Super Serum is more for severely aged skin that can handle whatever you throw at it (don't throw things at your skin, be nice). They also (God, when will they stop being so awesome, it's hard to keep up) make a magic potion called Youth Complex which is like.... heaven.... in a very expensive bottle.

Oxygen Pur serum is all about the glow. That glow you had when you were 17, after a day of rollerskating and eating cotton candy and laughing and jumping rope and all that stuff you don't have time for. If you have like 5 seconds, you can get that glow back. Why wear foundation, blush, and concealer when you can just wear this and look twelve again?

GM Collin H50 Therapy Serum this is what you want if you're 50+ or experiencing early menopause.This is everything your skin needs to bounce back after the hormone levels go south. If you use this at night, and one of the iS Clinical serums in the morning, you will be an unstoppable force of nature. While you're at it, use the H50 Therapy Cream. Don't forget to look carefully at the label, because they make one for DRY skin which literally has the texture of butter and is way too rich for most of us, and then a lighter formula for normal/oily/combo skin.

                                              Avene Retrinal serum is turbocharged retinol on crack. It's super effective for stimulating cell turnover and firming and retexturizing your skin. I wouldn't use this with the Active Serum, it's redundant and possibly like, crazy. If you're crazy and your skin can handle crazy, then give it a whirl. Use the Retrinal at night & Active Serum during the day. If you want to use the strongest OTC retinol product available, this is IT. Use responsibly, and only at night, and only if you use SPF religiously during the day.Avene Retrinal

Cosmedix Refine 4% is a slightly more forgiving retinol treatment. Choose this one over the Retrinal for sensitive skin, or try this first & work your way up to the Retrinal over time.

Moisturizers:

Moisturizers don't have to be just hydrating. Stop listening to Olay. They are full of crap, and so are their products. Hydration is important, but RESULTS are way more important, that's what we're aiming for and that's why we're forking over our money. Not because of some marketing campaign that we are forced to endure between segments of Glee. I am well versed in the best, most effective moisturizers out there for anti-aging and now I get to share my savant-like depth of knowledge with you! Yay!

GM Collin AGE Total Defense is the most radically effective anti-aging moisturizer for sun damage and those of us under 50. This stuff has an epic, almost ridiculous amount of peptides and antioxidants. The texture is a tiny bit sticky, but if you follow my standard advice of applying moisturizer to damp skin you'll be fine. I use this at night atop my Retrinal. I would SO bathe in this magic potion.

Osea Advanced Protection Cream. Amen. Of the first three ingredients, two are super active firmers. DPHP and Undaria Algae.  The texture is a bit rich, but it absorbs very easily and doesn't leave skin sticky or greasy. I recommend it for dry, dehydrated, aging skin (age range 30-45ish).

Sanitas PeptiDerm Moisturizing Cream is super pricey but the results are so freaking amazing. It's excellent. It's a little lighter than the GM Collin AGE Total Defense, and more focused on firming, less on repairing sun damage and wrinkle reduction. I'd say it's more for all skin types and those that are 40+.

GM Collin H50 Treatment Cream is for hormonally-challenged skin. Generally 50+, but also applicable for laxity resulting from early menopause or hysterectomy. I mentioned it already in the serum section, take a peek. This isn't for everyone, it's specifically to replenish what hormone-depleted skin needs. Men and 20 year olds need not apply.

What else can you do at home to up the ante? You can get your own LED light from LightStim. The Anti Aging light is made for home use, it's a great thing to have! I recommend it over the individual colored units because it's more affordable, less expensive, and it's best to get your professional LED treatments from, you know, a professional. That way results can be monitored and a treatment plan can be structured and tailored for your skin's needs. It's not as strong as the lights used by a professional, but it also won't blind you on accident (which is a plus). LED will stimulate collagen, give you a glow, even out your skin tone, and reduce lines & wrinkles.

There's also the NuFace, which isn't as user-friendly and you have to continually buy the Conductivity Gel, which is $25 per tube. It's a good piece of equipment IF you actually use it. Most people find that it ends up languishing in a drawer, but if you pull it out and use it regularly, it will reward you with results like firm skin and less wrinkles and laxity.

The last thing you should consider is facial exercise. There's a good, cheap, download-able book called Ageless If You Dare. This is a great option for the lines around the mouth, and all it takes is a little time commitment.

Come in for a consultation, a facial with microdermabrasion and LED light therapy, or to get started with your anti-aging regimen. I've got the iS Clinical, Hylunia, and Osea products at my skin studio.

Why get old if you don't have to?

I see so many clients with sun damage, wrinkles, and slack skin who are afraid to dream big. They feel like they've tried everything out there and haven't seen any improvement so they just resign themselves to looking haggard. Let me tell you: you haven't tried everything. I know you've never committed to regular LED light treatment facials, microdermabrasion and excellent home care. You might be using Chanel or even La Mer, or god forbid L'oreal... But you're looking for love in all the wrong places. You might have done a couple laser treatments only to find out that they are NOT a miracle cure. I could have told you that. But trust me, results are out there waiting for you. You can have younger, firmer, smoother skin.

First let's talk about your treatment options. Treatments are like the gym. There is no magic treatment that gives incredible, permanent results from just one treatment. If you could just go to the gym once and look like Jessica Biel forever, who wouldn't sign up for that? I would. But that's not realistic. Sorry. Reality involves commitment and effort, and eventually rewards you with results. Different treatments have different benefits, not every treatment is appropriate for everyone, but you should know what options are out there. Let me break it down for you.

Microdermabrasion: this is all about a deep, focused exfoliation. Crystal microdermabrasion is way more effective than diamond tipped microdermabrasion (also called "crystal free"). This treatment is great for age spots, superficial expression lines, and adult acne. It stimulates collagen production which firms and tightens the skin and refines pores. It's not appropriate for very sensitive skin or rosacea. If you're very prone to pigmentation you'll need to be on a tyrosinase inhibiting home care regimen (this applies to corrective peels, too!) before and after microdermabrasion treatment. The best way to benefit from microdermabrasion is to receive a series of treatments within a short time period. Optimally a series of 4-6 treatments spaced 14 days apart, then maintenance treatments every 6-8 weeks.

Corrective peels: there are a ton of varieties of chemical peels, starring different strengths, different pH, different combinations of acids, and the amount of time a peel is left on is another major variable. Chemical peels range from mild to extremely aggressive. I absolutely recommend seeing a trained, skilled Esthetician for chemical peels and NOT buying them online and performing them on yourself. Trust me on this. I am a big fan of rather aggressive chemical peels for WOW results. For age spots and severe aging, I do TCA peels with tyrosinase inhibitors, for dehydrated and wrinkled skin I prefer a high percentage Lactic acid. For rough texture, acne scarring, and oily aging skin I use a strong Salicylic. There are so many variables with peels that it's hard to give a specific treatment plan without a consultation, but I like a series of peels spaced 10 days apart followed with maintenance treatments every 4-6 weeks. Peels can be more aggressive than microdermabrasion, or less aggressive, for sensitive skin. The results are similar and it depends on the condition of your skin if it's a better option for you.

LED Light Therapy: this is a MUST for anti-aging. The results are progressive, each treatment building on the last. I love it in combination with a peel or microdermabrasion, it works better on excfoliated skin, just like light penetrates better through a clean window than a dirty one. LED works like photosynthesis, stimulating your skin to produce more collagen (firming) and ATP (energizing). The lights that I use at  re:surface decrease inflammation, increase collagen production, refine pores, smooth out wrinkles, even out skin tone, and lighten age spots. Also amazing for acne scarring and rosacea. LED treatments work best as a series of 6-8 spaced 7-10 days apart, followed with monthly maintenance treatments.

Microcurrent: this treatment stimulates muscular contractions, tightening muscles and lifting the skin. It can also be slightly beneficial for collagen production, and it stimulates ATP in the skin as well. I think that it's comparable results-wise with LED light therapy, but it doesn't target age spots or scarring or treat inflammation. If your esthetician offers it, definitely try it. If they offer LED, it's a more broad-spectrum treatment and I'd choose that over microcurrent.

Injectables: there's a lot of variety with injectables, Botox is pretty amazing for the vertical lines just above the center of the brows. It's designed simply to inhibit muscular contractions, so it doesn't firm or fill wrinkles it prevents the expressions that cause expression lines. There is a new filler, Sculptra, that actually stimulates collagen, which is great. It can cause keloid scarring, so it's not for everyone. The fillers that just inflate the skin and then eventually fade away seem like a big waste of money to me. I like it when your body does the work, producing it's own collagen because that looks natural (because it is natural) and it lasts.

Thermage: Thermage is serious business. I don't generally recommend it for the whole face, but for a sagging jawline or that neck/chin/jowl area that is almost impossible to treat without surgery. It's a great tool for that, and if you don't need to go under the knife then don't! The results take a few months to really show up, but they can be pretty miraculous. For the whole face, I much prefer my magical LED lights. Slightly more subtle, but much easier to control the results and far more beneficial for the skin.

Laser: there are a great many different types of laser, but the general theme is trauma. Lasers damage the skin (so does thermage, which melts your collagen and forces your body to produce new collagen) and traumatize it, causing it to have an inflammatory healing reaction. Which leads to more collagen production but also a rather patchy, haphazard healing process. I think that IPL treatments can work very well for redness, but there are other options I like to explore first with my clients. Laser is sort of the anti-LED. LED helps your skin, laser harms your skin, all aiming at the same goal of facilitating collagen production. I prefer LED, personally and professionally.

I'm not going to go into surgical options, if you want to discuss surgery I recommend finding a reputable surgeon and sitting down for a consultation with them. It's just not my area of expertise.

You'll definitely need effective home care products to compliment the treatments, what is on your skin all day long makes such an impact, positive or negative. Why not make it positive? Next installment, we'll discuss my favorite anti-aging products! Stay tuned!

I offer Microdermabrasion, Corrective Peels, and LED Light Therapy at my SW Portland skin studio, re:surface skin. My treatment options include fast, focused treatments and facials including anti-aging products and tools. I look forward to providing you with amazing results

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...

I thought I'd post a few of my favorite things. Every time I think of those words I hear Julie Andrews singing that song and picture her twirling around on top of an alp. So anyone that knows me might be thinking "What does cheese have to do with skin care?" but don't worry I won't wax poetic over the wonders of cheese... This is a skin blog for goodness sake. No, these favorites are all skin-related, I promise I'll stay on topic.

Sunscreen. I have so many clients ask me "Do you wear sunscreen every day?". Honestly, people! This kind of talk boggles the mind. Of course I wear sunscreen every day. Sun is the main cause of aging, not to mention skin cancer. Skin cancer is just like any other cancer... I hate to break it to you, but it can be deadly.

The world of sunscreen can be a very confusing place.
There are 2 types of sun protection: physical and chemical. Physical sun blocks come from zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These work by providing a physical barrier against UV rays, like a mirror they reflect the sun's rays (block). Chemical sunscreens absorb UV rays before they reach the skin (screen).

There are pros and cons to either type of sunscreen, physical blocks tend to be thick and heavy, with a whitish cast on the skin. Chemical blocks tend to smell funky, have an sticky or oily feel, and sorting out which ingredients work can be seriously frustrating. So here are a few of my favorite sunscreens for your enjoyment.

Epicuren Discovery Zinc Oxide SPF 20
The Epicuren is my absolute favorite of all time, hands down. I use it as my day cream in humid climates or during the summer, otherwise I apply a day cream first and apply the Epicuren on top. The texture is very light, the formula is not sticky or greasy and it smells very faintly like rose. This is a strictly physical sunblock.

SkinCeuticals Daily Sun Defense SPF 20
Another great one, blending chemical & physical to provide a great level of UVA protection (essential for preventing age spots and wrinkles). This one is moisturizing so it can be used alone or if you're dry you can apply moisturizer first. I also like the new SPF 15 from this brand, it's a chemical sunscreen and it offers even better UVA protection.

La Roche Posay Anthelios SX 15 Moisturizing Cream
Anthelios SX is perfect if you tend to have dry skin, and it's super convenient to have a built-in moisturizer so a great option for men or busy moms or professionals. Very good UVA protection (see above).

Bioderma Photoderm MAX Lait SPF 50+
Bioderma is the gold standard for UVA protection. If you are prone to brown spots this one will work like nothing else. It's great age prevention, but the texture is not as pleasant (sticky, heavy) for everyday use.




If you have any questions regarding sunscreen, I will do my best to help you sort it all out.

Next up: Antioxidants! I love them, and I think everyone should use a topical antioxidant product. Antioxidants neutralize free radical damage caused by the sun & environment, and protect against premature aging. What does that mean, you ask? The sun and other environmental aggressors can reprogram the DNA in your dermis, kind of like a computer virus. Antioxidants are sort of like antivirus software.

There are lots of antioxidant options and some work better than others, especially when we're talking topical. My favorites are Vitamin C (l-ascorbic acid) which is a-freaking-mazing and Coffeeberry extract which is less temperamental and has a better shelf life. There are plenty of other options out there, but in my experience these ones yield the best results when used topically. It's a fantastic idea to take an oral antioxidant supplement, too (no, your morning coffee doesn't count). I'll name off my favorite products in both topical and oral formulas...

Topical antioxidant products:
PSF Pure Skin Formulations Vitamin C Serum
One thing about Vitamin C serums, the ones that work are painfully expensive. At $46 this one is affordable and effective.
Garden of Wisdom Summer Serum
A light-textured and very concentrated Coffeeberry serum. I use this one all year long.
IS Clinical Pro Heal Serum
Serious treatment for cystic acne, redness, rosacea, scarring, inflamed skin, and aging. If you want results for just about any skin condition, here it is folks... Results in a bottle.

Oral Antioxidant products:
Jarrow Antioxidant Optimizer
This blends all of my favorite antioxidants, and it's affordable. It's a staple in my medicine cabinet.
New Chapter Supercritical Omega 7
My favorite oil, Sea Buckthorn, stars in this oil-soluble omega fatty acid supplement that helps repair skin from the inside out.

Trust me, I have plenty of other favorites to tell you about... But that should keep you busy for a while!