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February 26, 2010

Dry Skin? Dermal Repair To The Rescue!

Filed under: Prevent Aging, Renew Your Skin, Skin Layers, SkinMedica — Tags: , , , — Skin Expert @ 4:34 am

dermal-repair-creamAlmost everyone has suffered with dry skin at one time or another. You may be a dry skin type, have aging skin, or it may be a condition brought on by environment. Dry climates, poor hydration and traveling can also cause dry skin. Skin Medica’s Dermal Repair Cream will rehydrate skin and replenish your skin.

Dermal Repair uses sodium hyaluronate to intensely hydrate and replenish dry skin. A derivative of hyaluronic acid, it can hold up to 40 times its weight in water. Panthenol is another ingredient used that binds moisture to the skin’s surface.

Skin Medica’s Dermal Repair is an excellent moisturizer but it does so much more for your skin. It contains Vitamins C and E, which neutralize free radical scavenger, cells which age the skin. Age spots are lightened and skin is firmer. The skins own ability to repair and rehydrate itself is improved.
 
Use Dermal Repair Cream in conjunction with Skin Medica’s Skin Polisher. This is a gentle exfoliator to use after cleansing. Ultra-fine jojoba spheres gently lift dead cells from the skin’s surface without stripping the delicate acid mantle. Skin Polisher will prepare the skin to soak up the moisture in Dermal Repair.  Dry skin rescued!

February 22, 2010

The Magic of Vitamin A

Filed under: Acne, Prevent Aging, Renew Your Skin, Skin Layers, SkinMedica, skingift — Tags: , , , , — Skin Expert @ 4:42 am

retinolMost everyone has heard about Retin A and retinols. Dermatologists routinely prescribe it and over the counter skin care products claim to use it as an ingredient. How does this product work? What is the difference between Retin A and retinols? Is it safe to use? Can it really be the miracle cream that people say it is? Retin A, also known as tretinoin or retinoic acid, is a derivative of Vitamin A.  Retinoic acid is the active ingredient in prescription strength retinols. Retinols are also derived from Vitamin A but are about 20% weaker than Retin A. Retinols are found in over the counter or OTC products. Retin A can only be obtained with a prescription from a doctor.

OTC retinol products are weaker and therefore you can’t expect the same results you would get from prescription Retin A. Retinols actually need to be converted by enzymes to be active. This can be an uncertain process. Retinols also degrade when exposed to air, so they lose even more effectiveness. Some people use OTC retinols to avoid irritation and skin reaction. Irritation is still possible with OTC retinols but generally will be less than with Retin A.  Retinols may be an option for those with sensitive skin or certain skin conditions. It’s also possible that a lower strength of Retin A would be tolerated. You can get benefits from these products, but not at the level prescription Retin A provides.

Retin A was originally prescribed strictly for acne patients. One of the things Retin A does is to unplug follicles. The follicle is always plugged when you have a breakout. Retin A is excellent at breaking down the dead skin cells in the blockage and causing the skin to shed them at a faster rate. One of the things dermatologists noticed in long-term Retin A users was that they seemed to be aging less than other patients. Eventually, Retin A was F.D.A. approved to treat sun damaged skin.

The list of benefits from Retin A is a long one. Retin A speeds up cellular turnover and the exfoliation process. There are many benefits to this. It can lift pigmentation on the skin, reveal a brighter, more radiant complexion, and reduce fine lines. Skin cells act younger and healthier. Skin is smoother and more even toned. Retin A thins the stratum corneum or epidermis which is made up of dead, dull skin cells. By thinning this dulling layer, you reveal younger looking skin. It used to be thought that Retin A thinned the skin overall, which could have resulted in more delicate, easily wrinkled skin. Research has shown that this is not the case. Retin A actually thickens the underlying skin layers, making skin plumper and more youthful.

Whether you choose retinols or Retin A, you will be giving you’re skin the most proven, effective anti-aging product on the market.

January 6, 2010

Lost Layers? The Obagi Nu-Derm System Restores Your Glow

Filed under: Nu-Derm, Renew Your Skin, Skin Layers — Tags: — admin @ 11:19 am
Beautiful skin can be yours again with the Obagi Nu-Derm System.

Beautiful skin can be yours again with the Obagi Nu-Derm System.

Over the years your skin has been exposed to many things that damage the health, resulting in dark spots, and sunspots on your skin. Photo damage from the sun reaches into the deepest layers of your skin and is the cause of lines, wrinkles, loss of elasticity, pigmentation and unevenness of the skin.

Dr. Obagi developed a revolutionary skin care system that will actually transform your skin at the deepest cellular level and has profound anti-aging results. To understand clearly how the Obagi System transforms skin we must first understand the skin layers.

The layers of the skin can be divided into three sections:

  • the epidermis
  • the dermis
  • the subcutaneous layer

The epidermis is the top-most layer consisting of the skin cells that move upward and then die at the surface. As we age, the cells turn over more slowly and you will have a build up of dull, lifeless skin cells on the surface of the skin. This can leave skin looking rough, uneven, and dull.

The dermal layer is made of connective tissue mainly of collagen fibers and elastin. It is below the epidermis and gives it support.  Aging of the skin causes a breakdown of collagen and a thinning of the dermis.

Elastin fibers, part of the subcutaneous layer, provide skin with elasticity and the “snap-back” of youthful skin. Exposure to sun without proper sun protection greatly speeds up the break down of collagen (youthful fullness) and elastin (tightness) of young skin. This results in sagging, lines, and wrinkles.

In addition, UV rays cause pigmentation and reddening.   Unfortunately as the skin cycle slows the the old damaged skin remains on the surface.  This inactivity starts in the dermis and results in acceleration of aging.   Obagi Nu-Derm activates these cells to work correctly resulting in a profound change that is visible in only a few days. After 18 weeks of proper treatment, Nu-Derm will completely restores skin to it’s healthy state.

The Obagi Nu-Derm System uses prescription strength ingredients to actually transform your skin.  Obagi Nu-Derm exfoliates old, unhealthy skin cells and replaces them with new healthy ones.

You will go through four stages of transformation in the course of 18 weeks.

The first phase is called “Out With the Old”. As old cells are replaced with healthy new ones, you can expect redness, itching, and flaking.

The second phase is called “In With the New.” During this phase pigmentation shows dramatic improvement, collagen and elastin are stimulated, and symptoms begin to subside.

“Healthy Glow” is the third stage. In this stage, there is increased blood flow to the skin; collagen and elastin continue to be produced. Skin is smooth, even, and hydrated.

“New you” is the final phase. Your skin has now been transformed into younger, healthier, more radiant complexion.

Just like all things, maintenance is essential, and luckily the new skin we look at in the mirror, is a reminder of what perfect skin looks like while using Obagi products.

Each step of the Obagi Nu-Derm System is designed to work together to produce the skin you’ve always dreamed of. Obagi Foaming Gel Cleanser or Gentle Cleanser cleans the skin gently. Obagi Toner balances and prepares the skin for the active ingredients. Obagi Clear is hydroquinone that will lighten pigmentation, brown spots, and even the skin tone. Obagi Exfoderm and Exfoderm Forte uses gentle acids to resurface and smooth the skin. Retin-A is combined with Obagi Blender at night to stimulate healthy new skin cells and keep melanocytes from overproducing pigment keeping the cells regulated and functioning normal. Obagi Healthy Skin Protection, Obagi Sunfader, and Obagi Physical Block are customized sun protection used in combination designed to address specific sun exposure, genetics related to pigment problems, and product needs.

Now you can have the skin you’ve always dreamed of. Have you lost layers? Obagi Nu-Derm will return your lost glow.