Building a Skin Care Regimen

It really tickles me when I find an article in my professional journal that confirms my thoughts and conclusions on a particular subject. This just happened in the February, 2011 issue of Practical Dermatology. The article, “Building the Skin Care Regimen: Choosing the Right Ingredients,” by Vivian W. Bucay M.D. strongly paralleled the information in my “core four” handout that I use in the office when asked for a good skin care regimen.

Dr. Bucay lists:
1. Sunscreen
2. Topical antioxidants
3. Retinoids
4. DNA repair

My list is:
1. Sunscreen
2. Retinoids
3. DNA repair
4. Clarisonic for cleansing

In seven pages, Dr. Bucay tackles summarizing the science behind her choices and provides a table listing her favorite products which are primarily available in physician’s offices.

I love the Clarisonic Skin Machine for its ability to gently but very thoroughly get the skin clean so when you do use your retinoids and antioxidants they have a better chance to be absorbed. The size of the molecular structure and it’s stability in a product has been a big obstacle to using antioxidants topically. (There are several docs who feel its best just to eat them if you can; i.e. fruits and vegetables. Have you heard that one before?!!)

One product name that is consistently favored by derms for themselves and their patients in the antioxidant category is SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic.

New to the lists of core products is DNA repair. It is the brain child of Daniel Yarosh PhD and was first available as Remergent DNA Repair and more recently as Celfix DNA Youth Recovery. The later company has published an impressive study of 100 patients using the product twice daily plus sunscreen. The patients showed a 40-50% reduction in sun damage spots as documented in their UV photos. I have been faithfully using it once a day for the past two years and have definitely seen an improvement of the “brown” on my neck. Dr. Yarosh wrote an interesting book entitled “The New Science of Perfect Skin/Understanding Skin Care Myths and Miracles for Radiant Skin at Any Age.” It is so packed with information that it has become more of a reference book. With the copy right in 2008, some of the over the counter products will be in their 4th generation of marketing terminology but the basic information will still be there. Dr Yarosh also is introducing genomics or understanding of the human DNA code as a tool by which next generation products will be developed. A very exciting hope for us sun damaged sun bunnies.

If you would like to read Dr. Yarosh's book "The New Science of Perfect Skin", it is available at Gere Library.



Dr. Ann