Beautiful Skin at Any Age

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October 4, 2009


beautiful_skin.jpgYour skin is amazing! Take a minute to think about it. Your skin is a large, complex organ that is constantly changing as you age. In order to obtain beautiful skin (no matter how old you are) you will need to get to know the skin you are in! For example, did you know that each square inch of skin on a normal size body contains 65 hairs, 650 sweat glands and 9,500,000 skin cells! Wow! Just because the skin is a complex organ does not mean that it can’t be beautiful! Yes, there is work involved if you want beautiful skin. However, nothing beats the look of fresh, plump, clear beautiful skin…so any work involved is well worth it!

For those of you wondering how to get beautiful skin, you need to understand a little bit about what skin is. Because the skin is such a vast and complex organ, it should come as no surprise that there are over 900 diseases and conditions that can affect it. For this reason alone it is very important that you know and understand your skin type so that you can implement a DAILY skin care routine that best fits your skin’s needs.

As previously mentioned your skin is complex and made up of many parts.  In order to get beautiful skin, it is important that you understand your skin and what it needs in order to be healthy. The epidermis, for example, is the top layer of skin (that you actually see). Within the top layer there are six layers underneath. Each under lying layer has a specific function. The Dermis is beneath the epidermis and its main job is to maintain the structure of the skin. Within the dermis you will find sweat glands, sebaceous glands, hair follicles and lymphatic vessels. The dermis is much thicker than the epidermis and is made up of collagen and elastin fibers (for more on the importance of collagen and elastin, read our post on Retinol Wrinkle Cream). Finally, beneath it all lays the subcutaneous layer. This layer is very important as it serves as a shock absorber and heat insulator (which helps to keep you warm and toasty during the cold winter months!). Understanding how your skin functions is very important. The more you know the easier it will be to get the results you want!

As you age, your skin will change. The good news is that beautiful skin is attainable at any age as long as you know how some of the secrets to beautiful skin so you can care for it properly. Obviously, individuals who implemented a skin care routine as a teen (and actually stuck with it) will have a head start. DNA also plays a major role when it comes to the look and type of skin that you have. Some people are born with fantastic skin genes (you know, the people that never have break-outs and always look fresh and vibrant!). The good news is that even if you weren’t born with perfect skin DNA, you can always take advantage of the many skin care products and procedures that are available today (and trust me, there are MANY!). Anyone can have beautiful skin; some just have to work a little harder than others.

No matter what your age may be one of the most important skin care rules to follow is AWLAYS WEAR SUNSCREEN! Did you know that just ONE serious sunburn as a child can cause skin cancer twenty or even thirty years later? That is an amazing piece of information and certainly worth noting! No wonder mothers lather their babies and toddlers with sunscreen! Speaking of toddlers, their skin is superbly resilient and quick to heal. One washing a day is usually all it takes to keep a toddler’s skin clean and fresh. It is very important to teach good skin care habits early in life. You should place just as much importance on skin care as you do on proper diet and bathing! Children are like sponges. They soak in everything that you say. If you can put your child on the path to good skin care habits early they will thank you later in life when they have fresh, young looking skin well into adulthood!

Ahh, the teenage years, such fun! The baby soft skin that was once perfect and blemish free will begin to face several challenges. For one thing, hormonal changes that signal the beginning of adulthood can wreak havoc on a teen’s skin. This is the best time to talk to your teen about skin care and encourage a daily skin care routine. Most teenagers will welcome the advice as the pressure they often feel to have beautiful skin can be great (most teenagers I know do everything in their power to avoid getting pimples!). Now is the time to invest in quality skin care products. If you are not certain as to what type of skin your teenager has or what products (if any) they should use, it might be a good idea to make an appointment with a dermatologist in order to get some advice. A dermatologist can give beautiful skin care tips and recommend the skin care products that best fit the needs of your teen’s skin. It is also important to discuss diet with your teenager as many foods can cause oily skin and break-outs!

Speaking of diet, unfortunately, as we age, we tend to gain weight. It is very important to eat a proper diet due to the fact that weight loss and gain can contribute to our skin care woes (think stretching and sagging!). Just remember, what you put into your body is just as important as what you put on it. There is NOTHING in a bottle that you can buy that takes the place of good nutrition and hygiene!

It is a fact that your skin changes with each decade of life. No matter what age you may be it is very important to KNOW the type of skin you have in order to care for it properly. Make it a habit to clean and moisturize DAILY and exfoliate regularly (every few weeks should be fine). Whether you are ten, twenty, thirty or even eighty, sunscreen is a MUST! the type of skin you have in order to care for it properly. Make it a habit to cleanse and moisturize The older you get the more skin care challenges you will face. Obtaining plump, moist and wrinkle free skin will become more and more difficult. The good news is that you CAN have beautiful skin well into your later years as long as you take action NOW! So figure out what skin type you are (normal, oily, sensitive, oil-dry, or oily-acne prone), arm yourself with the appropriate skin care products and implement a permanent skin care routine. Before you know it, you will be on your way to healthy, beautiful skin!

Thanks for reading!

-K

Categories: Beauty, General Skin Care, Moisturizing, Oily Skin, anti aging skin care, fighting wrinkles.

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Get Rid of Wrinkles with Retinol Wrinkle Cream

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October 2, 2009

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Will a retinol wrinkle cream really deliver? Will it get rid of wrinkles once and for all? Is it really a miracle cure, a fountain of youth, the end of wrinkles around the eyes and mouth? In our opinion, Retinol is a promising ingredient, but I think a more honest title for this post should have included “… and other promises we might or might not keep.”

Today’s post will be a fairly long one because we have a lot to discuss. Not only will we get to the bottom of the value of retinol wrinkle creams, which we first mentioned in our post on the best wrinkle creams, but we’ll make certain that (by the time you’re done reading) you understand why retinol has promise but may or may not be the right product for you.

What is Retinol?

Of course, none of this will make much sense if you don’t know what Retinol is or what it does, right? The scientific jargon is staggering and I know what our readers really care about is the cosmetic properties so I promise I’ll try to keep the science to a minimum. Having said that, there will be some science because you can’t really discuss a retinol cream or any anti aging skin cream containing retinol without a bit of science. Fair warning.

Retinol is a form of Vitamin A which is widely used in the medical and cosmetic industries for any number of things. Relevant to this article is its use in the treatment of everything from acne to aging skin, but Vitamin A in many forms is also important in vision and bone health. Retinol, specifically, is often the active ingredient found in gels and creams intended for topical application with the promise reduce wrinkles. Depending on dosage, products including retinol (or other retinoids) may be over-the-counter or prescription. Another form of retinoic acid is Tretinoin which is used by doctors and dermatologists in the treatment of acne and is available in some prescription anti aging creams. Remember it, because we’ll come back to it.

How does Retinol work?

Well actually, it doesn’t. WAIT! Don’t hit your back button! I’m not saying a retinol wrinkle cream won’t fight wrinkles. We just need to clarify the claim a bit. This is where some of that annoying science creeps in. See, vitamin A has a minimal biological effect. It is its biochemical derivatives in the form of retinoic acid that actually do the work. It’s a bit like saying that oil isn’t what gets you to work in the morning, it’s the car that does the work. But for the car to work, you have to have the oil, right? Make sense? Retinol (and other forms of Vitamin A) is converted to retinoic acid by skin cells.

Now retinoic acid very much DOES work at promoting healthy cells and the cosmetic industry would very much like you to run out and buy products containing Retinol because it has also shown promise in the rejuvenation of elastin and collagen. Avoiding the science as much as possible, suffice to say that elastin is what gives your skin its elasticity and collagen serves a “stiffer” purpose. The two working in concert are what gives those annoying young people such beautifully smooth skin while the deterioration of collagen and elastin results in wrinkles in those of us who are on the wrong side of over-the-hill.

So why is that information about retinoic acid important? Because in order to get to retinoic acid, (the real wrinkle fighter) retinol has to be metabolized or converted. In the cosmetics world, you’ll find you aren’t just limited to Retinol. Other highly prized wrinkle-fighting ingredients include Retinyl palmitate and Retinaldehyde. Collectively known as Retinoids, all of them follow the same rule - they (in and of themselves) don’t do the real anti-wrinkle magic but must first be converted to retinoic acid by your cells.

Why is all that Retinol information important?

It’s important for you to know that different forms of vitamin A (and retinoids) require varying amounts of work to become retinoic acid (our ultimate goal). SmartSkinCare.com does a great job of illustrating this. Depending on which active ingredient you start with, it requires more or less effort for your cells to give you the results you want. Their metabolic pathway chart looks something like this:

Retinyl Palmitate -> Retinol -> Retinaldehyde -> Retinoic acid

From the example above you can see that if you’re starting with Retinyl Palmitate, you have to undergo three steps to convert your active ingredient into what you really want (retinoic acid) to get the job done. If you’re using a retinol wrinkle cream, the active ingredient must go through 2 steps to metabolize to retinoic acid. What that means to you as a consumer is that larger dosages of the active ingredient are required the further left you start on that pathway. For a given quantity of Retinol, you’d need even more Retinyl Palmitate to get the job done.

You may now be wondering if you can’t get better results by skipping further to the right on the list and just buying an anti-wrinkle cream with Retinaldehyde or, better yet, cutting out the middle man entirely and just slapping some retinoic acid-containing cream directly on your skin. Well, yes you can. Retinaldehyde, however, will up the price of your product substantially. As for skipping right to retinoic acid, I asked you to remember the term Tretinoin back on the first page. If you read that sentence carefully you’ll note that I stated “…another form of retinoic acid…” We hadn’t begun discussing retinoic acid yet, but it should make a bit more sense to you now. Tretinoin is that direct approach and, yes, you can buy tretinoin cream and avoid all that pesky metabolizing (to a degree) entirely. What’s the downside? You’ll need a prescription to get a skin care product with Tretinoin in it and it is even more likely to irritate sensitive skin than the previous versions of Vitamin A we’ve been discussing.

What’s important to you as a consumer is to know that the simple presence of Retinyl Palmitate or Retinol in an ingredient list isn’t enough to tell you that the product will work at delivering on its wrinkle fighting promise. While higher concentrations of these active ingredients may do a better job, they come with a downside. Specifically, those with sensitive skin may not be able to tolerate high dosages of topically applied RP or Retinol creams as they can cause skin irritation.

Expanding on Retinol

I provided an example chart from SmartSkinCare that indicates where retinol stands relative to other retinoids as far as work required to metabolize is concerned, but I want to expand on what they explain a bit. Not only does their chart accurately reflect the metabolic pathway of various retinoids towards retinoic acid, it also can be directly applied to effectiveness, potential skin irritation and expense with no real modification. In other words:

Assuming comparable dosage -Retinyl Palmitate is less effective than Retinol. Retinol is less effective than retinaldehyde. Retinaldehyde is less effective than retinoic acid.

Assuming comparable dosage -Retinyl Palmitate is less irritating than Retinol. Retinol is less effective than retinaldehyde. Retinaldehyde is less effective than retinoic acid.

Assuming comparable dosage -Products containing Retinyl Palmitate should be less expenseive than retinol. Retinol is less expensive than retinaldehyde. Retinaldehyde is less expensive than retinoic acid.

Ok, great, but does retinol work?

That does seem to be the case. The truth of the matter is that claims regarding retinol’s ability to reverse skin damage and eliminate wrinkles should be taken with a grain of salt. Retinol is not a prescription level ingredient. That means that cosmetics that include retinol do not undergo the same kind of scrutiny or medical review as a prescription product (a drug) that contains retinoic acid (such as tretinoin).

Also, as mentioned, dosage is relevant. Just because a product contains retinol does not mean it contains it in sufficient dosage to be effective. Compounding that is the fact that different people metabolize retinoids at different rates. An adequate amount of retinol in a product for me may not be sufficient (in terms of wrinkle reducing results) for you. Your ideal anti aging cream may need to be something very different.

Over-the-counter wrinkle creams that promise you results should be carefully researched. Read consumer reviews and be prepared to experiment. It may take several attempts (each potentially requiring several months of use) to find the product best suited for you. Having said all of that, even some doctors are beginning to admit that there do appear to be legitimate benefits associated with retinol and other non-prescription creams available. But it should be noted that even those who are coming around (much to the cosmetic industry’s delight) will generally add on the sentence - “but there hasn’t been adequate clinical review to substantiate that.” In other words, much of the “evidence” for the effectiveness of non-prescription retinol wrinkle creams is anecdotal and hasn’t been clinically substantiated.

If you have the time and patience to invest in testing one retinol wrinkle cream after another to find the one that offers you the best combination of results relative to expense and skin sensitivity then there may well be a product out there that can take a few years off your face. If you want to improve your odds, your doctor is likely your best source for a more powerful tretinoin cream with medically proven results.

Thanks for reading!

-D

Categories: Retinol, anti aging skin care, fighting wrinkles.

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Find the Best Wrinkle Cream

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September 25, 2009

692795_blog1.jpgOf the many posts I’ve written on this and other blogs, I’ve always hated those in which I try to select the “best” of something. Trying to find the best wrinkle cream is no different. The problem is that the term is often subjective, open to interpretation, and I’m a firm believer in the simple fact that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to most things in life. So before we even begin to discuss what may or may not be the best wrinkle cream (or the best anti wrinkle cream, more specifically) out there, it would probably be wise to describe why that’s so difficult to quantify.

Different areas may require different solutions. I could spend the next hour writing about the best anti wrinkle creams for crow’s feet only to leave those of you looking for a solution to wrinkles around the mouth completely unsatisfied.

Additionally, everybody (and every body) is different. What works for you may not work for others or, if it does work, may not work as well. Anything from the depth of wrinkles to your skin’s sensitivity may make a great product less than ideal for your situation.

There’s also an issue of price. There are some amazing products that are simply out of reach for a large percentage of the population. At the very least, they are expensive enough to make regular or long-term use highly undesirable for some. The best solution in the world is hardly the “best” and is almost completely pointless if you can’t afford it.

Another consideration is what you expect. Do you want a solution that actually fixes the problem or one that covers it up? Would you be content to hide the lines around your eyes for that blind date you have tomorrow night or are you willing to commit to a daily treatment that will “fix” the source of the problem rather than hide it? They are two very different objectives requiring two very different solutions.

Finally, there’s convenience. While a quick jaunt to your local Target will supply you with many mainstream products, some higher end items may require a visit to a store specializing in cosmetics, to a boutique or even, believe it or not, to your doctor. We’ll actually discuss some products available through prescription today. If you aren’t the kind who likes to go out of her way, your options will be a bit limited. In many (but not all) cases, the internet is your best friend. Many hard-to-come-by items are easy to find if you shop for skincare products online.

Ok, so with all that to consider, how does one find the best wrinkle cream? By weighing your needs against your wallet and your tolerance for inconvenience. The simple truth is that the best wrinkle creams available (in terms of results vs. illusion) are those that actually have an elevated level of FDA involvement. Simply put, most wrinkle creams get little in the way of FDA scrutiny unless they make medical claims. Those that do get scrutinized generally claim some kind of medical results or contain prescription levels of ingredients that over-the-counter products simply can’t carry.

A great example of this is the active ingredient, Retinol. Retinol is a vitamin A compound. More relevant to you, if you’ve read some of my other posts, is that it is an antioxidant and antioxidants are a miracle discovery in all kinds of health-related matters (including those specific to your skin). Antioxidants are also found in foods that are good for your skin. You’ll find plenty anti wrinkle products sold over-the-counter containing Retinol. What you won’t find in the cosmetic aisle is anything containing tretinoin, which is an FDA approved topical treatment for treating wrinkles. It is only available by prescription.

What that last paragraph should tell you is that the products you get from a cosmetics store may or may not work. Those that claim to cover up or hide wrinkles probably do so. But for lasting results that actually attempt to correct the problem the safer bet (as far as results are concerned) are most likely those for which you’ll need to see your doctor.

Of course, as already stated, there are a lot of variables in choosing the best wrinkle fighting cream so I’m not just going to leave you with the suggestion that you go visit your doctor. Instead, I’m going to offer several suggestions you might want to try. With a little luck and a little patience, you may find that one of these (each a fantastic, respected and proven product with high user review ratings) is the right product for you.

Also, please note that there’s a lot of content already in this post so I’m not going to invest too much time talking about each of these products here. Just the highlights, gang, because if you haven’t guessed already, my real recommendation is that you try the product that sounds best for your need and hopefully you’ll find the one that actually is the best wrinkle cream specifically for YOU. I (or my wife) will come back to each of these products in future posts and will provide a more extensive write up to fill in the gaps (get it?) so check back later for that. For now, here is what we recommend you try.

Obagi ELASTIderm Night Eye Cream

One product that fits the prescription bill and may well be one of the best eye wrinkle creams out there is Obagi’s ELASTIderm Night Eye Cream. Elastin is a protein in the skin that keeps it firmly in place. The degeneration or loss of elastin due to aging, health, diet and pollutants (such as from smoking) is why you have wrinkles. What makes Obagi’s ELASTIderm Night Eye Cream so special as an effective eye wrinkle cream is that it is the first skincare product clinically proven to replenish elastin and collagen production.

It’s bit difficult to visualize, but imagine placing a plastic sandwich bag over your hand with your fingers loosely curled. Now imagine flexing your fingers and spreading them out as much as you can. The bag stretches out and wrinkles disappear. While hardly a scientific example, that should help you envision how elastin and collagen work to firm your skin. Their function is crucial to keeping skin young and firm.

Obagi ELASTIderm Eye Cream lists for around $95.00 but you can often get discounted prices. I’ve seen it move for as low as $76.00. Check with your doctor. My wife’s doctor receives discounts for the sale of this product and passes those savings on to her patients.

MD Forte Skin Rejuvenation Eye Cream

MD Forte Skin Rejuvenation Eye Cream is another product your doctor may recommend. The product description claims smoothing and toning of the skin around the eye area while diminishing the look of fine lines and wrinkles. I recommend this and the prior products because both are often suggested by cosmetic surgeons in cases where injections or surgery are considered too extreme for the case. However, some individuals with sensitive skin have complained of irritation when using MD Forte Skin Rejuvenation Eye Cream. Others, however, have given this product rave reviews, noting signs of improvement in as little as 5 minutes with progressively younger-looking skin with continued use.

MD Forte Skin Rejuvenation Eye Cream will set you back anywhere from $55-$65.00 USD for a 3 ounce bottle. The product does not provide any moisturizing benefits, though. The manufacturer recommends using a moisturizer after application. You may want to consider Replenish Hydrating Cream.

Estee Lauder Perfectionist Correcting Concentrate

While not actually a cream, I’ve decided to include this product under the category of “fillers and hiders.” What differentiates it from the above products is that it doesn’t actually “fix” problems with wrinkles. Rather, it masks or hides wrinkles. Also, the previous two products were specific for eye wrinkles. Perfectionist Correcting Concentrate is designed for deep facial lines and wrinkles.

Perfectionist Correcting Concentrate fills in lines and wrinkles and makes them less apparent. While that’s only a temporary solution, the big bonus with this product is that it does contain many ingredients that are good for your skin too such as several antioxidants.

If you’re looking for a solution that gives the “look” without requiring months of use, this is definitely one you should consider trying. It will set you back about $42 for a pen of Perfectionist Correcting Concentrate. You might also want to add Perfectionist Wrinkle Lifting Serum and Resilience Lift Extreme Ultra Firming Crème with SPF.

A Wrap Up on Wrinkles

Though I’ve listed several products here, I want to close with an important consideration about wrinkle creams and anti wrinkle products in general. Learn a bit about marketing. I am, first and foremost, an internet marketer. While I don’t sell any products on this site directly, I do host advertisers here who sell makeup products. I tell you this not to entice you to click but because I want you to accept that I understand a bit about marketing. The problem for you is that the people selling miracle cures for wrinkles understand their fair share, too.

When you examine a product (over-the-counter products in particular) don’t let yourself be baited in by the advertising jargon. Products that claim to “reverse the look of aging” are telling you exactly what they do… they hide or mask the LOOK. They are selling an illusion. The bottom line is that if a product could deliver on the same promise as a medical procedure, it would probably be sold as drug rather than a cosmetic. There’s nothing wrong with that at all, but know what you’re getting.

Masking a few years before a date or an important meeting is perfectly fine. If you want to actually undo the damage of sun, age and pollution, you will always be better served by medically prescribed products, healthy eating, hydration and UV protection rather than relying on purely cosmetic products. Though you might find over-the-counter solutions that offer some improvement, you’ll likely never find a face-lift in a bottle unless it comes from your doctor. Even then, topical solutions will only do so much. So if you really want to find the best wrinkle cream out there, your doctor is the place to start.

Categories: anti aging skin care, fighting wrinkles.

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