One of the more common questions I field has to do with the constantly and rapidly growing number of skin care products, at home remedies, and office treatments for improving your life, health, and appearance.
Because not all of these products and treatments are safe, many are not effective, and let’s face it- many are expensive, one of my greatest frustrations as a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and member of The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery is that all too often I meet women who feel they’ve been duped (or even harmed) by some product or treatment.
There are some amazing advances being made, and it is now more that ever possible to maintain your healthy, beautiful appearance with minimum expenditure and inconvenience- but it’s critical to avoid the pretenders and find the best products and treatments for you and your individual needs.
For maximum personalization, I definitely recommend you find and visit a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon or Dermatologist with expertise in aesthetic care (The American Society for Aesthetic Surgery is an excellent place to start), but below I have listed, with brief descriptions, by current favorite five products and treatments. I list them in no particular order.
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Intellishade
This may just be the most popular product in my practice right now. In one quick application of this product, you’ve moisturized your skin, reduced the appearance of fine lines, and protected your skin from even the harsh sun we receive in Florida. Combined with Intellishade’s skin color-matching technology, and it’s as though you combined a great sunscreen, moisturizer, and light makeup in one bottle. Amazing.
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Neocutis biogel
Neocutis’ patented PSP (Processed Skin cell Proteins) in a lightly moisturizing gel. Applied daily, the PSP in Biogel (or BioCream for those with skin that is more on the dry side) help your skin recover from the daily stresses of the environment and the aging process, as well as helping to reverse some age related problems as well. I think a product like this (or SkinMedica’s Recovery Complex which is very similar) should be a part of every woman’s regimen after about age 30.
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Lytera by SkinMedica
This gentle combination of retinol and non-hydroquinone skin brighteners gives Intellishade a run for its money in our practice. It helps to even the skin’s tone and color while also improving overall skin conditioning. Combine this with a good cleanser, Biogel and Intellishade as a finishing touch, and enjoy the glow!
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Blue Lizard Sunscreen
With summer upon us, there are going to be many activities and days where the daily protection of Intellishade just isn’t going to be enough- either because our sun exposure will be great that day, or we’re having fun in the water. For days at the beach, the water park, or the amusement park- when I know we’ll be in the hot summer sun all day long, there is simply no other product I trust with my family’s skin. Blue Lizard is the most effective and water resistant sunscreen I have ever come across.
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Oilacleanse skin cleanser by ZO Skin Health
Because my olive complexion tends to have oily zones, I use and love this product. Those with more normal to dry skin would prefer Normalcleanse. Both are excellent, non-irritating and anti-inflammatory cleansers and exfoliators. They work great, have nothing you don’t want in a cleanser, and smell like a fresh pink grapefruit!
