The 20th century retailing tycoon, John Wanamaker, said “half of my advertising doesn’t work. I just don’t know which half.”
The odds are even worse in skin care products–the creams and lotions that claim to clear, lift, firm, tighten, and correct your complexion. Less than 50% of the products you put on your face actually help you look younger. Fewer than that are worth what you pay for them.
Why are skin care products so confusing? Why is there so little brand loyalty? Part of the problem is that the last 20 years have brought a tsunami of new skin care products, new ads, new claims. The splashy advertising, the celebrities and the offers combine to produce instant hype. Every new product promises a new “advance” or “technology” or “significant improvement”. Because this revolution is so new, everyone–retailers, consumers, dermatologists, editors–are struggling to figure it out.
Some cosmetics companies like it that way. They invent funny names for molecules. They retouch the living daylights out of those unretouched ads. They cleverly (yet legally) manipulate the copy. These deceptive practices are called “smoke and mirrors”– the metaphor for deceptive or fraudulent practices. The term was first invented to describe the way in which magicians could make objects appear or disappear by using mirrors amid a sudden burst of smoke. It’s clever, but also deceptive.
It works for magicians, and it works for the skin care industry. So women, the willing and unknowing, plunk down big bucks because they want to believe in magic. It’s a national addiction. People everywhere want to fight aging and are looking for solutions.
If you’re going to spend money on skin care products, spend it advisedly. Make sure that you’re not being conned. Make informed decisions. Invest in products that really work. Discriminate. Know how the channel of distribution affects the quality of the merchandise, and the price that you pay. Understand how ads are delicately written and carefully crafted.
Zein Obagi, MD
Dear Dr
I ve just bought the TE Pads.. how long do i leave on and if need to be rinsed off?
Regards
Hi, Joanne:
The TE pads will absorb very quickly, and don’t need to be rinsed off. Start off with twice a day–if necessary, cut back to once a day.
Zein Obagi, MD
Does topical high doses of vitamin c & e aplied in the morning dissolve in the sunlight?
Hi Eileen,
If you do not use a sunscreen, exposure to sunlight can lead to free radicals which can lead to the oxidation of vitamin C and E in the skin, as well as cellular damage. A good physical sun block like the ZO Skin Health Oclipse SPF 30 with titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and natural melanin helps to prevent the loss of efficacy of products used in the morning.
Best regards,
Justin Morgan
VP – Operations and R&D
ZO Skin Health, Inc.
Dear Dr. OBagi,
I’ve been using your ZO Skin health products and i like it very much, but i’m a little afraid for 2 things:
1. My skin is combination skin and i thing that if i don’t use any product to prevent acne, maybe the spot will come back to my face skin. I know that some of your products (T-pad, exfoliating cleanser..) can prevent acne, but will be their use enough?
2. I have diffuse redness, maybe an incipient rosacea, and i would like to know if your product prevent this problem. For example, I think your Olluminate eye repair have a component, MDI complex, that prevent couperosis and rosacea but i don’t know if the other products could help me with this problem.
If your answer is not, what do you advise me in order to reduce the redness. How could i include another product (for example a serum with MDI complex)in my daily routine?
I have asked a dermatologist, but he only advise me about some creams to avoid redness, but i’m worried too about the ageing and large pores. I like very much your product and i don’t want to leave their use.
Thanks a lot for your answer.
Hello Angela,
Without a proper diagnosis of the severity of your acne condition, it is impossible to assure you that the Exfoliating Cleanser and Tepads are sufficient to prevent acne breakouts. Yes, proper cleansing is a significant element of preventing and treating breakouts. The Tepads are anti-bacterial and help to reduce sebum production and treat blackheads. However, these 2 products are usually used in conjunction with an acne protocol for more severe grades of acne. For mild breakouts, I would venture to say they are sufficient for use.
The ZO Skin Health products do not treat or prevent Rosacea, an inflammatory skin condition that does require treatment by a dermatologist. You reference one ingredient in the eye cream that is an optical diffuser, but in no way is it a treatment for Rosacea. If the dermatologist you consulted with did not provide you with recommendations for properly managing your Rosacea (it is a chronic condition, manageable, but not curable) then I recommend that you locate another one that can. There are so many successful options available for managing this condition (and most likely the acne that is accompanying it). A good start would be to use the physician locator at obagi.com and start making some calls. A good provider will carry systems such as the RosaClear (metronidozaole topical gel) along with the Nu-Derm system, and have the ability to prescribe the several oral medications documented to manage this condition. We are here to provide you with support for your system, but in no way are we able to treat medical conditions that require intervention by a physician. Thank you.
Best,
Sandra Obagi, MBA
Medical Esthetician
Dear Dr. Obagi,
Which of these products has the highest retinol content ( Daily Power Defence serum, Growth serum, or the Overnite recovery cream)? Should I always paired the Growth serum with Overnite Recovery Cream ( PM routine)or should I introduce one item each at a time to let my skin get used to the retinol ( but then I figured maybe the Overnite Recovery Cream will help calm the skin after the application of Growth serum but since it also contains Retinol maybe it isn’t the case?)
I also bought the Daily Power Defence which I am going to use it in the morning with a sunblock…my understand is to start 3 products at the same time will be a bit too much for my skin which has never used retinol before, so for the first week I am just going to use the Daily power defence and see how my skin like it…and to be followed by the rest of the products a week later ( that is why I was wondering if the Recovery Cream has to be used with Growth serum or I can also introduce one product at a time). My skin is looking fine actually pre-ZO skin health, I hope that ZO skin health products will make it look even better but I heard a lot about how retinol will sometimes irritate the skin of some people and instead make it looking worst, that really scare me…do you have any advice on how should I introduce the products correctly so as to not “shock” my skin too much? Thank You
Hi Mel,
The Daily Power Defense (DPD) and the Overnight Recovery Creme (ORC) have almost the same level of retinol, however the retinol in Daily Power Defense is specially entrapped for use in the daytime. The Growth Factor Serum (GFS) has a little less retinol.
It would be best to use the the DPD every AM with a sunscreen and introduce the GFS and the ORC on an alternating schedule in the evening for the first two weeks, then use the two products together as a PM regimen. It’s unlikely, but if you experience any sensitivity to using the GFS and ORC together, continue to alternate usage for another week and then use in combination.
I hope this helps,
Best regards,
Justin Morgan
VP – R&D
ZO Skin Health, Inc.
Hi,
I notice you are not seeling the Radical Night Repart item in your Online Shop anymore. Has the product been recalled and is there a reason for it?
Hope to get an explanation for this as I was told it was one of the best selling product!
Thanks.
Thanks, Ellen. Radical Night Repair was one of our best selling products and became even more so after Allure magazine reported that it is one of the best anti-aging products available without a prescription.
But that being said, it wasn’t perfect (there were some problems with separation), sp I’m taking this opportunity to reformulate the product, and make it not just one of the best–but the best–anti-aging product. That’s taking me a little longer, and is a little more complicated, than I had anticipated. It’s precisely because of the very high concentration of active ingredients that the formula was problematic.
While I am continuing to tweak the formula, it has been suggested that I just introduce another retinol product. But then we’d be just like everybody else, and that just isn’t my style!!! This time, I have to get it right, and I have to get it perfect. In the meantime, sorry for the delay, I too have my days of feeling frustrated.
Zein Obagi, MD
hey this is a very interesting article!
Dear Dr Obagi
Further to Ellen’s question on Radical Night Repair being called back.. and i am not sure what you meant by problem with separation.
My simply question is if its safe to continue usage?
Best Regards
Joanne Y
Joanne: Your simple question deserves a simple answer. Yes, it’s absolutely safe to use.
Now, for a more complicated answer, I have to admit that the separation was an unintended consequence of the manufacturing process. Think of it like this: With yogurt, whey sometimes separates from the yogurt, and rises to the surface (this is called “separation” and is less likely to happen if the manufacturer uses articifical thickeners.)
Something similar happened with Radical Night Repair–a small amount of water/oil rose to the surface. It can be easily dispersed, with just a couple of http://www.zoskinhealth.com/blog/wp-admin/#comments-formpumps. The remaining product is perfectly safe and unaffected.
Zein Obagi, MD
Dear Dr. Obagi,
I am curious what your opinion is of the Clarisonic skin care brush system and it’s use rather than the use of another type of exfoliant that you would gently apply to your face?
Secondly, I am glad to read about the updates regarding the Radical Night Repair because I saw it mentioned numerous times in your recommended protocols but could find it on the website. Although I have never used it, by what I have read from your other clients I look forward to its return debut.
Thank you,
Anne
The Clarisonic Brush is an excellent device to ensure that you cleanse your skin for one minute. The minimum amount of time you can set your brush to run is 1-minute. This default setting is great for forcing people to cleanse their skin for a longer period of time. The average person only cleanses their skin for 20 seconds. That is not enough to effectively cleanse skin. In addition, the rotation of the brush-head allows more dead skin to be removed, in comparison to your finger-tips or a sponge, thus providing similar effects to scrubs or exfoliants.
With all of this said, the Clarisonic Brush can be used AFTER having cleansed with the Exfoliating Cleanser or Hydrating Cleanser for ONE minute with fingertips. The Exfoliating Cleanser features two beads. The Vitamin-E infused blue-beads, dissolve after approximately ONE minute, or when skin has been properly cleansed. If you use the Clarisonic Brush from the start, you will force the beads to dissolve a lot faster into the brush-head, and not your skin. With respect to the Hydrating Cleanser and Exfoliating Cleanser, these cleansers are already far more advanced and superior to conventional cleansers. They are the only ones that feature lipopeptides to stimulate the production of collagen. They are high quality and effective, without the need for a brush. However, there is no problem with using your Clarisonic, after you have cleansed your skin for one-minute with your fingertips. Then, you can turn-on the brush and cleanse for an additional one minute. Never use the Clarisonic brush with the Exfoliating Polish, or any other scrub. Make sure to keep your brush-head clean and sterile and change regularly. Bacteria easily builds up in the brush-head. In my opinion, one is better off using the Exfoliating Polish either daily or 3 times a week and the cleanser to maintain clean and healthy skin.
Zein Obagi, MD