ZO Skin Health
A Skincare Regimen That’s Stepping it Up — with Fewer Steps
Some skincare companies just keep getting more creative. Or maybe we should say more greedy?
Their latest strategy is to create lots of “steps.” As in the number of steps it takes to execute a skincare regimen. Some require as many as 20! That means — you got it — 20 products to buy.
Your skincare regimen isn’t choreography. There shouldn’t be so many steps the very thought makes you dizzy. One of the things the skincare experts at the buying offices of Nordstrom, where our products are sold, like so much about ZO Skin Health is its simplicity. It increases compliance.
Beyond the basic greed factor, and the thought of wasting your money, here’s what is wrong with using too many products — from a clinical standpoint:
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Overmoisturizing skin will actually cause more harm than good. It forces the skin cells in the dermis to stop collecting water from the food and water you drink, which stops the cells from supplying it to the surface of the skin.
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Too many products can and will induce acne, blackheads and whiteheads, because your skin pores will become clogged.
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Using the wrong products or too many products can cause skin sensitivity.
Let’s keep it simple. ZO Skin Health consists of five simple steps — the same way I created the Obagi NuDerm system.
Step 1: Cleanse. Massage for one full minute to rid of the sebum that leads to blemishes. Step 2: Activate. Slough off dead skin cells, get rid of excess sebum and open the pores, to enhance penetration of active ingredients. Step 3. Stimulate. Wake up dormant skin cells that lead to aging skin. Step 4: Calm & Nourish: Lock in moisture and give skin its “R and R.” Step 5: Protect: SPF is the most effective anti-aging source out there.
We won’t trip you up over too many steps. After all, we know you have a life.
ZO Skin Health
The Battle of the Sexes: When It Comes to Fighting Aging, Men Win.
If you’re thinking, “it’s just not fair”–you’re probably right. It’s a double-whammy.
We already suspected that men find it easier, and quicker, to lose unwanted pounds. But now we know women also age faster than men–meaning their skin loses collagen and elastin at a faster rate, and at an earlier age, than men. That helps explain why women spend more time and more money on cosmetic products, injections, and procedures. It’s not just vanity–it’s reality.
Lasers can now image the deeper layers of the skin–where collagen and elastin are produced. Studies conducted at the National Taiwan University in Taipei showed that collagen degenerates in women faster–causing more wrinkles, more skin laxity, and more uneven texture.
Women’s best revenge? Use topical products high in active Vitamin A (retinol or retinoids) and active Vitamin C. Build up your skin’s natural defense mechanisms to restore skin strength and resiliency–ZO Skin Health’s Radical Night Repair Plus is a good choice.
Life still won’t be fair, but at least your skin will be firm.
Donna Queen
Know Where Your Money is Going
Have you ever wondered what’s worth paying for and what’s just a waste of time and money?
We realize high-quality skincare comes at a price, but some of the stuff now on the market is patently ridiculous. Here are just a few examples of items currently being marketed.
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A Swarovski crystal-studded cream pot: You have to wonder how many pageant dresses were harmed in the making of it and what function it serves the application process or your skin directly.
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Creams that come with little spoons or spatulas: Does the miniature utensil help you better apply the cream or better eat up the tomfoolery?
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A liquid serum bottle made of actual gold: Why do we suspect you’d have better luck taking it to the pawn shop than you would putting its contents on your face?
So is all impressive packaging a giant rip-off? No. Sometimes it’s not a luxury at all; sometimes it’s a necessity.
Case in point, some of the new pumps and jars. There might be a bit of a wow factor to them, but most of these airless pumps and jars were designed strictly with function in mind. According to Dr. Obagi, “pop up pumps promote cleanliness (keeping fingers out of the jar means that bacteria can’t be introduced) and keep the key ingredients safe from degrading.” Retinol, retinoic acid, Vitamin C and many natural/organic products spoil quickly when exposed to air or UV rays.
And there’s another big plus. Measured doses (like with Ommerse Cremes, Radical Night Repair Plus, Growth Factor Serum and Oclipse sunscreen) help ensure you’re not using an excessive amount of product, which can backfire on you. (Yes, too much of a good thing really does exist.)
The next time you buy a skincare product, ask yourself if the bells and whistles serve a function or a distraction.
ZO Skin Health
Fighting Aging–with a Punch!
Rumor has it that I don’t mess around developing skincare products. Point well-taken. Nobody ever called me a wuss.
I don’t believe that skincare treatment products can be truly effective unless they have high concentrations of active ingredients. If they’re “watered down” or have weak formulas–the skincare products are essentially just moisturizing your face–they won’t have any lasting benefit. If you’re going to fight aging, pack a good punch!
Take my newest creation–ZO Skin Health Ossential Radical Night Repair Plus–it’s what I call putting the punch into the fight against aging.
* It has ten times as much retinol as the leading beauty store brand; six times as much retinol as the leading drug store brand; five times more retinol than the leading department store brand.
* It’s in a water-free formula, so the active retinol is not diluted–it’s more potent. And Ossential Radical Night Repair Plus can’t evaporate–it stays on your skin until it’s absorbed.
* The time-release micro-spheres continue to work for 5-6 hours, so it can continue to work while you’re sleeping.
* A brand new peptide increases your skin’s tolerance for high concentrations of active ingredients (that’s my kind of peptide!). We always want to increase the strength of our skin; tolerant skin is strong skin.
For effective products, I like to develop formulas that are almost prescription-strength–you’ll get better results that way.
Donna Queen
The Worst Cities for Healthy Skin, Part III
It’s our last installment on the worst cities in the country for your skin. TotalBeauty.com conducted a study to find which cities are most harsh on our skin and we’ve taken the liberty of adding our commentary. Take a look at the five worst to see if your city made the unfortunate list.
#5: Phoenix, Arizona: “But it’s a dry heat!” Whoever came up with that never knew the wrath of severely dry skin. Without the hydration it needs, the lipid layer depletes and skin dries out as a result. To make up for the moisture deficit, Dr. Zein Obagi recommends drinking more than 8 glasses of water daily and avoiding hot water like the plague.
#4 Las Vegas, Nevada: Your skin’s luck runs out fast in this city. Las Vegans endure triple digit temperatures, a dry climate and high smoking rates, but its stress level is so high it’s stressful. Rosacea, acne, psoriasis — all of them flare up under stress. Meditate, take up yoga, count to 10. For the sake of your skin, Las Vegas, relax.
#3 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Take away the pollution and you still have the tanning beds. Take away the tanning beds and you still have 20 percent of the city puffing away. No need to fear, Pittsburgh. Dr. Zein Obagi’s daughter, Dr. Suzan Obagi, is assistant professor at the Cosmetic Surgery and Skin Center at University of Pittsburgh. When she’s not making women look younger, she’s dermatologist to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Consider her your saving grace!
#2 Houston, Texas: Ninety percent humidity and high ozone pollution prove you can’t mess with Texas, but Texas — Houston specifically — can mess with your skin all it wants. Pollution is one thing, but high ozone pollution will make your skin more susceptible to burns and damage layers of tissue. Three words: Ess. Pea. Eff.
Get the #1 worst city on our Facebook page right here! And, remember, outside influences can try to damage your skin all they want, but the health of your skin is completely up to YOU.
Donna Queen
The Worst Cities for Healthy Skin, Part II
As we shared with you Tuesday, a recent TotalBeauty.com-conducted study found the 13 worst cities for your skin. We showed you four already. Is your city on today’s list? Read on to find out.
#9 Kansas City, Missouri: More than 25 percent of Kansas City residents smoke cigarettes. That makes for a large population depriving its skin of collagen and elastin, the stuff that prevents wrinkles from forming as fast. Are you a non-smoker and want to look younger? Move to Kansas City.
#8: Detroit, Michigan: You’ll find better air quality in a poker room. That’s due to Detroit’s humidity, second-hand smoke and pollution. Aside from increased sebum and loss of hydration, pollution also deprives your skin of essential oxygen, which results in premature aging. Reason number 58 not to move to Detroit.
#7 Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland, you over-achiever, you. Not only does your pollution and tanning salons top the charts, but so does your penchant for smoking. Cigarette smoke puts over 4,000 toxins into your bloodstream. That transfers to your skin, ultimately producing less collagen. According to Dr. Zein Obagi, Creator of the Obagi NuDerm system and ZO Skin Health, “you’ll start to see the wrinkles after smoking only 10 years and not just on your face. Even on your hands and arms.”
Five cities remain. Check back tomorrow to find out if yours is ruining your skin, but click right here to find out which city came in at #6 for its ignorance about UVA rays.
ZO Skin Health
Getting Older? Looking Older Too? Here’s How to Reverse that Trend.
Dermatologists like to tell people what they can do to treat lines and wrinkles caused by UV damage/wind/smoke, etc. It’s easy. There are lots of good ingredients for treating environmental aging.
But intrinsic aging—meaning, you and your skin are just getting older—is different. Until recently, if you asked dermatologists what ingredient worked best–hmmm, they would twittle their fingers, rub their fingers through their hair…because they didn’t know what ingredients worked for natural skin aging! But now, that’s changed…we have something to say to people who are getting older (and look that way!)
Intrinsic skin aging (aka natural or chronological aging) looks a little different from environmental skin aging. With intrinsic aging, the wrinkles are finer, and the skin gets thinner and more lax. Environmental factors, on the other hand, cause deeper wrinkles and hyperpigmentation.
John Voorhees, MD, and his team at the University of Michigan, did a test on the underside of the upper arms of older women—and found that high concentrations of retinol significantly reduced wrinkles and other signs of aging. The study was controlled (meaning that one arm was tested; one was not) and double-blind (meaning that neither the researcher nor the subject knew what products were being tested). The underside of the arms have never been exposed to the sun, so it’s easy to isolate skin aged due to natural causes.
The conclusion: high concentrations of retinol successfully treat intrinsic aging due to retinol’s ability to stimulate collagen and retain water. As Dr. Voorhees said, “this is the first systematic, double-blind study showing that it (retinol) improves any kind of aging – photoaging as well as natural aging. You can rub it anywhere, and it will help to treat the signs of aging.”
The study was widely reported, but first published in the Archives of Dermatology.
That’s why I’m so committed to ZO Skin Health’s Radical Night Repair Plus. Whether you’re concerned about environmental skin aging, or natural skin aging… Whether you’re concerned about your face or your arms, retinol—properly formulated—can make a big improvement.
Donna Queen
The Worst Cities for Healthy Skin
A recent TotalBeauty.com-conducted study sought out the worst cities in the United States — for your skin. Findings were based on several factors including smoking rates, climate and pollution, to name a few. (And you thought it all came down to genes and Botox.) Did your city make the list? Here’s hoping a move isn’t in order.
#13 Portland Maine: This city has a penchant for tanning beds, which explains why its skin cancer rates are so high. You know how dangerous the sun’s rays are, but did you know the UVA rays in a tanning bed are two to three times stronger? Hey, folks in Portland, Maine, meet the spray tan.
#12 Tacoma, Washington: This city, largely populated with blue collar workers and military servicemen and women, grabbed a spot on the list for its stress levels. When your life has tension, your body recognizes it and answers with stress hormones, like cortisol. Cortisol is a green light for oil production, which leads to blemishes. Put. The Blackberry. Down.
#11 Macon, Georgia: The state may be known for its peaches, but there’s nothing peachy keen for your skin with 88 percent average humidity. All that moisture in the air leads to more sebum in the sebaceous glands, which increases your chances of acne. ZO Skin Health’s creator, Zein Obagi MD, recommends cleansing skin one full minute to rid of sebum, but Macon residents might want to go longer.
Your city didn’t make the list? Don’t say “Phew!” just yet. We’ll share 9 more cities with you over the next week. Which city needs to substitute its nicotine addiction for an SPF addiction, making it #10 on the list? Find out right here!
ZO Skin Health
The Games (Some) Skincare Companies Play
Read the fine print. You hear that advice all the time, but probably only follow it when buying a home, signing a lease or negotiating some other major purchase. Pick up the nearest women’s magazine and you’ll learn it applies to skincare products, too. But, we’re warning you: Prepare to feel duped.
We’re going to conduct this little exercise every so often just to keep you as educated a consumer as possible. We’ll flip through a woman’s magazine and go through the promises, one by one.
First up, a skincare cream from a brand better known for its hair products.
The claim: “Look up to 5 years younger in just weeks.”
The fine print: Based on a consumer perception study, women judged they looked up to 5 years younger starting at 4 weeks.
Notice the word “perception.” Here’s the dictionary definition: the act or faculty of apprehending by means of the senses or of the mind; cognition; understanding. In other words, the results are all in your head.
The real deal: Read between the lines: their clinical studies revealed that if there was measurable improvement — any improvement, any at all — it was negligible.
Next, we have a two-page spread devoted to a youth activating cream serum. This one has three footnotes in fine print, but we’d rather focus on the term “youth activating.” We all know what youth means. This is how the dictionary defines “activating”: to make active; cause to function or act.
The real deal: Notice there’s no specification on exactly WHAT will be acting youthful. A sports car or a trophy wife or an old cheerleader’s uniform could all be justifiably referred to as youth activating. But will they make your skin look younger?
The only asterisk marks you’ll find on ZO Skin Health products are to alert you to the potency of our ingredients. And fine print? We don’t need it. We’re so proud of what we’re doing here, we want to make it as clear as possible.
ZO Skin Health
Pushing the Envelope–with 1% Retinol
It’s true; I do like to “push the envelope”. For me, “pretty good” is not good enough. That’s why in my new Radical Night Repair Plus, I amp’ed up the formula to put in 1% retinol. That may not sound like much, but to your skin–it’s a whole lot! Here’s why:
Retinol is the most effective topical ingredient for anti-aging—and the only one that is clinically proven. But for it to be effective, it has to reach a concentration in the skin of at least .60-.70%.
Typical drug-store retinol products (even the best selling one!) only contain about .15%—not enough to make a meaningful difference. No matter how much you put on—you can put it on all night—you’ll never reach .60%.
With a 1% concentration—like Ossential® Radical Night Repair Plus, you can activate and stimulate your skin cells so that they begin producing collagen and accelerate cellular turnover.
Scientists agree that an even higher concentration (for ex., 2% or 3% or 4%) would be even more effective, however the product would be unacceptably irritating. 1% is the ideal “cap rate”—the greatest concentration of retinol, with little or no irritation.
Please use Radical Night Repair gradually and apply according to label directions. Do not use in combination with other nighttime skincare products that may compete with it or induce irritation.
