ZO Skin Health
TIP: If you want to feel good, try this cocktail
Dr. Obagi has little patience with people who want a sweet-smelling, feel-good cream and expect it to improve their skin. So he has simple advice for those who just want to feel good: have a martini.
“If you want to look good,” he says, “use products with a high concentration of retinol.”
Then again, there are people who want to do both! For 2008-2009, sales of luxury cosmetics and skincare were up 63%. Sales of vodka were up 81% , and sales of rum were up 226%! Of course, if you drink too much, everyone else will look better too!
productsimple advice for anyone wanting to feel better: have a martini.
ZO Skin Health
The Ten Most Vain Places to Live in the US
Where would you expect that the most vain people –the ones who believe in better living through surgery– live??
Forbes and Total Beauty found out what ten cities have the most plastic surgeons, tanning salons and spas/salons per capita. Here’s the countdown:
#10 Louisville, Kentucky. Go figure. People there spend more on hair/skin/nail care. Louisville also has more than its fair share of plastic surgeons.
#9 Minneapolis, Minnesota. The winter cold there is brutal, and wreaks havoc on the hair and skin. It’s understandable that they have so many spas and salons. They need a little extra pampering.
#8 Charleston, West Virginia. No kidding! Charleston has more tanning salons per capita than NYC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Miami—combined!!
#7 San Diego, California. Sure, Californians are consumed with their appearances. But they also spend too much time outdoors during beautiful sunny weather. So they have more wrinkles and skin laxity! Advice from Dr. Obagi: wear Oclipse SPF 30 Sunscreen!!
#6 Dallas, Texas. Don’t mess with Texas! People there spend more time and money in salons so that their hair and nails look good.
#5 Los Angeles, California. This one was a no-brainer. The folks who live in Lalaland have more cosmetic plastic surgery procedures. All of the nose jobs, lip plumping and breast enhancements add up.
#4 Salt Lake City, Utah. There are more plastic surgeons here (per 100,000 people) than anywhere in the US. Who knew?? One theory is that because Mormons have large families, women there opt for tummy tucks and liposuction—also dubbed “Mommy Makeovers”.
#3 San Francisco, California. It’s a city best known for herbal and homeopathic supplements. So they probably like to go au-naturel on their skincare, haircare and nails as well. And they pay more than most anywhere else, too!
#2 Miami, Florida. People who live in Miami are rumored to eat too much, drink too much and smoke too much. Now we know that they spend too much on manicures, pedicures, facials and hair color, too!
#1 New York, New York. Everything there just costs more. Facials, haircuts and massages help to relieve stress in the Big Apple. Until they see their credit card bills… Then they need to start all over again.
How about in your hometown? Where do you think people are particularly vain?
ZO Skin Health
TIP: The best way to start your day
Want some breakfast food that works for your waistline as well as your skin? It’s so good you may even want to have some for dessert.
It’a a mango, and although it’s relatively new to the American diet, it’s been around for 4000 years. Not only are mangoes low in calories and high in fiber, they have some very interesting properties.
* Mangoes are powerhouses for anti-oxidants (like beta-carotene) that neutralize free radicals that damage skin cells and lead to premature aging. Just one mango contains 1-3X your minimum daily requirement of Vitamin C.
* They’re a very good source of silica. Never heard of it? Our bodies hold a small supply of this important mineral, but that reserve diminishes as we grow older, causing dry skin, wrinkles, brittle hair and nails. Silica retains 300 times its weight in water, so it helps your skin stay hydrated and plumped. .
The only problem with mangoes? It’s a little difficult to cut the fruit away from the stone. But the best things in life aren’t easy, are they?
ZO Skin Health
Fight and Protect
Boxing trainer Frankie (Clint Eastwood) had two messages for boxer Maggie (Hilary Swank) in Million Dollar Baby: fight and protect. And as the movie reveals, “protect” is as important, if not more important, than just fighting hard.
It’s the same message that Dr. Obagi (and every other dermatologist) preaches every day: to defeat the signs of skin aging, you have to fight hard, and protect your skin.
And that’s the reason that we have paired our two very popular products–Radical Night Repair Plus and Oclipse sunscreen–this month. When you get RNR Plus, we’ll give you a .5 oz Oclipse sunscreen. You have to protect your skin against UV rays all year long, but especially during summer! To take advantage of our current offer and get a free Oclipse, go to: http://www.zoskinhealth.com/shop.html
When you think of the movie, get out the Kleenex, and remember: fight and protect.
ZO Skin Health
Help for Yo-Yo Dieters, when the Yo-Yo is stuck in the “up” position
Gina Tutino has been a yo-yo dieter for most of her life. But for the past 10 years, that yo-yo has been stuck in the “up” position.
When she lost her husband, she stopped cooking, and ate junk food. Then she went through menopause, and weight loss became even more difficult. Eventually she gave up, and chose not to deal with the daily frustration of a stupid scale and relentless zippers.
One day she met Dr. Obagi and he focused on Gina’s face—not the rest of her body. She always had good skin; she just hadn’t taken care of herself in a long time. He recommended that she get started on ZO products.
In a few weeks, she began to see a difference. After 8 weeks or so, she began to like herself. And then she began to believe in herself again. That was the turning point.
She started a medically supervised diet, and began working with a personal trainer. No drugs or surgical intervention–just good old-fashioned diet and exercise. Over the next 18 months, she lost about 9 lbs per month—total, 165 lbs! Gina is now a slim, trim 136 lbs!
Congratulations, Gina—you know how to fight aging, and fight hard! You look terrific!
Dr. Zein Obagi
Really?? Sunscreen is Bad for You??
Eggs are bad for you; no, eggs are good for you.
Carbs are bad for you; no, carbs are an important part of a healthy diet.
Coffee is bad for you; no, frappuccinos with double whip are bad for you, plain coffee is actually good for you; it reduces the risk of diabetes and Parkinson’s.
You need to apply sunscreen every day. No, sunscreen limits your body’s exposure to Vitamin D, which is important for strong bones and auto-immune functions. Wait a second. Which way is the wind blowing today?
Here’s my opinion. UV rays are an important—and very efficient—source of Vitamin D which helps prevent osteoporosis, high blood pressure and cancer. But you can still apply sunscreen every day, and get all of the Vitamin D that you need.
- The National Institute of Health reports that it does not take much sunlight to produce adequate amounts of vitamin D: perhaps as little as 30 minutes of exposure (without sunscreen) twice a week.
- That UV exposure can come through any part of your body—your hands, your arms, etc. If you’re going to be outdoors, you still need sunscreen on your face!
- That UV exposure doesn’t have to be between the hours of 10-2. Go outside during off-peak hours.
- You can get vitamin D from a variety of sources—including salmon and eggs. Milk, OJ, yogurts and cheese are also frequently fortified with Vitamin D. You can get Vitamin D from vitamin supplements. Eat more of the good stuff!
There are things that we all need to be concerned about. Getting sufficient amounts of Vitamin D doesn’t need to be one of them.
Stick with the sunscreen!
Donna Queen
A Day in the Life of Zein Obagi, MD
Dr. Obagi doing one-on-one consultations at one of his Personal Appearances
I learned something new on Saturday; in fact, I learned a lot.
There were 600+ women who began lining up outside a Nordstrom store at 7 am to see Dr. Obagi and a few other celebrities like Kate Somerville and Deborah Lippman. It’s a big show, but that’s not what impressed me.
Sitting next to Dr. Obagi, while he visited with people was a great experience. Even for me, and I’ve known and worked with him for a while. What made it most interesting was not what he said, but the people with whom he met—some of whom had traveled thousands of miles to see him. A few of the surprises:
- Many people told him that he had changed their life—given them self-confidence and happiness, because he treated difficult skincare problems that other dermatologists refused. We’re not talking lines and wrinkles here—we’re talking very serious and debilitating skin diseases.
- The mother who brought her son, who had severe nodular acne. Dr. Obagi asked this woman why she had not taken her son to a doctor before this. She said that she wouldn’t let anyone else treat him, because she herself had the same condition 25 years ago, and only Dr. Obagi was able to correct her skin. So she waited—and waited—until she could see Dr. Obagi. He gave her his card, and asked her to bring her son to his clinic right away.
- The number of different races and ethnicities that were represented. Part of the reason is because Dr. Obagi led the dermatology profession in the treatment of different skin colors. Only about 25 years ago, many dermatologists treated skin like it came in only two different colors: fair-skinned and slightly tan. They were color blind; they didn’t understand anything other than Caucasians. Dr. Obagi changed all of that. Now he’s a hero to people with skincare problems, all over the world.
- The number of different languages that they spoke. And he talked right back–in four different languages.
- There were some women whom he admitted that he couldn’t help—they had diseases for which there was no treatment. One woman left in tears, because he said, “I don’t want to mislead you. My products won’t help you.” Understandably and unfortunately, she was desperate for a solution. But at least he was honest.
- His 18-year old daughter, who sat and listened, so very proud of her father. She has heard it all before, I’m sure, but she wanted to hear it again.
- The number of people who came to him because they were disillusioned with skincare products that didn’t work. They left feeling stronger and optimistic, that this time will be different. They left with hope; but more than that, they left with solutions.
- Scores of women who use the Obagi® Nu-Derm® products that Dr. Obagi developed, and just wanted to thank him, personally.
It’s not very often that Dr. Obagi makes a personal appearance, but if you have the opportunity, join him some time.
For me, it was a day that I’ll never forget. For him, it was just another day.
Dr. Zein Obagi
What You Love About Aging
I’m in the business of making you look good. It’s what I do. A lot of times, though, making you look good means making you look younger. Certainly we can all understand the desire to get rid of unwanted wrinkles, sagging skin and fine lines. To be clear, though, I want everyone to realize that aging itself isn’t a bad thing. On the contrary, it’s quite lovely.
Think about it. The best cars are the classic models. The best music are the oldies but goodies. The best wine is the most aged. The words “antique” and “vintage” instantly make an item more appealing. That’s the way we need to think of ourselves: the older, the better. Like the classic pink Cadillac pictured above. Car connoisseurs covet it. Passersby admire it. We all respect it.
I recently asked my Facebook friends and Twitter followers to tell me what they LIKE about aging. Some of the answers surprised me. Take a look. Perhaps it will make you look at aging a little differently:
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Caroline appreciates her age because it’s taught her how to handle men better.
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Kristi loves her age because it’s given her confidence. She used to walk into a room wondering if people would like her. Now she wonders if she’ll like the people in the room.
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Tammy wouldn’t trade her laugh lines for the memories of joyous times with friends and family that the years have brought her.
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Selena may wish she had the same body she did in her 20’s, but not the same resume.
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Phyllis’ grandchildren make her thankful for her age.
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Pam insists the bright side of getting older is not having to LOOK older, which she credits to the Obagi products.
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Danielle never received as many compliments on her chestnut brown hair as she does with her head of silver hair.
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Monique wouldn’t trade the good taste and style she’s acquired over the years for fewer wrinkles.
ZO Skin Health
Skin Cancer Awareness: The Good, Bad and Ugly
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. To celebrate, we asked our Facebook fans and Twitter followers to tell us how “aware” they’ve become over the years. Yes, we wanted to hear all the great habits they’ve adopted to prevent skin cancer, but we also wanted to hear all the stuff they look back on with regret, too — just to show how far we’ve all come.
Let’s just say we have a very honest group of followers. Take a look. And, remember: Dr. Zein Obagi insists that SPF is your best defense against aging, too. Apply it liberally for its many benefits.
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PAYING THE PRICE: Becky regrets spending more money on her tanning salon passes than her skincare products in the early ’90s.
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STYLE SOLUTIONS: Karen is proud to carry umbrellas and sport trendy hats to protect herself from the sun’s damaging rays.
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THAT’S (NOT) AMORE: Tanji can’t believe she once told friends she didn’t have to worry about skin cancer because her Italian skin wasn’t susceptible burning.
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GREASE ISN’T THE WORD: Liz can’t believe she used baby oil in place of sunscreen as a teenager.
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WHAT’S UP, DOC?: Felicita is glad she knows enough about skin cancer to schedule a dermatologist appointment whenever she or one of her kids gets a strange mole or spot on their skin.
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BURNING BED: Kirsten wishes she didn’t believe the people who told her tanning beds were safe because they didn’t have UVB rays. Forget about the powerful UVA rays to which she was exposing her skin!
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CHECK PLEASE: Elizabeth wears her SPF with pride and visits a dermatologist once a year for a mole check, just to be safe.
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FAIREST OF THEM ALL: Lea is thrilled that she learned to love her fair skin and no longer needs a tan to feel pretty.
**Join the conversation! Follow us on Twitter here and become our Facebook fan here. Or just leave us a comment right here and let us know how you’ve increased your Skin Cancer Awareness over the years.
ZO Skin Health
