ZO Skin Health
TIP: A 10-second trick to make your skin look younger
Putting on an eye cream? Tap, tap, tap is for the birds, birds, birds! Your skin is meant to be strong and tolerant, and babying your skin is like spoiling your kids—they grow up to be weak and lazy.
Instead of tapping your skin with your pinkie, Dr. Obagi recommeds that you pat your skin firmly. You’ll be stimulating your skin cells—keeping them awake and vibrant. Don’t overdue it, though—stretching and pulling and tugging will over-stress the elastin fibers.
ZO Skin Health
Preposterous Anti-Aging Skincare Claims–They’re Getting Kind of Old!
When it comes to anti-aging skincare claims, who can you trust? Good question, and the FDA wants you to know. So they have published a list of companies that are making false and misleading claims. In our opinion, it’s long overdue. While the industry was not regulated, companies began making more and more unproven claims and publishing misleading photos.
And the companies that they’re naming–well, it’s a who’s-who list of skincare–Helena Rubinstein, Guerlain, L’Oreal, Lancome, Coty, Lancaster, Avon, Chanel, Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, Shiseido–the list goes on and on!
Dr. Obagi is in favor of increased regulation–he has always been a great proponent of ensuring that skincare claims are fair and honest.
For more information, check out the following link:
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms_ia/importalert_188.html
ZO Skin Health
Stay Cool!
If you live in an area where the temperature is soaring, your skin is under stress and duress. Dry skin, eczema, acne-prone and sensitive skin are all especially problematic. Here’s what Dr. Obagi recommends to get through the summer heat:
- Sweating is your body’s way of regulating temperature. Wear fabrics that allow your skin to breathe properly—like linen and cotton. Spandex, lycra, etc. are comfortable, but they may trap sweat, congest pores and cause breakouts on your back or neck.
- Hold off on facial waxing, glycolic peels, microdermabrasion, etc. Avoid or reduce the use of products that contain high concentrations of glycolic acid, salicylic acid, retinoic acid or retinol. They all work to expose new, younger, healthier skin cells, but in so doing, shed the dull, dry skin cells that have been blanketing your skin.
- Drink plenty of water or a sports drink. When your skin is not properly hydrated, it will appear more wrinkled, dry and damaged.
- Apply a good sunscreen (like ZO Skin Health’s Oclipse SPF30) about 30 minutes before going outside—it can take that long for it to be fully absorbed by your skin, and reapply it throughout the day. Sunscreens with physical blocks (like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) are better than chemical sunscreens.
- Avoid the use of products that are fragranced.
- Wear a broad-brimmed hat. Not only will it shelter you from the UV rays, it will provide some welcome shade (and protect your hair color!)
- Opt for a treadmill instead of your favorite jogging path. Now is the time to enjoy an air-conditioned fitness center.
ZO Skin Health
Guide for Identifying Beachgoers
Headed to the beach this weekend? Check out this cartoon by Dave Granlund first. Only the novices (and the dummies) go the beach without UV protection. Remember, wear SPF 30 (like Oclipse SPF 30 on your face) and a good body sunscreen (Dr. Obagi likes Neutrogena sunscreens); reapply it every 2-3 hours and after swimming or perspiring. Better yet, wear a broad-brimmed hat and long sleeves–like a Year-Round-Resident! If you’ve been using retinoic acid or Radical Night Repair Plus, be extra careful about sun exposure. Stay cool, and have fun!
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
Skincare Products at the Academy Awards. And the Winner is…
In case you ever had any doubt, celebrities sell skincare products.
Case in point: about 8 years ago People magazine reported that Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt ”slathered Kinerase all over their beautiful bodies.” Sales of Kinerase soared.
Now, no one knows whether Jennifer and Brad actually used Kinerase (and they are not talking to each other, let alone the media!). But after packages of Kinerase were given away at a big celebrity event, Jenn and Brad took them home. A good PR firm did the rest!
(one thing to note about Jennifer Aniston–she’s one of the few celebrities in Hollywood that refuses to endorse any product–no matter how much $$ is offered!)
Hey, even though they make $$$ millions, celebs are like the rest of us; they like free stuff. They just get a lot more free stuff than the rest of us do. And at these award shows, the give-aways are pretty lavish–expensive watches, trips, and jewelry, all valued at about $30,000 per gift bag.
The give-aways at celebrity events (like the Academy Awards, the CMA Awards) aren’t as lavish as they used to be though. That’s because the IRS sent out letters saying that the recipients would be responsible for paying income taxes on the freebies. So many of the celebrities graciously said, “uh, thanks, but no thanks”.
So is it wrong or unethical to give away free products to celebrities? In our opinion, no. We just thought you might like to know that that’s the way the game is played. What brought all of this to mind was an infomercial that said that “many of the celebrities who went to the Academy Awards already have it”.
The next time you see that a celebrity has a particular skincare product, you have to wonder–did they get it for free?
Dr. Zein Obagi
What Does SPF Stand For? Your Sunscreen Probably Flunked!
SPF = Sun Protection Factor. Or SPF = Your Sunscreen Probably Flunked. That’s right. Even though physicians have been preaching for years the importance of wearing sunscreen, one bunch of treehuggers now claims otherwise.
Two years ago, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) challenged the safety and efficacy of sunscreens, claiming that the chemicals used in it can cause or accelerate cancer. In fact, they claim that 80-some percent of sunscreens flunked–claiming that they are not safe and/or effective That’s worrisome.
So let’s face the facts:
* EWG’s studies were done only on laboratory mice, and mice are much more susceptible to cancer than people.
* One of the ingredients that they claim is responsible is retinyl palmitate, which is a form of Vitamin A–which in fact is used in the treatment of cancer.
* the EWG generally prefers titanium dioxide and zinc oxide–two physical sunblocks. On that particular point, dermatologists generally agree that physical sunblocks (which block the sun’s rays) are preferable to chemical ones (which absorb the skin’s rays). So we agree. But what should you do about it?
Remember the column that was first published in the Chicago Tribune, with advice for new grads?
“Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.”
Sunscreen is still your best protection again skin cancer and skin aging. Just reapply it frequently, use a minimum of SPF30 and use it every day.
ZO Skin Health
Skincare. Use It or Lose It
Why do so many skincare companies put products in 1 to 6 ounce containers? Why not supersize them, like some discount retailers do?
In case you’ve missed the evening news recently–and Dr. Obagi has been quoted on many of the networks–the problem is that supersized products may be false economy. Here’s why:
1. Just about all personal cosmetic products have a shelf life. You can see that date printed on the jar–it’s called the PAO (Period After Opening)–an illustration of a little open jar, with a number inside–like 6M, 12M, etc. That stands for 6 months, 12 months, etc.– how long the product will stay fresh after it has been opened. Skincare companies are not required to include the PAO on the package, but ZO does.
2. Some products will lose their potency after repeated exposure to light or air. Vitamin C, retinol, glycolic acid and hydroquinone–curiously, they’re some of the best and most effective ingredients–all are particularly vulnerable. Airtight, opaque packaging helps, but it’s not fail-safe. As someone told me once, “it’s impossible to make anything fool-proof, because fools are so ingenious.”
3. Products that are applied directly to your face–for example, lip gloss, lip balm, eyeliner and mascara, become breeding grounds for bacteria. You’re not doing yourself any favors by keeping them long past their expiration date. That’s why so many skincare products are sold in airtight pumps–to reduce the possibility of contamination.
4. Cosmetics and skincare products need to be stored properly–away from direct light or heat, and with the jar firmly closed. Don’t keep them in your car–especially during the summer.
5. Loofahs and sponges are frequently the host for bacteria. All of those nooks and crannies, and the moist bathroom environment, are conducive to bacterial contamination. According to Dr. Obagi, the bathroom is “a fertile ground for mold, bacteria, fungus and streptococcus, and these things make you vulnerable to acne and infections.
Here’s what Dr. Obagi recommends for the useful life of skincare and cosmetics:
- Cream and gel cleansers: One year
- Serums: Six months
- Liquid foundation: Six months if it is in squeezable packaging, two months in any other form
- Concealer: Three months
- Loose powder: Two years
- Pressed powder: 18 months
- Eye shadow: Two years if powder, two months if it’s cream, unless it is in a squeezable or airtight container
- Mascara: Three months (but discard sooner if it dries out)
- Eyeliner: Up to three years for regularly sharpened pencils, two months for cream or liquid eyeliners
- Blush: Two years for powder, two months for cream
- Makeup sponges: Wash after each use and throw away after two weeks
- Lipstick: One year
- Lip gloss: 18 months
- Lip liner: Up to three years if sharpened regularly
- Nail polish: One year
Let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
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
All the Wrinkled Ladies
Just a little something to remind you about the importance of good skincare. Ladies, if you don’t take care of your skin now, you could be doing this song and dance later. … Enjoy!
