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.
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.
Dr. Zein Obagi
Sunscreen and Vitamin D: The Controversy
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, 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.
- You only need about 10-15 minutes of exposure per day, and that 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.
- Looking for a good facial sunscreen? I like ZO Skin Health’s Oclipse SPF 30. For body, dermatologists like Neutrogena sunscreens.
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!
ZO Skin Health
Take Good Care…
When you’re in debt, a financial advisor will advise how to pay off creditors, based on which debts are most costly and damaging. After you prioritize your credit problems, you can knock them out accordingly. But if you’re concerned about wrinkles, and you know you can’t expect to solve all of your problems overnight, where do you start? Should you avoid sunshine and UV damage, reduce stress, change your diet, quit smoking and/or drinking, use better (or more!) skincare products, eat foods rich in anti-oxidants, take nutriceuticals, stay hydrated, exercise, have more facials? Taking good care of your skin isn’t your only priority, so let’s address the biggest problems and worst offenders, and then face the facts.
* 1 UV exposure. This one is the real culprit of aging. UVB rays cause burning, but UVA rays, which penetrate the skin more deeply, cause wrinkles, loss of elasticity and photoaging. You’re exposed to UVA rays even when you’re inside—about 90% of UVA rays are transmitted through ordinary glass and windshields. Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen (like Oclipse SPF 30) every day, and use skincare products high in anti-oxidants.
- 2 Wake up your skin cells. Dormant skin cells exacerbate all of the signs of aging. You need to activate and stimulate them with high concentrations of retinol, which is generally considered the best topical anti-aging ingredient. In fact, scientists recently revealed that retinol (and other Vitamin A derivatives) is the only topical ingredient proven to provide anti-aging benefits.
- 3. Kick the sugar habit. Too much of the sweet stuff—either as sugar or as fructose– is the most common cause of glycation and inflammation. It binds to collagen, weakens it, and then induces sagging and wrinkles. Too much sugar will also reduce skin circulation and damage the texture.
- 4. Stay hydrated. Drinking 8 glasses of water/day is important for digestion, circulation and excretion. For skincare, you need even more than that, especially after reaching age 40. Water helps hydrate the skin (thereby disguising wrinkles), flushes toxins from the skin (reducing acne), reduces dark circles underneath the eyes, and reduces eczema and psoriasis. Water is surely the most readily available, and the cheapest, skincare remedy.
- 5. Huff and puff (but not nicotine!). Cardio-vascular exercise is good for your skin. It improves the circulation and delivers nutrients to the skin. Plus it makes you feel better about yourself, and the radiance shines through.
- 6. Relax. Being divorced, a single parent, employed (or unemployed!), a caregiver for an elderly parent can all increase stress, and that stress can cause or exacerbate a blotchy complexion, blemises, dullness and acne and rosacea flare-ups. It’s impossible to eliminate stress, but you should help reduce it. Find time for yourself, exercise, get 7 hours of sleep a night, enjoy friends, practice yoga—whatever works for you.
- 7. Eat a healthy diet, rich in anti-oxidants and Omega-3’s. It’s the perfect excuse to have an ounce of dark chocolate.
Peels, laser treatments, Botox and fillers may be an option, but they shouldn’t be your first choice. What you do every day, how you treat your skin every night may make medical procedures unnecessary.
Women are great at taking care of others. Now try something else: for the benefit of your skin and your health, take good care of yourself as well.
