It’s not necessary to see a physician before buying ZO® Skin Health, but it’s always a good idea to see with a physician periodically. A dermatologist or plastic surgeon can give you medical treatments that are otherwise not available.  

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You should see firmer skin, smoother texture, diminished lines and wrinkles, more even skin tone and improved radiance.

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4. Should ZO® Skin Health be used instead of Obagi Nu-Derm®?

In Dr. Obagi’s practice, he recommends that ZO® Skin Health products be used as prequel to Obagi Nu-Derm®, in conjunction with it, or as part of the Obagi Nu-Derm® maintenance program.   

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No, you certainly shouldn’t use all of the products, only the ones that are recommended for your skin type. But we do recommend using an entire program, containing the five critical steps—cleanse, activate, stimulate, calm/nourish and protect. To re-energize aging skin, you need to constantly stimulate cellular function with stabilized retinol, advanced peptides and powerful anti-oxidants for continuous stimulation and repair. So the more saturated the skin is, the better response you'll get.

If you pick and choose between brands, it’s likely that you’ll miss some key active ingredients, or have a superfluous supply of others—more than your skin needs, or can even absorb.

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A pure and active derivative of Vitamin A, retinol stimulates skin cells. Use of retinol has also been shown to stimulate new collagen production. Retinol is one of the few substances with a small enough to penetrate the outer layers of the skin and work to repair the lower layers of the skin where collagen and elastin reside. Skin will appear smoother, softer, pores will appear smaller and less noticeable, and signs of aging will begin to diminish. Retinol in its purest form will give your skin the most anti-aging, acne-fighting, and skin smoothing benefits possible. The increased cell turnover caused by retinol has also been shown to be particularly helpful on acne patients. The skin exfoliation unclogs pores and helps fade acne scars.

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If your skin is particularly sensitive or you have rosacea, you may want to try a spot test first. Some tingling or irritation is called the retinoid effect, and is a temporary acclimation of the skin to retinol. Generally, skipping every other night in the beginning should allow skin to adjust. You may notice some increased sensitivity during usage, so make sure to use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 before spending time in the sun. If ZO® Skin Health products cause significant irritation, please discontinue use.

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Breaking out and peeling is the natural way for the skin to free itself from previous damage and expels to the surface everything that was sitting under the stratum corneum. This "purging" is caused by retinol and takes about 4 to 6 weeks for the skin to renew itself.

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According to Dr. Zein Obagi, moisturizers give skin a smooth, silky feeling but with repeated use, skin becomes addicted to them. Instead of causing the skin's cells to function properly, the way that nature intended, skin cells become fat and happy, lazy and slow down. Then the skin becomes sensitive, intolerant and the signs of aging rapidly increase. ZO® Skin Health offers cremes to calm and nourish redness and irritation, brighten and even skin tone. These Ommerse products moisturize the skin, but are not intended to be used to the exclusion of products that activate and stimulate your skin.

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ZO® Skin Health products are formulated to be safe and effective for all skin types. You can use them after non-invasive procedures such as Botox®, fillers, light-peels, etc. Ask your physician about any other type of procedures.

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ZO® Skin Health has not performed clinical testing of its products on pregnant or nursing women to show that they are, or are not, safe to use. Ask your personal physician or dermatologist what is the best choice for you.

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