Hi!
I´m 31 years old and I´ve been interested in the science of beauty since the age of 16. I started using sunscreen daily at 17 and a prescription retinoid a few years later.
The rationale of my regime is to prevent new skin damage and help repair the daily damage done by UV-radiation, pollution and intrinsic ("chronological") aging.
I´ve divided my regime into three categories: CLEANSE, PROTECT & PREVENT (sunscreen + antioxidant cocktail) and PREVENT & REPAIR (prescription retinoid).
CLEANSE
Tip: try to find a cleanser with tocopherol (l- or dl doesn´t matter) as this lipophilic antioxidant has been shown to be deposited on skin while cleansing.
The best cleanser I´ve ever used is the drugstore brand ALPHA HYDROX foaming facewash ($6.99). Oil free, fragrance free, soft texture, gentle and leaves no residue. It has gotten rave reviews on other skincare messageboards because it´s excellent in conjunction with more aggressive actives like acids and retinoids.
Sadly I can´t afford to have it sent to me from USA because of shipping and taxes. Grrr...someone please send it to me and I ´ll paypal you and be your personal skincare guru forever! [lol]
Water, Glycerin, Decyl Polyglucose, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, PEG 200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG 7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Citric Acid, Propylene Glycol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, PEG 3 Distearate, Ammonium Hydroxide, Sodium Chloride
http://www.drugstore...737&catid=21228
Second best I´ve tried is Topix Resurfix Ultra Gentle Cleanser
Purified Water, PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Trideceth Sulfate, Lauroamphodiacetate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Laureth-13 Carboxylate, Papain, Green Tea Extract, dl- Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Polysorbate-20, Quaternium-15, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid.
http://www.skinstore...954&prodID=6194
Currently using The Body Shop Aloe vera gentle facewash which is the most expensive of the three and it is ok, but I think I´ll have to get my hands on one of the above somehow.
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Gel, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Pentylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Dimethicone Copolyol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Lecithin, Tocopherol.
http://www.thebodysh...goryId=cat30012
In the summer I like to use a salicylic acid cleanser 2-3 times a week. I like the Johnson & Johson brands (Neutrogena, Clean & clear and Clearasil) and Loreal. If you can, try finding one without menthol as it can be unecessarily irritating. Loreal makes a menthol free one, a foaming mousse wash in their Loreal Paris acne series.
PROTECT and PREVENT
I use two items to protect my skin in the daytime. I start with the least important of the two, a topical antioxidant cocktail, by applying it to my newly washed face:
Skinceuticals C + E ferulic serum
4-6 drops on face, eye area, 4 drops total on the front and back of my neck. 2 drops on each hand.
Tip: wait 20-30 minutes before applying another product on top of it. The ascorbic acid needs to be unionized (low pH) to penetrate.
Water, Ethoxydiglycol, L-ascorbic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Laureth-23, Alpha Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Triethanolamine, Ferulic Acid, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate
http://www.dermadoct.....11A2571661C8}
On top of this antioxidant serum I apply the most important item in any skincare regime, the sunscreen. A broadspectrum, high UVA protection sunscreen will protect you from mottled hyperpigmentation (uneven aged skin tone), loss of firmness, dilated pores, wrinkles and some types of skin cancer. No other product can do all these things except a prescription retinoid (don´t worry, I´ll get to that later).
Face: La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL fluide extreme SPF 50+
http://www.la-roche-...&Darreichung=13
or Bioderma Photoderm Max fluid SPF 50+
http://www.bioderma....oduct//161.html
Eye area: La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL creme SPF 50+
http://www.la-roche-...1&Darreichung=3
Lips: Bioderma MAX stick SPF 50+
http://www.bioderma....oduct//231.html
or La Roche-Posay Antherpos lip cream SPF 50+
http://www.la-roche-...5&Darreichung=2
Neck and top of hands and other exposed areas of my body: La Roche-Posay Anthelios fluide corps SPF 50+
http://www.la-roche-...&Darreichung=13
PREVENT and REPAIR
In the evening, when the sun is down, I wash my face and apply a prescription retinoid that will help my skin repair the damage from daylight that the sunscreen + topical antioxidant cocktail let through.
A retinoid will increase collagen synthesis and prevent skin aging by inhibiting MMPs like collagenase and elastase, enzymes that degrade support proteins in your skin. It will also brighten skin tone, clean out pores, prevent and treat acne and enhance hyaluronic acid synthesis that adds volume and hydration to firm skin. If that is not the description of a miracle cream then what is?
Face and eye area: Tazarotene 0.05% gel (brand name Avage and Tazorac among others). Two days a week I use tretinoin 0.025% gel to be sure to activate all cell receptors (tazarotene is selective).
http://avage.com/
Lips: tretinoin (Retin-A cream) 0.05% (just a small dab)
http://www.aboutrenova.com/
Neck and top of hands: tretinoin (Retin-A gel) 0.025%
Edited by fredrik, 23 October 2007 - 05:47 PM.