Maryl writes: Keeping Up Face

Confusion!

It’s important to keep up appearances in our second lives.  It may require a different regimen than before; as we move on in life so does our skin.  But confronting a skin care section of a favorite department or drug store is daunting and expensive so you don’t want to make too many bad choices.   (A lot of brands offer coupons or trial offers on their web sites which is not a bad idea.)  Vitamin C, seaweed, avocado, caffeine, botanicals, green tea and an assortment of berries and acids…..I’m taken in by all the ingredients and promises on the labels and wonder if a product is that good, why do we need plastic surgery?

I came up with my own method for assessing the many possibilities.  I think what’s in the cream or lotion is more important that the brand although I do have my favorites.  I read a few articles by dermatologists and checked with my own and concluded that I needed something with Retinol and another with a peptide.  They both stimulate collagen production and a few other things.  So I got a prescription for the first and shopped the cosmetic counters for the second. 

A lot of creams contain collagen but according to my findings, you can’t apply it topically and expect any results.  The product has to be able to penetrate the skin in order to spark its growth, such as StriVectin.  This  is of course the product sold in department stores for $100+ that first made us aware of what a peptide is.   All sounds good but at a $100 a pop?  Instead I settled on Olay Regenerist serum and have been relatively happy with the results.  But then what did Olay do?  They came out with four other skin care lines all seemingly promising the same thing.  I was back to being confused again.

So I went to the Olay web site and did the online consultation and was moved right up to their more expensive Professional Pro-X line.  Not sure why and when I inquired whether it contained the same amino peptides as Regenerist couldn’t get a straight answer.   I trust Olay so I’m giving the Repair Lotion and Tightening Serum a try.  I’ll let you know whether I go back to Regenerist or not in a month or two.

For now I’ve chosen not to go the path of surgery or injections and don’t see myself reconsidering that decision down the road.  Aside from applications, I do like the idea of massage (who doesn’t?) and that of using heat to activate the dermis or lower layer of skin.  That procedure using RF technology is called Thermage and with a laser, Titan.  Either one involves a pulsating magic wand (my name) that slowiy moves over your skin surface resulting in a tingling sensation.  I like tingly too.  If nothing else it doesn’t hurt and you’re good to go right after.  I’m checking out Thermage next time my friend goes for a treatment.  Be back to you on the before and after on that one too. 

We’ve all got something to say about skin care products.  You have to share here.  Some sources for more discussion are:

1)      Want a non-surgical path to firmer skin?  Thermage?  Titan?

2)      Choose you skin products by their ingredients.

3)      Some more considerations from our friends at More.

4)      And the winners of the 1^st Annual Good Housekeeping Anit-Aging Awards are…