What’s Inside?

Obagi’s trademarked Penetrating Therapeutics deliver ingredients like zinc, copper, malonic acid and blueberry extract.

How do I use it?

ELASTIderm eye cream should be applied to the skin of both corners around the eyes as well as the eyelids.  After cleansing, toning and application of prescription skincare products, apply the eye cream and then follow with moisturizer and sun protection.  Ask your aesthetician for more information on applying the eye cream and incorporating it into your skincare routine.

Read more about this product on our skin care products page or Obagi.com

Only the first 10,000 people who donate will receive the Latisse free trial certificate. You might remember last year’s campaign led by Brooke Shields. This year, the effort is led by lifestyle designer Kathy Ireland, professional ballroom dancer Chelsie Hightower and style guide Bobbie Thomas. Watch the video to learn more about the campaign and see important product information about Latisse.

“With approximately 1.5 million bottles sold since launching the product a little more than a year ago, LATISSE is giving back by helping the Make-A-Wish Foundation grant the wishes of children. Through the campaign, we will double each individual’s donation, with a maximum donation of $250,000, through October 31,” said Robert Grant, President of Allergan Medical, a division of Allergan, Inc.

If you’re considering Latisse, you may want to check out these stories and resources:

• On RealSelf.com, consumer reviews are mostly positive and certainly interesting.  Latisse: what are women really experiencing?

• A blog called Stylelist.com has a few professional tips on saving money on Latisse by eventually decreasing your frequency of use.  Latisse side effects have some on the fringe

• A popular blogger “took the plunge” and started using Latisse in order to document her experience online. BellaSugar: Latisse Diaries

The story got me thinking more about the relation between diet and healthy skin – how important is it?

Nutritionists say it’s very important. Every day, our bodies naturally exhibit evidence of our lifestyles. However, the process is much more complicated than the old adage “you are what you eat.” Research shows that a cell-level battle is raging within each of us, a battle between the natural process of aging and the natural systems that help us resist that very process.

Oxygen is everywhere – in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and in the food we eat.  Oxygen has a natural tendency to combine with other processes in our skin at the cellular level to produce (evil) free radicals, the enemies of our skin tissue. Like the effects of oxygen on metal that cause oxidation and rust, in our bodies a similar process leads to inflammation, and this inflammation can take many forms. On the skin, inflammation can make pores look bigger and skin look dull, discolored, or aged.

So what can one do about these seemingly inevitable processes?

Well, consider the fact that Vitamins A, C, and E are “antioxidant rich” adversaries of the free radicals that hide in our cells and attack our skin. Consider that Selenium is a mineral that experts agree is critical to the production of glutathione, another enemy of free radicals. Consider that Thiamine is a B vitamin that helps skin cells function normally. Consider that Zinc assists epidermal cell growth, that protein is essential for skin repair, and finally, that Vitamin C helps the body naturally manufacture collagen, a protein that keeps the skin supple and tight. If you’re trying to look as young as you feel, good nutrition is obviously the place to start.

Related Links

• Fraxel on Facebook
• Super Foods Blog
• Daily Beauty
• Antioxidants: Nature’s Fountain of Youth

Dr. Zein Obagi, founder of ZO Skin Health, is now suing his former company, Obagi Medical Products (OMP), for anti-competitive practices. According to the complaint filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, Obagi Medical allegedly interfered with the distribution of Dr. Obagi’s new “ZO” line of anti-aging products. According to reports, the disagreement stems from a non-compete agreement between the two parties, and whether that agreement should stop ZO Skin Health from distributing its new line directly to consumers over the internet. Obagi Medical denies any wrongful conduct in the matter, and says it will vigorously defend the suit.

The demand for anti-aging skin care products is expected to increase as baby-boomers continue to take advantage of advances in skin care science. Between 2006 and 2008, U.S. sales alone rose 13% to 1.6 billion dollars, and the trend shows no sign of weakening. Skin health is affected by a number of variables, including the environment (sun, wind, pollution), lifestyle (diet and exercise) and genetics. As a person ages, the process of skin-cell-rejuvenation is also slowed. Topical aesthetic and therapeutic skin health products on the market today are specifically designed to address these issues.

Read more about anti-aging skincare and Obagi products in Eugene, Oregon.

Microdermabrasion is a good choice if you have little time or when you’re anticipating an important event. The depth of exfoliation is very precise with microdermabrasion, so you’re less likely to experience side effects like redness or swelling. Typical healing time is about 3 days at the most.

Healing time for most chemical peels will require about 1 week.  However, with all the choices available in chemical peels, we can design a treatment that is very gentle if needed.

Can I choose both treatments?

Sometimes an aesthetician will recommend doing both. If done carefully, a light chemical peel such as AHA or salicylic acid can work in combination with microdermabrasion. Just make sure you work with an aesthetician or surgeon that has experience combining these treatments.

The most important difference between over-the-counter products and those you’ll find from a doctor is the pH – the level of acid present.  Here’s a handy dandy guide for understanding pH levels.

• pH of 1 or 2 is high strength acid, what you’ll typically find in quality, medical grade products from a plastic surgeon.
• pH of 3- 4 is medium strength
• pH of 5-6 is weak
• pH of 7 is neutral

Although an over-the-counter skin care product may advertise a high concentration of alpha-hydroxy acid, it will most often register as a 7 in pH, which is considered neutral.  High quality skin care products from a plastic surgeon contain strong acids with a pH level of 1 or 2.

Granted, run-of-the-mill skin care products from the drug store are very safe, but they don’t offer a pH level that will provide results.  So when you’re choosing a skin care regimen to cleanse the skin, improve complexion, and protect yourself from the signs of photo-damage, pay attention to the pH level rather than the advertised concentration of acid.

60,000 members of the site VibrantNation.com, who the CEO labels as an “influential and fast-growing” demographic, reported paying a bit extra for antioxidants and hypoallergenic products.  The reported breakdown of spending for the group is as follows:

Respondents said their most significant beauty investment was…

* 61% anti-aging moisturizer
* 40% foundation/concealer/cover-up/color makeup
* 2% botox/fillers/lasers
* 2% plastic surgery

Furthermore, a whopping 45 percent said that “if money were not an issue, they would undergo plastic surgery.”

Our bodies are reacting to external challenges.  Stress creates an adrenaline surge that elevates the level of a hormone called cortisol in the blood. Cortisol tells fat cells to dump sugar into the bloodstream for energy – which is great if you need to outrun a raging elephant but not so great on your body or your skin. Over time stress can damage your body in ways that are not so attractive when we examine ourselves in the mirror.  In addition, we rarely do our bodies or our skin any favors during hard times. As a matter of fact, that is when we sleep less, drink more and eat all the wrong foods.

While all these issues can be resolved, first you have to de-stress. Until that time comes, here are 5 professional tips on how to get by:

1. Keep your hands away from your face, stop touching and stop popping those pimples! Keep your hands busy with a pencil or squeeze one of those strengthening balls. For goodness sake, get rid of that magnifying mirror!
2. Go visit your doctor or cosmetic physician and pick up a few acne fighters.
3. Get yourself a facial, even if you’re on a budget. Treat yourself to some downtime; even bring your teenage kid in for a facial with you. A twofer! It will be therapeutic and quite relaxing for you both.
4. If you are using benzoyl peroxide, be sure not to use it with bleaching products (Hydroquinones) or copper peptides. You can use both products, but not at the same time.  Use one in the morning and the other in the evening.
5. Are you using high quality skin care products?  If so, try a chemical peel as well. Because a peel removes the built up dead skin on the surface of your face, it allows therapeutic products to penetrate and get the job done more quickly and more effectively. Even a rejuvenating mask or anti-acne mask will give you a great head start on de-stressing your “epidermal anxiety!”

There are many ways to remove unwanted hair: you might like shaving, plucking, using electronic tweezers, radiofrequency tweezers, waxing, depilatories (creams), electrolysis (inserting a needle into each hair follicle one at a time followed by an electric spark to burn out the follicle). But these methods are temporary. The only permanent and effective treatment to remove unwanted hair is with laser hair removal.

Lasers send a low-energy beam through the skin. The dark pigment (melanin) present in the shaft of the hair follicles absorbs the laser beam. Initial hair reduction is seen immediately after treatment. Permanent results require repeated treatments because of the hair growth cycles.

There are different types of lasers that can be used to remove unwanted hair.  The first lasers approved for hair reduction by FDA were the ruby, alexandrite and diode lasers. But these could only be used on select individuals – not those with tans or ethnic skin.

The newest lasers – our Lumenis LightSheer XC -  have longer wavelengths and therefore, the ability to treat darker skin types, including African-American skin, Asian skin, and those with a tan.  One of the biggest benefits is the convenience; immediately following your hair removal treatment you can return to work, school or any of your regular activities.