 |
Photo: Henry Leutwyler
|
Snail slime. Plant stem cells. Bee venom. These are just a few of the many, many confusing things touted on the ingredient labels
of serums, moisturizers, and eye creams. If you’ve spent any time in
Sephora lately, you know it can be completely overwhelming trying to
shop for effective skin care. To cut through the noise, I talked to two
top NYC dermatologists, Dr. Elizabeth Hale and Dr. Amy Wechsler,
to get their recommendations on universal ingredients and products and
find out exactly what should be in your skin care arsenal.
Obviously
everyone has individualized skin care needs, but let’s go ahead and
generalize anyway. Basic skin care should include protection, preventing
and treating signs of aging, and hydration. I knew sunscreen would be
number one on both doctors’ list (it was, and they both reminded me how
important it is), so I asked them for their top three
products/ingredients after sunscreen. Both dermatologists agreed on the same three must-haves:
Anti-oxidants: Anti-oxidants
are both protective and preventive when it comes to aging.
“Antioxidants are ideal for packing a super-sized punch against
free-radicals to help protect your skin,” Dr. Wechsler said. “Look for
these in your skincare products, and try to include them naturally in
your diet, through treats like green tea or antioxidant-rich berries.”
According to Dr. Hale, free radicals from pollution and UV radiation can
get into your skin and cause genetic mutations which can lead to skin
cancer and the development of the signs of aging.
There
are multiple effective anti-oxidants: “Vitamin C is a popular one,
because in addition to having antioxidant properties, it’s also a
natural skin brightener,” Dr. Hale says. “It’s probably one of the most
common ones, too. Truthfully I like formulas that have multiple
antioxidants.” She’s a fan of Cindy Crawford’s Meaningful Beauty Crème de Serum and SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic.
Retinoids: Retinoids—like
tretinoin and retinol—are skin care’s powerhouse ingredient, and one
that has lots of research behind it. Retinoids just work. Dr. Wechsler
recommends prescription retinol because, “[It] is a great anti-ager that
can transform your skin, smoothing wrinkles, unclogging pores,
lightening sun spots or discoloration, and improving the texture of the
skin.” But it can also be a bit expensive and cause drying in people
with sensitive skin, so there are effective over-the-counter options out
there, too. Dr. Hale likes RoC’s retinol product line and SkinMedica Tri-Retinol Complex.
Moisture: Hydrated
skin just looks and feels healthy. In addition to drinking enough water
everyday, use a good moisturizer. “This is one of the easiest and most
affordable anti-agers available, since a moisturizer can immediately
reduce the appearance of dry or dull skin, minimizing fine lines and
dull spots,” Dr. Wechsler pointed out.
As
far as specific ingredients, “I like ceramide a lot because it’s a kind
of mortar that keeps our skin cells together. It’s a fatty acid,” Dr.
Hale said. “It’s a really good moisturizer that best mimics our body’s
natural properties.” You definitely don’t need to spend a lot on
moisturizer. Dr. Hale swears by CeraVe lotion, a popular drugstore option.
Now
get out there and build yourself a skin care routine. After you get
into a groove with those three, then you can start investigating things
like “royal jelly” and “circuminoids.”
By
0 comments:
Post a Comment