At random, the numbers 4, 24, and 31 (corresponding to comment number) were selected, and the winners are Jessica, Devan, and Dana! Congratulations! 
Thank you to all of you who entered! Stay tuned for another awesome contest!
With economy concerns running rampant and the holiday season quickly approaching, what’s a savvy skin care recessionista to do (besides break out and endure dry skin, that is)? Here are 5 ways to make sure your skin glows — and that your wallet doesn’t have to pay the price for it.
Numerous products serve more than one purpose. Take, for instance, Neutrogena 3-in-1 Eye Cream ($17.00 for two, Amazon.com), which is an eye cream, sunscreen with SPF 20, and concealer all in one. Using it in place of your regular eye cream every morning will make your eye cream last twice as long — and you get the benefits of a concealer and sunscreen!
Another cult favorite is Neutrogena Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 ($23.63 for two, Amazon.com). A daily moisturizer with antioxidant vitamin E, it keeps skin hydrated and smooth, while providing the super anti-aging benefits of sunscreen - a win-win situation!
Unless you have acne or breakout issues, or are recommended a specific regimen by a dermatologist or other licensed physician, you may not need that high-priced cleanser or toner. In general, cleansers and toners generally don’t have the same level of effective ingredients as similarly-priced moisturizers or toners. In addition, according to renowned dermatologist Dr. David E. Bank, cleansers need to be applied to the skin for at least one full minute before rinsing in order to achieve their full benefit. With that said, why not opt for a cheaper, yet still effective cleanser (like Cetaphil) and invest in a high-performance moisturizer or serum?
That way, you will be able to determine which product you ”need” to keep your skin clear, moisturized, firm, etc. Allergists take a similar path when they are determining what is the cause of a specific symptom. Take too much away at once, and you’ll never be able to tell which is the product that has been saving your skin. Same thing goes with adding in new products - stick with just one new product for at least two weeks through twice-daily application (unless it is irritating or whatnot), and see how your skin reacts.
This is a definite “consideration,” and I say this with some reservation. In general, face products tend to have less potentially irritating ingredients, and have a greater variety of formulations for different skin types (dry, oily, normal, etc.). However, if you are blessed with normal skin and are really in a pinch financially, there are some body products that should be fine for use on the face. Take, for instance, the body-formulated Olay Quench Body Lotion for Normal to Dry Skin ($18.64 for two 20.2 ounce bottles, Amazon.com) versus the face-designed Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Cream ($19.10 for 1.7 ounces). For 50 cents less, you get nearly 24 times as much product when you go with the body cream! And they are very similar ingredients-wise, as shown from the lists below. The major differences are that the more expensive for-the-face Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Cream contains a high degree of silicone-based cyclopentasiloxane, which will help to temporarily fill in fine lines and make for a smoother application, and its addition of firming pentapeptide-3. However, for the difference in price, if you consult with your skin care expert and s/he gives the OK, substituting with a body lotion should be better than going without any moisturizer at all.
Olay Quench Body Lotion for Normal to Dry Skin: Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Isohexadecane, Petrolatum, Isopropyl Isostearate, Dimethicone, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Polyethylene, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, Sodium Acrylates, Behenyl Alcohol, Fragrance, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Benzyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Tin Oxide, Ethylparaben, Dimethiconol, Disodium EDTA, Stearic Acid, PEG 100 Stearate, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Propylene Glycol, Sodium PCA, Betaine, Sorbitol, Glycine, Alanine, Proline, Serine, Thereonine, Arginine, Lysine, Glutamic Acid, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, C12 13 Pareth 3, Laureth 7, Sodium Hydroxide
Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Moisture Cream: Ingredients
PEG 100 Stearate, Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Polyethylene, Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Stearyl Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide 3, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavendar) Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Alanine, Arginine, Betaine, Glycine, Lysine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Glutamic Acid, Sodium PCA, Sorbitol, PEG 10 Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, PEG 10 Dimethicone, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Red 40, Blue 1, Fragrance
…And then build the rest of your skin care regime around it. In my particular case, I like 3-4 drops of Skinceuticals CE Ferulic ($89.88, Amazon.com) for day, and since it boosts sunscreen protection and provides great antioxidant protection and some hydration for my normal skin, I can go with a cheaper (yet still high SPF) product after. And then for night, I like a high-potency retinol like Green Cream Level 9 ($50.00, Amazon.com), and since retinol is potent, then I can go with a gentle, cheaper cleanser and moisturizer.
Between med school, a part-time job, this blog, my family and friends, and my puppy (see below), I am always looking for shortcuts that don’t sacrifice quality. That’s why I love new L’Oreal Skin Genesis Wet Cleansing Wipes ($6.67, Amazon.com). Replete with hydrating alcohol (that’s right, a hydrating alcohol!), glycerin, castor oil, dimethicone and a small amount of clarifying BHA, L’Oreal Skin Genesis Wet Cleansing Wipes leave my normal-dry skin feeling hydrated and soft — not tacky or dry.
From ingredients alone, L’Oreal Skin Genesis Wet Cleansing Wipes are hydrating. Its inclusion of PEG 60 hydrogenated castor oil is naturally going to be a problem for those with a castor oil allergy (not altogether uncommon), as reported on extensively in the journal Contact Dermatitis. Still, castor oil has been reported to have healing effects, such as in this 2003 review, in which a castor oil-based skin ointment was found to assist in the healing of skin donor grafts. The other ingredients are mostly hydrating, like the widely used glycerin and the silicone-based dimethicone, while the BHA salicyclic acid cleanses and exfoliates the skin, and may help with the absorption of other beneficial ingredients applied later.
Who wouldn’t like Skin Genesis Wet Cleansing Wipes ? Judging from responses on my blog to parabens, there are a significant number of you who don’t want to use them, and this product contains more methylparaben than BHA. In addition, those with dry skin may still require a moisturizer later, whereas those with oily skin may want a product with higher BHA.
I personally have started using Skin Genesis Wet Cleansing Wipes on really late nights, when I’m (gasp) too tired to wash my face. On those nights, these are a lifesaver - one wipe and it’s lights out! :-) Is it ideal skin treatment? No. But for the busiest of days, these really can do the trick! Product rating: 7/10. (High concentration of effective ingredients: 1.5/3. Unique formulation: 2/3. Cost effectiveness: 2.5/3. Sunscreen: 0/1).
Ingredients:
Aqua/Water, Hexylene Glycol, Glycerin, PEG 60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG 20 Stearate, PEG 8 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Parfum/Fragrance, Methylparaben, Silica, Poloxamer 184, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Disodium EDTA, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Citric Acid, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Dihydrocholeth 30, Decyl Glucoside, FIL (B30196/1)
My puppy, Emmie:
Vital Stats
D.O.B.: April 9, 2008 (seven months old)
Breed: Yorkshire Terrier
Relationship Status: It’s complicated
According to a recent study in the Journal of Health Psychology, patients with severe acne reported being less likely to engage in sports or exercise, due to reported decreased self-esteem levels. Yet, this could be one of the worst things that a patient with acne could do, as exercise may actually help to alleviate acne. According to dermatologist Dr. Richard Fried, M.D. in this month’s Women’s Health magazine, “[Exercise] can save your skin…Exercise reduces levels of insulin and stress hormones, which when elevated, can trigger the production of breakout-boosting sebum.”
Still not motivated to exercise? One of my favorite ways to motivate myself to exercise on “blah” days is with time or money I would not otherwise use on myself — that is, time for a fun lunch out with friends, say, or money for something I can afford that I wouldn’t otherwise have (a pretty bar of soap or a new lipstick is always a fun option). Another great way is through FitDay.com. I absolutely love their nutrition and exercise tracker, and it’s graphs let me know if I’m on track to meet my fitness goals for the holiday season! :-) (And no, I am not sponsored by the site, I just found it one day and have been using it avidly ever since. I hope some of my readers find it helpful too. :-) )
Come back tomorrow for a review of L’Oréal’s new cleansers!
As both a med student and an American citizen, I am feeling the crunch on my wallet right now. Hence why, at first glance, inexpensive but luxurious-sounding products like Olay Body Wash Plus Spa Exfoliating Ribbons really get me excited. Olay Body Wash Plus Spa Exfoliating Ribbons ($7.00, Amazon.com) contains a high concentration of the occlusive agent petrolatum that locks water into the skin, plus seaweed extract (Fucus Vesiculosus). Although research on seaweed extract in human skin is limited, this 1995 study from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry suggests that a different form of seaweed may inhibit the arachidonic acid cascade in mouse skin, ultimately playing a role in the prevention of skin cancer tumors in the mouse. Olay goes on to state that the seaweed extract microbeads are the same as are “used in many spas,” though the exact scientific basis for this usage has not been affirmed in published studies as of yet.
What I don’t like about Olay Body Wash Plus Spa Exfoliating Ribbons is the product’s inclusion of sulfates, particularly sodium lauryl sulfate, which is a known skin irritant. In fact, sodium lauryl sulfate is sometimes used in laboratory tests to induce symptoms of irritation. Although inclusion of sodium lauryl sulfate in products is very common, and normal product use should not induce skin irritation in most individuals, I still am not altogether fond of it. My other complaint is that, besides petrolatum and mineral oil for hydration, the product’s only other significant ingredient is the seaweed extract, which does not have a ton of research backing.
With that said, my personal experience with the product was still very positive. After using Olay Body Wash Plus Spa Exfoliating Ribbons, I can honestly say that the microbeads feel great on the skin — like a light exfoliating treatment, and smelled great in the shower! The product also left my skin feeling clean and softer than most other body washes I have tried.
Overall, then, I like Olay Body Wash Plus Spa Exfoliating Ribbons for hydration (petrolatum, mineral oil), particularly as the winter months are approaching here in Pittsburgh (brrr!) I just might pair it with an ultra-effective body lotion, like Olay Quench (which is packed with niacinamide) or Aveeno Original Body Lotion (with soothing colloidal oatmeal) immediately after my shower for additional healthy skin benefits as well. Product rating: 6.5/10. (High concentration of effective proven ingredients: 2/3. Unique or new formulation: 1/3. Value for the money: 2.5/3. Sunscreen: N/A.)
Ingredients:
Water , Petrolatum , Mineral Oil , Sodium Trideceth Sulfate , Sodium Lauryl Sulfate , Sodium Lauroamphoacetate , Sodium Chloride , Trideceth-3 , Fragrance , Seaweed Extract - Fucus Vesiculosus Extract , Citric Acid , Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride , Acrylonitrile/Methacrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylat , Isopentane , Xanthan Gum , Sodium Benzoate , Disodium EDTA , PEG-90M , Methylchloroisothiazolinone , Methylisothiazolinone , Oxidized Polyethylene , Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide , Sodium Hydroxide , Violet 2 , Green 6
It can be difficult to find skin care ingredients that are both organic and clinically proven to make a difference on your skin. That’s why I was really excited to find the Whish Sugar Scrub ($38.00, Amazon.com), Body Wash ($22.00, Amazon.com) and Body Butter ($24.00). All three products contain a high percentage of organic ingredients, but the true catch here is that these ingredients are simply organic versions of clinically proven effective ingredients like antioxidants, shea butter, aloe vera, and seaweed extract. I am personally a big fan of the entire line!
The products also advertise that they are free of parabens, sulfates, DEA/TEA, petrochemicals, and mineral oil. Although sulfates such as sodium lauryl sulfate are known skin irritants, I am actually not finding a plethora of evidence against parabens in the concentrations they are found in skin care products, nor am I finding that mineral oil is harmful to non-oily, normal-type skin. Still, if you are the type that double-locks and double-checks your doors, the fact that Whish products are paraben-free, sulfate-free, DEA/TEA-free, petrochemical-free, and mineral oil-free might let you rest easier at night.
Whish Sugar Scrub ($38.00, Amazon.com) is a combination of aloe vera (the main ingredient!), organic sugar, organic raspberry seeds, and organic bamboo. After using the product, I was pleased that it didn’t leave my skin with the oily residue of a lot of sugar scrubs. Instead, with the main ingredient being organic aloe vera, it left my skin feeling soft.
Whish Body Wash ($22.00, Amazon.com) is similarly a combination of aloe vera, raspberry butter, and shea butter. While the product definitely has excellent ingredients (and left my skin feeling amazing!), I am not as big a fan of this product as the scrub or body lotion, as it has been said by Dr. David Bank that body washes should be used for at least one full minute before rinsing to exhibit the full effect of the ingredients. With that said, in today’s time-and-money deprived society, who has the time or the money to rub a $22 body wash on every inch of their body for a full minute or more?! At any rate, if you don’t mind spending the time or the money, or just want a high-quality body wash anyway, then this is definitely a smart, savvy pick as far as body washes go!
Finally, Whish Body Butter ($24.00, Amazon.com) is a whipped body butter that really hydrates. When applied after a shower or bath, its high shea butter content acts as an occlusive agent, trapping the water against the skin. It feels great against the skin, and I highly recommend it!
It should also be mentioned that the entire line comes in Almond (shown), Pomegranate, and Lemongrass. Let me know your thoughts if you have had any experience with the line!
PS – Don’t forget to enter the November FutureDerm Giveaway!
Exederm is a skin care system approved by the National Eczema Foundation and granted the association’s coveted Seal of Acceptance. Exederm is exclusively designed to treat sensitive skin prone to flare-ups from eczema, dermatitis, and everyday irritation. All of the formulas contained in the Exederm three-step system are completely free of parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, dyes, fragrance, and lanolin, all of which can be irritating to sensitive skin. Now Exederm has teamed up with FutureDerm.com to give three readers the complete 3-step system!
As an added bonus, during the duration of the contest (through November 26, 2008), using the Exederm coupon code futurederm1 at checkout will get anyone ordering on Exederm.com $5 off their purchase!
How to enter: Respond below with a brief message about the skin care you currently use and why you think Exederm would be good for you. Please supply your e-mail address, as this is the only way you will be contacted if you win.
Contest rules and regulations: Three winners will be drawn at random on November 26, 2008 (just in time for Thanksgiving!). All winners will be contacted via e-mail through FutureDerm.com on November 26, 2008, and announced on FutureDerm.com on that date. In the e-mail, you will be asked to supply a mailing address. This mailing address will be immediately forwarded to an Exederm executive, who has agreed to supply and send the products to the winners in a timely fashion. FutureDerm.com is not responsible for lost or unawarded prizes. The prize cannot be exchanged for cash. FutureDerm.com reserves the right to cancel the contest at any time.
Good luck entering!
A quick note before I begin about MDHB: I am really very sorry about not writing for so long. I apologize if I have disappointed my readers! I finished my first Basic Science Class, Anatomy, with a final on October 13, and am now ready to invest more time back in my website (my next exam, in Cell Biology, is November 3). I am still learning to balance schoolwork with other responsibilities, so thank you very much for being patient and understanding with me. Now onto MDHB! :-) -Nicki
Methyl dihydroxybenzoate is the latest ingredient from pharmaceutical powerhouse Allergan. Released in Vivité Vibrance Therapy ($95.00, Amazon.com; MSRP $115.00), methyl dihydroxybenzoate reduces hyperpigmentation by interfering with the actual production of melanin (skin pigment). This is unique because current popular treatments kojic acid, arbutin and hydroquinone work by interfering with the activity of tyrosinase, the rate-limiting enzyme for the biosynthesis of melanin in epidermal melanocytes, according to Dr. Leslie Baumann’s text Cosmetic Dermatology. In addition, also according to the text, vitamin E as alpha-tocopheryl ferulate may also prevent hyperpigmentation by inhibiting tyrosine hydroxylase activity in an indirect manner.
So how effective is stopping hyperpigmentation at the end (with actual melanin production) versus ceasing it towards the beginning (with tyrosinase inhibitors)? According to reports from Allergan, results with Vivité Vibrance Therapy are similar to those from using a 4 percent hydroquinone solution (the highest concentration of hydroquinone available without a prescription). In a company-sponsored eight-week study, two sets of women put Vibrance Therapy on one side of their faces and 4% hydroquinone on the other. In one group, effects with Vivité Vibrance Therapy actually surpassed those of 4% hydroquinone, with 70 percent reduction in hyperpigmentation versus hydroquinone’s 63 percent; in the other group, there was a 62 percent reduction for both.
So should you switch from hydroquinone to Vivité Vibrance Therapy? That depends. If you alarmed about hydroquinone use due to reports that large oral doses induce cancer in rats, a 2006 review in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Dr. Jacob Levitt, M.D. reports that topical applications of hydroquinone in standard product concentrations are not in fact carcinogenic to humans. So that’s not really a reason to switch. If, on the other hand, you are a darker-skinned individual and have concerns over the development of ochronosis (which has been linked to hydroquinone use), then you may want to try Vivité Vibrance Therapy. Of course, always speak to your dermatologist first.
With that said, I’m really happy to be back to blogging, and I’m going to do my best to update from now on, even with school commitments. And I’m especially glad to come back with a great find like Vivité Vibrance Therapy ($95.00, Amazon.com). Keep your awesome requests coming!
Neutrogena (a brand of powerhouse Johnson and Johnson) has come up with some fabulous formulations with revolutionary ingredients through the years (their Healthy Skin, for one, is one of my all-time favorite products). So when I saw ads for the new Neutrogena Age Restorative Hydrating Cream ($14.99, Amazon.com), I was intrigued.
Unfortunately, the only new ingredient in Neutrogena Age Restorative Hydrating Cream is L-carnitine. According to this independent 2003 study, carnitine may help to prevent tissue necrosis (death) and to slow the progressive pathway after skin is burned. However, the study was conducted on the skin of rats in vitro, so it is a bit of a stretch to just assume that carnitine has similar restorative effects on human skin in vivo. In addition, although several studies have demonstrated that carnitine deficiencies result in low levels of carnitine in skin fibroblasts, there is no evidence (at least not that I could find) to support that low carnitine levels in fibroblasts make skin age faster or appear more damaged. Nor could I find evidence that applying carnitine to the skin improves skin appearance or cellular renewal rates.
The other ingredients in Neutrogena Age Restorative Hydrating Cream are primarily your standard hydrators with a silicone base. I am pretty disappointed in this product, and I hope that Neutrogena returns to introducing truly effective new ingredients soon. Product rating: 3/10. (New technology: 1/3. High concentration of effective ingredients: 1/3. Value for the money: 1/3. Sunscreen: 0/1).
Product Ingredients: Water, Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Trisiloxane, Carnitine, PEG-12 Glyceryl Dimyristate, Glycerin, BHT, Polyacrylamide, Laureth-7, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Carbomer, Zinc Gluconate, Potassium Sorbate, Copper Gluconate, Sodium PCA, Urea, Magnesium Aspartate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Polyquaternium-5, Laureth-23, Laureth-4, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trehalose, Triacetin, Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Disodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance.
Dermatological medicine has hit over-the-counter once more: aluminum zirconium trichlorohydrex GLY, a clinical-grade ingredient found in prescription deodorant/anti-perspirant formulations, is now sold in Secret Clinical Strength Deodorant/Anti-Perspirant ($8.99, Amazon.com). The ingredient is available in 20% anhydrous concentration in the product, which is lower than in prescription-grade formulations, and combined with conditioning ingredients to be less irritating than their clinically recommended counterparts.
As with other aluminum-based deodorants, the aluminum zirconium trichlorohydrex GLY in Secret Clinical Strength Deodorant/Anti-Perspirant works in two ways: one, its capsules clog pores (preventing moisture release) and two, it absorbs moisture from non-clogged pores (hence preventing malodorous-ness, as bacteria breakdown sweat and release a scent). The net result? Dryness.
As with many skin care ingredients, there has been concerned raised on the web as to the safety of aluminum zirconium trichlorohydrex GLY. In this case, it is due to the fact that the metal, aluminum, has been identified as a neurotoxin in this 1989 study in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, amongst others. However, aluminum zirconium trichlorohydrex itself has not been found in any clinical studies to be correlated with a higher incidence of any disease, at least not in any studies I could find. I will keep you posted if any arise to my knowledge.
When applied at night, Secret Clinical Strength Anti-Perspirant keeps you dry all throughout the day, and I highly recommend it to anyone who suffers from heavy perspiration. I’d definitely give it a try! Product rating: 8/9. (High concentration of active ingredients: 3/3. New technology: 3/3. Value for the money: 2/3 (some deodorants carry aluminum zirconium trichlorohydrex GLY and are cheaper, but designed for men, like Mitchum). Sunscreen: N/A).
