Winning! Solise Sun Wash and the doctor

As previously mentioned, Dr. Sobel is wonderful when it comes to taking care of other people's skin, yet never took the time to do anything for himself... 

...until now. 

Solise Sun Wash is a body-wash that you use as normal in the shower, but once you've toweled off-- you're left with a physical sunblock of SPF 15. As a devoted father, Dr. Sobel was happy to take this fresh-smelling body-wash home for his family to benefit from, and after putting it in the shower... he inadvertently found himself using it as well. (As an absolute sunscreen fanatic, this was a personal coup for yours truly.)

Suddenly finding himself covered head-to-toe in sunscreen everyday, Dr. Sobel was surprised at how nice the experience was...

Mad-Lib quiz to find skin care needs

EVERYONE, at some point, has insecurities about what they see in the mirror. But, how do you know if your various issues are passing, or if they are worth seeing a professional about? 

To determine what you think is bothering you, versus what is really bothering you, print out this quick skin-care Mad-Lib type questionnaire to help identify your unique skin goals and priorities:

• Skin Goal: My goal is to ________________________________________________.
  
• Currently: I am happy with my (area of face/skin description/etc.) __________________________, but I'm curious about treatments for my ______________________.
  
• Possible (known) Solutions: I'm willing to try (prescription/peels/lasers/injections/etc.) ____________________________________________, but I prefer to steer clear of (prescription/peels/lasers/injections/etc.) ________________________________________.
  
• Pain: On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being easy, 5 being nearly unbearable), I want to keep the pain below a ________.
  
• Time: I would like to spend no more than (an hour/a day/3 days/week/etc.) __________ recovering and (would/would not) _______________ be willing to have (and/or pay for) treatments that require multiple sessions.
  
• Finances: I don't want to spend more than $______________ total, or spend more than (an hour/2 hours/ 3 hours/etc.) __________________________________ receiving treatments.
  

After completing this, you should have a more pin-pointed idea of how much something aesthetically is bothering you, and how far you are willing to go to correct it. If professional intervention is needed, feel free to bring this along with you as it will provide a clear and concise snap-shot of your views and feelings, that can then be shared with your skin care expert. 

Laser skin resurfacing with Fraxel: strange to see MY answers coming out of someone else's mouth

It is definitely weird to hear the same exact answers I would give (except for the pricing, we're less), coming out of a person who is very much NOT me.

The recent interview on Good Morning America shared great information about Fraxel laser skin resurfacing, and in a few minutes, they covered all the most important facts: what kind of results to expect for acne scarring, surgical scars, wrinkles, melasma, etc., how the device is being utilized for people in their teens, versus people in the 50's, and how Fraxel treatments can actually help prevent skin cancer. 
 
Kudos to Dr. Rohksar, definitely one of the best Fraxel videos I've seen:

Wealthy women at biggest risk for melanoma

What slice of the population would you guess is at the highest risk for contracting skin cancer? 

Obviously, as the title of this article would indicate, we know the answer to the question... but before you read this, who would you have guessed is at the highest risk? 

As I try to mentally compartmentalize the study described below, part of me wants to say that I would have guessed lower class Caucasians-- both male and female-- as being at the highest risk.  This is based purely on assumption, but I would peg them to not be educated correctly about the important benefits of sunscreen, nor would I think that they have the expendable income to spend on something like sunscreen, which doesn't deliver a benefit that can be immediately seen. (Lower-income families of any other ethnicity most likely have darker skin-tones, which naturally provides a better defense against the sun.) 

My second guess would have been wealthier Caucasians, again-- male or female-- because of the outdoor leisure activities extra-wealth would allow them to do, combined with the fragility of pale skin. (Plus, the have the money and desire to invest in indoor tanning, in order to succumb to the "tan" peer-pressure.) 

Interestingly enough, it is my second hunch that is the accurate one, with occurrences of melanoma being much higher in affluent Caucasian women than men. 

Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, killed an estimated 8,700 Americans in 2010 alone. Unfortunately, according to new research just published by the Archives of Dermatology, being a wealthy white female indicates a higher risk for contracting the deadly cancer...  

Researchers discovered that Caucasian females living in the most affluent California neighborhoods were almost six times more likely to be diagnosed with the disease than those living in the poorest California neighborhoods. 

The amount of ultraviolet radiation each geographical location received was also taken into consideration. Even then-- the females with the higher socioeconomic status were 73% more likely to develop melanoma than the poorer women living in areas that received equally high amounts of ultraviolet rays.

Previous studies suggest several possibilities for these findings, which neatly coincide with exactly what you would expect: greater access to outdoor recreational activities increases the risk of melanoma.

“Affluent women have been reported to have more leisure time, during which they may pursue outdoor activities such as gardening, playing sports, or walking,” noted the researchers. Visits to indoor-tanning salons, and tropical vacations are also leisure activities that well-off white women may be partaking in that potentially could increase their risk of melanoma. (It is speculated that melanoma occurrence is higher in women than men, because affluent men are usually working indoors during the day.)

Despite a woman's economic status, data shows that all females had significant increases in melanoma incidence. Between 1980 and 2004, the occurrence of melanoma amongst young American women increased by 50 percent!

  

Everyone, regardless of wealth, location, age or skin color, needs to take precautions to help protect themselves and their loved ones from melanoma. 

• To learn more about your risk of skin cancer, take The Skin Cancer Foundation's Fitzpatrick Skin Type Quiz to find out your skin type.
  
• For information on how to protect your skin every day, see The Skin Cancer Foundation's Prevention Guidelines.

Natural* ways to get rid of cellulite

Hate to be the bearer of bad news... but as of right here... right now, there is NO proven way to getting rid of the sexist Cellulite affliction. (Life can be so unfair: despite rarely occurring in males, cellulite is estimated to effect 80-90% of females throughout their aging process.)

BUT before you leave disgruntled about being brought to this article by dubious means, please let me explain: while there are no methods of getting rid of cellulite, there are some natural ways you can go about minimizing the appearance. (And by natural, I mean methods of minimizing cellulite that do not involve surgery, lasers, or injections.) 

These simple tricks can help your skin look smoother, tighter, and younger: 

1. Build muscle mass: Counter to what you would initially think, skinny people can still have cellulite, because cellulite is made up of fat. If a body is thin, but has no muscle mass, the fat on their bodies can still manifest as cellulite. A simple remedy to this is to add some strength-training exercises into your daily schedule, especially targeting any problematic  cellulite hot-spots (thighs, rear-end, etc.). Building muscle will help smooth out any little lumps and bumps as your new muscle mass will lie on top of your fat layers, giving your skin a flat surface to rest upon. 

2. Consume less salt: By reducing your salt intake to less than 1,500 milligrams a day, you will cut down on water retention which some skin experts believe helps to improve the appearance of cellulite.

3. Self-tan: Giving yourself a faux-tan helps create an optical illusion that helps to hide the presence of cellulite. (Please note: by self-tan, we mean a tan that comes from a bottle, absolutely NO tanning-beds!) Multiple skin-care companies, such as Nivea and Philosophy, have been marketing "firming" self-tanners-- feel free to experiment with these, but keep expectations realistic. 

4. Use Moisturizers That Irritate Your Skin: Again, it sounds counter-intuitive to think that applying something that causes irritation would be recommended for your skin, but by applying a skin cream with skin-irritating ingredients such as pepper, caffeine, or retinols, the irritation caused to the skin makes it mildly swell, which camouflages any cellulite presence. The effect only lasts for a few hours, but is good to use before a special event or outing.

With warmer weather and bathing-suit season right around the corner, we would love to hear your opinions on any of these-- or other-- cellulite fighting tricks.

70 years of sun damage, undone in 2 minutes

Granted it will take a few weeks for the skin to finish healing and look perfect, but this video encapsulates the entire treatment time needed to removed every last speck of sun-damage off this guy's weathered hands. (A die-hard golf enthusiast, these hands have spent at least 6 hours in the sun, every weekend day, for the past 70+ years. Much to my extreme disapproval, no sunscreen has been used, ever.) 

The skin type most likely to die from skin cancer

It seems almost morbid to pose the question, but... which of the two cutie-pies featured here do you think is more likely to die from skin cancer? 

Since the answer seems like it would be obvious, you're probably guessing this is a trick question. 

It is. 

Even though your first guess would most likely be to pick the redheaded baby (after all, redheads are known for extremely delicate skin), it is actually in fact the African American baby that is most likely to suffer from a fatal case of skin cancer.

Pale skin inherently has less natural defense against the sun, as opposed to the already melanin rich skin of a person of darker color. (It is estimated that an African American's darker skin provides them with a natural SPF of about 13.) However, with the advent of sunscreen, smart marketing has directed the importance of sun safety primarily to those that need it the most-- Caucasians-- which has left those with darker skin under the impression that they don't need to worry as much about sun protection. Due to this type of thinking, Latinos, African Americans, Asians, etc., are unknowingly exposing themselves to the deadly UV rays of the sun on a daily basis. Which, leads us to the startling reality: African Americans, Latinos, and Asians, are much more likely to die from skin cancer than a Caucasian.

The problem stems from multiple causes. Firstly, darker-skinned people are under the false impression that they don't need to be as vigilant as sunscreen, which is true... but protection is still needed. The issue is compounded by the fact that since they don't view skin cancer as a risk, they are less likely to check themselves out for suspicious moles or lesions, and even less likely to go to a doctor regarding a suspicious spot. (To their defense, cancerous lesions can be difficult to spot on darker skin.) Because skin cancer on darker skin is usually diagnosed on the late side-- they statistically experience a much lower survival rate than their pale, early detecting counter-parts.

While it is true that those with darker-skin have a lower risk overall of getting skin cancer, sun safe practices (such as wearing sunscreen, or even bathing with a Sun Wash) and annual skin exams should still not be ignored because the fact remains-- nobody is immune to skin cancer.

The premature aging that is occurring during your manicure...

Despite having to engage in activities that wreck my nails all day long, I love getting manicures. It's such a pleasure to sit back, and let someone else take care of you. 

Plus-- no matter how hard I try, it is impossible to ever get my nails to look as perfect as the professionals.

I enjoy every moment of the actual manicure process, the color choosing, the gossip, the hand massage, but despite all the extra frills, obviously the point of going for a manicure is to attain nice looking nails-- and to that effect I try to be as compliant as possible to the nail drying rules. 

If they tell me to put my hands under the drying UV fan for three sessions, even if I'm bored out of my mind and jumping out of my skin with pent-up energy-- I keep my fingers exactly where they're supposed to be for the recommended time-span. 

Three cycles? No problem. As soon as the one session ends, I dutifully tap the restart buttons, and wait until I can leave with my perfect, completely dry nails. 

And then, a horrifying thought occurred to me... what's the difference between the UV rays I willingly expose my hands to under the nail dryer, and those that I daily try to protect myself against from the sun? According to some experts-- none. 

Hands are the number #1 victims of premature aging, because unlike the face, they are not constantly being covered in makeup that has an SPF in it, or, if you are one of those that does take the time to sunscreen your hands year-round, chances are that you don't reapply after each time you wash your hands throughout the day. Because of this, the skin on the backs of your hands are extremely vulnerable to the environmental damages they are constantly exposed to, and are usually the body-parts that show the most signs of aging; with brown-spots, wrinkles, and rough, leathery looking skin.

Willingly subjecting your hands to 20 minutes of direct UV rays during a manicure just adds insult to injury... However, instead of giving up your self-indulgent self-maintenance (because I know I'm not!), the prevention against this abuse is easy-peasy: click off the UV light and only use the fan to dry your nails.

Another very easy way to protect your hands from future sun damage is by using Solise Sun Wash. It's the first of it's kind, and combines a moisturizing hand-wash with an SPF. By using this product, you're coating your hands in an FDA approved, non-greasy, hypo-allergenic, nice smelling sunscreen, every single time you wash your hands. Makes your life a lot easier, and will help keep your hands looking as pretty as your nails. (Use coupon code #73483 at check-out to receive 10% off purchase.)

Hard to decide which one is cuter...

Both of these products have a place safely ensconced in my make-up drawer, so while I love them both, I am having a very hard time choosing between the two in a matter that is based purely off superficial aesthetics. 

Specifically, as a sucker for anything cute/witty, I am having a very hard time choosing a favorite between these two advertisements. 

There's the Teamine Eye Cream "Because dark circles are only cute on pandas...." ad:

And then there's my champion of cuteness, EOS, with their new "a touch of delight" ad for their hand cream:

Both are totally cute, totally informative, and both represent products that totally work.

I can't choose. Which one do you like better?

The life-saving, smile inducing lip balm...

Despite the variety of amazing smelling choices, such as Sweet Mint and Summer Fruit, Dr. Sobel recently hand-picked the lemon variety of EOS's lip balms for his brood of young daughters at home-- because unlike the others, Lemon Drop has an SPF 15.

His youngest daughter, Chloe, is 8, and came home from the school the next day, all atwitter because of her new lip-balm, and in fact--credits the lip-balm with saving her life. 

"Really Chloe," he asked her bemusedly,"The lip-balm saved your life?!"
"Yes Dad." This was serious. "On the playground, my lips were so dry. It. Saved. My. Life." 

And that's the thing about EOS. Aside from the fact that their packaging and marketing is the cutest thing ever, the product itself is really good, and can be appreciated by any age, or sex.

The ergonomically designed packaging fits easily in a pocket, keeps the lid in place, it cannot get twisted up too high and crushed in it's own cap, and since you don't need to stick your fingers in it-- you're not spreading germs everywhere. (An extra bonus when dealing with kids.)

Like the little bursts of sunshine they resemble, the Lemon Drop flavored EOS lip balms are the only ones of the EOS line-up with an SPF 15. At first hesitant at the idea of covering my own lips in a lemon scented balm (was nervous my mouth would smell like a kitchen cleaning product), the fragrance was much more delicate than expected; almost like the smell of a lemon-chiffon cake, and despite the sweetness it remains a product that a heterosexual male could also use...

...which is the perfect segue for Dr. Sobel to make another appearance in this little lip-balm story. A self-respected "man's man" that bicycles from the suburbs into the city on any day where the weather is permissible, and wakes up at 5am to work-out before coming to work, this is a lip balm that does in fact make me smile-- every time I walk by his office-- and see the sunny little yellow orb of EOS lip balm sitting prominently on his desk, right where he needs for it any life-threatening, dry-lip situations.

The 5 factors (YOU CAN CONTROL) that cause unhealthy skin

Genetics aside, there are many aspects that you do have control over when it comes to the appearance of your skin.

The following list details daily changes you can make to your lifestyle to help ensure the clearest, youngest, healthiest looking skin possible, and yes-- you can do them all!

1. Sun Damage

The TOP skin offender, the sun is a major contributor to unhealthy skin. "Repeated sun exposure depletes collagen and elastin from within [the skin], making the skin less elastic, and thinner, which leads to premature wrinkles," says Dr. Callahan, a Florida based dermatologist.
The sun is a known contributor of dark-colored spots and leathery, wrinkled skin-- an obvious sign of unhealthy, aged skin. 

"The effects of the sun begin as soon as we are exposed to it at an early age. Years later, we start to see the brown spots, red spots, and wrinkles, and, if there is extreme damage, precancerous patches and skin cancer can also occur" shares NY dermatologist Dr. Michael Kurzman.

In addition to premature aging, the sun can also worsen acne-prone skin. As the surface of the skin becomes inflamed in response to the sun's rays, your skin is unable to properly shed and exfoliate itself, leading to debris trapped within pores. While a tan might momentarily even out your skin tone to camouflage the presence of acne, in the long run sun exposure makes problematic skin that much worse. 

To prevent against all forms of sun damage, a sunscreen should worn daily. (Solise, a new bodywash with sunscreen built-in, is a great solution, as it covers every body part you would wash in the shower or bath, leaving you protected without the application time.) 

2. Smoking Cigarettes

As you've undoubtedly been told for years, smoking is extremely bad for you in many aspects-- although we are just going to concentrate on the skin related side-effects here. 

Smoking is the antithesis to skin-care, as it depletes the body of Vitamin C and accelerates the break-down of collagen and elastin. In addition to breaking down the skin from the inside out, the chemicals in cigarettes also suck the moisture out of your skin, leaving it feeling and feeling dry. 

The solution sounds easier in theory than it probably is in practice: quit smoking. 

3. Dehydration

When the body is dehydrated, your organs become dehydrated too-- and as your body's largest organ, your skin is no exception. If your body is dehydrated, your skin will feel very dry and inflexible, your overall skin color will be flat, and fine lines and wrinkles may be prevalent than normal. 

Drinking plenty of water is the best way to keep the body hydrated. (If you don't like the taste of plain water, add some lemon or cranberry juice to it-- which will improve the taste, while giving you the extra benefit of some anti-oxidants.)

4. Poor Diet

The skin is essentially a mirror for the overall health of your body, and because your skin is so sensitive to internal functionings-- if you are putting bad stuff into your body, it will show on the outside. Since the skin is a functioning organ, when not enough vitamins and minerals are ingested, the skin suffers.

Try to frequently eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible, or if your lifestyle absolutely cannot support a healthy diet-- at least incorporate some Vitamins into your daily routine.

5. Lack of exercise

Similarly to how smoking negatively affects multiple aspects of your health, exercise has multi-fold benefits. In addition to keeping your heart and lungs healthy, you are also stimulating the lymphatic system which keeps everything moving in your body-- including your blood. Proper blood flow is crucial as it provides a healthy glow to the skin, while also giving your underlying cells the fuel it needs to function properly. 

It goes without saying that you should try to exercise as much as possible, but in regards to your skin-- make sure to wash your face as soon as you can afterward to prevent any sweat-induced break-outs.

[insert drumroll here] And the best skincare products of 2011 are...

It always warms the bottom of my heart to see that the beauty experts of the world agree with my product selections. 

Year after year the products that win the "Best of ...." categories are usually the same ones that can be found lining our shelves-- and the validation this gives my product choice is priceless. 

This year is no exception, as both Obagi and SkinCeutical's skincare products won New Beauty's 2011 "Beauty Choice Awards", as picked by readers, editors, and experts. 

The lofty title of "The best OVERALL SKINCARE BRAND SOLD IN A DOCTOR'S OFFICE" was awarded to Obagi Medical Products.

Why it won: Obagi is a time-tested skincare line that combines the most powerful skin ingredients in an easy-to-follow numbered skin care system, which provides dramatic results. 

The experts like it because: "This is a great line that's been around for a long time. The brand continues to reinvent itself and utilizes clinical studies from dermatologists to show its benefits." says Nashville, TN dermatologist Michael Gold, MD. 

The editors like it because: "This supercharged skincare line works over time to really deliver dramatic results!"

We like it because: "They make certain products better than anyone else. Their gentle cleanser works well on every skin type, their Metrogel is better than anything else on the market, and I couldn't live without their hydroquinone-- it's used by every single one of my darker complected patients before a laser treatment." says Naomi Fenlin, co-owner of Cosmopolitan Skin Care Solutions.

And Obagi chalked up another win for it's "Nu-Derm Clear" product, under the category of "The best OVERALL DARK-SPOT ERASER" 

Why it won: Obagi Clear gets rid of dark spots on the skin, while also fighting the other signs of aging.

The reader likes it because: "I believe that Obagi Clear is a superior product because it repairs my damaged, aging skin."

The editors like it because: "Active ingredients in a strong concentration tackle common discoloration problems to achieve perfect, evenly toned skin."

We like it because: "Hydroquinone is a tricky chemical, that can provide great results when used properly. Obagi makes it the easiest for patients to safely and correctly use, with their 'Clear' product." 

 

SkinCeutical's line of anti-aging and antioxidant products won the Best Choice Award for "The best ANTI-AGING ANTIOXIDANT LINE."

Why it won: SkinCeuticals is always on the forefront of cutting-edge science and ingredients-- their products deliver what they promise. 

We like it because: Simply put, our skin looks and feels better after using these products.

Cosmopolitan Skin Care's foolproof recipe for acne treatment

If you "google" the term acne treatment, thousands of different articles will come up.

Those that suffer from acne are so desperate to finally achieve clear skin, that they often fall prey to their own hopefulness... Whether it's the latest acne treatment P. Diddy is hawking, a mixture made in your own kitchen, some medication prescribed by your doctor, or an at-home laser treatment that a reality star swears by, there are a million different options currently being sold to those suffering from acne. We know, because our patients have usually tried all of these. 

As a last ditch effort to get clear skin, our typical acne patient has usually already tried everything on the market, and after a series of dissapointments-- they are somewhat skeptical about the efficacy of our seemingly science-fiction-like acne treatments. 

And then... they see the results.

By altering the way the skin actually functions, we are able to clear up any occurrence of acne, prevent acne break-outs in the future, and erase any sign of there ever having been an acne problem (i.e. acne scars). In short, many people who had all but given up hope on ever having acne-free skin, now bear the clear complexion of someone born with naturally perfect skin.

Is your acne treatment causing premature aging?

Every new acne patient invariably leaves our office with the follow products: a great face wash, a great sunscreen, and... a bottle of Benzoyl Peroxide.

Our acne sufferers adhere to their prescribed skincare regimen so devoutly, that we often find ourselves shipping our products to them across the globe. However, it's easy to understand why-- after trying everything else to fix their acne, they want to stick with what works.

BZP (my Benzoyl Peroxide abbreviation) devotion is not unusual-- in fact it is the single most commonly prescribed ingredient for all acne treatments. However, the reason it is so effective at curtailing acne is because of it's innate drying capabilities. BZP dries acne out by reducing the amount of oxygen in the skin, which thereby reduces the acne causing bacteria and infections. 

It is this amazing drying capability that has earned BZP it's reputation as the ultimate acne fighting cream, however some doctors are starting to wonder about a possible darker side to BZP's magic. With all of this excessive drying taking place, is BZP inadvertently causing pre-mature aging? 

The rule of aging usually goes like something like this; anything that dries the skin out, usually causes the appearance of more fine lines and wrinkles, thereby making the skin look older. Since BZP is by nature drying out the skin, reason lends that it would therefore be prematurely aging the skin. 

However, if BZP is being applied properly*, the uncomfortable, tight, dry, burning feeling shouldn't occur. Even anti-BZP California dermatologist Debra Luftman, MD admits that if the right moisturizer (i.e. a formula appropriate for your skin type) is used regularly, the skin will bounce right back to normal. 

BZP is now available in all sorts of strengths and formulas, so no matter what your skin is like-- there is a formula to help keep your skin pristine and clear. 

The one BZP precaution you do want to take to prevent premature aging is the avoidance of sun exposure. (We recommend all of our patients use their BZP at night so as to bypass this complication all together.) The light and heat of the sun amplify Benzoyl Peroxide's drying effects and can leave you with severely dried out, sun damaged skin. (Some experts even think that BZP cancels out the effect of SPF, which lends more reason to skip BZP application during the day.)

When used correctly, Benzoyl Peroxide is a must have in your anti-acne arsenal (if you look at the ingredients of the products you are currently using, you may be surprised to see you are already employing the benefits of this hard-working pimple buster.) Make sure to moisturize your skin properly, and enjoy your clearer skin-- Benzoyl Peroxide is not causing any premature aging. 

If you have any Benzoyl Peroxide experiences or questions you would like to share, please let me know. I'm always happy to hear skin related thoughts, inquiries, and stories.

* Benzoyl Peroxide should be applied in the thinnest layer possible, evenly covering the entire face, before bed. If you can see it on your skin, you've applied too much. Do not attempt to load-up an area for spot-treating, excessive drying (with peeling and flaking) is likely to occur.

Making people confident in their own skin: Brian

CBS cut out the best part of Brian's post-acne treatment (Isolaz and Fraxel) interview during the editing process.

When "Talk Philly" host Pat Ciarrocchi asked Brian about the best part of having clear skin, Brian paused for a second, then looked at her smiled. As honestly and simply as a 19 year old male could say, he answered "The girls."

Obviously more comfortable and confident in his skin after getting rid of his acne and acne scars, it is a delight to see the new twinkle in Brian's eye, and the extra spring in his step.

Ladies-- watch out.

Jordan's "Before & After" Acne Story

The technological advancements humans are developing, are consistently amazing. In every realm of life, scientific break-throughs are allowing our quality of living to constantly improve. 

 Obviously, considering my line of work, the ingeniousness I am the most frequently in awe of are those pertaining to skin care. The efficiency with which we can treat acne and acne scars, has never been attainable before. Any skin color, any age, any race-- if you're a person suffering from acne, technology now exists so that you can allow your skin to be pristinely clear. 

It's remarkable, and even though we are doing these acne treatments every day, the results from Isolaz and Fraxel  never cease to amaze me. 

Witness Jordan's transformation, courtesy of Cosmopolitan Skin Care, Isolaz, and Fraxel:

The key to glowing skin that's in every kitchen cupboard?

Baking Soda is the king of reinvention, and one of their latest incarnations has put this kitchen product square in the middle of at-home skin care.

Initially a seldom used product that non-the-less could be found in every kitchen cupboard, a household could buy one box of Arm & Hammer baking soda and have it last for years on end. In order to increase the frequency of sales, marketing geniuses began to promote the product as a way to keep your refrigerator odor-free. Sales sky-rocketed. 

Then, once every refrigerator in America had an open box of baking soda in it, sales flat-lined again. The marketing force then decided to advertise the product as a way to keep your freezer odor-free too, and sales again shot through the roof. 

Baking soda is a very inexpensive product, that can be utilized for a plethora of uses. In order to keep the company profitable, Arm & Hammer's marketing team has to constantly evolve and promote the different ways that baking soda can be useful to a wide variety of people.  

One of their most recent forays is currently being advertised amongst the glossy pages of In Style magazine, as a cheap, miraculous skin care product.

Apparently Secret #33 amongst the countless ways that Baking Soda can benefit you, is that Arm & Hammer Baking Soda can allow you to have healthy-looking glowing skin. By exfoliating your entire face and body with Arm & Hammer, you can allegedly remove your dead skin-cells and expose the healthier skin underneath, courtesy of baking soda. 

Their on-line description of this practice is as follows:

Are you a fan of the self-tan? Before applying products that give you a ‘glow’, give yourself an invigorating, yet gentle, facial and body scrub with ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda. Removing dead skin cells will leave your skin soft and smooth, perfect before application. Make a paste of 3 parts ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda to 1 part water. Rub in a gentle circular motion to exfoliate the skin. Rinse clean.

If anyone has tried using Arm & Hammer Baking Soda as an exfoliator,  please share your findings. From personal experience, baking soda is not abrasive enough to physically slough off skin cells, and all that will occur is a messy shower... with a need to buy* more baking soda for the kitchen.

*Ding, ding! The real reason Arm & Hammer wants you to cover your body with their product is revealed...!

A cheeky way to prove seriousness of sun damage

Take a good, hard look at this image. Can you determine which derriere belongs to a 25, 35, 45, 55, and 65 year old? 

Now take a look at this image. Can you identify which face belongs to that of a 25, 35, 45, 55, and 65 year old?

 

My patients often tell me that their friends make fun of them for being so diligent about sun-protection, and to those that don't know-- I suppose applying SPF 50 all winter long can seem silly? However, to brilliantly demonstrate the subversive effects that sun damage has on our skin, day-in and day-out, Julie Kenner, M.D., PhD recently constructed a very simple experiment that was published in Cosmetic Dermatology. 

The "Cheek Quiz" consisted of five women, each in different decades of life (20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, and 60's) that agreed to have both their faces and their bare buttocks photographed. 

The sets of pictures were randomly mixed, and then 50 participants were asked to look at the pictures, and identify which picture went with which age. 

Whereas over 75% of the participants were able to correctly identify the women's age group based on their facial pictures, less than 5% were able to guess the women's age based off the appearance of their buttocks. (Can you? Answers are at very bottom.)

The organizers of this experiment were pleased with their findings, because it provided such a clear example of the importance of sun protection. The faces, which are exposed to UVA and UVB radiation all year long, showed the distinct passage of time, whereas the skin of the rear-ends look almost indistinguishable from each other, despite the chronological age, because that skin is always covered up and protected from the sun's damaging rays. (The presence of cellulite provides the only clue about the age of the rear-ends.)

This goes to show that the signs of aging are mostly caused by sun damage, and it is a unique concept to think that we'd all be better off if our face's looked more like our buttocks... 


It probably goes without saying, but daily sun protection is vital-- whether it is winter and you are in the office all day, or it is summer and you're spending time at the beach. Your skin is being exposed to harmful UVA and UVB rays all the time, whether you're cognizant of it or not. It is in your best interest from both a health and aesthetic stand-point to nip the danger in the bud(dock?) and simply protect your skin. Solise sun-wash is a body wash with built in SPF, (so that once you're dried off from the shower or bath, you're already covered in a mineral based physical sun block) that makes your first step towards sun protection something you barely even think about, and SkinCeuticals makes an array of wonderful sunscreens that can be used year-round with no greasy/shiny/bad-smelling after-effects.

Age of buttocks, clockwise: 45, 65, 55, 25, 35

Age of faces, clockwise: 35, 25, 55, 45, 65

$50 or 50% off the hottest skincare treatments in Philadelphia

SpaFinder.com (kind of like what Yelp is for restaurants, but more in-depth) has been growing by leaps and bounds. Clever business maneuvering has found SpaFinder newly in cahoots with powerfully poised companies in the beauty world (for example New Beauty magazine). 

As their presence and influence grow, SpaFinder's initial spa/med-spa umbrella has likewise expanded to include the likes of yoga, pilates, medical treatments, and nutrition consultanting. Due to the variety of services that can now be found on SpaFinder, they have appropriately changed the name of their previous week long "Deal Days" (think Restaurant Week, for spas) to "Wellness Week".

Although the name has been tweaked, the idea is the same: participating locations are offering services for either $50 or 50% off. The premise is very much like Restaurant Week, by making the pricing more accessible, a larger group of people can more easily expose themselves to treatments and services they might not otherwise take advantage of. 

Cosmopolitan Skin Care Solutions is happy to include acne treatments in their upcoming "Wellness Week" offerings, as acne is something that all different ages, genders, ethnicities suffer from, and Cosmo Skin Care has had great success in eradicating. 

"Wellness Week" will be taking place this Spring, from March 21 through March 27th. Those that are currently signed-up with SpaFinder (it's free!) get first dibs on booking the most coveted treatments during the week of discounts.

In order to see Cosmpolitan Skin Care's other "Wellness Week" offers, and to gaurentee a spot with the other hottest deals in Philadelphia, sign-up to become a part of SpaFinders.com now!

Philadelphia's "Just you, only better" workshop

This upcoming Friday, about one-hundred Philadelphians* will gather at 17 & Market, to spend their entire day in a workshop dedicated to teaching them how to look like the best possible version of themselves. 

As a company that is dedicated to being your trusted source for all the best up-and-coming skin/image/self-confidence boosting news/tips/tricks, a Cosmo Skin Care representative will be in attendance to report back the most meaningful nuggets of information that were shared throughout the course of the day. 

A quick look at the day's agenda reads like the cover of a glossy fashion magazine, with sessions titled  "How to Find the Right Hair Style for YOU", "Celeb’s Secrets to Looking 10 Years Younger", "Fashion Tips to Help Reveal the Stylish & Sophisticated You", and others of that ilk. However, as a faithful fashion magazine subscriber since the age of 12, this sounds like a day filled with 8 hours of heaven... 

With an interesting mix of spiritual, exercise, and shopping advice, I am preparing to show up well-caffeinated, with a blank notebook in my purse, and plenty of business cards in my wallet. The Just You, Only Better Workshop wants to help you not just beautify your physical appearance, but also will teach you ways to improve your health and enhance your true inner beauty. The goal is to make the attendees feel empowered, by teaching them how to become a more balanced, happier person, basically…you, only better!

Final perk: word on the street is that there is an absolutely amazing goody bag for all attendees. :) 

After seeing how the events unfold this year, perhaps this is something that Cosmopolitan Skin Care's experts should be speaking at in the future-- lord knows the condition of a person's skin has an incredible effect on the way a person looks, and feels about themselves.  

7:30 - 8:30	Registration & Breakfast
8:30 - 9:00	The Impact of the Media on the Confidence of Women and Young Girls - Molly Napolitano, Founder & President, Just You Only Better
9:00 - 9:45	Women’s Health:  Staying Healthy, Vibrant & Sexy as You Age - Vicki Lukert, PT, Women’s Health Expert
9:45 - 10:30	Meditation & More:  Simple Ways to Reduce Your Stress & Transform Your Life  - Alice Dommert, Co-Founder, Deliver Me Yoga
10:30 - 10:45	BREAK
10:45 - 11:15	Fattitude:  Lose the “F” in Attitude - Michele M. Paiva, Author, Publisher
11:15 - 11:45	Train Your Head…Body Will Follow - Sandy Weston, M.Ed, Owner, Weston Fitness & Founder of H30 Workout System
11:45 - 1:15	Lunch & Presentation:  Fashion Tips to Help Reveal the Stylish & Sophisticated You - Biana, THE Philly Fashionista
1:15 - 2:00	Never Diet Again:  Easy Ways to Achieve & Maintain Your Perfect Weight - Melinda Engel, Owner, A Simple Approach to Nutrition - Molly Napolitano, Founder & President, Just You Only Better
2:00 - 2:30	The Celeb’s Secrets to Looking 10 Years Younger - Janet Indorf, Regional Make-up Artist, Bobbi Brown
2:30 - 3:00	How to Find the Right Hair Style for YOU   - Jeffrey Moffet, THE Makeover Guru, Pileggi on the Square
3:00 - 3:15	Break
3:15 - 4:00	Healthy Cooking:  Fast, Easy & Delicious - Brian Duffy, Celebrity Chef & Corporate Executive Chef, Kildare’s Irish Pubs & Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar
4:00 - 4:30	Final Thoughts - - - Meet New Friends
4:30 - 5:00	Free Zumba Class at Weston Fitness (Sandy Weston) OPTIONAL

*I would assume the attendees would be all women, but really... suppose they could be any gender.