I am in my late seventies, the above photo is current. My routine is simple:
- TWICE A WEEK: A pea-sized product with retinoids and hydroquinone, at high enough percentages is the most effective product not usually found over the counter; therefore I need a prescription. And because it is a prescription, it is adjusted to my specific skin type, surprisingly costing less than most popular cosmetic brands. Apply on clean skin, at night and apply not just on the face, put on the neck and décolleté as well. Retinoids contain vitamin A which makes it’s way down into the second skin layer–the dermis; there it activates collagen production.
- Nourish clean skin with a hyaluronic acid product: FILLERINA PLUS (see blog pos: MUST HAVES for ordering) brand moisture cream that goes on after the retinoid prescription sets in, maybe 60 minutes later, at bedtime.
- An exfoliating scrub or brush to be used every few days or once a week, depending on how sensitive your skin is. The use of a gentle scrub product can aid in this. I use a microfoliant by Dermalogica (See below) which I find is gentle and effective. This removes the old skin on the surface allowing the new skin to absorb the hyaluronic acid better. Even if you don’t use a retinoid product, you need to do this.
- A sunscreen: everyday with a SPF 45 with at least one of the following: avobenzone, titanium dioxide and/or a trace amount of “zinc”. Apply to lips, around the eyes, neck, chest and ears and under the nose as well as the face and into the scalp if your hair is thinning. Don’t forget the back of your hands.
I have even been told:
- Not to wash my face in the mornings, just let the overnight creams stay in, maybe just a damp warm pat with a washcloth. Using alkaline products like strong cleansers and soaps strip the skin of its protective layer.
- And never use hot water. A 2010 study in the British Journal of Dermatology tracked women’s skin over eight years and found that those with alkaline skin tended to have more fine lines compared with those with acidic skin.
I’m happy with my routine. I leave my skin in the hands of a medical professional. My personalized prescription works for me and I use it on my face, neck and chest. The retinol chemical encourages the outer layer of the skin to peel. It does this naturally every few weeks, but the chemical pushes it along so it flakes more often, every few days, some part of my facial skin is flaking off. At first the skin seems tender with a little redness and dryness, but that soon goes away and the skin adapts to the retinol and hydroquinone (bleaches the age spots) product.
Then gently exfoliating with a facial brush and micro-scrub removes the dead skin cells and the new skin comes to the surface. This process that your body goes through creates new skin cells that are tighter, firmer and more youthful, actually removing the small lines that your old skin has created by dead skin build up, blocking the new skin underneath.
This is a perfect base for the FILLERINA treatment and/or daily cream.
Your skin looks very youthful and is healthy. You almost don’t want any makeup, as the fresh glow is then lost. But, sunblock with a touch of zinc (now on the market) is a must as this product makes you more sensitive to sunburn.
Bottom line: I don’t feel the need for injectable fillers.
If you get nothing else from this blog, this advice is worth the price!
