February 05, 2020 at 01:00PM by CWC Using quality, dermatologist-recommended active ingredients in your beauty routine is a pretty clear-cut way to improve your skin. Lesser used and talked about, however, are tools that can take the results from serums and moisturizers up a notch. Electrical stimulation is becoming a more-and-more talked about way to do just that, and one brand in particular—ZIIP Ox ($480)—is out in front, putting high-tech tools, usually reserved for the derms’ office in the hands of us all. ZIIP uses both microcurrent and nanocurrent waves to stimulate your skin’s collagen and elastin. There are a total of nine treatments programmed on the device that do everything from target pigment to kill bacteria- causing breakouts to de-puff under eye bags. The latest treatment (which takes only seven minutes start-to-finish) is called “lymph and lift” is meant to promote lymphatic drainage and give you that post-facial glow. The device is able to do this through microcurrents, which help your skin to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate), a repairing compound your body naturally creates but diminishes as you age. Simultaneously, nanocurrent sends teeny, tiny waves that also help repair collagen and elastin, and also stimulate circulation. As this happens, the lymph fluid that has built up in your face is broken up and ushered away. “Lymphatic drainage is skin 101,” says Melanie Simon, creator and co-founder of ZIIP. “It’s something that’s very much a part of most skin-care treatments when you go to a spa.” This happens because the
Tag: Facials
Some of the best beauty products have notorious scents—here’s why
February 04, 2020 at 05:00PM by CWC Everyone warned me before I first started using the iconic beauty product Biologique Recherche P50 ($67) that it had… a smell. As soon as I swiped the acid toner all over my face, the aroma hit my nose, and I had to remind myself that it’s a holy-grail product for a reason. I kept on slathering and in no time, I too, could see why everyone clamored for it. Now, I associate the smell with a radiant complexion and winding down at nighttime. In the beauty world, a stinky scent is no reason to be deterred, though. P50, SkinMedica TNS Serum ($281), and SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic Serum ($166), for instance, all have scents that are left of center. “I can totally understand why people would shy away from skin-care products that smell unpleasant,” says Shirley Chi, MD, a Los Angeles-based dermatologist. “But that being said, there are many reasons to work through this. Some of the most effective anti-aging treatments out there smell.” “Some of the most effective anti-aging treatments out there smell.” —Dr. Shirley Chi Angelina Umansky, star facialist and founder of Spa Radiance, agrees, noting that her spa’s top sellers are these three aforementioned beauty products “because they perform,” she tells me. “These brands formulate to give consumers results. Period.” And results are what you get when you slather on these star beauty products. For example, that TNS Serum? It’s got human-growth factor in it. “SkinMedica TNS is one of the
Derms say the ‘big four’ are all you need to deal with dry skin
February 04, 2020 at 12:00AM by CWC There’s a myth in beauty that your routine needs to be miles-long to work effectively. In truth, most dermatologists say that you only really only need four products to have a productive skin-care regimen: a cleanser, a serum, a moisturizer, and an SPF. The same can be said for ingredients, of which you don’t need to pile on 900 to solve a single skin concern. That’s why we’re kicking off a new series called “The Big Four,” where we tell you the four best ingredients for a specific skin type, starting today with a lesson in dry skin treatment. If you have dry skin, it simply means that there isn’t enough water in your complexion. This makes it feel tight and dehydrated, the same way your body feels when you’re not drinking enough H2O. This can happen either because you’re not using the right hydrating products or you’re not properly sealing in those hydrating ingredients, which allows them to escape from your complexion. In most cases, either ingredients, environmental, or physiological factors—or some combination of the three—are to blame. While we can’t change how much sebum your skin creates or which climate you live in, we can school you on the best ingredients to hydrate a thirsty complexion. Keep scrolling for the “big four” ingredients to know for dry skin. Photo: W+G Creative 1. Lactic acid While it might seem strange to see an exfoliating acid on this list (since exfoliating is often associated
Your skin doesn’t grow in a flower pot, so what does “all-natural” mean for you?
February 03, 2020 at 07:00PM by CWC Ever since the term “natural skin care” started trending, it’s largely been used as a catch-all for products made from plants. It’s also a term that’s subtly suggestive of superior health benefits: As the clean beauty industry narrative goes, botanically based skin care is said to be better for us, because it’s less likely to contain chemicals that are thought to be unsafe for human health. In some cases, this may be true; however, not only are the terms “clean” and “natural” completely unregulated by the FDA—after all, any brand with a few drops of essential oils in its otherwise synthetic formula can slap the term on label, rendering the word near-meaningless—but it’s also incorrect to assume that earth-derived ingredients are more compatible with our skin than actives developed in a lab. “There are many plants found in nature that have a wonderful affinity for the skin and provide nourishing and healing properties for it,” says skin-care formulator Leigh Winters Silberstein. “However, not all plants, herbs, and natural wonders of the world are good for you and your skin.” Winters Silberstein uses poison ivy as an example. It’s “natural,” sure, but there’s no arguing that it would make a pretty nasty addition to your daily moisturizer. It’s also important to point out that most “natural” ingredients are highly processed before they make it into a serum bottle, blurring the line between natural and synthetic ingredients far beyond what you might think at first
This drugstore serum sells a bottle every minute, and is basically a chemical peel in a bottle
January 31, 2020 at 09:30PM by CWC Every so often, a product comes onto the market and becomes an instant classic. Remember when Glossier’s Balm Dotcom came out? I certainly do, because it was so dang hard to get my hands on one. But the latest launch to immediately elevate itself to cult-fave beauty product status is not only really good, but it’s also available at the drugstore. L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 10% Pure Glycolic Acid Serum ($23), which launched in October, 2019, has already skyrocketed to selling a bottle every minute in the United States. The formulation was developed by dermatologists, and the 10-percent pure glycolic acid is enough to resurface skin the same way a chemical peel would… for a whole lot less than what it would cost you for a peel at a derm’s office. The OG chemical exfoliant is lauded for its ability to improve skin’s tone and texture, getting rid of discoloration as well as fine lines. Historically, though, getting your hands (and face) on a glycolic product that actually works would cost you a pretty penny, but considering the affordable price tag on this particular serum, it’s no wonder that the masses have fallen in love with it at first sight. Board-certified dermatologist Dhaval Bhanusali, MD is also a fan, noting that in addition to having a powerful amount of glycolic, the serum also has hydrating components like hyaluronic acid and glycerin to balance things out. Since glycolic acid helps remove dead skin cells
This skin-care ingredient is better than any primer for smooth-looking foundation
January 31, 2020 at 07:00PM by CWC Dry, winter air and a flawless makeup application exist on two different planets (and if anyone has figured out how to make them work together on this one, HMU). No matter how hydrated skin is after applying a rich moisturizer, inevitably you’re faced with environmental aggressors like extreme cold or man-made ones like heaters that cause dry patches to appear. And that makes applying foundation kinda tricky. But dermatologists say that applying polyglutamic acid-spiked skin care can help. Much like hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid is also hydrating (not exfoliating, like a lactic acid). “Polyglutamic acid is similar to hyaluronic acid in that it adds moisture to your skin, and it actually improves your skin’s ability to absorb moisture,” says Shari Sperling, DO, a board-certified dermatologist. The ingredient, which she explains comes from fermented soybean mucilage, works to increase skin elasticity as it plumps. And, pros say that it’s better than any primer at nixing dry patches and providing a smooth foundation application. “What makes polyglutamic acid different from hyaluronic acid is that it forms a film on the skin that stops water from evaporating,” says Mark Curry, cosmetic chemist and co-founder of The Inkey List. “Not only is it a humectant that draws more water into the cells, but it holds it there too and it’s great for dry patches.” And if you think that film-forming bit sounds a lot like what primer does, you’re right, but according to Curry PGA is even
Cult-favorite skin care sells every second—what makes it so much better than the rest?
January 31, 2020 at 03:00PM by CWC “There’s an entire Instagram account dedicated to people who want to buy this perfume,” my sister-in-law Nicole tells me of Francis Kurkdjian’s best-selling Baccarat Rouge ($300) fragrance as we inhale the warm, smells-like-a-pretty-teacher aroma at the dinner table in Texas. For a scent I’ve caught on actors going through airport security in Chicago (Anthony Anderson, I’m talking to you!) and praised on FatMascara’s beauty podcast, it was enough to spark the question: What makes cult favorite beauty products? Is it a game of numbers and sales? Is it simply the power of word of mouth? Even as beauty staples evolve into more natural formulations and eco-friendly packaging, our lens on aspirational purchases remains fixed on classics like Creme de la Mer (from $90) and Diorshow mascara ($30). To gain a clearer view of what makes a product a sensation, we went straight to the sources. Take the numbers game, for instance. As the top prestige loose powder foundation in America, one jar of BareMinerals Original Loose Powder Foundation ($32) is sold every 25 seconds. It’s a powerhouse brand carried by almost every major beauty retailer; plus, it was one of the first mineral SPF options on the market–so that loyalty began decades ago. Cartier’s most iconic scent, La Panthere Eau De Parfum ($129), sells 1,111 flasks of fragrance every day. The storied house carries the kind of clout that makes customers clamor for its classic red and gold designer logo, even if just emblazoned on the shopping bag. Amika,
A dermatologist reveals the one Trader Joe’s skin-care product she’d never put on her face
January 30, 2020 at 11:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIr2SVSbl9Q] Over the last few years, certain Trader Joe’s beauty products have emerged as cult favorites in skin care. There’s the $9 moisturizer that is pretty much a dead ringer for La Mer, the hyaluronic acid serum that skin slurps up like tall glass of water, and the Açai Blueberry Scrub that Reddit went wild for back in 2018. Our editors have tried—and loved—a whole lot of them. But what does a dermatologist have to say on the subject? To find out, we had board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, put an entire roster of serums, scrubs, and moisturizers to the test over the course of a month for our latest episode of Dear Derm. And while she was generally impressed by some of the offerings (“this is so cosmetically elegant,” she says about one SPF product), there was one product in particular she says she’d never put on her face (click the video above to see which one!). As beauty products become less and less expensive and more and more effective, it can be helpful to know how to shop like a derm. The first thing Dr. Gohara does? Checks out the ingredients. You don’t have to be a beauty whiz to know how to do this, either: The ingredients towards the front of the list are found at the highest concentrations and those towards the back are found at lower concentrations. As far as the ingredients themselves, if a word looks
This trio of drugstore buys will revive dull skin as well as a chemical peel
January 30, 2020 at 01:30AM by CWC Everyone is chasing a “glow” for their complexions, but when it’s this cold and dry outside, all bets are off. Thanks to zero-percent humidity in many winter climates, a dry-skin cell pileup happens on skin, leaving it looking a little dulled down. It couldn’t be any more annoying, then, that the way to deal with dull skin is to exfoliate, which can cause more dryness. It’s a vicious dryness cycle that’s hard to escape, and that’s exactly why we reached out to a derm for recommendations on how to brighten up skin without totally drying it out. “Skin gets dull in the winter because it gets dry,” says Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. “A combination of cold weather and the drying effects of indoor heat creates a double whammy situation.” His tip for getting that radiance back? Hydration is step number one, so start by nurturing the complexion with a moisturizer rich in hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and barrier-building ones like ceramides. Besides that, combatting dullness is all about light exfoliation (read: gentle!) and giving your skin protection through antioxidants to fend off future damage and restore the glow you had before this frigid air came upon us. Keep scrolling for dermatologist-approved dull skin solutions that’ll brighten up your skin, all of which you can grab at the drugstore for cheap. La Roche-Posay Brightening Foaming Cream Cleanser, $25 Begin your regimen with this brightening cleanser, recommended by
How to tell different kinds of pimples apart, according to dermatologists
January 28, 2020 at 07:31PM by CWC Acne is straight up the most common skin condition there is, but not all zits are the same. In fact there are many different kinds of acne, which can make dealing with pimples a tricky venture. Because while certain products can make one kind of pimple vanish overnight, they might be good-for-nothing when it comes to dealing with another type. It can legit feel like you’re playing a game of Clue to figure out what will make a given spot go away, which is frustrating (to say the very least). So we tapped dermatologists to get the low-down on treating the most common acne types that they see. “When we talk about acne, we are often referring to the most common type, which is acne vulgaris,” says Tiffany Jow Libby, MD, a New York City-based dermatologist. Acne vulgaris is the medical term for inflammation from a blocked pore, and within this broad umbrella category, there are four major categories: comedonal, inflammatory, nodular, and hormonal (though all acne is technically a result of hormones). Besides these, acne mechanica, or breakouts you can get from things like sweat or friction, is also fairly common according to dermatologists. While it sounds overwhelming, Dr. Libby notes that most patients predominantly have one of the above types of acne (or some combination). “If the patient has a combination of acne types, I’ll combine different recommended treatments to figure out what works best,” she says. “For example, some patients have