Skin+Care

1. Wash face. I use Clean & Clear Sensitive Skin Foaming Facial Cleanser. Use tepid to warm water. Never ever hot (it can bring up broken capillaries). Never cold (closes pores when they need to be open). Rinse well. If I've been wearing makeup, I make sure it's all off around the eyes. While it's best to remove it all with soap and water, sometimes mascara can be a bit stubborn, so I run a little eye makeup remover under my eye so I won't get a lot of flak at work. Then I rinse that remover off. 2. Blot lightly with a towel- never scrub or wipe. Leave skin damp. 3. Use a toner. I use Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner on a cotton square, which I brush on in upward strokes per instructions. Feels nice. You always want to clean by working in the opposite direction wrinkles form (usually upwards). 4. Inspect. Look for ingrown hairs and try to help them out gently. Same with blackheads or blemishes. 5. Put minoxidil on hairline. 6. Moisturize. I use a moisturizer with SPF 15 in the morning, and a moisturizer with AHA in the evening.

Alpha-hydroxy acids

OK, let's talk about Alpha-Hydroxy Acids (AHA's). It comes in five "flavors": glycolic, lactic, malic, citric, and tartaric, with the first two being most common. They essentially dissolve the bonds that hold the top layer of skin cells in place. These cells are what cause clogged pores, as well as dry skin, inhibiting moisturizer absorption etc.

By the way, AHA should not be confused with that 80's one-hit wonder band, a-ha. AHA is much more useful and versatile.

Beta-Hydroxy Acids (BHA) is almost always salicylic acid and unlike AHA, keeps on exfoliating even after it would be good for it to stop. Therefore you should avoid it and stick with AHAs.

Some people can't use AHAs for long periods, and most skin care people would probably suggest using one for half a year to a year, then using it half as often.

How to use ¬em:

1. Read the instructions carefully. 2. Don't use them on your eyelids. 3. Clean up. 4. Wait 15 minutes. Why? Soaps tend to be alkaline which neutralize s acids. By waiting for your face's acid balance to return to normal, your AHA will work better. 5. Put on your AHA. 6. Let it work 15 minutes. 7. Apply your foundation, sunscreen, moisturizers, etc.

Don't use other scrubs or washcloths in conjunction with AHAs

Concentrations: AHA's have to be dissolved in water to make a cream, so Lots of AHA products are listed as percentage of a 70% solution. The rest is water and stuff used for dissolving the AHAs. So an 8% concentration is probably closer to 5.6% of the total.

Higher levels are used for skin peels you see offered at spas and salons (sometimes called "lunch peels"). These are done at concentrations higher than you can buy at the store, but be sure to find someone you trust to put one of these on your face. This is very different from a face peel you get from a dermatologist or plastic surgeon, which uses phenol acid or a laser and is a major procedure that leaves you scabbed over for quite a while.

Some recommendations

red = my favorite

Facial cleanser

* Clean and Clear Sensitive Skin Foaming Facial Cleanser

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Scrub

* Body Shop Foaming Gel Scrub for Normal to Oily and Oily Skin * Fashion Fair Gentle Facial Polisher for all skin types * **Physician's formula Beauty Buffers Exfoliating Scrub** * Sea Breeze Exfoliating Facial Scrub

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Alpha-hydroxy acid

Decent prices:

* Artistry by Amway Moisture Essence Serum with AHA $26.00/1 oz. * Color Me Beautiful Refining Toner $13.00/6 oz. * Paula's Choice 8% Alpha Hydroxy Acid Solution $10.00/4 oz. * Trish McEvoy Glycolic Lotion $37.00/2 oz. * Alpha Hydrox Enhanced Creme All Skin Types $9.50/2 oz.

More expensive, but worth a look:

* Elizabeth Arden Alpha-Ceramide $55.00/1 oz. (with this you get several bottles of increasing concentrations, so your skin gets used to AHAs.) * MD Formulations Facial Lotion with 12% Glycolic Compound $45.00/2 oz. * MD Formulations Forte I Facial Lotion with 15% Glycolic Compound $45.00/2 oz. * MD Formulations Smoothing Complex with 10% Glycolic Compound $35.00/.5 oz. * MD Formulations Night Cream with 14% Glycolic Compound $60.00/2 oz.

You gotta be kidding prices:

* La Prairie Age Management Line Inhibitor $100.00/.5 oz   * La Prairie Age Management Serum $125.00/1 oz. * La Prairie Age Management Intensified Serum $140.00/1 oz.

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Body Moisturizer

* Lubriderm Moisture Recovery Creme (body)

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Toner

* Aveda Skin Firming/Toning Agent * Body Shop Honey Water and Tea Tree Oil Freshener * Clarins Toning Lotion for Dry to Normal Skin * Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner

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Sunscreen

* Almay Oil Control Lotion for Oily Skin SPF 15 $7.40/4 * Clinique Zero-Alcohol Sun Block SPF 25 $15.00/4 * Cover Girl Protective Skin Nourishing Moisturizer SPF 15 $5.35/4 * Origins Silent Treatment SPF 15 $15.00/1.7 * Paula's Choice Essential Non-Greasy Sunscreen SPF 15 $10.00/6

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Fade Cream

* Black Opal Advanced Dual Complex Fade Gel $8.00/.75 * Flori Roberts Chromatone Fade Creme Plus Gold $15.00/4 * MD Formulations Forte Skin Bleaching Gel with 2% Hydroquinone in a Base Containing 10% Glycolic Compound $30.00/1.5 * Murad Advance Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Gel $40.00/1.7 * Neostrata Gel for Age Spots and Skin Lightening $11.00/1.6

A friend sent along some additional thoughts:

Your article made me think of the following:

1) Lubriderm now sells an SPF 15 version of their great skin lotion!!!! - just the thing for us pale ladies who freckle and shy from the sun.

2) There are two prescription fade creams that are great for freckles and skin discolorations caused by take estrogen. Since we keep our estrogen state close to pregnancy levels all our lives, we are prone to "pregnancy mask" like skin discolorations. The medications are: Solaquin Forte 4% and Benoquin. Both are manufactured by ICN Pharmaceuticals in California. But, the Benoquin is IMPOSSIBLE to get these days. The company lists it but does not manufacturer it. Benoquin saved my BUTT, quite literally many years ago when I needed to fade my skin graft scars.

3) There are prescription dermatological agents to control contact dermatitis and acne. Cleocin is available in a lotion, which I like and a toner. Using either can replace toner in one's skin care regimen.

4) Prescription only Retin A is great for keeping skin smooth. It stimulates new skin growth, promoting collagen and elastin formation. It must be used very, very, very sparingly for best results. Using too much irritates the skin and causes redness. Long term use is almost like a mild chemical peel. I used Retin A many years ago for acne and noticed what great things it did for the general texture of my skin.

5) Collagen injections can do wonders for small depressions in the skin. They don't work for everyone though. For me that filled in a scar on my right cheek that I had since birth. Collagen also filled in acne marks that I had. The results have lasted for me. I gather that they don't last for 50% of those who get them.