I WAS A SKINCARE BARTENDER

I have often stood in front of shelves and shelves of skincare products in my office or in the big beauty chains, and just stared. When I’m choosing products for my patients, or myself, I look at all the offerings and frankly, I can get a little overwhelmed. I want it ALL! I want the Vitamin C, I want the Hyaluronic Acid, I want the cool new Peptide because they all sound so promising! I am known for “cocktailing” my own skin care: a pump from this, a squirt of that, then rub ‘em together and create my own concoction. (not optimal, as it turns out, but I’ll save that for another post). Most of my patients don’t have the luxury of this kind of access to products so I help them navigate through the options to make their choices. Most of the time, the patient says: “just tell me what to get and I’ll get it”. I’m flattered by the trust they instill in my recommendation and my typical advice has always been “Start with antioxidants during the day, followed by SPF. In the evening, always use a retinoid.” All my patients would agree that has been my mantra for decades and it still holds true today,  with some modern tweaks.

What I didn’t know I was doing, but later learned, was that I was timing the delivery of certain ingredients for when the skin needs them most and can use them best.  We now know this concept relates to the skin’s circadian rhythm (the body has its own day/night or wake/sleep cycle, but the skin also has its own unique “skin rhythm”! It’s a smart approach to skincare (if I do say so myself) and one I hope catches on because I believe it’s the best approach.

Of course there is more than antioxidants and retinoids in today’s skincare but they do remain the gold standards. They are the cornerstones of medical grade skincare because they target the two most studied causes of skin aging. They have stood the test of time but they keep evolving and getting better and better as technology improves. Antioxidants work on the effects of free radicals that are so devastating to our skin and retinoids teach our skin “to be young again” by increasing cell turnover and stimulating collagen to keep skin firm and youthful looking.

Science has confirmed this for us so if we start with these simple basics – a skincare regimen that contains antioxidants and a retinoid always, and apply them to the skin at the right time in relation to our 24 hour Skin Rhythm™ then we have the start to an amazing daily skincare routine. 

with love and happiness,
Nurse Nancy