Luxury Spa Finder - May/June 2008 - (Page 38)

Keep it simple CONTI NUED · ·· · and then came to me to treat the burn that resulted!º says Shamban, who has seen this kind of medicine-cabinet mixology before. The thinking is, if a little product is good, then a lot is better, says Kim Logan, the business vice president for Dermstore.com, which sells skin-care and cosmeceutical products. That' s why purchasing some Dermstore products, such as Green Cream 9, which comes in two lower concentrations, requires a phone consultation with a company skin-care consultant before the customer can check out. ª We ask about their familiarity with retinol, what else they' re using, and so on before we give callers a password to purchase it,º explains Logan. Boston dermatologist Ranella Hirsch, M.D., the president of the > Using too much retinAmerican Society of Cosmetic oid is by far the most prevalent cause of serious Dermatology and Aesthetic Surself-inﬂicted skin irritations, gery, concurs with Logan' s analysis. says Boston dermatologist ª Most commonly, you see people Ranella Hirsch, M.D. overdoing scrubs or alpha hydroxy acids in conjunction with a retinoid [the prescriptionstrength version of retinol]. Or just using too much retinoidÐ this is by far the most prevalent.º So besides retinoids, which ingredients or combinations should be avoided? ALPHA HYDROXY ACIDS WITH ANYTHING, according to Hirsch, who extends the ban to any product with ª an active ingredient that needs to be in a certain acid-base balanceº SALICYLIC-ACID treatments and SCRUBS within a 24-hour period VITAMIN-C SERUMS and BENZOYL PEROXIDE spot treatments for pimples AT-HOME PEELS or PORE-CLEANSING MASKS with products that contain a high concentration of STRONG ESSENTIAL OILS, particularly eucalyptus and lemon b · WAXING with VITAMIN C, RETINOIDS, or ACCUTANE ut you don' t even have to keep this list handy if you take a piece of advice from Hirsch and Shamban: Stop being a skin-care chemist and go back to the basics. Shamban recommends this daytime regimen: nonsoap cleanser, low-strength AHA moisturizer with antioxidants, and sunscreen. In the evening, use the same cleanser (or for oily skin, one with salicylic acid) and a retinol-and-peptide cream. Hirsch boils skin care down to three essentials: a moisturizing cleanser, a moisturizer with good broad-spectrum sun protection, and a prescription retinoid at night. Both dermatologists point out that retinol and retinoids should be used only at night because they break down in sunlight and night is when your skin recovers. The goal is to calm and protect, not irritate or inﬂame. The lesson here: Slow, steadyÐ and simpleÐ wins the race. 38 BEAUTY IQ may· june 2008 visit spafinder.com http://spafinder.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Luxury Spa Finder - May/June 2008

Luxury Spa Finder - May/June 2008 Contents Editor's Note Ask Susie Pulse Points Spa Road Trip Beauty & Brains Pound Wise Private Label Real Estate New Tuscan Trio The Real Bora Bora The Spa Collection The Insider's Guide: Ireland Spa Rx From the Sparchives

Luxury Spa Finder - May/June 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.