Integrity in skincare
Like you, I listen to all of those skincare ads on radio and television. There's always something remarkable - this year it is charcoal and plant stem cells. That was after coffeberry, peptides, caffeine, collagen, and hyaluronic acid. And there's been a slew of other things that creative companies have put into their products trying hard to get you to purchase their products. They tell you that your wrinkles will look better in days or even hours. Despite the fact that your body is programmed to degrade collagen, their products can magically not only stop the aging process, but actually reverse it. It's Botox in a bottle, magic in a spray, and the fountain of youth in a tube. Most ingredients that rapidly improve wrinkles do so by causing inflammation (others just temporarily hide it - like makeup). Inflammation is bad for your skin and accelerates aging in the long run. In actuality, there are really only a few scientifically proven ingredients - ones that improve the appearance of your skin. And that short list includes retinoids (Vitamin A), L-ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), alpha hydroxy acids like lactic and glycolic acid, niacinamide (Vitamin B3) and Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5). Other than these, there is scant evidence that even the expensive things like peptides actually do anything for intact skin (yes, they can help cells in test tubes and even wounds - but intact skin keeps them out of your body). So why do companies put these things in your skincare and tout their magical properties? Your guess is as good as mine... I know that if I put a "special" ingredient in my skincare - charcoal for instance - I would sell much more than I do now. But I will never sell out for the purpose of boosting sales. Call me old fashioned, but I have been a physician for 38 years and I spent 10 of those as a government regulator as a member of the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners. I've trained or been on the faculty of 5 of the top 10 medical schools in the US. When you purchase my products, you're purchasing integrity and honesty and products that really work.