Welcome to my first post! To start things off, I decided to share some basic aesthetic necessities that form the foundation of maintaining your youth – skin care! No amount of Botox or filler can substitute the benefits of HEALTHY skin.
Although cultural standards of beauty may differ, one aspect we can universally agree on is glowing, healthy skin. Our skin is one of the first things that people subconsciously judge us by when they meet us. Think of your skin like the window to your body that reveals the stories of your life. From teenage breakouts leading to adult acne scars to excessive tanning leading to sunspots and premature wrinkles, your lifestyle and overall health is reflected in your skin. Below is a summary of my basic morning skin care routine. I may add some products depending on the time of year or when I see some variable skin changes, which I will discuss at a later post.
All of the products I’ll be discussing are from ZO Skin Health by Dr. Zein Obagi, the one and only skin care extraordinaire. All my patients who have been using ZO have shared an equal love and commitment for this line, simply because it WORKS!
1. CLEANSE – with ZO Exfoliating Cleanser for around 40-60 seconds and rinse thoroughly with cool water. I then use a fresh paper towel to pat dry. Reusing the same washcloth spreads more bacteria on your face. I always suggest keeping a fresh roll of paper towel in the bathroom and to use the inside of it to pat dry.
2. EXFOLIATE – with ZO Exfoliating Polish for 40 seconds three times a week (M,W,F) to gently remove dead skin cells from the surface and promote healthy circulation. I also use a paper towel to pat dry after this step.
3. OIL CONTROL / TONE – with ZO Acne Control Pads to balance out my skin pH so that products I apply afterwards will be absorbed evenly. This step reduces oil production, unclogs pores and increases penetration of active ingredients. There is a little tingle from the 2% salicylic acid and is a great chemical exfoliant. I wait no more than 10 seconds for this to dry on its own.
4. STABILIZATION – with ZO Daily Power Defense, an absolute must have for every skin type all year round! It has DNA repair enzymes, a strong antioxidant, stimulates collagen and contains a whisper of retinol safe enough to use in the morning. Probably my favorite product!
5. PROTECTION – with ZO Primer + Sunscreen SPF 30. This product provides full spectrum defense against UVA rays, UVB rays and HEV light. This multitasking SPF and make-up primer combination gives a tinted silky matte finish that serves great alone or under makeup. A definite must have for every makeup wearer!
** I do NOT moisturize! Dr. Obagi believes that part of a healthy skin cell’s job is to moisturize the skin. Therefore, if we treat the skin on a cellular level, then moisturizer is essentially unnecessary. Moisturizer may actually make our skin cells “lazy” by having them perform less than they should. Side Note: Only a small portion of the population have clinically dry skin. **
So take care of your skin! After all, it is 90% of your selfie. 😉
