Written by: Dr. Briana Brown, DO, FAAD (Master Cosmetic Dermatologist)
With all of the products on the shelves claiming to be to miracle-fixes for your skin, it can be difficult to know what product has the chops to back up the claims! When it comes to the ultimate skin are routine, a few key concepts are important: sun protection, preventing cellular aging, and moisturization. A portion of skin aging is from your genetics, but environmental factors (such as sun exposure, smoking, skin hygiene) also play a significant role. Let’s look into the science behind Dr. Brown’s top skin care essentials for perfect skin.
Good skin starts with sunscreen. I know it sounds boring and I know you have heard it before, but it is the truth. Photoaging is the portion of aging from unprotected sun exposure. When you are exposed to the sun, you are exposed to Ultraviolet (UV) light. The portion of UV light that affects the skin is UVB and UVA. UVB penetrates the skin to cause cellular damage which results in wrinkling, collagen loss, and elastin deformation (Elastin keeps your skin “bouncy and plump”). UVA can penetrate deeper than UVB and can cause significant skin drooping and blood vessel formation causing an irregular skin color.
When on the hunt for the best sunscreen, start with looking for broad-spectrum coverage. You want to make sure your sunscreen covers both UVA and UVB. Additionally, purchase a SPF 30 or higher. Lastly, a lot of sunscreens tout that they are “water-proof” or “water-resistant,” but it is always best to reapply after any water contact and frequently reapply when outdoors.
La Roche Posay Antihelios Sunscreen was a 2017 Allure winner with excellent reviews and science behind their products. They have many different sunscreens to choose from – serums, primers, tinted creams, and the list goes on and on. The products protect from UVA and UVB but they also have technology to protect the skin from free radicals which can age the skin as well.
Vitamin C is a potent anti-oxidant that can help reverse cellular aging that already is affecting the skin. Just as anti-oxidants are good to for your overall health in your diet, they are essential to your skin care as well. When our skin is exposed to UV and other stressors in the environment, toxic free radicals are generated in the skin. This leads to cellular aging. Think of Vitamin C and other anti-oxidants are the “clean-up crew” that helps clean up those free radicals.
The benefits of vitamin C for the skin are undeniable; however, properly delivering vitamin C to the skin can be difficult. A lot of vitamin C products do contain vitamin C, but it is not in its active form OR the product “detablizes” or changes before it can be delivered to the skin. This renders it essentially ineffective. Ferulic acid is something you should look for when finding vitamin C serums as it can increase the potency and efficacy of vitamin C 8-fold.
Southern Vanity Vitamin C Serum with ferulic acid has all of the needed components for an effective vitamin C serum. First off, the serum is medical grade. This means the efficacy of the product has passed requirements to ensure quality. Additionally, it contains ferulic acid which makes the Vitamin C much more potent. The reason I love this product is that it feels like a silky velvet serum with a pleasant ultralight scent and leaves the skin feeling smooth and hydrated.
Retinol is an over-the-counter Vitamin A derivative that has been proven to stimulate neocollagenesis (or collagen production). This can plump skin and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. This is important because it can help combat signs of stress and aging due to more intrinsic factors, such as genetics.
This is a tough category to pick a true favorite. In all honesty, retinol has a prescription-strength only counterpart called tretinoin. This is the most effective form of vitamin A for the skin. As for over-the-counter products, the rest depends on your budget. If you are looking to spend less, RoC Retinol is product that is easily acquired from most drugstores and usually costs around $20. If you are looking for a more aggressive treatment, Southern Vanity’s Retinol 10X is an awesome product. Not only do you get medical grade retinol, but is also contains CoEnzyme Q10 which also slows cellular aging.
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