How to Get Glowing Skin Naturally

The most natural-looking glow, of course, comes from well-cared-for skin. Here’s how to get it

Written by Sarah Smith
Real Simple, September 2008

Be prepared to put in a little work on the front end. “It usually takes three to six weeks to see results,” says Casey Gallagher, a dermatologist in Boulder, Colorado. But the radiant results are worth it. Here’s what to do.

• Stick to gentle cleansers. Use a nonsoap product (like Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser) morning and night to wash away grime without irritating skin.
• Smooth skin. In the morning, apply a lotion that contains alpha hydroxy acids to slough off dead skin cells.
• Even out your skin tone. If you have dark pigmentation spots, ask your dermatologist for a prescription-strength skin lightener (which usually contains hydroquinone). Or try an over-the-counter lightener with hydroquinone. Products with vitamin C or licorice extract may help, too.
• Don’t forget sunscreen. Wear one with SPF 30 daily to protect your skin’s tone and texture.
• Get your antioxidants. Look for a free-radical fighter, like vitamin C, or promising ones, like coffeeberry and idebenone, in your day or night cream. Antioxidants protect skin from sun damage and help refine its tone.
• Use an over-the-counter retinol or a prescription-strength retinoid at bedtime. These products encourage cell turnover and collagen production. Begin by applying a pea-size amount every other night, as retinoids can be irritating at first.

Skin saver: What you need to know about anti-aging treatments

By Lisa Marshall
www.dailycamera.com - Monday, March 10, 2008

Better than Botox!

Reduce wrinkles up to 50 percent!

Say good-bye to fine lines!

Flip through the Sunday paper or plug the words “anti-aging cream” into your Google search and you’ll be bombarded with promises of a fountain of youth in a bottle, and a hefty bill to match: There’s that $135 6-ounce tube that promises to be the “anti-wrinkle breakthrough of the decade,” and that $109 anti-oxidant serum that promises to “protect and restore” your youthful complexion.

But is there any guarantee that they work? And does a higher price necessarily mean a more effective product?

“No,” and “No,” say area skin care experts.

“It’s a real bonanza out there, and it is very confusing for the consumer,” says Dr. Theresa Pacheco, a dermatologist and associate professor at the University of Colorado Denver.

Pacheco points out that, unlike drugs, over-the-counter skin care products are not subject to pre-market approval by the Food and Drug Administration. While the FDA bans the marketing of “adulterated or misbranded” cosmetics (basically, they need to include what they say they include), it doesn’t require clinical trials proving that those ingredients actually work.

“I could go into my basement and mix some agents together and call it Dr. Pacheco’s calming, anti-aging cleanser and I would not be bound by any sort of regulatory process to prove via clinical studies that it is calming or anti-aging,” Pacheco says.
That is not to say that there is no science behind any of the products out there.

“A lot of these expensive products have good ingredients that are really beneficial for the skin, but a lot of the less expensive products also have those ingredients in them and work just fine,” says Dr. Casey Gallagher, a physician with the Boulder Valley Center for Dermatology. “Often, what makes the difference in price is the marketing and name brand recognition.”

Both Pacheco and Gallagher recommend starting simple, with inexpensive, over-the-counter products made with clinically proven ingredients by a well-known and respected company. If that doesn’t work, consider seeing a dermatologist for a stronger, prescription-grade option (which is also held to much higher FDA standards).

Here’s a look at what you may want to include in your anti-aging arsenal:

Retinol and retinoids

Perhaps the best-researched topical anti-aging compounds, retinoids (a form of Vitamin A) have been clinically proven in numerous studies to prevent and treat the collagen loss associated with sun exposure and aging skin.”

It should be in the water as far as I’m concerned. It is so good for your skin,” says Gallagher. “It causes collagen promotion and cell turnover. It’s good at treating fine lines, and it has a bleaching effect so it lightens age spots as well. It can really help decrease the signs of aging.”

For the cost-conscious, Gallagher recommends starting with over-the-counter Retinol, a milder and cheaper pre-cursor to prescription retinoids (OTC Retinol examples include: ROC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream at $22 for 1 ounce or Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream at $11.69 for 1.5 ounces.)
Those who want to go for the big guns, and spend a bit more ($50 to $100 for a tube that lasts one month) can opt for prescription strength retinoids, such as FDA-approved tretinoin cream.

Alpha-hydroxy acids

These fruit acids, present in hundreds of cleansers and moisturizers, help exfoliate, encourage cell turnover and unclog pores. However, they also can irritate the skin and leave it susceptible to sun burn. High-priced and prescription-strength options are available, and stronger fruit acid preparations are often used during in-office for procedures such as chemical peels. But if a light, daily exfoliant is what you are after, the inexpensive grocery store varieties should work fine, Gallagher and Pacheco say.

Antioxidant creams or serums

These produces include green tea, Vitamin C and caffeine. Gallagher recommends anti-oxidant creams or serums as a preventive measure to keep sun damage from progressing: “The anti-oxidants in these creams or serums will scavenge free radicals in the skin, and it is free radicals that cause damage to skin cells,” he says. And, he notes, many affordable anti-oxidant skin care products are now available over the counter.
Some studies have also shown topical green tea extract to have an anti-inflammatory effect and protect against UV rays.

Pacheco, however, isn’t convinced.

While she sees anti-oxidants as an emerging topic of interest among dermatologists, she hasn’t seen enough data yet to convince her that they truly work. “Otherwise, I’d be using them daily,” she says. “And I’m not.”

Hydroquinone

First approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1982 for the prescription treatment of freckles, hydroquinone has become increasingly popular for the treatment of age spots and other dark spots on the skin. It’s available both in over-the-counter “skin lightening” preparations, and via prescription (in much higher concentrations). However, it has not been without criticism. In 2006, the FDA suggested that skin bleaching products containing hydroquinone should not be available over-the-counter because of potential risks of cancer and disfigurement. Meanwhile, dermatologists contend they are safe. Further studies are under way.

Sunscreen

Both Gallagher and Pacheco stress that sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher, which protects against both UVA and UVB rays, is the most critical tool in the anti-aging arsenal. A sunscreen/moisturizer combo from the drug store should work just fine, they say.

Suggested daily regimen

Morning

Wash your face with a gentle non-soap cleanser. Supermarket variety is fine. If you have acne-prone skin, use a toner. If you don’t , don’t. (Too much toner, particularly in Colorado’s dry climate, can be hard on skin.) Apply an anti-oxidant serum or cream. Over-the-counter varieties contain Vitamin C, green-tea extract, caffeine, and other anti-oxidants. If you have dark marks from age or sun-damage, apply a pea-sized dab of hydroquinone cream to those areas. Apply an alpha-hydroxy agent, to help exfoliate and repair signs of aging. Apply a broad-spectrum sunblock-facial moisturizer combo. Eucerin, Oil of Olay, and Purpose are all available over-the-counter.

Evening

Wash Toner, if necessary Alpha-hydroxy agent Hydroquinone Retinol or Retinoid wrinkle cream - Sources: Boulder Valley Center for Dermatology and the journal, “Cosmetic Dermatology”

More Skin Saving Tips:

Don’t smoke: Smoking causes the tiny blood vessels in the outer layers of the skin to narrow, decreasing blood flow, depleting the skin of oxygen, and accelerating aging.

Use warm water and limit shower time: Hot water and long baths or showers remove oils from your skin.
Avoid too many additives. Look for products with minimal extra ingredients and avoid perfumes and dyes that can irritate your skin.

Remove eye makeup carefully: Use a soft sponge, cotton cloth, or cotton balls to remove eye makeup and avoid damaging the delicate tissue around your eyes.
Change out makeup regularly. Bacteria can fester in old make-up and lotion bottles. Replace your mascara every three months and throw out your old lotions at least once a year.

- Source: Mayo Clinic; Camera interviews

Helping to move beyond the scars

Dermatologist helps remove remnants of domestic violence

By Aimee Heckel (Contact)
www.dailycamera.com - Sunday, April 13, 2008

Sometimes it is a scar. Other times it is a tattoo, a chipped tooth or a burn.

The mark of physical pain can be a reminder of much deeper internal pain.

And erasing that external mark can sometimes feel like receiving a clean page to rewrite a new chapter on life.

That’s why Jeanie Leddon recently agreed to donate her dermatology services. Leddon, a doctor at the Boulder Valley Center for Dermatology in Lafayette, is joining a nationwide effort to offer pro-bono services to survivors of domestic violence.

Some businesses will offer dentistry or plastic surgery. The Boulder Valley Center offers cosmetic and surgical dermatology services. Leddon can treat burns and diminish scars.

“If somebody has a scar on their body, they carry that around with them everywhere they go. It’s a constant reminder,” Leddon said. “That can have a psychological impact; it’s not something they can leave behind.”

She said she hopes minimizing the mark will have a ripple effect.

“These are simple things that we can do that can possibly make a big impact on how people feel about their past and help them move on to their future,” she said.

Leddon’s effort is part of a program organized by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which says it has already helped more than 500 people across the country with dermatology needs.

One in four women nationwide will experience violence by an intimate partner, according to Anne Tapp, executive director for the Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence in Boulder and Lafayette.

The Safehouse responds to about 10,000 crisis calls each year and serves 2,500 Boulder County victims and their children. That number continues to grow every year, Tapp said.

Although it’s hard to determine whether the growth is due to more violence or better community outreach, Tapp said the Safehouse is bracing itself for even more demand. She said economic downturns bring a surge in violence.

“Maybe it’s the additional stress of the loss of a job or income, or the risk of losing homes,” Tapp said. “For abusers who may keep the violence in check, oftentimes the additional stressors of money worries can add to their use of violence as a way to exert control over their family or lives.”

In honor of April, which is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Victims’ Rights Awareness Month, Tapp wants to remind the community of Boulder County’s resources. She said the free dermatology services are an example of a service she thinks most people wouldn’t link to domestic violence.

Still, Tapp said, the emotional scars of violence can sometimes be the most paralyzing.

And for some survivors, scars can over time become a powerful reminder of survival, empowerment and the ability to heal, Tapp said. Some people don’t want to remove the marks.

“It’s very individual,” she said.

To apply for help, survivors should contact the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. To qualify, survivors must be away from the abusive relationship for six months and have confirmation from a social worker or counselor that the injuries are from domestic violence.