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March 2010 - Newsletter #56 - Retinoids, Spot Peel

Skin Actives News

Getting better in lots of small ways

The skin actives team will be taking the next two or three  months to make a lot of small improvements. Within the next couple of weeks new batches of our serums and daily use products will have water proof labels and our hair and gray hair serums will come in easy to use bottles. We have also begun a project to look at all our packaging to see if we can make upgrades that improve the customer experience without adding to the cost.

The spot peel is now available for purchase. See below for details. Hannah assures me that she will have a video demonstration up and running in the next few days. The pictures are very good though.

We have signed a contract with a distributor in The Philippines. In about three months customers in the country will be able to purchase skin actives products online and in retail stores. We are very excited about this project.

All our newsletters are available on our customer forum. Follow us on Twitter : @skinactives , Fan us on Facebook Celestite Spritz March Bonus - Free with orders of $150 and above Celebrate the coming of Spring with our Celestite Spritz, before or after makeup or during the day it provides a refreshing lift to the skin. "This is a fabulous product. A very light mist on the face, whether on clean skin or after makeup, effectively tightens & tones up facial features. The face is gently lifted without any tight feeling. Somehow I immediately look 25 instead of 35. Great instant pick-me-up to carry around for use anytime. I don't understand how it works but it really does"   Most Popular Canvas Base Cream  4 fl oz Collagen Serum 1 fl oz Epidermal Growth Factor 50 mcg KGF for Brows 10 ml Hyaluronic Acid 1 g Bright-I Cream 0.5 fl oz Sea Kelp Bioferment 2 fl oz DREAM Cream 4 fl oz Niacinamide 5 g DMAE Serum Plus 1 fl oz CHAS Serum 0.5 fl oz BKRW-UV Cream 2 fl oz Alpha-Beta Exfoliation Towel Copper Peptide (GHK) 2 ml New Product:  TCA Spot Peel Kit http://www.skinactives.com/product/detail.aspx?prodID=194 The objective of this treatment is to lighten prominent sun spots in visible areas of the face and body. You may wish to try it first on a less visible area, like the arm rather than the face, to make sure that the post-treatment color change and peeling is acceptable for you. Healing time varies a lot, with the person but also with the position of the sun spot, with healing occurring faster on the face than on the arm. (before) (after, top spot treated only New Actives Butcher’s broom (http://www.skinactives.com/product/detail.aspx?prodID=195) Not a new for the users of our capillary health cream, but we responded to the request by DIY clients who like to use this very valuable active in their own “potions”. This extract helps with venous insufficiency, and decreases capillary permeability. Our extract is standardized for ruscogenins. Bilberry (Vaccinium) fruit extract (http://www.skinactives.com/product/detail.aspx?prodID=196) Standardized for anthocyanins (25%) which give this extract a gorgeous color, this extract has vasoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and healing activity.  Add it very slowly, so you don’t get a cream that it is too strongly colored to use during the day. Skin Actives on a Budget By Mark (Brighton, England) We might be coming out of recession but money can still be tight. I often read on the forum how people love Skin Actives products but are on a tight budget, so which ones should they get. I thought I would write a few words about which products I think are good and why. I'm not involved with Skin Actives, but I have been using their products for several years and like to contribute to the forum. I also have a keen interest in skin care and a degree in botany. First I shall write about "essential capsule products" which are few products to base your anti-aging regimen around, and then how to get the most out of your products. Essential capsule products The simplest capsule regimen would be Marine Nutrient Serum ($9.50 for 1 fl oz) and Every Lipid Serum ($9.50 for 0.5 fl oz). If used together, they will give your skin everything you need. However, if I was to recommend some essential products for those who want to do the best for their skin and are on a tight budget, I would recommend the following: Collagen Serum, at $12.50 for 1fl oz, is packed with the hydrophilic actives found in many premium products and includes Epidermal Growth Factor, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate and many other good things. You only need to use a few drops and a bottle should last you for quite a while. Canvas Base Cream is $6.50 for a huge 4 fl oz tub and should not be underestimated. It might be just sold as the "base cream" but I have often thought that the ingredients are a lot better than many creams you can buy in shops.  My personal recommendation would be Dream Cream ($30 for 4 fl oz). It might be one of the more expensive products in the range, but it's a huge tub and should last for months. It was originally designed as a body cream but many forum readers use it on their faces. It contains Coenzyme Q10 and hydrophobic actives, sea kelp bioferment, coconut endosperm, shea butter and rosehip oil. It sinks in well enough to use under sunscreen and is excellent complement to the actives in the Collagen Serum. Without mentioning the name, I like to think of it as equivalent to a very expensive face cream that was created by a NASA scientist (and at a fraction of the price). I feel that Collagen Serum and Dream Cream together make a state of the art combination and would be difficult to match with anything in the shops. However, if funds permit, I would recommend another couple of products. Every Lipid Serum ($9.50 for 0.5 fl oz) is important because you need to keep repair skin's lipid barrier and supply it with essential fatty acids. You only need to use a couple of drops and one bottle lasts for a long time. Bright-I Cream ($17.50 for 0.5 fl oz) is one of the best eye creams that I have come across. In this case you really only do need to use a tiny amount because using too much cream around your eye area can cause your eyes to get puffy. A friend recently paid a huge amount of money for a Re-Vive eye cream and I pointed out that she could buy this cream for a tenth of the price. Getting the most from your products I am sure Hannah would love us to bath in Skin Active products, but a little will go a long way. I find one of the main differences between many premium products and those at the lower end of the market, is that you need to use more of the cheaper products. I expect this has something to do with the quality of the base ingredients. I find that I only need a few small dabs of Skin Active readymade creams to cover my whole face, especially if I am layering them with ELS. You can also get the most out of your products by refrigerating creams and serums. Some of the protein based actives such as Epidermal Growth Factor and Superoxide Dismutase will lose their activity over time, if kept at warm temperatures. You need to find a way to make this work for you. For example, I decant a small amount of Bright-I into a clean pot to keep in my bathroom. You should always use Sunscreen (for example SPF 30 Advanced Protection $9.50 for 2.5 fl oz) because the sun is probably the greatest cause of premature skin aging and you don't want to undo all your good work through UV radiation. Finally I would recommend that you take an interest in the ingredients in other commercial face creams and the claims they make. It might feel that you need a science degree to understand what's on the label but a good rule of thumb is to see how far down the list the active ingredient comes, if its low down the product probably doesn't contain very much (except in the case of some ingredients like peptides which you only need in small quantities). This might not directly relate to Skin Actives on a budget, but you will find out that you are getting more for your money. Hannah's Notes Reading it twice I posted a short piece in our blog (http://www.skinactives.com/blog/index.aspx) with a comment to an article in New Scientists (www.newscientist.com/article/dn18525-antiageing-cream-as-good-as-drug-at-reducing-wrinkles.html). The article was itself a comment, and the original is the paper published in the British Journal of Dermatology J.J.J. Fu, G.G. Hillebrand, P. Raleigh, J. Li, M.J. Marmor, V. Bertucci,_P.E. Grimes, S.H. Mandy, M.I. Perez, S.H. Weinkle and J.R. Kaczvinsky (2010). A randomized, controlled comparative study of the wrinkle reduction benefits of a cosmetic niacinamide⁄peptide⁄retinyl propionate product regimen vs. a prescription 0.02% tretinoin product regimen. British J. Dermatology, 162: 647–654 After further conversations with my daughter, I would like to give you more information about the original article and what it tells us, rather than just complain about what I don’t like about it as I did in the blog. I would also like to go beyond the conclusions offered by the authors, all of them either paid consultants or employed by Procter and Gamble. Let start with the positives: It is possible to reach significant anti-aging results without having to visit the dermatologist and paying for a prescription medicine. This represents a significant monetary saving, especially if you live in the USA and lack good health insurance. Retinoic acid is not very well tolerated: it is irritating and many people can’t tolerate it. It is possible to reach significant anti-aging results without having to use a prescription medicine not suitable for fertile women. Retinoic acid is known to be teratogenic, hence its prescription medicine status. A doctor will only prescribe retinoic acid to a woman after a pregnancy test and other precautionary measures. The cosmetics, produced by Procter and Gamble, are relatively simple and contain “easy” actives, readily available from Skin Actives. These include: retinoids, sunscreen, niacinamide, carnosine, palmitoyl pentapeptide, etc. The photographs are really good quality, and show a significant decrease in wrinkles and improved overall appearance. We know that actives work, but it is always nice to see that activity documented in pictures that are NOT corrected using Photoshop. What I don’t like about the study: It was planned and performed by people paid by the company that sells the cosmetics. Compares pears with apples: a retinoid (retinoic acid) known for its irritating effect on skin, compared with a retinoid (retinyl propionate) plus creams containing actives in an emollient base with silicones and light reflectants that help “hide” the wrinkles. To be fair, the authors accepts these as limitations to the validity of the paper in the discussion. Carnosine and niacinamide are good actives, but there are others that are as good or even better. Because the study was planned to promote Olay Pro-X, there were no EGF, resveratrol or any of the great actives known to be great for their anti-aging properties. It is a short term study, and time makes a big difference. In short, I did not like the article very much, but I will take the good news from anybody. How to get the same or better results: In the morning apply CHAS serum, layer on top a 0.3% retinyl ester cream and SAS sunscreen (or another with SPF30). At bed-time use let’s make collagen serum and layer on top retinyl ester cream (please see below coming soon to SAS) About retinoids Retinoids is a group of compounds with vitamin A activity: retinal, retinyl acetate, retinyl palmitate, retinol, retinoic acid?  Each name represents a different molecule with different biological activity. So very confusing! Your doctor will not confuse them, though, and neither will your skin. Your MD may tell you that you have mild acne and why don't you go to the supermarket and get some vitamin A cream. You may go and buy a cream with retinyl acetate or retinyl palmitate or retinol. BUT, if you have serious acne, you will probably get a prescription for retinoic acid or for tretinoin. What is the difference? They are different chemicals, and the subtle differences in chemical structure will be recognized by your skin. Retinyl acetate (the vitamin A we sell at Skin Actives) will be converted by your cells before they can attach themselves to the receptors on the surface of the cell nucleus and give instructions. You have the enzymes to do this job and the advantage is that retinyl acetate is much more stable than retinol. There is no danger of you making a mistake either, because the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) protects you by not allowing the free sale of retinoic acid and other chemicals used in prescription medicines. Retinoic acid must be avoided by women that are pregnant or could become pregnant and your doctor will make sure you do not get the wrong medicine. Coming soon to SAS A retinyl ester cream with niacinamide and peptides, so that you don’t have to get Retin-A or even Olay Pro-X Deep Wrinkle Treatment. We do have a retinyl ester cream, but it is formulated for acne control, so it is time to correct this omission. Expect it in April.

FAQs for Beginners

***Panda gives a very nice description of the DIY process:

 I am going to give you my version and hopefully others will chime in. My best answer is sometimes it's hard and sometimes it's easy. Sometimes it works well and sometimes it doesn't.

Start with a base that you like. That is the important part. Then mix small batches from there. As you prepare to add each active do a search on the forum and see what issues others have faced when trying to incorporate this active - like does it need to be mixed with water or heated. Add your actives one at a time and try the mix out for a few days before you add more. Some find that alpha lipoic acid stings, some don't. If it stings too much you may need to reduce the concentrationby adding more basemix. Some actives require a day or two to fully dissolve (licorice).

Some actives can make the base cream thin (DMAE), some can make it gritty (betulinic acid), some can make it too thick (hylauronic acid), and some can give it a color that will stain your skin (grapeseed). See why it is so hard to answer this question! But if you start slow and make small batches you can recover from most anything and end up with a beautiful result. I hope this helps! ***

FAQs for Beginners

How to layer products

After a shower or bath, the skin will be more permeable to water soluble actives. Take advantage of this by using serums first. Then you can layer on top oil-based serums or creams.

Exfoliators (acidic like alpha/beta, protease-based like pumpkin enzyme or physical like exfoliation kit) will increase skin permeability, take advantage of this and apply let’s make collagen serum immediately after an exfoliation.

Don’t mix serums together in the same bottle, they are O.K. as they are. Some cannot be mixed, like water-based (CHAS) and oil-based (ELS) serums.

Which actives should not be used together
There are not many rules here.

-Be nice to proteins (like epidermal growth factor, keratinocyte growth factor, SOD), by keeping them cold (NOT frozen) and not mixing them with acid solutions. For example, rinse well your skin after using the alpha/beta exfoliator, one of the few acidic products we sell.

-There is a theoretical point about vitamin C derivatives and metals like copper and iron, so don’t add copper peptide to CHAS serum.

General shelf life of products and refrigeration needs

Please keep refrigerated all serums and creams that contain proteins, like let’s make collagen serum and restoration cream (proteins are more stable when refrigerated, NOT frozen). For serums and creams, 6 months is a good estimate of shelf life. They are shipped to you very fresh, so you can count the 6 months from receipt. Remember that a cream will not work unless it is applied to the skin, so don’t just buy SAS products, USE them!

Powder actives are fine in a cool, dark place, and keep the tubes closed. Some actives (like carnitine) will absorb moisture more readily, so it is important that they are kept well closed. Most powder actives will last for years.

What are preservatives?

Nobody likes to use preservatives: they don’t help your skin or make you younger. But preservatives prevent the multiplication of bacteria and mold in the skin care product. If it were just a matter of throwing away a half-use product because there is some mold growing in it, I would not bother using them. But it is a lot more than that: even when you start with a perfectly clean product, spores are floating in the air, and nasty bugs, capable of causing very dangerous infections, could grow in the product unless the correct preservative (or mixture of preservatives) is included.

Clients ask me why we at SAS use preservatives in our products. My answer is that preservatives give me the peace of mind I need, because I know that our products will not cause a skin or eye infection

There has been a lot of bad press about parabens, and I feel pressed to come in their defense. Why? Because the arguments against parabens are bogus when the “evidence” is examined. Parabens have some estrogenic activity, but so are thousands of chemicals which we consume daily in our food. What matters is how strong is the estrogenic activity a chemical has. Strength in this case is measured by the concentration of the putative analog required to displace the natural ligand, in this case estrogen. If you need very high concentrations of the estrogen-like chemical to dislodge the estrogen from the receptor, then the activity is very low and unlikely to be of significance in real life. This is what happens with parabens: they have very low affinity for the estrogen receptor.

Parabens have a long record of safety. They are non-allergenic, effective at very low concentrations and they don’t contribute a smell to the finished product. Smell is one of the problems of natural preservatives containing a mixture of extracts from oregano, rosemary and more. The smell can be a overpowering (at least to my nose), plus several of the extracts are allergenic. In the words of Dennis Sasseville “The history of preservatives goes back to the 1930s, and ironically, the parabens, which the industry has sought to replace with "safer" alternatives, are still the most frequently used biocides in cosmetics and appear to be far less sensitizing than most of the newer agents.”

We (people who do like parabens) may eventually lose the "media war" against, as more people are convinced to avoid parabens. In this case, the general public will suffer, because there are no good substitutes for parabens that will work for all products. The result will be new preservatives coming to the market too early, without enough testing, because preservatives are essential to keep skin care products safe. Then, in one or two decades, or even sooner, we may start seeing side effects from unproven preservatives.

It is worth mentioning that preservatives are just part of the equation. It is important to start with a clean product, i.e. to limit the bacterial and fungal presence as much as possible. It has been shown that the concentration of parabens required to inhibit fungal growth depends on the initial concentration of the organisms. In short, if you are planning to make a serum, work clean, disinfect everything you will use with rubbing alcohol (let it air dry, do not blow on the utensils!) and add the preservative at the time of preparation, NOT as an afterthought one week after making the serum.

Organic, natural, synthetic

Scientists learn to use words carefully. Marketing people use words carelessly. This difference does not matter much unless you dislike to pay too much for a product or to be "taken". I don't like to be "taken", fooled, or pay too much for anything.

A client wrote to me asking how to use our sea kelp bioferment (one of our best-selling products) with an organic cleanser she bought elsewhere. She likes using organic products. Here is the ingredient list she sent me: “Water, shea butter, succinic acid derivatives, karite tree fruit extract, laurel berry deriv., coconut methyl glycol, essential oils, beta glucosamine, beta fructan, amino guanidine".

Sounds good, especially the laurel berry and the coconut. Except that there is no such thing as laurel berry derivative in the INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients), used by the industry to put some order in the labels. The "laurel berry derivative" is probably sodium lauryl sulfate, a detergent that people don't like to see in the label because it is a known irritant, Unfortunately, it is the best ingredient when it comes to giving you bubbles for very little money, and manufacturers love it. This is an example of the "organic" label being used by people who have no problem lying.

Organic conveys a meaning of wholesomeness. When used for food, it means that the crop has been grown without adding synthetic fertilizers and that no pesticides have been used. The FDA has some rules about how to use the word for food products, but when it comes to cosmetics, there are no rules, so many irresponsible people will take advantage of the consumer (no rules means no punishment). My advice: whenever you see the word "organic" in a skin or hair care product, look at the ingredient list and make sure you know how to read it.

What is "natural"? My own definition: natural is something that has been taken directly from nature and has not been modified chemically.  Why is "natural" a marketing word? It sounds good, but in reality there is nothing that makes natural chemical better than a synthetic one. In other words: a chemical is not defined by how it was obtained but by how the atoms are arranged in the molecule. There is no way to differentiate between a synthetic and a natural chemical. Moreover, whatever the feeling the word natural conveys, natural can be bad. Just think "poison ivy".

Again, if you are faced with a product that is advertising "all natural", read its ingredient list. Most manufacturers use synthetic chemicals that have been optimized for use in cosmetics after many decades of testing. There is nothing wrong with that, as long as customers are not lied to.

Some manufacturers don't even know that they are using synthetic chemicals. For example, most botanical extracts used in the industry are made using hydroglycolic solvent: water plus propylene glycol, and include synthetic preservatives. By ignoring this fact, the manufacturer can list a "liquorice extract" and make you think you are using a natural product when in fact the extract has little liquorice in it and contains synthetic chemicals.

We at Skin Actives Scientific use many natural products, and many of them are organic. But we do not want to reinforce the idea (wrong, in our view) that natural is good and synthetic is wrong, so we don't emphasize the origin of the chemical.

What about DMAE?

DMAE “firms” the skin, and it is one of the few “plumping” actives. I am having trouble remembering any others, except for our own Celestite. Because plumping is so effective in hiding wrinkles, DMAE has become very popular. It has also been used for decades without any problem. The problem with DMAE is that its mechanism of action is unknown. This is true for most actives, so it should not be a problem per se, but it exposes DMAE to claims from people who say DMAE is bad for you. There have been a couple of such scientific papers, and the quality of that research is so bad (yes, there is such a thing as bad quality scientific research) that no conclusions can be extracted from the results. So I have to say to our clients “use DMAE for short term only” and make up the rest of plumping and firming using actives that are better known.

Marketing “lingo”

“Nanoparticles, liposomes, energy, communication, peptides, youth proteins, decades of research” are words and phrases marketing people write to convince you of buying products that are disguised as technologically advanced. They also sell you products to solve problems that don’t exist, based on myths they invented.

Myth #1: The skin is impermeable
If the skin is impermeable, you clearly need the last delivery system consisting of these nanoparticles designed by that famous scientist in Switzerland. Unfortunately, that famous scientist in Switzerland does not exist, or never published anything in a reputable scientific journal. Even worse, they are lying about skin properties: the skin is not impermeable and your don't need any delivery system to get an active into your skin. It may help if you apply the serum after a shower, but that is more or less it. Whatever you apply to the skin, it will be absorbed, for better and for worse.

Myth #2: There is a magic bullet
There is no magic bullet and no ingredient is going to rejuvenate your skin ON ITS OWN. Your skin is a very complex system and has complex requirements. As we age, our body starts to "short change" the skin, even when you are having a healthy diet and take your multivitamins. Simply, there are less blood vessels reaching your dermis delivering less nutrients to the skin. Just one ingredient will not make a big change. Why? Because as soon as your skin has enough of ingredient A, another ingredient, B or C, will limit the capacity of your skin to regenerate. 

Myth #3: clean, tone, moisturize
Cleaning is important, even if you do not live or work in a polluted city. But, what on earth is a toner? Forget about those alcohol rich toners, they will only damage your skin. And moisturize? You need a lot more than that. Use a cream that will help your skin to keep water in, pollutants out. Silicones (the ingredient that gives "silky feel" to creams and lotions) is perfect for this job, but will do nothing else for your skin and may even slow down absorption of valuable nutrients. So go slow on silicones and think nutrition. Hyaluronic acid, natural active peptides, essential fatty acids, niacinamide and other vitamins will help your skin long-term. And if you are planning to live a long and fruitful life, you'd better thing long term.

Myth #4: DNA and stem cells will help your skin

Any skin care product that includes these is trying to take advantage of fashion. Your cells have your own DNA, which you inherited from your parents. Your cells will express certain genes, those that correspond to the organ (in this case, skin) and time in your life (a baby does not express the same genes than an adult).

DNA that belongs to fish, cow or whatever, when applied to your skin, may be used. Fortunately, it will not be used to make the proteins of the fish or the monkey. Our immune system will not let anything get to the nuclei of your living cells, otherwise it would play havoc. Havoc is what happens when foreign DNA does actually get to the nuclei of your cells: it is what happens when a virus cheats your immune system and manages to get in. It will take further action from the immune system to eventually get rid of the foreign DNA.

So what happens to the DNA that marketers get you to apply to your skin? Most of it will be washed away, some of it will be broken down and your skin may absorb the components: nucleotides, sugars, phosphate, etc.

Same thing will happen to the stem cells from cow, horse or whatever. If your immune system is working well, nothing will get in, unless it is broken down to skin food first.

This is one more example of how marketing uses "fashion" to promote useless ingredients. DNA and stem cells go directly to my "arghhhh" list. Yesterday in CSI NY the murderer was discovered because she had received a stem cell facial (from cow) before committing the murder. You can add this to the list of reasons why NOT to have a stem cell facial.

Myth #5: Natural is good, synthetic is bad

Just two words: "stinging nettle". Two more? "Poison oak". Plants can't run, and they have too many predators, starting with humans. Their defense? Producing chemicals that will stop (or deter) animals from eating them. "Natural" has lately become a buzz word, often emptied of any content. For example: "allantoin (comfrey)". It is true that you can find allantoin in comfrey, but the ingredient used in skin care products is likely to be synthetic. Not that it matters, the chemical extracted from the plant cannot be distinguished from the synthetic one, but this approach only perpetuates the myth.

Myth #6: Your skin needs extra oxygen!

No, it doesn't. Our skin gets more than enough oxygen from the air and through the blood vessels that irrigate the dermis. In fact, our skin gets too much oxygen, and oxygen is partly to blame for aging skin. The  "excess" does not result in more energy because our blood and mitochondria are saturated with oxygen (i.e. have as much as they need) but the extra free radicals will age the skin, increase mutations in our cells' DNA and break down the lipids in the cell membranes. So, if anybody invites you to an oxygen bar, run in the opposite direction. If somebody else wants to sell you a cream with hemoglobin (read: cow's blood) tell them that dead, yucky protein will do nothing for your skin. And run!

Bright-I Serum On Sale

Bright I Serum is now on Sale! Click for more information.

TCA Spot Peel Kit

The TCA Spot Peel Kit is now available for purchase here.
Please read the information on Hannah's blog about it here.
The instructional video will be available soon.

The objective of this treatment is to lighten prominent sun spots in visible areas of the face and body. You may wish to try it first on a less visible area, like the arm rather than the face, to make sure that the post-treatment color change and peeling is acceptable for you. Healing time varies a lot, with the person but also with the position of the sun spot, with healing occurring faster on the face than on the arm.
Don’t expect perfection, which is achieved only though Photoshop, but the obvious, annoying spots will be gone.
 
Figure 1. Two prominent “age spots”. The top one will be treated.

Figure 2. Active solution was applied. Frosting (precipitation of proteins) is progressing. The pigment in the spot is changing in color too.

Figure 3. Stop the process by applying the restoration cream.
 
Figure 4. After 3 days.
 
Figure 5. After 1 month.

 
In your kit, you should find a small vial with a brown cap, solution applicators, and a jar of our Restoration Cream. The small vial contains the active solution. The main ingredient in the active solution is trichloroacetic acid, a relatively strong acid derived from acetic acid. Be careful not to touch the liquid – and only apply it with the applicator provided.

To apply, immerse the applicator tip in the active solution. Squeeze the wet tip against inside rim, to avoid drips.

Apply solution to skin with applicator by gently dabbing the wet applicator tip against the skin.

There will be mild heat or irritation, this shows the product is working. At the first visible signs of “frosting,” which is whitening on the skin, apply Restoration cream, which will immediately stop the irritation.
The TCA self neutralizes by combining with skin proteins and denaturing them, inducing “peeling” and improving penetration of the Restoration cream.

Your skin will tend to flake after 3 – 5 days. Do not “pull” at peeling skin, as you may cause scarring and increase hyperpigmentation, instead of reducing it. Not all patients shed skin in the same way, all patients are different.  When you do start to peel, do not rub the skin harshly or use exfoliant products. These can cause redness and irritation and possible infection.

Make sure to apply Restoration cream to the affected area each day, several times a day, during the healing process.

Additionally, it is important to remember that while undergoing this treatment, the skin has little or no protection to UV light (both UVA and UVB). Therefore, it is important not to expose the skin to direct sunlight for at least two weeks following the spot treatment. You should always wear a sunscreen (minimum SPF30), even in winter, layered on top of the Restoration cream.
Repetition, if necessary, is acceptable after one month. Please remember to dispose of used applicators carefully.

Enjoy your beautiful new skin!