Cosmeceuticals
"It's not just about skincare; it's about skin health."
The use of high-quality cosmeceuticals can help slow the aging process and maximize the results of in-office procedures. While no skin care product can approach the strength and beneficial results of injectable fillers, Botox, or laser resurfacing, quality skincare is essential in the prevention of aging and optimizing treatment results.
We advise reassessing your skin regime every five years: as skin ages, its needs are different. This way, you are not still using skincare products that were perfect for your skin when you were 30, once you are 50.
The best approach to creating an appropriate skincare regime is to make an appointment for a skincare consultation. Bring all the skincare products you are currently using to the office at your appointment time. Dr. Brozowski can examine your products and let you know which are beneficial for you, which are neutral, and which should be discarded or replaced. After evaluating your skin condition, aging profile and lifestyle, she will give you product recommendations for your skin’s particular needs. Our staff is also very knowledgeable about skincare and can field questions and make suggestions from our carefully curated collection of physician-recommended skincare products.
Outside of a personal consultation, here are a few overall guidelines to help you choose a sound daily regimen for yourself:
We recommend everyone use a vitamin C serum daily. Next to sunscreen and sun protective clothing, Vitamin C serums are the next best thing to help prevent skin cancer, as antioxidants repair damage caused by free-radicals. This alone makes it worthwhile to use a C serum. However, C-serums also help prevent wrinkles. In our office, we carry some high-quality physician-recommended products, as well as Dr. Christine Brozowski’s eponymous skin care line; her‘Daily Apple’ is our antioxidant serum.
Recent studies show that using Vitamin C serum in conjunction with sunscreen can help augment the sun protection. Therefore, we recommend that you use a Vitamin C serum in the morning, and top it with sunscreen. Then apply a mineral powder and/or make-up as needed.
Everyone needs a good cleanser to use twice-a-day. Cleansers vary in the degree to which they strip the skin of dirt and oils. Patients with more oily skin, or with acneic skin, should choose a cleanser with an ability to increase skin turnover (such as a product with glycolic acid or lactic acid, or for acneic skin, salicylic acid). Patients with drier skin types should avoid those products and use a hydrating cleanser, which can be either foaming or creamy. Avoid products with excess fragrance or artificial colors, as these only irritate the skin.
Hydration is important. Many ‘Before’ and ‘After’ pictures used by cosmetic companies in magazine ads simply represent the difference between non-hydrated skin (before) and hydrated skin (immediately after product use). One of our favorite skin hydrators is a B5 gel, or hyaluronic acid gel, that goes on the face after cleansing, but before the application of moisturizer. In Dr. Christine Brozowski’s eponymous skin care line, ‘Quench’ is her Hyaluronic B5 serum, and is consistently the top product purchase by her Idaho patients (where the air is dry) and for patients with dry or aging skin.
For more information on sunscreen (an absolute must), see our webpage dedicated to sunscreen guidelines.
Finally, some overall advice: when you see products marketed as ‘Better than Botox’ or ‘Better than a Facelift’ – they aren’t. So save your dollars on over-priced, marketing-intensive department store products. In general, products found on the 1st floor of department stores are overpriced. Think about it: stores put items with the highest profit margin on the first floor, which has the most foot traffic. As you climb the floors of the department store, the profitability decreases. This alone should help you exercise caution before buying anything on the lower levels. Additionally, much of what you pay for on the first floor goes towards marketing and celebrity endorsements, rather than the actual product
For further reading, Dr. Brozowski was featured in Sun Valley Magazine, in an article focusing on Organic Skincare. Read the article here: http://www.sunvalleymag.com/Sun-Valley-Magazine/Winter-2016/Organically-Speaking/
We carry carefully selected cosmeceutical products in our Berkeley office and an abbreviated selection in Ketchum, including the below:
Christine Brozowski, M.D. Skincare
With a scientist's knowledge of ingredients and their properties, and a skin care physician's awareness of skin problems and needs, Dr. Brozowski offers a prescription-strength line of products to address aging skin. Our signature product is a compounded lightening agent with 6% hydroquinone, which is stronger than products available in pharmacies or over-the-counter. This compound also contains a Retinoic acid and a mild steroidal ingredient to soothe the skin and help it tolerate such a strong product. We work with a local formulator to ensure the highest quality and accuracy in dosing. Other popular products include 'Daily Apple,' an antioxidant serum and 'Quench,' a hyaluronic acid hydrator. Quench is consistently the top product purchase by her Idaho patients (where the air is dry) and for patients with dry or aging skin.
Alastin
ALASTIN Skincare® is one of the fastest-growing physician-dispensed skincare brands, with scientifically proven and clinically tested products. Founded in 2015, ALASTIN Skincare provides a comprehensive collection of cutting-edge products for daily skincare regimens. Alastin products are paraben-free, gluten-free and cruelty-free. They are also part of the Aspire rewards program and will earn points towards future purchases.
Skinceuticals
Skinceuticals features Vitamin C products with Vitamin E for double the environmental protection. Additional active ingredients include Ferulic acid and Phloretin. Antioxidants are unstable and therefore, are usually formulated in serums, rather than creams. However, Skinceuticals also developed serum-in-a-gel technology, for patients who do not prefer serums.
Epionce
Epionce uses a blend of botanical ingredients to decrease the visible effects of aging. Epionce is formulated for mature dry or sensitive skin and is paraben-free, dye-free and fragrance-free.
mybody
MyBody is an all-natural paraben-free line designed to alleviate inflammation and strengthens skin immunity. Their tinted sunscreen is a favorite in our office as a substitute for foundation.
Revision
Revision Skincare collection was formulated to enhance the skin’s texture and tone, and reduce signs of aging. Revision Skincare is a favorite for safe and effective treatment for women of all ages.
Elta MD
Elta MD sunscreens provide broad-spectrum UVA and UVB coverage to protect the skin from sun damage, and are paraben-free. Elta MD also offers tinted sunscreens that can double as foundation. This line is especially good for dry or sensitive skin.