Skin Care

Obagi Nu-Derm Review – Before and After

~ Michele Raiyne ~ 4 Comments

The Obagi Nu-Derm system for normal/oily skin consists of eight products:

  • Foaming Gel
  • Toner
  • Clear
  • Exfoderm Forte
  • Blender
  • Retin-A (not included) (used with Blender – prescription required)
  • Hydrate
  • Sun Shield Matte Broad Spectrum SPF 50

After a consultation through Fresh Laser Skin Studio I went on the Obagi Nu-Derm system for normal to oily skin for about 4 months to help with fine lines on my forehead, hyperpigmentation (freckles) from sun damage and scarring and red spots from previous acne. I purchased the travel size which was enough for about 4 months. This system should be used under the direction of a specialist. While using this system I had followups with Fresh Laser about once a month to make sure things were working and the skin wasn’t being over-irritated and to ask any questions (of course, I was welcome to call and ask questions anytime).

  • Step 1 – Foaming Gel: A pink gel cleanser that lathers up on application to remove makeup, impurities and oil and to prepare skin for the next step. To be used morning and night, a pea-sized amount.
  • Step 2 – Toner: This removes remaining makeup and balances the pH of the skin. It has skin calming ingredients including aloe vera, witch hazel and sage. It includes fragrance and artificial color and is alcohol-free. To be used morning and night.
  • Step 3 – Clear: This is a prescription strength skin lightening product that contains 4% hydroquinone that is very effective in for skin discolorations and hyperpigmentaton. Hydroquinone should not be used for more than 4 or 5 months at a time. To be used morning and evening, a pea-sized amount.
  • Step 4 – Exfoderme Forte: This is an exfoliating lotion using glycolic acid and lactic acid, two alpha hydroxy acids that brighten dull skin and help remove wrinkles by removing dead skin cells and other debris. To be used in the morning, a pea-sized amount.
  • Step 5 – Blender and Retin-A: The Blender is formulated to be used with Retin-A. Taking a pea-sized amount of each, these are blended together and put on the skin at night, used to reduce hyperpigmentation and wrinkles and smooth the skin’s texture.
  • Step 6 – Hydrate: A moisturizer used morning and night. As the purpose of my Obagi Nu-Derm use was to exfoliate and peel and I didn’t want to inhibit that, I didn’t use this product. I was told that if the peeling skin from the other products was irritating or if I was going out and had skin “peelies” I didn’t visible, I was to use the Hydrate.
  • Step 7: Sun Shield Matte – To be used during the day as a sunscreen lotion. As I didn’t want extra moisture to inhibit the exfoliating and peeling, I didn’t use this, but opted for a powder sun protection from Colorescience.

This is a system that should be followed by a professional. These are strong, prescription strength products that promote exfoliation and peeling to reveal clearer new skin. Sun protection is a must with this system, as the AHAs and Retin-A make the skin more sensitive to the sun.

I was amazed by the results I got by using this system:

obagi system
Before and After Obagi Nu-Derm (courtesy of Fresh Laser Skin Studio)

You can see from the photos that the hyperpigmentation was reduced and the skin looks clearer and smoother. I don’t have a photo of my forehead, but I had many fine lines and after the 4 months, they were gone. I still have some deeper acne scars on the right side of my lower face that were reduced, but didn’t disappear. I still have a deeper fine line between the eyebrows that faded a bit, but didn’t disappear. The pores on and around my nose seemed smaller and less noticeable.

I think what really helped my skin from this line was the Clear, the Exfoderme and the Blender/Retin-A combination. I imagine one could find a different (better) cleanser and toner and get similar results.

While using this system I learned about my skin; oily skin needs help to exfoliate, I need ingredients in skincare to help do that (alpha hydroxy acids), Retin-A is proven to reduce wrinkles and acne and result in a smooth complexion. I also learned to listen to my skin; if it was being irritated or became red, I would reduce the Exfoderme or Retin-A to every three days or every other day, then work back up to once a day. I was previously using way too much product on my skin; I would use a dime-sized amount of a product when all I needed was a pea-sized amount, for example. My skin is oily and only needs a light moisturizer.

This system really worked to reduce fine lines, breakouts and the hyperpigmentation. My skin was clearer and smoother and looked better than it had in years. That said, it was pretty expensive and some of the ingredients are less than great. Some of the products contain silicones, parabens, color and fragrance. This is a very exfoliation-intensive program, but the products contain ingredients to lessen redness and and inflammation that might otherwise be caused by the products. As mentioned, this system works, just listen to your skin and use sunscreen.

After using this system I maintained my skin on the therapeutic line by Dr. Zein Obagi called ZO Medical.

*featured image from Obagi.com

Michael Todd Charcoal Detox Deep Pore Gel Cleanser Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ Leave a comment

michael todd charcoal cleanser michael todd cleanser front michael todd cleanser

I have been using the Michael Todd Charcoal Detox Deep Pore Gel Cleanser for about 3 months. This cleanser is for oily and acne prone skin and claims to remove dirt, oil and makeup without stripping the skin of its natural moisture. It also claims that the absorbent activated charcoal penetrates into pores to draw out impurities and blockages. This product is certified vegan, uses 70% organic ingredients and is made in the USA. Directions state to shake well before each use.

The packaging of this product could be improved. It comes in a bottle with a pop-off type lid.  I prefer products with a pump, or better yet, an airless pump that reduces the risk of impurities and bacteria entering the product. *Please see note below.

I use a dime size amount of this cleanser morning and night by massaging onto my face and neck for about a minute. At  night I use this with my Clarisonic Mia. This gel cleanser feels nice on the skin and doesn’t lather much. I find that too much lather such as a foaming cleanser can make the skin feel dry and tight. It rinses nicely with no residue and the skin feels soft, oil-free and clean with no tightness.

Looking over the ingredient list (I won’t go over each ingredient, but will mention some perhaps unfamiliar ingredients or ingredients that stand out to me), aloe leaf juice is first. Aloe contains two hormones,  auxin and gibberellins, that have anti-inflammatory properties and can help minimize acne and promote cell growth. Being a rinse-off product, these benefits might be minimized as opposed to a leave-on product. Tea tree oil also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. This cleanser uses a number of plant extracts that could be irritating to the skin; wintergreen, orange, lemon, lavender. I, however, have not experienced any irritation. Bilberry, sugar cane and maple extracts are the ninth, tenth and eleventh ingredients and are sources of AHA (alpha hydroxy acids) used as exfoliating agents to aid in cell turnover. Oily skin needs help exfoliating. I was surprised to see activated charcoal toward the bottom of the ingredient list at number nineteen of twenty-eight. Being called “charcoal detox cleanser”, I would have expected it to be towards the top. *Please see note below.

The name of this product, Charcoal Detox Deep Pore Gel Cleanser, to me, implies that this detoxes the skin. This cleanser claims that the charcoal is able to penetrate the pores and draw out impurities. Activated charcoal, when taken internally at the right time as an emergency treatment, may help with food poisoning or a stomach flu as it absorbs most toxins and poisons before they can harm the body. It is also used in water filters. Can activated charcoal draw out impurities and detox the skin? I looked at PubMed for any articles relating to charcoal detoxifying or purifying skin and could not find any. I did find that charcoal can help with odors of blistering skin and skin loss related to wounds such as open ulcers from diabetes, for example. So it seems that charcoal will not help with intact skin (from what I could find).

It may be that cleansers such as this with activated charcoal rely on other good ingredients that cleanse, exfoliate and help heal the skin such as the aloe juice, sugar cane extract and tea tree oil.

This cleanser has retinyl palmitate and beta carotene. Acrylates/C10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer can combine to water and oil to create a smooth consistency and can also be used as a stabilizer. Benzyl alcohol is second-last on the list. This type of alcohol can be problematic in high amounts, but nothing to worry about in this product.

Throughout my few months of using this twice a day, my skin hasn’t been irritated and does not feel dry after use. My skin is very oily by the evening and this washes away the oily feeling without leaving a dryness. I don’t usually wear makeup, but when I do this cleanser is able to wash it away. Compared with other cleansers I have used in the past, this one seems to indeed be helpful for my oily skin and helped clear up some bumps and congestion on my forehead.

Despite activated charcoal popping up in many skincare products, I could not find any science-based evidence that it works to detox the skin and purify pores. It might be a logical jump though; if activated charcoal can absorb toxins/poisons from the body to prevent further harm, it might pull out impurities and toxins from the skin. Perhaps clever marketing? In any case, I like this cleanser, I don’t find it very expensive and it lasts a long time. I like that it has no artificial colors or fragrance. It does have a smell that may bother some. It is pretty strong in the jar, but when taking a bit to spread on the face, it wasn’t so bad. I couldn’t put a name to the smell and when I asked my husband, he said it smelled like lilacs in acid…a pretty good description actually. I don’t mind the smell though and it is being washed off anyway.

*Note: Since buying this, I note on the website that the packaging has been changed to a pump. The ingredients have also changed a bit. The activated charcoal is third and twentieth on the list. Why that would be I am unsure, and it looks like they took out the benzyl alcohol. On the Michael Todd website, it states that they are always improving formulations and ingredients and the ingredients on the website should be taken as up-to-date.

Daily and Weekly Skincare Routines

~ Michele Raiyne ~ 1 Comment
Daily Morning Skincare Routine
Daily Morning Skincare Routine

I have oily, blemish prone skin with hyperpigmentation. My morning skincare routine consists of:

  • Step 1: Michael Todd Charcoal Detox Deep Pore Gel Cleanser over face and neck.
  • Step 2: La Vie Celeste Restorative Illuminating Toner over eyes and neck.
  • Step 3: Michael Todd Blue Green Algae Antibacterial Toner over face.
  • *Toners applied with Delon+ Cotton Rounds.
  • Step 4: ZO Medical Glycogent over face.
  • Step 5: ZO Skin Health Olluminate under eyes and over eyelids to brow bone.
  • Step 6: La Vie Celeste Day and Night Restorative Face Cream over neck.
  • Step 7: Your Best Face (YBF) Balance over face.
  • Step 8: Colorescience Sunforgettable Topical Sun Protection Powder.
  • Step 9: Your Best Face (YBF) Quench Lip Treatment.
Evening Skincare Routine
Daily Evening Skincare Routine

My evening skincare routine consists of:

  • Step 1: Michael Todd Charcoal Detox Deep Pore Gel Cleanser over face and neck.
  • Step 2: Cleanse with Clarisonic Mia with Deep Pore Cleansing Brush.
  • Step 3: La Vie Celeste Restorative Illuminating Toner over eyes and neck.
  • Step 4: Michael Todd Organic Lemon AHA + DMAE Toner.
  • Step 5: ZO Skin Health Olluminate under eyes and over eyelids to brow bone.
  • Step 6: La Vie Celeste Day and Night Restorative Face Cream over neck.
  • Step 7: Your Best Face (YBF) Quench Lip Treatment.
Weekly Skincare Routine
Weekly Skincare Routine

On Wednesdays in the evening after steps 1 and 2 above I add in:

  • Your Best Face (YBF) Prep Exfoliant.
  • Michael Todd Kaolin Clay Detoxifying Facial Mask.
  • And continue with Step 3 and onward as above.

On Sundays in the evening after steps 1 and 2 above I add in:

  • Nano Ion Home Facial Steamer.
  • Your Best Face (YBF) Prep Exfoliant.
  • Your Best Face (YBF) Clarity Green Tea Mask mixed with Wedderspoon Raw Manuka Honey & Bee Venom and YBF Private Reserve Antioxidant Treatment Oil.
  • And continue with step 3 and onward as above.

If my face feels dry at any time I add a couple drops of the YBF Private Reserve Antioxidant Oil to my face.

In subsequent posts I will go over each product individually and why I use it. I have also purchased a couple other products to try that I will add in soon.

Photofacial Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ 6 Comments

IPL (intense pulsed light), also known as a Photofacial, Photo Rejuvenation,  or BBL (broad based light) is a light-based (non laser) technology through a handheld device used to improve brown spots (hyperpigmentation) from sun damage and age spots, overall redness, can improve redness from rosacea, overall skin tone and texture and can boost collagen, thus improving skin laxity and wrinkles. A consultation is recommended as IPL is not suitable for all skin types. There is minimal down time and the process takes about 30-40 minutes per session, with the number of sessions two to three weeks apart and determined by results one would like to achieve. The consultation determines the proper settings for the IPL.

The IPL device emits broad based light waves that are targeted at hemoglobin and melanin. Melanin is used as the target for the pigment in hyperpigmentation, sun damage and age spots. Hemoglobin is the large molecule in red blood cells. Hemoglobin is used as the target for redness of the skin, flushing and red lesions and vessels. The hemoglobin and melanin are targeted by the light waves. The light waves penetrate deeply through layers of the skin targeting melanin and hemoglobin without damaging cells. The brown pigment (melanin) stored in the cells are released and come to the surface of the skin where they flake off or are absorbed by the body and fade. For the redness, hemoglobin is heated and thus, red blood cells in vessels near the skin surface are heated. When heated, the vessels close down resolving the appearance of broken vessels, redness, flushing and lesions.

My skin is oily, tends to redness (not from rosacea), breakouts and blackheads and I have many freckles from sun damage on my upper cheeks and nose. I also have some dimpled scarring from acne on the lower right side of my cheek.  As a kid and young adult I spent a lot of time in the sun, used tanning beds in my early 20s and never used sunscreen.

About 2 years ago at about age 32-33, I had gone to Fresh Laser Skin Studio for the first time having never heard of IPL or Photofacial. I was actually going there for a microdermabrasion. I had never had any procedures done on my skin and had really just started getting into skin care. After having a consultation with a questionnaire, skin typing and photographs of my face, Coral, the owner and skin specialist at Fresh Laser, suggested an IPL. Before getting this done, I was given some information and read some reviews online. There were reviews that proved to have great results and some that were a little scary, with photos showing tiger stripe burns all over the face. I’m thinking to myself, after the obvious pain one would be in after the first burst or two of light, would you not tell the person doing the IPL to stop because it hurt so much and there is obviously something wrong? If you say something feels wrong, and they say that’s how it’s supposed to feel…you may want to leave and find someone else. There should not be a lingering heat.  It is certainly very important to do your research on the procedure itself and the specialist doing the Photofacial and find someone who is knowledgeable and who you can trust.

With the above in mind, I went back to Fresh Laser to have my first of three treatments on my face and neck. I got before pictures taken. Coral was very reassuring, explained the procedure and said if anything hurts too much or doesn’t feel right, to let her know. She started by cleansing my skin and putting cold gel on my face and goggles on my eyes. Time to start. I was nervous. At the first pulse of light, it was bright despite the goggles and the pulse felt like a warm rubber band snapping on the skin. It was definitely tolerable. I felt the snap more on my upper lip. The handheld device moved bit by bit over my face and neck. It took about 30 minutes. The gel was then washed off and the skin moisturized. Any redness from the procedure can be covered with powder mineral makeup.

For me, right after the procedure my skin was slightly red in a couple patches more so on my neck (the skin on the neck is thinner and more sensitive than the face). My face and neck felt like it had a slight sunburn. That feeling lasted about 20 minutes and the redness about an hour.

I had three sessions in total, about 2 weeks apart. The second and third sessions were easier than the first, in part due to knowing what to expect. A few days after the first session some freckles got darker, more came to the surface and some just disappeared. The freckles that got darker flaked off the skin in pieces. After each subsequent session more freckles came off. The small red spots were reduced and overall redness of my skin was reduced.

Photofacial Before and After
Photofacial Before and After (Courtesy of Fresh Laser Skin Studio)
Photofacial Before and After
Photofacial Before and After Courtesy of Fresh Laser Skin Studio

Looking back on these photos I am amazed by the difference in my skin. The freckles were definitely gone and redness was reduced. My skin seemed less oily for a while. At this time, I didn’t really have any wrinkles, other than a line between my eyebrows and a few fine lines on my forehead. The fine lines on my forehead were a bit reduced and I didn’t notice any difference in the line between my eyebrows. The texture of my skin was improved and felt softer, but the scarring on the right of my face was not diminished. I may have needed a few more IPL sessions. Overall, I love the results and will definitely get IPL done again as now, a couple years later, I have some hyperpigmentation again. I’d probably want to try to do maintenance IPL once a year.