What’s In My Black Bag?

I technically don’t carry around a black bag full of medications and supplies, but I am known to have some of my favorite cosmeceuticals on hand and at top of my mind when I am treating patients.

Seventy-one percent of women will try a new skincare product each month because they are not happy with their current one, and 76 percent of patients want to be asked about skincare. If we recommend a product, three-quarters of patients will buy it on the spot.

Recommending cosmeceuticals that work is a win-win, as home skincare can augment and enhance the effects of our in-office procedures and help grow our practice revenue.

Here is a snapshot of some of the newest, results-driven cosmeceuticals we are offering patients at iMAGE Dermatology in Montclair, NJ.

Obagi Professional-C Serums

Vitamin C serums are an essential part of any skincare regimen, and while there are hundreds of them out there at various price points, it’s buyer beware. This antioxidant is notoriously unstable and breaks down quickly when exposed to light.

Obagi’s serums contain L-ascorbic acid, the purest, most bioavailable form of Vitamin C, and are formulated at pH <3.0 levels to optimize efficacy, permeability, and stability. They are available in three concentrations for different skin types: 10%, 15%, and 20%. I strongly prefer the 15% vitamin C serum.

Nucil

Long, lush eyelashes have been desired throughout the ages. Although many products including mascaras claim to help enhance lashes, only a few measure up to their claims. Nucil targets the growth phase to nourish and improve lashes with such actives as biotin, dehydrolatanaprost, sodium hyaluronate, and panthenol. It is an easy add-on to any regimen with improvement in as little as eight weeks with full results by 16 weeks.

Melatonik 3-in-1 Night Serum

Skin cells rejuvenate themselves naturally at night, and this serum lends a helping hand. Melatonin stimulates the skin’s natural defenses against free radicals caused by UV radiation, oxidative stress, and pollution, while retinol alternative bakuchiol helps restore the skin’s elasticity and firmness, as vitamin C stimulates skin’s natural antioxidant defenses.

Eryfotona Actinica

Sunscreen is important 365 days a year, and patients want our advice on the best products out there. I recommend Eryfotona Actinica, which is a 100 percent mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide. Unlike other sunscreens, Eryfotona Actinica will repair underlying UVA and UVB damage. It contains DNA repairsomes or photolyase enzyme encapsulated in liposomes for better delivery into the skin. The science is sound. After application and penetration through the stratum corneum, photolyase will seek out and bind to UVA/UVB damaged DNA or cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs). Once activated by visible light, photolyase instantly breaks the CPD bond. The DNA is now repaired and can replicate without any mutation.

Cyspera

Cyspera (L-cysteamine) fits the need for a pigment corrector that does not contain hydroquinone. L-Cysteamine is a biological antioxidant produced during the coenzyme A metabolism cycle and is naturally present in all mammalian cells. Cyspera’s mechanisms of action include tyrosinase inhibition, peroxidase inhibition, intracellular glutathione increase, dopaquinone quenching, fenton-type reaction inhibition, which leads to a reduction of melanin in the stratum corneum. Mild irritation may occur.