The top skin experts weigh in on today’s most promising products and treatments. Sit back, put your skepticism on the shelf, and let NEW YOU’s insider guide transform your skin from world-weary to world-class.
BY Valerie Latona PHOTOGRAPH by George Holz
When it comes to skin, things start to go downhill at age 35. Structure, firmness, smoothness, and elasticity take a hit as the production of collagen and elastin slows. “For some, the clock ticks faster than for others,” says Dennis Gross, MD, author of Your Future Face.
“Oxidative damage is one of the biggest culprits of premature aging,” says dermatologist Debbie Palmer, a doctor of osteopathic medicine. “We encounter oxidative damage from ultraviolet rays, but also from factors such as car exhaust, secondhand smoke, diets high in processed foods, stress, and illness.”
Going under the knife is no longer the method of choice in the age fight. “Women don’t want to pretend to be twenty when they’re forty-five,” says Karyn Grossman, MD, Department Chief at the Division of Dermatology, St. John’s Medical Center in Santa Monica. “It’s not about, ‘Who did your work?’ but, ‘God, you look really good.’”
“Well rested,” is the description used by Christine Nell, FNP, of Ava MD Skin Recovery Clinic in LA. “We’re not trying to make you look different. Just much better.”
New methods are less invasive than a facelift and boast little downtime. “You have to address all aspects of what makes skin look young—regular pigmentation, small pores, no lines, a dewy glow,” says David Colbert, MD, of New York Dermatology Group. “You can’t just fix one thing and expect that you’re going to look young.”
At-Home Solutions
Topical retinoids are hands-down the gold standard of home wrinkle treatment. By prescription, they go by names like Retin-A, Renova, Tazorac, and Tretin-X (generic: tretinoin). Over the counter, it’s retinol, pro-retinol, or retinyl palmitate—less potent forms of retinoids. All of these are derived from vitamin A.
“This ingredient stimulates collagen production, evens pigmentation, and helps keep pores clean,” explains Fredric Brandt, MD, who practices in New York and Miami. We suggest TxSystems Afirm ($42; dermstore.com) and Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Ferulic Acid + Retinol Brightening Solution and Ferulic + Retinol Triple Correction Eye Serum ($85 and $65; dgskincare.com).
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