By: Wendy Schmid
Cutting-edge skin care lines from dermatologists and plastic surgeons are now an industry staple, delivering office-worthy results right in your own home. Here’s a roundup of the best in the business.
Doctors regularly dole out advice to patients in their plush offices, but we all benefit when they bottle their signature skin treatments. One growing trend among these pros? Skincare by diet. The majority of them see it as a key component for great skin. Combine that with high-tech delivery systems and breakthrough ingredients designed to smooth, firm, and lift and you can’t help but put your best face forward.
AYUR-MEDIC
Celeb Fans: Deepak Chopra, Whitney Port, Will Smith
Who: The dynamic duo of dermatologist Ezra Kest, M.D., and plastic surgeon Raj Kanodia, M.D.—rumored to have improved some of Hollywood’s most high-profile noses.
What: Ayurvedic philosophy (some products boast antioxidant spices like turmeric and emblica) meets a “Medic” approach with formulations that work intra-dermally. Says Kanodia: “Many retinols sit on top of the skin and irritate; ours is micronized to gently penetrate and polish. Apply it twice a week after using the Papaya Enzyme Peel and you’ll no longer need facials.”
Best-sellers: Collagen 111, an anti-aging serum that uses a compound called ASC3 to stimulate production of the pillow-y type of collagen that makes baby skin so springy. Lip Enhancer, a must for full lips without the scalpel. It contains peptides for long-term volumizing, and niacin to make lips immediately plump and rosy by increasing blood flow.
Hot New Product: 24 Hour Moisture Serum. It offers time-release moisture for the 35+ crowd with rejuvenating apple stem cells and açai oil.
Where: Select doctors’ offices; Skin-Ology, Los Angeles, CA; Beautiful You Center for Healing Arts, Southhampton, NY; www.ayurmedic.com.
Lancer Skincare
Celeb Fans: Oprah, Beyoncé, Denise Richards
Who: Harold Lancer, M.D., creator of the Lancer Method, which puts a spin on the typical tradition of wash then scrub. His protocol of exfoliation fi rst and cleansing second (which he employs at his chic new digs on Rodeo Drive) offers a deeper clean that preps skin to drink in essential nutrients, he explains. Former medical director of Epicuren, he was also one of the brains behind the popular Epicuren Skincare Line.
What: Clinical grade products rooted in Lancer’s philosophy of postponing surgical intervention for as long as you can. “A youthful face is an inverted triangle but the triangle flips around 35 and the lower face begins to get fuller,” he says. “The good news is
that you can maintain a lifted look if you make a commitment to great dermatological skincare.”
Best-sellers: Natural Sea Mineral Polish, made with 40-micron Dead Sea sand crystals that are carefully engineered to buff the skin uniformly—with no risk of tearing.
Hot New Product: Stay tuned for a topical pore-reducing gel for rosacea-prone skin. Free of dimethicone and alcohol, it’s crafted to absorb oil like a sponge without drying.
Where: Nordstrom; www.20yearsyounger.com; www.lancerdermatology.com.
Colbert MD
Celeb Fans: Angelina Jolie, Michelle Williams, Kate Middleton, Rachel Weisz
Who: David Colbert, M.D., author of “The High School Reunion Diet,” former Chanel dermatology consultant and current backstage skin guru for Victoria’s Secret fashion shows. The busy doc also volunteered in Haiti after last year’s earthquake.
What: Colbert believes in the healing power of plants for beautiful skin and his tightly edited collection boasts some of the best, from gotu kola to Tibetan goji berry. “For the healthiest-looking complexion, try to go natural with your foods, too. Nothing in a box,” he says. “If it doesn’t grow from a tree or the ground, don’t eat it.” One helpful tip for sweets lovers: Sub agave for sugar. The white stuff causes loss of elasticity within skin.
Best-sellers: His “addictive” exfoliating Facial Discs. Victoria’s Secret makeup artists use them on models’ skin pre-show to enhance their glow. Heal & Soothe night cream—the African shea nut butter and angelica provide major moisture.
Hot New Product: Nourish Eye Cream. It fights stubborn dark circles by getting to the root of the problem (age-related pigmentation) with brightening ascorbyl glucoside.
Where: Barneys New York nationwide; Louis Boston, Boston, MA.
Dr. Brandt
Celeb Fans: Madonna, Kelly Ripa, Joy Behar
Who: Frederic Brandt, M.D., sought-after industry researcher, lecturer and author of “10 Minutes, 10 Years: Your Definitive Guide to a Beautiful and Youthful Appearance.”
What: A broad range of targeted solutions for every skin problem, which Brandt cleverly categorized into different collections—from Blemishes No More to Time Arrest. His authoritative approach is culled from years of study and patient feedback between two bustling practices in Miami and Manhattan, where he often sees over 40 patients a day.
Best-seller: Dark Circles Away. Sleep-deprived fans already love this collagen eye serum, which launched earlier this year. Part of the appeal? The cold roller-ball applicator. It helps vasoconstrict the puffiness out of undereye bags. Plant extracts and amino acids also go to work strengthening the delicate area by rebuilding collagen and elastin fibers.
Hot New Product: Pores No More Hint of Tint. Fittingly created for those with oversized pores, the sheer, light-diffusing color won’t sink into your skin and cause more clogging. It wicks away shine with flaxseed and purifies skin with antibacterial tea tree oil.
Where: Exclusive to Sephora stores, nationwide; www.drbrandtskincare.com.
Dr. Macrene SKIN RESULTS
Celeb Fans: Manhattan movers and shakers, actresses, models
Who: Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas, M.D., PH.D, author of more than 40 research papers in journals like Archives of Dermatology. Dr. Alexiades graduated from Harvard with a Bachelor’s of Arts, a medical degree and a Ph.D in Genetics. She is licensed to practice in both the U.S. and Europe and has consulted for L’Oreal for three years.
What: Two unique skin care creams for all that ails you. Alexiades-Armenakas does the hard work—mastering the alchemy of a high-powered 37+ ingredient blend—so you can simplify your routine and still end up radiant. Unlike so many highly preserved products that can lose effectiveness when shelved in warehouses, hers are tested and proven 100% active for over 6 months after opening. Yet another bonus: They’re free of parabens, fragrance, propylene glycol and petrolatum.
Best-sellers: 37 Extreme Actives. The original cream packs the punch of firming peptides, redness-reducing yerba mate tea and skin-thickening barley extract (a natural growth factor), to name just a few. All are microencapsulated to get deep into cells and each jar has the chic little treat of a mother of pearl spatula.
Hot New Product: 37 Extreme Actives EXTRA RICH. It has more emollients (ideal for mature skin) and additional potency from DNA repairing plankton, freckle-fading glucosamine and cacao extract. Yes, that chocolate bar ingredient is anti-aging.
Where: Exclusive to Neiman Marcus, nationwide; www.drmacrene.com.
Jessica Wu Cosmeceuticals
Celeb Fans: Hollywood power players—on the big screen and behind the scenes.
Who: Jessica Wu, M.D., author of the new book “Feed Your Face,” and a principal investigator in studies that helped the FDA approve Juvéderm and Latisse.
What: Six core products that marry eastern tradition (Chinese botanicals) and western science (pharmaceutical ingredients). The acne Wu suffered as a child helped inspire her. “In my book, I highlight foods you don’t normally expect to cause breakouts—like milk. Natural cow hormones can over-stimulate your own androgenic hormones resulting in eruptions,” she explains. “If you make dietary changes you often see results in seven days.”
Best-sellers: White Peony Eye Contour. It fades fine lines with free-radical-fighting superoxide dismutase and depuffs with this delicate flower extract, which is used medicinally in China’s Fujian Province. Dew Cream, a favorite of sensitive types and perfect for those who’ve undergone laser treatments—thanks to scutellaria, an anti-inflammatory, and hydrating hyaluronic acid.
Hot New Product: Heel, Elbow & Cuticle Cream (hitting shelves soon) with 40% glycolic acid. According to Wu, it peels dry areas for baby softness in three to four days.
Where: Clyde’s Chemists, Madison Avenue, NY; Skinterra, Scottsdale, AZ; www.drjessicawu.com.
NEW YOUth Cosmeceuticals
Celeb Fans: Southern high society, southern elite, celebrity faces from the South.
Who:Ronald Finger, M.D., board-certified plastic surgeon, anti-aging expert and author of “Why Grow Old,” consistently rated one of the top plastic surgeons in the South.
What: NEW YOUth was one of the first plastic surgeon-pioneered cosmeceutical lines, and one of the first to incorporate a blend of anti-inflammatory, anti-glycation ingredients and whole food nutrients to repair skin at the cellular level. “For years, I’ve been talking about two of the root causes of aging – inflammation and glycation,” says Dr. Finger. “This line is the result of my quest to find products that worked, but didn’t inflame the skin of my patients.”
Best-sellers: The Anti-Inflammatory Cream. Contains a proprietary combo of antiinflammatory, anti-glycation, whole food ingredients and vitamins, such as cat’s claw, Russian black tea, and marine algae extract, among others. Designed to reduce spots, freckles and fine lines in a two-week cycle that restores smoothness and elasticity.
Hot New Product: Wrinkle Delete, formulated to diminish deep lines normally treated with Botox without leaving white residue or an unnatural tightness.
Where: NEW YOUth Medical Spa; other high-end spas; www.NewYouthSkincare.com.
Perricone MD
Celeb Fans: Eva Mendes, Kate Hudson, Analeigh Tipton.
Who: Nicholas V. Perricone, author of seven books including the new Forever Young, and the derm who gets a gold star for introducing us all to the importance of an anti-inflammatory diet.
What: Science-driven products designed to fight inflammation by delivering the key antioxidants, amino acids, and vitamins that Perricone touts in food. “Glutathione is the body’s chief age-defense antioxidant but we produce less with age. Our cream delivers it topically and next I’m hoping to create a supplement that replenishes it orally,” he says.
Best-sellers: The new Acyl-Glutathione—already a cult hit after clinicals showed it improved nasolabial folds in 30 days. How? Perricone describes it as the anti-Botox, increasing energy in the cells for more effective repair—right down to skin’s structural fibroblasts. Try it if you’re 30+ or burning the candle at both ends. No Sun Tanner, another fave, provides gradual,
never-orange color and tightens the skin with DMAE.
Hot New Product: The brand’s first Hypoallergenic Collection, formulated
for sensitive skins that are highly reactive.
Where: Perricone MD Flagship on Madison Avenue; Nordstrom; Sephora; Neiman Marcus.
Epionce By Dr. Thornfeldt
Celeb Fans: West Coast and Rocky Mountain Midwest professional elite.
Who: Carl R. Thornfeldt, the President and CEO of Episciences, Inc., whose Epionce line is based on 25 years of skin research that linked the effects of two damaging biological processes: Chronic inflammation and disruption of the skin’s natural protective barrier.
What: Epionce optimizes the skin’s natural repair system with a blend of active botanical ingredients and a novel delivery system. “My goal with skin care has always been to try and help improve the quality of life for my patients suffering from skin conditions and diseases,” Dr. Thornfeldt says. “I have found that repairing the skin barrier and blocking chronic inflammation has had the most profound effect on aging and skin health in my patients.”
Best-sellers: The Epionce Renewal Facial Products (Cream, Lotion and Lite Lotion) and the Lytic Gel Cleanser. The Renewal products help hydrate your skin while protecting, preventing and repairing the barrier against environmental effects behind chronic inflammation. The Lytic Gel’s formula removes oils, harmful microbes and dead skin.
Hot New Product: The Lytic Sport Tx and the Melano Corrective System (MelanoLyte Tx and MelanoLyte PRO). The former treats skin imperfections; it’s lightweight formula treats oily skin by removing blackheads, whiteheads, pustules and inflamed blemishes. The Melano Corrective System addresses the complex issue of irregular pigmentation.
Where: Available at www.epionce.com.
