In the quest for a beautifully flawless, youthful skin free of lines, crinkles and wrinkles, we spend oodles of our well-earned cash on creams and serums that promise to ‘turn back the clock’ and ‘recapture our youth’. However, the million-dollar question remains: do any of these miracles in a bottle actually work? With a market that is flooded with lotions and creams all proclaiming to erase fine lines and seductively deliver a glowing complexion, how do we know which ones truly work?
Johannesburg-based Aesthetic Practitioner Dr Janine Olivier shares her vast knowledge of skincare and cosmeceuticals – while imparting some valuable advice on what to look for in a quality skin Janine Olivier care range…
The route to the magical fountain of youth is a lifelong quest paved with pharmaceutical endeavours that look for chemical transmission of signals, hormone and antioxidant therapies. It is a multibillion-dollar industry fiercely competing for the ‘new wonder in a bottle’.
Often, mass media marketing does not deliver the promised effect (even if the single study of 15 plantation workers in South Korea showed a 99.9% improvement in skin condition – after washing their faces with snail slime in product XYZ for two weeks…). We as practitioners have the responsibility to deliver the goods to our patient (in a semi-environmentally friendly container) and tell the client that it will indeed satisfy as it turns back time (quickly)—a tough job, for sure.
To truly advise a patient on the most suitable range of skincare products, we must look at the mechanism of action of various products and the desired effect they will have in different age groups. It is also important that the studies done meet international standardised criteria and are indeed accredited or published in a reputable dermatology/scientific journal.
We must look past the mass media hype and investigate whether we can help achieve the best possible result in our current scientific setting. I test the products I recommend on myself to better understand their feel and effect before I introduce them to my clients. More expensive is not necessarily better!
Take-home treatment products are the mainstay of preventative and post-procedural management. Having a spot-on product range makes life easier for the treating aesthetic practitioner. You essentially want the most bang for your buck (simply) as the client. As an aesthetic doctor, you want realistic expectations and good results for your patient at a reasonable price.
WHAT ARE COSMECEUTICALS?
Essentially, it is the marriage between cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Like cosmetics, cosmeceuticals are applied topically, but they contain ingredients that influence the biological function of the skin. Cosmeceuticals are divided into categories based on their active ingredients:
Antioxidants:
Reduce the harmful effects of free radicals, which are molecules that injure the skin’s cells and cause inflammation, increase sun damage and contribute to the development of skin cancer. They essentially ‘mop’ up these radicals that speed up the ageing process.
Peptides:
Are smaller proteins that stimulate the production of collagen and thicken the skin. As we age, the skin becomes frail and brittle – and we need to strengthen this matrix with the help of peptides.
Growth factors:
These are compounds that act as chemical messengers between cells and play a role in cell division, new cell and blood vessel growth – as well as in the production and distribution of collagen and elastin. These are the components that help to give the youthful plumpness we so desire and to maintain the integrity of the skin complex as we age.
NATURAL PRODUCTS
Despite high consumer demand for cosmeceuticals that contain natural or organic ingredients, the notion that these ingredients are safer than synthetic ones is a common misconception. There are no scientific data to support this claim.
Skincare products labelled as natural are less tested and scrutinised than synthetic products and pharmaceuticals.
Aesthetic skin care practitioners generally recommend skin care products with strong science behind them and have been proven safe and effective in human studies.
IN A NUTSHELL
So, let us not believe that we can push the proverbial camel through the needle’s eye as most herbs, oils, and botanical extracts do not penetrate beyond the skin’s surface layers or even have druglike or therapeutic effects, as promised on many over-the-counter preparations.
As for reputable cosmeceuticals, they contain pivotal properties, including collagen stimulation, free radical removal and anti-inflammatory action that form the basis of anti-ageing therapy.
A worthwhile investment in your skin’s future: if you use a reputable and well-researched product as recommended by your doctor. Let the journey to skin health and restoration begin.
COSMECEUTICAL CHOICE TIPS:
- Anything that sounds too good to be true – IS PROBABLY TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE (trust your gut!)
- Reputable brands with a longstanding reputation take care to protect their reputation – have more available funds for adequate and prolonged testing and can afford to keep the cost to clients lower.
- Beware of websites advertising products – many have no scientific basis for their claims.
- You pay good money for expert advice – always ask the practitioner to explain to you how the product works in layman’s terms in order to make your own informed decision.
- Have realistic expectations: The path to repair and restore is a lifelong journey.
MBChB, GPSI Aesthetic Medicine Member of American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine (AAAM).
Dr Janine Olivier is the founder and medical director of HuidAesthetic. Based in Pretoria, South Africa, Dr Janine has been involved in the practice of Aesthetic Medicine since 2009 and has extensive experience and special interest in the field of Internal Medicine and the biochemical and molecular basis of cosmeceuticals. HuidAesthetic offers exclusive, specialised and individualised aesthetic health care. Dr Janine follows a holistic approach to medicine and aesthetics and sees beauty and health as a multifaceted model. She is a member of the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine.
- Dr Janine Olivierhttps://www.aestheticappointment.co.za/author/dr-janine-olivier
