Do you want the good news or the bad news?
OK the bad news is creams don’t work.
The good news is that, that isn’t quite true.
Let’s try that again. Creams you can buy over the counter don’t work. Oh yes, they do smell nice and moisturise your skin a bit, but all these fancy ingredients like polypeptides and CoQ10 mostly sit on top of your skin until you next have a shower.
This is simply because skin is designed to keep the world out. It is relatively impermeable. Water can get in and out. Some moisturisers can get in. A few other active ingredients like ibuprofen in gel form can penetrate the skin when rubbed well in, but most other stuff just can’t . Sun cream of course works very well.
So when looking for a moisturiser, go for the one which smells the nicest and is reasonably priced. Preferably go for one with the highest sun protection factor you can find.
Now here is the really good news. We have worked out how to make skin permeable and let all this good stuff in!
You will have all heard of Nicotine patches and HRT patches that have been designed to deliver controlled quantities of a known substance into the skin over a set period of time. So we can develop techniques to deliver these active ingredients into where they are really needed.
So why can’t the manufacturers of all these wonderful sounding creams just do this?
Well they can and they can’t. The rules in the UK are quite simple. There is a difference between a product which is classified as a medicine and one that isn’t. Quite rightly the rules that govern medicines are different from the rules covering cosmetics.
So if a product has a strong visible effect it is usually classified as a medicine and needs to be prescribed or provided by a doctor. If a product is safe but only has minor effects then it is classified as a cosmetic and does not need to fulfill such stringent regulations as a medicinal one. This is exactly why most of the products you can buy over the counter in Sainsburys or a Chemist can by definition have very little effect. No I accept not ‘no effect’ but not very much.
In fact the rules for cosmetics are very lax. Providing the manufacturers don’t make any definite claims the product doesn’t have to prove that it even works at all. This is why their adverts include a lot of terms like ‘can be helpful in’ or ‘may improve’. Unfortunately there is no law against selling stuff that doesn’t work providing it doesn’t make any definite claim that it does!!
So here is the best news. If you go and see a specialist cosmetic doctor they can provide you with the medicinal products which truly benefit the skin. One such product range that we have at Eternal Youth is the Obagi Nu-Derm system. These contain two major active ingredients Tretinoin and Hydroquinone. Call the clinic and pop in for a free consultation and I will tell you all about them.
The proof however is always in the pudding. What did I put on my face this morning?
The Obagi Nu-Derm system.
Need I say more?
If you would like to talk personally to me about any of the treatments or procedures we offer then call the girls on 01625 598 000 and book your FREE consultation now!
I look forward to meeting you in person.