R

ecently, I spent two days in a frantic text exchange with a niece suffering from an ill-timed breakout. I analyzed the nature of the blemishes (blind pimples), her skin type (relatively normal, which actually means divinely abnormal), and treatment plan (steam those baddies to the surface, thorough but gentle washing with a charcoal-based cleanser, followed by a bombardment of salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide), and concluded that her foundation caused the problem in the first place.

No, I’m not a dermatologist. Not even an esthetician. I’m simply a self-taught product aficionado (“junkie” will do). It’s a genetic quirk; my mother and grandmother spent their lives slathered in unguents. In Hungary, my great-aunt, an (actual) esthetician, would cook up concoctions in her home, and Babi would send over a child with an empty jar to fill. When Babi was in her nineties, I was supplying her with vitamin E creams — at her request.

Ma found an eager student in me; I never needed to be coaxed to apply products. During my teens, she gave me a bottle of Olay Complete SPF 15, opening a Pandora’s Box. These days, my medicine cabinet overflows with carefully researched bounty: SPFs, vitamin C serums, alpha-hydroxy acids, retinol. Every night they are delicately smeared and patted in (eye lotions with the weak-muscled ring finger, lest the delicate skin be tugged).

“You’re into skincare?” I’m often asked. “What do you use?” The questioner usually regrets the inquiry, as she is then overwhelmed by an avalanche of jargon. However one need not be as slavishly devoted to 20 bottles and tubes (as I am) to protect and treat her skin.

In the interest of corroboration, for this article I consulted with New York dermatologists Steven Weissman, MD (full disclosure: my brother’s chavrusa), Abraham Abittan, MD, and his son, Brian Abittan, MD.

On the Subject of Skin

Since I was exploiting a family connection, I first attacked — er, interviewed — Dr. Weissman. I informed him that this article was supposed to break down major skincare concerns by age — acne-afflicted teens and twenties, anti-aging worries of the thirties and forties, and dry skin woes of the over-50 generation. He corrected my assumption that skin issues are specific to certain age groups; people in their forties can be tormented by acne, while youthful folk may battle dry skin, and anti-aging shouldn’t become a concern only at the first sign of crow’s feet.

Likewise, exotic ingredients touted for decades in the glossies, he says, have only anecdotal benefits, with no proof of their efficacy. He gave an example of a well-known dermatologist who is constantly quoted by magazines — in exchange for big bucks from drug companies to promote their products. (I was devastated.) 

Washing off the day’s accumulated grime from your face each night is a must. Dr. Weissman doesn’t recommend different cleansers for different skin types; he prefers gentle, hypoallergenic cleansers — like Cetaphil — and bans antibacterial soaps. Dry skin benefits from a more nourishing wash, like Dove Sensitive.

The Drs. Abittan break it down further. “Know the goals of your daily regimen. A morning regimen should focus on prevention/protection. As such, this regimen should include a wash — glycolic/citrus acid, an antioxidant — to prevent environmental damage during the day, and a sunscreen with moisturizer. For an evening regimen, the focus should be on repair and reversal. This can be accomplished by washing with cleanser, a retinol for repair, and moisturizer.”

I’m feeling quite smug now. The product aficionado/junkie has been on the ball so far. Allow self a moment of satisfaction, then, cough, back to the article, um, yes, the article. (Excerpted from Family First, Issue 605)