To adequately moisturize dry skin, you should apply nearly an ounce of cream or lotion to your body each day. Most moisturizers come in 8 to 12 ounce containers; therefore, you should be using up your moisturizer within about 2 weeks.

“Are you crazy, Dr. Benabio??” You say, “Do you realize how expensive that would be?”

It doesn’t have to be.

Skin Care Secret #1: All Moisturizers Are Created Equal.

The most important factor in how well a moisturizer works is not its special berry-juice-fish-oil-rare-tropical-flower-$15-dollar/ounce-ingredient. The most important factor in how well a moisturizer works is how you use it.

True, some moisturizers contain alpha hydroxy acids, humectants, or silicones which help soften, moisturize, and protect the skin respectively. However, any moisturizer, even simple mineral oil, can accomplish the basic tasks: 1. lock moisture in your skin and 2. provide a layer of oils to protect it. The important thing is to use it correctly.

1. Take a shower with warm (not hot) water. Use only non-soap cleansers, such as Dove, to wash. Real soaps strip natural oils off your skin unnecessarily.

2. Dry off by patting your skin with your towel.

3. While your skin is still damp from the water that has soaked into its absorbent outer layer, apply a thin coat of inexpensive moisturizer, such as petroleum jelly.

4. Repeat everyday for two weeks. You should go though at least one jar of petroleum jelly in that time.

5. After two weeks look closely at your skin. You will notice that it is smoother, healthier, and even younger looking (dry skin will wrinkle more easily and dull skin always appears older).

Using generic petroleum jelly will cost $4.00 each month. Compare this to other popular moisturizers, such as Aquaphor, which would cost about $43.00 each month. Over a year that amounts to a savings of $468.

If you happen to have been using Creme de la Mer, ($130 / ounce) using Vaseline would save you $40,560 a year. You could buy a new Mercedes with that kind of money.

How much is your moisturizer?

Photo: Dawvon

Vitiligo is a common pigment disorder of the skin. It occurs when your immune system attacks your melanocytes, the pigment making cells. This results in splotches of lightened or white areas. The darker a person’s skin color, the more obvious the vitiligo will appear.

There are several ways to treat vitiligo. Applying potent topical steroids or other immune suppressing creams day after day can slowly repigment the skin.

A second way to treat vitiligo is with light therapy. Exposing the skin to ultraviolet light, specifically narrow band UVB, can suppress the immune response and allow the melanocytes to start making pigment again.

Some patients opt to bleach their skin totally white (as has been famously reported of Michael Jackson) rather than try to repigment the skin. This is tricky, though, because often few splotchy brown spots stubbornly remain.

A fourth option is to use skin dyes to cover-up the vitiligo areas. One dye that a few of my patients have had good results with is Dyoderm (Dy-O-Derm). The active ingredient in it, dihydroxyacetone (DHA), is the most common ingredient found in sunless tanners. DHA interacts with the dead cells on the surface of the skin leading to a brown color. It does not affect the pigment producing cells or treat the vitiligo. The brown color only lasts only for about a week before it fades, so it has to be reapplied every few days.

If you have dark skin, then it is unlikely that a dye like dyoderm can create a color dark enough to match your normal skin color. Dyes can, however, minimize the contrast between dark brown skin and white skin, making vitiligo less obvious.

It is also worth noting that DHA can cause a significant increase in skin-damaging oxidizers when it is exposed to sunlight. As a result, you have to be careful to not be in the sun for 24 hours or so after applying; otherwise, you could be exposing yourself to high levels of oxidizers in the dyed areas.

This post is written by Jeffrey Benabio, MD

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Photo: Produnis

I remember one of my first dates with my wife: we played miniature golf near Narragansett Beach, RI. It was a hot, humid summer night and although I remembered my cologne, I forgot the insect repellent.

By the 5th hole, we were so bitten and itchy that we had to call the match and ran back to the car to escape the onslaught of mosquitoes.

In addition to ruining your best ever round of miniature golf, many biting insects can actually make you sick. For example, mosquitoes carry West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and Malaria. Ticks can carry Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

Now there is a way to fight off mosquitoes and other bugs without having to douse yourself in sticky bug repellent (which always clash with your best cologne). A company in North Carolina called Buzz Off has developed a way to infuse clothing with permethrin, a natural insect repellent made from chrysanthemum flowers. The technology, called insect shield, allows permethrin to be tightly bound to fibers of fabric. When insects come in contact with permethrin, they’re paralyzed.

Permethrin is odorless and stays in the clothing, so it does not get on your skin. It’s better than DEET, a popular and effective insect repellent, because DEET can damage clothing (such as spandex and rayon) and can dissolve certain plastics and vinyl (not so good for car seats). Also, although safe at low concentrations, DEET can be toxic to humans, especially small children.

Permethrin, in contrast, is safe. And, according to the company, permethrin retains its potency in the garments for up to 70 washes, which is the expected lifespan of most articles of clothing. They offer many types of clothing including t-shirts, long sleeved shirts, pants, hats, and hiking socks. For a reasonable fee, you can also send the company your own clothing to be treated with insect shield.

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Photo credit: Aussiegall

Disclaimer: I have no financial interest in Buzz Off nor have I received any promotions or requests to write about them on this site.

What’s a good sunscreen for sensitive skin?I get this question all the time. I recommend a product that covers both UVA (the type of radiation that causes wrinkles and some skin cancers such a melanoma) as well as UVB (the type of rays that cause skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma).

Many chemical sunscreens that protect against both UVA and UVB use chemicals such as avobenzone and oxybenzone which can be irritating and can cause allergic reactions in some patients.

Sunscreens that contain metals such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide however provide excellent long lasting protection and are not irritating to your eyes or skin and are unlikely to cause an allergic response.

A product that I recommend is Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral Powder Sunscreen SPF30 it has high concentration of titanium dioxide (15%) and zinc oxide (10%) and goes on as a powder. If you are one of my patients or just enjoy reading this blog, then feel free to write to me to tell me what products you use and why.

I do not receive any compensation or freebies from products or companies mentioned on this site (I’ve got a job that happens to pay well). My recommendations are based on my knowledge of sound cosmetic and skin care principles and feedback from my generous patients.

Patients ALWAYS ask me about eye creams. The short answer: if you have lots of wrinkles, then most creams won’t make any difference. The best nonsurgical treatment for wrinkles around the eyes is Botox® — it is remarkably effective in treating crow’s feet and can help open your eyes giving you that wide-eyed, 20-something model look (if you go for that sort of thing).

As far as creams are concerned, tretinoin is far superior to any over-the-counter cream for fine lines. Your dermatologist can prescribe it as generic tretinoin for about $60 a tube, which is a good value. It is generally used once a day in the evening, but you should follow your physician’s directions.

If you are looking for a nice over the counter eye cream, my patients and my nurses have liked the new Oil of Olay Definity Eye Illuminator. It lightens the area around the eyes, giving you a brighter, fresher look, and helps diminish the appearance of fine lines. At about $25 a bottle, it is reasonably priced compared to much pricier department store and celebrity dermatologist brands. It is available at most major retail stores.

Conflict of interest: I do not have any financial interests in or take any free samples from these recommended products. In fact, if you sign up for Club Olay, they might send you free samples. Then you can write me and tell me what you think.

Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, is a popular natural ingredient used in skin care cosmetics. There are two mechanisms by which it can affect your skin.

First, vitamin C is an essential component for collagen synthesis. Without adequate vitamin C, the collagen in your skin would be malformed and your skin and gums would not heal properly. This is obvious in patients who are clinically deficient of vitamin C, a condition called scurvy. Among other problems, scurvy patients have bleeding from their gums and poorly healing wounds.

Secondly, vitamin C is a potent antioxidant. Like other antioxidants, it helps to prevent skin damage and wrinkles by soaking up harmful free radicals.

The problem is how to get the vitamin C into your skin. Your skin is designed to keep things out (on the whole, a good idea), but this makes getting medications and creams below the surface, where they exert their effects, rather difficult.

In order for vitamin C to penetrate the skin, it needs to be in an acidic environment, and it needs to be in a high concentration in the product. Unfortunately products that contain 5-10% ascorbic acid are expensive and it’s unlikely that products with low amounts of ascorbic acid have any measurable impact on your skin.

In addition, topical vitamin C is highly degradable. When exposed to air it oxidizes and its free radical soaking capabilities are muted — it becomes an inert, yet nicely citrus fragranced, cream. This is obvious if you have a vitamin C cream at home; you will see that the cream around the cap turns brown (like an apple slice) indicating that the vitamin C in it has oxidized.

If your are going to purchase a topical vitamin C cream, this is one place where more expensive might be worth the cost. La Roche-Posay makes Active C, a nightly eye cream with 5% vitamin C.

If you are trying to save a few dollars this year, I recommend just eating a citrus fruit everyday. You need only 90 mg of vitamin C daily which can be found in a couple of orange slices. Eating a whole orange or other citrus fruit will easily give you many times the amount of vitamin C you need.

There is no evidence that taking vitamin C supplements or consuming huge amounts of vitamin C will have any impact on your skin. Once you have an adequate supply of vitamin C to make collagen, having a huge oversupply is not likely to lead to more collagen production. But it certainly will lead to lots more vitamin C in your urine — it’s simply eliminated by your kidneys.

Other foods high in vitamin C can be found here.

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Yes. You wouldn’t use shampoo to wash your hands, so don’t use the same moisturizer on your face that you use on your feet.

• For your face, which is more delicate and often less tolerant to heavy moisturizers, try Oil of Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum for women and L’Oreal Men’s Expert Hydra-Power Invigorating Moisturizer for men.

• For your hands, which take the brunt of harsh, cold weather and excessive hand washing to prevent catching the flu, use a cream that contains dimethicone (silicone). Eucerin Plus Intensive Repair Hand Creme moisturizes well and isn’t greasy, so your keyboard won’t get sticky when you blog. Have multiple tubes (for your purse, office, and home) so you won’t forget to reapply every time you wash your hands. Don’t forget to massage the cream into your nails which also get dry and brittle.

• For the body, my patients have had success with Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturizing Cream, made with colloidal oatmeal, an ingredient that helps hold in moisture.

• For dry, cracked feet, use a moisturizer that contains a mild acid, such as lactic acid which softens thick, scaly skin. My patients like AmLactin Cream.

What is the best way to moisturize?

• Shower or bathe in comfortably warm, not hot water.
• Use a mild cleanser such as Dove instead of soap. I can’t tell you how often patients’ dry skin is caused by some “natural” or “organic” soap. Unless these soaps are specifically designated as moisturizing, they are often too drying for your skin in the winter.
• Pat dry with a towel, leaving your skin damp.
• Apply cream to your damp skin, locking in moisture. Doing this everyday will significantly relieve your dry, itchy skin in just a week’s time.

What is the best way to moisturize during an economic recession?

OK. So maybe we aren’t in a recession just yet, but skin care products can be prohibitively expensive. If you are moisturizing properly, then you could easily use 5 ounces each week. That means you could use up one Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturizing Cream every two weeks!

Simple petroleum jelly (Vaseline Ointment) — it might be old-school, but it works.

Use a thin coat right after the shower. You can blot excess with your towel. Some patients like to use it only at bedtime since it can mark your clothing.

The first question I ask is: Are you using a lotion or a cream?

The difference between the two comes down to the water content. Creams and lotions are mixtures of oil and water. It is the oil component that is most important for your dry skin.

Lotions are droplets of oil mixed in water. They have a high water and low oil content. As such they are easy to spread on dry skin. However, the water is not well absorbed and quickly evaporates, which actually dries your skin further.

In contrast, creams are droplets of water mixed in oil. They have a high oil and low water content. They are more difficult to smear on dry skin but apply easily to moist skin. Therefore, they are best used immediately after your shower or bath when your skin has soaked up the water like a sponge. Applying cream then creates a layer of oil that locks the moisture in your skin. The water does not evaporate, and your skin stays hydrated.

This is why in the wintertime I advise patients to use only creams. In the warm, humid summer, lotions are actually better.

Products I recommend include:

Olay Body Creme Serum

Eucerin Body Creme (don’t let the feminine model deter you guys, this one’s unisex)

Or, if your budget is a bit tight this winter, even old-school, plain Vaseline Petroleum Jelly works quite well. Rub some onto your hands then apply a thin coat all over your body.

This comes up often. In fact, it was a recent post at The Makeup Minute blog. I often recommend Neutrogena’s SkinClearing® oil-free concealer. Concealers are commonly oil based and can further clog your pores, worsening your acne. This Neutrogena product is oil free. It also contains salicylic acid which helps the skin to exfoliate, unblocking the hair follicle and allowing for the trapped sebum to come to the surface. This helps speed-up the healing.

They come in different shades to match your skin color and even have a concealer with a green tint — the green color helps to offset the underlying red color of the spot, making it look more like your natural skin tone.

Protease inhibitors are biologically active and act as a switch to shut off pigmentation in the skin. Studies have shown that when used over time, they will actually lighten skin tone. In a recent study of 65 women with sun damaged skin, using a daily soy moisturizer was found to be effective in improving blotchy pigmentation, dullness, texture, and overall skin tone when used for 12 weeks.

Aveeno’s Positively Radiant line has daily facial moisturizers and sunscreens which contains these soy extracts. It has a nice light fragrance and the cream dries with an elegant finish. If you are looking for an alternative to chemical bleaching creams or expensive skin lighteners, then I suggest you try this product for 3 months and see for yourself.