Am I getting younger?

[F1Wild]

Although I've never had horrible skin, I did have a bad couple of years with extensive medical problems, beyondo menapause stuff and just plain getting older, BUT....

I am a 47-year old who started using Green Cream in December, quickly moving from Level 3 to 6 without too much trouble. I recently added Renova Cream, 0.050% to my very sparse routine and I think I have now hit the skin lottery!

2 weeks ago I went out for sushi with my husband on our regular Friday night date and since we were running pretty late opted not to put on any make-up (I did dust a wee bit of powder on my nose & forehead in the car and added some lipgloss). We ended up sitting next to an acquaintance who we see there often. My eyes are starting to go (it's been our little joke) and I moved the menu further and further away to see the words. She asked what was wrong and I told her that I'm at the age when everything starts to fall apart. Her response was...get ready..."Your not 30 or anything are you?" My husband and I both laughed and then realized she was serious. I asked her how old she thought I was and she said she was 35 and knew I had to be much younger than her. When I told her my age see said she couldn't believe how young my skin looked. By this time I was so high in the clouds I didn't need anything but water to drink. I couldn't believe it or wipe the giant smile off my face all night...and the next few days.

My routine is extremely simple - sooooo quick and easy and I'm thrilled that with Kevin's suggestions I've been able to work out the best one for me! My routine is:
Morning:
-Wash with Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser then spash with cold water (maybe this helps close my pores as the GC doesn't seem to sting)
-After 10-15 minutes apply a very small amount of Green Cream 6
-After 20-30 minutes apply Cetaphil® UVA/UVB Defense SPF 50 (I've tried the Elta MD, Dr. Denese, etc., but this works best for me)
Evening:
-Wash with Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser (splash with cold water)
-After 20 or so minutes apply a small amount of Renova Cream, 0.050%
-I don't need to follow with a moisturizer, but if I ever feel dry (maybe once every couple of weeks or so) I use a bit of Cetaphil® DailyAdvance Ultra Hydrating Lotion. Since I live in Arizona I may need more as summer fast approaches.

That's it! Even my husband has commented several times that my skin looks great and is glowing...and he never has said anything remotely like this before!

Thanks Kevin & the Green Cream team!

[kevin]

That puts a smile on my face too...thanks for sharing. Keep up the Renova! and thanks for the Cetaphil Sunscreen Rec, I'm gonna try it myself! I am going to reclassify this post under testimonials if that is OK

[F1Wild]

Ok, it's been awhile now and I can honestly...I mean really honestly say any inkling of fine lines next to my eyes is gone. No lines. I didn't really have a lot or deep ones, but I saw them and now they are gone! Yeah!

Now, maybe it's just a summer thing, but I've noticed my skin becoming a tiny bit oilier (probably because we all are melting here in AZ for a few more months) and the Cetaphil doesn't seem to be leaving me with as clean a feeling as before. I've even had a few breakouts on my chin (I assume it's hormonal). I don't use a moisturizer very often, but do of course, use a sunblock daily. But I've been feeling slicker in the T-zone even without make-up. A few times a week I have been using Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Scrub.

I'm looking for maybe a different cleanser (my skin doesn't agree with pHizoderm) - nothing expensive or that I have to order from a popular website. Also, I wonder if I should incorporate either an AHA or BHA?

Any suggestions?

[kevin]

Wild, I am not "wild" about using active ingredients in cleansers because you wash them off once you apply them on your skin. You may consider using an AHA or BHA to help with the oil, but I would only use once or twice a week. Can't help you further on the cleansers...sorry!

[F1Wild]

Wild, I am not "wild" about using active ingredients in cleansers because you wash them off once you apply them on your skin. You may consider using an AHA or BHA to help with the oil, but I would only use once or twice a week. Can't help you further on the cleansers...sorry!

Thanks, Kevin. I guess I should have been a little more specific when saying "incorporate" AHA/BHA - I meant in my routine, not the cleanser itself.

What brands/formulations of AHA or BHA are recommended? I know Paula's Choice has several, but I'm not a huge fan of hers since she bases pretty much all of her "expert opinion" on lists of ingredients most of the time instead of performance.

I know you're a big fan of Cetaphil (and I always come back to it), but I'm wondering what others use successfully? Maybe a thread should be started with just our basic routines?

[kevin]

Wild, I am no longer recommending Paula's Choice...the pH is too low and can cause irritation issues. I would give the MaMa lotion as a good substitute (though I have not used the product myself).

I will tell you we are working on a BHA that should revolutionize what we know about sal. acid as a acne treatment. I will keep you posted (we are doing our first application next week on a patient). I am really excited.

[F1Wild]

Wild, I am no longer recommending Paula's Choice...the pH is too low and can cause irritation issues. I would give the MaMa lotion as a good substitute (though I have not used the product myself).

I will tell you we are working on a BHA that should revolutionize what we know about sal. acid as a acne treatment. I will keep you posted (we are doing our first application next week on a patient). I am really excited.

Thanks, Kevin...again! Just found this little blurb on their website:
MaMa Lotion is now the "M2 HP Skin Refinish"
MCK Laboratories has rebranded the MaMa Lotion into the new M2 High Potency (HP) Skin Refinish. MaMa Lotion made its public launch over ten years ago and created an instant splash with its unparalleled, instant results. We soon realized there was some confusion caused by its name, causing a few to mistake our product for a pregnancy moisturizer when in fact the name MaMa is an abbreviation for its primary ingredients, Mandelic Acid and Malic Acid. We believe that the M2 HP Skin Refinish name more accurately reflects the product´s true purpose.

I will give this a try along with maybe a switch in broad-spectrum sunblock (my Mayo derm suggested Vanicream's UVA/UVB-blocking 30 or 60 SPF - have you tried this one?). I guess I should consider myself extremely lucky as I know my skin looks wonderful. Again and again I am told I look in my late 20's-early 30's and I am very, very thankful for that...although I think women and men with character in their faces are very beautiful!

[kevin]

I can't agree more! Thanks!