Skin care products only 10% of good skin?
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skin Care and Makeup Forum

Tue May 16, 2006 8:24 am

Last week I went with a friend to a very famous Derm in New York. She had an appointment and I went along for the ride. Anyway, we asked what was the most important thing to get and keep good skin. She said skin care products are only about 10% of what makes skin look good. Heredity is a big, big part. She also said diet, water consumption, stress relief, execise, fresh air, some sunshine, etc. all play a big part in how you look, especially skin. She said skin reflects the bodies overall health. Kind of depressing to hear I can't just slap on a cream, etc, and have good skin. Guess I knew this anyway. What do you think? Bethc

free skin care · Tue May 16, 2006 8:55 am

That does sound about right.. but that's 10% we have CONTROL over!!! I'll still take my 10% to work with.

free skin care · Tue May 16, 2006 9:02 am

I completely agree with all of this, if it wasn't for all the constant marketing of skincare products I don't think we would purchase half as as much as we do.

Tue May 16, 2006 9:05 am

This derm has her own line of skin care but still insists that it can only do so much. Sigh.

free skin care · Tue May 16, 2006 9:08 am

Well what I'm curious about is what is the percentage of the heredity? Because the diet, water consumption, stress relief, execise, fresh air, some sunshine we all have control over as well as the skincare aspect.. so that should equal well over 10%...

free skin care · Tue May 16, 2006 9:20 am

Bethc wrote:

Heredity is a big, big part.

That's very sad for me. Sad

I don't know what % heredity plays exactly but that's pretty much the only part we don't have any control over. It's probably over 50% though. Which should motivate me to take more control over what I can change and improve. Just because these things are within my control, doesn't mean it's always easy to do the right thing and have the right habits with them. Motivation plays a big role.

I agree though, that skin is effected more by internal health then external creams and lotions, although they can help quite a bit.

free skin care · Tue May 16, 2006 9:21 am

I agree that it is more important to take care of your skin by eating right, drinking water etc. I also beleive that taking care of your skin by not smoking, cutting down on alchohol consumption, wearing sunscreen and sunglasses etc. also helps your skin look younger for longer period of time.

Tue May 16, 2006 9:34 am

The heredity part depressed me so much I didn't ask what %. I'm sure its quite high although I do think you can tweak skin enough to kind of overcome some of the heredity factors. But, things like fair skin that burns and freckles immediately or oily acne prone skin are definitely from the genes. If we could chose our genes I'd chose Sophia Lorens...those bones just keep holding that thick beautiful skin up.

free skin care · Tue May 16, 2006 10:04 am

I believe HEREDITY plays more than 60% role of our skin. Healthy life style helps our overall health condition. I have a Asian friend, 50 year old, does not drink much water, does not exercise, does not wear sun screen,..... She's not doing anything for her skin BUT her skin glows, she does not have many wrinkles, she does not have any sun spot......... What do you say about that?!

Tue May 16, 2006 10:45 am

MACrisis wrote:

I believe HEREDITY plays more than 60% role of our skin. Healthy life style helps our overall health condition. I have a Asian friend, 50 year old, does not drink much water, does not exercise, does not wear sun screen,..... She's not doing anything for her skin BUT her skin glows, she does not have many wrinkles, she does not have any sun spot......... What do you say about that?!

I'll track her down!! Sigh. Its definitely the good genes. She'll look that way forever probably. Asian women age so beautifully.

free skin care · Tue May 16, 2006 11:15 am

I believe heredity has a lot to do with it, but I still believe what we do and put on does affect the outcome more than 10% (good and bad). I'm Asian and while I look younger just because of the whole Asian thing, many of the women in my family have some form of hyperpigmentation problems (melasma, etc.). Mine kicked up as a result of birth control, but it's much less than my sister and cousin because of a combination of MSM supplements, topical products (yonka, artistry, juvedical) and chemical free sunblock.

My other sister whose skin is pretty flawless had really bad acne as a teenager. She never used birth control and uses the whole Artistry line of skincare.

So basically those in my family that use a complete line of skincare have better skin than those who don't.

free skin care · Tue May 16, 2006 11:32 am

I do have to agree heredity has a lot to do with it. My mom doesn't take care of her skin at all (I try to get her to, the most she does is use an Olay exfoliatant a couple times a week) and she smokes (i am very anti smoking..so i avoid being around it) and it's amazing how much better she looks than most women her age. She does have wrinkles, but she also tanned her fair skin for years and year and her wrinkles are moreso fine lines (only 11 lines) I would say. My dad has bags under his eyes which I fear I could get...I just hope that since I rarely drink and I don't smoke..i avoid the sun and am a nazi for fresh air...and seeing my parents don't look bad for their ages, that I will not age bad at all.

free skin care · Tue May 16, 2006 11:32 am

by the way my mom is 53..

free skin care · Tue May 16, 2006 2:44 pm

Yeh some people have great genes. But my experience is that diet, supplements, exercise, other life style and topicals come to over 50%.

Why?
Look at anyone who's smoked for years Everyone I know in that category has plenty of wrinkles.

I know a few real atheletes(one Olympic rower,one marathoner in their 60s and a few other serious exercisers). They all have very few wrinkles.

Three years ago I had saggy skin and quite a few wrinkles. Now I have literally NO wrinkles and only one fine line (some lines around eyes but only when I smile really big).

All of the above couldn't be true if heredity was the only major determinant. Actually three years ago I believed that nothing would really work but I was wrong. I think MDs sometimes say things like that because they want to push surgery.

free skin care · Tue May 16, 2006 3:55 pm

I may be the lone disenting voice on product making a 10% differance. I have struggled over the years with my skin. I am attractive enough and could cover the flaws with makeup, but as I am getting older it is taking more makeup and I'm less intrested in wearing it.

Recently I've undergone laser surgery (for rosacea) and changed skincare regimens and without a doubt my skin is 110% better. My skin glows, my pores are tighter, and my skin is as soft to the touch as my 5 year olds.

Yes I have freckles still, my forehead creases are still in place (until botox) and I have fine lines around my eyes, but they are a part of me and for the most part I accept them.

Now that I think about it, a better way to look at it is, the wrong kind of skin care can trash your complexion 100%, but the right one can improve it 10% above its optimal. Did that make sense or am I just rambling?

free skin care · Tue May 16, 2006 5:01 pm

Sharky, I am curious of what kind of program you did in order to rid yourself of wrinkles? You say you used to have wrinkles, were they fairly deep or fine? I would appreciate hearing what you have found to already be proved.

free skin care · Tue May 16, 2006 8:24 pm

Its' definately true that hereditary factors play a part in the way we age, but it's almost impossible to predict how much since you would have to factor in what your parents and grandparents lifestyle factors are in the first place. My grandmother has smoked for a VERY long time (she's since given up - in her 70's!!!), and she has lovely, lovely skin for her age. However since she was in the beauty industry for her working life, she has always looked after her skin and her appearance.
My mother on the other hand, also a smoker, has never relied on skincare products - never followed a cleansing routine or even basic moisturiser, rarely worn sunscreen and she's now talking botox to rid herself of lines around her eyes and mouth.... Confused

So, I believe the way you look after your skin- sunscreen, skincare, health and happiness has a major impact on the way you look in ten, twenty or thirty years. Whether the new products that are around these days are going to help us to look younger during those thirty years....isn't that the million dollar question (literally...) Laughing

I feel better thinking they do, and it feels nice anyway to appreciate these things too!!

free skin care · Tue May 16, 2006 8:36 pm

Genes play a huge part. My dad suffers from a bit of adult acne, and I suffer from a bit of acne which i try to keep under control by using birth control pills and skincare products. My brother also struggles with acne. I also hear Moles, stretch marks, cellulite, freckles are all hereditary as well

free skin care · Tue May 16, 2006 9:39 pm

I think it's definately different for everyone, and probably varies as you age. I think having a good skincare regimen is more advantageous to your health than beauty. When we look good, we feel good, we have less stress.

free skin care · Tue May 16, 2006 10:17 pm

Well I think I look younger than my mum did at my age Very Happy

(36)
My dad had great skin till well into his 50's-hopefully i have his genes.

free skin care · Wed May 17, 2006 12:03 am

Quote:

I'll track her down!! Sigh. Its definitely the good genes. She'll look that way forever probably. Asian women age so beautifully.

take heart, not ALL Asian women age well, trust me, I have some "family" members here who are definately NOT aging well at all. Also in the case of Japan at least, women are VERY skilled at hiding flaws under layers and layers of make-up. It can be quite a shock the first time you see a friend without her "face" on! Laughing

free skin care · Wed May 17, 2006 12:43 am

i try to work at maintaining or improving my skin condition, but feel every now and then, that no matter what you do, heredity is the overriding factor. i know friends who just use off-the-shelf cleansers, don't apply anything after that, eat anything they want and have baby-like skin ...

free skin care · Wed May 17, 2006 12:58 am

after giving it much thought...i think even though heredity might be kinder to others (who do not have to work on their skin), i do however think that working hard to keep your skin as good as possible is a lot better than just letting everything go. Science has almost all aging is caused by the sun, so sunscreen is a must if you want to prevent the majority of aging. I think what heredity does most is kind of foreshadow what kind of aging will be most prone for you...ex. frown lines, mouth lines...I know my sister gets her crows feet from her dad( mothers ex husband), but crows feet is not common on my mother or fathers side. I think controlling expressions can prevent things to some degree, and moisturizing the skin along with proper diet. But we are human, so some things you can only go so far with before going insane. Even if heredity has a lot to do with how we age, theres so many procedures out there...people should stop worrying so much about this..

free skin care · Wed May 17, 2006 5:30 am

Dream: I had crows feet fairly deep, loose neck skin, lines around my mouth, general creepiness, I looked my age. I di have Syndrome X (high BP and blood sugar problems which may have contributed to the skin aging).
Three years ago I started a low carb diet and lost 40 pounds. I made sure to eat good fats (lots of fish and olive oil no pork rinds but yes to butter). I drank 10 glasses of water a dat and green tea no juices or sodas. After dinner I took 1000mg of fish oil supplement. Do not do this in the morning as your breath will be horrid. My skin flexibility improved probably from the good fats and the better sugar control. I should say that during this period (actually started before the diet) I was doing facial exercises every day and face tapping to improve cirulation. I used a tape given to me by a friend called face aerobics by Judith Olivia. I also used the Derma E DMAE lotion on my neck.

In that Spring I started to really exercise walking and Pilates tapes 3-5 times a week.
I also increased supplements to include Resveraltrol/green tea, Acetyl-L Carnitine +ALA, and Carnosine ans atarted using topical vitamin C. I quickly lost 1.5" off my waist and noticed more improvement in my neck.

Well I had initially thought that there was nothing you could do for aging skin but once I started seeing changes I started using creams. I did not have luck with the peptide creams in general but I still use Matrixyl.
I started using glycolic peels and over time this with other creams etc. has erased most of the lines. I still have about 1/2 inch line on the left side of my mouth (It is going away as it is breakin up into littler lines!!!) and my left eye bags badly when I smile big.

I found this forum about 1.5 years ago. It really has helped me in fine tuning what I do.
I found PSF O2 serum which made the peels more effective and many other products (the downside is that I have become a product junkie!!). Last weekend I was taken for a graduate student (usually the older ones are in their 30s and I just turned 51, granted it was by 60 yo men, not the most observant).

With the line on the side of my mouth receding my next goal will be to thicken the skin under my eyes (my left eye especially). I have made my own mix by doping PSF and Devita products.
It is the next challenge.

I have stepped up exercise but not drastically (I added the stair stpper for 20 minutes 3 times per week) I still do Pilates (went back to it for calming and waistline spread). I still do not eat processes foods and very little simple carbs (white flour or rice and sugar) and only eat special pasta and breads (high fiber, nutty, with soy etc.). I have seriously stepped up green tea intake.

I am working on my hands also (DDF 12.5% glycolic lotion) which I also use mornings on my neck. This has improved the skin quality and faded spots. Summer is coming so I will look into better facial sunscreens (I'm a beach lover and do use sunscreen often but only the normal brands (with vit C underneath).
I've had a very positive experience with all of this.

free skin care · Wed May 17, 2006 5:44 am

Here's my take on it: for people who have good skin in their genes, skin care products probably really do make up only 10% of how they look. But for people like me, who were cursed with acne, oiliness, and blackheads, skincare and skin care products affect my skin waaaay more than 10%. If I were to let my skin go, it would be an absolute nightmare. As it is, thanks to EDS and some amazing products (DHCC, PSF Balancing Oil, Green Apple peel, aspirin mask, rose dust...), most of which I discovered here on the EDS board, I've been able to avoid cystic acne for more than a month, and my blackheads are slowly going away too. So, I would say for someone like me who was born with problem skin, skin care is closer to 50%. (I do agree with Sharky tho, eating healthy foods and drinking green tea can only help.)

Automatic Message

If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.

Click Here to join our community.

If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site.