At Toronto Dermatology Centre I meet a lot of people. As one of their medical estheticians, I do a lot of consults on a daily basis. It always stuns, and I guess, flatters me that people always seem shocked when I tell them my age. The next question I usually get is: what do you use, what do you do? So I thought that listing my favorite products and trade secrets might be in order.
I have been using Clayton Shagal Colhy gel for almost 5 years. It is a specially formulated form of the most active collagen in a gel base that goes into the dermis within 1 minute of application. I have found it to plump my skin, reduce wrinkles and even smooth out my skin enough to make that nasty chicken pox scar on my forehead almost disappear. This past year I started using their Elasty gel, a form of elastin that helps to retain the tautness in my skin, prevent the inevitable sagging that aging skin adds and make my skin feel smoother.
I use our Clarisonic Pro cleanser for face and body. It cleans 7 times more effectively than washing with my hands alone, allowing my home care to penetrate up to 68 times better. As we age, our skin gets duller, as our cells don’t turn over as quickly, leaving a buildup of dead skin cells on the surface of our face. By using the Clarisonic daily, my skin is cleansed better and exfoliated at the same time. And it only takes 1 minute to do!
I use two different sunscreens. Most days I wear the physical block from Elta MD. It contains no chemicals, no parabens and lasts for about 3 hours. On the weekend or on vacation I use the ZO Skin Health Sunscreen and Primer, which lasts a remarkable 8 hours! Eight hours! That is amazing! I can be in and out all day long with no worries because I know I am always protected from the dangers that the sun can have on my skin.
I also use our home Dermaroller once or twice a week. It exfoliates, allows better penetration of my home care and helps to reduce large pore size. I find it also controls my oily skin. It takes me about 5 minutes to do and the results are quite addicting.
I use products from Swiss Clinical, our all natural medical grade line, SkinCeuticals, which are incredibly advanced with regards to Vitamin C and other antioxidants, and my eye cream is from SkinMedica. I truly believe that good home care has helped to slow down the aging process, and in some cases even turn back the clock.
What treatments do I prefer for my skin? I like to alternate between chemical peels and either the Dermaroller or Profractional. The former helps to get rid of excessive dead skin cells while regulating my skin tone and texture, and the latter reduces fine lines, wrinkles and large pores.
My routine is pretty simple. It only takes about 2 minutes each morning and evening. My products are medical grade (not available in any pharmacy or store over the counter, but available in dermatology clinics), so I use very little each time I apply them. In the end, it probably costs me the same or even less than that of lesser quality products.
If you have any questions about any of my favorites, please feel free to drop in, call or email me. I love to discuss skin care, and I especially love being able to spread the information I have gained over all these years to help others. There is no reason to not age gracefully in today’s society. The quality of skin care and services of today are always advancing, and it is up to you to treat your skin the best way you can.
~ Sheri Roselle, Medical Esthetician at Toronto Dermatology Centre
