Basic 4—A simple, daily skin care program
Posted on Tue, Aug 09, 2011
By Bayardo Aviles
After completing a series of laser treatments or an aggressive skincare program I often get asked by patients to design a simple skincare program that is easy to do and does not have many steps to maintain their new healthy skin. This can be challenging at times since there are so many skin care products available.
During one of my trainings a few years ago, I heard the concept of the basic four and it really stuck with me. The concept of the basic four says that any daily skin care program should have four components to it:
- Topical Anti-oxidant
- Exfoliant
- Condition specific treatment
- Sunscreen
1. Topical Anti-Oxidants
The best way to think of an anti-oxidant is, as an additional form of shielding the skin from sun damage. After applying topical anti-oxidants to the skin for a few days, a reservoir of anti-oxidants is built in the skin. The anti-oxidants are then recalled by the skin to fight free radicals that form as a result of sun exposure and other environmental insults.
The most commonly used anti-oxidant is Vitamin C. We currently offer Obagi Professional -C Serums with pure L-Ascorbic Acid and SkinCeuticals anti-oxidant serums. SkinCeuticals serums contain additional anti-oxidants making them ideal for patients that are exposed to the sun regularly since they provide additional protection. For patients looking for an anti-oxidant in a cream form vs. a serum form, we offer RevaleSkin Day Cream and Night cream with 1% CoffeeBerry®.
2. Exfoliants
Almost every time I mention this to patients, they tell me they use a facial scrub once or twice a week to exfoliate. Although using a physical exfoliant (scrub) is not a bad idea, it can be very harsh for some skin types, especially for acne patients since it can cause more inflammation therefore making acne worse.
When I recommend exfoliants, I am mainly referring to lotions or topical exfoliants. These are products that you use regularly and are left on the skin throughout the day or night so the next time you wash your face the dead skin cells are easily removed leaving behind a smooth brighter surface.
Also, topical exfoliants not only remove surface dead skin cells, they penetrate deeper into the skin to unclog pores. The most common exfoliants are alpha-hydroxy acids or AHAs, retinols, Retin A. This is similar to doing a very gentle chemical peel on a daily basis to remove dead skin and expose new younger skin to the surface. An often overlooked benefit of exfoliation is that it allows for better penetration of skin care products since they do not have to fight their way through layers of dead skin cells.
3. Condition Specific Treatment
On a daily basis we see patients with different skin conditions and needs. Therefore it is almost impossible to have one cream for everyone and every condition. We have treatment creams for rosacea, acne, brown spots, acne blemishes, dry skin, etc.
During your office visit your skincare consultant will make product recommendations specific to your condition and skin type. Patients with multiple conditions, can chose to correct one condition at a time or tackle multiple conditions at once. In some case, we have skincare products that can improve 2 or 3 conditions at the same time.
4. Sunscreen
This is the most crucial step. I am very blunt about this one. If you do not protect your new skin after facial treatments why waste the time and money. The best sunscreen to me is the one you will use. We get so fixated on, “what is the best sunscreen out there,” but then we do not use it because: it is too oily, too white, smells like sunscreen, makes me break out, I look shiny, etc., etc.
I tell patients to find one that they like and stick to it. We recently introduced the concept of a sunscreen bar in our Kamuela office. There you can feel, smell and test about 20 of the best sunscreens in the market. Also remember that you must have different sunscreens for different occasions. For example, if you do a lot of yard work on the weekends, you may need a different sunscreen than the one you need for work in an office. We will make sunscreen recommendations based on your skin type and lifestyle.
Find out what impact your lifestyle has had on your skin. For a personalized skin care consultation, I invite you to schedule a complementary VISIA skin care analysis at any of our three office locations.
