Fall 2005 Style & Design
Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields, who met during their residencies
at Stanford and are the pair behind the wildly successful acne treatment
Proactiv, have developed a series of products with Estée Lauder that
address a number of common skin problems. Their Anti-Age regimen, for
instance, includes dimethicone, which restores and seals in moisture,
thereby plumping and strengthening the skin; creatine, a substance used
by body builders to boost performance; and, to stimulate collagen
growth, three times the peptides and antioxidants of the typical
over-the-counter product. Their Reverse line, designed to reduce brown
spots, fine lines and discoloration from the sun, uses the bleaching
agent hydroquinone, which in higher doses requires a prescription. "When
you go to a store, a lot of this is hope in a jar," says Rodan. "But by
giving the cells the right stimulus, you can see change."
The technology behind Dr. Nicholas Perricone's products addresses his
theory that aging of all sorts begins with microinflammation that is
caused, he says, by things that affect us every day, including diet,
stress, sun, pollution and toxins. "You don't have to age the way your
parents did," Perricone asserts. "Actually, only 40% of aging is
genetic. You have control over 60%. You do have some authority."
Perricone has researched formulations that counteract skin inflammation.
Alpha-lipoic acid, an antioxidant that occurs naturally in the body, is
one of the core ingredients in his products. According to Perricone, it
boosts energy levels in the cell, prevents sugar from attaching to
collagen—which he says makes the skin stiff and inflexible—and
decreases inflammation. DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol), found in his Amine
Complex Face Lift, is supposed to increase skin tone, combat
inflammation and soothe the skin. Perricone licenses the topical DMAE
formulation to other cosmetics companies as well.
Of course, the best remedy, according to all these
dermatologists—especially the photophobic Wexler—is a free one:
prevention. "Stay out of the sun or wear sunscreen!" she says. "My
mother was my biggest influence, and she stayed out of the sun her
entire life. So, at the very least, wear a big-brimmed hat!"
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