How many layers until ineffective?

[dolphin_gal]

I've only started a regular (as in every am and pm without fail) skin care regime two months ago, so I guess I'm still going through the confusion stage.

It would be a waste of time and product, more important if it's a $$$ item, if a top layer was ineffectual because it couldn't get enough product into the skin to do anything. Eg is a layer of vit C, one for DMAE, one for vit E, one for something with idebenol in it, one for an SCRP (not the same session as a hi-potency vit C), one for an ALA, one with an AHA/BHA, one with CoQ10, one with .... well, you get the drift. Yes, I realize there are products out there that have 2-3 of the ingredients in them that you want, but one has to be careful that there's enough % of each in there to be beneficial.

With so many good specific ingredients out there for your skin, is there a limit as to how many layers can you put on until the effectiveness of the top layer is almost insignificant?

Kathy

PS Sigh - wouldn't it be nice if we could mix them all together and just do one or two layers?

 

[peekaboo]

I don't have an answer for you but your question is really interesting..I would like to know myself as to the order of application of certain products for the best results!

 

[dolphin_gal]

We may find out that the order doesn't matter much except for a few cases ... mmmm, like don't use a hi-potency vit C first if you've just done an at-home peel because it could be too irritating or something like that. After dermabrading, I make sure I put the cream that came with it first, before any other products. I've read from many that Emu Oil helps "push" products into the skin, which means of course it would be last. Hopefully we'll get some chime-ins from those in the know.

 

[jen19]

I don't have a scientific answer for your concerns, but I think a little common sense helps. first of all, too many exfoliating products is overkill, one would be sufficient, whether its physical or chemical. Second, I think the skin care lines with anymore than 3 or 4 steps are just out to get your money...cleanser, maybe toner if your cleanser isn't getting it all off ( in that case I'd get a better cleanser ) then treatment, then, if necessary, moisturize. Wait 10 or 15 minutes for the treatment to soak in before the moisturizer. I don't even bother with an eye cream half the time, if you read the ingredients, they are pretty much the same as the facial moisturizers...not always, but alot of the time!! A moisturizer is a moisturizer, they don't know the difference between the eye and the cheek area. Don't fall for the hype, if you want to use an eye cream because you like it, fine! Don't use it becasue some salesperson tells you it has special ingredients for the eye area! Maybe the treatment stage could involve 2 products but any more and all the ingredients would either get diluted too much or cancel each other out or something not good. About 10 years ago I bought one of those lines that had at least 10 different products to put on each night and each morning - I actually had to have a list written down. At first it was fun but it got old fast, and it was expensive and in the end, my skin hadn't changed. Simple is usually better. A good exfoliating product, a moisturizer, one with SPF for daytime, and that's enough! If you want to pamper yourself with other products, that's fine, just don't expect much....

 

[dolphin_gal]

HA, Kim, I didn't know that - Thanks! An article I had bookmarked but only a little while ago got to read, has in there a list of aka's for CoQ10, among which were idebenone (yes, they did note it as synethic) and ubiquinone.

Good idea to note those things that can be taken internally with the same, or better, results as topical application.

Thanks for responding, Kim.

 

[rocki]

what exactly is idebenol? I aksed this in the Dr. wexler thread. I just bought Walgreen's 'BotageIDB' facial ani-oxidant formula. I am wondering what is in it, and what to use with it? I am using it for fine like and a wrinkle or two. I can read english, but it is not helping much. The back of the tube has a lot of ingredeints. I have fair skin thatis still oily and i also have rosacea.

rocki

 

[Lauren]

I agree with Jen19, simpler is better!

 

[Aquilah]

Simpler is definitely better IMHO....

 

[girl_geek]

I've always heard that simpler is better; after 2 or 3 different products, adding additional products often does no good or can even make your skin worse! If you put too many products and chemicals on your skin, sometimes your skin just doesn't know how to react to all those different products, and whatever you are trying to treat (acne, wrinkles, etc.) might actually get worse, or you could get a new negative effect -- such as using so many acne products that your skin gets TOO dry!

As for the order of products or what products you should use together, that will probably depend on the individual products. For example, at one point my dermatologist had me using two different acne products (Clindagel and either Differin or Tazorac, I forget), but he emphasized that I shouldn't use them together because they would "cancel each other out"! He told me to use one in the morning and one in the afternoon....

I personally would experiment to find 2 or 3 products that seem to work the best, then quit using the other products! But I am no expert at skincare, so that's just my personal advice /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[Leza1121]

Hi,

When working as an esthetician, I keep the at-home maintenance for clients real simple. Daily (day & night) cleanse, tone and moisture; exfoliate 1 or 2x weekly; masque once a week.

At some point, too much is just that...too much.