theproductpro BLOG
I was honored to be recruited to join Obagi Medical Products' Aesthetics Leadership Community last week. The community is an advisory board and network comprised of 100 skin care professionals and practitioners from all over the US. Our kick-off meeting was in Las Vegas at the Wynn.
It was a great experience, they even had a barista just for our meeting group to provide 'the serum of life' (as I call it)! I had a blast and can't wait to continue to contribute throughout 2015!
You're Invited to Erickson Cosmetic Dermatology's Gifted and Gorgeous Party!
Join us at Erickson Dermatology (yes, this is the practice I work for!), 737 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL on December 11th from 4:30-7:30 We'll have tons of super fun specials on treatments and products, trunk shows from Jo Malone London and Alexis Bittar, express hydrafacials, Jo Malone Hand and Arm massage, champagne, hors d'oeuvres and much more.
Rsvp by calling us: 312-300-6858 or email us at info@ericksonderm.com
See you there!
I started 3 fast facts because I could go on forever about some of these products... which can make writing about them a little daunting. Instead of overthinking (and therefore procrastinating), I'll just use this category to finally touch on some of my favorite products & three reasons you might love them too!
All-in-one-awesome:
TNS Essential serum is product is used to correct, protect from future damage, promote cell renewal, smooth, lighten and increase collagen.
I personally call this fantastic product 'The Mercedes of anti-aging products'. Not only is there Vitamin C in here, but lots of other potent goodies, too. Users will benefit from ultra-high concentrations of growth factors, 7 antioxidants, peptides, and super-potent alpha-arbutin for lightening and brightening.
Antioxidants both ways:
The antioxidants found in Essential Serum include ergothionine, green tea extract, blackberry leaf extract, saccharomyces ferment filtrate, coenzyme Q-10, tocopheryl acetate (E) and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (lipid-soluble C), which are all free-radical fighters.
Just like SkinMedica's C & E Complex, there's a combo of water- and lipid-soluble antioxidants here. This is good because the water-soluble antioxidants can weave down between skin cells. The lipid-soluble's are meant to actually enter the cell through its membrane. The two types of action here means that you're covering your bases and in for a better result.
In a hurry?
Essential serum is essential for the gal (or guy) on the go. A combination of both the beloved TNS Recovery Complex and APS corrective complex in one. This super-covenient dual chamber packaging is like those toothpaste/gel combo pumps that pump out both products simultaneously. One pump and both the APS serum and the Recovery Complex are dispensed.
Oh, and for the instant-gratification lovers out there: hyalauronic acid plumping spheres are present in this all-in-one serum. Buh-bye, fine lines!
Until Next time, Stay Fabulous, My Friends!
I started 3 fast facts because I could go on forever about some of these products... which can make writing about them a little daunting. Instead of overthinking (and therefore procrastinating), I'll just use this category to finally touch on some of my favorite products & three reasons you might love them too!
Growth factors are not something that come naturally to aging skin. Thankfully, SkinMedica has provided us with the #1 growth factor on the market, NouriCel-MD, which is a naturally secreted , physiologically-balanced combo of over 110 human growth factors that are both active and stable. TNS Recovery complex is made up of 93.6% NouriCel-MD (this means it's potent).
Growth Factors like TNS Recovery complex basically play a game of telephone with the skin to unlock it's ability to heal and repair itself. Since age and inflammation basically wound the skin, TNS helps 'heal', improving skin texture, smoothing fine lines, and reducing photo damage.
This nifty red gel is quickly absorbed by the skin. In fact, you've got to be pretty quick about it! This has been a patient favorite for years. I would say that there's almost a cult-like following of TNS among many clients/patients. Many of our patients insist that it almost instantly tightens upon application and won't go without it. Great for all skin types, use AM/PM before all of your other serums and moisturizers.
Since procedures like chemical peels and laser treatments are also a sort of wound, TNS Recovery complex is often times appropriate to use after your peel or laser treatment to help the skin heal quickly and predictably. That's one reason it was called Recovery Complex! (Always check with your doctors office to see what their specific post care instructions are for your procedure). We love it after HALO laser, MicrolaserPeel, pro-fractional laser, chemical peels, after the incisions seal up post-surgical procedures, and all the time!
Here's a link to learn more about it:
http://www.skinmedica.com/skin-care-products/tns-recovery-complex
Until Next time, Stay Fabulous, My Friends!
I started 3 fast facts because I could go on forever about some of these products... which can make writing about them a little daunting. Instead of overthinking (and therefore procrastinating), I'll just use this category to finally touch on some of my favorite products & three reasons you might love them too!
This fantastic product is a topical antioxidant used to protect the skin from future damage, promotes cell renewal, and increases the build of collagen. Topical vitamin C's have been known to reduce inflammation (think rosacea and post-sun exposure) and brighten the skin. These are usually great for everybody with the exception of super oily skin types, and some very sensitive or fragile types.
Usually Vitamin C is really unstable... always about to oxidize and bite the dust. In this case, the vitamins are suspended in a silicone (dimethicone suspension) base so they are gradually released throughout the day and won't oxidize. This assures that your product isn't weakened or *GASP* causing oxidation. This is an ANTI-OXIDANT, for goodness sake. But don't become oxidation paranoid, you're safe with this formula.
There are 2 forms of beneficial C in there, too... lipid soluble and water soluble. Covering our bases here.
The above-mentioned dimethicone suspension is not just a great delivery system, it feels like an awesome makeup primer! This super-satin finish will make you look forward to applying it. Use it in the AM's to protect against the onslaught of free-radical threats that you'll meet in your day. Your skin will thank you for it!
Here's a link to learn more about it:
http://www.skinmedica.com/skin-care-products/vitamin-ce-complex
Until Next time, Stay Fabulous, My Friends!
I will admit: I was hesitant to experiment with Neocutis a few years back because I am SUCH a SkinMedica TNS fan. Like, an Ultra-Fan. But of course I have to keep my eyes and ears open for different and new ways to use products and new technology etc... so I dove in.
I loved the way the Lumiere Bio-Restorative Eye Cream felt, and really enjoyed the brightness it seemed to provide my eye area. I really enjoyed using the Exfoliating Skin Cleanser (featuring 10% Glycolic acid) which did not make my skin feel stripped. I also really loved the convenience of the Journee, a one-stop-shop anti-aging product featuring a sunscreen, a slight tint, and PSP, Neocutis' growth factor. By far, my favorite of the group was the Bio-Serum: a concentrated growth-factor intensive that helped the clarity of my skin and the texture simultaneously.
I recently became re-familiarized with the line when my good friend Jill took on the Chicago Neocutis territory and dropped in to school me on the swiss technology ...and let me play around with the products again. I am pretty excited about the line again, it's just as good as I remember and I even had the chance to do a couple split-face comparisons with other products. (More about that in another post). In the meantime, here is a another post I wrote about Neocutis and their approach to skin care technology: to check that out, Click Here
And until next time, Stay Fabulous, My Friends!
I wanted to share a bit about my recent look into Neocutis Skin Care products, their technology, and how their growth factor 'PSP' works. Here's the scoop.
Neocutis offers a number of products that feature technology that was developed by leading Swiss researchers out of the University Hospital of Lausanne, a leading international research facility. Their claim-to-fame/ proprietary ingredient is called PSP, which they have termed the "Cadillac of Peptides".
Here are some interesting facts about PSP and how it works:
The Healing Power of Peptides
Inspired by the phenomenon of the scarless healing of fetal skin, medical researchers in Switzerland created a biotechnology process to obtain the super power proteins involved in wound healing from cultured fibroblasts. A dedicated cell bank was established for developing new wound healing and burn treatments with these amazing proteins. That same cell bank is the source of the fibroblasts that produce PSP, which is Neocutis' secret weapon. By the way, fibroblasts are the collagen producing cell found in skin.
PSP
PSP stands for Processed Skin Proteins. PSP is a mixture of Human Growth Factors, interleukins, and the other cytokines that were discovered by those Swiss scientist smarty-pants.
Ok, so it heals wounds (that's pretty cool). But what does it do for the skin's appearance?
Let's face it: aging skin is damaged. No matter what you want to primarily blame for the inflammation, damaged/aged skin is basically wounded skin. The free-radical damage (reactive oxidative species) that causes the wound (aging/ skin damage) is caused by stuff like
The scientists found that even though the skin does not actually absorb the growth factors, they are proven to play what I like to think of as a game of 'telephone' with the skin when applied topically. They are able to stimulate the healing process, actually acting to 'heal' the 'wound' of the aging/damaged skin.
The result is smoothed, brightened and firmed skin, all with no color or fragrance additives. Give it a try and see what you think! Check it out here: www.neocutis.com
Until next time, stay fabulous, my friends!
I got my first glimpse of our Erickson Cosmetic Dermatology Ad in CS Magazine's 20th Anniversary issue Wednesday night at the Art Institute. How fun to see it in reality for the first time. Great success!
Dr Erickson is also featured in the Best of Beauty section. Keep an eye out for this issue!
Until next time, Stay Fabulous my friends!
It's that feeling you get when you're having an awesome hair day. Or, maybe when you have some fresh Botox cosmetic. You're feeling good, and maybe there's a little spring in your step... This is the feeling that can be hard to come by and sometimes fleeting when you are undergoing cancer treatment. Licensed cosmetologists and aestheticians can apply and become certified to lead American Cancer Society's Look Good, Feel Better patient workshops. Workshops are free to participants, and provide free cosmetics, skin care products, and wig styling and head-wrap techniques to help women look good and feel better during a tough time.
Here's me today, just finishing up a workshop for another great bunch of beauties at Elmhurst Hospital.
Here's the website for the program: http://lookgoodfeelbetter.org/programs/programs-for-women Pass the info along, if you or someone you know is interested in volunteering for or participating in a workshop!
Click here to view another one of my posts on LGFB
And until next time, stay fabulous, my friends!
Thanks, Laura (our fabulous Obagi rep/expert) We always LOVE hearing about the most current updates and developments in the skin care science realm!
Yours Truly,
The skin care pro's at Erickson Cosmetic Dermatology, Laser & MedSpa
=)
PS: we're crazy about the Gentle Rejuvenation products!
(For more on Obagi Gentle Rejuvenation, here's a link: http://obagi.com/patients/product-line/gentle-rejuvenation/results and here's a link to another post about the Gentle Rejuvenation Vitamin C fortified SPF (click to follow the link)!
I've been rocking a couple of Mac Retro Matte Lip Colors lately. It occurred to me that I haven't accepted so many compliments or 'where-did-you-get-that?'s on my lip color in... I don't know, a long time. This collection is not that new (Sept 13, I believe) but I'm having some fun and thought I'd share! After much positive reinforcement on the color, along with a slow and passive realization that it does not smudge off during the day, I had to go grab some additional 'flavors'
Here's what I grabbed: Retro Matte Colors
(From Left)
Relentlessly Red
Ruby Woo
All Fired Up
Not pictured: Flat Out Fabulous
"All Fired Up" is my total fave... but Ruby Woo is the original crowd pleaser of this collection, known for it's Vampy Hollywood True red with its (visually teeth-whitening) flattering blue undertones.
I was told by a Mac Pro that the Retro matte collection features some of the usual, pre-existing Mac Mattes, now made with the same formula that made Ruby Woo popular back in like,1999 or so. Legend has it that these bad boys are made with kaolin clay, which undoubtedly provide its lasting, mattefying effect. My fave features here are how light it feels, it's very vibrant colors, and it's lasting effect without drying you out (like a stain)*
*That last part seems to vary slightly between formulas... Ruby Woo and All Fired Up seem the creamiest to me... While Flat Out Fabulous (Fuschia) and Fixed on Drama (wine) seem to go on drier. For official info on the collection: http://www.maccosmetics.com/whats_new/11605/New-Collections/Retro-Matte/index.tmpl
and until next time- Stay Fabulous My Friends!
Last week I had the honor of joining a number of Chicago area pros at the American Medical Spa Association, Environ Skin Care and Cutera Laser Industry Networking Reception at Pops for Champagne. A great time was had by all! Thanks to Nealy Skeldon with Environ and Ryan Hotchkiss with Cutera for hosting!
Here's a blog post I wrote for work, Erickson Cosmetic Dermatology. Enjoy! =)
Check out my new Limited Edition Eye and Cheek compact from the Neiman Marcus Tom Ford on Michigan Avenue. My girls Magdalena and Dominique set me up with this beauty, perfect for spring! Called 'Unabashed', this gold and white lacquer compact ($95) is just the thing any girl would want in her Easter basket.
Featuring a very easy to use, buildable neutral taupe, a navy powder liner, and a subtle shimmer highlight, this compact makes it easy to bring some springtime colors with you on the go. Be warned, however: if you ever apply your make up quickly, or in the car while sitting in traffic (like I do sometimes), you'll want to make sure you aren't touching your blush brush into your navy liner. Unless you happen to like the Navy as a cheek color, I'm not here to judge. =)
You'll love the blush, a nice flattering shade for just about anyone. It almost reminds me of Nars "Orgasm" but happens to come with an awesome highlight, great for sculpting out a contour.
Try this look with Tom Ford's ultra shine lipgloss ($45) "Tawny Pink" (a milky, slick light pink) for a look perfect for Easter!
If you're in Chicago, give these girls a call:312-642-5900 to try on some awesome new colors- they are amazing!
Until next time, stay fabulous my friends!
Check out my great ombre sparkle neon french-tip no chip manicure, courtesy of the Beauties at Cosmos Beauty Bar in Glen Ellyn, IL!
Here is the blog I am writing for work (Erickson Dermatology in Chicago on Michigan Avenue), thought I'd share the first post! We are soft launching Dr. Erickson's new cosmetic dermatology practice now, and are ready to see patients! We're already doing fabulous things with BOTOX Cosmetic, Juvederm VOLUMA, all the awesome dermal fillers, an amazing new Sciton laser, and a brand new Hydrafacial. YEAH! It's a very exciting time. We also just launched the new website, created by yours truly =)
So, I'm actually a little embarrassed that I have not yet written about some of my favorite product lines in this: the 'Product Pro' blog...Yeeesh. In this category of neglected-yet-amazing products: one of my favorite sunscreens, Revision Skincare's SPF/AntiAging Treatment/Moisturizer multitasker all in one, Intellishade SPF 45.
Kudos to Revision Skincare for coming out with a sunscreen that is actually enjoyable to wear. It's not new, Intellishade has been one of Revision's bestsellers for years. (Hence my embarrassment for not profiling this NewBeauty Best of Beauty Award winner sooner)
This tinted moisturizer is a broad spectrum SPF 45, featuring the ever-important octinoxate and zinc oxide, making this a great broad spectrum SPF for even the most sensitive types. The sheer-ish tint is just enough color to take the dreaded SPF-whiteness out of the equation, while neutralizing redness and minor imperfections. It almost magically matches most skin types, hence it's intelligence, I suppose.
Loaded with 3 awesome peptides, antioxidants, humectants, coenzyme Q10 and a glorious dewey finish, this product is an obsession for our patients who have either mature, normal, or dry skin.
***By the way: If this all sounds up your alley, but you desire more of a matte/clean finish, Revision also offers Intellishade SPF 45 Matte. Historically the Matte has been a about half as popular (in my experiences), but I've always been glad to have it, especially for those clients who have oily skin.
Give this a mad multitasker a try if you're in the mood for an awesome, hydrating, and dewey-looking all-in-one AM product.
And in the meantime, stay fabulous my friends!
I had the honor of experimenting with the Lumenis Duet LightSheer Diode Laser this week at my office, Erickson Dermatology. This nifty laser has a handpiece that gently suctions the skin as the laser is engaged. This makes things less painful (I would say pain free, almost!) for the patient during laser hair removal/reduction treatments- total win. The spot size is humongous too, so treating a large area is a snap. Less stress on the practitioner, less stress on the patient: what's not to love?
Just thought I'd share what I'm up to!
Until next time: Stay Fabulous, My friends!
My latest, super fun No Chip Manicures from Cosmos Beauty Bar in Glen Ellyn!
Speakers Jason Pozner, MD, FAC and Stanley J. Kovak, MD just schooled all of Chicago (and surrounds) last weekend on Combo treatments with amazing Sciton laser technologies at the Waldorf Astoria. Sciton (as I'm learning over time) has awesome, advanced, and highly-customizable phototherapies for many different aging and sun-damaged skin types. These lasers are complex, and behind the scenes you would hear that they aren't for the beginner laser practitioner. Even with as much experience as I have doing laser treatments, I'm learning a lot (well, a TON) and am enjoying every minute!! The results are significant- and I'm looking forward to learning more every day under the direction of my physician. YEAH!
These were the Topics:
Thanks Sciton, Dr Pozner, and Dr Kovak! I learned a ton!
Until next time: Stay Fabulous, My Friends!
Chicagoland Aesthetic Advisor, Elizabeth Weiler, LE specializes in consulting and practice management services including:
Aesthetic Staff Training, Aesthetic Practice Management, & New Aesthetic Practice Launch services
E@med-e-spa.com, Chicago, IL, USA