11 Aug Zein Obagi Unveils Skin Health Line
Fab news! I attended my first Total Beauty event last week in New York, and met a skincare guru that has taken Beverly Hills and the nation by storm (we’re talking at least a hurricane Dolly level alert here).
Zein Obagi is a no nonsense skincare guru who’s been practicing dermatology for decades. He just turned 65 but I’m sure his genes must have been dipped in some anti-aging potion because he didn’t look a day over forty.
Obagi spoke about how so many brands lead you to over moisturize the skin. His latest “Fight Aging, Fight Hard” ZO Skin Health line gives us no skin-deep promises. He is determined to spread the word that over moisturizing does more harm than good (and yes, I almost tumbled off my chair when he said this…I actually thought he was losing it for a minute). So you’ll see that the ZO Skin Health line does not include any moisturizers.
“Moisturizers are a quick fix,” he says. “They give skin a smooth and silky feeling, but with repeated use skin becomes addicted to them.” Obagi wants skin to fight and work hard, and his products aim to “wake up” the dormant cells that have been so pampered that they can’t even take care of themselves. ZO Skin Health uses pure retinol (the highest OTC dosage) and no moisturizers — to combat aging, wrinkles, fine lines, discolorations and other major skin problems without resorting to Five Star Spa Quality Skin Pampering.
In the Anti-Aging Jumpstart Program kit were the Offects Exfoliating Polish, which is a very gentle mineral-rich polish that combines the therapeutic minerals of the Dead Sea; the Radical Night Repair; the Growth Factor Serum and the Sunscreen with Primer. These four products are a great introduction to ZO Skin Health.
You start off with an exfoliating cleanser:
Then follow with the OSSENTIAL Growth Factor Serum which contains retinol and advance lipopeptides to support collagen production. I applied this every AM and PM as the insert advised me to for the past four days, to fab results.
During the day, top off the regimen with OCLIPSE Sunscreen + Primer SPF 30.
At night, dribble OSSENTIAL Radical Night Repair (which has 1.0% concentrated retinol)over your face – but your skin will never know the concentration because it doesn’t sting or irritate.
What I noticed: Brightness of the skin and improved clarity. Within four days, my skin was luminous as a light bulb and my blemishes were starting to clear up. My two pesky wrinkles on my forehead that had resembled the Grand Canyon now looked like minor trenches. Not bad!
There are more products to this line than what is reviewed above. Check them out at Nordstrom. Even though they are pricey, they are pure and give you unvarnished skin health. So put down that tub of moisturizer already!
Products available now at Nordstrom.com and at www.zoskinhealth.com
Susan
Posted at 18:23h, 01 OctoberAs an aging baby-boomer my poor old face has seen a lot of sun, fun, and time. No complaints. As a result, at an early age I became an over-zealous user of moisturizers, thinking that ‘the more the merrier’ and that I was going to be one hot old lady with much thanks to the moisturizing industry.
Well, I quit that nonsense cold-turkey about a month ago – without any DTs. I am now luxuriating with ONLY the use of the Ossential Growth Factor Serum; yum. My face is loving it! I swear I am seeing a renewed glow to this tired face and neck – and I am not wasting time adding layers of junk on my face and neck. Honestly, just the Serum and little make-up, and I’m good to know. NO one believes that I’m a grand-mom, twice over.
But now on to the real age defining moment, when one looks at one’s hands and thinks…….”oooh,” what happened here? These just don’t look so good anymore. Maybe hands are a window on what we’ve accomplished in life: playing, scrubbing, changing diapers, loving, working, etc. BUT, why oh why should they tell this story with such, well, ugliness? The age spots, the wrinkles, the dreaded “crepiness!” ….AHHHHH! I began using ZO Skin hand products about a month ago and I LOVE THEM – the funny, wrinkled look is gone – and the hand cream (especially the night cream) lasts the whole night. My hands still feel soft in the morning. However, winter is coming and that’s when the dry hand skin reality really hits. I’ll be back with an update!
Charu Suri
Posted at 13:46h, 02 OctoberSusan, thank you for your terrific comments and review. I loved it too! My face became much clearer (less zits etc) and I kinda felt funny using no moisturizer. But as Dr. Obagi said, you don’t need it.
I can’t wait to hear your update!
charu
Alison
Posted at 19:20h, 02 OctoberI’ve been using the ZO SH Jumpstart products for several weeks now. I agree that it was odd not having a moisturizer to smear on, and was so pleasantly surprised at how soft, supple and ‘moisturized’ my skin felt without one. I’ve been battling adult acne since being pregnant eight years ago, and with these products I have noticed definite improvement. My blemishes are not nearly as deep, and clear up in what seems like a day or two. I haven’t discontinued a topical medication I’m using for acne yet, but I do hope to soon.
And I’m singing the praises of the ZO Skin Health exfoliating cleanser! Take the Te Pad (another great ZO SH product) challenge – wash your face one evening with your old cleanser, then use a Te Pad…Yuck! The pads I used were brown with dirt and who-knows-whatelse after I did this. Then the next night, wash your face with ZO’s exfoliating cleanser – part of the Jumpstart kit – and be amazed at how little makeup and dirt you find on the pad. I’m looking forward to more wonderful results in the weeks to come.
mary anne
Posted at 19:58h, 03 OctoberHi, it’s me again. I have used the jump start program for another couple of weeks, and I am addicted. I noticed that some of you miss your moisturizer…not me! In fact, if I use anything other than Zoskin products, my skin feels tight and dry. I do believe my sunspots are fading. They must be because I need less coverup. Also, I have noticed that even at the end of a long day, my skin looks fresh and has a glow. Thanks, ZOSKIN!!
Meredith
Posted at 13:26h, 10 OctoberI started using Zein Obagi’s products about a month ago (on my 40th birthday). I am absolutely shocked at the difference. My skin has always been combination (oily t-zone and very dry elsewhere). For the first time, my skin is balanced, smooth and so soft!
I have tried many other night creams before, and always woke up with little white heads from clogged pores…yuck! This has not happened with the ZO products – my skin in the morning looks great! In fact, my skin has improved so much that most days I only wear the Sunscreen+Primer … and no other make-up!