Here are my THREE skin care product wishes!
- I have yet to find an excellent aqueous vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), E, and ferulic acid treatment that’s very lightweight, appropriate for oily skin types, and packaged in a pump bottle!! The Skinceuticals version is good, but it’s also super expensive and packaged in a dropper bottle! WTF?!? Haha, okay. /endrant
- I’d also like something with high levels of green tea (ECGC), pomegranate, soy (isoflavones + protease inhibitors), and niacinamide. Maybe even have those in a retinol gel-cream formulation! But I’ve seen products that include some of those, but not all. I know, I’m too demanding. Gah, once I become a doctor, I’m SO coming out with my own line of products!!
- Oh and of course, I’m always on the lookout for an inexpensive, completely transparent, high % inorganic sunscreen that’s lightweight, easy to apply, but also extremely transfer-resistant. I know, it’s almost impossible right now.
What about you guys? Share with the rest of the class. 🙂
The Triple Helixian 
I have used the Elta MD 47 for about 4 months now and I am deeply in love. It has a marvelous texture, very subtle and natural tint and goes on the face so nicely (even post-laser skin). I also mix it half and half with my Chanel foundation and it just blends so beautifuly.
Ok, my #1 with for a new product on the market (now that we have exhausted the “dropper bottle” issue) is: an effective physical sunblock THAT WON’T STAIN THE COLLAR OF YOUR CLOTHING. For every bottle of sunblock i buy, i have to buy a bottle our Shout.
Posted by janine | September 7, 2012, 12:01 pmNice!! I’m so excited to get the Elta MD 47. 🙂
And wow, I can’t believe I didn’t think of the collar issue. I ALWAYS have to spot clean with a stain remover when I’m doing my laundry! But I’m pretty sure that issue can’t be removed, but who knows?
Posted by John | September 7, 2012, 12:20 pmZout has worked much better than Shout for me. Hope that helps.
Posted by amy | October 11, 2012, 5:24 pmThanks for sharing. I’ll have to look into this.
Posted by John | October 12, 2012, 9:12 amI’d like to see more fragrance-free shampoos and body washes!
2 – Amore Pacific has a serum with a (supposedly) high amount of ECGC and other green tea “fractions”, but it’s ridiculously expensive:
http://us.amorepacific-cosmetics.com/en/product/TIME_RESPONSE_Skin_Renewal_Serum
Posted by easttowestskincare | August 26, 2012, 1:21 pmThat’s something you don’t see everyday. I actually prefer fragrances in my body products.
As for the Amore, no way in Heck would I pay that much for any skin care product!! Might as well save that for a laser or surgical procedure!! Lol, who does Amore think will actually buy this?!?
Posted by John | August 27, 2012, 1:14 pmAsians are crazy people, it seems that in Japan & South Korea they spend most of their paycheck on beauty products. Ironically, while I buy stuff from there through the internet because they are cheap and have nice ingredients & texture, they love to buy high end brands like Dior, Chanel & La Mer, so I imagine Amore’s prince point is acceptable for them.
P.S.: not that there is something wrong with spending most of a paycheck with beauty products, but with the kind of stuff they have over there I would rather buy a lot of cheaper/average stuff than one La Mer cream…
Posted by Ana | September 3, 2012, 1:35 pmYeah I haven’t been back there in more than a decade, but I can see that excessive spending happening. Lol I agree completely with the La Mer cream; things that like are just not worth it. Might as well save that money for an in-office procedure.
Posted by John | September 3, 2012, 8:08 pmI wish I knew which moisturizer to use over my Retin-A at night. I’ve been using CeraVe PM (recommended by my derm), but it just isn’t emollient enough. I need something that won’t clog my skin, but that is still capable of plumping my fine lines and leaving my skin “stretchy” instead of tight.
Posted by AwwRITE | August 23, 2012, 9:51 amYeah, don’t we all want that? Ironically, isn’t it better to have “tight” skin, rather than “stretchy” skin? When I think of stretchy skin, I think of loose skin. And when we’re young, tight and smooth skin is the hallmark of youthful skin. But lol! I get what you mean though. 🙂
Posted by John | August 25, 2012, 4:12 amI am using Kose Sekkisei Medicated Sun Protector SPF 50, PA+++ which I think pretty much fulfills your criteria for No.3. It reportedly contains 19.97% of zinc oxide as its primary blocker so I’m pretty confident regarding its protective ability. 🙂 It’s also pretty lightweight and wears well with pretty much zero white cast (amazingly enough) and its not too pricey either. The only downside is I’m finding it a bit drying for my already dry skin, but I imagine it’ll be perfect for oilier skin types.
Posted by Erin | August 22, 2012, 11:30 pmThanks! I’ll be sure to put this on my list to check out!
Posted by John | August 25, 2012, 3:52 am1. No dropper! SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF Gel: http://www.skinstore.com/p-17561-skinceuticals-phloretin-cf-gel.aspx
2. You might want to check out these: http://www.skinstore.com/topix-replenix.aspx (But I don’t think Paula has reviewed them.) I’ll be your customer too!
3. Only exists in my dreams. I use Neutrogena Pure & Free Liquid (http://www.drugstore.com/neutrogena-pure-and-free-liquid-daily-sunblock-spf-50/qxp328504?catid=184136) and the expensive Colorscience SPF 30 brush thing. I can’t decide if zinc oxide and titanium oxide clog pores. Sometimes I go back to avobenzone. Sunscreen is quite a demanding mistress.
Thanks for all the info! You’re a great resource.
Posted by amy | August 21, 2012, 6:57 pmWhy must otherwise excellent products be in dropper bottles?!? ACK.
And I’ve briefly browsed through Replenix products, and that’s one of the few lines that has a few of the ingredients I listed in their products. But not all of them! Like I said, I’m super picky. And I’m interested to see if retinol can be worked into the formulation. But who knows? Perhaps one may be sufficient when I someday get to use prescription-strength retinoids like tretinoin or adapelene! I wouldn’t need retinol then.
As for the sunscreen issue… something that good only exists in my fantasies too! On that note, I’m about to purchase the EltaMD SPF 47 sunscreen, along with the body version, because I’m out of my Blue Lizard SPF 30+. So I’ll be sure to do a post on that if I really enjoy them. The ingredients look quite good. Well at least the face version does. The body version only contains 7% ZnO and uses a water and petrolatum base… I’m not sure if that’ll be too “gross” feeling on my body nor if it’ll provide enough protection, but we’ll see. They’re affordable though, which is always a plus.
Finally, as always you’re super welcome!
Posted by John | August 22, 2012, 10:53 amCan’t wait to hear about these! I hope they’re fantastic!
Posted by ladyisla | August 22, 2012, 2:56 pmI can’t wait to try them and report back!
Posted by John | August 22, 2012, 4:13 pmI really like the non-dropper version. Finally non-stupid packaging.
I got this sunscreen from the dermatologist and it made me break out: http://www.eltamd.com/ProductDetail.aspx?p=6. I think it was the high concentration of an ester that didn’t work for me. The SPF 47 formulation looks much better. Let us know! Zinc oxide is great stuff.
I like the Replenix stuff for polyphenols. I hope I get enough niacinamide from the Skin Balancing toner. I can’t add another step. I really want everything in one tube. For less than $20. For a big tube. And I’d never forget to use it. That’s not too much to ask.
Posted by amy | August 23, 2012, 4:04 pmI’ll be sure to let everyone know about the Ulta sunscreen!
As for the SB toner, it just depends on how much niacinamide you’re looking for. I personally don’t think it’s enough, but yeah, I agree that it’s be a lot easier if everything was in one tube.
Posted by John | August 25, 2012, 4:08 amI want vitamin c and retinol body creams! Agree with you on n.º1, ans about n.º3 have you tried Japanese sunscreen?
Bioré Perfect Milk http://www.adambeauty.com/showitem.php?itemtype=detail&itemid=4901301214836&brandid=40&language=EN&agentid=4&productid=1&brandSubid=&groupid=1&catid=40, Bioré Bright Milk http://www.adambeauty.com/showitem.php?itemtype=detail&itemid=4901301222817&brandid=40&language=EN&agentid=4&productid=1&brandSubid=&groupid=1&catid=40 and Sofina Jenne day protector milk are my favs.
Posted by Ana | August 20, 2012, 6:22 pmoops, forgot Sofina’s link http://www.adambeauty.com/showitem.php?itemtype=detail&itemid=jenne-day&brandid=1021&language=EN&agentid=4&productid=1&brandSubid=&groupid=1&catid=1021
Posted by Ana | August 20, 2012, 6:24 pmEh it happens. xD Thanks again!
Posted by John | August 20, 2012, 8:55 pmApparently Paula’s Choice is coming out with a retinol body cream. Hopefully it’s good! Plus, it probably won’t be too pricey! In the meantime, Dr. Denese New York has a retinol body shield in her product line. It’s like $40 for 6 oz, which is pretty cheap. I’d imagine you could use it a facial moisturizer too.
But no, I haven’t actually tried non-US sunscreens since they aren’t that available. I’ll have to try some eventually! Thanks for posting the links so others can see them.
Posted by John | August 20, 2012, 8:55 pmThat sounds nice, I’ve been wanting to try Paula’s products but shipping it’s a bit pricy so I would have to order enough products to make up for it. Never heard of that brand, I’ll certainly look into it.
You should try them, they are awesome, after trying them I don’t think I’ll ever use western brands again (unless they change the consistency of their products). I like the shop in the links because postage is included in US$ price (you just pay more $2 per order for registered mail) and it never stops in customs here 🙂 so it’s really cheap.
Posted by Ana | August 22, 2012, 12:00 pmYeah I’ll try them eventually! They do seem promising I have to admit.
Posted by John | August 22, 2012, 12:39 pmI have tried Bioré Watery Essence, which is an organic sunscreen with uvinul a plus for UVA protection. It’s not matte, but it’s like you’re applying nothing, feels like water. (http://www.adambeauty.com/showitem.php?itemtype=detail&itemid=4901301258748&brandid=40&language=&agentid=4&productid=1&brandSubid=&groupid=1&catid=40).
Now I want to try Bioré Perfect Milk and Bright Milk.
John, you can find ingredient lists at http://www.ratzillacosme.com.
Posted by Arlon Barbieri | August 21, 2012, 8:00 amThanks for the info. The texture sounds fantastic! Though, I’m curious as to see how long it’ll last on the skin (transfer/water-resistant), and there isn’t much information in the profile for uvinal A. At least tinsorb has a bit more information.
But yeah, if I ever go to an Asian country, I’m SO going on a sunscreen exploration. 🙂
Posted by John | August 22, 2012, 10:45 amI think the watery essence is not water resistant. About transfer I think you really don’t have to worry with Japanese sunscreens, at least the ones I’ve tried disappear into the skin. The 2 Bioré & Sofina I linked can only be removed with cleansing oil (or make-up remover with oil), the Bioré Perfect Milk has completely matte finish, the Bioré Bright leaves a nice sort if glow, I really don’t know how to explain it, it’s not extremely matte, it’s like “your skin but better” kind of finish. The Sofinna Jenne is more expensive but is fantastic, it hydrates your skin leaving it matte at the same time, really weird because when you think of western cosmetics they never do that. The Bioré Bright Milk it’s like the cheaper version of Sofina Jenne, the Bioré Perfect Milk is the mattest.
But if you want really water resistant sunscreen you must try Anessa because they have sunscreens designed for sports http://www.adambeauty.com/showbrand.php?brandid=103&language=EN&agentid=1&productid=1&groupid=.
P.S.: most Japanese sunscreens are not only water but also sebum resistant, so they last a long time in your face.
Posted by Ana | August 22, 2012, 12:15 pmYeah it makes sense that Asian sunscreens tend to be more elegant than Western ones since Asian people are so obssessed with tanning. Or I guess a fear of tanning.
But did you see that face-kini article on Yahoo? How ridiculous! And they’re bodies are so tan and sundamaged. Ironic? http://news.yahoo.com/photos/china-s-face-masked-swimmers-slideshow/
Posted by John | August 22, 2012, 12:43 pmI had already read about it in a blog in the beginning of the summer, some brazilian girls that live there went to the beach and saw it, my first thought was they looked like wrestling fighters. Can you imagine going to a beach and running into someone wearing that? I think I would inevitably start laughing, it’s too weird.
Posted by Ana | August 22, 2012, 1:29 pmYeah I completely burst out in a fit of cackles when I saw this. Haha! It’s definitely way too weird. Not to mention kind of gross: your skin, hair, scalp; none of it can breathe. Yucky.
Posted by John | August 22, 2012, 4:12 pmIt also must be really awkward when they take it off, white face brown body, like the romans’ statues with old heads in young bodies.
Posted by Ana | August 22, 2012, 1:31 pmLol!! Except this time it’s reversed. “Young” heads and old bodies. I reiterate, yucky. xD
Posted by John | August 22, 2012, 4:13 pmSheesh, silly women, just wear sunscreen! A slight whitish cast on the skin is much better than wearing what amounts to a ski mask. And it’ll be much more comfortable! And less ridiculous!
Posted by ladyisla | August 23, 2012, 12:29 pmHaha!! Completely agreed.
Posted by John | August 25, 2012, 4:06 amIf you like matte finish you really should try them!
Posted by Ana | August 22, 2012, 12:19 pmThanks again!
Posted by John | August 22, 2012, 12:43 pmI really need #3 as well; I’ve found that although I love Hourglass Mineral Veil SPF 15, it leaves more of a whitish cast than I first realized; and it has started to really bother me.
Posted by ladyisla | August 20, 2012, 5:54 pmYeah, I completely agree! The Veil is pricey too. 😦
Posted by John | August 20, 2012, 8:52 pmYeah! I would definitely try them too if you had a line of products (as long as they don’t cost an arm and a leg :-p). Though I suppose it might take some special formulations to make the ingredients behave the way you want them to.
Posted by ladyisla | August 20, 2012, 9:00 pmWho knows yet? But thanks for your support as always. But that’s still years down the road! I have to finish school, get a derm residency, maybe a fellowship, and get board certified. Right now, I’m 22 years old. I’ll probably be like 35 before I can legally practice dermatology. It’ll likely take more time too, as I plan to work for a hospital first to get some reputation, before opening up my own private practice.
Who knows where I’ll be.
Posted by John | August 22, 2012, 10:43 amYou’re a man with a plan, aren’t you?!
Well, maybe in 12, 15, 20 years down the road they will have fulfilled all our current skincare dreams–but I’m sure they’ll just be replaced by even loftier ones for you to work on. 🙂 Either way, I appreciate all the work you do here and on FutureDerm, bringing us all this information!
Posted by ladyisla | August 22, 2012, 2:52 pmHaha I hope so! And as I learn more and more, I’m sure the expectations will only get higher.
Posted by John | August 22, 2012, 4:13 pmI wish all your 3 wishes! haha
Some asian sunscreen are pretty elegant, it would be great to see such great formulas on the western market. Also, I wish the USA would approve all UVA filters, tinosorb and uvinul-a-plus, so there would be other formulas, hopefully better ones.
I’m looking forward to see your line of products! 🙂
Posted by Arlon Barbieri | August 20, 2012, 5:48 pmI agree with, the FDA needs to approve Tinsorb already!
And it’s good to know I”ll have ONE customer at least. Haha!
Posted by John | August 20, 2012, 8:48 pm