FAQs on Aging Skin, Sun Damage and Your Everyday Skincare Routine

Posted on: February 28th, 2022 by Kristen Chang

We recently sat down with CSI Skincare Consultant, Nikka Dorado to find out how to treat common skin concerns and best skincare practices for repairing and protecting the skin. Our patients submitted some great questions about skin dryness, mature skin, dullness, undereye bags, acne, sun spots and more.

Get the inside scoop on the best products to use for your skin health goals and the all-star ingredients to incorporate into your daily regimen.

I have combination, aging, hormonal and acne prone skin. How can I help get my skin texture a little more even to achieve that smooth glow?

One of the best ways to address all the issues noted is adding a glycolic to your skincare regimen. The Glycolic Elite Cleanser, Glycolic Elite Facial Cream or Glycolic Exfoliating Pads are all good solutions. Glycolic acid accelerates skin cell turnover, increases collagen production and also boosts moisture retention. Glycolic is also very effective for addressing acne, particularly cystic acne which is caused by deep blockages of dead skin cells and sebum. It provides a remarkably even exfoliation of the skin and releases and dissolves dead skin cells—clearing up blocked pores and blackheads.

My skin is so dry—some foundations just sit on top of it. What can I do?

I would recommend a three-step plan to address dry skin.

Step 1: Add a glycolic product to your regimen. Glycolic acid accelerates skin cell turnover, clearing the skin of dead cells that are preventing absorption of your products and even application of your foundation. The Glycolic Elite Cleanser, Glycolic Elite Facial Cream or Glycolic Exfoliating Pads are all great options.

Step 2. Use Pure Hydrating Serum to provide deep hydration and plumping to the skin.

Step 3: Add a good moisturizer with lipids. Bio-Therapy Phyto Restorative Cream or Lipid Barrier Cream are both good choices. The combination of the Pure Hydration Serum and Lipid Barrier Cream will ensure the skin is hydrated and most importantly, locked in, so it doesn’t evaporate and leave you dry again.

How do I care for older skin that shows age spots, lines/wrinkles, redness and rosacea? What are the best anti-aging products to use?

Caring for older skin is actually not terribly complicated, especially with CSI products. The goal is to both repair current damage and prevent new damage from happening. Since ALL CSI products include antioxidants, we will focus on the repair.

Step 1: Begin by cleansing the skin with a glycolic cleanser. Glycolic Elite Cleanser is a great solution as it is quite hydrating to the skin, will unglue pigment stained cells that are sitting on the surface of your skin, as well as stimulate collagen production.

Step 2: Incorporate Triple Antioxidant Powerhouse into your routine. This is a must have! It is not only the most powerful antioxidant available but has been published in a medical journal to be highly effective for rosacea. This product will reduce the appearance of facial redness and inflammation, as well as reduce the appearance of pore size.

Step 3: Include a good barrier repairing cream such as the Lipid Barrier Cream.

Step 4: SUNSCREEN! Choose one that you love and will use every day. I like the Scar Care SPF 45.

Should retinol be stopped for short periods of time?

I would advise checking with your board-certified physician or licensed practitioner to learn their preference. Generally speaking, if you are compliant with sunscreen use, you can use retinol year-long without a break.

How do I get rid of dull skin, freckles, sun spots and brown spots?

Treating pigment is often tricky. If the discoloration is caused by sun exposure, I recommend using a regimen that both exfoliates the stained cells and suppresses the melanin response.

Here is a regimen I suggest:

Step 1: Begin by cleansing the skin with a glycolic cleanser. Glycolic Elite Cleanser is a great solution as it is quite hydrating to the skin, will unglue pigment stained cells that are sitting on the surface of your skin, as well as stimulate collagen production. This step will not only address pigmentation, but will also help with skin dullness.

Step 2: Vitamin C Brightening Serum. This serum provides super antioxidant protection in the form of 20% vitamin C with added botanical skin brighteners to address and suppress pigmentation.

Step 3: Sunscreen! This is a must to prevent further damage. I encourage you to use an all physical sunscreen, as it will help prevent post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Step 4: Finally, at nighttime, our Retinol Resurfacing Serum is ideal. It encourages cellular turnover and includes a botanical skin brightener.

What are the best products to use on the neck to reduce wrinkles and sagging?

For laxity in the neck and décolleté, the Neck Firming Cream is ideal.

What are the best products for cystic acne?

Cystic acne can be challenging to treat. Try a benzoyl peroxide cleanser and spot treatment, as these can help kill the bacteria that cause acne. I highly encourage you to speak to a board-certified dermatologist and have them assess the severity of your case so they can offer more tailored treatments for your condition.

What is the best hydration product for psoriasis?

Psoriasis is said to result from an abnormal immune reaction which causes rapid buildup of skin cells. Using a retinoid for mild to moderate psoriasis can be helpful, such as the Smoothing Retinol Body Lotion. This product provides a low dose of retinol for cellular turnover, hydration and barrier repair.

Salicylic acid has also been shown to be effective. Creamy BP Wash 5% can be used as a face and body wash to help curb flare-ups of psoriasis. For more severe psoriasis, please consult with your licensed practitioner.

Do you have a reasonably priced product for wrinkles?

If you are looking for one product that is going to give you the biggest bang for your buck, I recommend the Glycolic Elite Facial Cream. This cream is hydrating, provides essential antioxidants and vitamins for the health of the skin and glycolic helps build collagen, refreshes dull, dry skin, evens out skin tone, and improves texture.

What is the best product to use for puffy undereye bags?

I recommend the Enriched Retinol Eye Repair Cream. It not only addresses puffiness, but also treats fine lines, wrinkles and dark circles.

What is your recommendation for an everyday moisturizer?

Great question! Everyone needs different levels of moisture for their skin. If you run oily or acneic, Moisture Dew w/Aloe & CO-Q10 is perfect. Normal skin? Fortified Moisturizer should do the trick as a perfect daytime moisturizer. For those who run dry, dehydrated, have more mature skin or are looking for a night cream, the Bio-Therapy Phyto Restorative Moisturizer or Lipid Barrier Cream are the ideal choices.

If I want to use retinol, should I be using prescription strength, or is over the counter okay?

Choosing between a retinol (vitamin A alcohol) or prescription tretinoin (vitamin A acid) is completely up to you. Retinol tends to be gentler to the skin and patients see less adverse effects than with tretinoin (redness, flaking, inflammation, dryness, and irritation).

The benefits of using the CSI Retinol Resurfacing Serum is that you get the best of both worlds! Our retinol was published in a medical journal demonstrating on par results to the prescription tretinoin through punch biopsy and visual assessment. However, patients preferred our retinol, as they saw less unwanted side effects and less dryness.

What is the best moisturizer for aging skin?

The Bio-Therapy Phyto Restorative Moisturizer or Lipid Barrier Cream are the ideal choices. Both provide optimal hydration and repair the lipid repair which becomes depleted with age. Both also include potent antioxidants to calm and protect skin from future damage, and both offer peptides and stem cells.

Still have questions? Schedule a consultation with one of our board-certified physicians or advanced practitioners to discover a customized skincare regimen that works for you.