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Skincare Secrets from Celeb Favorite Dr. Brandt
We've been pretty obsessed with social shopping site OpenSky since it first came onto the scene. Who doesn't want to shop with the help of insider recommendations and advice from tastemakers, celebrities, and experts? So naturally, we are beyond psyched by the recent launch of OpenSky Beauty, curated by top experts in the fields of skincare and makeup. In our opinion, this is an area where insider information is especially key, seeing as we've personally had far too many nightmare experiences with pricy lotions that make us break out in hives and icky foundations that leave us looking like a scary vampire after a couple hours. Today, we've obtained priceless skincare advice from one of the site's new beauty curators, Dr. Fredric Brandt, a pioneering dermatologist, doctor to the stars, and world-renowned skincare "artist."
BGG: If you can only afford one product, what should it be?
Dr. Brandt: Sunscreen (with a minimum of SPF 30 and UVA/UVB protection). It is important to apply sunscreen every day, rain or shine, to prevent premature aging and protect your skin against skin cancer.
BGG: Which products are you personally never without?
Dr. Brandt: My collagen booster (as it helps promote the growth of collagen, keeping collagen and elastin healthy, and it stimulates cell production due to its peptide and amino acid properties), sunscreen with SPF 30 (because you must wear sunscreen everyday in order to protect skin from photo-aging due to the sun), and my glow by dr. brandt with retinol (the active retinol complex boosts collagen production, improves skin texture and tone, and stimulates cell regeneration over both the short-and long-term, promoting continuous cell renewal).
BGG: What are the best ways to improve your skin through your diet?
Dr. Brandt: Avoid a diet high in sugar to prevent sagging skin. New research shows that sugar speeds up the degradation of collagen and elastin – the framework responsible for keeping skin firm, elastic and youthful. To fight inflammation in your skin, eat foods rich in omega-3 oils such as salmon and other fish, or supplement your diet by drinking green tea, which is a great anti-inflammatory ingredient. Ingesting ingredients that reduce that inflammation is almost as good for fine lines as applying a wrinkle-fighting cream.
BGG: Is it good enough to eat a lot of antioxidant-rich foods, or must antioxidants be applied topically?
Dr. Brandt: Antioxidants should be applied topically as well to fight free radical damage and protect collagen and elastin.
BGG: Are BB Creams a good buy since they include multiple products in one?
Dr. Brandt: Yes, because all women need skincare products in their arsenal that brighten, even skin tone, and provide anti-aging and SPF properties. My BB cream does the duty of all four, providing universal benefits that visibly improve every skin tone.
BGG: In terms of office procedures, where do you think the best value is?
Dr. Brandt: Fillers are the best in-office procedure for their value because they make the most dramatic change as far as replacing volume that has been lost and improving lines and wrinkles. They also have a much longer duration of effect than Botox and other injectibles, which minimizes the frequency of treatments.
BGG: Are there any new procedures you're excited about?
Dr. Brandt: LAVIV is a new, customized, in-office procedure in which we take tiny pieces of your own skin cells and create an injectable to reinject and improve lines, wrinkles, textures, pores, and scars. Ultherapy is another new and exciting treatment. This non-invasive tissue-lifting treatment helps tighten skin in the deeper layers of neck skin (or in the subcutaneous tissues in neck). This treatment uses ultrasound technology and enables us to direct sound waves deep under the skin to the same tissue that is addressed in surgery, heating the tissue to lift and tighten loose skin without disrupting the skin’s surface.
BGG: Do you have any at-home beauty tricks you recommend?
Dr. Brandt: At-home microdermabrasion is good because it keeps skin healthy and acne-free by polishing your complexion while improving overall texture of skin; at-home light peels work to refine skin’s texture and help ingredients penetrate more evenly and further into skin.
BGG: Any other budget beauty tips you'd like to share?
Dr. Brandt: Splurge on your repair cream and antioxidants, but save money on your cleanser and sunscreen.
May 07, 2024 - 07:41 AM