People come to me for advice on their skin care. That’s what I do all day, give skin advice. When it comes to the products that I recommend people don’t just ask me what products to use, they want to know why as well. After I suggest products, I can almost gaurentee that half those people are going to say “well what’s the difference in what you want me to use and what I already use?” in some form or fashion. So here are my most common “what’s the difference?” questions and answers. Hope this helps explain why I give good skin advice, muah!

1. What’s the difference in SPF # of sunscreen mean? SPF stands for sunburn protection factor. The number after SPF represents how much UVB (the burning rays, not UVA) the sunscreen can filter out. SPF of 15 filter 93% of UVB and SPF of 30 filter out 97% which is why I recommend an SPF of 30 or higher and sun protective clothing too because neither are 100%!
2. What’s the difference in chemical sunscreen and physical sunscreen? Chemical sunscreen (ingredients like oxybenzone or avobenzene) protects you by absorbing the suns’s rays while physical sunscreen (ingredients like titanium dioxide or zinc oxide) protects by deflecting the sun’s rays. Chemical sunscreen is like a sponge on your skin if you drip water on the dry sponge it will protect you from getting wet  but you may still feel some moisture. Physical sunscreen is like putting aluminum foil on your skin. When you pour the water on you, the aluminum deflects it from hitting your skin. That’s why I recommend physical sunscreens.
3. What’s the difference in the SkinMedica Retinol you use and local drug store retinols? The SkinMedica retinol has anti-inflammatory properties instead of pro-inflammatory properties so it’s less irritating. It’s also very plain. Some of the drug store retinols have added fragrances or 30 other ingredients that actually cause irritation. The SkinMedica Retinol I use has been tested against prescription retinoid tretinoin and proven to be just as effective. The difference is the tolerability, the effectiveness and the science to back it up!
4. What’s the difference in the Jane Iredale makeup you use and other makeups? The Jane Iredale powders use pure mineral pigment with no fillers such as talc that can irritate the skin. They have been tested and proven to be non-comedogenic (they don’t clog pores and cause acne). They have received the Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Recommendation. To achieve this, they had to provide scientific data showing the products aid in the prevention of sun-induced damage to the skin. They have good adherence (don’t streak in creases),  minimum allergy risk and have anti-irritant, natural ingredients-paraben free. My drawer at home is full of Jane Iredale.
5. What’s the difference in Botox, Dysport and Xeomin? They are all neuromodulators meant to do the same thing-relax the muscles that cause lines in motion. I usually explain to people they are like drinking coke and pepsi, although both are colas some people prefer coke and some people prefer pepsi. Some say that Dysport spreads more which can be a good or bad thing. Xeomin claims that it doesn’t have the proteins that Botox has so it is a “more pure” product. Botox is the tried and true, it’s been around the longest in the USA and it’s what I personally prefer.
6. What’s the difference in neuromodulaters and fillers? Neuromodulators, like Botox, are placed in muscles that make lines in motion so that you don’t have lines in motion develop into lines at rest (unwanted wrinkles). Think of fillers (Juvederm) as temporary implants. We use them to stretch the skin or lift what has fallen. When there is volume loss, we can replace that loss in the face with fillers. For a natural appearance, most people will use both neuromodulators and fillers together.
7. What’s the difference in SkinMedica AHA/BHA exfoliating cleanser and the exfoliating at home you’re telling me not to do? The roughness that you feel in the AHA/BHA cleanser is jojoba which is a natural ingredient that dissolves as you are cleansing your skin so that it is very gently exfoliating. The scrubs and beads (that have been outlawed by the way due to their harm to our environement) don’t dissolve, they just harshly scrub your skin causing inflammation and irritation that leads to dullness, acne and redness.
8. What’s the difference in the lasers and the sublative treatments? We have an ATV, PDL and YAG laser. These all use light to treat different conditions like tattoo removal, brown spots, redness, red lesions, hair reduction and skin tightening respectively. The sublative device doesn’t use light; instead it uses microneedling and radiofrequency to treat scars, fine lines and wrinkles. I recommend a consult with Dani, our cosmetic coordinator, for a consult to determine  your best option.
9. What’s the difference in prescription retinoids and the retinol you use? The retinoids are pro-inflammatory and the SkinMedica retinol is anti-inflammatory so you will be able to tolerate it better without as much initial redness, peeling and irritation.
10. What’s the difference in the millions of moisturizers and washes? Usually what irritants are in them. Remember, moisturizer is important but it is just water and/or oil so although it keeps your skin hydrated improving overall skin health and appearance it doesn’t actually induce change in your skin. So either use products that change your skin AND moisturize like the HA5, which has hyaluronic acid, to intensely moisturize but also has vitis flower stem cells that tell your skin to make more hyaluronic acid or just pick a cheap, plain white moisturizer at the drug store to use everyday. I like cetaphil dermacontrol for the acne prone.

I know this was a long post but I promise I could’ve easily gone to 50! I hope this answered some of your questions and gave you a peek into my evidence-based practice. What I use on my skin and recommend to you guys has been researched and proven to work. I want you to see results and reach all your skin goals!

Hope you all had a great weekend, stay skintastic!

xxoo, Nina

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