Skincare Simplified, by Dora.

Interviewing skincare expert.

Pharmacist, chemist, nutritionist, and skincare specialist, Dora has given her advice to the Lakewood community for over twenty years. Today we're focusing on one of the main areas of Dora's expertise – skincare. Hi Dora. How are you? Can you tell us how long you have been involved in skincare? I've been doing skincare professionally since 1978. You can do the math! Skincare is a unique field for me because I've been busy with it daily, no matter what else I've been involved with. Dora, I have an odd question for you. I've seen on your website that my ideal skincare regimen consists of a dozen of products. Let's say somebody doesn't have time or money and wants to buy one product only – which one would it be? First of all, we have to agree that we're talking about non-problem skin. Only non-problem skin can enjoy simple rules that I'll try to formulate. What exactly is non-problem skin? It's just exactly as it sounds, skin with no problems: clean, not too dry, not too oily, not itchy, with no acne, rosacea, or eczema. Okay, but before we focus on non-problem skin, what could be said about problem skin? When the skin has problems, no simple rules apply. We must customize either regimen or products. Agreed. Non-problem skin. One product only. What will it be? Moisturizer. A great moisturizer. Which one? I've counted a dozen moisturizers on your website! It depends on age.

HYDROBIOTIC HERBAL CREAM ()

for 17-22.

AQUAGUARD OPTIMUM CREAM ()

for 22-27.

COLLAGEN BIO-HYDRATING NIGHT CREAM ()

for 27-40.

BIO-RESTORATIVE NIGHT CREAM ()

for 40 and up. And for those younger than 17? If they have dry skin, HYDROBIOTIC HERBAL CREAM is beneficial. One of the reasons teenagers have acne is that their skin is too dry. Okay, I've got moisturizer. Let's say I want to upgrade and get the 2nd product, in addition to a moisturizer. What will it be? Scrub. To be used once a week. I was ready to hear a few other options, but I didn't think of scrub! What makes it so valuable that it's more important than so many other skincare products? Its main job is to take off a layer of dead skin. This dramatically amplifies the effect of moisturizer on your skin. That's why it's the next option after you've got moisturizer. I've seen a few scrubs on your site. Which one are we talking about? The universal one for generally non-problem skin, called

MICRODERMABRASION ENZYME SCRUB ()

. Anyone younger than 27 can have its cheaper version –

PHYTOAROMATIC EXFOLIATING SCRUB ()

. Okay, we've got moisturizer and scrub. If we decide to extend our menu and get the 3rd skin product, which one will it be? Now it depends on age. Between 15 and 27, you should get cleanser (even though you generally don't use moisturizer until 17, cleanser is already a good idea a few years before that). Anybody above 27 should get serum. But I want to explain something about a cleanser. First of all, you never use cleanser in the morning. Only at night! Second, when I answered on your earlier questions, and you got moisturizer and scrub, it doesn't mean that you don't use cleanser. It rather means that it doesn't matter which cleanser you have, so the cheapest one you get in any drugstore will do. However, now that we are extending up to the 3rd skincare product, I want you to get a superior quality cleanser, and that's going to be

MILD SILKY CLEANSING GEL ()

. But if it's so crucial at this point, why only until 27? Why not after 27 too? That's because when you're older, your skin is thinner, and is cleaned easier, so, priority-wise, it's more important to get serum. It's not that cleanser is not essential after 27, it's just that any cleanser more or less can do the job, and if you want me to choose for you based on priorities, I'll give you serum and not cleanser. Got it. And which serum will you give to those over 27? I've seen a dozen of serums on your site! A secret about serums is that you should always alternate them. You never use just one serum! I have at least a dozen serums available. Once you finish your serum – get a different one! Serum is a miracle product. It penetrates deeper skin layers and functions inside of cells. Various serums employ different mechanisms of action, benefiting skin in many ways. My five favorite and most advanced serums are , , , , and . When you alternate them, the synergetic effect on your skin is nothing short of magical. So, I've got moisturizer, scrub, and serum if I am 27+, and I've got moisturizer, scrub, and cleanser if I am younger than 27. Now, if I am deciding to extend the skincare menu and get the 4th product, which one would it be? Day cream! After we've taken care of more important stuff, on our priority list, skin protection is now of the essence. We need to protect our skin from sun-rays and make-up. Superior day cream with sun protection is the next item you should get. Which day cream should it be? It depends on age.

AQUABIOTIC DAY CREAM ()

for 17-23,

DERMAGUARD OPTIMUM CREAM ()

for 23-27,

MULTI-PEPTIDE REVITALIZING DAY CREAM ()

for 27-40, and

HYDROGUARD ()

for 40+. Okay, let's get the 5th product now. What is it? If you 're younger than 27 and you have non-problem skin, there is nothing else that you may need. If you're 27+, let's finally get cleanser. It will clean your skin much better than any other cleanser you have been using until now. To answer your next question, if you want to add a 6th product in your regimen, and you're 27+, get an eye cream! It's called

BIO-PEPTIDE FIRMING EYE CREAM ()

. And if you are 40+, you should also get eye serum, in addition to eye cream. It's

EYE REPAIR PEPTIDE COMPLEX ()

. So all these are the skincare products and their priorities, in case of non-problem skin – correct? Yes. When it comes to skin problem, I can also formulate a few simple rules, but at the end of the day, I wouldn't advise relying on them. For problems, products or regimens must be customized, one case at a time. Thank you, Dora, for sharing a more profound look into the wisdom of skincare. B'Hatzlacha!

See the follow-up interview, where we're exploring acne skincare.