Who knew that moisturizer could create such a stir? Recently, I interviewed Dr. Zein Obagi of ZO Skin Health regarding anti-aging skin care, his area of expertise. As we learned, Dr. Obagi is not an advocate of moisturizers, claiming that they can actually accelerate the aging process. As promised, here's further explanation.
Can you clarify why moisturizers accelerate aging?
"It seems antithetical — a moisturizer was probably the first product that you used on your skin — and the one you trusted and used most frequently. . . With young and healthy skin, the cells in the dermis collect water from the food we eat and water we drink, and deliver that water to the surface of the skin. But, when you apply a moisturizer to hydrate and plump the skin, the skin cells in the epidermis send a message to the cells in the dermis: slow down, we’re fat and happy up here. That causes the cells in the dermis to become lazy, go dormant, and the skin becomes drier, thinner, and less elastic."
To hear what Dr. Obagi told me about why he sells creams and what conditions make it OK to use a moisturizer, read more.
Why do you sell two different crèmes, and what makes them different?
"I’m not a fan of moisturizers that plump and smooth the skin, and work only at the surface. The products need to work at the cellular level. The Daily Renewal Crème ($95) and Overnight Recovery Crème ($95) do have moisturizing properties, but that’s not all that they do. So unlike traditional moisturizers, these two products contain retinol (to activate and stimulate the skin) as well as anti-irritants and herbal extracts to calm and soothe the skin. So do they moisturize? Yes. But labeling them as moisturizers would be an understatement."
What conditions would make it OK to use moisturizers?
"Moisturizers are OK under certain conditions:
- . . . We want to keep skin cells functioning — that’s what keeps [them] awake and vital. If you activate and stimulate your skin, and use a product that moisturizes your skin, that’s OK.
- After medical procedures (lasers or peels) that may be desirable or necessary.
- When you’re traveling to an arid climate — such as Palm Springs or Las Vegas, where the air is very dry.
- When you’re traveling in an airplane, where the cabin air may dehydrate your skin."
Do you think Dr. Obagi's explanation makes sense?
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When the first part of this was posted a few days ago someone said it was like a gimic for him to promote his non-moisturizer moisturizer . . .and i think they were right on . . . im defi skeptical . . .i mean why should we trust him since we've never heard this before from anyone else? Plus there must be other moisturizers with rentinol out there?
1I think he is just saying that to sell his $100 creams. I think I'll pass on his advice.
2Ummmm sorry I'm not buying it. And how do you activate and stimulate your skin?
3'When you’re traveling to an arid climate — such as Palm Springs or Las Vegas, where the air is very dry."
How about if you live in a place with an arid climate?
4Well, being that I LIVE in an arid, dry environment, I'm just going to keep putting on my Oil of Olay every morning. What a quack.
5What he says makes sense ... but I'll still go buy the drugstore retinol moisturizers, thank you very much.
6I'm just all confused now because he is basically saying the opposite of what every skin care professional and/or dermatologist has been telling us girls our whole lives - which was MOISTURIZE MOISTURIZE MOISTURIZE!
7Also, I happen to have REALLY REALLY dry skin. If I don't put moisturizer on it every morning and every night it just peels and flakes all over the place! What should people like me do because now he's got me all worried that I'm only accelerating the agin process for myself!?
Oy, it's so confusing out there. I'll stick with my organic, paraben free SPF 15 moisterizer that i LOVE thankyouverymuch.
8yeah. copout. i love how he backtracked and qualified his original statement...as if his product is the ONLY one that offers this MAGICAL ingredient, retinol...i can just get retin-a from my derm, thank you.
9freakshow, can you tell me which moisturizer you use? I've been looking for a good paraben free moisturizer forever!!
10I do have to say that I apply a lot of lotion on at night, especially around my knees. I was noticing that when I wake up in the morning, the skin around my knees is dry and itchy... hm. After reading this, I am going to experiment and not apply lotion every single evening!
11I think this is bull. I've never heard this before, and I'm not believing this just because he said it.
12I agree with the skeptics who think he is just promoting his own product. He also doesn't address the issue of sun protection. The main reason I put on moisturizer everyday is because it is an spf 30 and protects my face from sun damage. I wonder if his $90 miracle product has an spf.
13PPUUUHHHHHHLLLLLLEEEEEAAAAASSSSSSEEEEEE That's the biggest crock I've ever heard....
14im having a conflict in here coz first, i dont buy it but then come to think of it, i used to have healthy skin, then i began to moisturize it after showering frequently, honeslty, its not healthy by itself anymore unless i use a moisturizer!!
15Hi, I actually attended a great seminar where Dr. Obagi speaks in more detail about what is explained. Retinols in moisturizers like ROC, do not have a high enough concentration to work. His creams have the amount needed to make collagen. His explanation is dead ON!! I got notice he is speaking again May 9, 09 at a FREE seminar in Pasadena Hilton Hotel.
16Is there a duck around here somewhere? I think I heard a quack.
17I think this is partly a sales gimmick for him, but partly true. I think he is saying don't ONLY use moisturizer, but stimulate and activate those cells by exfoliation.. This is common sense.. exfoliation causes a healthy cell turnover and that will help our skin age better.. of course wear your sunscreen..and of course moisturize! I work for Clinique and am a huge believer in exfoliation AND moisturizer! lol
18I kind of believe him because the more I use moisturizers the more I seem to need them. My skin looks great when I apply them, but it's all dry again the next day, more so than when I'm off creams for some time.
19sourcherry thaat is EXACTLY what i was trying to say. couldnt express myself as well as u did i guess
20I'm not buying it either. Sounds like a bunch of BS.
21Nothing will tear me away from my Philosophy "Hope In A Jar"!
22well then, if this theory was true, then babies would not need lotion, but there are some babies, such as my son, who need lotion so sounds like some BS to me. I never use hand lotion and every time I wash my hands they are dry and flaky. It is not the moisturizer making them dry, it is the soap and water washing away the natural oils in my skin, if I wait like 8 hours my hands don't seem as dry, but that is still 8 hours of dry ass hands that I did not have to suffer through! I think the same theory can be applied to the rest of the body and face.
23Hmm.. i think it makes sense, but it doesn't make a difference to me because i only use moisturizer like thrice a week and im going to continue doing that. By activating and stimulating the skin, does he mean using scrubs and stuff?
24Makes some sense - I barely moisturize, but my mom does ALL THE TIME, as well as lip balm, and now suffers without it - she didn't before. Could be aging, too, but...
25Someone posted something about Google Scholar in the last article and I never got to thank the person, but yea. That was helpful. I've only ever had to use Pubmed and BIOSIS so that was the first time hearing about that database...
I laid off the moisturizer for a day or two and just ended up drinking a TON of water to see what would happen because someone else guessed that that was his explanation...the cells get lazy. I have to say my skin feels nicer if not more moisturized with the water than having to use lotion, even areas that usually get really scaly like the tip of my nose looked fine. Anecdotal evidence of course, but I feel antsy about having to give up my SPF.
One more thing: This is the same guy behind that Obagi skin care kit, right? I used to work at a dermatologist's office and they sold them all the time. I heard they were really expensive and took all day to go through the steps.
26I guess the "Dr" wouldn't recommend Platinum Rare from La Prairie, it adopts to whatever climate you are in and lets your skin to take whatever it needs. So no chance of over moisturizing and making your skin "lazy", lol!
27I love my facial oil in the pm and my moisturizer w/ spf 30 in the am, and I've noticed my combination skin acts much more balanced when I use this regimen, so I'm sticking with it.
28I'm not buying it. I need moisturizer anyway. South Australia is the driest state on the second driest continent (thankfully I dont live in Antarctica!) so if I dont moisturize I feel like my skin will crack off.
29I don't buy it!!! I use moisturizer and it makes my skin really soft but without it it gets dry.
30I think it makes sense, like if you don´t use a muscle in a long time they cramp and shrink or something like that.
31um, my skin is way too dry not to use moisturizer.
32Hmmm maybe it needs some sources to more information. I mean there ARE other products on the market with those ingredients so... it's hard to say. But he doesnt list them off or make other suggestions than his own stuff. :/
33wait a minute. . .in the last post, he said that moisturizers are bad. in this post, he says they are okay to "activate" the skin, but doesn't mention on which cellular level they are okay. Bella, you need to be a harsher interviewer? sounds to me like he's selling something.
34Rx Retin-A cream > Overpriced Obagi
35yeah I also think he's just saying all this hooblah to sell his expensive crap. No thanks man, Avon's still the place for me.
36so he's actually saying that our skin adapts, if we're feeding it enough moisturizers it will stop collecting water from the inside?
hm... makes sense but i think if we stop putting on moisturizers , our skin will start adapting too, and start collecting more water from what we eat and drink!
37despite the moisturizer talk i heard his stuff for acne is really good. expensive but worth it.
38I buy it...I'm not saying I'd buy his products (because there are other products on the market that contain the same ingredients) but what he's saying does make sense
39And I've sort of had that same sneaking suspicion for awhile...Like when does my boyfriend never need lotion...even if he has a little bit of dry skin it goes away and is never as severe as mine...
it's worth doing more personal research and experimentation...
I trust my aveda now...you can't tear me away from how beautiful my skin looks with it.
40Maybe I'll worry about this when I'm older, but at 20 my ponds cold cream works just fine. To me this just sounds like some quack trying to sell his $100 creams.
41I don't buy it.
42I trust my SK-II skin care moisturizers and would not travel without them.
i'm not buying his philosophy or product line.
43Dr Obagi is spot on! I have been using the OBAGI system since Sept 08 and my skin hads done a complete transformation. I had horrible sun damage, melasma,wrinkles & brown spots. I used oil of olay and SPF 30 on my face for the past 10 year but the damage was there. I'm 38 and my skin looks like i'm in my early 20's! I have gotten so many comments from people ho haven't seen me in a while. People think I had work done (which I have NEVER done). I am telling you I look 10-15 years younger!My skin is glowing, radiant, the melasma is gone! It's amazing! I haven't used moisturizer since August and it's working for me. the products work so you don't need a "moisturizer". Dr. Obagi has NOTHING to do with Obagi medical Products anymore so he has nothing to gain from this. He started his own skin care company again after he sold OBAGI.I'm telling you he knows his skin care stuff inside and out! I don't know about any of his new products with ZO but the old Obagi is amazing!
44i think i'll pass on his advice. cant do without moisturizer!! my skin is just too dry...esp in the winter time
45Hilarious! Your cells don't get lazy!! Your cells take in water via Osmosis. Meaning water will always go to where there is less concentration of water. If your cells have too much water then it'll just go back the other way-the bloodstream. And if your cells went dormant you'd probably die.
46Hi,
A very smart and diplomatic answer. It’s really appreciable and generous.
Miller
Skin Care Products
47Hi,
A very smart and diplomatic answer. It’s really appreciable and generous.
Miller
Skin Care Products
48If moisturizer doesn't help in some way, then why do little old ladies tend to have softer skin than little old men? You can't tell me it's just the hormones--they haven't had hormones acting on their skin for quite some time, unless they're taking replacement therapy.
And why do gay men tend to have such nicer skin than straight men? I think it's because they're more likely to moisturize and exfoliate.
49A skeptic turned...you wouldnt believe it either, and why should you, ever since I saw my mum doing it I used moisturiser but using Obagi, blimey, who needs moisturiser - much like my disbelief - I changed my tune after a lot of research into why (which is what I would suggest to a lot of you here) a better understanding and a good doctor my skin has never felt so good! I even managed to meet Dr O in the UK to say thanks.
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