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PRODUCTS PRIVACY TERMS

Let’s start with moisturizing lotion, and topical creams in general.

Here’s the problem: your skin is meant to keep stuff out.

Need proof? Just pour a glass of water on your hand… and see how much of it soaks in.

This brings us to issue number one: most creams simply cannot penetrate your epidermis. Instead, they sit on top of your skin. So basically…

Most Moisturizers Are Like Glorified Vaseline

Now if you applied some Vaseline to your skin, it’d sure feel smoother for an hour or so.

That’s because it’s trapping moisture inside the skin.

But since all it does is coat the surface of your epidermis, it doesn’t actually hydrate or rejuvenate the skin from within.

Apply Face

And frankly, many of the moisturizers you see… from the cheap stuff at your drug store, all the way up to the fancy bottles at department stores… they’re almost all petroleum- or paraffin-based.

Even worse, many of these popular skin creams contain parabens – a class of toxic hormone disruptors that can lead to unhealthy levels of estrogen, and unwanted weight gain!

(And we’re only now discovering this, after decades of smearing these products on our precious faces...)

So What Do I Recommend?

Let’s start at your local Walgreens or Sephora. When you’re browsing through the creams and lotions, here are the four ingredients to look for:

1 – ceramides:

as you now know, you need to replenish your ceramide levels as you age. So if there’s one ingredient to look for in your topicals, it’s this one. Your epidermis will thank you… and you’ll likely notice a little more glow and smoothness in your skin.

2 – hyaluronic acid:

You’ll find hyaluronic acid, or HA, naturally occurring in your dermis. I know, it’s called an acid, but that’s a bit confusing. HA works by attracting and holding moisture in your skin, so if you find yourself in a dry climate, this is a great option.

3 – glycolic acids and alpha hydroxy acids:

these are powerful exfoliators, which can remove the top layers of your epidermis. And that sends a signal deep down into your skin, to produce fresh new cells. These can be great for daily use, but be careful about sun exposure.

4 – retinol:

It works at a cellular level, to boost the production of collagen. And it can be very effective… if your skin can tolerate it. Many of my patients experience itching and flaking with retinol - its common side effect - and if you’re going to use it, I advise you to consult a dermatologist.

So there you have it – those are the four ingredients to be looking for in your topicals.

There’s just one problem: their effects are limited.

That’s because topical treatments can’t penetrate deep into the skin, for restorative effects.

Skin Layer

I’ll say it again… beautiful skin is created within…

…from the nutrients in your blood, all the way up to the ceramides in your epidermis.

So while they’re great for maintenance, these creams are not going to restore your skin’s natural health, or reverse the damage done by Dermal Collapse.

And everything else out there… it’s like slapping a coat of paint on a crumbling wall.

Oh, and speaking of false hope…

How About Collagen Protein?

It seems to have swept America. Countless patients have told me that they mix it into their morning coffee.

And in theory, collagen sounds great.

Since beautiful skin is created from within, it makes sense to get some extra collagen into your body, right?

Well, not exactly… In fact, it could even be harmful – more on that in a second.

Collagen Protrin

Here’s the truth: when you ingest any protein – whether it’s a powder like collagen or whey, or whole foods like chicken and fish – your body breaks it down into amino acids.

Amino acids are the building blocks for your organs. They get pushed out into your bloodstream, then shipped to the rest of your body, where they’re reconstructed as needed.

For example, if amino acids are used to build muscle, your body converts them to actin and myosin tissue (don’t worry, you don’t need to memorize that!).

And if they head to your joints, your skin or your hair, these amino acids are converted into collagen and elastin tissue.

So basically…

Collagen Powder Doesn’t Go Straight To Your Skin And Joints

It’s just another form of protein that your body turns into more basic, Amino Acid building blocks.

And it’s not even particularly healthy.

Collagen is typically made by grinding up animal bones.

Unfortunately, bones are like a magnet for toxins and heavy metals that are in animal feed, water and the land. Lead, mercury, arsenic… the list goes on.

Even if you’re consuming collagen from grass-fed cows, there’s no guarantee that the lands they graze on, or the water supply that feeds those lands, aren’t chock full of heavy metals.

(Have you seen the news about the dams collapsing, and the industrial waste that’s destroying Brazil’s rivers? Sorry, but I wouldn’t trust any collagen that comes from that country until they clean up their act.)

Brazil Disaster

So here’s what I tell my patients: if you really want to take a collagen protein, try to get one that is sourced from fish bones.

Because fish are lower on the food chain, their bones are less likely to have high concentrations of heavy metals.

But the bottom line is this: your body treats collagen just like any other protein.

Frankly, you’d be better off taking an amino acid supplement, or a high-quality whey, pea or rice protein.

And speaking of rice…

Here’s The “Asian Secret” For Firmer, Healthier Skin:

Perhaps you’ve noticed that many Asians look younger than their age?

For years, scientists were puzzled by this, and thought it was simply “genetics.”

But we now know otherwise:

Asian Diet

Rice, long a staple in Asian diets, is now known to contain high levels of ceramides.

And remember – ceramides make up the “cement” that holds your epidermis together.

They’re the key to preventing Dermal Collapse, and keeping your skin firm, tight and moist.

So when I read this research, it was like a big, bright lightbulb went off.

I knew that if I wanted to inhibit dermal collapse, I would have to start by boosting ceramide levels.

Now as we discussed, creams and lotions simply can’t penetrate the skin deep enough… so whatever solution I found had to somehow work from within.

And while I love rice, I wasn’t about to start eating it morning, noon and night.

Unfortunately, there was very little work being done on ceramide extraction back then.

I was able to find one source of ceramides that I could take internally. Only thing is, it came from… moooooo…. cows.

Not ideal.

I’m not a vegetarian, but I’d rather not take chemicals that are extracted from animal bones, if I can avoid it (you already know how I feel about collagen!)

Undaunted, I simply wouldn’t take “it’s not possible to extract ceramides from rice” as an answer…

…and eventually, I made a massive breakthrough.

NEXT PAGE: THE LONG DISTANCE CALL THAT PUT AN END TO DERMAL COLLAPSE…