Skincare, Water (or Wine?), Quarantine.

by Amanda Pucci NP, Head of Clinical Department

Welcome to the world of pandemic. As we are all faced with embracing the new ‘stay at home’ mentality, it is important to do just that… embrace ways to take care of our face (and body!) while at home. Many of our routines have been thrown off with very little to structure our days, but one thing we can all hold onto to make things feel a little more normal, is our skincare routine. If you never had one, well, this is your time start. If you have one, lets make sure you have the necessities. In a time where Botox and facials are considered ‘non-essential’ (don’t worry, we tried to argue it DEFINITELY is!), it is time to “Skincare, Water, Quarantine… REPEAT.” Or for some of us, “Skincare, WINE, Quarantine…REPEAT.” I’ll let you decide but SKINCARE during QUARANTINE is a must. Just like a caterpillar cocoons itself for 21 days to transform into a butterfly- We have at least a month for your own ‘skin metamorphosis’. Ready to become a butterfly?

So here are the GMS Top Skincare and Quarantine Essentials List for your skincare staycation:

1. TNS Essential Serum: all-in-one anti-aging serum for collagen production Essential is in the name!

TNS Essential serum is your all-in-one anti-aging powerhouse. This product combines the highest percentage of growth factors available on the market with 7 antioxidants to help prevent free radical damage to the skin. This concentrated blend targets more than just fine lines and wrinkles, but quickly addresses the complex signs of aging including firmness, elasticity, tone and texture. And how does it do it? Well, our bodies naturally produce collagen using our internal growth factors. Each decade starting at 30 years old, our collagen production decreases by 10%, which means our internal reproduction of growth factors (or messengers as I like to think of them), are less as well. By applying topical growth factors found in TNS essential serum, we are providing our skin with more growth factors needed to rebuild and increase our natural collagen production. AKA, if you are over 30, this is essential!

2. Vitamin C:

Your must have antioxidant for environmental protection and healthy, damage free skin In a time of a global health pandemic, we all need as much Vitamin C as we can get! One of the CDC recommendations is adequate oral vitamin C intake AND vitamin C is being administered via IV drips in the hospitals to patients with the virus. Therefore, this one is an easy item to add to your essential skincare list. Topical Vitamin C in a 15-20% concentration (medical grade only) provides a high concentration antioxidant with advanced environmental protection to repair damage to skin and prevent further damage. Once a day- AM use will provide 8x more photoprotection than SPF alone! Think about all the environmental damage our skin is forced to take on, especially while fighting environmental illnesses! Vitamic C to the skin is helping our epidermis be the strong barrier it needs to be to protect us from further harm. On top of all of this, it improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, loss of firmness, and brightens skin's complexion.

3. ReDeem Radiance Daily Pads:

Your daily chemical peel for clearer, decongested skin. We all need to reduce environmental build up in our pores and eliminate congestion; that is why ReDeem Radiance Daily Pads are essential! By combining the power of alpha and beta hydroxy acids with salicylic, glycolic and lactic acids, these pads used once daily will produce results similar to chemical peels from the luxury of your bathroom (and without the downtime!)

4. HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator:

Water for your skin. Skincare, Water, Quarantine REPEAT… now you can combine Skincare and water in one step! HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator contains 5 forms of Hylaronic acid to provide immediate hydration as well as time release hydration throughout the day. This product provides deep penetration of hylaronic acid into dermis of skin to help replenish moisture and helps our skins natural ability to produce HA. In case you missed the HA memo, Hylaronic acid is a water loving molecule that helps our skin hold moisture. Even though our bodies produce HA, we naturally are unable to keep up with increased demand for moisture in our skin due to age-related changes (by age 50 we have less than 50% of our natural stores), environmental changes (like having to stay inside with forced heat or lack of humidifiers), lowered immunity (like in a global pandemic!) or even from all that extra wine we are drinking (or maybe that’s just me!). This hydrator provides immediate smoothing in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while supporting the skin's natural ability to replenish its own hyaluronic acid for overall skin health.

5. Latisse:

Eyelash extensions from home- eyelash growth serum Truth: eyelash extensions are NOT essential. Here is why: Latisse is the first FDA approved treatment for inadequate eyelashes, growing them longer, fuller and darker. In as quickly as 2 weeks, Latisse will make you forget all about your old eyelash extension routine and have you batting your thicker (by 106%!), darker (by 18%!), and longer (by 25%) lashes (think beautiful butterfly wings, you get the analogy).

6. Alastin TransForm Body Tightening Complex: Fat melting and skin tightening cream for your body

Summer bodies are made in the winter and spring! And since we can’t go to the gym until further notice, I am here to help you tighten from home! Alastin’s Transform Body Tightening Treatment cream uses lipodrone technology to accelerate the fat removal process AND is formulated for loose, sagging skin on gravity-fighting body zones including the abdomen, buttocks, thighs, knees and upper arms, you name it! It uses Trihex Technology to penetrate into the fat layers to help remove fat debris while increasing the production of collagen and elastin to address skin laxity, texture, and creepiness.

7. ISDN Melatonik: To help reduce your fine lines and wrinkles

Hopefully by now you have all heard of or at least tried using retinol. Retinol in medical grade percentages still is the gold standard for anti-aging because it allows our skin to remain on the 27-day cell turnover cycle, that we lose with aging. This is CRUCIAL because if we are unable to turn over our skin cells, then damaged fibers and old collagen fibers remain in areas where we could be developing new healthy cells. Since retinoid sensitivities are REAL and it takes time (and patience) to build up a tolerance to daily use, let me introduce to you a new option (drum roll please…). Melatonik is your all-in-one night time serum that uses an indirect antioxidant (melatonin), a direct antioxidant (vit C) and a natural retinol-like product (bakuchiol) to achieve all the same retinoid benefits but with much higher tolerability. Studies have proven that melatonik has the same gene expression and receptor activation as pure retinol. It will enhance faster cell renewal to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while reducing oil secreted from sebaceous glands and decreasing pore size. And if that isn’t enough, this bombshell product works the night-shift: helping your skin recover from the day and leaving your skin ready to fight against the oxidative stress that will be produced during the next day.

So its time to ‘Skincare, Water (or Wine!), Quarantine…REPEAT’. Have questions or concerns? We are available for skincare consultations to help transform your skin for our quarantine-free days ahead. Please feel free to give us a call @ 203.637.0662 or email us @ Greenwich@GreenwichMedicalSpa.com if you have any questions on how to get started on a new skincare routine. AND since we believe so strongly in the importance of healthy skin, GMS is offering a skincare savings promotion!

We are offering 10% off orders of $150, 15% off orders of $300, 20% off orders of $600, and 25% off orders of $1000 or more. We will donate 5% of each order to the local food bank to help those in need during this time. Additionally, we will ship the products within 48-72 hours of your order so you can get started on your ‘skincare staycation’ as soon as possible. Stay Healthy!