Blog with Dr. Irwin

Dear Dr. I, I bought your recommended IS Clinical Eye Complex,which I like very much and was contemplating reordering. Question...you never seem to mention packaging (like Paula Begoun) and mine has been opened tons of times. Am I loosing potency with this type of jar after repeated openings? cheryl in CA

Hi Dr. Irwin, I am wondering about using a Vitamin C serum in the morning under my sunscreen. I have read on several places online (and had one aesthetician tell me) that Vitamin C breaks down in the sunlight. She said that your skin won't benefit from it if you wear it during the day under your sunscreen. I'm wondering if I should only use it at night? Thanks so much. I read your book and changed my skincare routine based on it, and I'm lovining your recommendations and the results! Wendy

I was wondering if you could recommend a good Vitamin C serum that I could purchase in Canada. Can I use a moisturizer with the C serum. I use Retin A at night and was considering using a c serum and moisturizer in the morning. I am 54 years old. Thanks

Can I use tretinoin cream with hydroxy acids or ascorbic acid serum if I can tolerate it? I heard that these ingredients inactivate each other when used together at the same time.

Hi Dr. I!I have a question regarding skin care products. I am such a fan that I have aquired the products you use and recommend to see what works for me. I guess at this point I have become a little neurotic/obsessed with my skin as I see the changes that I know are inevitable. So, how much is too much??? This is what I am doing right now. Night time: Obagi Nu-derm (hydroquionone 4%) for the brown spots, TNS Recovery Complex, Eye cream, Revaleskin Night Cream, and a moisturizing lotion (dry skin).Day Time is much harder for me to figure out. Obagi Nu-derm (hydroquionone 4%) for the brown spots, TNS Recovery Complex, Eye cream,SkinMedica Vitamin C & E, Moisturizer (Dry skin), Zincclear Sunscreen and I am trying to figure out if I can add a firming/wrinkle filler for the slight wrinkles that are NEW ON my cheeks and then Makeup (foundation, blush, lipstick)!!!!I\'m almost 40 and my skin has become dry, a few brown spots and NEW (very noticeable to me) wrinkles under the eyes and cheeks. Do the products work as well piled on??? I was told I should use a \"treatment\" type product such as \"Perricone Md\" face firming activator and/or \"Substiane\" (La Roche-Posay). There is just so much. I know a lot of it is trial and error and I know everyone is different. I apoligize for this \"book\" I have written in trying to ask you for your advise and what is too much product and if am I going over board if I throw in an extra wrinkle filler or two in my daily regimen??? Thank you for your time and for this website.

Dr. Irwin The TNS essentcail serum from skin medica is that product like using the tns recovery and c serum but they mix it together?..Was wondering cause i been using the recovery and c for while and love to try the serum when the recovery and c run out. Thanks

How effective is 100% Vitamin C powder compare to vitamin C serum? ie 100% L-ascorbic acid powder mix into sunscreen or moisturiser. Your answer will be appreciated. Many thanks. Sue

QUESTION 1: I am in my mid/late 30s and have a thin face. I've noticed that the skin around my cheeks has lost collagen (not the lines around the nose...they are more around my mouth and cheeks when I smile. Lately they have started to sag a little).I have read articles on fraxel, but then read about thermage on your site -- which one is better for producting collagen? Will they really life the muscles around the mouth? QUESTION 4: I see you recommend several anti-oxidants. I would love to purchase one, but I want to make sure that I am getting one that is "stable". I read an article on Vitamin C creams at one point, and the article said it is very difficult to produce (and purchase) a Vitamin C cream that is stable, as the base chemical tends to decompose/break-down easily. The article said that this can actually damage your skin more than it helps it. After I read that, I tossed out all of my Vitamin C creams (they weren't any of the products you mentioned and b/c they were less expensive, I was worried they were not good). Is this true about Vitamin C? And, my big question: if we order this stuff online, is there a chance that the creams were exposed to temperature flucuations/heat that may have damaged the product?