April 26, 2012

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I turned 36 this year, and as the evidence of sun damage and general signs of aging started to become more and more relevant in my skin, I decided that this year was the year I needed to start getting serious about my beauty regimen.  I wrote a quick post about this topic a couple of months back and asked my friends and readers for some advice.

My main areas of concern were/are: age spots from sun damage, fine lines and general dryness/dull complexion.

The overwhelming response from everyone that wrote back was that I needed to add Vitamin C and some sort of oil to my skin care routine.

It just so happens that my friend Spencer’s partner Mark had left the beauty industry to work for a renowned dermatologist representing his skin care line, Dr. Gross Skincare.  The thought of walking into a department store and trusting that just any sales girl would point me in the right direction of a proper skincare regime completely overwhelmed me.  Going to see someone referred to me by a trusted friend calmed my nerves though.  Also, being that all of Dr. Gross’ products are fragrance, sulfate and cruelty free, as well as vegan, assured me that his products would be safe to use during my pregnancy.  I visited Mark at one of the Nordstrom stores he represents and we talked about my current routine and my concerns.

The good news is that he didn’t instantly tell me I had to throw everything I owned out in the trash and start from scratch, which I greatly appreciated.  Instead he suggested that by adding a couple of new elements to my existing routine and product lineup, I would still see the results I wanted.  When some of my old products ran out, I could then think about trying a few new things.  What I already had in my lineup was the Clarisonic, which I use daily, a gel face wash by Murad, Kiehl’s night and eye cream, and a day cream by Eucerin. The first thing Mark suggested was adding the Dr. Gross Alpha Hydroxy Peel Pads to my routine.  And let me interject here to say that Mark knows his line, which always puts me at ease.  There’s nothing worse than talking to a sales person who is vague and lackluster in their sales approach.  Listening to Mark speak about these pads, made me feel like these pads were made for me specifically.  In a nutshell here’s what the pads aim to do:

“Dr. Gross created the Alpha Beta Hydroxy peel pads to be an easy at home 2step system to target anti-aging, pore reduction, cell renewal booster, and complexion brightening and smoothing. The pads are gentle and designed to be used daily for optimal benefits. Phase 1 slightly lowers your skins pH with fruit acids that target cell renewal, brightening of the complexion, and evening and soothing the complexion whereas Phase 2 boosts and neutralizes phase one with serum properties such as retinol, genustein, & co enzyme q10 that increases collagen production in the skin as well helps to fight against free radicals.”

Pretty impressive right?  In a nutshell y’all, the pads feel good.  They tingle just a bit to let me know they’re working.  After I complete the 2 step process my skin feels softer, like all that crap has been sloughed right off.  My moisturizer and makeup goes on smoother and my skin really does feel more luminescent.

The box comes with a 30 day supply of the 2 step process, which Mark recommended I use everyday.  To help with costs just a bit I’ve been using it every other day and I’m still getting great results.  At $78 the pads aren’t necessarily cheap, but they aren’t outrageous either, considering how much facials and other high-end beauty products cost.  These pads do really leave my skin feeling like I’ve had a minor peel with my esthetician.  Skin care is overall not a cheap endeavor which I’m learning with the more research I do.  Overall though you get what you pay for, and Dr. Gross’ products seem to be a great option for mid price range skincare.

I in no way was paid for this post or was given any free products.  I paid for the pads myself, as well as 2 other products I’ll talk about down the line, and I’m enjoying them all.  I just wanted to share this one first because it’s given me the quickest and most noticeable results.  Also, the link I provided shows the pads in a jar, but they are now sold in a 2 packet sealed package as I pictured, making them great for traveling, and preventing any dry out from opening the jar every day.   Let me know if you have any questions!