Cost Effective Skincare with Real Results

Hi Dr Irwin,
Thank you so much for being so open and generous in sharing your knowledge. I have one question. Are serums with growth factor worth the price? There is one product called TNS Advanced that has growth factors various antioxidants (no vitamin C) and peptides (for firming). I’m in my 60s. I’ve also heard of Timeless Vitamin C and Timeless Peptide serums from a friend in her 40’s and wonder if this lower cost basic routine is sufficient for someone my age.

You’re welcome! With more good science behind products, with better results to go with it, it’s hard to know what’s most cost effective. Below is a good way to look at it based on our years of experience at the clinic, the science, and the costs. The information below is ageless. It’s dependent only on how much time, patience and budget you have for your skin. We have a new subscription service in the SkinTour Shop that saves 8% which may help.

Skincare products, including sunscreens, are essential for prevention of sun damage, skin cancers, and premature aging. At a certain point as we age, they can’t substitute for lasers, tightening devices, or a facelift.

The five levels of skin nutrition and protection:

• Level I, basic.   If you use nothing else, you gotta use a zinc (preferably 10-20%) containing sunscreen every morning and a vitamin A cousin like retinol, or tretinoin (prescription) every night with your moisturizer. 3 steps – sunscreen, retinoid, moisturizer.
• Level II, prevention.  Add an antioxidant like C&E Ferrulic, Triple Antioxidant, or Vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid or ascorbyl glucoside. Now, it’s your antioxidant in the morning with sunscreen over it, and moisturizer with the retinoid at night.
• Level III, prevention.  Add a pigment fighting plant based serum and an eye cream with multi-actives (see the MadisonMD Eye Rescue mix with a little moisturizer as needed). The pigment serum (controls brown spots and helps with melasma) goes on after your antioxidant. So in the AM, antioxidant, the pigment reducer, sunscreen, and eye cream. Then, in the PM moisturizer with retinoid and now your eye cream.
• Level IV, repair.  All of the above, plus now add your growth factor serum. Put that on under your retinoid with moisturizer at night. We like the AQ serum (see the shop), but TNS basic is fine.  You don’t need the combined product unless you are trying to save steps; it’s very expensive.
• Level V, repair.  Now add your peptides, lotion and your niacinamide serum. So your regimen would look something like this.
  • AM:  Antioxidant, pigment reduction serum, peptides (try the Lightweight Moisturizer with Biopeptides in the shop), sunscreen, eye cream.
  • PM:  Niacinamide serum, growth factor serum (AQ or TNS), moisturizer, retinoid, eye cream.

If there’s something you think I’ve missed, please write on the Q&A and let me know. 🙂

I hope this helps,

Brandith Irwin, MD