August 30, 2013

By Carolynn Grimes

When it comes to skin care, how do you know which products to choose?  Do you go for the over-the-counter products that can be bought at most drug and grocery stores, or do you spend more in the hope of getting better results with skin care sold exclusively at medical offices and skin care spas?

Best Beauty Products for Face and Body

Prevention Magazine recently announced their top skin care products found at retail stores everywhere. “When woman buy beauty products, you just sort of pick something and then say a prayer to the beauty gods and hope and pray for the best,” says executive editor of the magazine, Siobhan O’ Connor.  Prevention took more than 1,500 products, tested them, and came up with their top picks. “We’ve taken the guess work out of it and actually tested them,” says O’Connor.

To get a handle on the higher end products found at spas and medical offices, The Plastic Surgery Channel polled a half a dozen board certified plastic surgeons where skin care plays an integral part of their surgical practice. They’ve recommended the products that work for their clients and are among the favorites of their trained aestheticians. These products are generally more costly, but typically have a higher concentration of quality ingredients to fit your skin care needs.

Here are the results from Prevention Magazine for the best over-the-counter (OTC) products, along with the best medical grade (MG) products recommended from our plastic surgeons across the country.  

 

 

Best OTC Cleanser $7.00

Ultra Calming Makeup Remover Wipes by Aveeno –   said to take a day’s worth of makeup off in one swipe, including waterproof mascara.

Best MG Cleanser $45.00

ZO Normacleanse – crème cleanser that doesn’t dry out the skin. Peptide and collagen-boosting complex helps firm the skin.

 

Best OTC Sunscreen $11.00

Sublime Sun Sheer Protect Sunsreen SPF 50+ by L’oreal Paris – people loved using it because it’s an easy spray on and doesn’t leave your face greasy.

Best MG Sunscreen $55.00

Revision Multi-Protection 50 SPF – This daily anti-aging formula contains a unique blend of ingredients that help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

 

Best OTC Cream $42.00

Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream with Super 7 Complex by Fresh – testers loved the smell and it produced  80% better hydration and brightness in just a couple of weeks.

Best MG Cream $120.00

SkinMedica Dermal Repair – vitamin enriched facial cream intensely hydrates and replenishes dry skin with antioxidants and hyaluronic acid.

 

Best OTC Repairing Treatment $40.00

Anew Clinical Absolute Even Mult-Tone Skin Corrector by Avon – after six weeks, testers showed a 10% reduction in wrinkles, 15% improvement in skin texture, and a 15% reduction in age spots.

Best MG Repairing Treatment $260.00

SkinMedica TNS Essential Serum – All-in-one anti-aging product improves the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and the overall tone and texture of skin

 

Best OTC Eye Cream $50.00

Ultra Smoothing Eye Serum by Dermalogica – After several weeks testers saw a 36% reduction of fine lines around the eyes.

Best MG Eye Cream $85.00

LUMIÈRE Bio-restorative Eye Cream with PSP – Intensive line smoothing eye cream powered by PSP® helps visibly reverse the signs of skin aging.

 

Best OTC Body Moisturizer $10.00

Shea moisture coconut & Hibiscus Body Butter – said to be firming and testers said their skin still felt soft the next day.

Best MG Body Moisturizer $58.00

ZO Oraser Body Emulsion – prevents moisture loss and allows your skin to regain its youthful appearance, texture and tone with retinol, ceramides and emollients.

 

Best OTC Body Wash $28.00

Dead Sea Plants Smoothing Body Exfoliator by Ahava – a body wash and a body scrub in one.

Best MG Body Wash $30.00

Glytone Exfoliating Body Wash – Retexturizing body wash with intense levels of Free Glycolic Acid exfoliates rough, dry skin and helps to minimize red bumps to reveal softer, smoother, more supple skin.