This is the one product Dr. Lily Talakoub, dermatologist at McLean Dermatology and Skincare Center, in McLean, Virginia, can't live without. "It's a deep hydrator of the skin, but has a light, weightless pigment formulation that gives fine, glowing coverage without looking like foundation," she says. "It contains hyaluronic acid and mannose, which are both super rich and moisturize the skin all day." She usually pairs it with Giorgio Armani Maestro UV SPF 50 Primer, $64, which is a primer and sunscreen in one. "It has SPF 50, which is the minimum sunscreen I wear every single day," she adds.
Dr. Palm explains that, as a skin care line, NeoCutis is built off a proprietary human growth factor derived from a single line of rapidly proliferating cell lines. "This product, in particular, contains twice the concentration of growth factors as other products in the line, thus it has a higher price point," she says. "Growth factors are large proteins that are unable to penetrate the skin, but likely create cellular signaling that leads to new collagen growth and more youthful appearing skin." Not only are the effective qualities of this line backed up by years of clinical research, but Dr. Palm points out that it's generally well-tolerated by the majority of all skin types, even patients intolerant of retinols and retinoids.
These glycolic acid-containing pads are worth the hefty price tag, according to Dr. Talakoub, who uses them as a treatment for clogged pores, blackheads and keratosis pilaris (a condition that many people have with red bumps behind their arms and in other areas of their body like the thighs). She recommends this to her patients as an at-home treatment, since it works so well that you might not even need to see the dermatologist at all anymore (at the very least, it's a great maintenance step in between visits).
Don't let its eyebrow-raising price and small bottle fool you — this is a brand and product line that you should be keeping on your radar, according to Dr. Palm. "We use this product in office before procedures to clean up the skin, ridding the extracellular matrix of harmful proteins," she explains.
It's also used as a preparatory topical in anticipation for laser treatments — and clinical studies demonstrate a faster healing period and reduced redness following laser resurfacing." Furthermore, Dr. Palm points out that in addition to being shown to build collagen and promote more youthful-looking skin, it also helps create new elastin, a protein that's as indispensable to healthy skin as it is difficult to manufacture.
The fact that this skin care line has almost been around for a century (Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor famously favored the brand), says a lot about Erno Lazlo — especially since its ingredient list is relatively unchanged today. Dr. Talakoub is a huge fan of the line, which has continued to be extremely successful, despite the founder and Hungarian doctor's passing in 1973. "This two-step peel contains vitamin C, carrot seed oil and lactic acid to exfoliate dead skin cells, lighten and brighten dark spots and fade sun damage," she says. "It's a magical at-home peel system that takes the place of monthly microdermabrasion treatments."
