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ZO Skin Health
Make Your Skincare Wishes Come True
We asked our Facebook fans a question recently that garnered great feedback. “If you had one wish, what would you change about your skin?”
We got the impression most women make this wish every morning. The replies rolled in quickly and were clearly defined. And, each was different from the previous one.
Why did we ask? To help grant the wishes, of course. So, Facebook fans, here you have both the cause and solution to your skincare concerns. Check back Monday for part two.
Katie’s wish: More even skin tone
Cause: Aside from genetics and hormonal changes, diet (excessive sugar causes inflammation), irregular sleep, sun exposure and fragranced cosmetics are the culprit here. Alcohol ingredients, combined with sun exposure, will create uneven skin tone in no time. That’s why many women have red blotches on their necks, where they spritz their perfume.
Solution: Our DNA Kit and Exfoliating Polish can improve the entire unevenness in three weeks. Together, these products will turnover old skin cells and prevent future photodamage. We repeat, three weeks.
Xochitl’s wish: Get rid of dry patches during winter months
Cause: Less humidity in the air during colder months and dry, heated air indoors dry out your skin. Washing with hot water only exacerbates the dryness. Skin cells go dormant and accumulate at the surface of the skin, causing dry, flaky skin.
Solution: DO NOT over-moisturize. The answer here is exfoliation. You want to get rid of the old, inactive skin cells and generate new, healthy ones. Don’t wash with hot water and use Exfoliating Polish. You’ll notice an instant difference.
Lauren’s wish: Get rid of dark circles under her eyes
Cause: Besides genetics, particularly if you descend from India or the gulf countries, causes are usually sleep-related. Don’t overdo or underdo it. Sleeping on your stomach and excessive salt intake can add puffiness to your problems.
Solution: Sufficient sleep and Intense Eye Repair will do the trick. Optical diffusers reduce the dark circles and peptides make the skin stronger. Dr. Obagi called it Intense Eye Repair for a reason.
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ZO Skin Health
Supporting Our Troops — the ZO Way
Female soldiers make huge sacrifices for our country every day. When we at ZO Skin Health found out we could curtail just one of those sacrifices, we jumped on it. We’re proud contributors to Operation Courage is Beautiful, a program that sends more than 2,000 female soldiers the personal care items they once took for granted, but now think of as luxuries.
We’re not talking shimmering body bronzer here, folks. These are items as basic as body lotion, lip balm, conditioner, moisturizer and sunscreen. Security concerns prevent female soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan from purchasing them so they go without.
Sure, they’re soldiers with as tough a temperament as their male counterparts, but they’re still women. They still have that feminine desire to maintain their physical appearance. But don’t take our word for it. Let them tell you.
“It is nice to get items that give you a feeling of being back home and of being stylish in this environment,” said Ti’Akka R.J., who is stationed in Iraq.
Her colleague, Amy, agreed. “I very much enjoyed the girly products,” she said. “Little did I know how much I would miss that stuff while deployed.”
Another soldier said it’s people like us that make her service worth her while.
This, plus the fact that the son and daughter-in-law of our customer service manager Sue Munz are both in the Navy, made Operation Courage is Beautiful a no-brainer for us. But it doesn’t stop here.
Our servicemen and women hold a special place in our hearts at ZO Skin Health. Our founder, Dr. Zein Obagi, has quite a history in the U.S. Navy. He joined the Navy shortly after moving to the United States. From ’75-’80 he served as a medical officer. From ’80-’81 he was a dermatologist in the Naval Hospital.
This is why we’re taking our involvement further than just product donations; now we’re helping to defray the shipping costs so this program can continue. Dr. Obagi’s service was integral to his status as a world-renowned dermatologist today. He was honored to serve his country and is honored to make a small, yet significant difference in female soldiers’ lives today.
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ZO Skin Health
One More Reason to Love Body Emulsion (Hint: Giveaway)
What do you like best about your body lotion? If your answer has anything to do with the smell of vanilla, brown sugar, lilacs, roses, tangerine or watermelon then you’re using the wrong lotion.
Dr. Zein Obagi wants you to have a long list of things you like best about your body lotion and he wants them all to do with the way they make your skin LOOK and FEEL.
That’s why he formulated Body Emulsion. It hydrates, firms, fades dark spots, smooths the rough patches and improves fine lines and wrinkles. Yes, all that.
Like all the products he’s known for, this one finds a way to bend the rules in your favor. For instance, Lactic Acid is an essential body lotion ingredient because it exfoliates and moisturizes. Prescription strength products use a 12 percent concentration of Lactic Acid. So, take a stab at the concentration Dr. Obagi uses in his over-the-counter Body Emulsion? The absolute most he can get away with: 11.5 percent.
He’s like the boss who hires you at the company’s salary cap-off or the coach who won’t stop until he gets that grand slam out of you. Dr. Obagi gives you his best because he wants the best for your skin.
Even his dry-skin patients — for whom he used to write AmLactin and LacHydrin prescriptions — now prefer Body Emulsion.
Here’s the low-down: You can use it regularly, but two times a week will suffice. If you apply it just after shaving, expect to feel a sting. It’s that 11.5 percent Lactic Acid doing its thing.
Use it for a couple weeks and then get back to us on what you love most about your lotion. Here’s something you can add to the list right now: With every Body Emulsion purchase you get a free mini Daily Hand Repair! Click here to find out the fabulous effects of this one.
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deborah
High-Powered Skincare – When Necessary
A quick anecdote (but it’s a true story): Last week I was traveling with Dr. Obagi. We spoke on the phone to coordinate the activities for the day. He said, “OK, I’ll pick you up at noon. Look for my car. I rented a white Ford Focus.” Wait a second. A white Ford Focus???
At home he drives a sporty yellow Porsche. And today… one of the cheapest, pokiest cars around?? What happened?
If you knew the guy, you would understand completely. He enjoys fine red wine, but he’s also happy to grab a burger at McDonald’s. He has nice Italian suits, but at home, likes a pair of sweats. Ten years ago, when he smoked a pipe, his employees gave him an expensive gold lighter. He politely declined it, because he “prefers to flick a Bic.” Dr. Obagi knows that there are times when you need or appreciate power, and times when you don’t need it. And that’s the way he thinks about skin care.
He made Obagi Nu-Derm and ZO Skin Health products that are power-packed (like Obagi Medical Products’ Nu-Derm Blender and ZO Skin Health’s Radical Night Repair Plus). But he can’t put that much power in every product, or your face would be incredibly irritated. But those other products still play important support roles — to provide anti-oxidants, UV protection, reduce sebum, etc. It takes all kinds.
There’s a time and a place for everything. It’s nice to have a Porsche in the garage, but sometimes a Ford Focus gets the job done.
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ZO Skin Health
You Multitask — So Should Your Skincare.
If you know how to do five things at once, most business professionals would refer to you as a fine multitasker, but you know better. You know it actually means you’re a fine example of today’s modern woman. You know that to get everything you want out of life, multitasking isn’t a choice, but a requirement.
The same can be said for your skincare. To get everything you want for your skin, your products simply must multitask. If anyone can appreciate this concept, it’s today’s modern woman: YOU.
That’s why Dr. Zein Obagi created products like ZO Skin Health’s Oraser Body Emulsion. Similar to your Blackberry, it accomplishes a multitude of tasks at once. We’re talking hydration, exfoliation, hyperpigmentation reduction, wrinkle prevention and wrinkle reduction. How? The ingredients are your personal skincare dream team: Retinol; Lactic Acid; Glucosamine; Vitamin E and Coenzyme Q10.
Dr. Obagi formulated this product with supreme efficiency because he could. When he sees an opportunity to give you the kind of product that works as hard as you do, he seizes it. He firmly believes that if skincare companies truly want your skin to have it all, they need to start giving it their all.
That was his thinking when he formulated Oraser Daily Hand Repair SPF 20. This product is a workaholic. It improves age spots, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. At the same time it’s protecting your hands from free radicals and blocking UVA/UVB rays. Oclipse Sunscreen + Primer SPF 30 gives 200 percent, too. It protects your face from the sun’s harmful rays AND acts as a primer under your makeup. We’re not done. On top of that, it’s tinted, so that natural glow you’ve got? You’re welcome.
You know what it’s like to work hard. Isn’t it time you knew what it’s like for something to work hard for you? That’s what we thought.
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ZO Skin Health
We Know What Mom Really Wants
You can call the local florist and have them arrange the biggest bouquet she’s ever seen. Or you can take her to brunch at that impossible-to-get-reservations restaurant downtown. But flowers wither and food digests.
This Mother’s Day, give your mom something she can appreciate every day: beautiful skin.
For the no-nonsense mom who never lets anything slip past her: Synergy Pack. With Radical Night Repair Plus’ high concentration of Retinol, you’re truly giving her an aggressive plan of attack on aging a woman like her can appreciate. But, if Mom’s skin can’t handle an approach as tough as she is, Ommerse Daily Renewal Crème calms things down.
For the mom who always thinks of everything: DNA Repair Program Kit. Like her, it covers all the bases. It starts with clean skin, which Exfoliating Cleanser delivers. Daily Power Defense incorporates pure Retinol to fight the good fight. Growth Factor Serum firms and tones and who could forget SPF? Certainly not this mom and she’ll love that ours doubles as a primer, too.
For the mom who means well: Anti-Aging Hand Care Program. She’s been so busy trying to minimize the wrinkles on her face that she forgot all about her hands. Microderm Hand Renewal, Daily Hand Repair and Overnight Hand Recovery can soon change that, though. Dead skin cells will slough off, age spots will fade and wrinkles will improve.
You have six shopping days left. Here’s where you can pick up the gifts that keep on giving.
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deborah
The Next Big Rip-Off
Exactly how stupid do some companies think consumers are?
Just as I finished writing this blog on how we, as a company, were committed to holding our prices, offering better value, and making products that deliver what they promise, I came across the opposite — a company that is now marketing an emery board made with ground diamonds and stainless steel. Because we all need one of those, right?
Maybe I’m the one missing something here. Maybe a trying economy, record-high layoffs and countless home foreclosures instilled — not a sense of value — but a sense of frivolous spending in consumers. Maybe rather than spend each and every hard-earned dollar carefully, shoppers want nothing more than to introduce their paychecks to the nearest toilet.
Something tells me it’s not the consumer who hasn’t learned their lesson, though. I have a sneaking suspicion it has more to do with ignorant companies who see the first signs of a recovering economy and interpret it as the green light to act like the past two years didn’t take place at all.
What’s wrong with the personal care industry that they appeal to obsessive shoppers with meaningless and overpriced products? If irresponsible spending were a drug, these companies would be the dealers. They make money off people’s careless habits.
We like to blame Wall Street for taking advantage of our savings and investments, but the consumer products industry should also share in the blame.
Let’s do what is right. Let’s develop and market smart products for smart people.
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Dr. Zein Obagi
Go to the Gym to Work on Your Skin
People usually workout with a very specific goal in mind. To chisel their abs, drop 15 pounds by the reunion or just firm up for bikini season, which many of you are doing right now. But, when was the last time you heard someone say they were heading to the gym to clear up their acne or improve their wrinkles?
Most people don’t realize that working out benefits your skin just as much as your body.
As a board-certified dermatologist and the creator of ZO Skin Health, I formulate anti-aging products with potent ingredients that combat wrinkles and fine lines. But, the battle doesn’t stop there.
I tell my patients all the time that products and procedures do most of the work; the rest is up to them.
You’ve probably noticed that many anti-aging products claim to boost collagen, the stuff youthful skin has a lot of and aging skin doesn’t. But, guess what else boosts collagen? Yep, exercise.
A great cardio workout kicks your blood flow into motion. When that happens, your skin cells get a healthy delivery of oxygen and nutrients — the picture-perfect setting for natural collagen production. And how does that benefit your skin? You’ll see fewer dry patches, firm skin and less wrinkles.
Click here for the best collagen-boosting product on the market.
For those who are acne-prone, the reasons to workout are even more attractive. Regular exercise improves blood circulation, which makes it easier for your pores to get rid of the toxins in your body that can lead to blemishes.
On top of this, stress levels drop. It’s no coincidence that pimples show up when they’re least welcome: just before the Power Point presentation in front of the bosses at work; the night you flight out for your big vacation; the day of your wedding! You likely had a lot of headache-inducing planning prior to such events, which brought on a mountain of stress.
Exercise balances out the hormones that go into overdrive when stress revs up. It may not produce an immediate difference in skin, but you’ll definitely take note of the absent flare-ups during your next big event.
No time for the gym? Prevent acne from ever coming on with this kit.
It doesn’t stop here. Cellulite can improve, the elasticity in your face can bounce back and a nice rosy glow often results from regular workouts, too.
So, the next time someone asks what you’re trying to accomplish at the gym, tell them you’re toning and tightening — your skin.
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deborah
The Economy is Improving. Can We Go Back to the Good Ol’ Days?
Today, every page in the Money section of USA Today was encouraging —retail spending is up; older adults are spending more on travel and younger ones are spending more on apparel; auto sales are up; housing prices have stabilized; people feel secure in their jobs; the economy is rebounding in California and Florida.
All together now: “Phew!”
But, can manufacturers assume that consumers will abandon their thrifty habits? Can skincare companies now sneak in a price increase or 12? Can consumers view this progress as the green light for indulgent spending?
I can’t speak for the skincare industry as a whole. I can only speak for ZO.
We have NO intention of increasing prices in 2010. We believe some important lessons were taught in the recession, namely:
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“Value” is important. No one — no matter how affluent — should engage in profligate spending.
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Whether a product costs $39 or $139, that product should deliver results in direct proportion to its cost. Consumers deserve to get what they pay for.
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Manufacturers need to invest in what matters most. At ZO, we believe that is “results.” Beautiful packaging is not important. In fact, you may notice that we’ve made some cutbacks in some of our packaging, so that we can avoid price increases.
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No manufacturer should take a customer for granted. We value our customers and partners, and will work to deserve and maintain the trust that has been established.
The recession reminded us all of the importance of quality, value and self-discipline. So we mutually have something to be thankful for. We’re thankful for you and you’re thankful for your skin. The way it should be.
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deborah
Marketing Gobbletygook and Double-Speak in Skincare
Pardon me while I download my frustration for just a minute. I may even embarrass myself. I’m pretty good with computers and iPhones, but Microsoft Office is about as far as I go. Technology bores–or maybe “overwhelms” is a better word–me. So when I tried to buy some thumb drives on-line, which are pretty much no-brainers, I thought–I was totally bufuddled by the technical gobblety-gook on a dot-com (I have absolutely no idea what is meant by a “jump pen memory stick enhanced for Windows ready boost). Huh? What’s that?? So instead of making a purchase, I just closed the window.
Whoever is coming up with these things doesn’t understand that even though women use technology, we generally don’t understand it–nor do we want to. Speaking for myself (and trying to avoid gender profiling here!) I have zero inclination to try to figure it out.
So what does this have to do with skincare? Well, what the computer industry calls “tech-speak” evolves to what the skincare industry calls “beauty-speak”–a bunch of pseudo-scientific and pedantic language that is instead thoroughly confusing! Some of it is pure double-speak.
Let’s face it, the anti-aging skincare industry overcomplicates things. There are way too many options, and way too many ingredients. Even well-informed consumers have a hard time figuring it out. Part of it, I’m sure, is the companies keep adding marketing bells-and-whistles, to differentiate their products and try to impress consumers.
Dr. Zein Obagi isn’t like that. He doesn’t understand marketing and is the first to admit it. He thinks like a dermatologist, and wants to use that which works. So that’s why ZO Skin Health is focused on the tried-and-true–like retinol. With Dr. Obagi, there is much more “steak” than “sizzle”. In case you haven’t already guessed, he is a very direct, straightforward, results-oriented guy. With Dr. Obagi, there is no hidden agenda.
So why do skincare lines have so many options? Some of the old-guard companies–that developed their lines 15 or 20 years ago–are challenged to keep their products new and relevant. Retailers demand “newness”. So the companies keep developing more stuff–even though “new” is not necessarily better. And after a few years, they have product lines with 50 or 75 different products–and who can figure them all out?
Skincare is Dr. Obagi’s priority, but it’s probably not yours. I hope that the marketing materials that ZO has developed, and the products that Dr. Obagi has formulated, are simple to understand, select, and use. Because I wouldn’t blame you if you hit the “escape” button, or “Command W” if we’re boring you with technical gobblety gook. Let’s talk to each other in plain English. Everything works better that way.
