All Toned Up Without 5 Minutes of Working Out

You know, I am kinda enjoying being the "in the know" guy for skin care.  Normally, my cousin Kim Kashevarof is the family expert.  Her skin is f-l-a-w-l-e-s-s from decades of being kind to it.  You would have thought I would have gotten a clue, and started out earlier on the take-care-of-what-you've-got,  but instead I am working from the better-late-than-never platform.

The Flawless Kim Kashevarof

It is the curse of Anchorage.  You hop out of a nice, long, hot shower and before you can even towel off you can feel your skin start to tighten and dry out.  Look in the mirror and you suddenly feel 10 years older, and you look that way to.

The toner that Kelly Whitworth hooked me up with has softened that experience for me.  You stick a squirt or two on a cotton ball, rub in on your face, and instantly, like a modern day miracle - all the scratchy, crackly, dry, and crinkly smooths out to normal skin.

The product has one of those really fancy pants names, Nutrient Toner.  Hell, I can even remember that one.  The box says that a combination of vitamins, enzymes and lactic and citric acids provides added nutrients to the skin.  This solution is designed for normal to dry and mature skin, as well as those with sensitive, break-out prone skin.

Mature skin.  Isn't that polite for bag lady?

Anyway, the four ounce clear container is filled with water, pumpkin ferment extract - which is probably where its earthy woods in autumn smell comes from , sucrose - which is a type of sugar NOT a type of rose, lactic acid - I'm going to pass on that one.

Propylene glycol - to blow up those red spots, citric acid - which comes from fruit trees that grow in much warmer climates than Alaska, Glutathione - the Greek Goddess of Thanksgiving dinner, Aminoguanidine HCL - which is something they made up to sound like some sexy secret ingredient that scientists would test in a lab, yeast - yeast?  Really?

Dorene is Ready for Winter Skin

Eugenia Caryophyllus - which is not some southern matron but in fact another name for cloves - Leaf Oil, Cinnamomus Cassia Leaf Oil - no wonder there is a definite pumpkin pie thing going on in the notes of this product, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil - Ginger?  Are they topping it off with whip cream as well?

Nope.   Looks like they are finishing up with some Alcohol Denat instead.  I wonder if it is a port wine or a dessert liquor.  Let's see, official spin...Pumpkin Wine.  Sounds like a really pretty muted burgendy-burnt orange paint color.

The Nutrient Toner is made by a company called PCA Skin.  According to their website their "medical grade products incorporate the latest in medically and scientifically researched ingredients to nourish, hydrate and rejuvenate skin, delivering optimal results."  Well, this toner is definitely doing the nourishing, hydrating and rejuvenating job on my face.

"Free of color additives, synthetic fragrances, harsh alcohols, comedogenic oils and other known sensitizers, they are designed to deliver results without irritation and are especially effective for helping to treat such varied skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis, hyperpigmentation, rosacea and fine lines and wrinkles."  I've been using their products for two weeks now, and it is night and day.  The winter dryness is no longer an issue, and I don't scare myself when I look in the mirror anymore.

Don't go looking for it at the drugstore or Nordstroms, you won't find the really good stuff there.  You can only pick this up at the doctor's office, find Kelly the same place I did, Exquisite Skin Esthetics at the Alyeska Center for Facial Plastic Surgery and ENT.