I'm currently using Super CP Serum, LacSal Serum, Exfol Cream, Super Cop 2X, tretinoin, salicylic acid 6%, glycolic lotion, and clindamycin/retinoic toner. I use these stuff alternately or in combo, whatever suits me. Now, my question is what moisturizer do you guys use/recommend to use when I feel like my skin needs some rest from all these exfoliation? Can you suggest something that won't disrupt my regimen? Thanks so much!

Real biological Skin Moisturization depends on only three items.

1. The outer skin oils that help water-proof the skin. This is the Acid Mantle of natural skin oils and acids.
2. The tightness of the skin barrier. This is the outer skin proteins that must remain hard to block water loss through the skin.
3. Within the skin, a high internal level of water holding proteins and sugars such as the proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans.

Our Skin Biology water/oil creams have no detergents and are always close to breaking up into a water phase and oil phase. They cannot open the skin. Four published studies found they increase the skin barrier strength. The SRCPs in our skin creams and Day Cover also increase the production of the water-holding proteins and sugars within the skin.

You can also use for skin oil either Emu Oil for Skin or Squalane from olives.

Daily supplements of 1 gram vitamin C and 1 gram MSM (glucosamine and chrondroitin sulfate does much the same) will help the production of the skin's water holding proteins.

Skin Damaging Cosmetic Moisturizers are designed to push water into the skin and wet the outer skin proteins. Various detergents (but they may not be called detergents) and water-holding molecules such as Sodium PCA or hyaluronic acid often used to loosen the outer skin proteins so water can interact with them. But this weakens the skin barrier and lets in viruses, bacteria, and allergens.

The result of using cosmetic moisturizers is a skin filled with bumps and spots - look at famous but still young actors, actresses and celebrities on HD television. There skin is a mess up close. These were once the most beautiful people on the planet and they have the most expensive dermatology care.

Or just type "bad celebrity skin" into Google and you can spend the day looking at closeups of the skin of famous people.

In about 1997, there were studies from Denmark that found that oil/water skin moisturizers broke down the skin barrier. The concern was that this could increase infection in hospital patients. Since then, it has been found that hydrating (wetting) the outer skin proteins slows or even stops the normal flow of keratinocytes to the skin surface.

This means to skin is more slowly replaced and damage remains longer. We are working on a page about skin products that speed aging. But I need to get the references. Cosmetic moisturizers are designed to wet the outer skin proteins and push water into the skin to puff it up. Various detergents (but they may not be called detergents) are used to loosen the outer proteins so water can interact with them. The best example is the "cold creams" that women applied every night in the 1930s and 1940s. You may have seen these in old movies. Their skin was kept moist but the women ended with horrible wrinkles.

Thanks dr. pickart! I'll try emu oil for now... the MSM I bought has glucosamine and chondroitin already. I'm glad to know that the combo isn't a waste.