February 2007
Dear Paula,
As an aging baby boomer (I am 55) I have noticed increasing lines around the lips and eyes. I love your products, but have not seen any significant difference with improvement of the wrinkles on my face. Many advocate the use of coenzyme Q10, but this ingredient is not in any of your products. Can you help guide me in selecting any products specifically for use around eyes and lips (I use the Super Antioxidant Concentrate product you offer now).

Brenda, via email

Dear Brenda,
I can relate, we baby boomers don't want to age, and every line and wrinkle is a reminder that our youth is waning. What truly makes a difference is to not be seduced by claims that there is a miracle product or miracle ingredient that can change what you are seeing in the mirror. Cosmetic anti-aging or antiwrinkle products (no matter who is selling them or what claims are asserted) have serious limitations in terms of being able to improve the appearance of skin. Regrettably, and I mean that with the utmost sincerity, lines and wrinkles around the mouth and eyes cannot be eliminated with cosmetic products. Even the most well-formulated skin-care products (and I do believe mine fit in that category) will net only some visual improvement, especially in cases where the lines are more etched such as those that result from facial expressions. This is the primary reason why noninvasive medical corrective procedures such as Botox, dermal fillers, laser resurfacing, and chemical peels have become so popular—they do for wrinkles what cosmetic products cannot.

I don't know how long you've been using my products, but I sense that your expectations may not be realistic. Using well-formulated skin-care products over wrinkles won't make them go away. However, they will help the skin repair itself, reduce inflammation, restore a protective barrier, and, over time, can make wrinkles and lines less apparent. The results won't make you look 20, 30, or 40 again, but a skin-care routine that includes use of state-of-the-art products (including daily application of sunscreen rated SPF 15 or higher, an exfoliant such as AHAs or BHA, and a moisturizer filled with antioxidants) combined with occasional medical antiwrinkle procedures is the only way to create the results you are looking for.

Regarding coenzyme Q10, there are only a handful of studies showing it to have any effect on wrinkles (Sources: Biofactors, September 1999, pages 371–378, and Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie, April 1999, pages 83–88). However, neither of these studies was a double-blind or placebo-controlled trial, so there is no way to tell whether or not other formulations with different ingredients could net the same results. CoQ10 has received particular attention in the prevention and treatment of various forms of cardiovascular disease, strokes, immune system disorders, and hypertension. "CoQ10 supplements are readily absorbed by the body and no toxic effects have been reported for daily dosages as high as 300 mg though the safety of CoQ10 has not been established in pregnancy and lactation, so caution is advised here until more data becomes available" (Sources: International Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, February 1998, pages 11–12, and www.naturaldatabase.com). Most likely coenzyme Q10's benefit for skin is as an antioxidant, but there are hundreds of potent antioxidants, and so far there is no reason to seek any one in particular.