I’m happy that the summer heat wave is over, but my skin seems parched, dazed and well, somehow older.  According to my amazing derm Dr Ellen Marmur, the change in weather  has sent my skin into shock.  After months of sun, heat, sweating, chlorine, from the pool, and summer allergies, my skin is dull dry and tired.   Even more troubling, a few dark patches on my nose  that had been removed by laser,  have made a comeback.     I was all set to slather on my new stronger Retin A to jump start a better complexion, but  Dr Marmur  had a different two prong approach:

Step 1:  Take off the old dead layer of dead, dry and discolored  skin cells with a mild  office glycolic peel or microdermabrasion

Step 2:  Add  moisture, moisture and more moisture.  To this end  during the day I am to use a rich sunscreen such as NIA 24, MD SolarSciences SPF40, or   Chanel Serum with 50 SPF.  At night  I am to use an even richer moisturizer such as Terralina Face Cream.   ( If your skin tends to break out from rich moisturizers, use an oil-free one like Neutrogena Healthy Skin. 

I’m going to try home microdermabrasion and I’ve choosen the  DDF Revolve 400X.  Its available for $95 and it got great reviews at Sephora.  The Clarisonic is reportedly more powerful  but its $250.  Its not that I am not worth it– I don’t know  if the Clarisonic is.  Has anyone tried these home devices?  Is one better than the other?