“As we age, our brains shrink in volume, particularly the frontal cortex and hippocampus, areas involved in higher cognitive function and encoding new memories,” says Peterson Pierre, MD, a dermatologist in Thousand Oaks, California, and founder of the Pierre Skin Care Institute.

The Remedy Rx: “It’s important to keep the mind stimulated, and one of the best ways to do that is with the brain training app Lumosity,” says Pierre. “This app is personalized and trains key areas of your brain. Just a few minutes a day can help your mind stay sharp and can even help you improve in certain areas.”

(more…)

Peterson Pierre, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in California who specializes in cosmetic dermatology, calls it the “golden standard of anti-aging” for its unmatched ability to reduce collagen breakdown and accelerate skin cell turnover.

Odds are, if you haven’t been using retinol in your routine yet and are looking for an anti-aging product, you may want to start.

But with retinol products now so readily available in so many different forms, it’s become difficult to find the best retinol cream for you. Luckily, these retinols come recommended from the pros. Just keep in mind that all of these creams and serums are powerful, so it’s best to use them at night when your skin is in the regenerating process, and follow them up with a moisturizer to avoid dryness, a common side effect when starting retinols. Also, you’ll want to start by using twice a week, and slowly working your way up to a nightly routine to avoid irritation.

(more…)

So many women take care of their bodies but forget about their brains. “As we age, our brains shrink in volume, particularly the frontal cortex and hippocampus, areas involved in higher cognitive function and encoding new memories. Myelin (a conduit sheath around nerves) is also thought to shrink with age resulting in slow processing and reduced cognitive function,” Peterson Pierre, MD, board-certified dermatologist, and founder of the Pierre Skin Care Institute, explains.

The Remedy Rx: Dr. Pierre points out studies show that regular physical exercise can reverse the signs of aging in the brain with dancing having the most profound effect. “It’s also important to keep the mind stimulated,” he explains. “No matter your age or skill level, just a few minutes a day can help your mind stay sharp and can even help you improve in certain areas. You exercise your body regularly; don’t neglect your brain!”

(more…)

I’m going to be honest and admit that I only heard about the acid mantle recently. I know it’s my job to stay current with wellness trends, but frankly, I thought it was a drug thing. In case, like me, you’ve been out of the loop, an acid mantle is the protective oily film that coats the skin and supposedly protects not just the skin, but the whole immune system. Before you sprain a muscle with your side eye, here’s what dermatologists say about the function of this mystical, invisible barrier.

“The acid mantle is a thin layer on the skin composed of a mixture of free fatty acids secreted from the oil glands mixed with lactic acid and amino acids from sweat,” says Peterson Pierre, a California-based dermatologist. That’s a lot of complicated science words, so for liberal arts grads, it’s the slight film you feel on the surface of your skin most of the time, says Rachel Liverman, an esthetician and co-founder of Glowbar, a skin treatment boutique in NYC.

(more…)