Velvet Magazine November 2016

Beauty
The Only Way
is obagi
Velvet tests out ZO Skin Health by Zein Obagi
at Cathedral Dental, Bury St Edmunds
I have spent many years working in the
cosmetic industry, long enough to not be
blown away by claims from the latest miracle
cream, glossy adverts and models convincing
us to ‘use this potion and look like me!’ When
Cathedral Dental contacted me and asked if
I would like to try its new line of skin care, ZO
Skin Health by Zein Obagi, I couldn’t have
been happier, as it’s a brand that has been
developed by a leading dermatologist and
comes across as very credible. ZO can only
be purchased by a medical practitioner, for
“I’ll be
surprised if
you don’t see
a significant
improvement
within two
weeks.”
example a nurse
or doctor, due to
its prescriptive
nature and high
percentage
of active
ingredients. The
term ‘percentage
of active
ingredients’ is
important when
it comes to skin care, as most anti-ageing
creams will have AHAs and retinol, but what
percentage is what matters. Most creams
that you buy off the shelf will contain 0.1%
retinol, whereas ZO’s retinol concentration
starts at 0.6%!
My appointment was with the practice
Nurse Danah Mapson, who specialises in
the ZO range. Working alongside Danah
in facial aesthetics is Dr Heidi Fitzwilliam,
who specialises in dermal fillers and muscle
relaxants. Danah explained the range to me
and analysed my skin, advising on a course
of action. I was pleased that Danah reported
that my skin was in good condition, if not a
little dry, with signs of sun damage appearing
Written by Gemma Treby
on my forehead. “The ZO range will
definitely help; I’ll be surprised if you don’t
see a significant improvement within two
weeks. I would then recommend a ZO peel,”
Danah advised. With over 30 products in the
ZO range, I was prescribed five to get me
started. The plan was that I would return two
weeks later and have the ZO chemical peel.
I got on really well with ZO. Danah had
warned that initially my skin might feel dry
which means it was adjusting to the products
and getting used to not being drenched in
oils, serums and traditional moisturisers. She
was right, but this only happened for a few
days. I especially liked the T-E Pads which
contain salicylic acid, leaving your skin very
fresh and wiping away excess sebum and
dead skin cells. The Ossential Daily Power
Defense was also amazing; amongst many
other ingredients this contains retinol.
Retinol is one of the few substances with
small enough molecules to penetrate the
epidermis and therefore stimulate collagen
and elastin production. In summary, it
reduces the signs of ageing, fine lines, sun
damage and age spots.
With my two week trial at an end, it was time
to return to the surgery for the chemical
peel. ZO have various stages of a peel, and,
as I was starting out, I was to have the peel
Velvet Magazine | November 2016 67