Sue Upton Shops the Next-Best Things

I recently picked up some cool tips from San Francisco facialist extraordinaire Sue Upton, owner of Your Best Skin.

Sue, a talented esthetician and communicator, has a great blog where she analyzes some of her favorite products, reveals her personal regime and provides tips and insight for skin care and health enthusiasts.

My favorite skin care line is SkinCeuticals, which is owned, Sue told me, by the L’Oreal empire.

If you can’t afford SkinCeuticals, or if you just want to stretch your skincare dollar, make a trip to your local Walgreens armed with Sue Upton’s advice and invest in L’Oreal’s Skin Genesis. It’s ‘The Next Best Thing’ to the real deal.

Skin Genesis contains the humectants Pro-Xylane and Hyaluronic Acid, both of which can be found in higher concentrations in the SkinCeuticals products. According to research, Pro-Xylane is a sugar-protein hybrid made from xylose, a sugar found abundantly in beech trees and known to stimulate the production of glycoaminoglycans (GAGs), molecules responsible for defending the skin against water loss.

“Hyaluronic Acid is a really important ingredient in skincare,” Sue said, “because it exists in your cells. It’s a strong humectant that holds a thousand times its weight in water, making it an excellent choice for dehydrated skin.”

The combination results in firmer, plumper cells and improved skin density through enhanced collagen production.

Also a fan of Eucerin sunscreen, Sue said the product is non-irritating and contains high concentrations of zinc and titanium dioxide, two physical sunscreens that outperform the many chemicals that stock drugstore shelves.

“It’s good for all skin types, even my clients suffering from acne,” Sue said. “It’s a great lightweight moisturizer with SPF 30 and the same active ingredients as the expensive brands, but it’s just a fraction of the cost.”