David J. Leffell, MD is the David Paige Smith Professor of Dermatology and Surgery, chief of dermatologic surgery and cutaneous oncology, and deputy dean for clinical affairs at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Leffell is also the chief executive officer of the Yale Medical Group, one of the country’s largest academic medical group practices, providing specialty care in more than 100 medical areas.
Dr. Leffell is also the consulting Dermatologist for Dove and their new line of body washes that contain NutriumMoisture.
He took some time to answer a few questions about NutriumMoisture, body washes and general skin health.
Dove's new line of body washes contain some new ingredients in them. What are these skin-friendly ingredients and why are they so beneficial to our skin? The Dove line of body wash products includes a proprietary formula called NutriumMoisture technology. It includes a special combination of oils and other ingredients that work to restore the outermost layer of the skin and are actually absorbed into the top layer, rather than simply coating.
Why would we want to try this over our regular shower gel? Shower gels are drying. In fact, the very act of washing itself is drying and unless there is some effort at moisturizing, your skin may end up drier after the shower than before.
Can you help us decipher what ingredients we should be looking for that will be harsh to our skin? There are so many different ingredients depending on the product and brand that it is hard to answer this question except to say you should avoid shower gels with harsh cleansers. As a general rule stick with products with a few simple ingredients and avoid soaps.
What about skin-soothing ingredients? What are your favorite ingredients to look for? You want to look for natural ingredients such as soybean oil, glycerin and stearic acid that skin can absorb. These compounds, for example can help restore the barrier function of the stratum corneum, the skin’s outermost layer.
As a dermatologist, do you recommend paying for premium skin care lines, or can one always get good results shopping at the drugstore? You don’t have to spend a lot of money for quality products. Go with well-recognized name brands that have a popular price point. Spending more on fancy and expensive products is unlikely to provide any real additional benefit.
Lastly, what daily or weekly steps do you recommend we do to have smooth, hydrated, healthy skin? Avoid washing excessively and when you do wash, use a non-soap cleanser; when you shower use a moisturizing body wash. Not all body washes are moisturizing and some can dry the skin, so make sure that you take advantage of new technology that puts moisturizers in the body wash itself. After you shower, moisturize as well and on your face, use a daily facial moisturizer with SPF of 30.
