Review of Proven, Curology and Personalized Skin Care Routines
Many brands like Curology, Proven, Cera Ve, and Skinceuticals offer personalized skin care routines and advanced regimen builders. How do you know which is best? Before you buy any brand of skin care, you should take 3-5 minutes to find out your skin type. This is the best way to know which skin care brand is best for you to get a dermatologist-recommended skin care routine.
In this blog we review Curology, Proven, Skinceuticals custom skin care routines to see if they are good for your skin. These brands are not right for every skin type. Take the quiz so when we discuss below which skin types they are best for- you will know what your Baumann Skin Type is.
Companies that Do Personalized Skin Care Routines
Curology Custom Skin Routine Review
Curology was started by board certified dermatologist Dr. David Lortscher in 2014 when he had been a dermatologist for 2 years. His products focus on acne. If you sign up for a consultation, you can get products with active ingredients like:
Tretinoin
Azelaic acid
Niacinamide
Tranexamic acid
When I review the Curology skin care products and ingredients in them, they focus on acne but not dry skin, aging skin, or sensitive skin with inflammation.
The custom skin care routines by Curology are not truly custom or personalized for all Baumann Skin Types. They seem like a one size fits all routine for oily, acne- prone skin types that do not have much skin sensitivity. These routines can be very irritating and cause skin inflammation.
Another downside of Curology is you cannot easily mix it with other skin care brands with confidence that the routine will still work well. I prefer choosing the best products from different brands and combining them, and Curology does not offer that.
What Skin Types Is Curology Good For?
Curology Custom Routines should work well for you if you have oily, acne-prone skin with minimal redness and irritation.
The Curology products will only work well for Baumann Skin Types 5 and 6. Curology is best for Baumann Skin Type 6, but if you get the consultation, the products may work for Baumann Skin Type 5. If you have dark spots from acne, and do not have stinging and skin irritation, the Curology line might work well for you.
Curology is not good for acne-prone skin types with dry skin and those that cannot tolerate retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, and foaming cleansers in the same skin care routine.
Proven Custom Skin Care Routines Review
I am not impressed with the Proven Skin Care Custom Regimens for several reasons.
They do not have a scientific way to determine your skin type or it’s needs. They do not have a skin type quiz that has been scientifically validated to correctly diagnose skin type. It is well known that people guess their skin type incorrectly. (6) Proven is asking you to guess what your skin type is.
They claim to have analyzed genome data from many different skin care ingredients but I do not see any publications from them about this in the medical literature.
They claim they have the most comprehensive skincare database in the world and technology that analyzes the effectiveness of over 20,238 skincare ingredients, from arnica to zinc.” My question is- effectiveness on who and what skin type are they? Analysis of consumer data on skin care ingredients is essentially meaningless without an accurate diagnostic quiz and skin typing system. Just because an ingredient works for one skin type, does not mean it will work for another.
There is a question about if these products are truly personalized. For example, they cannot remove fragrance.
They are not transparent about what ingredients will be in your products and your final skin care routine.
They do not allow you to combine products from several brands.
The chemical structure and activity of skin care ingredients change when you combine them so studies must be done on the final formulations, no on the individual ingredients alone. You also need to test them in a layered skin care routine to see if they work together.
Skinceuticals Personalized Custom Skincare Routines
Skinceuticals was originally started by Dermatologist Sheldon Pinnell, the Chairman of dermatology at Duke University.
The medical grade products are well made and effective for many different skin types. We do not like their skin type quiz because it is not as accurate as ours. But that is ok. You can use our skin care routine quiz and use our skin care routine builder to combine Skinceuticals products in a skin care routine with other brands.
It can be confusing to know which Skinceuticals products to use in your routine because they have so many, we can easily guide you. Once you take the quiz, your skin type octagon will show next to the products that are right for you to make it easy to build a routine.
DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek.
“Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more.
Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals.
Sunscreen
“We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.”
Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen
An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup.
Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand.
Vitamin C Serum
“A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum
The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation.
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum
This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants.
Peptides
Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.”
Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream
This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively.
This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek.
At-Home Peel Pads
Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate.
“The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.”
According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says.
Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad
A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection.
KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads
These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids.
Emollient Night Cream
“In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.”
“Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products.
Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream
One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme
“The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.