Sunday, September 21, 2008

Obagi ZO Skin Health Review: Week 4 and Beyond

We made it through three weeks of our Oabgi ZO Skin Health trial before disaster struck. No, we didn’t have a major breakout, but our luggage that we had packed it in was stolen off the street while we were packing our rental car for a road trip. (We still haven’t quite gotten over the loss of our month old Marc Jacobs bikini.) Thus our trial ended a little earlier and more abruptly than we planned on.

We realize that our experience is unique and that many of our criteria for evaluating skincare products may be different from yours. That said, our feelings on the Obagi ZO Skin Health are decidedly mixed. While we did see a reduction in brown spots, we never got over missing a rich, creamy moisturizer. Throughout our 30s, we’ve tried a wide range of skin care products, probably more than is good for us, truth be told. While we do have some favorites, nothing has ever given us miraculous results. Given that we’re not looking for or expecting anything major, we tend to prefer products that we enjoy applying—they feel good going on and have a light scent. (Right now, we’re really enjoying the Kate Sommerville Nourish products and the Prescriptives Vibrant-C moisturizer.)

Beyond the tactile aspect of the Obagi products, the jury is out on how our skin was actually looking. We went for a B. Kamins Diamond Radiance Facial at the Tribecca Beauty Spa five days after we suddenly stopped using the Obagi products. Our aesthetician was very critical of our skin and told us we had “double skin” on our forehead (we’re not even sure what this means, nor did we understand her explanation) and said our skin was extremely irritated.

The facial started with a Deep Detox Microstimulator with ginger and clove that is supposed to remove impurities and improve circulation. It was very tingly and hot on our face, more so than other chemical peels we’ve used in the past. That was followed by the most painful extractions we’ve ever experienced—and we’ve been getting facials since we were 15.

Next up was a soothing facial massage with cucumber and mango serum, then a second mask: Radiance Rejuvenating masque, which smelled like peppermint and features green tea extract.

We realize that our skin was still getting used to the Retinol in the Obagi products and this may not have been the right facial at the right time. With our skin in the process of rebuilding itself, we should have taken it easy. Our face was red for a few hours after the facial.

A day later, our skin was super soft—and flaky once again. We lived with it for two days, then decided to go back to our tried and true Prescriptives products for an at-home facial. Our skin has been in good shape ever since. Was it the Obagi products? The B. Kamins facial? The Prescriptives regimen? A combo of all three? We're not sure.

In the meantime, the people at Obagi were kind enough to take pity on the theft of our luggage and sent over another starter kit. Hope volunteered to test it out, to give you another opinion on the products. We’ll see how her experiences compare.

Click here for the reviews from week 1, week 2 and week 3.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

ive been using the obagi zo skin care for almost 3 months (purchased it at his beverly hilsl location) and i feel it really works. i started seeing results after the first 4 weeks and my skin looks much better than it did before i started. firmer and brighter and ive recieved several compliments. i enjoy using the products on a daily basis. my favorite is the exfoliating polish and the growth factor serum. and the rapid night repair is the strongest over the counter retionol ive ever used. truely great skin care!!!

Anonymous said...

I have been using the ZO products for a little over 1 month. So far I have a nice glow to my skin. I am a huge Obagi fan and truly believe in all his products. The ZO products make my skin very soft and smooth. You may get over your need for a moisturizer if you understand that Dr. Obagi feels it is bad for your skin, and he is not the only doctor to feel that way!

Anonymous said...

I can't believe that a facialist put clove on your face! It's one of the most irrating things you can put on your skin - and on top of Obagi's retinol products to boot! Why not just rub gasoline on your face and set yourself on fire next time? Sorry JetSet Girls, but that's just dumb.

I like the ZO Skincare line. It's potent stuff, but my skin has never looked better.

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