An NYC dermatologist shares her beauty secrets—and reveals a new super product
In addition to the standard acne and age spots, Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas, MD, PhD, says many of her patients suffer from another all-too-common affliction: beauty overload. “People come into my office and dump hundreds of dollars’ worth of products on my desk,” she says. “I help them evaluate each box. At the end of the day, is it worth putting on your face?” Her inaugural skin salve, Dr. Macrene 37 Extreme Actives, aims to pare down our regimens by ambitiously addressing almost every aging woe—DNA damage, cellular repair, redness, wrinkles, spots—in a single product.
Is it even possible to get 37 potent ingredients in one jar?
I stabilized the formula by micro-encapsulating each active; it’s like they’re sealed in tiny packets. In some instances, we may not use as high a concentration of each individual ingredient as one would in a product with fewer of them, but I believe you’ll get a better result by having all of these proven substances working in concert than you would if you chose just three or four actives.
This product tackles something very exciting: DNA repair.
The acetyl tyrosine, praline and adenosine triphosphate work together to fix DNA mutations caused by sun damage. In one study, these molecules increased DNA repair in UV-exposed skin by 66 percent. That’s huge. The FDA is strict about OTC products making anticancer claims, but ultimately, I see this helping to prevent and reverse the DNA damage linked to skin cancer development.
With party season upon us, what’s a one-stop skin fixer?
Light acid peels are good for everything: rosacea, acne, brown spots, oil production. In the office, I usually do them on brides a week before their wedding, using a combination of acids—glycolic, salicylic, trichloroacetic, citric, and kojic—plus lightening agents such as arginine and arbutin.
I notice you’re not one of those pincushion derms.
I administer fillers, but I’m trying to put off using them on myself as long as possible. The one thing I do regularly is peels, with a slightly stronger acid in the creases around my mouth to build collagen.
With so many lasers out there, which do you trust?
Several nonablative lasers are tried-and-true. For redness and broken capillaries, the pulseddye Vbeam by Candela is great; for brown spots, I think the Q-switched is best. But if you don’t go to a laser specialist, you risk getting white spots or scars—or it could just not work at all.
And for resurfacing?
For photoaging and wrinkle reduction, fractional resurfacing is the biggest breakthrough in 15 years. I get the best results with the DEKA SmartXide, a fractional CO2 laser that burns away microscopic shafts of skin, which then knit back together with new cells. The question is, can a patient take five to seven days of downtime? And does she even need it yet?
What do you mean by that?
In my view, you get a deck of cards in life that you’re going to play by the time you’re old. Do you want to incur thermal injury to your skin when you’re 25 in order to get a miniscule benefit? Or should you wait until you’re, say, 45 or older?
Is Retin-A still the gold standard for anti-aging?
Retinoids have the longest track record, and they’re great for antiacne. But many people, like me, can’t tolerate them. Instead, I use the azelaic-acidbased prescription Finacea, which works on both rosacea and acne and also reduces oiliness, lightens brown spots, and is a great spot therapy for breakouts—it won’t make you red and flaky the next day.
Rosacea? You don’t look red.
Some doctors don’t agree with me on this, but rosacea is very common. By definition, if you stay red and you start to get broken capillaries and bumps, that’s rosacea. Hot weather, showers, drinks, and certain foods can cause flare-ups. Reduce these and you’ll see a change—fast.
In addition to the standard acne and age spots, Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas, MD, PhD, says many of her patients suffer from another all-too-common affliction: beauty overload. “People come into my office and dump hundreds of dollars’ worth of products on my desk,” she says. “I help them evaluate each box. At the end of the day, is it worth putting on your face?” Her inaugural skin salve, Dr. Macrene 37 Extreme Actives, aims to pare down our regimens by ambitiously addressing almost every aging woe—DNA damage, cellular repair, redness, wrinkles, spots—in a single product.
Is it even possible to get 37 potent ingredients in one jar?
I stabilized the formula by micro-encapsulating each active; it’s like they’re sealed in tiny packets. In some instances, we may not use as high a concentration of each individual ingredient as one would in a product with fewer of them, but I believe you’ll get a better result by having all of these proven substances working in concert than you would if you chose just three or four actives.
This product tackles something very exciting: DNA repair.
The acetyl tyrosine, praline and adenosine triphosphate work together to fix DNA mutations caused by sun damage. In one study, these molecules increased DNA repair in UV-exposed skin by 66 percent. That’s huge. The FDA is strict about OTC products making anticancer claims, but ultimately, I see this helping to prevent and reverse the DNA damage linked to skin cancer development.
With party season upon us, what’s a one-stop skin fixer?
Light acid peels are good for everything: rosacea, acne, brown spots, oil production. In the office, I usually do them on brides a week before their wedding, using a combination of acids—glycolic, salicylic, trichloroacetic, citric, and kojic—plus lightening agents such as arginine and arbutin.
I notice you’re not one of those pincushion derms.
I administer fillers, but I’m trying to put off using them on myself as long as possible. The one thing I do regularly is peels, with a slightly stronger acid in the creases around my mouth to build collagen.
With so many lasers out there, which do you trust?
Several nonablative lasers are tried-and-true. For redness and broken capillaries, the pulseddye Vbeam by Candela is great; for brown spots, I think the Q-switched is best. But if you don’t go to a laser specialist, you risk getting white spots or scars—or it could just not work at all.
And for resurfacing?
For photoaging and wrinkle reduction, fractional resurfacing is the biggest breakthrough in 15 years. I get the best results with the DEKA SmartXide, a fractional CO2 laser that burns away microscopic shafts of skin, which then knit back together with new cells. The question is, can a patient take five to seven days of downtime? And does she even need it yet?
What do you mean by that?
In my view, you get a deck of cards in life that you’re going to play by the time you’re old. Do you want to incur thermal injury to your skin when you’re 25 in order to get a miniscule benefit? Or should you wait until you’re, say, 45 or older?
Is Retin-A still the gold standard for anti-aging?
Retinoids have the longest track record, and they’re great for antiacne. But many people, like me, can’t tolerate them. Instead, I use the azelaic-acidbased prescription Finacea, which works on both rosacea and acne and also reduces oiliness, lightens brown spots, and is a great spot therapy for breakouts—it won’t make you red and flaky the next day.
Rosacea? You don’t look red.
Some doctors don’t agree with me on this, but rosacea is very common. By definition, if you stay red and you start to get broken capillaries and bumps, that’s rosacea. Hot weather, showers, drinks, and certain foods can cause flare-ups. Reduce these and you’ll see a change—fast.
Revaléskin Replenishing Eye Therapy “decreases puffiness.”
“For anyone who isn’t rosacea-prone,” the glycolic acid in
NeoStrata Foaming Glycolic Wash—AHA 20 “is great for reducing brown spots.”
L’Oréal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Makeup is derm-friendly “because it’s noncomedogenic.”
Alba Hawaiian Kona Coffee After-Sun Lotion contains caffeine and other ingredients that “help reverse sun damage after exposure.”
Dr. Macrene 37 Extreme Actives contains, among other things, resveratrol, ferulic acid, soy, and extracts of coffee seed, yerba maté, and cocoa.
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