Dr Stephanie Lipnicki, DACM, LAc

If you know me you know I am OBSESSED with keeping a youthful glow and smooth as a baby's butt skin.

But I am NOT $1500 eye cream obsessed with my skin.

Two trade shows were scheduled Feb 2-4. One in "Philadelphia" which was really in Oaks PA and the other the NY Now Show that occurs 2x a year in NYC. Apparently I chose the lesser of the two shows to attend.

I love visiting trade shows to scope out new ideas for the shop. The NY show gives me inspiration for my art as well. I had hoped to attend both and even took the day off from RMA today but 2 shows were not in the cards for me. The PA show had a lot of cool stuff if there weren't already shops in town that carry home decor.

Back to the Eye Cream. Yesterday (2.3.25) I got stopped by 2 different vendors with basically the same thing. I have dark circles under my eyes. Sometimes less noticeable sometimes more noticeable. It comes with the territory when you have endometriosis. The second vendor I let show me this cream - not thinking it would cost more than my mortgage. Oh but I could have gotten said $1500 eye cream for the bargain price of $399 and then even lower for $199.

Any products I carry at my clinic, especially when it pertains to skin care, I would not get at a trade show that wasn't specific to either my Acupuncture license or my Skin Care license. AND, any products I carry, I would do research on before buying. Upon examination, sure it made the dark circles under my eyes look less prominent. . .because it had a tint to it.

The line I carry PCA Skin is a clinical line that I had to show my Acupuncture and Skin Care licenses in order to carry the products.

I am not a fan of MLM (multi level marketing) Skin Care lines as most of those selling the products have no background in skin care and you shouldn’t need to be in a pyramid scheme to have beautiful skin. And again, there are NO qualifications required to sell MLM lines. My mechanic could sell them, and while I trust my mechanic 100% with the safety of my vehicle, I do not trust him with the care of my skin.

Also, I would absolutely do my homework on ingredients in a $1500 product before I invested in it as a product line for my office. The “big” ingredient in there $1500 eye cream - Apple Stem Cells.(To read more about Apple Stem Cells click here) One of serums I use for Micro and Nano Needling has Apple Stem Cells and the serums AND the Microneedling Pen didn’t cost much more than that one cream.

Do I think you should use an eye cream? Absolutely. I have reached the over 50 age where I use an eye cream in the morning and the evening. But I don’t think you need a $1500 eye cream.

I’ve said this before but it is worth repeating again. My most important tips for healthy skin (regardless of whether you choose me for your anti-aging needs) are:

Stay Hydrated, drink a lot of water
Cleanse, Tone, Moisturize
Your moisturizer should have sunblock and be used EVERY day. When I say EVERY day, I mean EVERY DAY. Even in the winter and don’t forget your decollete. If you don’t know what that is, it’s the neck and upper chest that peeks out of the top of your shirt.
If you are over 30, add a hydrating mask 1x a week
Exfolilate 2 - 3x a week with a gentle exfoliant
Get regular facials if you can
Give yourself a five minute mini face massage 1 - 2x a week - even doing this yourself with help the muscles of your face relax.
Add an eye cream to hydrate around the eyes, the skin is delicate there and prone to wrinkles
DO NOT drink from a straw. . .It makes your lips pucker with the same motion as smoking a cigarette and will make the tiny lines around your mouth appear a little quicker than normal.
Don’t use bar soap on your face - its usually more drying than a cleanser designed for your face
Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun with your face exposed - hats are your friend, especially if you love the outdoors
Get your skin checked one a year (possibly more if you have significant existing sun damage) by your dermatologist.

And as always, if you need help navigating the best routine for your skin care needs, please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask! We all have different needs, different skin types and we all have different skin conditions we are trying to manage.

Be well!