In an interview with Dr. Susanne von Schmiedeberg

In these times, it is especially important to be good to our skin. By that, I mean paying special attention to daily skin care. Because the better the condition of our skin, the less sensitive it reacts to the "challenges" you mentioned. Especially the unusual wearing of a mask over the face and the associated more humid environment (keyword "breath sauna") around the mouth and nose unfortunately provides a perfect environment for germs. Important tips here are: to carry out the daily care routine particularly consistently.

-Serum (to restore the missing moisture)

-Cream (to strengthen the skin's protective barrier)

-Don't touch your face with your hands - simple but helps immensely to consciously avoid touching your face with your hands

-Mask breaks (e.g., at home or alone in your own car)

-Change masks multiple times a day

 

The glycation of our collagen fibers, UV radiation, smoking, alcohol, hormones, lack of sleep, environmental factors, poor lifestyle in general.

 

Oh, that is of course very individual! But there are certainly beauty active ingredients that are simply unbeatable and also show proven effects in studies. These include (time-)tested ingredients like retinol or vitamin C, which, among other things, have a beneficial effect on collagen regeneration and skin cell renewal. For me personally, when choosing an anti-aging product, 4 criteria are extremely important, which I also incorporate into development

I have incorporated into my skincare line:

1. That I understand what the active ingredient in a cream/serum is supposed to do for my skin. It must be immediately clear to me how and why an active ingredient in a skincare product works against the "signs of aging." Studies or evidence that the active ingredient really works should be available or easy to find by googling.

2. There should be NO critical substances in my anti-aging care, such as silicones, mineral oils, parabens, paraffins, etc.

3. The texture has to be right for me – my skin should feel great, and I love being able to use different textures from a skincare line. So in summer heat, choosing a lighter texture, in winter a richer cream. This way, you can always care for your skin flexibly according to its needs.

4. Sustainability! Both the product itself should leave as little "footprint" as possible on our planet Earth (e.g., glass jars, no microplastics, vegan, etc.), but also sustainable anti-aging effects! By that I mean that I want to notice that a product significantly improves my skin, that aging slows down, fewer impurities appear, the skin gets a glow, etc., etc.

 

But Sue, it is always the whole package that has to be right. There are always several factors that influence different things. It's the same with beauty and our nutrition.

Specifically, it works like this: you eat bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, drink wine, soft drinks, eat sweets, etc. In your intestine, these carbohydrates are broken down into individual glucose molecules and absorbed through the intestinal wall into your bloodstream. When blood sugar rises, the pancreas is prompted to release insulin to bring the high blood sugar back to a normal level. This is where the rollercoaster ride begins – both for insulin and blood sugar!

 

Depending on how high the blood sugar has risen, how large the sugar/glucose meal was, it takes some time for the insulin to "transport" the sugar from the blood into the cells. During this time, the sugar can do as it pleases and cause harmful effects. It binds, among other things, with proteins. Also on the skin! This fact was unclear for a long time. Medicine has focused more on the inside of the body!

But I have explicitly pursued this question: What does sugar in the blood actually do to the skin? Because sugar in the blood naturally also reaches the skin! In the last 2-3 years, I have read many new studies on this, and meanwhile, much more is known about what sugar does to the skin. Specifically, the sugar glucose molecule binds to the collagen fibers of our skin. And specifically to the collagen type I fibers - the main support structure of our skin! This leads to the formation of so-called A.G.E.s (advanced glycation endproducts). This term for the harmful sugar-collagen connection is ironically also their result! The "Ages" cause our collagen fibers to stiffen, become brittle, and lose elasticity. The A.G.E.s cause our collagen fibers to age. Our skin ages! The more sugar in the blood, the more A.G.E.s in the skin. But! Even if we don't consume a crumb of sugar/carbohydrates, our own metabolism always produces sugar itself to maintain our blood sugar level. That means we always have about 1 teaspoon of sugar in our blood - and thus practically a baseline glycation and A.G.E formation.

And there is exactly one substance I know of that can so potently prevent this glycation and thus the aging of our skin. And that is L-Carnosine! Until now, it has almost exclusively had a market in capsule form/supplements. No one has put it in this form (liposomally encapsulated) and an optimal dosage into a skincare cream.

 

L-Carnosine is a completely natural substance! It consists of only 2 amino acids - so it belongs to the class of dipeptides. We produce it ourselves in our body, especially it is found in our muscles. But now comes an important piece of information. In childhood, we have high own carnosine levels, but by the age of 30, this natural level drops by 70%!! From that point on, we no longer have our own protection against aging, glycation, and A.G.E formation. Skin aging takes its course. That is simply unacceptable. L-Carnosine is extremely potent - and studies also show this - L-Carnosine can "catch" the sugar molecules, so they cannot bind to the proteins or attach to our collagen fibers. Thus, a main factor of skin aging, namely glycation, is practically "slowed down" or buffered! There is also a study that has proven this extremely potent "anti-glycation effect" of L-Carnosine in a cream formulation.

 

 

If you ask about realistic personal goals, for me personally a central question is crucial that everyone should ask themselves:

What do I want for myself personally? What am I willing to do to grow old as healthy and lively as possible; to stay physically and mentally fit for a long time and also to keep radiant, beautiful, and firm skin.

 

For me, it was that only through engaging with the topics of health, nutrition, beauty from inside and out, and gathering insights on these topics in a book ("It's Never Too Late to Stay Young", SüdwestVerlag) did the idea for developing the care series come about. Many years lay between. Very important years that flowed into the development of the care series.

 

You know - I just don't see it as that extremely life-changing. It's simply a matter of attitude, your personal mindset, and not a question of permanent deprivation, self-torment, and a maximally joyless, gloomy sugar-free life. Because we can achieve very, very big changes in our health, fitness, beauty, and mental strength with very small steps.

 

Let's stick to your example. So if it should be the bread in the morning - then that's okay! It's about the overall amount of sugar/glucose we consume daily. If you then skip a portion of sugar/glucose/carbohydrates, that's already a step that makes a difference. Many think of sugar as the sugar bowl where we sweeten our coffee/tea etc. But behind the general term sugar are carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are simply sugars of different chain lengths. Like bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, sweets, alcohol, soft drinks, convenience products.

 

Everyone can consider for themselves how often one or more of these "sugars" should be on the menu per day. Everyone can decide that for themselves. And again: even small "sugar savings" already help a lot.

 

I eat little sugar/carbohydrates! But I try to integrate this very casually and completely relaxed into my everyday life. For example, when I cook for my family, I also make pasta, but whoever wants can eat instead of the noodles, for example, zoodles (strips made from zucchini, beetroot, carrots).

When I go out, I ask for more vegetables/salad instead of the carbohydrate side dish. I like to eat and I'm not disordered, and at 67kg I'm far from size zero. And very importantly, if I feel like having a glass of wine (or more...) or chocolate, then I eat it too. But in the days after, I am consistent again. And that's how it works. Without ever thinking for a single moment that I have to torture myself for it.

 

My own beauty routine has changed in that I can finally rely on L-Carnosine as an active ingredient. Also, I like it uncomplicated without compromising the result of beautiful skin. I cleanse my skin every morning and evening with a cleansing foam. It's completely uncomplicated, reliably removes my makeup, and prepares my skin optimally for a serum. I actually didn't use serums before, but it makes an extreme difference when the skin is optimally hydrated before applying the moisturizer. Yes, and then a moisturizer with L-Carnosine. That's a manageable beauty routine that I can easily and consistently maintain with a super effective result.

 

So the sun is one of the factors that age the skin. Period! But a few more words should be said about sun protection. And sunscreen should always be used sensibly and thoughtfully. When I go to the beach or sunbathe, I apply sunscreen. Sunscreen goes ON the skin AFTER the moisturizer and BEFORE I apply makeup.

If I only go from home to the practice and back in the evening, I don't use daily sunscreen. As you said, it represents an additional chemical burden that I wouldn't want to impose on my skin daily. Let's put the chemistry aside.

When using sun protection, there are many things that simply don't go right. That's why I recommend using sun protection but only after prior instruction by a knowledgeable dermatologist. The following points are important when dealing with sun protection

mention:

•Do you check whether the protection of your product is guaranteed for UVA and UVB??

•What skin type am I??

•How long can I stay in the sun with which sun protection?

•Have I applied enough sunscreen?

 

Only then is the protection guaranteed. Just as an example: for optimal protection, about 5g of cream is needed for the face alone and 3 heaping tablespoons for the body. I tried it myself with a kitchen scale to apply 5g of cream and 3 tablespoons, that's a lot of cream to spread. It takes time and must be done very precisely until it is absorbed and applied. I used far too little myself before. But only with

With a sufficient amount of product, the protection is guaranteed as stated.

 

You have to reapply sunscreen! The time does not get extended by doing so. So it really isn't a simple topic.

Apart from the chemistry, from the damage caused by washed-off sunscreen in the sea, to the effects of preventing vitamin D production – yes, actually a topic that is extremely interesting and offers plenty of material for another talk.

 

Suddenly everyone is only using serums – it seems they have revolutionized our beauty ritual. But what can they really do that a cream can't also achieve?

They can hydrate brilliantly. And that is also the main thing about a serum. Ideally, a serum should contain a mix of different low molecular weight hyaluronic acids to ensure hydration reaches the deeper skin layers. If a great beauty active ingredient is then incorporated into this mix, you have an ideal boost, because the molecules of hyaluronic acid practically carry the active ingredients into the deeper layers. And if you then pack sensitive beauty actives in "protective shells," the active ingredient really reaches the skin in sufficient dosage without becoming unstable beforehand. That is concentrated power serum! And that is why, in my opinion, the hype around serums is also justified.

 

We constantly try to improve the sustainability of my products. We have already done a lot, much is recyclable. All my products from the series are Clean Beauty and meet this standard. This offers consumers assurance that the products are sustainable and contain no critical ingredients.

Yes, the silver foil mask is great. It can be used anytime. I like to use it for a fresh-up when I want to go out in the evening after a workday. The special thing about the mask is the 2 phases. Because you can combine the mask with your power serum underneath.

That supports their effect through the occlusive effect of the silver foil mask or you simply apply them to the cleansed skin. Through the mix of high- and low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid, it creates plump, super glowing, fresh, deeply hydrated skin. With immediate and long-term effect.

 

 

What I also regularly use again during this time are supplements. You have capsules with L-Carnosine, Vitamin A&C, zinc in Program – can't they just absorb and balance the sugar in the body?

I myself also take supplements because I strongly believe in the so-called "sandwich effect". That means doing something simultaneously from the inside and the outside, which in my personal opinion brings the most! We already said it earlier, it is always the combination of several things that brings the maximum effect. Now don't ask what I take :) Explaining that only works in a separate talk!

 

Hormones are an extremely difficult and highly complex topic. Also a topic where opinions differ greatly. I have an opinion on it, but I don't impose it on anyone. Personally, I believe that very good, healthy aging without hormones is hardly possible or only significantly less comfortable! The imbalance of our hormones, which affects each of us sooner or later, brings this with it. Why not support a little bit? For example, if our thyroid no longer produces hormones, we also take medication to compensate for this deficit. But balancing the hormone imbalance should be done absolutely intelligently and individually. Here I throw the keyword "bioidentical hormones" into the room. But this topic is really something for a separate talk.

 

One of my other favorite topics is epigenetics. Epigenetics is the influence on our own genetic surface and thus also on the following generations. We are able to change this genetic surface positively or unfortunately also negatively. Simply by how we live, how much we move, how we eat. And that also for the next generation. For better understanding, here is an example from science: if a woman exercises regularly during pregnancy, the child born will also be athletic and enjoy moving.

It's up to us to influence something ourselves - that's really great!

 

And exactly in terms of skincare and sustainable change of the skin's appearance, a lot can be achieved with great care and the strong active ingredients integrated into it. When this is combined with a daily, consistent but easy-to-follow beauty routine, it shows extremely great sustainable results on the skin!

 

Oh yes, curse and blessing!

So with this topic too, everyone has to decide personally for themselves whether they want it or not. I offer these treatment methods in my practice and use them myself. I don't make a secret of it! For example, I use Botox quite regularly. I already had a very pronounced frown line at 18. Since I have been treating the wrinkle with Botox, I personally feel a thousand times better. I don't want to look grim, unsympathetic, or angry, even though I'm not. That is a blessing for me!

I think you can achieve extremely good effects with Botox & Co. without taking big risks. The curse is, if you want the effect to last, you have to keep it up. And there are limits both in treatment and in good taste!

 

Personally, I think you have to be extremely careful so that the treatment result looks good not only today but also many years from now. As a practitioner, I have the claim and responsibility not to cross the line of good taste. Always working with foresight for the patient. You need an extremely good aesthetic eye. The biggest compliment for me is when patients come to me with a photo and say, "This is how I looked 10 years ago - today I look better and younger - everyone asks me why I don't age - thanks to you."

 

But even here, it's always the whole package, dear Sue! For a healthy, radiant appearance over many, many years, a little exercise and paying attention to your own plate and beyond are extremely important. I always compare it to a car. What's the use of a top flawless body if the engine doesn't run properly!?