Barbara's Visit No. 1

Dark haired, with medium-toned skin, of Eastern European stock, Barbara H., 38, is a Tarrytown wife and mother of two who works as a community counselor for au pair girls. Out in the sun for any length of time, she reddens before she tans. On this summer day, she too has a tan going--along with noticeable freckles on her ears and hands as well as her face. She's got a bit of puffiness under her eyes, a scattering of early wrinkles, a few moles, and a tiny chicken pox scar on her forehead. Her skin gets irritated from certain perfumes, soaps, and cosmetics. She wears minimal makeup--a bit of foundation and blush, and she regularly uses an exfoliating cream. RENOVA, she hopes, will perform a general clean-up act.

Shupack rates Barbara as among the ten percent of the population that's eczema-prone--though she's never had eczema on her face. With her lower than usual threshold to chemical irritation, the question is whether RENOVA is a suitable medication for her. Shupack suggests Barbara give it a try. Nightly use of RENOVA is the goal, though the dosage can always be adjusted if her skin gets irritated. RENOVA will first and foremost lighten her freckles--which he describes as islands of pigment that darken, on sun exposure, like a photographic plate. It will also slow down her wrinkling and improve her overall skin texture. But RENOVA won't reduce the undereye puffiness--due to age-related collagen laxity and an accumulation of lower-lid fat. And it won't get rid of her moles or chicken pox scar. If she's spending prolonged periods in the sun, she should apply a sunblock (minimum 15 SPF) in addition to the Neutrogena day moisturizer that's already equipped with a sun protectant. NEXT

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