[Californian]

Hi candy! I think - to an extent - Perricone's products would work. There is enough independent research out there that supports the benefits of topical antioxidants in an anti-aging routine. And his dietary suggestions also have some merit, if you look at his focus on Omega fatty acids and how good nuitrition plays a large role in skin health. But his methods are overzealous and his products are waaaaay overpriced, IMHO. So, I think your money would be better spend with other brands.

I gave the La Mer serum a shot because I was wanting an anti-aging serum that was separate from my moisturizers. Sometimes I do facials that will stimulate my skin so much that I don't want anything active applied afterwards, so I would just skip my serum that night and just focus on hydrating. Some of my friends love the La Mer line and that was another reason why I bought the serum. The La Mer serum is really effective and I've found it gives my skin a smoothness and brightness I didn't see before. But, it is EXPENSIVE. Once I use this up, I'm going to try the acerola serum from DHC and see if several months on a lesser expensive product is going to create a reversal in the effects of La Mer. I've been testing products from DHC and their quality is very nice and price-wise they're not insane. Which is good!

I'm finding my skincare routine needs to adapt to the current conditions of my skin. Last year about this time, I focused more on exfoliation through retinoids with a pairing of 1x per week deep manual exfoliation. For about 8 months this process went from improving my skintone, maintaining my skintone, then making my skin sensitive and blotchy. What I found out is that my routine brought me to an optimal point, but then I failed to cut back the treatments to a maintenance level. I developed hyperpigmentation on my upper lip as a result. Now, I have cut out the retinoids and do the manual exfoliation about once every two weeks. Now my skin is looking like it was in the optimal level and I've learned my lesson about being overzealous with anti-aging treatments. Maybe in another year my skin will welcome retinoids again!

Hey, this made me think... the upper lip hyperpigmentation can also be caused by hormones from different birth control methods. I wonder if this was a factor?
Things that make you go Even if you are currently not on b/c (didnt' you say you were trying for a baby? ) hormones can stay around for a long time.