Each month we pose questions from the Sun Coast Community to our resident health and beauty expert, Dr. Mark Rosenberg.

In this August edition of 'Ask Me Anything', Dr. Rosenberg reveals which cellular turnover boosting ingredient can age your skin FASTER…

The weight loss solution that’s outperformed Ozempic in studies…

And how to firm up skin that’s become saggy due to summer sun damage.

Let’s dive in.

Question 1: "I’ve heard that night creams containing cellular turnover boosting ingredients can age the skin faster. Is this true?"

Cellular turnover is your skin’s natural process for shedding dead skin cells so they can be replaced with healthier, new ones.

Many night creams contain exfoliating ingredients to help this process along. 

But these ingredients can be very harsh to your skin.

There’s two in particular to watch out for: Alpha hydroxy acid (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acid (BHAs).

While it’s true these acids can help remove dead skin and improve skin texture, applying them night after night can damage your skin in three ways:

1. Increased dryness: Applying them too often can strip your skin barrier of its natural oils, leaving it feeling dry and irritated in the morning.
   
   
2. Increased irritability: With a thinner skin barrier, your skin may become more sensitive to other skincare products and airborne toxins.
   
   
3. Accelerated aging: When the skin barrier is weak, it becomes more prone to damage and inflammation, both of which cause premature aging 

My advice: If you must use a cream that contains harsh exfoliating ingredients, only apply it 1 or 2 times a week. On the other nights opt for a more gentle, nourishing cream that supports your skin's natural repair process without causing irritation.

Here’s a night cream I recommend that accelerates all three phases of cellular turnover at night. And it’s specially formulated to replace old, wrinkled “grandma cells” with “baby girl” smooth skin in the morning:

>>>How to accelerate cellular turnover at night without a single drop of harsh exfoliating cream

Question 2: "I was in the sun all day a lot this summer. I think it’s made my skin saggier. Could this have happened?"

Unfortunately, the answer is “Yes”, being in the sun all day can cause your skin to become more saggier.

Here’s the reason why…

UV rays from the sun penetrates deep into your skin, damaging the fibers that keep your skin firm and elastic.

One of the most important fibers for tight skin is elastin.

It’s elastin that allows your skin to stretch and snap back into place, like a rubber band. For this reason, I call elastin the “snappiness protein”.

But if elastin gets depleted by UV rays, your skin’s ability to snap back into shape gets depleted too… leading to sagging, stretching, and wrinkles.

So what can you do to reverse the damage>

Step one is to wear sun protection at all times when you go outside, even when it’s cloudy.

Step two is to restore your skin’s elasticity with these foods:

1. Citrus Fruits: They’re rich in vitamin C, which is crucial for collagen and elastin production. Citrus fruits include oranges, lemons, and grapefruit.
2. Leafy Greens: Spinach, kale, and other leafy greens are high in antioxidants and vitamins that support skin health.
3. Fatty Fish: Salmon, mackerel, and sardines provide omega-3 fatty acids, which help maintain skin elasticity and hydration.

Adding these foods to your diet can work wonders for your elastin levels and skin elasticity.

Another option is to try a beauty remedy we discovered on a volcanic island in the Mediterranean.

It’s a remedy that helps your skin produce more elastin. And it explains why the women living on the island enjoy tight, youthful looking skin in their 60s, 70s, and beyond:

>>>Find out about the volcanic island’s beauty ritual for snappier skin that looks sunkissed

Question 3: "I heard there’s a new weight loss solution that’s better than Ozempic? What is it, and should I try it?”

Ozempic continues to be the weight loss jab everyone is talking about. 

But it’s just one of many (in fact, Ozempic is primarily used for treating diabetes, with appetite suppression just a lucky side effect).

And there’s one jab in particular that’s getting a LOT more attention after studies found it provides greater weight loss than Ozempic.

It’s called Mounjaro. And the reason Mounjaro is superior for weight loss is because it targets TWO key hormones: GIP and GLP-1 (Ozempic only targets one).

Both GIP and GLP-1 play a key role in regulating your appetite. And by targeting both, Mounjaro makes it easier for your body to control hunger, leading to greater weight loss.

In fact, in clinical trials patients taking Mounjaro lost an average of 15.3% of their body weight over 72 weeks, compared to just 8.3% for Ozempic.

That means a 200-pound person could expect to lose about 30 pounds with Mounjaro, compared to just 16 pounds with Ozempic.

But just like Ozempic, Mounjaro is no magic bullet.

You have to keep taking it to enjoy its weight loss benefits. 

The moment you stop, your cravings come roaring back and you may put on even more weight than before.

This is why I always recommend patients avoid the weight loss jabs and make one key food swap instead: Eat more PROTEIN.

Eating more protein helps to suppress your appetite, and the only side effect is a welcome boost to your energy levels.

Protein rich snacks I recommend include:

1. Greek Yogurt with Berries: Greek yogurt is high in protein and can help keep you full. Adding berries provides fiber and antioxidants, making it an even more nutritious snack.

2. Hard-Boiled Eggs Sprinkled with Paprika: Eggs are an excellent source of protein and healthy fats. Eggs are easy to prepare and can help keep hunger at bay, while the paprika helps to give the taste a little kick.

3. Almonds: Almonds are rich in protein, healthy fats, and fiber. A small handful of almonds can help curb your appetite and boost your energy during the day.

So consider adding these snacks to your diet to calm your appetite, and keep your fat burning metabolism firing on all cylinders.

If you’d like to give your weight loss an even bigger helping hand, I also recommend preparing this smoothie recipe each morning. 

It’s a smoothie recipe that helps to nourish your gut, improves digestion, and curbs your appetite ALL at the same time.

In fact, tons of my patients have said they stopped thinking about food altogether after they starting making this smoothie. And they lost weight without the hunger or misery of diets:

>>>Drink this smoothie each morning to feel full until lunchtime

Have Any Health or Beauty Questions Of Your Own?

That wraps up another edition of ‘Ask Me Anything’.

As always, if you have any burning questions about health, beauty, longevity or anything you think Dr. Rosenberg could help with…

Please send us an email and we’ll let him know!

Dr. Rosenberg loves reading your questions and sharing his answers each month.

There are only so many patients he can see in his clinic.

But through this blog he can reach millions…

And help even more people on their path to feeling and looking their best at any age.