How to Use Obagi Products

The skin-care industry continues to advance in response to growing skin-care concerns of aging baby boomers. In 1988, Obagi developed the Nu-Derm system to help prevent and improve skin disorders in adult skin. In 2010, Obagi began offering several specialized lines of skin-care products to address uneven skin tone, age spots and aging skin in different skin types. Though the directions for specific Obagi product lines vary slightly, follow a few basic steps when using this skin-care system.

Cleanse the Skin

• 1

  Apply a dime size of the appropriate Obagi cleanser to your skin with wet hands. Use the gentle cleanser for normal skin. If you have oily skin, use the Obagi foaming gel cleanser.

• 2

  Use circular motions to massage the product into the skin. Avoid using a washcloth during this process to avoid introducing unwanted bacteria to the skin.

• 3

  Rinse the cleanser with lukewarm water and gently pat the skin dry with a clean, soft cloth.

• 4

  Pour a small amount of an Obagi Nu-Derm No. 2 toner onto a cotton pad. Apply it to the entire face, avoiding the upper and lower eyelids.

• 5

  Perform these steps once during the day and once at night.

Correct Hyperpigmentation

• 1

  Apply a half-gram --- a very small amount --- of Obagi Clear, Exforderm or Exfoderm Forte to the surface of the skin using your hand.

• 2

  Apply half of the product to one side of the face and massage it in until you skin completely absorbs it. Massage the product on the face, including the eyelids, and extend it to the hairlines and over the edge of the ear and down the jaw line to the neck.

• 3

  Repeat the process on the remaining side.

• 4

  Perform these steps once during the day and once at night unless you have dark skin. If you have dark skin, apply the product only in the morning and spot-treat areas of dark discoloration at night.

Stimulate Skin Repair

• 1

  Combine a half-gram of Obagi Blender with tretinoin that a dermatologist has prescribed for you or an over-the-counter retinol cream. Tretinoin and retinol contain vitamin A, which treats wrinkles.

• 2

  Apply the mixture to the entire face to the hairline. Do not apply too much product around the corner of the lips or the creases of the nose.

• 3

  Massage the mixture until the skin completely absorbs it.

Protect the Skin

• 1

  Apply an Obagi SPF formulation to protect your skin from sun damage. For normal skin, use Sunfader SPF 15 during the day. Use Healthy Skin Protection SPF 35 if you have mature skin or Physical UV Block SPF 32 if you have actinic kertosis, skin cancer or have recently had a chemical peel, dermabrasion or laser resurfacing.

• 2

  Reapply the SPF often if you spend an extended amount of time in the sun or if you begin to perspire.

• 3

  Pat a small amount of Obagi Nu-Derm Eye cream around the skin of the eye using your ring finger.