25 years ago Dr. Howard Murad founded the first modern doctor brand of clinical skincare products, with a goal of making beautiful, healthy skin attainable for everyone. He has changed how the world sees skincare through his pioneering research and a Connected Beauty philosophy.
Connected Beauty Philosophy – We believe that youth is a reflection of how you feel, how you look and how you live, because every aspect of your life is as interconnected as every cell in your body. Dr Murad believes this starts with treating the patient as a whole and addressing all three aspects of an individual — external, internal and emotional.
External – Dr Murad is a firm believer in using skincare products that contact an SPF and applying moisturiser before going out in the sun will go a long way in preventing damage to your skin.
“What you put on your skin is important. Use products that prevent damage from the environment, that hydrate the surface of the skin, and peptides to help with wrinkles and pigmentation. When you don’t put good products on your skin and you go out in the sun, it dries you out and damages you. Putting on a sunscreen and moisturizer minimizes that.”
Internal – Most people think that staying hydrated equals drinking six to eight glasses of water a day, but water will go right through you. Cellular water is absorbed slowly, so for lasting hydration, you should “eat your water” in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables. Dr Murad also recommends whole grains for building collagen, and foods rich in antioxidants, amino acids, good lipids, anti-inflammatories, phyto nutrients, and probiotics for a better immune system.
“The fountain of youth was water. When you were born, you were between 75 and 80 percent water. Ultimately as we get older we have less and less water in our cells. Your skin is drier today than it was 10 years ago. But every cell in your body is drier, and we go from a state of full hydration ultimately to dehydration. So how we can encourage more water into your cells? That is, in essence, youth building.”
Emotional – You have to reduce stress, because one of the ways we lose water is through sweat: sweaty palms and underarms. Thanks to our fast-paced modern lifestyles and the Internet, we are constantly subjected to what Dr Murad calls “cultural stress” and our lives have become increasingly isolated. Leave work at work and put your phone down at night to have a conversation with a loved one. Go for a walk and shut your mind off from the world.
“There’s always more traffic, more pollution, and the news is always bad. There’s a lot of stress that’s there every day. It’s constant and pervasive. I call it ‘cultural stress.’ Of course there’s the other kind of stress — a flat tire, a death in the family — they happen and they’re over. But this is all the time, which is harder on your ultimately.”
Dr. Murad is his own best advertisement for the soundness of his theories. At 74 he travels the world giving talks on Inclusive Health, exudes the energy of a 20-year-old and radiates positivity and youth, despite a full head of white hair.
“Your life’s story, in the end, is how you have lived it. Make it sweet, happy, and healthy.”
