We all make a common error in using skincare…inconsistency. It is impossible to determine what is working for us unless we give the new product enough time to do its job for our skin. We cannot use a product a few times or over a weekend to figure out if it works. Years ago I went to my own dermatologist and saw that the office sold many different vitamin c products. I asked which one they used and was told to ask the staff about the products. That prompted a mission to educate myself on what we really need for our skin. I did not know the difference between a physician’s medical grade product and what is available over the counter. I spent years educating myself about these issues.
Now I have used the same regimen for years, understand ingredients, use them consistently and see the benefits. This is also the reason I carry a limited selection of products in my clinic as I only want the best for myself, my staff and my patients. Using a product consistently means as recommended for a period of at least 3 months. (You will find
that many skincare items are sold in a 3 month supply)

This month we are the featured ambassador for the company Omni Bioceutical Innovations of Phoenix, Arizona. Check out Omnibioinnovations.com to see our practice featured there. Omni has been our vendor and supplier for the last decade for our human growth factors that we use with our signature microneedling procedures. Many people ask about growth factors, often confusing them with human growth hormones which are something completely different.
   Growth factors are specialized proteins within the skin cell that function as messengers. The messages they carry are needed to help the skin cell repair itself. I like to think of a growth factor as a great “normalizer” of the skin cell, communicating to the cell that another behavior is needed to create homeostasis. Our own growth factors often get depleted and less functional by our thirties resulting in our first signs of aging in our skin. This is not the beginning of  aging…it is when we first start to notice the results of years of environmental damage and other exposure that has been accumulating. Obviously, every person is different here…our lifestyles, where we spent our childhoods, whether we wore sunscreen, our genetics etc. all play a part but eventually, we all visibly age.
   Growth factors are a best friend to the aging process. We need them to function in order to combat the visible signs of aging skin. Our patented growth factor products we use from Omnibioinnovations are hand selected for this purpose from neonatal skin cells in order to achieve the highest function for the best results. No other company or product can do this.
   Not all growth factors are created equal. Many have extra, toxic and unnecessary ingredients that can be irritating to the skin. Others are not even from human sources, which weakens their function for a human skin cell. With our serums, we have the highest concentration of the best, patented, hand selected growth factors that you can find all from another actual skin cell. I have been researching other products for a decade and there is not anything close to the quality, concentration and effectiveness of the Omni product line.
 
Valerie Schneider MD  

We at Lucent Aesthetic have had the most privileged opportunity working with Jane Christenson, founder and CEO of Omni Bioceutical Innovations and her wonderful team of professionals.
We began working with Jane before the company started and knew this was a star even back then. It was of the utmost importance that the products worked and had the very best science and technology, something I value greatly in the
products I use and recommend to my own patients.
I personally cannot survive without the daily face and eye growth factor serums. When I exercise, I feel great knowing that I have only the Omni serums on my skin to be soaked up by my open pores. Once, while on a vacation, I realized at the destination that my serum bottles were completely empty. We all know how that is but most of the time we will make do until we get home or just buy a similar replacement. Well… I contacted my nurse who promptly sent them overnight mail because I really could not get through the trip without them!
That experience prompted me to break open the bottle and what I found was with the current packaging, when the bottle is empty, it’s truly empty. There was not one extra drop inside. Always on top of innovation, the Omni company is even giving the best value for their product in something as simple as the bottle design.
When we do Microneedling with the core growth factor serum, we needle the skin which we describe as “aerating the lawn”. The Omni serum is like “adding fertilizer” on that lawn and it is what makes our Microneedling unique. No other product is as pure or has hand selected highest quality growth factors as
the Omni line does. Their patented products are the practice favorite at Lucent Aesthetic here in Walnut Creek!
Valerie Schneider M.D.

September’s Omni Ambassadors, Dr. Valerie Schneider and
Gretchen Ranhoff, R.N.
This month’s Omni Ambassadors are the ORIGINAL Omni Ambassadors – they have been using Omni’s products since we first started many years ago and have even built their Signature Service at Lucent Aesthetic using Omni’s TaC Core Recovery Complex in conjunction with microneedling. Dr. Schneider and Gretchen have vast knowledge and application of growth factors and will be sharing both their experience and the literal life-changing power of Omni’s products with you throughout the month. Stay tuned!

About Lucent Aesthetic:
Lucent Aesthetic was founded on the premise of providing patients with a core curriculum of the best, innovative, safe, effective, non-invasive products and services in the industry. Through continuous training, research and ongoing education, the staff at Lucent Aesthetic extend their professional expertise toward offering physician-strength skincare products tested for quality and effectiveness. In being completely discerning with the regimens recommended to patients, Lucent Aesthetic has created a complete skincare package known as the GRASP Bag, which is customized on a consultation basis to be perfect for each patient’s individual aesthetic goals.
About Valerie Schneider, MD:
Dr. Valerie Schneider has been in private medical practice in Walnut Creek, CA since 2002. Initially, her areas of training and expertise included Pulmonary Disease, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, however after several years of aesthetic treatments, education and personal research of lasers, she sought out an advanced training and certification program in Scottsdale, AZ. In 2009, she completed the program for lasers, injectables and sclerotherapy and has been an active member of the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery since then. In 2011, she opened Lucent Aesthetic as the preeminent Laser and Aesthetic Medicine practice in Walnut Creek. Dr. Schneider has built her practice to be centered around offering only the products and services that she has thoroughly researched and that her staff are trained and certified in so that her patients get a highly effective treatment with proven outcomes.
About Gretchen Ranhoff, RN:
Gretchen comes from a background of Neonatal Intensive Care, Intravenous Therapy, and General Medicine/Surgery. Pursuing her interest in Aesthetic Medicine, she received advanced training and certification in Scottsdale, AZ for lasers, injectables, and sclerotherapy in 2009. Gretchen is also a member of the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery, promoting ongoing training, keeping current on technology, and attending educational conferences centered around safety in the practice. Gretchen loves to talk with each patient about why she is recommending certain products to help them reach their aesthetic goals and prides herself on providing each treatment in a comfortable and nurturing environment.

We had such a great time interacting with so many great local companies that do so much for women throughout the East Bay. We were thrilled to be an exhibitor at the event with live micro needling going on as well as many other specials, as well as an opportunity for us to provide any education/answers to questions around the services we provide.

We are putting together some videos of the procedures we did that day and they will be on our YouTube channel very soon.

Most of all, we just want to thank a fantastic organization for hosting such a wonderful event. It was a real pleasure to be involved in 2019's EBWC. 

​Hurry to Get $50 off Botox Treatment!
Go to ownyourlook.com and sign up for the Brilliant Distinctions Program to get
$50 off your Botox treatment!
Time is limited and only a small number of these coupons will be given out.
Don't miss out on this opportunity!

Our very own Dr. Schneider receives her first Juvederm Voluma filler to help lift and smooth out the cheeks and lower jawline. We strive to enhance while keeping a natural look intact. As you see in the video this is done in a few minutes, is pain-free, and non-invasive.

Find more videos, photos, and information at some of our social media channels below.

January's Featured Service
IPL Photorejuvenation
aka Photofacial Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off
BOOK NOW AS BOTH TREATMENTS MUST BE COMPLETED BY APRIL 1ST
Our IPL photorejuvenation treatments are a non–invasive alternative for instantly brightening the skin while addressing a variety of skin conditions on the chest, face, hands and neck, including:

• Sun damage
• Rosacea
• Broken capillaries
• Age spots
• Freckles
• Brown spots
• Red or ruddy skin

Learn More About Our IPL Procedure

Any questions feel free to ask below and we will be happy to reply or get in touch with you directly.

Happy New Year to all.