Book Excerpt: 'The Skin Type Solution'
March 10, 2006 — -- Dr. Leslie Baumann, a professor and director of cosmetic dermatology at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami, is a world-renowned dermatologist who has developed a program that she believes will change the way people care for their skin. With her system, one can identify the products that will work for his or her personal skin type.
Baumann found that there were 16 distinctly different skin types and distinct methods for caring for them. She identifies brands and products to fit every budget and also provides tips to prevent aging.
CHAPTER ONE
Why Skin Typing?
Introduction
How many times have you gone to a cosmetic counter and spent $50 to $150 on products you never again use? Has a saleswoman or cosmetologist sold you a line that "did wonders for me," but does nothing for you? Have you developed an allergy or irritation to a product without knowing the cause? Why does your best friend swear by a facial care product that makes your skin look and feel terrible? Should you or shouldn't you use soap? Why do you hate the feel of sunscreen, though you know you should use it? Is a chemical face peel right for you? Should you consider using Retin-A? If you owned a Subaru Forester you wouldn't follow the maintenance procedures for a Volkswagen Golf. So if you happen to have dry, sensitive skin, why on earth would you use a moisturizer, cleanser, and cosmetic procedure more suited to someone with oily, resistant skin?
The reason? You don't know what type of skin you have; therefore, you don't know how to care for your skin. Until the publication of The Skin Type Solution, the Baumann Skin Typing System was not widely known or available. While many people have a general understanding of their skin, most have relied on commonly known but imprecise, unscientific definitions that fall short of providing a true and complete picture.
My many years as a dermatologist, researcher, and associate professor of dermatology have convinced me that no one ever needs to have a "bad skin day." Knowing your Skin Type is the missing, essential step to finding your way to beneficial products and treatments -- and beautiful skin. But, if you're like the typical first-time patient at my bustling University of Miami clinic, I'll bet you:
Don't know your Skin Type
Don't know that it's essential to base skin care decisions on your Skin Type
Use the wrong products for your Skin Type
Spend much more than you should on those products
Use the wrong procedures for your Skin Type
Fail to take advantage of procedures that would benefit your Skin Type.
When it comes to using skin care products and services, most people have been in the Dark Ages, wandering through a maze of product misinformation and overzealous marketing, lucky to stumble on anything that works.
Jeannine's Story
Jeannine, a 48-year-old realtor with dry, sensitive, wrinkle-prone skin, was embarrassed by facial redness and flaking around her nose and eyebrows. Before she came to see me, she had been using an over-the-counter hydrocortisone ointment to relieve this condition. But when we discovered through my diagnostic questionnaire that Jeannine's skin was especially wrinkle prone, I warned her that long-term steroid use could worsen her Skin Type's natural tendency to thinness and wrinkles. Instead I switched her to the prescription product Elidel, which safely treated her redness and flaking without accelerating the skin thinning and wrinkling that bother people with Jeannine's Skin Type.
Like Jeannine, to properly care for your skin, and prevent aging, you need a treatment model that describes and captures the very real and scientifically verifiable distinctions in skin physiology. Skin Typing does just that.
Plus, you need a concrete program specifically and individually tailored to the unique attributes of your Skin Type. THE SKIN TYPE SOLUTION provides all of that vital information and guidance.
Once you've figured out your Skin Type (via a questionnaire in Chapter Three), you can go straight to the chapter on your Skin Type and find everything you need right there. There is a science to skin care, and once you know your Skin Type, it all gets a lot easier.
I've spent the last eight years defining and clinically testing my Skin Type solutions on thousands of patients at my University of Miami clinic to assure that my scientific criteria will work for everyone, of every skin color, ethnicity, age, and sex. And it does.
Perhaps you've already benefited from understanding your psychological type, your learning style, or your Ayurvedic type. If so, you'll appreciate how critical it is to get a handle on your Skin Type. This understanding lets you take control of your skin.
My Special Expertise
The guidance and gems I'll give you won't appear anywhere else. I launched, and currently direct, the University of Miami Cosmetic Center, the first university-run cosmetic research center in the United States, where I treat thousands of patients every year. In addition to being an MD, I am an associate professor at the University of Miami and the chief of the Division of Cosmetic Dermatology, making me the first cosmetic dermatologist in the United States dedicated to the field of cosmetic dermatology who is also a full-time university faculty member, teaching and conducting research.
This unprecedented combination affords me a unique position. My academic responsibilities keep me right on the cutting edge of research, while my clinical work has been a proving ground for refining the recommendations that arise from my findings.
My clients -- who range from gorgeous fashion models to topflight professionals, to fellow physicians, to all kinds of men and women concerned about aging -- have reaped the benefits of my unique understanding of the role of Skin Type in skin care.
As a scientist who is also a woman that loves to experiment with beauty and skin care products and routines, I'm tireless in seeking out and researching all beauty options because I use them myself. What's more, as a woman who wants to look my best all my life, I can put myself in your shoes and figure out how to best serve your skin care needs.
Defining a New Typology
Up until now, the field of dermatology lacked a rational model that people could learn to follow and apply for themselves. Prior to Skin Typing, the pre-existing mode of analyzing skin differences dated back to the early 1900s, when cosmetic giant Helena Rubenstein first divided skin into four categories: normal, combination, dry, and sensitive. While that was revolutionary for its time, today we can apply more accurate scientific criteria to the range of skin differences. Before Skin Typing, even dermatologists felt frustrated, since we all want to understand skin better and offer our patients tailor-made solutions. But until now, the revolutionary classification of the sixteen Skin Types was not there to help. Here's just one example of the kind of confusion that runs rampant, even among professionals. I recently was on the advisory board of a major company with two prominent dermatologists. One was an "R" (someone with resistant, nonreactive skin) and the other one was an "S" (someone with sensitive skin). Right there in front of the company president, the two had a huge argument with the "R" dermatologist claiming that there was no difference in skin care products and that it was all marketing hype. She could use anything on her facial skin, she told us, even Ivory soap, without a problem. The "S" skin dermatologist was shocked. Almost everything made her skin turn red and sting, she retorted. These two skin professionals did not understand that their opposing points of view stemmed from their opposite Skin Types. I saw very clearly that something was missing and wanted to simplify skin care, once and for all.
As a clinician, I'd seen the damage caused by following an inappropriate skin care routine. As a caring doctor, I'd heard the frustration and confusion of people trying to make good skin care choices while barraged by a plethora of products and overwhelmed by conflicting and often misleading marketing claims. Because each person had particular skin care needs, I noticed that the same products did not work for everyone, so I tailored individualized skin care regimens for my clients. Over time a clear, consistent, and replicable typology emerged, which I can use to help anyone determine their Skin Type and base their skin care decisions what's best for their type.
These sixteen Skin Types are the keys to a complete diagnostic and treatment program that covers every key skin factor and that really works.
The Baumann Skin Typing System measures four factors in skin: oiliness vs. dryness, resistance vs. sensitivity, pigmentation vs. non-pigmentation, and tightness vs. wrinkling. Determining where you fall in each of the four categories serves as the foundation for typing your skin. Your Skin Type is more than the sum of the four different factors. Their interplay and expression is unique for each type. After seeing literally thousands of patients and refining the Baumann Skin Typing Questionnaire over the last eight years, I can assure you that Skin Typing captures each Skin Type's unique qualities and shows you how to work with your type's strengths and weaknesses.
Once you understand your Skin Type, proper skin care isn't complicated or costly. You won't need to use a shelfful of products. Honing in on what your skin needs will actually simplify your beauty routine, making it easier to follow and more economical. Following the advice I'll extend in your Skin Type's chapter will end "bad skin days" because it will end bad skin care decisions.
How to Use this Book
In reading the opening chapter of this book, you'll familiarize yourself with the underlying principles of Skin Typing. In Chapter Two, you'll learn my innovative vocabulary to help you understand the different factors that I take into account when determining your Skin Type. In Chapter Three, you'll take the Baumann Skin Typing Questionnaire. Once you tabulate your results, you will know exactly which one of the sixteen types describes your skin. You can then turn directly to that chapter for a complete profile that will provide you with everything you need to take charge of your skin and give it the best possible care. Your chapter will overview your type's main characteristics as well as share stories of patients who've experienced and treated skin problems similar to the ones that may have troubled you. The bottom line is that by reading your chapter, you will get to know your skin. This will provide the foundation for following my subsequent advice. Each chapter contains Daily Skin Care Regimens specifically designed to address your Skin Type's problem areas. To follow your type's regimen, you will need to use the kinds of products I recommend. I'll provide a list of suggestions for each type of product, as well as extra suggestions to use when you have specific skin problems. In most product categories, I also provide a selection called Baumann's Choice, a good option to simplify your purchasing decision. If you currently use products that you find effective, you can also continue to use them, if you wish. However, if you decide to do that, I advise you to consult the lists of ingredients that define what are favorable or counterproductive for your Skin Type. Some ingredients may be helpful for one of your skin concerns, but exacerbate another skin problem. For example, genistein, a component found in soy, helps wrinkles, but also increases pigmentation. A Non-Pigmented, Wrinkled Skin Type could safely use it, but a Pigmented, Wrinkled Type should only use products that contain soy that has had the genistein removed. That's one reason why I advise that you double check your current products to assure that they do not contain any nono's. If they do, I recommend that you change products, as you could be unwittingly causing a problem. And you may also find that some of your favorite products do indeed contain helpful ingredients for your type. Still, I can best guarantee results with the products I know and recommend.
This book should be your companion when you shop for skin care products. As you put my recommendations in place, monitor how well they are working for you to assess whether or not consulting a dermatologist would be of benefit. For some Skin Types, I provide one or more additional Stage Two Daily Skin Care Regimens which address treating special skin problems via helpful prescription medications. Near the end of each chapter, I will point you toward your best options in cosmetic dermatology. A section of the book called "Further Help" will follow each of the four main Skin Type groups to offer more specific advice on certain prescriptions and procedures. It will also contain lifestyle, nutritional, and supplemental suggestions for your special needs.
In the chapter on your Skin Type, you will find:
1. Understanding of:
a. The basic qualities of your Skin Type
b. Your Skin Type's issues and challenges
c. Risk factors associated with your Skin Type
2. Guidelines for:
a. Your Skin Type's Daily Skin Care Regimen
b. Sun protection for your skin
c. Makeup that will help improve your skin condition
d. Types of prescription products helpful for your Skin Type
e. Cosmetic procedures that can help your skin (where applicable)
f. Cosmetic procedures that are not recommended for you (where applicable)
3. Specific Recommendations for:
a. Skin care products for your daily skin care routine
b. Skin care ingredients (to look for on product labels) that address your key skin issuesc. Skin care ingredients (to look for on product labels) that you should avoid because they can worsen your skin.
Instead of letting you waste valuable time and money tracking down and purchasing products that wind up in the trash, I will direct you to ones that will really help. My role in research and industry development gives me an unparalleled across-the-board knowledge of skin care ingredients.
I'll indicate the best way to cleanse your skin, reveal if you need to use a toner or a moisturizer, diagnose whether exfoliation is advisable for you, and show you when you'd benefit from prescription skin medications. All of my product recommendations will include options at low, medium, and high prices so that, whatever your budget, you can follow my recommendations to successful skin care. All selections are widely available so that you'll have no trouble obtaining them. Your Skin Type chapter will also help you to avoid products and procedures that -- while recommended for other types -- are either useless or potentially harmful for you. If you are curious about a cosmetic procedure, like Botox, your chapter will indicate whether, based on your Skin Type, it's something that you and your dermatologist should consider. That way you can make sure you choose the skin procedures most beneficial for your skin's particular needs. When to Consult a Dermatologist
In addition to guiding you through the product maze, I will help you decide when to consult a dermatologist and reveal how to get the most out of your visit in a section of your Skin Type chapter called "Consulting a Dermatologist." Some types have very little need to see a doctor, while certain others really benefit from the prescription medications, light treatments, and other procedures doctors can provide. In fact, for certain Skin Types with increased skin issues, nonprescription products may not be sufficiently effective. People with highly resistant skin, for example, need higher octane products, which only licensed physicians can prescribe.
Due to a national shortage of qualified dermatologists, people wait an average of three months to get an appointment. As a result, most dermatologists cannot always spend the time necessary to address basic skin care needs. By teaching you how to meet your basic skin care needs without a dermatologist and by helping you zero in on how he or she can best aid you, I'll ensure you make efficient use of your valuable appointment time.
Finally, I have launched a Web site, www.DrBaumann.com, to track your responses to different products, so now you can join the patients who see me at my clinic in offering your feedback and experiences while following the Baumann Skin Type Solution. Once you've discovered your Skin Type and tried my recommendations, you may want to explore further and discover new products that contain ingredients recommended for your type. If so, I want to hear about your discoveries as well as how my favorites have worked for you. Log on to www.DrBaumann.com and fill out the online questionnaire to share your skin care discoveries with me and other people who share your Skin Type.
What You Need to Know About Skin Care Products
For you as a consumer in the billion-dollar skin care industry, lack of information about products is costly, and you have to bridge the gap between what you know and what you need to know. Without accurate information, you are throwing your money away, because you are completely at the mercy of advertisers and marketers. With the specific information about your skin's needs explained in this book, you can take control of your skin.
In 2001, the average American owned about five hundred dollars' worth of cosmetic products, and this amount has surely risen dramatically as more and more expensive product lines have been developed since that time. Do you really need to spend that much to get quality skin care? No. What truly matters is not your skin cream's price, but whether it's right for your Skin Type. No matter how glamorous its packaging or delicious its feel, that four-hundred-dollar cream is not right for everyone. (In fact, some types don't need to use any skin cream at all.)
This book will save you the expense, trouble, and waste of buying the wrong products -- while directing you to the right ones. My recommendations are ingredient driven, and once you've learned my criteria, you too will be better able to read a cosmetic label and figure out if it's appropriate for you.
I have tried to incorporate into this book every kind of skin care product that I feel is useful, limiting the scope to facial care products. (The book would be three times the size if I included body care advice as well.) I have chosen the products recommended in this book based on their ingredients, manufacturing practices, and formulations.
I've reviewed the clinical trial data of the products, when available, to offer those proven effective. Finally, since my patients have used my recommendations, I've listened to their feedback and tracked their treatment results to guarantee the efficacy of the treatment approach and product selection for each Skin Type. All you have to do is take the test, determine your Skin Type, and choose the products in your chapter. And at least when you splurge on products and procedures, you'll know you are getting your money's worth.
The recommendations are independent of any relationships that I have with the companies that manufacture them. Of course, when I work with a company, I know more about their products. However, I work with over thirty-seven companies and have approached many others for information in writing this book. In addition, when I find products with helpful ingredients from other sources, like stores or the internet, I test them as well. After all, I test skin care products for a living --so why not?
All the products that I recommend:
1. Contain the right ingredients for your Skin Type
2. Contain sufficient amounts of active ingredients to be effective
3. Do not contain counterproductive ingredients
4. Are formulated effectively for your needs
5. Are packaged to maintain stability of the active ingredients
6. Are cosmetically elegant (smell good and feel good)
7. Got a thumbs up from those who've used them
8. Are easily available for purchase
Finally, since all products meet all of the above criteria, I often pick the cheapest option (or a hands-down favorite) as a Baumann's Choice. This designates the best value to make your product selections easier.
Ramona's Story
Unaware that her freckles, dark spots, and dark under-eye circles indicated that she had pigmented skin (skin that freckles, or easily forms brown spots) Ramona had paid seventy-five dollars for a highly touted antiwrinkle cream that was dead wrong for her Skin Type because it contained soy (a common ingredient in skin care). Although soy can be great for dark spots, some forms of soy contain estrogen-like substances. And with pigmented skin, it's vital to shun products that contain ingredients that act like estrogen, which increases the formation of brown spots. While certain components of soy have this undesirable, estrogenic effect, other components prevent brown spot formation, and therefore should be used by Ramona (or you, if you have pigmented skin).
Yet Ramona had no idea how to interpret the fine-print ingredients in her wrinkle cream. She was lured to purchase it by its pretty blue packaging and the rave reviews of it in Vogue. Even if she had read the ingredients, she would not have known what they meant or how that would affect her skin. She would never have guessed that this product was increasing her spots and skin discoloration.
What Ramona needed instead was a product in which the problematic estrogen-like components had been removed, while the beneficial properties were retained, such as Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer, which contains soy without the estrogenic components. This product costs fifteen dollars. Using a cream of real benefit to her Skin Type, Ramona would have saved herself sixty dollars.
Through the Baumann Skin Type Questionnaire that you'll find in Chapter Three, you will learn whether and to what extent skin pigmentation is an issue for you. That information will be synthesized with other key skin characteristics to arrive at the final assessment, so that you know once and for all what Skin Type you have. Full guidelines and detailed product and procedure dos and don'ts will be spelled out in your chapter.
To give another example, let's say that (in contrast to Ramona) the test determines that you are not pigmented, and that your skin can also be classified as wrinkled. With that combination, it would be beneficial for you to use a soy-based product that includes the estrogenic components. Two different Skin Types need two entirely different types of ingredients, and as a result, require highly individual product recommendations.
Skin Typing is Universal
One of the exciting features of Skin Typing is that people of different ethnic or racial backgrounds can share a Skin Type. In most instances, all people with the same Skin Type will follow the exact same treatment plan, but sometimes skin color can be a differentiating factor because of the way pigment (the factor in skin that produces color) is produced in different racial and ethnic groups. For example, two best friends, Valerie, a medium-skin toned brunette, and Dana, a dark-skinned woman, came in for back-toback appointments. After they each took the questionnaire and tabulated their results, they were surprised to discover that they shared the same Skin Type. They were both "P," Pigmented Skin Types, which gave both Valerie and Dana a tendency to develop pigmentation issues. And each of them did have a problem with pigmentation. That's why they came to my office.
Valerie had an area of dark skin discoloration (called melasma) on her cheek, and Dana had dark spots in areas where she had once had pimples. Although I recommended that they follow the exact same protocol and use the same kinds of products, there was one key difference. Valerie could bene- fit from an advanced cosmetic procedure that uses light instruments or lasers to treat pigment problems like hers, while Dana would benefit most from prescription products used daily and should not undergo laser treatment since this can cause discoloration in people with darker skin tones.
That's why, throughout the book whenever an adjustment based on skin color is needed, I'll fine-tune recommendations so that you will know how to adapt them to your needs whether you have a light, medium, or dark skin tone.
Sylvia's Story
Sylvia came to see me because of skin discoloration on her chin and cheeks. An African-American with oily skin, Sylvia never guessed that the skin scrub she'd picked up at the Neiman Marcus beauty department was causing this problem. Anyone with highly pigmented skin (like many darkskinned people), must stay away from all ingredients and procedures that cause inflammation.
Yet not knowing her Skin Type, Sylvia had no idea that products and treatments she was using stimulated the inflammatory response, which in turn led to dark spots.
I taught Sylvia what to look for on product ingredient labels. Common ingredients, like vitamin C, AHA, and alpha lipoic acid, can create inflammation as do buff puffs and strong scrubs. She was surprised to learn that hair removal formulas, like Nair, and hot wax products may also cause inflammation. In using wax or a chemical depilatory to remove facial hair, Sylvia wound up with unsightly dark patches that looked far worse than the hair she was trying to remove. Now, she knew to avoid them. Once she became aware of the needs of her Skin Type, she was able to make changes that helped reduce the dark spots considerably. In addition, I recommended she use products containing oatmeal, feverfew, chamomile, or licochalone, which are known to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Skin Care Myths
When people come into my office, I regularly have to deprogram them of skin care dis-information. For example, do you buy into any of these common beauty myths?
Myth # 1: The way to find the right skin care product is by buying lots of different products until you find one that works for you (if you're lucky).
Actually, this approach works well for the cosmetics industry, but it's not so good for you—unless you happen to have loads of money, tons of free time, and want to experiment on your skin. Yet, that's the way most people purchase skin care products and services. Without knowing your Skin Type and being directed to the range of products that work well for it, you are at the mercy of marketers and advertisers.
In this book, I will cut through the hype around skin products, and let you know what's worthwhile, or worthless, for your Skin Type's needs -- and why. Because of the way that they are regulated by the FDA, cosmetic companies cannot lay claim to any biological activity. If they did, they would be regulated as drugs, with costly clinical trials needed to validate their claims. Instead they make vague marketing statements. No wonder people are confused. However, as a dermatologist, I can reveal the biological effects of different products to cut through the hype.
Myth #2: The more expensive a product, the better it will work.
What does the high price tag on that designer skin cream buy you? Not the ingredients in the bottle. Instead, most often you are footing the bill for the marketing and bottling of that product. In fact, if tomorrow someone invented the world's best skin cream, they could sell the rights to market it to different segments of the skin care marketplace, and very likely the only difference between the drugstore item, the department store brandname version, and the special edition sold by dermatologists would be, you guessed it, the packaging and price. However, the creams contained therein could well be absolutely identical. Some day I'd love to see high-end lines that are really worth the extra expense because they are packed with ingredients that can deliver real results. In this book, you'll learn what products work well for your Skin Type's unique needs, without busting your budget.
Suzanne's Story
Suzanne was a thirty-seven-year-old interior designer with an impressive list of high-end clients. She preferred and could afford the very best. But paying top dollar hadn't helped her in finding the right care for her dry, resistant, pigmented, and wrinkle-prone skin.
"At one time or other, I've used every kind of cream and moisturizer, from the most expensive brands to Walgreens's products," she told me. But none of these products helped the crow's-feet that were forming around her eyes and on her forehead. Because of her skin's resistance, Suzanne was fortunate in that none of the products on her worldwide search for a moisturizer caused a reaction. But none of them were very effective either.
I recognized immediately that Suzanne was a candidate for Retin-A, which accelerates the skin's natural exfoliation process. This has a twofold effect. First, it increases collagen production, which slows the formation of wrinkles. And it also prevents the formation of brown spots since the cells that make color cannot keep up with the accelerated cell turnover. As with most of my patients, I had Suzanne start slowly, at first using the product once every three nights to assure that she remained reaction-free. I advised her to mix it in with a little of her moisturizer, which is helpful in offsetting the dryness typical of her Skin Type.
"I love the way my skin looks with Retin-A," Suzanne reports. "It's taken years off my face and prevented new wrinkles from forming."
Another concern for someone with dry, wrinkle-prone skin, like Suzanne, was finding the right moisturizer. I advised her to look for moisturizers containing ingredients like glycerin, cholesterol, ceramides, and fatty acids as these restore hydration, always an issue for someone with her Skin Type. Some of my personal favorites are in the Dove Sensitive Essentials line. Avoiding toners and gels that could dry her skin was another essential aspect of her skin care protocol, as was utilizing more hydrating creams rather than lotions.
Myth #3: Fragrance-free products contain no perfume or fragrance.
People with sensitive skin often buy products with this misleading labeling, hoping to avoid ingredients they react to. "Fragrance-free" is no guarantee that the product does not contain perfumes or fragrances. It means that no fragrance is detectable by the average person's sense of smell.
In fact, fragrances are added to most face creams to neutralize their bad odor. Have you ever noticed that your old makeup foundation smells funny? That's because over time the fragrances evaporate, leaving the unpleasant smell unmasked. For most people, this doesn't matter so much, but if you have sensitive skin, you may need to find products completely free of these sensitizing ingredients. My Skin Type guidelines and product recommendations will help you do that. Myth #4: Ivory soap is for sensitive Skin.
Any product that vigorously suds and foams contains detergent, a strict no-no for dry skin. The best known example is Ivory soap, marketed with the buzz phrase "so pure it floats." Advertising featured pictures of delicate babies and fair-skinned blondes, along with the recommendation that since it was "pure, and fragrance free," it was designed "for sensitive skin." Nothing could be further from the truth. Vigorously foaming soaps, like Ivory, are terrible for dry skin because they wash away the natural lipids that help your skin retain moisture. If you have dry skin, never use anything that makes a lot of bubbles, especially bubble bath. Thin foam and thin bubbles are all right. Never wash your face with shampoo no matter what your Skin Type. Instead use non-foaming cleansers or minimally foaming cleansers like Cetaphil, Dove, Pond's, or certain Nivea products.
Connie's Story
A fifty-four-year-old comptroller for a company, Connie is also a mother and grandmother. "Believe me, I've tried everything for my skin redness," Connie told me on her first visit to my office. Of English and Irish background, Connie had creamy fair skin, but a red nose, red splotches, and red marks on her neck.
"Once a friend recommended I use her favorite cleanser, which was Sisley Cleansing Milk. I got such a bad rash, the doctor thought I had a contagious disease," Connie reported. Even products labeled as mild or for sensitive skin caused her eyes to swell.
Connie lived in a cold, dry climate. Because of her skin's tendency to wrinkle, moisturizing and wrinkle prevention were key for Connie. Her skin thirsted for moisture, but reacted to nearly all moisturizers by burning, stinging, or turning red. Fortunately, I knew which products tended to be less irritating and had ingredients known to decrease facial flushing. I recommended Olay Total Effects with niacinamide which has been shown to decrease facial flushing. Connie was delighted that this inexpensive moisturizer worked for her. A procedure called Intense Pulsed Light, or IPL, was performed with a Lumenis light device to shrink her blood vessels leading to decreased facial redness and flushing. In addition, I recommended that she add antioxidant vitamins and fish oils to her diet. Antioxidants help combat free radicals that can lead to wrinkles. Fish oils do double duty: they add needed fatty acids to the diet and help build up the lipids in the skin, restoring the skin barrier and reducing skin sensitivity. Connie says that she recently saw a picture of herself from a wedding and was thrilled that her face did not look red in the photo.
Myth #5: The food I eat won't affect my skin.
Your diet does impact your skin, and there's no doubt that going on a no- or low-fat diet can increase skin dryness. Studies have shown that patients on cholesterol-lowering drugs often suffer from dry skin. Cholesterol is actually an important part of the skin that helps it remain hydrated.
Carolyn's Story
Carolyn, a twenty-year-old model, consulted me because she was having trouble getting work due to excessive skin flakiness. When I questioned her, I learned that she had recently gone on a low protein, no-fat diet, eating lots of vegetables and zero fats. Her dry skin suffered. Flaking and peeling, her skin looked dull and lifeless. Once I was able to persuade her to reintroduce healthy protein and fats into her diet, her skin softened as it regained its moisture and vibrancy. And Carolyn experienced an energy boost as well. Her skin became so well hydrated that she was hired to model a new skin care line of products specially developed to treat dry skin.
Myth # 6: Paying attention to my skin is a waste of time.
If you have one of the easier Skin Types, your recommended routine is not going to create unnecessary complexity. What's more, fine-tuning your skin care can only save you money and optimize your skin in the long run. On the other hand, if you have a challenging Skin Type, treating your skin right and preventing future problems is an absolute essential. Most skin problems are better addressed sooner, rather than later. And whatever your age, skin condition, or Skin Type, sooner is today.
Ready, Set... Skin Type!
I'm truly delighted to be able to share with you my discoveries and to help you manage your skin and treat it right. Try the regimens and products, and see how they work for you. Don't hesitate to see a dermatologist if you need to, as there are many advanced medications and procedures of real benefit. Finally, share Skin Typing with your friends, family, and loved ones because there's a Skin Type Solution for everyone.
Excerpted from The Skin Type Solution by Leslie Baumann, M.D. Copyright © 2006 by Leslie Baumann . Excerpted by permission of Bantam Books, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.