As I look over the material and research I’ve accumulated, from magazine articles and books on botanicals and herbal ingredients to medical and scientific journals, as well as from interviews with dermatologists, oncologists, and cosmetics chemists, I am amazed at the depth of information available on skin and skin care. It is also mind-boggling to realize how many thousands of products you can choose from when it comes to everything from cleaning the face, to protecting skin from the sun, moisturizing, fighting blemishes, or treating a large number of skin problems. You wouldn’t think that taking care of your skin could be so complicated or shrouded in such controversy, but the truth is, it is very complicated. It is rocket science!
Despite being such a small part of the whole body, the face has the lion’s share of topical problems, far more than those that take place from the neck down. Acne, wrinkles, sagging, sunburn, blackheads, dryness, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, seborrhea, dry patches, swelling, and allergies, not to mention the impact of our concepts of beauty, are most evident on the face. There is a lot of money to be made if a cosmetics company can get a consumer to believe that their product(s) will make her more beautiful and do something to tackle one or more of those facial dilemmas. If a company can make the stuff sound utterly unique for the skin, even when it isn’t, the sales figures rise astronomically.
As complicated and emotional as skin care can be, the actual skin-care routines can be streamlined and concise. Yet the details in each category are tricky because there is a lot you have to unlearn and then relearn. By now you have an overview of what works (such as being gentle, using sun protection, exfoliating, and what antioxidants, skin-identical ingredients, and cell-communicating ingredients do). You also know what doesn’t (such as one special ingredient, jar packaging, eye creams, exaggerated claims, certain natural or exotic ingredients, and all essential oils) when it comes to cosmetics claims and various skin-care ingredients.
If you’ve gotten this far in the book (and haven’t skipped chapters) you are also aware of how the cosmetics industry may be damaging your skin and what current research is revealing about optimal skin care. The next step is to arrange all these data in a way that helps you find an effective skin-care routine so you can stop wasting money on useless products that may be hurting your skin.