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The Original Beauty Bible: Skin Care Facts for Ageless Beauty by Paula Begoun
Table of Contents
Chapter One—The Beauty Industry:
Universally Crazy
Chapter Two—Understanding The
Hype
Chapter Three— Frauds & Fears
Chapter Four—Organic Cosmetics Do
“Natural” One Better
Chapter Five—Skin Type?
Chapter Six—Skin’s Enemy:
Irritation and Inflammation
Chapter Seven—Sun Sense and
Sensibility
Chapter Eight—Skin Care &
Moisturizers
Chapter Nine—Every Skin Type Can
Benefit from Exfoliating
Chapter Ten—Skin-Care Planning: Going Over the Basics
Chapter Eleven—Solutions for Wrinkles
Chapter Twelve—Solutions for Perimenopause & Menopause
Chapter Thirteen—Solutions for Skin Lightening
Chapter Fourteen—Solutions for Dry Skin
Chapter Fifteen—Solutions for Acne
Chapter Sixteen—Solutions for Blackheads
Chapter Seventeen—Solutions for Rosacea
Chapter Eighteen—Solutions for Psoriasis
Chapter Nineteen—Solutions for Seborrhea and Eczema
Chapter Twenty—Solutions for Cellulite
Chapter Twenty-One—Solutions for Wounds, Scars, or Stretch Marks
Chapter Twenty-Two—Solutions for Allergy-Prone Skin
Chapter Twenty-Three—Should You Get a Facial?
Chapter Twenty-Four—Hair Removal
Chapter Twenty-Five—Growing Hair
Chapter Twenty-Six—Medical Cosmetic Corrective Procedures
Chapter Twenty-Seven—Body & Nail Care
Chapter Twenty-Eight—Problems? Solutions!
Chapter Twenty-Nine—Making Sense of Makeup
Chapter Thirty—Animal Rights
Understanding the Hype
If you don’t understand how the
cosmetics industry works—the good, the bad, and the ugly—you will be a victim
of its advertising manipulations, exaggerations, and deceptions, and that isn’t
good for your skin or your budget.
I had an interesting discussion
with a producer of an infomercial as I was finishing up the last chapter for
this book before it went to press. Because of confidentiality, I can’t tell you which
one, but it really doesn’t matter because they are all the same and they all
mislead or deceive or lie through their teeth in the same way. This producer
knew that the script she was going to be videotaping was mostly misleading or
untrue. Don’t get me wrong: She was very nice and she appreciated my research
and critique of the topic, but of course, there was nothing she could do about
it. And nothing I could do either.
What most women don’t realize is how everyone in the cosmetics industry knows that marketing and advertising for cosmetics are either meaningless, hypocritical, or dishonest. That fashion magazines are hamstrung by their advertisers and can’t report “beauty” information objectively. They can’t disagree with their advertisers. The reporters, producers, and editors all know it. They all talk about it and then shrug their shoulders and say, well, it’s a living. Or they laugh about it. Ultimately, they all know women are being suckered into products that can’t possibly perform as the claims on the label assert.
Myth: There are skin-care products that really are better than Botox or better than dermal fillers.
Fact: Over the past few years cosmetics companies have positioned their skincare products by claiming that they can compete with or even outdo medical corrective procedures such as Botox. The ads in fashion magazines for these types of skin-care products often make claims about how dangerous Botox injections can be. There is nothing scary about Botox (other than the sound of the botulism toxin material used). In fact, the research about Botox’s effectiveness and safety is overwhelmingly positive for every disorder they treat with it, and there are many, from cerebral palsy in children to headaches and eye tics.
On the other hand, there is absolutely no research showing that any skin-care product can even remotely work in any manner like Botox, or like dermal fillers such as Restylane or Artecol, or like laser resurfacing. Regardless of their ingredients or the claims these skin-care products make, it just isn’t possible. Even Botox can’t work like Botox if you apply it topically rather than injecting it into facial muscles. Nor can dermal fillers plump up wrinkles when applied topically rather than being injected. When performed by professionals, Botox and dermal injections make wrinkles in the treated area disappear almost immediately. Believing that skin-care products can do the same is a complete waste of money. There has never been a single skin-care product that has ever put a plastic surgeon or cosmetic dermatologist out of business! It makes sense, then, even with the increasing number of products claiming to be better than Botox, that there were more Botox injections and dermal filler injections performed in 2007 than ever before—millions and millions of them.
Makeup: A Philosophical Approach
Several years ago a documentary produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation went into entertaining detail and analysis of this salient point. The Human Face was written and directed by comedy legend John Cleese and featured some rather candid comments from a dermatologist Dr. Vail Reese on how we perceive skin flaws while watching films, and the way we make character assumptions based on things like facial asymmetry or scarring.
According to Reese, the clear-skinned, smooth-faced individual is almost always the hero, while anyone with a skin defect is relegated to the role of a bad guy. In most societies skin becomes a reflection not just of health and beauty, but also of moral content and integrity, not to mention sex appeal. While we know rationally that appearance has no relevance to a person’s being ethical, studies have shown that people interacting with others who have clear, flawless skin feel more comfortable and relaxed than they do with those who have facial scarring or some other skin imperfection. When skin was marred in some way, spectators were more hesitant, more wary, or even fearful of the people who did not have good skin.
In terms of cosmetic adornment, Reese commented that women who use makeup to minimize skin imperfections and enhance their eyes and lips, thus giving the impression of flawless skin, create more positive human interaction.
Foundation Mistakes to Avoid
1. Do not buy a foundation before
trying it on and checking it in the daylight.
2. Do not wear foundation unless
it matches your skin color.
3. Do not wear pink, peach, rose,
orange, or ash-colored foundation.
4. Cream-to-powder foundations
work best for normal skin. The cream part can be too greasy for oily skin and
the powder can be too dry for dry skin.
5. Do not apply a thick layer of foundation; thin and sheer are the operative words when it comes to applying foundation unless you are wearing a foundation with sunscreen, in which case liberal, even application is essential.
6. Do not use your fingers to blend your foundation over the face unless you’re willing to go over your handiwork with a sponge.
Brush Tips to Remember
1. Do not use brushes with hard
or stiff bristles.
2. Do not use a brush that is too
big or too small for the area of the face you are working on.
3. Do not use brushes that are
too soft or ones with bristles that are too sparse; they won’t hold up over
time.
4. Do not forget to knock the
excess powder off the brush before you apply the color to your face.
5. Do not wipe or rub the brush
across the face; instead, gently brush on the color with short, even strokes.
6. Do not forget to use your
sponge to blend out hard edges and soften your color application.
7. Do not forget to gently wash your brushes every month or so, unless you are using them on a variety of people, in which case you should be washing or disinfecting them every day.
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