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A review by inkerly
The Original Beauty Bible: Skin Care Facts for Ageless Beauty by Paula Begoun
5.0
TLDR; I took brief notes on all the sections that were regular people (sorry for those with unique skin conditions). View them here: https://www.notion.so/ingridnkenlifack/The-Original-Beauty-Bible-Skincare-Facts-for-Ageless-Beauty-Notes-396884b82c844b81add911fd219c2888
I really only read 50% of this book, skimmed through 25%, and am saving the other 25% in the event that in old age, I ‘ll need a guide for curing wrinkles, psoriasis, cellulite, etc. But this was so informative, golly.
Pros:
This is a very extensive and comprehensive guide on skincare. It really deserves the title "The Original Skincare Bible." This is a 500-page behemoth of a book that covers every topic under the sun (pun definitely intended) from skincare to hair care to body care & cosmetic surgery. However skincare is where its focus is. And I was thoroughly impressed by the wealth of knowledge shared about skin. By the end of the book I became educated on what works for my skin type , the science behind certain ingredients, and the products to buy and avoid at the drugstore.
From a new skincare enthusiast's perspective, this book is amazing. It's hard to find books that really delve into the nitty gritty and cover all types of skin. This book is inclusive of skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, etc. And this book is fortunately NOT one of those “clean/green” beauty guides that touts the use of all-natural, fruit-citrus-essential-oils-steamed-cocoa-beans-from-Guatemala skincare that’s ripped off from ancient native peoples customs and resold for hundreds of dollars. The green/natural lifestyle has its limitations with skin in my opinion, and an author who isn't afraid to shine a light on the dubious claims of the industry is trustworthy in my book.
Cons
However there were some cons I found. For one, I was disappointed in the fact that the author basically glossed over the skincare needs of darker-skinned (African American, Latino, and Asian) people, saying that “skin is skin” no matter the color. I disagree vehemently. The amount of melanin or collagen you/I produce affects the way you/I navigate skincare. Especially considering most skincare companies only make products with lighter skin-tones in mind. It begs the question, where are all the skincare brands for medium/dark-toned people who suffer with melasma, post inflammatory hyperpigmentation but can’t use high concentrations of glycolic acid or hydroquinone to mitigate the effects?
I do appreciate Begoun referencing black dermatologists and doctors like Dr. Susan Taylor to give credit to the people before her who gave life to these issues. I just know there’s room to include more POC in the discussion on skincare.
Also, I noticed the chapters on body, nail, and hair care are only around a chapter each and not as extensive as the topic of skincare. This can be expected but also irritating considering it’s a “Beauty” Bible and not a “Skincare Bible”, as the book’s title implies. You may want to defer to other resources for more extensive advice on dental hygiene (which I did), nail care, and hair care.
Another critique that is more geared towards the writing and not the content of the book, is I was thrown off at times by how vitriolic the author seemed towards the cosmetics industry. I suspect there are political reasons at play here. One, the author clearly states they’re not chemists. They are not cosmetologists or dermatologists. They don’t have a degree in skincare nor did they study in the field. Begoun is simply a skincare enthusiast who happened to acquire the same knowledge as the people in the business of selling and upgrading skincare. Obviously the cosmetics industry would see someone with her skill and no BS approach as a threat. But some passages felt like Paula was punching first to avoid being the one punched under, like the friend who joins the bully circle to avoid getting bullied.
Only for her to later say that the cosmetics industry is still a much preferable alternative to all-natural or DIY skincare. Just seems to straddle two sides of the fence there. But I guess that's also part of her personality? Which, in a book laden with so much brain-bursting scientific information can be a relief, but vapidness isn't great either. For example in Chapter 1, she cheekily says that the ‘10th commandment of beauty care’ is "Thou shalt not look up to anorexic stick thin models..." or something of that nature, and that didn't sit well with me. So I could've done with less of the passive aggressive humor and fence straddling in those regards.
Still, that doesn't negate the wealth of information this book carries . I truly recommend it for all ages, ethnicities and skin types to start your skincare journey.
I really only read 50% of this book, skimmed through 25%, and am saving the other 25% in the event that in old age, I ‘ll need a guide for curing wrinkles, psoriasis, cellulite, etc. But this was so informative, golly.
Pros:
This is a very extensive and comprehensive guide on skincare. It really deserves the title "The Original Skincare Bible." This is a 500-page behemoth of a book that covers every topic under the sun (pun definitely intended) from skincare to hair care to body care & cosmetic surgery. However skincare is where its focus is. And I was thoroughly impressed by the wealth of knowledge shared about skin. By the end of the book I became educated on what works for my skin type , the science behind certain ingredients, and the products to buy and avoid at the drugstore.
From a new skincare enthusiast's perspective, this book is amazing. It's hard to find books that really delve into the nitty gritty and cover all types of skin. This book is inclusive of skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, etc. And this book is fortunately NOT one of those “clean/green” beauty guides that touts the use of all-natural, fruit-citrus-essential-oils-steamed-cocoa-beans-from-Guatemala skincare that’s ripped off from ancient native peoples customs and resold for hundreds of dollars. The green/natural lifestyle has its limitations with skin in my opinion, and an author who isn't afraid to shine a light on the dubious claims of the industry is trustworthy in my book.
Cons
However there were some cons I found. For one, I was disappointed in the fact that the author basically glossed over the skincare needs of darker-skinned (African American, Latino, and Asian) people, saying that “skin is skin” no matter the color. I disagree vehemently. The amount of melanin or collagen you/I produce affects the way you/I navigate skincare. Especially considering most skincare companies only make products with lighter skin-tones in mind. It begs the question, where are all the skincare brands for medium/dark-toned people who suffer with melasma, post inflammatory hyperpigmentation but can’t use high concentrations of glycolic acid or hydroquinone to mitigate the effects?
I do appreciate Begoun referencing black dermatologists and doctors like Dr. Susan Taylor to give credit to the people before her who gave life to these issues. I just know there’s room to include more POC in the discussion on skincare.
Also, I noticed the chapters on body, nail, and hair care are only around a chapter each and not as extensive as the topic of skincare. This can be expected but also irritating considering it’s a “Beauty” Bible and not a “Skincare Bible”, as the book’s title implies. You may want to defer to other resources for more extensive advice on dental hygiene (which I did), nail care, and hair care.
Another critique that is more geared towards the writing and not the content of the book, is I was thrown off at times by how vitriolic the author seemed towards the cosmetics industry. I suspect there are political reasons at play here. One, the author clearly states they’re not chemists. They are not cosmetologists or dermatologists. They don’t have a degree in skincare nor did they study in the field. Begoun is simply a skincare enthusiast who happened to acquire the same knowledge as the people in the business of selling and upgrading skincare. Obviously the cosmetics industry would see someone with her skill and no BS approach as a threat. But some passages felt like Paula was punching first to avoid being the one punched under, like the friend who joins the bully circle to avoid getting bullied.
Only for her to later say that the cosmetics industry is still a much preferable alternative to all-natural or DIY skincare. Just seems to straddle two sides of the fence there. But I guess that's also part of her personality? Which, in a book laden with so much brain-bursting scientific information can be a relief, but vapidness isn't great either. For example in Chapter 1, she cheekily says that the ‘10th commandment of beauty care’ is "Thou shalt not look up to anorexic stick thin models..." or something of that nature, and that didn't sit well with me. So I could've done with less of the passive aggressive humor and fence straddling in those regards.
Still, that doesn't negate the wealth of information this book carries . I truly recommend it for all ages, ethnicities and skin types to start your skincare journey.