It’s time to get specific about your skin
It’s no wonder that I get asked all the time, “What’s the best drugstore moisturizer?” or “Why does my expensive eye cream seem to do nothing?” I’ve found in my research that 80 percent of people are wrong about their skin type. As a result, many choose the wrong skin care ingredients (sound familiar?) and, unfortunately, they can do more harm than good.
It’s not hard to see why there’s confusion. The system we’re all familiar with— oily, dry, combination, and sensitive—was developed more than 100 years ago by Helena Rubinstein, and isn’t specific enough to guide you through the myriad of skin care choices on the market today. As a result, I developed my own system—the Baumann Skin Type (The Skin Type Solution, 2005)—to identify which of 16 different skin types is yours. Once you know what your skin type is, I can help you find the right ingredients (and which you should avoid!) and the right products for your skin.
HOW IT WORKS
Products are marketed with exaggerated claims that confuse and frustrate those who buy them, only to find that the formulas don’t live up to their hype, or worse, that they’re irritating and must be thrown away. If you’re like most of us, you’re tired of making mistakes and want to get specific information that’s tailored to your skin type and individual needs.
Finding your skin type with my system is based on four main parameters that affect skin’s appearance. To determine your skin type, circle one choice from each set below:
Your answer should be your Baumann Skin Type, but chances are, you haven’t identified your skin’s characteristics accurately. Most people don’t— as I mentioned before, 80 percent of people guess their Baumann Skin Type wrong (so I strongly recommend that you take the detailed questionnaire in my book that I have spent the last eight years perfecting before investing in new products!).
Consider me as an example. I am a DSNW—my skin is Dry, Sensitive, Non-pigmented with a tendency to Wrinkle. I need products with skin care ingredients to help my skin hold onto water, anti-inflammatory ingredients to prevent redness, and antioxidants and retinoids to prevent aging.
Once you have properly identified your skin type, I can keep you up-to-date on the new research and new skin care products that pertain to you on my site www.SkinTypeSolutions.com. Here’s to a future of healthy, gorgeous skin.
—Leslie Baumann, MD
